Chapter 19 – Responsibility

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read more at Nineheavens.org

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Chapter 19 – Responsibility

The moment Han Yun saw the poison pill, his expression stiffened.

'That is…!'

He knew exactly what it was.

It was the Scentless Soul-Sealing Pill he had secretly traded with the Thousand Snake Gang in the past.

At the time, Gang Leader Gul Ma-hun had paid a large sum to exclusively purchase a large quantity of Scentless Soul-Sealing Pills.

But… why would that bastard have that?

Surely he couldn't have stolen it from Gul Ma-hun, a famous unorthodox swordsman in Hunan Province.

Just as a thread of doubt entered his heart.

Thwack!

Han Yun's head lost its balance and jerked sharply to the side.

"Argh!"

As he let out a scream, an indifferent voice reached his ear.

"You're slow to answer."

At that, Han Yun hastily replied while clutching one side of his face.

"Y-Yes! I know! That is the Scentless Soul-Sealing Pill that this clinic sold!"

"The contents of that Eul fellow's confession were accurate."

At Cheol Ryu-heun's murmured words, Han Yun tilted his head.

'Who's the Eul fellow, and what confession…?'

Curious as he was, he had a feeling it wouldn't be good to know.

Cheol Ryu-heun fiddled with the Scentless Soul-Sealing Pill and said quietly.

"The leader of the snake den played games with this. I got caught by it. Well, as you can see, I'm perfectly fine now."

Han Yun flinched and finally understood the situation roughly.

"I-I have no idea how it was used after it left my hands! I only sold it for money… Sh-Shouldn't you be taking this up with the Thousand Snake Gang leader directly?"

"There's nothing more to hear from the snake head. He can't talk anyway."

"Pardon?"

"He's dead."

"…!"

"Today, by my hand."

Han Yun's dark brown pupils shook greatly as if an earthquake had struck.

'He's dead?'

It wasn't nonsense.

It was real.

Looking at those eyes devoid of any emotion, he could tell.

'I'm screwed!'

He had encountered the wrong opponent.

In truth, the four bodyguards who had been attending him were by no means at the level of lowly ruffians.

They were swordsmen brothers, former wanderers, each with remarkable sword skills – enough to have once been called by the title Cold Forest Four Swords.

However.

The true martial prowess of White Snake Head Sword, who represented the Thousand Snake Gang, was at least a step or two above all four of them combined – no comparison at all.

Then just how strong was the martial skill of this young uninvited guest?

For starters, if he was a master capable of killing White Snake Head Sword, it made complete sense that the Cold Forest Four Swords had been helpless against him.

'It seems he's come to hold me accountable for providing the Scentless Soul-Sealing Pill… Does he intend to take my head too?'

That had to be avoided at all costs.

With his survival instinct strongly activated, Han Yun urgently spoke.

"P-Please tell me what you want! If it's money, I can give you as much as you want…"

"I have more than enough money."

"Ah…"

"Besides, there's also one thousand taels of silver I'll be receiving from the Thousand Snake Gang as compensation."

For Han Yun, who had believed in the power of money, there was nothing more to say.

Until now, he had solved any problem with money, but faced with such an unexpected opponent, he couldn't think of a sharp solution.

To win him over with money, he would need an amount greater than what the Thousand Snake Gang was preparing.

Unless he liquidated all his assets, one thousand taels of silver was impossible, so whatever he said would fall on deaf ears.

'What should I do?'

While Han Yun bit his lip and fidgeted anxiously.

"Talk. The supplier."

Cheol Ryu-heun casually tossed out the indifferent words with a jerk of his chin.

"Pardon?"

Han Yun was greatly flustered.

From his composed attitude, it seemed he had figured out that there was a separate supplier.

Gul Ma-hun certainly wouldn't have told him.

Because during the secret trade, Han Yun had said that the Scentless Soul-Sealing Pill was prepared using a method he had specially researched.

"You're thinking."

Cheol Ryu-heun immediately grabbed the back of Han Yun's head and forcefully slammed it against the nearby wall repeatedly.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

In an instant, Han Yun's forehead split open, bleeding profusely.

"Guh… Huuh…!"

"Will this make your head work faster?"

The moment Cheol Ryu-heun's words ended, Han Yun confessed the truth while trembling all over.

"Th-The supplier is the Mantis Martial Academy! The Scentless Soul-Sealing Pill is a new toxic medicine that came out earlier this year, and it was all prepared there! Augh…"

"I thought so."

Cheol Ryu-heun nodded lightly and released his grip on the back of Han Yun's head.

"You never had the skills to prepare the Scentless Soul-Sealing Pill in the first place. I can tell just by looking."

With all the years he had lived, that level of discernment was basic.

Meanwhile, Han Yun felt his vision go dark as he revealed the secret.

'I'm done for!'

It was an impossible situation either way.

Even if the opponent spared him here, if the Mantis Martial Academy found out about this later, he would be as good as dead.

The current Academy Master, Mantis Twin Swords Jo Jung-eung, was in fact a famous unorthodox swordsman in Hunan Province on par with White Snake Head Sword Gul Ma-hun.

Moreover, his elite forces were comparable to the Thousand Snake Gang, and among some connoisseurs, they were even rated as a step above.

That made it all the more frightening.

If Academy Master Jo Jung-eung found out about today's events, the outcome was as obvious as looking at fire.

Either his neck would be roughly severed, or he would become half-paralyzed and live as good as dead…

It was too late for regret.

If only he hadn't been blinded by money and secretly traded the Scentless Soul-Sealing Pills, he wouldn't have gotten entangled with this crazy bastard in front of him.

He suddenly resented Gul Ma-hun's conduct.

'Damn it… How exactly did that idiot use the Scentless Soul-Sealing Pill…'

He blamed only others, not knowing his own fault.

Meanwhile, Cheol Ryu-heun murmured as if intrigued.

"After the snake head, it's the mantis, is it?"

Then he spoke meaningfully to Han Yun.

"Don't worry. You can save your life."

"P-Pardon…?"

"I'm saying there's no need to worry about being caught and killed by the Mantis Martial Academy."

Suddenly, Han Yun's pale face regained its color.

"Oh! R-Really?"

"Yes. That place will soon be closed down by my hand."

Han Yun got goosebumps all over.

Good heavens, so he intends to forcibly shut down the Mantis Martial Academy?

It wasn't as easy as it sounded.

And yet.

Looking into his emotionless gaze, he felt a strange sensation as if the Mantis Martial Academy's end was already predetermined.

'This is a chance to come back from the dead! Please let it be so…!'

Then if he could just get through this moment, he would be able to live safely.

With things having come to this point, he was so curious about the young man's identity that he couldn't help but ask.

"Um, if I may be so bold… May I ask where you are affiliated?"

From casually mentioning the forced closure of the Mantis Martial Academy, he thought he must be the leader of a group with outstanding combat strength.

Surely he wasn't planning to go there alone and fight.

Cheol Ryu-heun, not even acknowledging the question, snatched the ledger held in Han Yun's hand.

"Being a clinic and all, you've recorded everything meticulously. Even the dates and lists of secret trades."

"It's an old habit…"

At that moment, one of the Cold Forest Four Swords who had been lodged in the ceiling fell to the inner chamber floor with a thump.

Right after, Cheol Ryu-heun snapped the ledger shut and gave an order.

"Move everyone here outside."

"Y-Yes! Understood!"

Han Yun rolled up his sleeves and quickly got moving.

What choice did he have?

He had to please the other party to save himself.

Having moved the Cold Forest Four Swords one by one to the garden, he looked around at the men sprawled here and there and clicked his tongue internally.

'Tch! Useless fools who aren't worth their pay!'

Soon, Cheol Ryu-heun approached him.

"There's ginseng in the herb storehouse, right?"

"Ginseng… you say? Yes, as you can see, this is a medical clinic, so of course…"

"Bring all of it."

Han Yun went to the herb storehouse beside the main building with a puzzled expression and brought out a large sack.

It appeared to be quite heavy, seemingly weighing well over sixty geun.

"Good, I got what I wanted."

The moment Cheol Ryu-heun murmured, Han Yun couldn't believe his ears.

'What? He's satisfied just getting ginseng?'

It was absurd.

He never imagined the guy who said he didn't need money would be satisfied with getting his hands on some ginseng.

Well, whatever.

If giving up ginseng in exchange meant saving both his money and his life, nothing could be better.

'Whether he's eccentric or stupid…'

Han Yun inwardly rejoiced and fawned over him.

"Do you perhaps need any other medicinal herbs? Just say the word. I'll prepare everything for you."

"That's enough."

At Cheol Ryu-heun's bland response, Han Yun grumbled inwardly.

'Really? You don't need anything else? Then stop tormenting me and just leave! I should probably settle things here and start fresh somewhere else. Preferably far away… Would Shandong or Hebei region be suitable? Anyway, if I sell this place a bit below market price, it should sell within two weeks.'

At that moment, unexpected words struck his ears.

"I'll spare your life, but you should take responsibility for this chain of events."

Simultaneously, Han Yun's heart sank.

'What?'

It was ominous.

He won't kill him here, but he'll make him take responsibility? Then did that mean he would cripple him into a half-paralyzed state?

Suddenly frightened, Han Yun shouted with a bloodless face.

"Please forgive me! I will ensure you never see me again for such matters!"

For the first time, a faint smile formed at the corner of Cheol Ryu-heun's mouth.

"Shouldn't you be punished for using medical skills, which you learned to heal people, to instead harm them?"

"Ah… Please have mercy… I will never lay a hand on poisons again!"

"Right, that's how it'll be. Since you won't be able to move a muscle."

"Wh-What exactly do you mean by that…?"

"You should experience it too. The true taste of poison pills."

"…!"

In the blink of an eye, Cheol Ryu-heun shoved the Scentless Soul-Sealing Pill hard into Han Yun's mouth.

Gulp-

Having inadvertently swallowed it, Han Yun was horror-struck.

"Gasp! N-No!"

In that instant, Cheol Ryu-heun's fist drove into the center of his face.

Crack!

His body went spinning like a top and flying backward, slamming into the garden wall with a crash before sprawling limply like a corpse.

Cheol Ryu-heun then picked up a lantern hanging on one side of the garden and strode toward the building ahead.

"The breeze is blowing nicely, so it should burn well."

He tossed the lantern into the building, grabbed the ginseng sack, placed the ledger beside Han Yun, and then leisurely exited the Clear Heart Medical Clinic.

The officials who received the fire report would come and handle the rest.

"Here, I brought something to your taste."

Coming outside, Cheol Ryu-heun fed several ginseng roots to the horse and then loaded the sack.

Just then.

Wisps.

White smoke like mist rose distinctly from the horse's entire body.

That was proof that the energy within its body had been replenished.

Cheol Ryu-heun gently stroked its mane.

"You're practically half a mystical creature now, so should I give you a proper name?"

At that, the horse nodded its head as if in response, snorting through its nose and mouth.

Cheol Ryu-heun stepped into the stirrup and mounted with a nimble movement, then gripped the reins.

"From today, you are Divine Wind."

The horse's name was decided, and the destination was decided.

Mantis Martial Academy.

Once he trampled the hateful mantis swarm, his day would finally be complete.

"Let's go."

The moment Cheol Ryu-heun's command fell.

Boom!

The horse, having deeply cracked the ground, disappeared in an instant into a tiny black dot in the distance, living up to its name as a fiercely gusting wind.