Chapter 326 – Part 2 – Hostage Situation

‘I’m a bit late. The kids should have arrived first, right?’

Yang Baek-du, who got out of the car, entered the restaurant 5 minutes later than the appointed time.

“Welcome. Are you the 6 o’clock reservation?”

“That’s right.”

“Please come this way.”

Following the manager, Yang Baek-du noticed something strange.

‘I don’t see any customers. No employees either…’

But thinking it could happen, he didn’t suspect anything further.

“Here it is.”

When the manager opened the door, Yang Baek-du widened his eyes in surprise.

‘No one came?’

Contrary to his expectation that someone would be waiting, there was no one in the room.

‘What’s going on? The kids have almost never been late for appointments.’

The feeling wasn’t good.

Just as an ominous premonition was creeping up.

Slide-

The sliding door opened and someone entered.

It was Song Chi-hyeon.

“Gr-Great Hero… sir?”

“Oh my, who is this? Isn’t this Secretary Yang Baek-du?”

Song Chi-hyeon showed a sly smile as if he was pleased to see him.

On the contrary, Yang Baek-du showed wariness.

He had never shown such a smile to him before.

“Wh-why is Great Hero Song Chi-hyeon here…”

“I also frequent this restaurant.”

“I’ve never told the Great Hero about this restaurant…”

Suddenly an ominous premonition struck Yang Baek-du’s mind.

“Don’t tell me you knew I would come here today?”

“Hmm, who knows?”

Seeing Song Chi-hyeon’s playful expression, the ominous premonition turned into certainty.

“Where are they…”

“What are you suddenly talking about?”

“…My children should have arrived first.”

Yang Baek-du’s stiff expression showed no trace of laughter.

An extremely serious look.

At that sight, Song Chi-hyeon let out a giggling laugh.

“Hehe. You’re quick-witted for an old man.”

Along with his tone, Song Chi-hyeon’s eyes changed.

From fake eyes to venomous eyes.

“I never thought you’d attach guards to your children. Though they couldn’t withstand our subordinates’ surprise attack anyway.”

At words that were essentially an admission, Yang Baek-du trembled.

“…What did you do to them.”

“Oh? Now you’re speaking informally to a Great Hero?”

“What did you do to my children!”

“Even shouting? Wow, are we going all out now? Kek kek.”

Song Chi-hyeon was relaxed.

He was the one holding the gun.

“Where are they, you bastard!”

“Ah geez, the old man is noisy. Can’t be helped. Since you want to see them so badly, I should show you.”

Song Chi-hyeon gave an eye signal to his subordinate disguised as the manager.

Shortly after, subordinates dressed as employees dragged in the hostages.

“Jo-geon! Jo-wi!”

“Ah, Father…”

The faces of the captured children were already a mess.

Anyone could see they were traces of assault.

“Song Chi-hyeon, you bastard! You touched my children?”

“Whoa whoa, don’t get excited. At least I didn’t kill them, right?”

That meant he could kill them even now.

Realizing this fact, Yang Baek-du tried to calm his excitement and said.

“What do you want.”

“Hehe, someone as quick-witted as you should know without me saying.”

“…”

Looking at Song Chi-hyeon’s grinning smile, Yang Baek-du sighed.

“My life.”

“As expected. Your intuition is extraordinary.”

“If you want my life, let the children go. Then I’ll offer my neck without any resistance.”

“Ah, Father…”

At the father who chose sacrifice without a moment’s hesitation, the children’s eyes reddened.

“Don’t worry about yourselves. This happened because of me, so I’ll take full responsibility.”

“Father, sob sob…”

A touching atmosphere was formed, but only briefly.

“Ha, this is a melodrama you can’t watch without tears?”

Song Chi-hyeon’s intrusion broke the atmosphere.

“Send the children first? This cunning old fox thinks I’m some kind of fool.”

Song Chi-hyeon spoke in a cold voice and gave an eye signal to his subordinate.

Then the subordinate lifted up the eldest Yang Jo-geon’s arm.

Scrape-

Song Chi-hyeon’s sword flashed and Yang Jo-geon’s wrist fell off.

It happened in the blink of an eye.

“Ah, ahhhhhhh!”

“You bastard! Song Chi-hyeoooon!”

The enraged Yang Baek-du immediately equipped his hunter gear.

But faster than that, Song Chi-hyeon’s sword touched the hostages’ throats.

“Will you attacking me be faster, or will your children’s heads fall faster?”

“…”

“If you don’t want to become a widower without children, remove your equipment while I’m being nice.”

Tssss-

Yang Baek-du had no choice but to return to civilian clothes.

“What kind of act is this, Song Chi-hyeon. I said I’d die without complaint if you just let the children go safely…”

“Die? What die. Do you think I don’t know your scheme? As soon as your children’s safety is secured, you’ll break your promise and point a sword at me. Our combat power is similar too, so if done well, you could reverse the situation. Right?”

“…”

Hit right on target, Yang Baek-du’s eyebrows twitched momentarily.

“If I was going to just let the children go, why would I go through the trouble of acquiring a restaurant and kidnapping them? Huh? Your children who are also your weakness.”

Yang Baek-du swallowed his saliva.

From what he was saying, it didn’t seem like he planned to let them go easily.

“So what do you want me to do?”

“Ha.”

Song Chi-hyeon, who had been making a displeased expression, suddenly swung his sword.

The second son Yang Jo-wi’s wrist was cut.

Now both brothers had lost their wrists.

“Ahhh! Ahhhhh!”

“Wh-what kind of act is this! Song Chi-hyeon!”

“The order was wrong, the order. Before asking questions, shouldn’t you politely fix your tone first? Where do you see that as the attitude of someone whose hostages are taken? Huh?”

Song Chi-hyeon cut the hostage’s wrist purely because he was in a bad mood.

“Sob sob, Father… it hurts so much. Please save us…”

“Kugh, heugh…”

Seeing his children in constant pain, Yang Baek-du bit his lips.

With his weakness caught, he had no other choice.

“…I’m sorry. I’ll do whatever you tell me to, so please spare my children.”

Yang Baek-du lowered his pride for the first time and showed a servile attitude.

“Kek kek kek.”

At that sight, Song Chi-hyeon couldn’t contain his leaking laughter.

“Even the high-nosed real power of the Association has no choice when his children are taken hostage?”

“…I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Huhu, good. First, apologize to me.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Fuck, apologize properly with sincerity. While remembering how you acted arrogantly toward me last time!”

“At that time, I must have lost my mind. How dare I act arrogantly in front of the Great Hero. I deserve to die a hundred times. But my children did nothing wrong, so please have mercy…”

Yang Baek-du lowered all his pride at this moment and bowed his head.

Hoping Song Chi-hyeon would show mercy.

“Huhu, good. I’ll accept your apology.”

“Thank you…”

“This time, cut off your own right arm.”

“…”

“What are you doing? Hurry up and do it. Do you want to see your children die?”

A situation where he had no choice but to do as told.

“Whew.”

Yang Baek-du prepared himself mentally and drew his sword.

He who was about to put the sword to his shoulder glanced at Song Chi-hyeon for a moment.

“Ah ah, it’s better not to harbor other thoughts. There’s a way to kill you instantly.”

“Kugh…”

Yang Baek-du, who had momentarily thought of ambushing Song Chi-hyeon, made a troubled expression.

Since he was reading thoughts, there was no time to devise other strategies.

“If you don’t do it within 5 seconds, know that your children’s heads will fall. 5, 4…”

Time was pressing.

Yang Baek-du had to choose.

Whether to obediently cut his own arm, or to attack Song Chi-hyeon by surprise.

‘For the children’s sake, I have no choice.’

Yang Baek-du instinctively knew which choice was the best strategy.

Scrape-

With a chilling sound, blood was spattered.

Yang Baek-du didn’t know whose blood it was.

What was certain was that it wasn’t his or Song Chi-hyeon’s blood.

He had neither cut his arm nor attacked Song Chi-hyeon.

“Ah, ahhhhhhh!”

The second son Yang Jo-wi screamed in horror looking at his brother’s fallen head.

On the floor was definitely Yang Jo-geon’s head rolling around.

“Song Chi-hyeoooon!”

Yang Baek-du, who belatedly grasped the situation, tried to rush in a rage, but.

Poke-

Song Chi-hyeon pointed his sword at the remaining son’s neck, allowing him to regain his reason.

“Yang Baek-du, you know better than anyone why I killed that guy, right?”

“Kugh…”

Yang Baek-du had decided to attack Song Chi-hyeon at the last moment.

Of course, he didn’t think about it consciously.

No, he tried not to think about it.

But since it was difficult to completely block it, the thought seemed to have leaked out.

“That’s why you shouldn’t harbor impure thoughts. Or control them well.”

“Kugh, you bastard who wouldn’t be refreshing even if fried…!”

“Ah ah, still not understanding your position and trying to provoke me?”

Song Chi-hyeon’s sword slightly pierced Yang Jo-wi’s neck.

Blood trickled down.

“Ah, Father… I’m fine with dying, so don’t mind me and do as you wish.”

“Wh… what are you saying! How could I leave you…”

“I know that I’m a son who doesn’t meet Father’s expectations… That’s why I don’t want to be a stumbling block until the end… Please allow me not to remain as an obstacle.”

“Jo-wi…”

“Hahahaha!”

At the absurd situation, Song Chi-hyeon held his forehead and burst into laughter.

“What amazing filial piety! Choosing death rather than troubling your father!”

He wasn’t being sarcastic.

Song Chi-hyeon was honestly admiring Yang Jo-wi’s courage.

“The eldest son whose head was cut off begged so much to be saved, but the second son makes a courageous statement while trembling like a scared puppy. Even though he’s a hostage, I can’t help but admire him.”

Song Chi-hyeon, who had been laughing leisurely, was grinding his teeth inside.

‘That bastard is really planning to throw away his life.’

If a hostage gives up their own life, they lose their function as a hostage.

In other words, he couldn’t use the hostage to hurt Yang Baek-du.

‘To secure certain victory, I should at least cut off his arm…’

No matter how superior Song Chi-hyeon’s combat power was, the situation where his trait was known to the opponent.

On the other hand, Song Chi-hyeon didn’t know Yang Baek-du’s trait.

‘Can I win fighting against Yang Baek-du with all his limbs intact?’

Even if he intentionally thought only random thoughts to avoid having his attack routes read, Song Chi-hyeon’s trait would become useless.

‘I can know what skills he uses, but at best I know about 1 second in advance. This much is useless.’

Therefore, he should avoid direct confrontation.

There was no guarantee he could win.

‘It’s better to shake him while holding his weakness.’

But the hostage who could be called a weakness was giving up his life, and Yang Baek-du was agreeing with it.

In this case, there were no hostages to hold as weaknesses.

‘Come to think of it, he has one more son, right?’

Although he was a despised bastard so he didn’t know if threats would work, he had to grasp at straws in this situation.

Song Chi-hyeon warned Yang Baek-du, who looked like he would rush at any moment.

“It’s a mistake to think this guy is the only remaining hostage.”

“That means…”

“The life of the Association’s bastard is also in my hands.”

He held Yang Jo-young as a hostage, but Yang Baek-du said indifferently as if it didn’t matter.

“I don’t care about the bastard’s life.”

“…Father?”

At the cold words, Yang Jo-wi looked at him with surprised eyes, and Yang Baek-du avoided his gaze.

Song Chi-hyeon, who found the father and son’s reaction suspicious, read the son’s thoughts.

Then he was able to gain an unexpected harvest.

“Kek kek, what? I thought you despised him for being a bastard, but you were actually doing it on purpose?”

“…”

Yang Baek-du was actually cherishing Yang Jo-young?

This was the perfect threatening opportunity for Song Chi-hyeon.

“Say it with your own mouth. Do you really not care what happens to the bastard’s life?”

“…Yes.”

“Yes? Then I should order my subordinate to kill him right now.”

When Song Chi-hyeon picked up his phone, Yang Baek-du’s eyes wavered.

Song Chi-hyeon didn’t miss that sight.

“Haha, it’s true, isn’t it? You’re really caring about a mere bastard?”

“…”

“Well, even if born from an affair, a child is still a child, right? Kek kek.”

“…Where is Jo-young? From seeing you try to make a call, he doesn’t seem to be here.”

At Yang Baek-du’s return to informal speech, Song Chi-hyeon’s mood worsened.

“Fuck, do you think I’ll tell you if you ask where he is?”

“I don’t know where he is, but it seems you couldn’t kidnap him. Well, kidnapping a hunter isn’t an easy task.”

Although he was seen through by the quick-witted Yang Baek-du, Song Chi-hyeon only snorted.

“Hmph, that doesn’t mean you can be relieved. I already gave assassination orders to my direct subordinate. He’s probably preparing to stab him in the back right about now.”

“I trust Jo-young. He’s not a child who would be easily taken.”

“Really? The subordinate I sent has never disappointed me.”

“Then this time will be when the trusted axe cuts your own foot.”

“Seeing you babble without knowing heaven from earth…”

Scrape- Thud-

Song Chi-hyeon instantly cut Yang Jo-wi’s neck.

“It seems you don’t care about your children’s lives at all.”

“Jo, Jo-wi…”

‘Now’s the time.’

Taking advantage of Yang Baek-du’s shock, Song Chi-hyeon thrust his sword.

However.

Ting-

Yang Baek-du, who had equipped his gear at some point, deflected Song Chi-hyeon’s sword.

“Song Chi-hyeoooooon!!!”

When the enraged Yang Baek-du rushed at him, Song Chi-hyeon urgently shouted.

“Since it’s come to this, it’s all-out war! Everyone attack!”

The walls crumbled and elite direct subordinates who had been waiting on all sides burst out.

They were elites of elites composed of A-rank and B-rank.

Song Chi-hyeon smiled at Yang Baek-du, who was instantly surrounded.

‘Die a dog’s death here with your children!’

But the situation didn’t flow as expected.

“Kheuk!”

“Kheuk!”

Even while under concentrated attack, Yang Baek-du’s body had not a single wound.

Rather, only the subordinates’ damage kept increasing.

‘How is this happening? He’s not taking any damage at all?’

Song Chi-hyeon, who had planned to step in when Yang Baek-du was weakened by his subordinates’ attacks, saw Yang Baek-du rampaging like a wolf among sheep.

“Damn, everyone fall back! I’ll handle that guy!”

Song Chi-hyeon, who couldn’t lose more subordinates, personally faced Yang Baek-du.

Clang- Clang- Crack-!

Sword met sword and they poured out their respective skills.

‘I’ll read your thoughts and see through your attack routes!’

However, Yang Baek-du, who already knew Song Chi-hyeon’s trait, was fighting with a mindless heart.

Song Chi-hyeon’s face was beautifully distorted.

‘Damn. My trait is this useless.’

It was what he had expected, but experiencing it firsthand was bitter.

Clang- Clang- Clang!

The battle dragged on.

Cold sweat formed on Song Chi-hyeon’s forehead as he faced his opponent with pure skill without relying on his trait.

‘Damn, damn, damn, daaaamn!!!’

He was being pushed back as time went on.

Not only the momentum of the veteran driven mad by anger, but even his skills.

Song Chi-hyeon was no match for Yang Baek-du.

‘I can’t lose, I can’t lose!’

The subordinates who grasped the situation attacked intermittently when they found opportunities, but it was useless.

Somehow Yang Baek-du was invincible against the subordinates’ attacks.

On the other hand, he was definitely wounded by Song Chi-hyeon’s attacks.

Of course, Song Chi-hyeon’s body had even more wounds.

‘At this rate, I’ll lose, damn!’

A frustrating situation where no one could help.

While they had been fighting like that for a while.

Song Chi-hyeon saw an unexpected person in his sight.

It was none other than Choi Seong-min.

‘Why is Choi Seong-min here?’

But Song Chi-hyeon wasn’t surprised only because of Choi Seong-min.

There was someone unexpected right next to him.

‘Hey, Yang Jo-young?’