Chapter 16

Chapter 16
“That scoundrel actually targeted my family as well?”

Upon returning to the outpost, Im Choong found himself completely overwhelmed by fury, a sentiment fully shared by the equally stunned Beon Saeng.

Not even a single day had elapsed since their release, yet assassins were already sent to eliminate everyone connected to them.

It seemed almost unfathomable, but the lifeless remains of Heuk Su resting right before their eyes served as undeniable proof of the plot.

An overwhelming rage surged within Im Choong, burning through his entire body like an uncontainable fire. Had Baek So-cheon not intervened, the lifeless bodies lying on the ground would have been his beloved wife and son.

Im Choong squeezed his hands together tight. He squeezed so intensely that his palms throbbed, yet the physical sensation failed to register through his intense anger.

He felt an overwhelming urge to grab the mask dangling around Heuk Su’s neck and charge straight toward Wang Gon to sever his head. His mind spun with vivid thoughts of repeatedly slicing through Wang Gon’s neck.

Never before had he realized such violent fury lay buried within his spirit.

Baek So-cheon, who had been observing the scene in silence, offered a calm response.

“There is no need to suppress your rage. Simply ensure it does not completely consume you. It is utterly pointlessly frustrating to lose your mind and perish while your enemies sit back in comfort.”

Those composed words gradually quieted his frantic pulse. While Heuk Su had succumbed to his own lack of emotional restraint, Im Choong managed to regain control over his.

Indeed, he reflected. This was hardly the time to yield to blind wrath. It was time to express profound gratitude.

“Thank you. Truly, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Im Choong’s voice wavered with heavy emotion, and tears soon began to stream down his face.

“I shall never forget this incredible debt, even beyond death.”

To him, his family represented his entire existence, and Baek So-cheon had prevented that existence from being completely shattered.

“It is unnecessary. I simply eliminated him because he also targeted my life.”

He spoke without a trace of vanity, which only deepened Im Choong’s sense of appreciation.

Im Choong paused to consider his feelings for a brief moment before arriving at an unshakeable resolve.

Without warning, he dropped to his knees and bowed deeply, prostrating himself directly on the floor.

“From this day forward, I shall serve you as my elder brother.”

“You are clearly my senior in age. What nonsense are you spouting?”

“No, sir, I am actually the younger one. My age is merely thirty-six.”

Beon Saeng appeared far more astonished by this revelation than Baek So-cheon.

“That cannot be!”

“It is the absolute truth.”

“Branch leader, are you truly that young?”

“What age did you assume I was?”

“Fifty?”

“Do you wish to test my patience?”

“My goodness! Did our branch leader participate in the Black Heaven Alliance conflict with such a youthful face?”

Much like Beon Saeng, Baek So-cheon had also assumed the man was well into his fifties.

Beon Saeng shifted his gaze back and forth between Baek So-cheon and Im Choong.

“A true clash between the ultimate youthful appearance and the ultimate aged face. This match up is going to be exceptionally close.”

Under ordinary circumstances, he would have fired back a witty retort to Beon Saeng’s lighthearted mocking, but Im Choong remained entirely focused on establishing his bond with Baek So-cheon.

He kept his head lowered and made a earnest plea.

“Please grant me the honor of becoming your younger brother.”

Im Choong had always considered himself a level-headed individual, unlike the rash Beon Saeng.

Yet beneath the surface, he possessed an equally impulsive streak. An intense yearning to become this man’s sworn younger brother welled up from the core of his soul, and he found himself completely unable to contain it.

“Why is everyone so eager to become a younger brother?”

Remaining in his prostrate posture, Im Choong replied.

“We are all without fortune. It is far better to possess an elder brother who provides sustenance than mere companions or subordinates.”

Who could have anticipated that Im Choong would offer such a witty remark? Ultimately, Baek So-cheon could not restrain a light chuckle.

“Address me however you wish. However, as I stated before, I am not your elder brother.”

“Thank you, elder brother. Thank you once more for rescuing my family.”

That single act of salvation was more than enough reason for him to pledge his ultimate devotion.

“I possess enough individuals owing me their lives to pack ten large wagons tight. There is no need for you to feel burdened.”

Beon Saeng, watching the exchange unfold, let out a broad grin.

“There goes elder brother boasting about his golden past once again.”

“To be modest, ten wagons. In truth, it exceeds a hundred.”

“Haha, very well, let us go with that number.”

While Im Choong did not entirely buy the claim either, he maintained his respectful bow.

“Whether it be the tenth wagon or the hundredth, I shall quietly climb aboard the very last one.”

Beon Saeng promptly prostrated himself alongside him.

“Thank you for safeguarding the youngest member’s family.”

Im Choong turned his head toward him while keeping his body bowed.

“The youngest?”

“Am I not? I claimed the status of younger brother first.”

“Incorrect.”

A brief silence hovered over the room.

“Only jesting. Second elder brother! I must naturally take the place of the youngest.”

“That is also incorrect.”

“Indeed, branch leader. Merely a joke, a harmless joke. Haha, offer a smile!”

Baek So-cheon addressed the pair standing before him.

“Stand up already.”

They immediately leaped back onto their feet.

Though their personal dynamic had reached a settlement, the corpse still remained resting nearby.

“So, how ought we to handle this body?”

“What should our approach be?”

It was clearly an incident that called for an official report to the branch, yet Im Choong hesitated.

“You hold the position of branch leader. The choice rests with you.”

Im Choong initially pondered the consequences of exposing this matter to the world.

Even if he publicly declared that Heuk Su had arrived to assassinate his family, he lacked the means to directly implicate Wang Gon. With Heuk Su dead, Wang Gon would firmly deny any involvement. Even had Heuk Su survived, he would have vehemently disavowed the connection.

Furthermore, Cheon Yang-ho—the Heavenly Poison Snake—was actively aligned with their opposition.

In the end, it would simply be recorded as the demise of a single Heuk Su assassin.

Conversely, if the truth were leaked, it would simultaneously expose that Baek So-cheon was the one who ended his life. Though Baek So-cheon appeared unbothered by such risks, Im Choong, having resolved to honor him as an elder brother, wished to shield him from harm.

“Let us act as though Heuk Su never stepped foot in this place.”

It sounded like a simple conclusion, yet for a warrior bound to the Murim Alliance like himself, it was anything but easy.

Baek So-cheon, however, accepted the idea effortlessly.

“Very well. Dispose of him right here then.”

“Within the courtyard of the residence where you sleep?”

“It matters not. In days past, I consumed meals and rested among piles of corpses.”

Beon Saeng let out a laugh and joined the conversation.

“Naturally! Our elder brother is the true War God of the battlefield.”

“How did you come to learn that my nickname was Fighting God?”

“Hahaha, that is precisely why I admire you so much, elder brother!”

Im Choong and Beon Saeng gathered shovels and proceeded to bury Heuk Su’s body on the premises.

As they pitched dirt over the cold, rigid corpse, the reality of the situation still felt somewhat surreal.

“You got what you deserved, you scoundrel. Strive to be a decent person in your next incarnation.”

Unlike Beon Saeng, Im Choong chose not to voice even that much. Recalling the horrific attempt on his family made him want to mangle the corpse several times over.

After digging for a period, Beon Saeng directed a question toward Baek So-cheon.

“Does the urge never strike you when you possess such martial prowess? Like, to hell with restraint, simply eliminate every single one of them without showing mercy.”

If he possessed the capability to kill today, he could just as easily have done so on the day of their initial capture. Why wait for them to mount another attack? Why not settle everything right then? That was the core of his curiosity.

“It does.”

“How do you manage to restrain yourself?”

“Because I recognize that taking such action changes nothing. It merely leaves deeper scars upon my own soul.”

Im Choong’s heart still burned with intense vengeance and resentment, causing those words to strike deep within his mind.

“Is the law of the Murim Alliance not deeply frustrating? You must confine them in prison and painstakingly assemble evidence. Meanwhile, they utilize power and authority to overturn verdicts. Yet do you understand? That infuriating law was not crafted to protect villains. It was forged for the sake of those fighting against them.”

“What?”

“To prevent you from becoming overly scarred while battling demons. At times, seek refuge within the boundaries of the law.”

“My restraint stems neither from endless patience nor from blind devotion to the law. It is to shield my own well-being. Therefore, you ought to do the same—for your own sake.”

“Understood, sir!”

Im Choong had never viewed the matter through such a lens before. As he pushed soil over the shallow grave, a flurry of complex thoughts drifted through his mind.

Once the corpse was entirely covered beneath the earth, Baek So-cheon inquired.

“What regarding your investigation earlier?”

“We found no leads. We revisited the estate of Yang Chu where the incident took place and inspected the grounds once more, yet discovered nothing of value.”

“You should not have directed your steps there.”

“Pardon me? Where should we have gone instead?”

Baek So-cheon began leading the group outward.

“Shall we examine the location together?”

Wang Gon would remain preoccupied with the unexplained disappearance of Heuk Su for some time, ensuring that both the branch office and Im Choong’s family would stay safe.

Baek So-cheon guided the pair toward an open field situated a considerable distance from the branch office.

“What is this location?”

Baek So-cheon then delivered a completely unexpected response.

“The location where Shin-hwa-bang intends to construct their iron workshop.”

“Ah!”

Im Choong and Beon Saeng experienced a sudden wave of realization. They ought to have inspected this area as well, yet they had fixated entirely on Shin-hwa-bang’s iron enterprise.

“Why would Shin-hwa-bang choose to erect an iron workshop in a remote location like this?”

Baek So-cheon had posed that exact query previously. Why launch a massive undertaking in Mun-seong, positioned at the southernmost point of Jeol-gang Province?

“Yang Chu perished while looking into a new enterprise, correct? He undoubtedly ventured to this very spot.”

Im Choong and Beon Saeng understood that the crux of the entire mystery lay right before them.

“At what point did you figure this out?”

“I informed you prior. Either disregard the matter entirely, or probe into its depths. Come, let us survey the surroundings. I merely possessed knowledge of the location—this marks my first time viewing it personally.”

Baek So-cheon took his time examining the surrounding landscape.

“What exactly did Yang Chu stumble upon in this place that resulted in his death?”

The three men proceeded to explore the terrain.

Im Choong and Beon Saeng applied every shred of their perceptive faculties, yet failed to spot anything unusual.

However, Baek So-cheon detected something significant.

“Was an iron workshop truly the facility they intended to construct here?”

“Pardon?”

“Observe the geography of the land. It is ideally suited for a fortress.”

The mention of the word “fortress” sent a jolt of shock through them.

“Towering mountains wall off the rear like a massive barrier. A single narrow path serves as the sole entrance. Ambush positions are ideal along both flanks. A lone warrior could easily hold off ten foes here—an absolute defensive stronghold.”

“You are entirely correct.”

“It resembles an iron workshop on the surface, yet in truth, it is a fortress. Yang Chu must have uncovered this secret.”

“Ah!”

This fortress concealed such a sinister motive that they deemed it necessary to eradicate Yang Chu’s entire household simply to preserve their silence.

Now Im Choong and Beon Saeng comprehended the full scale of the tragedy and the underlying complex motives.

“This matter… even if Wang Gon orchestrated it, he is far from the sole perpetrator.”

Baek So-cheon offered a nod of agreement to Im Choong’s assessment.

“The entirety of Shin-hwa-bang is implicated. The command to execute Yang Chu may very well have originated directly from the lord of Shin-hwa-bang himself. Should we apprehend Wang Gon, Shin-hwa-bang will step in directly. Judging by their conduct thus far, they will attempt to eliminate every one of us to bury the truth permanently.”

Im Choong and Beon Saeng silently gulped, overwhelmed by the revelation.

Progressing to this stage had already demanded immense effort. Declaring open conflict against Wang Gon had required every ounce of their nerve, effectively drawing upon courage reserved for the future.

Yet now they faced the full weight of Shin-hwa-bang?

A branch leader completely devoid of backing, accompanied by a novice squad leader from a forgotten backwater branch engaging in his very first real fight?

“I feel as though I am about to vomit.”

As Beon Saeng bent forward in distress, Im Choong gently patted his back.

Stepping away from them, Baek So-cheon continued walking ahead.

Im Choong called out toward his retreating back.

“…Elder brother!”

Baek So-cheon paused in his tracks, though he did not turn around.

“I cannot guess what words you intend to speak, but leave them for tomorrow. Reflect upon your choices thoroughly until then. At the very least, nothing untoward shall transpire today.”