Chapter 16

Chapter 16

In the early morning, Dan Woo-hyun, who was sitting blankly in the training ground and circulating his energy, slowly opened his eyes at the sudden gust of wind.

The wind was blowing from the east.

It wrapped around Dan Woo-hyun once and then vanished smoothly.

“A wind will blow.”

Dan Woo-hyun spat out those incomprehensible words and stood up from his seat.

Soon, he glanced toward one side of the training ground.

He saw a familiar face.

It was already the second double-hour that Jang Sam-tae had been sweating profusely.

He was diligently practicing Tai Chi Chuan, which even third-rate martial artists did not practice. However, his movements were now very different from the past.

It was even different from ordinary Tai Chi Chuan.

Dan Woo-hyun watched it quietly.

Although Jang Sam-tae did not seem to feel it, internal energy was felt at his fingertips. Even without him knowing, internal energy was naturally rising from his dantian.

This was a good phenomenon.

“The time has come. I shall wake So-mi up and eat.”

“Pant, pant… C-Can't I rest a little, boss?”

“It seems you miss the scent of dirt.”

“…I-I will go.”

Jang Sam-tae quickly ran off with a pale complexion.

The words Dan Woo-hyun had just spat out meant that if he kept slacking off, he would bury him.

‘He really is a man who makes threats so elegantly.’

Jang Sam-tae grumbled inwardly and quickly headed to the kitchen.

As Dan Woo-hyun also walked slowly and arrived in the yard, he saw Hwa So-mi sitting on the veranda in a disheveled state. Her blank gaze was looking only at the empty air, as if she had not yet fully woken up.

“Are you awake?”

“Mmm…”

As expected, she was still not fully awake.

The child rubbed her eyes and then stretched out both her hands.

Was she asking to be held?

With a warm smile, he held Hwa So-mi in his arms. Perhaps due to the sensation of being lifted up, she soon burst into a small giggle.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, I slept well.”

“So-mi slept well too. Hehe.”

Then she snuggled tightly into his embrace.

The way she buried her face and rubbed against him was just like a cat.

Seeing her acting cute, a strong sense of fatherly love welled up. He stroked Hwa So-mi's hair roughly and then carefully set her down.

“Go wash up. We should eat breakfast.”

Hwa So-mi shook her head vigorously.

It seemed she did not want to eat. Indeed, having just woken up, there was no way she would have an appetite.

Letting out a smirk, Dan Woo-hyun spoke carefully.

“If you do not eat breakfast, you will not grow well.”

“But So-mi… does not have to… grow…”

“If you do that, a ghost that only takes away children who do not eat will come looking for you.”

“Eek?!”

Hwa So-mi jumped up.

She looked quite shocked at the mention of a ghost. Shivering, she looked up at Dan Woo-hyun with trembling eyes.

It was as if she was asking if it was true.

“Mmm…”

Dan Woo-hyun hesitated.

Whether to tell her the truth or to keep deceiving her. Why did he lie while teaching the child that she must not lie?

He had such thoughts.

Then he soon nodded.

If it was for raising a child uprightly, there were times when a lie was necessary.

“It is true.”

“I-I will eat! So-mi will eat breakfast.”

“You thought well, haha.”

Dan Woo-hyun nodded with a bright face.

He followed So-mi, who ran off toward the kitchen.

Then he suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned his head.

The wind blew once again.

The wind wrapped around Dan Woo-hyun's body once more and vanished all too naturally.

Dan Woo-hyun frowned.

“Why are you doing that?”

As they entered the kitchen, Jang Sam-tae, who closely examined Dan Woo-hyun's expression, asked. Why did he feel his heart sink when that man frowned, even though he had done nothing wrong?

“The wind is blowing exceptionally hard.”

Jang Sam-tae, who was listening quietly to those words, stared at Dan Woo-hyun with a somewhat blank expression.

‘What kind of crazy talk is that?’

Since he was a man who occasionally said crazy things, Jang Sam-tae did not answer the crazy talk and kept filling the table.

Although it was a meal eaten early in the morning, the amount was so large that after clearing all the dishes, it felt as if his stomach would burst.

Jang Sam-tae, who was alternating his gaze between Dan Woo-hyun and Hwa So-mi as they dined, sat down in his seat with a satisfied expression.

He was hungry.

Although he had nibbled on food here and there while cooking, that was still not enough.

At that moment.

“There is a place I must go.”

“Yes?”

At the sudden words, Jang Sam-tae stopped his chopsticks.

Suddenly saying there was a place to visit? Today, Dan Woo-hyun's condition seemed exceptionally abnormal.

“Yueyang.”

“Is there something to buy?”

“No, you only need to check if there are any changes.”

“Understood! I, Jang Sam-tae, will eat and return quickly!”

Jang Sam-tae let out a hearty laugh and thumped his chest. If nothing else, he was confident in his lightness art. If he set his mind to it, he could go and return in an instant.

Because it was not a particularly difficult task.

However, Dan Woo-hyun shook his head and tapped the table with his finger.

“Now.”

“Yes?”

“Now.”

“…I haven't even eaten…”

“Now.”

‘Damn it, at least let me eat!’

This meant he should not eat and go immediately.

Seeing him repeat the same word three times, Dan Woo-hyun seemed displeased that Jang Sam-tae was still in this spot right now.

Jang Sam-tae scowled deeply and slowly stood up from his seat.

At times like this, he had to shut his mouth and follow. Even if he resisted, the only thing that would fly at him was a fist.

“He… Hehe, I will go and come back.”

“Mmm.”

Jang Sam-tae, who nodded, stood up. He glanced at Hwa So-mi, who was devouring her meal, with a somewhat envious gaze, and then opened the door and walked out.

The moment the door closed with a thud and cut off Dan Woo-hyun's view.

“Spit!”

Jang Sam-tae spat on the ground of the yard, turned his head to look at the door, and then stealthily raised his fist into the air.

Thud!

At that moment, a chopstick flew in and struck his head.

“Aigo!”

Jang Sam-tae's wail echoed.

* * *

A group of people entered Yueyang. They were ordinary people with nothing special about them.

They were not holding swords like martial artists, nor were they covering their faces with masks or moving secretly.

They strode proudly through the streets.

One of them chewed on sweets at a street stall while chatting with the owner, and another picked out silk at a fabric shop, blending in with the people in that manner.

However, they were definitely different from ordinary people.

A man glanced around and sat down at a street stall.

“One bowl of wheat noodles.”

He ordered simply and then quickly rolled his eyes to scan the surroundings. He seemed to be trying to grasp something by looking at each passing person one by one.

Bang Chu-gok.

He was the man leading the Wind-Drifting Squadron of the Black Dao Association.

The Wind-Drifting Squadron specialized in assassination and information gathering, and was famous for never failing any task they had undertaken so far.

Just by seeing that the Black Dao Association had sent the Wind-Drifting Squadron, one could tell how seriously they were taking this matter.

-Squadron Leader, they say the magistrate is escorting Jang Baek-san and the members to the imperial court tomorrow.

The man smirked as he ate the noodles that had come out before he knew it.

Indeed, keeping them locked up in Yueyang for the past three months was strange in itself. The magistrate must have wanted to twist their shins to extract information, but most members of the Black Dao Association were trained to resist torture.

There was no way they would bend to a mere magistrate.

However, the problem was that it would be troublesome if they were dragged to the imperial court.

In that place were the East Depot and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, who were people that would commit cruel acts incomparable to those of the magistrate.

If so, there were two conclusions.

Rescue them, or kill them.

Bang Chu-gok sent a transmission of sound while stirring the noodles with his chopsticks.

-What is the probability of bringing them out?

-Judging by the number of constables deployed at the government office and the surrounding situation, it is less than forty percent.

Just as the man who exchanged transmissions said, it was not an easy task. The security of the government office was that tight. Entering secretly was not a problem, but rescuing them and coming out was close to impossible.

Many sacrifices would surely be made.

In terms of utility, it would be best to save only Jang Baek-san, but it was not worth saving him at the cost of sacrificing the Wind-Drifting Squadron.

-Kill.

-Understood!

Downing the remaining noodles, Bang Chu-gok chewed on the thought.

All those who were captured would be killed.

Disposing of such guys was easier than turning one's palm. The remaining issue now was finding out the identity of the guy named Jang Sam-tae, the magistrate, and the hidden master who had made things this way.

‘What era is this to be playing the role of a hidden master?’

Bang Chu-gok burst into laughter in disbelief.

There were numerous eccentric masters in this Martial World. Among them, those who were strong might have been truly strong, but the majority were not.

Those who lived quietly with skills only slightly better than a third-rate artist, using a few moves they had clumsily learned.

He thought that this time might also be the case. The guy seemed to have some skill, but since Bang Chu-gok had stepped forward, the guy would surely die.

As he was thinking that and turned his head, he saw a person.

‘It is him!’

He stood up from his seat before he knew it. It was the exact same face he had seen on the portrait.

Jang Sam-tae, the one who last traded with the black market merchant and was most likely to know the identity of the hidden master.

Bang Chu-gok quickly pursued him.

He saw Jang Sam-tae, who was looking around and checking something, suddenly disappear into the crowd. In his haste, Bang Chu-gok's steps also quickened.

‘Damn it! Why is he so fast?’

He was significantly faster than expected.

He slipped through so many people this way and that quite well.

It seemed he soon exited the main road and moved to the west, but then he slipped into a small alleyway. The moment Bang Chu-gok quickly followed him in.

“He is… not here?”

He was not to be seen.

Since a person could not disappear so cleanly no matter how fast they were, he examined every single trace left around, but there was not even a trace.

Bang Chu-gok gnashed his teeth.

“Damn it…”

Whether the guy noticed and fled or there was a place to hide nearby, he could not hide his resentment at the thought of losing him.

Then he walked along the path Jang Sam-tae had moved once again. It was due to the hope that he might find some small clue.

Then a thought suddenly flashed through his mind.

‘The government office…’

It was clear that the fellow had been lingering around the government office.

Bang Chu-gok's chilly gaze did not stray from the government office.