28

“Aaaaaaah!”

Namgung Paengsaeng swung his sword.

In the pitch-black darkness where he could not see even an inch ahead, dark crimson changgwi cackled as they toyed with Namgung Paengsaeng.

[Paengsaeng, you bastard—]

[It felt good when you took bribes from us, didn’t it?]

[It’s all over now. Come on, let’s go follow Lord Sangun.]

[Heeheeheehee—serves you right, you lecherous bastard. Heeheeheehee—]

[Paengsaeng—Paengsaeng—Namgung Paengsaeng— I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long!]

The changgwi of the Heukdobang and the Jo Family circled the blinded Namgung Paengsaeng, sneering.

Anger made the blood circulate faster, and blood that circulated faster drove the poison into every corner of the body.

The poison of the Gang Tribe blinded the eyes first.

Next, it sealed the ears.

After that, it clogged the nose.

The mouth, however, still opened easily, and the tongue continued to move vigorously.

Strangely enough, the poison of the Gang Tribe had no effect on the mouth.

Perhaps that was why Namgung Paengsaeng stood there, eyes and ears shut, with only his mouth gaping wide.

“You bastards! You filth not even worth worms! Trash that wouldn’t even dare meet my eyes if you were alive!”

Namgung Paengsaeng’s sword cleaved through empty air.

His sword was a finely honed famous blade.

A sword strong enough to split even a rock with a single strike.

But a sword can only kill the living; it cannot kill the dead again.

The changgwi mocked and jeered at him, imitating the voices of everyone Namgung Paengsaeng had ever known.

[You took money and gave a special admission into the Martial Alliance to an acquaintance’s son, didn’t you? Do you know that the two young men who failed the final interview committed suicide?]

[You son of a bitch, Paengsaeng— you exiled me to the provinces and then slept with my wife! Did you think I wouldn’t know?]

[You secretly took my daughter as a concubine and abused her, and after she gave birth you didn’t even let her recover properly—so you killed her in the end, didn’t you?]

[Paengsaeng, you bastard! Do you know who I am? I’m the head of the Woo Family, whom you executed after framing as a demonic spy! What did you do with the treasured blade you stole from me!?]

The changgwi listed Namgung Paengsaeng’s pasts, laughing nonstop.

Namgung Paengsaeng ground his teeth, unaware that they were cracking and breaking.

“No! I—I didn’t take bribes! I don’t know anything about concubines dying! It was all fabricated by demonic spies! I—I don’t know!”

At that moment, another changgwi appeared before him.

An old man with a long red beard.

From the hollow sockets where his eyes should have been, blood surged up and streamed down.

Namgung Paengsaeng was horrified.

“Jo—Jo Yangja… how are you…? You—you were dead!”

[Dead? How could I leave you behind and go alone?]

Jo Yangja’s mouth split all the way to his ears.

Faced with that horrific smile, Namgung Paengsaeng screamed in madness.

“You bastard! If you were going to die, you should’ve died alone—why are you dragging me along like a water ghost!”

[Didn’t I take care of all your filthy business for you all this time? Then aren’t we one body? Heh heh heh…]

“Shut up! It was merely a necessary sacrifice to maintain my position as an elder! Those who got in my way were the ones at fault!”

[I know very well. Wasn’t I one of the contributors who made you an elder?]

“A contributor? Know your place! Jo Yangja, you were nothing but a hunting dog! Cripple whoever I told you to cripple! Kill whoever I told you to kill! Bring back money when ordered! Not just you, but Bukgungwon of the Namgung Family too! All the sects and families under them are the same! All just dogs!”

[That’s right. You ordered a great many dirty deeds. Heh heh heh… thanks to that, I’ve become a being worth less than a single bowl of dog meat stew.]

“It’s all your own doing! From the moment you took part in the blood-sworn alliance of the Namgung Family, from the moment you entered under Namgung’s banner, you chose to become my dog! If you’re a dog, obey your master like one! Now get lost to the underworld!”

Namgung Paengsaeng squeezed out every last bit of his internal energy.

Even as he vomited black blood, the strike he unleashed split Jo Yangja’s changgwi in half.

Jo Yangja burst into cackling laughter.

[Soon you will follow me, Elder Bukgungwon. This place is very cold and lonely… steel yourself when you come… heh heh heh heh…]

With that, Jo Yangja’s changgwi vanished completely.

At the same time, Namgung Paengsaeng spewed an enormous amount of black blood from his mouth.

“Kh—hugh… kuhk!”

His vision slowly returned.

Namgung Paengsaeng lifted his gaze through his disheveled hair.

“…”

“…”

“…”

He was standing atop a ritual altar split clean in half.

Below it stood the warriors of the Namgung Family, along with the prominent figures of Anhui Province who had gathered at the Namgung Family’s invitation.

Every single one of them looked at Namgung Paengsaeng with icy eyes.

“…?”

Not understanding why the atmosphere was like this, Namgung Paengsaeng wore a bewildered expression.

At that moment, a middle-aged man sprang to his feet.

It was Choi Eunjo, the head of the Choi Family of Jaesihyeon.

“Elder Bukgungwon! Were the words you just spoke the truth!?”

“…?”

Namgung Paengsaeng stared at him blankly.

What had he just said?

Strangely, he couldn’t remember.

It felt as if he had been possessed by some kind of vile spirit.

Soon, another man beside him rose with an indignant expression.

It was Lee Juseon, the master of the Daenabin Sect, the representative sect of Gobinhyeon next to Jaesihyeon.

“Are you saying the Namgung Family regards subordinate organizations bound by a blood oath as nothing more than hunting dogs!?”

After that, it was exactly like mushrooms sprouting after rain.

Family heads and sect masters rose from all sides, denouncing Namgung Paengsaeng.

“I am Kang Gumin, master of the Midomun of Oguhyeon. I came here today to become a friend of the Namgung Family, not to become its dog.”

“What was that remark about bribes just now? I believe you owe us an explanation!”

“No matter how much of an elder you are, this is unacceptable! Buying concubines with money?”

“Framing an entire family as demonic spies and slaughtering them—what is that supposed to mean!?”

“Corruption in Martial Alliance recruitment? Was this when you were serving as an executive of the Martial Alliance? What exactly is this?”

“Ahem! If nothing else, the matter of the treasured blade must be addressed clearly!”

The crowd split into two groups.

One consisted of those who had gathered here to enter under the Namgung Family through a blood oath.

They all raised their voices at Namgung Paengsaeng, faces filled with rage.

The other group was the warriors of the Namgung Family, standing awkwardly, unable to stop them yet unable to let it be.

In the end, all eyes turned to Namgung Paengsaeng.

At that very moment—

Thud!

Namgung Paengsaeng’s waist bent into an L shape.

“Guhk!?”

Behind Namgung Paengsaeng, who was coughing dryly, Chui cast a dark shadow.

“This is why the poison of the Gang Tribe is terrifying.”

Watching Namgung Paengsaeng crawl on the ground coughing, Chui muttered softly.

The poison of the Gang Tribe paralyzed the eyes, ears, and nose, but not the mouth.

This was so that a poisoned human, unable to see, hear, or smell, would also be unable to receive anyone’s care.

“The root of all evil lies at the tip of the tongue…”

A human whose eyes, ears, and nose are ruined pours out their suffering and grievances endlessly with the one remaining tongue.

When this continues, those around them grow exhausted and eventually turn away.

Leaving the tongue alive ultimately isolates the poisoned person completely, driving them into death in the truest sense.

And when this poison is combined with the cunning whispers of changgwi, it produces astonishing side effects.

Just like the situation Namgung Paengsaeng now found himself in.

“I—I—it’s a misunderstanding! W-what did I even say! I just—!”

Namgung Paengsaeng flailed his hands, trying to make excuses.

But Chui had no intention of waiting.

A long black staff shaped like a hexagonal pillar cut through the air heavily.

Whooom—crack!

A sound like splitting firewood with an axe.

It burst from Namgung Paengsaeng’s waist.

“Gahk!?”

Namgung Paengsaeng dropped his sword.

When the blow struck his waist, the end of the staff grazed his elbow—his entire arm bone was probably shattered.

“Ghhhhhh…”

A peak master crawled on the ground like a worm.

Chui loomed over him like the grim reaper.

Thud!

The staff was planted into the altar floor.

Letting go of it, Chui picked up an awl and a hammer from the ground.

…Grab!

A blood-soaked hand seized Namgung Paengsaeng by the hair.

Facing Namgung Paengsaeng’s trembling face, Chui raised the hammer.

“P-please… spare me.”

“No.”

The time between the plea and the refusal was brief.

Crack!

The hammer smashed into Namgung Paengsaeng’s jaw.

The lower jaw shattered, and all the lower teeth scattered out of his mouth.

“Uuuaaaah…”

Namgung Paengsaeng curled his body.

Chui swept the blood and teeth off the altar with his foot.

“You broke my sworn brother’s teeth, didn’t you?”

“…?”

Namgung Paengsaeng looked up as if asking what he meant.

With an indifferent expression, Chui lifted the awl.

“You also carved into my sworn brother’s chest with a sword, didn’t you?”

“Uuuh… w-what are you talking about… I never did that!”

“You did. You just don’t remember very well.”

Chui raised the awl and stabbed Namgung Paengsaeng’s chest repeatedly.

Namgung Paengsaeng clutched his chest and rolled on the ground.

Chui walked ahead of him, switching the awl for the hammer.

“My sworn brother said you even cut off one of his buttocks.”

“W-who is your sworn brother! I don’t know anyone like that!”

“You don’t need to. Not in this life.”

Chui brought the hammer down on Namgung Paengsaeng’s backside.

The tailbone snapped with a crunch, and the ischium beneath it collapsed completely.

“…! …! …!”

Agony beyond imagination.

Namgung Paengsaeng writhed like an earthworm sprinkled with salt.

This was no longer a duel or a contest.

It was simply torture.

Only cruel revenge remained.

Several warriors of the Namgung Family drew their swords and leapt onto the altar, but—

“If you come any closer, I’ll kill him immediately. Like it or not, he’s a hostage.”

At Chui’s voice, spoken without even turning around, the Namgung warriors froze, unable to advance or retreat.

Eventually—

Chui kicked Namgung Paengsaeng to the very edge of the altar.

Bleeding and wheezing, Namgung Paengsaeng cried like a child, tears streaming down his face.

“Please… I… I was… wrong…”

Chui simply looked down at him with an indifferent expression.

‘This was the last name written in the death register.’

When he closed his eyes, he could still hear the verse Ho Yeyang had recited.

The memory of that day, when the waters of the Yi River and the hoarse voice of a vengeful ghost who had swallowed charcoal mixed and raged together.

Here we part from Yan Dan.

The brave man’s furious hair pierced his cap.

The people of that time are already gone,

Yet today the river’s waters are still cold.

Chui opened his eyes.

And carrying on the will of his sworn brother, now gone, he put a period to the final name written in the death register.

…Thud!

It meant he smashed Namgung Paengsaeng’s head apart with the staff.