Chapter v18c9

“The final secret technique of the Azure Dragon Thirteen Styles: Dragon Scale Explosion!”

With Yoo Jae-Ryong’s shout, his Azure Dragon Sword exploded. Thousands of dragon scales, razor-sharp shards of metal, hurtled towards Slaughter Dragon. Even Yoo Jae-Ryong wasn’t immune to the explosion. It was a suicidal technique, as he couldn’t control the trajectory of the scattered scales. Furthermore, it left him defenseless, his internal energy depleted. It was a technique so dangerous, so reckless, that it was rarely used. It could only be unleashed when one was ready to die. It was an attack fueled by desperation. Yoo Jae-Ryong, his body wracked with pain, was certain of his success.

However…

“Haaa!”

Slaughter Dragon’s skill surpassed Yoo Jae-Ryong’s expectations. He was capable of generating a protective blade barrier in this critical moment. And it was a technique he was particularly proud of. With a shout, he swung his mangled right arm with lightning speed, creating a triangular blade barrier in front of him.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The shards of metal, like a horizontal downpour, collided with the triangular barrier, creating a shower of sparks and a deafening roar.

Slaughter Dragon struggled to maintain his barrier, pushing back against the overwhelming force. If the barrier shattered, he would lose. If it held, he would win. A few shards, like raindrops leaking through a roof on a stormy night, pierced his defenses.

Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!

Red lines appeared on his arm and shoulder, but he ignored the pain and continued swinging his blade.

Whoosh!

Another shard, piercing his defenses, flew towards his forehead. He quickly ducked, narrowly avoiding it.

Scratch!

The shard grazed his cheek, leaving a thin red line. And that was the Azure Dragon’s final struggle. Its fury failed to penetrate the triangular barrier.

“Th-Three String Creation!”

A cry of disbelief escaped Yoo Jae-Ryong’s lips. Just as he had a hidden trump card, so did his opponent. But his opponent’s trump card was something he knew all too well.

Yoo Jae-Ryong was losing his mind. His bewilderment reached its peak. How could that technique be in the hands of this fiend? That unique triangular blade barrier was the signature technique of a single individual.

“Y-you are…?”

Thud!

Slaughter Dragon’s Dragon Slayer sword pierced Yoo Jae-Ryong’s abdomen.

“Ugh!”

Yoo Jae-Ryong’s trembling hand slowly reached for the man’s face. The man met his gaze with indifference, making no attempt to stop him.

“Y-you…”

Blood gurgled in his throat, interrupting his words.

Finally, his hand, shaking like that of a Parkinson’s patient, reached the black mask.

Slide!

The mask fell away, revealing Slaughter Dragon’s face as his hand slipped away.

“H-how…?”

Yoo Jae-Ryong stared at the man’s face, his eyes hollow with despair, falling into an abyss of betrayal.

“Y-you are…?”

His bloodshot eyes widened, frozen in shock.

The man behind the mask was beyond his wildest imagination. He would have been happier if it had been a mere acquaintance. But behind that sinister mask was the face of his closest friend.

“It would have been better if you hadn’t recognized me, wouldn’t it, Jae-Ryong? You could have died peacefully.”

The man said, his voice no longer disguised. It was a voice he knew all too well, a voice he could never mistake.

“I didn’t want to tell you this way. I thought it was the least I could do for you.”

“Lee Jeong, y-you… how…? Our manor and your guild were inseparable friends… how could you…?”

Yoo Jae-Ryong tried to raise his sword, to strike down the man who was once his friend. But he couldn’t move a muscle. The man’s sword was still embedded in his abdomen. And his own sword was shattered, only the hilt remaining. He was utterly powerless.

“Blame me all you want. You won’t be able to do it once you’re dead.”

“Why did you betray me?”

Yoo Jae-Ryong choked out the words, swallowing the blood that was rising in his throat.

“What?”

Slaughter Dragon asked.

“Why did you betray me? We were friends for ten years! How could you, of all people, betray me?”

“Betray? Don’t say things that might be misconstrued.”

He replied, his voice devoid of remorse.

“N-not a betrayal? Cough! Cough!”

He coughed up blood, interrupting his words.

“Of course not. My purpose, from the moment we met, was to find the key. I was just one of many who were sent to places where it might be hidden. It took me ten years to find it, thanks to your tight lips.”

If he had been certain, their friendship would have been much shorter.

“Oh, woe is me! I entrusted my treasure to a thief. Aren’t you ashamed of betraying those who trusted you with their valuables?”

“Why should I be ashamed? I handled everything perfectly. So rest assured. I couldn’t just abandon my post, could I? So give up and hand over the key.”

“Don’t make me laugh! It’s not something a traitor deserves!”

Yoo Jae-Ryong growled, ignoring the blood that was filling his mouth. But it was useless.

“You’re wrong. That key belongs to Him. You’re the ones who broke the promise, not us. We’re simply exercising our rightful claim.”

“Damn you! You’ll never get your hands on it!”

“That hurts my feelings. We were friends once, weren’t… we?”

As he finished his sentence, Slaughter Dragon twisted his sword, which was still embedded in Yoo Jae-Ryong’s abdomen.

“Aaaaaaaaagh!”

Yoo Jae-Ryong screamed in agony.

“So, what do you say? Ready to talk now?”

“Damn you!”

He spat a mouthful of blood at Slaughter Dragon’s face, but he dodged it easily and started searching his body. But he couldn’t find what he was looking for.

“It seems… the key is with your children.”

Slaughter Dragon’s casual tone, as if he had anticipated this all along, caused Yoo Jae-Ryong’s eyes to flicker. Slaughter Dragon, who had been watching him intently, caught the subtle movement. The eyes were the window to the soul, as they said. Yoo Jae-Ryong, his mind and body weakened, couldn’t completely conceal his emotions.

A cruel smile appeared on Slaughter Dragon’s lips.

“So that’s how it is.”

It had been a simple test, but it had yielded results. The Yoo Jae-Ryong he knew wouldn’t have been so easily swayed, but in his weakened state, his mental defenses were down. There was no need to keep him alive any longer.

“As a parting gift, for old times’ sake, I’ll give you a quick death. Farewell.”

Slaughter Dragon pulled his sword out of Yoo Jae-Ryong’s abdomen.

A fountain of blood erupted from his back.

As his vision blurred and his consciousness faded, Yoo Jae-Ryong murmured,

“Live…”

Slaughter Dragon, looking at his former friend’s unseeing eyes, smiled cruelly.

“I enjoyed our ten years together.”

“Du-Sim, fourth in command of the Slaughter Dragon Unit, First Squad!”

“Yes, Commander!”

Du-Sim, who had been standing at attention, stepped forward and bowed.

“You’re the squad leader now.”

With the deaths of the second and third in command, he needed to fill the vacancies.

“Thank you, sir.”

Du-Sim bowed again, grateful for the unexpected promotion.

“Take care of the aftermath. Leave no one alive. The Blue Dragon Manor ceases to exist today. Burn all the promissory notes and documents. We don’t need those scraps of paper. Transport all the silver ingots back to headquarters. No one will suspect anything if we raise our flag.”

“As you command.”

“Chief Commander Blood Mark!”

“Yes, sir!”

Blood Mark rushed forward and bowed.

“Divide the unit into two groups. You take the first and third squads, I’ll take the second and fourth.”

“Yes, sir!”

“He must have given the key to his children. Spread out and find them! Cast a Heavenly Net over this entire area. Don’t let a single breeze slip through. Understand?”

“Yes, Commander!”

* * *

Du-Sim was elated. The deaths of the second and third in command had resulted in a double promotion. His time had finally come. So, he worked diligently, burning, smashing, and destroying with zeal.

As he was busy cleaning up, someone called out to him.

“Excuse me, young man. May I ask you a question?”

“I’m busy, ask me later.”

Du-Sim replied dismissively, turning around.

Standing behind him was an old man with a long white beard.

“Gasp! How… how did you get in here?”

Du-Sim jumped back in surprise, but the old man remained calm.

“Hmm? I walked.”

The old man replied nonchalantly.

“No, I mean…”

That wasn’t what he wanted to know.

“This place is under a barrier. How… how did you get past it?”

But there had been no alarm, no indication of his presence. It was as if he had simply materialized out of thin air.

“This is troublesome!”

The old man turned away from Du-Sim, scratched his chin, closed his eyes, and started pondering. Five of Du-Sim’s men appeared, but the old man ignored them, his back completely exposed. Ten more men appeared, but he didn’t seem to notice, squatting down and drawing something on the ground with a twig. Fifteen more men appeared, bringing the total to thirty. All the men who had been left behind to clean up were now gathered around him. But the old man seemed preoccupied with something else, not even bothering to look back.

“Hmm, what to do… I don’t eat raw food, so I need to buy rice. And drinking only dew makes my mouth dry, so I need to pay off my overdue bar tab. And I need money for living expenses… hmm, hmm.”

He seemed completely oblivious to the thirty men and Du-Sim, who were glaring at him. Couldn’t he feel the killing intent emanating from them? The old man’s attention was focused on the numbers he had written on the ground. Du-Sim, tired of thinking, decided to take the quickest and most efficient route: violence.

“Damn it! I don’t have time for this! Men! Silence that old man!”

His thirty men, who had been momentarily confused, snapped out of their daze and charged at the old man, their swords drawn.

“Dieeeeeeeeeeee!”

Their bloodthirsty cries echoed through the crimson flames.

And then…

“Hmm?”

The old man looked around, puzzled.

“Why are they all rolling on the ground? The ground must be cold at night.”

Du-Sim’s thirty men were all lying on the cold ground. There was no blood, but none of them were breathing.

“Y-you know…”

Du-Sim, his soul half-gone, stammered, his teeth chattering, his knees knocking.

“Hmm? I don’t know. I don’t pay attention to trivial matters.”

Could he really call this a trivial matter? Thirty men had died in an instant, without him even knowing how it happened.

“And what’s with your face? You looked so lively and rosy-cheeked earlier, but now you’re as pale as a ghost.”

The old man took a step closer, as if to examine Du-Sim’s face.

“Aaaaaaaaagh! Stay back! Stay back! Don’t come any closer!”

“My, my, young man, where are your manners? Haven’t you heard that you should respect your elders?”

“Aaaaaaaaagh! Aaaaaaaaagh! Don’t come any closer! Please!”

Du-Sim, a veteran of countless battles, who had killed dozens with his sword, collapsed to the ground, sobbing like a child. It was as if time had reversed, taking him back to his childhood.

“This is strange. First, you tell me to stay back, and now you’re crying. What to do…”

The old man paused, and then said in a firm voice,

“Stop!”

Du-Sim froze. His tears stopped flowing, his lips were sealed shut, and his nose stopped running. He didn’t even blink. It was as if time had stopped for him, frozen in place. He remained motionless until the old man spoke again.

“Now, are you ready to talk?”

Du-Sim, his pants soaked with urine, replied,

“Y-yes! I’m ready!”

“Hmm, is that so? There’s no need to shout. I’m not deaf yet.”

“Y-yes, sir.”

Du-Sim replied again, his voice loud and clear. His face was still a mess of tears and snot.

“Is this the Blue Dragon Manor?”

“Y-yes, sir.”

“Then did you set it on fire?”

“Y-yes, n-no, sir. We just came to raid the place. They set the fire themselves.”

“They did?”

“Y-yes, sir. I don’t know the details, but that’s what happened.”

“I see. They must have been desperate.”

He couldn’t bring himself to attack. His body wouldn’t move, as if paralyzed.

“So, there must be some silver left inside. I’m a customer, so I have the right to claim my share.”

“I’m… sorry, sir, but there’s not a single silver tael or gold piece left inside.”

“What?! Nothing? Why not? What about the promissory notes? The deposits? What about the customers? This is your fault! None of this would have happened if you hadn’t attacked! Are you going to take responsibility for my livelihood? What was your goal, anyway? If I don’t get anything out of this, I’ll hold you personally responsible. Even if it takes your entire life.”

(TLN: ohhh shit its the mcs teacher lol took me a while)

Du-Sim gasped, overwhelmed by the old man’s aura. Hold him responsible? Take care of that terrifying old man for the rest of his life? He would rather die. He stopped breathing.

“Hmm? Young man? Why aren’t you answering? Your eyes are wide open… Oh? He’s dead?”

The old man approached Du-Sim, who was no longer breathing. He had died of a heart attack. His body stiff, his eyes wide open, he had escaped into the embrace of death. It was the best option for a man paralyzed by terror, and his body had granted his wish.

“Huh? Why did he die?”

The old man tilted his head, puzzled.

“Well, it can’t be helped.”

As he had said before, he didn’t concern himself with trivial matters.

“But what am I going to do now? I can’t even pay off my bar tab…”

It seemed that even for a seemingly detached old man, maintaining his livelihood and alcohol consumption wasn’t a trivial matter.

“This is troublesome! Troublesome!”

He muttered to himself.

“Is there no other choice? I don’t really want to do this… but I have to find that brat again… I can’t starve to death…”

He tossed the promissory note into the flames.

“I suppose it’s time for a little trip into Jianghu.”