That's how assassins are.

They are those who live a life of granting the wishes of others, especially the most vicious ones.

Therefore, every time they carry out a contract, the venomous aura of the grudge held by others accumulates in their bodies.

Isn't it natural, since they have shouldered the curse of others?

Thus, the accumulated grudge becomes a venomous aura and turns into a deep, incurable disease.

Hesitation disappears from their hands, and they no longer place great meaning on the act of killing people.

Just a job...

Just as a butcher slaughters a cow without a second thought, an assassin kills a person as if it were just another part of their daily routine.

Cheonyeong was a figure who could be called the pinnacle among them.

He had never once stopped his hand in the act of killing a target.

But now.

He stopped his hand.

"Ugh..."

He stares blankly at Cheongseo, who is suppressing even his groans and watching his expression.

"Hoo..."

And he lets out a deep breath.

I'm not an assassin anymore.

Should I just go on a killing spree?

The cold anger that had filled his insides was emptied with the exhaled breath, and his heart calmed down.

It was such a nice day...

He had even felt something warm in his heart for the guys he hadn't given any affection to.

He had worked hard to catch rabbits to feed someone... and this guy ruined it.

Well, it's a shame, but... let's ask everything I need to ask and just take one arm.

That much should be fine.

Cheonyeong left Cheongseo and approached Baekgang.

"Are you okay?"

"...Yes sir?"

"..."

Baekgang answers with wide eyes.

Well, since he saw everything, this reaction isn't unreasonable.

"What do you mean, yes? Since when did you use honorifics? Anyway, are you really okay?"

"Yes!"

Baekgang, completely frozen, answered, nodding his head vigorously.

The blood on his neck.

Seeing that he doesn't even care, he must have been so surprised that he completely forgot he was bleeding.

Rip!

Cheonyeong tore a long strip from his clothes and wrapped it around Baekgang's neck.

"Ugh!"

Baekgang, startled, gasped.

You bastard.

Anyone who saw this would think I was strangling you.

"You're bleeding from your neck."

"...Ah."

Baekgang finally felt the wetness and relaxed his body.

Well, it would have been difficult for a thirteen-year-old to accept the current situation.

No matter how much a vagrant lives with death by their side, hearing about it and experiencing it firsthand are two different things.

"You're hurt a lot. Do you remember which bastard it was?"

"Which...?"

"I mean the bastard who beat you. Which bastard beat you the most? I'll break all his limbs."

"Ah, no... I..."

"You don't remember?"

"Uh huh."

"Well then, I can't help it. What about the diarrhea?"

"...It's okay."

Baekgang, who felt a wetness from his backside that he couldn't tell if it was sweat or something else, could only say that it was okay.

"That's a relief. Just hold on for a moment. I'll apply medicine when this is all over."

"Uh huh..."

Baekgang nodded, watching Cheonyeong's expression.

Then Cheonyeong approached Cheongseo and squatted down in front of him.

"Hey. You vicious bastard."

"Ugh..."

"Are you pretending to be weak?"

"..."

"If you pretend to be sick this time, you'll really die."

"Uh huh."

Cheongseo nodded as if he understood.

"Uh huh? Are you crazy?"

"...Yes."

"Let's do this right. Huh?"

"Yes sir."

As he frowned at the informal speech, Cheongseo immediately used honorifics.

Of course it should be honorifics.

He had been disappointed in Confucius and Mencius and hadn't cared about etiquette for a long time, but he didn't want to hear informal speech from a fifteen-year-old.

Even though his current body is thirteen, his insides are over thirty.

Informal speech is only allowed for those on the same side.

"Say what you said earlier again."

"Earlier?"

"Ucheol ordered it?"

"...That's."

At Cheonyeong's question, Cheongseo mumbled and trailed off.

He must be worried about the aftermath now.

Seeing his worried eyes, as if he was afraid that what he said would reach Ucheol's ears.

"This guy really hasn't come to his senses. Don't you know who's closer right now? Do you want to continue what we were doing earlier?"

As Cheonyeong glanced at the unbroken hand, Cheongseo was startled and hid his hand.

If you hide it?

Will it not be broken?

And, I'm thinking of pulling this one out completely.

"Tell me. What about Ucheol?"

"That's, you, no... what should I call you?"

"Call me captain."

"Yes. He said to just break one of the captain's arms... and that would be enough."

There was a whistling sound because his front teeth were missing, but there was no difficulty in understanding.

But my arm?

"Why?"

"I don't know the details either. I just heard that if I do that, Makgae will come."

"Makgae?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, Makgae..."

Cheonyeong stroked his chin and fell into deep thought.

This Makgae bastard asked that Ucheol guy for a favor...

After thinking for a moment, a strange smile appeared on Cheonyeong's lips.

Hah, look at this bastard.

I can see what he's doing.

The plan was probably something like this.

Cheongseo breaks his arm and takes over the gang, then Makgae appears, negotiates, and saves the kids. And becomes the captain again.

With just a little thought, it was clear what his intentions were.

Come to think of it, he said that Ucheol sometimes took him to feasts.

For that reason, the kids were quite fond of Makgae.

Because for vagrant children, nothing is more important than not starving.

Does outstanding leadership really come from feeding them well?

But.

"Makgae must be quite close to that Ucheol guy. Are they distant relatives or something..."

"That's not it..."

"If not, why is he backing him?"

"I don't know that well either."

"You don't know?"

As Cheonyeong squinted his eyes, Cheongseo hurriedly said.

"I really don't know, really. I really don't know why. Brother Ucheol just told me not to touch Makgae from a long time ago."

"That's backing him."

"That's true, but... it's a bit of a different case."

"How is it a different case?"

"That's..."

"Are you trying to die? Are you going to keep stopping in the middle of talking?"

As Cheonyeong clenched his fist, the startled Cheongseo began to pour out everything he knew.

All sorts of useless stories... among them, one.

"Wait. He said to never accept anyone under the age of thirteen?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I don't know that well either... Anyway, because of that, there are no one under the age of thirteen in the Dongmun gang."

"Hoo? So they were all gathered under Makgae, no, Ucheol made them gather? Ucheol did?"

"Yes."

"Hmm, why would he do that?"

It can only be seen as intentional.

Why on earth...

"Cheonyeong! Baekgang!"

Just as Cheonyeong's thoughts deepened, Yongcheon and the children ran over in a hurry.

"Hey guys, are you okay... ugh!"

The children who came closer were startled and stopped at the sight of the Cheongseo gang scattered all over the place.

But... what's with you guys?

And what's with the clubs in your hands?

Could it be?

Did you come... to help?

You guys? Me?

"Heh. I'm at a loss for words."

They are truly interesting guys.

What if I was being beaten by Cheongseo...

But I can see their good intentions.

Seeing the guys who didn't even care if someone died next to them, coming with such tense faces and even holding clubs.

"Anyway, that's all you know, right?"

At Cheonyeong's words, Cheongseo nodded his head vigorously.

Seeing his frightened eyes, it didn't seem like he was lying.

In the first place, he was just following Ucheol's orders.

In the end, I have to meet that Ucheol guy.

The kidnapping of Baekgang.

No, because he's the one behind the plan to harm me and make Makgae the captain again.

And the words Cheongseo spouted bother me.

The reason why he only gathered children under the age of thirteen.

If I had my way, I'd want to go and ask him right away, but...

It would be better to back off for a moment.

The reason. My strength works now... only against children.

Training for less than a month.

Even if I have the memories of being an assassin and have started training the Samyang true ki in earnest... I'm not stupid enough to have a head-on fight with several adults.

His ki (skill, internal energy) may be sufficient, but his body and physique are lacking.

He was just thirteen.

Moreover... in that state...

Cheonyeong shook his head as he looked at the children huddled together with clubs.

Did you guys practice the dog leg dance as a group? Why are you guys who came to help trembling so much?

"Haa, you're a nuisance."

Putting himself aside, those guys might get hurt.

Cheonyeong, who stood up from beside Cheongseo, said to the children.

"Yongcheon."

"Yeah?"

"Carry Baekgang."

"...Ah, yeah!"

At Cheonyeong's words, Yongcheon ran over and carried Baekgang on his back.

"Cheongseo."

"Yes?"

"The kids saved your arm."

"...?"

"Live a good life, you bastard. Got it?"

"Yes!"

Cheonyeong, who shot a threat at Cheongseo with a full smile, turned his body.

I can't just pull out his arm in front of the kids, it's bad for their emotional development.

"Everyone, let's go back. The fight is over."

"Uh huh."

With Cheonyeong in the lead, the gang's children followed with Baekgang.

What was left was the chilly wind of the night and.

"Ugh..."

The groaning Cheongseo.

Only the Cheongseo gang, who were scattered all over the place.

And.

"Cheo, Cheongseo... lost?"

Makgae, who was hiding far away and waiting for his turn to step in, collapsed to the ground.

What the hell is that bastard?

The ten members of the Cheongseo gang...

And the kids came running to help Cheonyeong?

That never happened when he was the captain...

For some reason, a corner of his heart felt empty.

He hated it, and he was annoyed.

"You sons of bitches..."

Makgae, who barely got up, ran towards the east gate again.

The rumor that Cheongseo was defeated in the vagrant village would spread quickly.

Now he had to make Ucheol step in himself.

* * *

"D, did that really happen?"

"Uh huh. I thought I was going to die of fear."

The children, who heard Baekgang's vivid eyewitness account while applying crushed Gaebeolcho to his wounds, couldn't hide their surprise.

Cheonyeong's fight.

That terrifying moment...

"The captain was really scary. I really thought the captain was going to kill Cheongseo."

"Ah..."

"I endured it because it was me. If it were you guys, you would have already peed your pants."

"You... pooped your pants."

"Shut up. That's because of the diarrhea."

"What diarrhea... the smell, the smell..."

"You bastard!"

At Chunil's words, Baekgang flared up.

"But it's a relief. That it ended like this."

"Yeah, if it weren't for the captain... really..."

Baekgang said, glancing at Cheonyeong, who was sitting by the bonfire, lost in thought.

"Well... I was surprised too. When he said he was going to find the Cheongseo gang alone, his eyes... were murderous. Murderous."

Chunil, who had first found Baekgang's location, shook his head as he recalled the past memory.

"Because he's the captain."

"Huh?"

The children looked at Yongcheon's words.

It was a proud expression.

"Our captain."

"...That's right. Our captain."

The proud expression spread to the children's faces.

"Anyway... let's listen to the captain from now on."

"Yeah."

"And... let's definitely repay our debt."

"Uh huh."

At Yongcheon's words, the children all nodded and answered.

"Yongcheon."

"...Yes!"

"...?"

At the sudden call from Cheonyeong, Yongcheon was startled, stood up, and stood at attention.

"Huh? What's wrong with you?"

"...Huh?"

"Why the honorifics..."

"Ah, hehe."

Yongcheon scratched his head and laughed.

"Do you know how many people are in the Ucheol gang?"

"Uh... that's."

As if it was a sudden question, Yongcheon counted on his fingers one by one.

"Roughly."

"Roughly? Hmm... about thirty?"

"Thirty? That many?"

"Yeah."

"Hmm... I can't help it. Pack your things."

"Things?"

"Yeah. We have to go to the hideout in the mountain."

"Tonight?"

"Right now."

"...Yeah."

Yongcheon, who answered Cheonyeong's words, immediately prepared to leave with the children.

There was a lot of commotion, so he couldn't help it.

No matter how much he thought about it, the conclusion was the same.

If Ucheol is behind this, he doesn't know when the Dongmun gang will raid this place.

He had to buy time.

To deal with thirty adults... he would need preparation.

(End of Chapter)