Chapter 29

Ch. 29

King of Fist, Hearing the News

"What is the name of your assassination organization?"

At Dan Wooseong's question, the assassin moved his lips for a moment before reluctantly answering.

"It's the Gold and Silver Assassination Association (金銀殺人會). It's divided into Gold Kill and Silver Kill. I belong to Silver Kill."

Since the organization's name was truly absurd, Dan Wooseong let out a hollow laugh.

"What were you thinking when you came up with that name?"

"It has the simple meaning of killing if money is paid."

Dan Wooseong laughed again.

"Gu Yangsheng, how much did you hire all these guys for?"

Gu Yangsheng replied in a calm tone.

"Why do you ask that?"

When he showed an attitude of not wanting to tell, Dan Wooseong wiped the smile from his face.

"Are there still many intact body parts left? Driver, stop the carriage for a moment."

Since he knew what the Great Young Master's personality was like, Gu Yangsheng had no choice but to answer.

"Eight hundred each, I paid a total of three thousand two hundred taels."

Dan Wooseong asked the assassin with his arms crossed.

"Does the calculation match?"

The assassin replied.

"What do you mean..."

"I'm asking if that matches the average payment you receive for going out on a job once. Didn't they say they paid eight hundred taels per person?"

The assassin looked at Gu Yangsheng and replied.

"It's excessively more than usual, but..."

At the assassin's answer, Dan Wooseong laughed again. This time it was also a laugh of absurdity.

"Assassin."

"Yes."

"Your life's value was also included. Your organization's leader sold even you for money. The price was set that they wouldn't protest even if Gu Yangsheng killed you. How do you feel?"

The assassin's eyes immediately widened.

The two drivers leading the horses seemed to have been listening to Dan Wooseong's story, briefly looked at each other's faces, then focused forward again. One man spat to the side of the road.

Dan Wooseong mocked the assassin.

"A life's value of eight hundred taels... What a cheap life. You should have trained more diligently. If your skills were good, you wouldn't be sold around at such cheap prices. No, wait. Since you're guys who kill people for money, I shouldn't treat you as human beings."

Dan Wooseong clapped toward Gu Yangsheng and the assassin.

"What wonderful lives. You sons of bitches..."

Clap, clap, clap.

The assassin rubbed his face with one hand, then stared intently at Gu Yangsheng sitting beside him.

Then Gu Yangsheng also frowned and looked at the assassin. Suddenly, the assassin struck Gu Yangsheng's face with his right elbow. Gu Yangsheng tried to block as usual, then realized his hands weren't normal and took the hit to his face as it was.

Thud.

That was the end. Because Dan Wooseong was watching.

Dan Wooseong chuckled.

"The lower striking the upper. Life is unpredictable. Have you seen the leader?"

"No."

"What kind of guy is he said to be?"

The assassin who had become an internal informant confessed what he knew.

"Originally he's someone with a lot of money, and there are rumors that he operates the Gold and Silver Assassination Association as a hobby. It's a cell organization with individual ranks, and we can only meet our immediate superior, the squad leader. We don't know who's above the squad leader, how many there are, or where they are. We can use the money we earn to raise assassins, but each takes individual responsibility."

Dan Wooseong replied.

"It would be difficult to catch the leader."

"Yes."

"I understand."

Dan Wooseong returned to being a silent man and didn't open his mouth. The assassin who had been staring at his colleague who died long ago asked Dan Wooseong.

"Will we die too?"

Dan Wooseong answered after a long while.

"Why does an assassin ask such things?"

The assassin had no particular words to answer.

.

.

.

"We've arrived."

They barely ate one meal a day, changed horses three times, and buried one corpse along the way.

Even so, the three surviving assassins and Gu Yangsheng couldn't escape and arrived at the Murong Family with Dan Wooseong.

"Go in."

Dan Wooseong, who got out of the carriage, spoke from the very back to the assassins and Gu Yangsheng. When the assassins knocked on the gate, servants came out and were startled to discover the haggard figure of the Gu Family head.

"Master Gu!"

One man ran to inform the Murong Family head.

When Gu Yangsheng arrived at the Murong Family where he had connections, he felt as if he could see a ray of hope.

Arms bend inward after all...

The three assassins sighed and entered the Murong Family with Gu Yangsheng. Dan Wooseong looked around once, then entered the Murong Family, famous for their high pride.

Dan Wooseong first sent his travel companions into the main hall, then walked alone slowly, touring the Murong Family. When an outsider entered, those who had been training like soldiers stopped their movements and stared at Dan Wooseong.

Though there were stories that their ancestors were the Xianbei tribe, now like old tales, they were no different from Central Plains martial artists.

When Dan Wooseong entered the main hall, the assassins stood in the corner like borrowed sacks of barley, while Gu Yangsheng sat in a chair as if he had come as a guest.

The assassins wore expressions of being completely intimidated by the Murong Family's majesty during their journey here.

While people came rushing out from inside the main hall, one man said with a surprised expression.

"What's this about, Master?"

Before Gu Yangsheng could say anything, those who had gathered closed their mouths and divided left and right, waiting quietly. Last of all, the Murong Family head, Murong Bin (慕容彬), walked out.

He was now thirty-two years old, much younger than Gu Yangsheng, and hadn't held the position of Murong Family head for very long. His appearance was neat and his disposition calm, so even after receiving urgent news, he showed no particular expression.

Murong Bin couldn't bring himself to sit and asked Gu Yangsheng.

"Senior Gu, what's this about? What happened to your hands?"

In the martial world, Gu Yangsheng was the senior, but within the Emperor's Association, Murong Bin held higher rank.

Gu Yangsheng tried to speak with his own mouth, then unconsciously looked at Dan Wooseong.

Only then did Murong Bin's gaze turn to Dan Wooseong.

"I am Murong Bin. Pleased to meet you for the first time."

Dan Wooseong was inwardly flustered but introduced himself briefly in a calm tone.

The head of the Murong Family that Dan Wooseong knew wasn't Murong Bin, but presumably his father, Murong Choo (慕容秋). However, Murong Choo wasn't visible, and it seemed his son Murong Bin was the family head. Since he had suddenly brought Gu Yangsheng, he couldn't ask about his family circumstances in such a setting.

Murong Bin asked.

"You must explain how you two came to be here."

Dan Wooseong said.

"First, let's hear what Master Gu can say. Please speak."

Dan Wooseong looked at Gu Yangsheng.

Murong Bin grabbed Gu Yangsheng's shoulder and looked down at his arms while saying.

"This needs treatment quickly. Senior Gu, please speak quickly. What happened?"

Gu Yangsheng couldn't say anything like someone who had lost his mind. Then Murong Bin, feeling something was wrong, looked at Dan Wooseong.

"It seems you must tell the story. Why did the Great Young Master of the merchant group personally escort Senior Gu here?"

Dan Wooseong briefly explained only the key points of what had happened earlier, then looked at the three members of the Gold and Silver Assassination Association who were waiting.

"...These are the ones hired by Gu Yangsheng."

As the Murong Family martial artists who had been listening to the story murmured, Murong Bin said.

"Be quiet."

Murong Bin asked Gu Yangsheng.

"Senior Gu, is this true?"

Gu Yangsheng seemed dumbfounded and hung his head with his eyes closed. How could he cover up what he had done with lies, and now that it was revealed like this, how could he ask the Murong Family for help?

Unless Murong Bin decided alone to kill all the outsiders present, there was no answer.

Gu Yangsheng opened his eyes and looked up at Murong Bin while saying.

"It's true. Won't you help me? I will definitely make you the future leader of the Emperor's Association. The entire Gu Family will help you. Please look into this matter with understanding. I came to this place enduring the humiliation of having to make such a request."

Murong Bin looked at Dan Wooseong with a flustered expression.

Dan Wooseong had a sneer on his lips while listening to Gu Yangsheng's words.

At this point, Murong So (慕容燒), the second-in-command of the Murong Family who had been silently listening to the story, spoke.

"How are we supposed to help with what? The situation has reached this point. The Murim Alliance will mock us. Brother."

Murong Bin didn't reply to his younger brother's words and looked at Dan Wooseong.

"What were you thinking when you came, Great Young Master of the Galaxy Merchant Group? Was it to report the situation out of fear of future troubles?"

Dan Wooseong slowly approached Murong Bin and asked.

"What would Master Murong have done? If you were in my position."

Murong Bin looked at Dan Wooseong approaching and thought.

'If he's someone who planned a massacre and made me a public enemy... there's no answer other than killing him. But the gaze of the Gu Family and the martial world remains. I too would have first kept Gu Yangsheng alive and reported the situation to the Murim Alliance or Emperor's Association.'

Murong Bin, who quickly understood the situation, replied.

"I think I would have done the same as you. Killing wasn't the solution."

Dan Wooseong nodded.

"Then it seems there was value in rushing this long distance."

Murong Bin looked at Gu Yangsheng and said.

"...Senior, why on earth did you do this?"

Gu Yangsheng replied with a deranged expression.

"Didn't you mock me?"

"When did I mock you?"

Gu Yangsheng shouted loudly.

"When you heard about the match! When you heard the rumor that I was defeated by a merchant's son! Didn't everyone laugh at the gathering of family heads! How could the sons of great families be defeated by a merchant's son! I committed a sin! Because of your mockery!"

Gu Yangsheng suddenly stood up and headed toward the wall with his head extended as if trying to commit suicide.

At that moment, Murong Bin suddenly appeared and grabbed Gu Yangsheng's shoulder.

"If you do that, this Murong Bin will be pointed at."

Murong Bin pressed Gu Yangsheng's pressure point to make him sleep, then spoke to the family martial artists.

"Take him away and confine him. Watch him so he doesn't die. And Murong So."

"Yes."

Murong Bin pointed to the three assassins.

"Take them away. Same thing. Watch them."

"Yes."

Murong So slightly revealed his killing intent and approached the three assassins alone, then gestured with his head and said.

"Following with your bodies intact is comfortable for both you and me."

Murong Bin gestured to send people out, then said to Dan Wooseong.

"Great Young Master, please sit. The guest reception was terrible. I apologize."

When Dan Wooseong came and sat at the table, Murong Bin sat across from him and stared intently.

'Where on earth did such a person suddenly appear from?'

Murong Bin also seemed to find Dan Wooseong curious. Murong Bin said.

"Great Young Master, if there are any inappropriate points in my handling of affairs, please give me guidance. I cannot kill Gu Yangsheng with my own hands. If that happened, I would end up shouldering the burden you were concerned about. However, I will handle it within reason. The Emperor's Association is not a place where such people should cling to. You've had a hard time."

"What are you thinking of doing?"

Murong Bin sighed.

"It seems the Murim Alliance is better at handling such matters than us. Directing the Gu Family's resentment toward the Murim Alliance is the way for both you and me to be comfortable. I will also consult with the other family heads. The Emperor's Association will certainly take a hit, but it's not a matter more important than honor."

At the mention of family heads, Dan Wooseong asked about something he had been curious about.

"But though it's not an appropriate question..."

"Please speak freely."

"I'm curious if former family head Murong Choo has performed the retirement ceremony."

Murong Bin stared at Dan Wooseong. A strange silence flowed, then Murong Bin opened his mouth.

"Great Young Master, are you late with martial world news?"

"That's right."

"Father has been missing for over a year now. It hasn't been two years yet. Originally there were more people residing at the main house. We're still sending people out to search for him. I'm living as an unfilial son."

Dan Wooseong let out a remarkably long sigh. The timing of the disappearance coincidentally matched when Dan Wooseong had been reincarnated. That meant it wasn't a disappearance, but that Murong Choo had also died along with the King of Fist at that time.

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