Chapter 98 : The Real Target. -01

Chapter 98: The Real Target. -01

Seo Joun grinned slightly as he spoke.

But Ban Hojin snorted.

“I’m a genius too.”

“Wouldn’t two be better than one?”

“It won’t be easy.”

“If it were easy, it wouldn’t be fun. Isn’t the joy doubled when you succeed after hardship?”

“As long as you’re happy, even a hard road is fine.”

Ban Hojin shrugged.

As an older brother, he could offer advice, but the choice itself belonged to the person concerned.

Once advice crossed a certain line, it became meddling, so Ban Hojin said nothing more.

“Are you happy, hyungnim?”

“Hm. Well? I don’t think I’m unhappy, but I wouldn’t say I’m happy either.”

“Is it because you have a lot on your mind?”

“Not exactly. Even now, it’s not bad. I’m living the life I want.”

“That’s a relief.”

Everyone had different standards of satisfaction.

And so, the 기준 for happiness inevitably differed as well.

At the very least, if one was living the life they wanted, it wasn’t unhappiness.

“What about you?”

“I’m happy and grateful every single day. If you hadn’t saved me, hyungnim, I might not have lived to see this year’s snow.”

Seo Joun smiled brightly and looked around.

True to midwinter, Songshan was clad in pure white, unlike autumn.

Being able to see this scenery made Seo Joun feel happy and grateful.

“I’m glad. That you think that way.”

“It’s all thanks to you, hyungnim.”

“It’s not quite to that extent. If you hadn’t had the will to live, even with spirit herbs and the Blazing Deity Divine Art, it would’ve been difficult. More importantly, it seems about time we matched you with a new sword.”

Ban Hojin’s gaze shifted to the sword Seo Joun was still carrying.

Even though it hadn’t been a full year yet, the condition of the sword was already quite poor.

Seo Joun said he took good care of it in his own way, but an ordinary Azure Steel Sword struggled to endure Extreme Yang Energy.

“I’ve grown attached to it.”

“That’s as far as it goes. You know that too.”

“It does seem to struggle.”

“It’ll get worse from here on. Your Extreme Yang Energy will only increase, never decrease. Well, swinging it until it melts and using that to attack the enemy doesn’t sound like a bad tactic either.”

“Are you serious?”

Seo Joun let out a hollow laugh.

It was because Ban Hojin had said it far too seriously.

“Isn’t it not bad as an unpredictable attack when nothing else works? A life-saving trump card doesn’t have to be something special. There’s also something called the Sword-Breaking Art.”

“I could even apply variations to that.”

“It’s a fairly decent method for using that monstrous amount of inner power you have. But since it’s a final strike, you can’t use it often.”

“That’s why I’m planning to learn the Long Arm and Long Leg Technique as well.”

“Preparing for the worst is basic. First, we should look for a skilled blacksmith. I wonder if Bang or Cheok knows someone.”

Ban Hojin also used a sword, but he wasn’t particularly picky about tools.

And until his death, he had continued to use his current sword.

But Seo Joun was a bit of a special case, so he needed a custom-made weapon.

“I think asking Young Lady Nan could be one option.”

“There are many excellent craftsmen in the Sichuan Tang Family, but since they’re preparing for war right now, it’d be awkward to request custom work.”

“Wouldn’t Young Master Geum be well-informed about that side?”

“That could work too.”

Ban Hojin stroked his chin.

He thought that the Geum Family Estate’s trade partners might actually be better.

“When you think about it like this, our connections are pretty impressive, aren’t they?”

“We won’t be looked down on anywhere. I’ll look into your new sword, so you focus on training.”

“Yes!”

“As your Extreme Yang Energy increases, controlling it will become more difficult, but you still have to do it. A blade its owner can’t properly handle will eventually wound its master. Also prepare for when your inner power runs dry. You should always think in advance about extreme situations.”

Seo Joun’s inner power was immense enough to be described as monstrous, but it wasn’t infinite.

So although Ban Hojin sometimes forced him to expend it all during sparring, he felt that Seo Joun’s preparation was still insufficient and pointed that out.

With the war between the Nine Heavens Gate and the Sichuan Tang Family having already broken out, the other three places couldn’t rest easy either.

“I’ll engrave it in my heart!”

“Good.”

After answering energetically, Seo Joun moved off to resume his private training, and Ban Hojin also started walking.

It was to look around at the others, starting with Seo Joun.

Passing by Jeong Iryong and Murong Cheok, Ban Hojin quietly observed Sunwoo Bang from afar as he performed a sword dance with his eyes closed.

‘He’ll cross it soon.’

With stubborn diligence, Sunwoo Bang focused on the fundamentals.

Knowing the extent of his own talent, he devoted himself solely to swordsmanship.

And that effort was gradually bearing fruit.

Watching him reestablish his family’s sword art in his own way, Ban Hojin thought that he would soon meet again the Sunwoo Bang he had encountered in his previous life.

‘Very good.’

Sunwoo Bang, with his talent fully in bloom, was a sword hero Ban Hojin couldn’t take lightly.

That was why Ban Hojin felt anticipation.

For the Sunwoo Bang who would threaten him.

Geum Hoyeon quietly gazed at the scenery of Songshan, blanketed in pure white snow.

It wasn’t his first time at Songshan, but it was his first time seeing it in winter, covered in snow.

That was why Geum Hoyeon took a moment to appreciate it with a peaceful heart.

“Winter Songshan has its own charm, doesn’t it?”

“It’s magnificent and beautiful.”

At the familiar voice coming from beside him, Geum Hoyeon smiled faintly and turned his head.

There, he saw Ban Hojin wearing plain black martial robes.

“This way, please.”

The side path he had once used to bring Nan Hui-ju—this time, he led Geum Hoyeon along it.

Geum Hoyeon’s escort unit followed behind.

“I think I’ll be using this path often from now on.”

“That’s why I told you about it. There’s no need to deliberately pass through the bustling outer grounds of Shaolin.”

“This place is beautiful too. It feels like somewhere immortals might live.”

Passing through thick undergrowth, Geum Hoyeon’s eyes widened at the sight of two modest wooden buildings nestled as if embraced by the mountain.

It was because the man-made structures and nature blended together in a mysterious harmony.

Looking closely, the scene resembled a single painting, and Geum Hoyeon’s eyes sparkled.

Although he was a merchant, he also loved paintings and drew often, so he fully etched the current scenery into his mind.

“Ascension Through Feathered Transformation. I would like to try it at least once. If one reaches Ascension Through Feathered Transformation, they would be the Best Under Heaven, wouldn’t they?”

“It is spoken of like a legend, but since there are those who succeeded, wouldn’t it be possible for you as well, Great Hero Ban?”

“Everyone has possibilities. Shall we go inside?”

The training grounds, which were usually filled with groups or second-generation disciples, were now completely empty.

Crossing those training grounds, Ban Hojin led Geum Hoyeon to his quarters.

All the while, he cast a brief glance toward one particular spot at the end.

Clink.

“Thank you.”

Geum Hoyeon took a sip of the tea, steam rising in soft curls.

The frozen feeling in his body seemed to melt away smoothly.

Feeling the pleasant warmth, Geum Hoyeon took another sip.

“You look very tired.”

“Hahaha. I haven’t been able to sleep at all lately. In fact, that’s why I came to see you, Great Hero Ban.”

“Because of the assassin?”

“Ah, how did you know?”

Geum Hoyeon, who had been pondering how to bring it up, was startled.

He hadn’t expected Ban Hojin to guess it in one shot.

“I saw it watching from afar.”

“So it really followed me all the way here.”

Geum Hoyeon’s complexion darkened.

Unlike Ban Hojin, who noticed immediately, his escort warriors had failed to realize that an assassin was tailing them.

Although the level of the escort unit had risen through harsh training, Geum Hoyeon was keenly reminded that they still had a long way to go, and he let out a quiet sigh.

“It must be the First Young Lord’s doing.”

“That’s right. For about a month now, perhaps intending to slowly bleed me dry, they deliberately reveal their presence or leave traces before disappearing. Things like the heads of freshly slaughtered chickens, cats, pigs, or cows placed near my pillow. They could kill me, but they choose not to. More precisely, it would be correct to say they cannot kill me.”

“I believe I’ve heard about it. That in the succession struggle of the Geum Family, only one’s ability as a merchant is considered. I heard that the moment one assassinates a rival, they are stripped of their qualifications.”

“But it isn’t without loopholes. When there are three or more contenders in the succession struggle, honestly speaking, it becomes impossible to know who commissioned the assassin organization. It’s quite common to exploit this and whittle things down until only two remain.”

Geum Hoyeon gave a bitter smile.

In the Geum Family, even brothers born of the same mother, not just half-siblings, engaged in fratricidal conflict.

By comparison, hiring assassins was almost mild.

“It certainly is a peculiar case. Anyone would be forced to suspect it.”

“Rumors are quietly spreading inside the estate, but the First Young Lord is flatly denying it. He insists it was absolutely not him. He’s claiming it’s the work of someone else who has a grudge against me.”

“But if you think about it differently, doesn’t that mean he’s been driven into a corner? To the point of resorting to such methods.”

“That is true, but……”

Geum Hoyeon trailed off.

Looked at positively, Ban Hojin’s words were correct.

However, the problem was that his blood truly felt like it was drying up, and he was losing his mind.

It was the first time Geum Hoyeon realized just how much sleep occupied in a person’s life.

“Among tortures, there is also one that deprives a person of sleep. People tend to take sleep lightly, but for humans, sleep is truly important. For a martial artist, going without sleep for a day or two isn’t a major burden, but once four days pass, the body’s condition changes noticeably. For ordinary people, there’s no need to even say it.”

“It really drove me crazy. My appetite dropped, my nerves became frayed. I can even feel myself that my concentration and judgment are dulled and slowed.”

“The First Young Lord used his move well. It harms him as well, but the effect is certain.”

The risk was high, but the effect was undeniable.

Ban Hojin could tell just by looking at the Geum Hoyeon before him.

And also why Geum Hoyeon had come to seek him out.

“I’ve tried everything I could as well. I even placed commissions with assassin organizations in return. It’s not only the First Young Lord who has money. There’s also the saying, using poison to control poison, isn’t there?”

“But it failed.”

“Yes. I was turned on instead. As if it didn’t matter as long as it wasn’t the First Young Lord, they left the assassin’s head right beside my pillow.”

As if recalling that day, Geum Hoyeon shuddered.

But that wasn’t all.

“Of course, I didn’t give up. In terms of financial power, I’m not inferior to the First Young Lord either. Yet even after commissioning a top-grade assassin, it failed.”

“That’s rather unexpected.”

Ban Hojin was slightly surprised.

There was only a one-rank difference between a first-grade assassin and a top-grade assassin, but the gap in skill was worlds apart.

No matter how many first-grade assassins attacked together, they couldn’t catch a top-grade assassin.

Perhaps it would be different if they fought openly like martial artists, but when fighting in the way assassins did, a first-grade assassin could never defeat a top-grade assassin.

“That’s why I ended up coming to you, Great Hero Ban. In the end, you were the only one I could think of.”

With a deep sigh, Geum Hoyeon spoke in a trembling voice.

Though he forced a smile, Ban Hojin could see it.

That Geum Hoyeon was being driven to the brink mentally.

And that Geum Sangryong’s move had worked.

“Did you find out where the First Young Lord made the commission?”

“There are two places I suspect, but I can’t be certain.”

Geum Hoyeon lowered his head as if embarrassed.

However, Ban Hojin did not think Geum Hoyeon’s abilities were lacking.

Assassin organizations were, to begin with, operated more secretly than any other faction.

There was no way it would be easy to uncover.

“Considering the First Young Lord’s disposition, it must be one of the two places known to be the best in that line of work.”