Chapter 481: A Life Where Nothing Happens

TL: FoodieMonster007

The assassins who were never supposed to fail had failed.

The fight of a martial artist and the fight of an assassin are different. He had been confident that no matter how skilled a master was, they couldn't withstand a hidden blade.

Why couldn't that hidden blade pierce the gut of that smirking bastard?

In any case, he had judged that being with that man was disadvantageous to him, so he had coldly ordered him to leave.

He says he knows who sent the assassins?

This was bait he couldn't resist biting.

"Who is it?" Geom Mugeuk asked, staring at him intently.

"So now you're curious," Geum Ahyuk responded calmly. "I believe this assassination attempt is related to your grudges. That's why I'm not curious about the client. I'm trying to see what kind of person you are. How honest you are."

The man he had tried to kill was standing alive before him, yet it wasn't easy to be this shameless and confident. Especially when his opponent's martial arts were overwhelming. In other words, it was proof that he had someone he trusted.

This man meets his backer directly.

Thus, Geom Mugeuk deduced the relationship with the backer from Geum Ahyuk's reaction.

"So, tell me."

Between the two of them, the second brother, Geum Ajong, was lost in a misunderstanding.

This cute little swindler, staging his own act?

Geum Ajong believed last night's invasion by assassins was an act staged by Geom Mugeuk. After all, how could assassins suddenly infiltrate the Golden Dragon Clan, which had been safe its entire existence?

He couldn't even imagine that his father or older brother had hired the assassins. He thought he had the worst temper in the family, but it turned out he was the most naive.

Well, at least he succeeded in getting my brother's attention.

Geum Ajong was curious to see how this swindler would manipulate his brother.

Geum Ahyuk pressed him hard. "If you don't want to talk, then leave. And don't ever come looking for me again."

Geom Mugeuk said with a smile, "I'm someone who wants to get close to the First Young Lord. Can't you tell from how I came to pay my respects today?"

Geom Mugeuk sat down at the reception table in the office.

"Ah, this is the kind of story we should be sharing over a drink at a market tavern. You people may drink at expensive taverns or brothels, but among the shabby street pubs, there are hidden gems that are like a treasure map."

"I told you to leave if you're just going to spout nonsense!" Geum Ahyuk glared at his younger brother. It was a look that said, 'Get him out of here right now.'

Ah, it seems even this guy isn't having an easy time with my brother.

His brother had changed a lot recently. He had never liked him to begin with, but these days, he even found him very awkward and strange.

"Don't push him so hard. He must have said that because he knows something."

Just then, Geom Mugeuk spoke up abruptly.

"You."

A moment of silence fell.

"The client is you."

Geum Ahyuk never imagined he would be pointed out. Especially not to his face like this.

Geum Ajong, who was listening, burst out laughing.

"He really is an interesting fellow."

However, Geom Mugeuk and Geum Ahyuk did not laugh. The smile vanished from Geum Ajong's face, who had been laughing out loud.

"What? You weren't serious, were you?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded.

The word 'Crazy!' escaped Geum Ajong's lips.

"Why do you suspect me? Speak clearly. You're currently accusing the Golden Dragon Clan's First Young Lord of hiring assassins."

Geom Mugeuk stared at him. He could feel his agitation in his trembling eyes. No matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't be easy to remain calm in this situation.

Then, another shocking statement came from Geom Mugeuk.

"One of the assassins confessed it was you as he was dying."

Geom Mugeuk lied without a single change in his expression.

On the other hand, Geum Ahyuk was flustered by the word 'confessed'. The corner of his eye twitched.

Watching this, Geum Ajong's heart sank. His brother's eye would twitch like that whenever a nerve was struck or a lie was exposed. It had been that way since they were young.

"If you heard such a thing, why are you telling me?"

To the calm question, Geom Mugeuk replied with a smile. "I believe our First Young Lord has been framed. Would the man who is to become the heir of the Golden Dragon Clan really commit such an act? I'm part of the Golden Dragon Clan family now too, so shouldn't I provide such information to the one who will inherit the clan?"

Geum Ahyuk said nothing.

Since the conversation did not continue, Geom Mugeuk rose from his seat.

"You must be busy, I've taken too much of your time. I'll be on my way for today."

Before leaving, he added one more thing.

"Think carefully about who might have framed you."

After leaving those words, Geom Mugeuk left the place first.

Geum Ajong looked at his brother. Geum Ahyuk went to the window and didn't even glance his way.

Right now, he was half-believing, half-doubting.

Did he really hire the assassins? No, right?

If this was true, it was a golden opportunity to oust his brother from the line of succession. However, he wasn't entirely pleased.

Couldn't this crazy bastard hire someone to kill me too?

That night, in a small smithy, a middle-aged man was hammering a heated piece of iron on an anvil.

DANG! DAANG!

The hammering was rhythmic and powerful. The shirtless man was thin and small, so much so that it was a wonder how such powerful hammer blows could come from his bony, gaunt body.

He quietly waited for the hammering to end. This hammering man was someone who would forgive anything else, but he would never tolerate being disturbed while working.

DANG!

Just then, Geum Ahyuk entered the place. With one last long, echoing hammer strike, the man lifted his head and looked at Geum Ahyuk.

"You're here?"

"Elder, have you been well?"

The middle-aged man's name was Myeongjin. This was the man Geum Ahyuk had referred to as 'him' to his father.

Geum Ahyuk sincerely respected Myeongjin. He was a strong and intelligent person, different from the ignorant martial artists.

It was good to be with him. He learned about the murim, and he learned about human affairs. Most of all, being with him gave him a sense of security that no one could kill him.

Blood doesn't lie. His father Geum Cheonbang's pathological fear of martial artists had been passed down to his son, Geum Ahyuk.

"You seem to have gotten thinner. Please make sure to eat well."

Right now, he looked like a common worker in a smithy, covered in sweat. But if he were to don a scholar's white robes and hold a fan, he would look like the smartest person in the world. And he actually was smart.

He sometimes made swords and daggers as a hobby, and his skill in it was also incredible.

"Did the assassination fail?"

"How did you know?"

Instead of answering, Myeongjin just nodded once with an unreadable expression.

The reason Geum Ahyuk had spent a large sum of money to hire the Hell Mansion was for Myeongjin.

"Although it failed this time, I'll sell my entire fortune to protect you, Elder."

His father would faint if he heard it, but these were Geum Ahyuk's true feelings. Geum Ahyuk trusted and followed Myeongjin like someone who had fallen into a cult.

After declaring his resolve, Geum Ahyuk carefully brought up a topic.

"But there is one thing I find strange."

"What is it?"

"They say an assassin confessed as he was dying that I was the one who hired them."

"Who said that?"

"A man named Geom Yeon said so."

At the name Geom Yeon, Myeongjin fell silent for a moment. The expression on his face was one Geum Ahyuk had never seen before. It felt unfamiliar because of the palpable, unknown tension. In that moment, he was feeling the same unfamiliar emotion toward Myeongjin that his father had felt toward him.

"That's a lie. The assassins who go out on a job don't know who the client is."

Geum Ahyuk's expression showed he thought as much. He had thought it was probably like that.

"Then why would he lie to me?"

Myeongjin looked at him. His gaze seemed to ask, 'You don't know?' but Geum Ahyuk couldn't understand. Myeongjin knew the answer.

"I have a guest to meet today, so you should go back now."

A guest at this hour? How could that be? He probably just didn't want to see him after he had failed the commission.

Geum Ahyuk was disappointed. On a day like today, he had wanted to stay with him a little longer. With this uneasy feeling of an unresolved problem, he wouldn't be getting any sleep.

"I'll visit again."

Geum Ahyuk bowed politely and turned away. Then he turned back and said, "Don't worry about this matter. I'll handle it well."

"How reassuring." Myeongjin showed him a bright smile.

Just as Geum Ahyuk left the place, another person entered. It was Geom Mugeuk, who had tailed Geum Ahyuk to get here.

He had tried to shake off any tails by taking a roundabout route, but how could he possibly escape Geom Mugeuk's eyes?

"I ask for your understanding for using a cheap trick to find you."

"How can a method that accurately reads the opponent be called a cheap trick?"

If Geum Ahyuk had been there, he would have been truly upset by those words, but Myeongjin said them without revealing any particular emotion.

The two men's gazes met.

Geom Mugeuk could tell one thing from his gaze.

"You know who I am."

A smile formed on Myeongjin's lips. "That's right. The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, Geom Mugeuk, welcome."

He hadn't introduced himself, but Geom Mugeuk had already guessed his opponent's identity. This was partly due to the location.

Myeongjin. The right-hand man of the Death King. The number two assassin in the murim rankings.

He should have been contending for world number one alongside the Death King, but for some reason, he had decided to become the Death King's subordinate. The story between them was unknown to the murim. There was only rampant speculation that Myeongjin might have owed the Death King his life.

However, Geom Mugeuk knew the reason. In his life before regression, the reason was revealed after Myeongjin's death. The one who killed Myeongjin, who had been loyal to him his entire life, was the Death King.

"You don't ask who I am?"

"Do assassins even have names? What number are you called by?"

Despite the provocative words, Myeongjin maintained his composure. When Geom Mugeuk instantly recognized him as an assassin, a flicker of interest crossed his eyes.

Myeongjin was an assassin of a kind Geom Mugeuk had never experienced before. Indeed, his presence was different from that of ordinary assassins. Emotions could be felt in his presence.

Geom Mugeuk looked around at the items hanging inside the smithy.

"Did you make all of these yourself?"

"I did."

"May I touch them?"

"Be my guest."

Myeongjin had a knack for crafting hidden weapons, and it was said that even the Death King frequently used the ones he made. The reason the Death King liked his hidden weapons wasn't just because of their lethal power. It was said that among the hidden weapons Myeongjin created, many were extraordinarily bizarre.

Unfortunately, the items hanging here were just ordinary daggers and swords. As if to prove his skill was not lost, they were perfectly balanced weapons.

"Do you sell them?"

"It's just something I do to pass the time, so I don't sell them."

"A pity. If you did, I was planning to buy everything here."

Myeongjin gave a strange smile. "You're just like the rumors."

"What rumors have you heard about me?"

Myeongjin slowly walked toward Geom Mugeuk. The man who was the second-best at killing people in the murim was approaching.

Geom Mugeuk focused all his senses and maintained his mental composure.

Staring intently at Geom Mugeuk, he said calmly, "I'll have to forget all the rumors."

It sounded like he meant to judge for himself, so Geom Mugeuk replied with a disappointed expression. "There must have been many good rumors. What a shame."

The distance between the two men was close enough to be reached by the swing of a sword.

"It's surprising. That you would show yourself like this instead of running away, even though we've come."

"On the contrary, I'm the one who's surprised. That they would leave you unattended like this." His words implied that he could kill the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, who was traveling alone.

"That's because my father is quite strict about raising his children strong. He's the type to throw you off a cliff and tell you to figure out a lightness technique on the way down."

Myeongjin responded to the joke with a laugh. He was certainly at ease. An ease born from strength and confidence.

"You must have expected I would track Geum Ahyuk here, so why did you wait?"

Myeongjin stared at Geom Mugeuk and said, "I waited to tell you to leave."

Because it was calm, it was a threatening warning.

"If you know who I am, you must also know who came with me this time. Do you think he would leave just because you say so? Why don't you go and tell him yourself?"

With an expression that said, 'That would be difficult,' Myeongjin attempted a persuasion for persuasion's sake. "You persuade him. Then nothing will happen."

Of course, it was never going to work.

"I'm still young, so a life where nothing happens is too boring."

With a look that said he expected as much, Myeongjin walked to the opposite wall and said, "We intend to resolve this matter with money."

He grabbed a handle protruding from the wall next to the furnace.

"Do you know what this is?"

"What is it?"

"It's a device that orders all the assassins in the murim to be notified of something. The moment I pull it, my subordinates will all begin to spread the news."

"What news?"

Then, unexpected words followed.

"The news that a bounty has been placed on your head."

Geom Mugeuk's gaze deepened.

"You'd have to put up a lot to make someone want to kill the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's Young Cult Leader."

"So I put up a lot."

A shocking amount came from Myeongjin's lips.

"Ten million taels." ! It was an amount that would surprise even Geom Mugeuk.

"The highest bounty in the history of the murim. An amount that would make people chase the target to hell, not just the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult."

Myeongjin said with a cold gaze, "The moment I pull this, you're going to be busy starting today. Will you still not leave?"

A tense atmosphere flowed between the two men.

Geom Mugeuk slowly began to walk toward him.

Myeongjin tensed at Geom Mugeuk's reaction. "If you come any closer, I'll pull it."

However, as if daring him to pull it, Geom Mugeuk did not stop walking.

Finally, reaching Myeongjin's side, Geom Mugeuk did something unexpected. He also grabbed the handle that Myeongjin was holding. As a result, their hands overlapped. It was a moment where a fierce battle could have erupted, but Myeongjin simply watched what Geom Mugeuk did. Both of their actions and reactions defied common sense, yet their demeanor was calm and serene.

Geom Mugeuk grinned at Myeongjin, then pulled the handle with all his might.

KLANG.

Then, the furnace door clanked open. The handle was a device to open that door.

"How did you know?"

Geom Mugeuk answered with a faint smile. "Aren't you people with the Golden Dragon Clan for money? Would you really spend that much just to kill me?"

Myeongjin frankly showed his admiration. "You're quite smart."

"It must have been in my rumors. Not just smart, but brilliant. Not just brilliant, but a genius."

Myeongjin grinned. "Genius Young Cult Leader, let's meet again."

The handle wasn't just a device to open the furnace. With a time delay, another device activated.

KLANG.

The floor where Myeongjin stood opened up, and he fell down. Simultaneously, steel needles rained down on the spot where Geom Mugeuk was standing.

SHWISHSHWISHSHWISHSHWISHSHWISH!

CLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANGCLANG!

By the time he drew his sword and deflected all the steel needles, Myeongjin had already escaped. For some reason, Geom Mugeuk did not give chase down the hole.

Instead, he shouted down the hole where he had disappeared.

"You don't look like you have a thousand taels, let alone ten million!"

It seemed as if Myeongjin's laughter was echoing from deep within the hole.