3 Chapter 3 (1/2)
”I appreciate your offer, but I have an acquaintance in Nakyang that I'm planning to stay with.”
Whilst this wasn't entirely truthful, Dang So-mun believed it.
”Ah, I see. Well, that's a relief.”
Dang So-mun bowed to Kang-hyuk farewell.
”I'll be leaving now. Thank you for your accompaniment thus far.”
”It is I who is grateful for your kind invitation to travel together! I hope you will continue in your martial cultivation, I am sure you will be greatly successful on this journey.”
”Thank you for your encouragement Kang Dae-Hyeop (1)!”
”Dae-Hyeop? It is unfitting for me!”
”No, not at all. There isn't a more fitting way of addressing you other than Dae-Hyeop. Moreover, you are someone who saved my life when I was in danger.”
Dang So-mun smiled brightly.
”I guess I will have to bid you farewell for now. Have a safe journey forward.”
”I wish you a safe journey as well.”
As Dang So-mun and his party headed towards a wealthy quarter of Nakyang, Kang-hyuk headed in the opposite direction towards the Hwacheon Clan's headquarters.
”Right, let's go to the headquarters!”
His intention of travelling to Nakyang was to visit this very headquarters. The headquarters also housed the leader of the Clan.
However, Kang-hyuk wasn't headed towards the front entrance of the Hwacheon Clan's Headquarters, but in the north direction to the mountains.
There was a secret passage into the Headquarters through the mountains, and Kang-hyuk intended to use it.
It was due to his transformed appearance. Even if he presented his identity tag to the guards at the front entrance, they wouldn't be able to recognize him as the Retired Leader.
He would most likely be declined entry into the headquarters, let alone allowed to meet the leader of the Clan.
'There is the other method which involves smashing my way through, but that would be rather loud. It's also unreasonable to disturb the poor guards so late into the night.'
Having entered deep into the mountains, Kang-hyuk was lying down, gazing at a cool flowing waterfall.
Even at night, it was still a beautiful scene as it was in the past.
Kang-hyuk got up, and slowly walked in the direction of the waterfall.
***
The Hwacheon Clan.
Known as the protector of the harmony of Moorim, the clan's rule and influence over Baekdo, Moorim was like the sky.
In the past 60 years, Kang-Hyuk and his clansmen had experienced unparalleled glories but before that, the Hwacheon Clan had also endured numerous humiliations throughout its history.
These humiliations caused the Hwacheon Clan's Headquarters to have an impenetrable guard.
The most heavily guarded place in the Hwacheon Clan's headquarters was the Museongjeon.
It was the place where the head of the Hwacheon Clan, the person who was as great as the sky to the people of Baekdo Moorim, stayed. This place was commonly known as Museongjeon.
It was a place which was unknown even by the high-ranking men of the clan.
Inside the leader's bedroom, a wardrobe that was placed against the north wall of the room was slowly pushed to the side.
Emerging through the door that had appeared from pushing aside the wardrobe was none other than Kang-Hyuk!
Though Kang-Hyuk had entered in this manner, the old man sleeping on the bed was in an undisturbed deep sleep with a peaceful expression on his face.
This was to be expected due to the extreme stealth with which Kang-Hyuk had entered.
Furthermore, before entering the leader's bedroom, he had sent all of the guards, who were protecting this secret house, to sleep.
Kang-hyuk walked towards the old man sleeping on the bed and looked upon him with a benevolent smile. He then spoke ruefully, ”Ah! That cute young lad has gotten pretty old!”
That old man was none other than the head of the Hwacheon Clan, the Hwacheon Leader.
He most likely had been up late at night reviewing a pile of documents, therefore Kang-Hyuk was reluctant to wake him but the situation couldn't help it.
*Tap tap*
He tapped the leader, causing him to suddenly open his eyes. The leader, upon seeing an unknown young man in front of him, let out a scream.
”Who….”
However, before he could even make a noise, Kang Hyuk blocked his mouth with his hands.
It was a rapid movement that even the leader couldn't block in time.
Kang-Hyuk put his index finger on his lips and told him to be quiet, causing the old man to be panicked.
He was panicking due to the fact that all of a sudden, even a peep of noise was unable to be heard from his mouth, let alone his voice.
He felt as though he had gotten into a completely helpless situation. He felt a little ashamed at his easy defeat.
The man who appeared before his eyes seemed to be a youth of merely twenty years of age.
He wondered how such a novice could have entered his room without him noticing at all. Even now, he was unable to discern what kind of character he was.
His movements were so subtle that it was as though he wasn't there at all.
'He looks as though he's a novice, but he isn't a novice? Where could such an impressive assassin come from? The Magi's? The Valley of the Blood Kings? The forest of beasts?'
But he wasn't the leader for nothing.
He thought to himself, regardless of who sent him- he wasn't going to let the man in front of him leave alive.
'Oh?'
But in that moment, he realized that something was strange. It was because he was unable to feel the energy that he should have felt by now.
It was the soldiers who were meant to be protecting his quarters.
As if he could read the leader's mind, Kang-Hyuk quietly whispered, ”Don't worry about the guards. I thought they would unnecessarily cause noise so I sedated them.”
”What did you just say?”
”By the way, in the years we haven't seen each other, you've aged quite a bit, dear Mu-Jin.”
His voice was had no malice whatsoever. Instead, it was filled with pure concern and pity for the old man.
That's why it felt even weirder.
”What on earth is this? Why is this lad in the pink of his youth speaking to me in this way?”
Kang-hyuk sighed at the old man's expression which still held anger and suspicion for him.
”Are you still unaware of who I am?”
”What kind of rubbish are you spew…”
The leader couldn't finish his sentence. It was due to Kang-Hyuk lifting up his hand and smacking the leader's forehead.
”Oh dear me, how could I have left, entrusting the position of leader to a fellow like you?”
”The position of leader? Entrusted?”
Upon hearing these words, Mu-jin, the current leader of the Hwacheon Clan, became completely mortified.
When the old man came to think of it, the young man's face and voice were familiar and so was the method with which he had slapped his forehead.
He then started to carefully look at the young man before him.
”It..It can't be… are you the retired leader?”
”Yes, you punk!”
”...!”
Mu-jin's eyes widened from shock.