Chapter 85

## Chapter 85. Oh, Sister!

"Chunyoung failed."

The man in black clothing knelt and reported. His voice showed no emotion.

"…Failed?"

The person receiving the report while seated was an officer of Heuklim (黑林), one of the three major assassin organizations in the martial world.

He had no name or nickname.

He was simply called Samdaejoo because he led the third assassination squad.

Samdaejoo frowned and clicked his tongue.

"Mu-yeong said we didn't even need to get involved… He was just a smooth talker, fitting for someone from the palace. Did Heukyoung, the bodyguard, escape? What about the target's location?"

Samdaejoo asked within the scope of what he considered a failure.

However, the answer from his subordinate far exceeded his expectations.

"Chunyoung's assassins were all wiped out. Heukyoung's location is currently unknown, and the target has shown no special movements so far."

"…What?"

Samdaejoo suspected there was some error in his subordinate's report.

For Chunyoung's assassins to be wiped out…

While they were not comparable to Heuklim's assassins, they were still a formidable organization with capable assassins.

"Where is Mu-yeong now?"

"He was found dead along with the other assassins."

"…Was this the work of Heukyoung alone?"

"Based on the state of the bodies, it appears to be the work of one person."

"…."

Samdaejoo's expression turned serious.

Chunyoung, who was confident in the mission's success, had failed.

Not only did he fail, but he and his team were completely wiped out.

'Is Heukyoung a master beyond imagination, or were there other bodyguards we didn't know about…'

Currently, it was unknown.

What was important was that they were now in a precarious situation.

'I had a bad feeling from the start when we took this mission.'

Samdaejoo was actually skeptical about this job.

Killing a powerful figure who had once been the prime minister of a country.

If things went wrong, it could turn the entire nation upside down.

-Limju. This mission is too risky.

Before coming here, Samdaejoo had pleaded with Limju, the master of Heuklim and his teacher.

However, Limju had insisted on accepting the job.

-…The other two organizations, Salmak and Hyeopbang, have accepted it. We can't be the only ones to sit this out.

Salmak, Heuklim, and Hyeopbang.

The three major assassin organizations in the martial world were all involved in this mission.

Because Chunyoung was so confident, they didn't send their full strength, but they didn't send a weak force either.

Samdaejoo himself, who led the third assassination squad, had come.

-Just wait and take the reward quietly if Chunyoung succeeds. But if they fail… Heuklim must be the one to take the prime minister's head.

To intervene carefully based on the situation, but to act decisively if necessary.

-Under no circumstances should the target be taken by others.

The reward promised by the clients for this contract was not just money.

The powerful figures from the palace had promised to withdraw all warrants on Heuklim's assassins and provide several forged identities.

Additionally, since Chunyoung's team had been wiped out, they might be given more jobs to fill the void.

If Heuklim brought back the prime minister's head, that is.

'After all, the greater the risk, the greater the reward.'

After organizing his thoughts, Samdaejoo gave orders to the assassins kneeling before him, their eyes dull and lifeless.

"Go and bring back the prime minister's head. As quickly as possible."

The assassins, who nodded in unison, dispersed in all directions.

* * *

At the same time, the assassins from Salmak and Hyeopbang were having similar thoughts.

[Iho. Confirmed the target.]

[Samho. Confirmed the target.]

[Shaho. Confirmed the target.]

Three messages came in one after another.

Iho, who had confirmed the positions of his team members, sent individual messages to each of them.

[Iho. Confirmed the target. Everyone, stay in your current positions.]

"Buy some Bingtanghulu! Sweet and delicious Bingtanghulu!"

Iho, though a man, was currently disguised as a middle-aged woman with a kind face.

Women generally aroused less suspicion, and it was easier to wear bulky clothing. He had hidden dozens of concealed weapons in his skirt.

[The target is moving. Maintain distance.]

"Buy some Bingtanghulu~"

Iho slowly closed the distance with the target while pulling a small cart.

The assassins, who moved as a single unit in groups of four, were a profession that required extreme patience.

The target would always be on guard, and strong bodyguards would be vigilantly protecting them.

Especially if the target was a powerful figure who had once been a prime minister…

"Hehehe! It's nice to be outside!"

…Even if the target showed such a lack of caution, rushing in immediately was something only amateurs would do.

Under normal circumstances, Iho would have approached more cautiously.

However,

-Bring the prime minister's head. As quickly as possible.

Recalling Samdaejoo's order, Iho moved his team more quickly than usual.

But since they were in a bustling market, mixed in with a large crowd, he judged that the probability of being discovered was much lower than usual.

[Iho. High possibility of contact within half an hour.]

[Samho. Arrived at a suitable sniping position.]

[Shaho. Encountered an unexpected troublemaker. Will handle and move within half an hour.]

After confirming the messages from his team members, Iho gave instructions.

[We will start the hunt in half an hour. From now on, I will give signals with a whistle.]

Unlike messages, which had to be sent and acknowledged individually, a whistle was much more convenient for simple commands.

Whistle!

When Iho whistled, three responses of "Understood" came back.

Whistle! Whistle! Whistle!

A sound that ordinary people, who hadn't undergone special auditory training, couldn't hear.

Even if a martial artist with keen senses could hear it, it would just be an annoying sound without understanding its meaning.

'There won't be any martial artists paying attention to a barely audible whistle in such a noisy place.'

The agreed half hour quickly passed. Iho, who had the target in his sight, whistled again.

Whistle~

Iho whistled a signal meaning "stand by" and pushed the cart toward the target.

"Buy some Bingtanghulu~ They're sweet and delicious."

He saw the target turn his head toward him.

At the same time, Iho, who was showing off his skills on the street, pulled a knife from his mouth, and Samho, standing by the window of a building across the street, secretly aimed a specially made small chain mace from his sleeve.

However, Shaho, who was supposed to be dealing with a troublemaker, was nowhere to be seen.

'She must still be struggling with the troublemaker.'

Iho was not flustered. Assassinations rarely go exactly as planned.

He smiled warmly and naturally made eye contact with the target.

"Sir~ Try some Bingtanghulu. They're very sweet and delicious. Your grandchildren will really love them if you buy them some, too?"

"Hehe. Bingtanghulu. I remember eating them a lot when I was young."

Gongsun Shou took out his purse and walked over.

Iho pursed his lips and whistled a long note.

Whistle-

'Prepare for the assassination.'

At this signal, Iho and Samho tensed their bodies, ready to strike at any moment.

Iho took out the Bingtanghulu from the cart and chuckled.

"There are haw and wolfberry flavors. Which one would you like?"

"Of course, I want to try both. Give me two of each."

"Thank you so much."

Bingtanghulu is a snack made by threading fruit onto bamboo skewers and coating them with hardened syrup.

But in an assassin's hands, even a thin bamboo skewer can become a terrifying weapon.

"Here…"

Iho, holding Bingtanghulu in both hands, approached Gongsun Shou with a smile. At the same time, he secretly gathered his inner energy and prepared to whistle.

Whistle…

Just as he was about to blow the final whistle.

"Oh! Sister Boksoon!"

A woman suddenly appeared, blocking the space between Gongsun Shou and Iho.

"Who…?"

He had never seen this woman before.

Boksoon!

Iho had never used such a rustic alias.

The woman hugged Iho enthusiastically.

She was a tall, slender beauty with fair skin.

"Sister! It's me, Ok! Don't you remember? You left home ten years ago to make money, and now you're here…"

Whish!

Iho's eyes widened in shock as his back pressure points were instantly subdued. The Bingtanghulu fell to the ground, covered in dirt.

Gongsun Shou, who was approaching, stepped back.

He watched the two women (?) with a pleased expression.

"Hehe. It seems you've met an old acquaintance. Don't mind me, just talk."

"Oh, thank you, sir. I haven't seen my hometown sister in ten years. Sister! Let's go to that teahouse!"

"…."

Iho could only blink in disbelief at the sudden turn of events. He couldn't speak due to the pressure on his acupoints.

'Where is Iho? Where is Samho?'

He looked around frantically but couldn't see them.

Instead, the woman who claimed to be his hometown sister whispered in his ear, her arm affectionately around his.

"Heuklim? Hyeopbang? It can't be Salmak."

"!!"

It was a man's voice, so low it sent shivers down his spine.