16
Chapter 16: Night of the Chopsticks
“Chopsticks…?”
Geum Jung-tae tilted his head.
Upon a second look, they were just regular wooden chopsticks used for meals. He pondered why such chopsticks would appear in the current situation.
“Cough—!”
One of the guards grabbed his throat.
Geum Jung-tae quickly turned to the side.
There, stuck in the guard’s neck, was another pair of chopsticks. Instinctively, he pulled them out, and blood gushed forth immediately.
“Ugh.”
Thud—.
The guard flailed, knocking over a nearby torch. The burning logs spilled embers onto the floor, and the light was extinguished.
Right next to him…
“The enemy—”
A guard who had been shouting toward the sky now had chopsticks embedded in his neck.
Swoosh—.
The heavy sound of rain hitting the ground masked the flight of the chopsticks, leaving no clue where they had come from.
The lead guard shouted urgently.
“Everyone, press against the walls and stay alert!”
As the enemies caused confusion, Halmeom and Sibi both thought of one person.
Cheol Gun-ak.
Logically, it was impossible.
How could he have known that they were captured? And that they were brought here?
No matter how much they thought about it, it couldn’t have been Cheol Gun-ak. But the moment they saw the chopsticks, it was inevitable that he came to their minds.
“The man from the North Heaven.”
Just like the most manly figure they had ever known, he would surely appear when most needed.
“The enemies will aim to take us down one by one.”
The lead guard’s judgment was sound.
When a few must face many, the best tactic is to eliminate the enemies individually.
Even in darkness, even if they couldn’t locate the enemy, staying close to the walls and on high alert would prevent such surprise attacks. They could easily block something as trivial as chopsticks.
“Don’t give them any openings!”
Whoosh—.
The wind and rain intensified again.
At the same time, more chopsticks shot through the air.
One by one, torches were struck and fell.
The logs, which had been burning brightly, toppled over as if bleeding out, and Yuhagak was suddenly engulfed in darkness.
“Too many to kill.”
A low voice echoed in the gloom.
Thud—!
In an instant, Geum Jung-tae felt the back of his neck go cold.
The guards instinctively tightened their grips on their weapons as goosebumps rose.
“Where is it?!”
The lead guard scanned the surroundings.
The frightened faces of the guards flashed by, while the rest of the area was shrouded in darkness.
Whoosh—.
Heavy rain continued to batter down, further distorting their senses.
Clenching his teeth, the lead guard strained his senses to locate the hidden assailant.
Zing—!
Suddenly, a lightning bolt, much larger than before, struck down.
The white hot flash filled his vision.
Among the light, a particular area stood out—dark and crimson.
Screech—.
It was Cheol Gun-ak.
He appeared behind the clustered guards.
His entire body was drenched in blood.
His clothes were torn to the point that they were barely recognizable.
In his left hand, he held a severed neck.
In his right hand, a black demon sword that radiated an unsettling aura, inducing fear at a mere glance.
Screech—.
After the lightning strike, the thunder that followed roared through the air.
Cheol Gun-ak stood there, emotionless.
He briefly scanned Geum Jung-tae, who was watching him with cold eyes, before quickly scanning the lead guard from top to bottom.
“Hey, Geum Jung-tae’s lackey.”
The unexpected insult made the lead guard hesitate.
Thud—.
Then, the severed heads of the guards fell, as if dropped like fruit in the autumn, and landed at the lead guard’s feet.
“Left.”
Thud—!
Cheol Gun-ak tilted his body to the left and then suddenly closed the distance with a savage lunge.
“…!?”
Instinctively, the lead guard raised his sword to block Cheol Gun-ak’s strike.
But…
“Do you believe me?”
Slash—.
The Heukya (Demon Sword) cut through the night.
At the same moment, the lead guard’s chest was deeply cleaved, blood spilling out violently.
Cheol Gun-ak passed through the gap.
Leaving behind the corpses of the guards who had been wiped out in seconds, he approached Halmeom, his body drenched in fresh blood.
“Sorry.”
Cheol Gun-ak smiled awkwardly.
He had thought Halmeom and Sibi would be safe inside Yuhagak, but he felt sorry for what they had to endure.
Then, he saw Sibi’s trembling eyes.
“Ah.”
In them, he saw his reflection.
Covered entirely in blood, the sight was almost unrecognizable.
To his past self, this would have been an ordinary sight. But to Halmeom and Sibi, it must have been terrifying.
Of course, it was frightening.
Cheol Gun-ak smiled bitterly as he started to step back.
“Master, please untie these ropes.”
Whoosh—.
The Heukya easily sliced through the ropes binding them.
Halmeom, who had been about to step back, grabbed Cheol Gun-ak.
Swish—.
The sound of Heukya cutting through the air was one thing, but this sound was entirely different.
Halmeom grabbed the corner of his sleeve and gently wiped the blood from his face. His face, which had been a bloody mess, was now clean.
“The man from the North Heaven always walks with cleanliness.”
“…”
“You must be clean, even without this old body.”
Cheol Gun-ak felt like he might cry.
No one had ever said such things to him while he wandered the Central Plains after losing Halmeom.
‘It was all about spilling blood.’
He had almost lost her again.
Cheol Gun-ak gripped Heukya tightly.
This was the Demon Sword, the weapon that showed him his future, the sword that could have killed him. Yet it was also the sword that allowed him to live as himself.
Thump—.
He felt the stirrings of the Dark Emperor’s blood in his chest as he turned away.
“Not yet.”
Halmeom blinked in confusion.
Cheol Gun-ak, not wanting to face her, continued without turning around.
“Next time, you’ll be the one to wipe me off.”
“How old are you now? You should do it yourself.”
“I’ll make sure to find the Elixir of Immortality before I die, so don’t worry.”
Whoosh—.
The wind blew.
It swept over the bodies of the dead and passed by Geum Jung-tae.
Within the wind, Halmeom smelled the same scent of the battlefield that she had become all too familiar with during the Extreme North Expedition.
From now on, it would be the time of the warrior.
Halmeom embraced the trembling Sibi as they retreated into the shadows.
“Should we run?”
“No. We don’t know who else is out there. Stay here where I can see you.”
“I’ll hide in the corner, and you lead the way.”
She moved quickly.
For a brief moment, she cast a regretful glance at the shattered jade ornament lying on the ground, but there was no time to dwell on it.
With urgency, they moved into a corner of Yuhagak.
Whoosh—.
Cheol Gun-ak tossed the severed neck he had been holding to the side.
It rolled a few times across the dirt floor before stopping near Geum Jung-tae’s feet. The old man bent down and picked it up, still holding his umbrella.
“Heh.”
It was Cheol Gun-ak’s grandson, Cheol Wi-gang.
Geum Jung-tae, who had never imagined seeing such a sight, let out a long sigh. Then, he raised the corner of his mouth.
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you, Third Young Master.”
Thud—.
Without a second thought, he dropped Cheol Wi-gang’s severed head to the floor, showing no care for it.
Cheol Gun-ak’s eyes narrowed.
Geum Jung-tae.
He was surprised to see him here, instead of Geum Myeong-hwa, but…
‘Another Dark Emperor Sect member.’
He could feel the heavy presence of Dark Blood emanating from Geum Jung-tae.
While Geum Myeong-hwa and Sudeok had a drop of it, Geum Jung-tae felt like he had enough to fill his finger.
He wasn’t an ordinary Dark Emperor Sect member.
He must be a high-ranking figure, either a Dark Assassin or a Dark Priest.
‘Now I see why he’d strike my grandson like that.’
To shake the enemy, he had brought him along—but now it seemed pointless.
Cheol Gun-ak clicked his tongue inwardly.
The enemy had already gone beyond the bounds of humanity.
Having experienced the horrors of it firsthand, he understood all too well that compassion would mean nothing to them.
Geum Jung-tae smirked as he watched Cheol Gun-ak, who was studying him intently.
“Just like that Chamo, your eyes are full of life. I can see now why Wi-gang was defeated.”
Step—.
Geum Jung-tae ignored Cheol Gun-ak’s sword as he stepped confidently into Yuhagak.
He tilted his head slightly and spoke to Cheol Gun-ak.
“You can’t stay out in the rain forever. Come in.”
The residence of Geum Myeong-hwa.
The darkness seemed to swallow Cheol Gun-ak, as if the very shadows would devour him.
Chirp—
At that moment, even the strange birdcall seemed to warn them to turn back.
‘This is good.’
But Cheol Gun-ak paid no mind and followed Geum Jung-tae inside.
‘Two may enter, but only one will leave.’
Creak—, creak—.
The wooden floors of Yuhagak creaked beneath their feet, sounding like screams as they walked.
‘The smell of blood.’
Cheol Gun-ak narrowed his gaze, focusing on Geum Jung-tae’s back.
It wasn’t his own blood that clung to him.
A sticky, ominous scent of blood drifted from somewhere ahead.
But Geum Jung-tae seemed oblivious to the scent. He casually spoke.
“I was quite surprised. I never expected you to bring Wi-gang’s severed neck.”
“To face you, I had to do something.”
“‘You’—”
The corridor was dark.
At the very end, a faint light flickered in Geum Myeong-hwa’s room.
It seemed to beckon them, and they walked toward it, keeping their distance.
“I’m curious how you got here, but you won’t answer, will you?”
“Nothing I can’t answer.”
Geum Jung-tae reached for the sliding door to Geum Myeong-hwa’s room. He glanced back at Cheol Gun-ak, his eyes gleaming with a hint of intrigue.
“How?”
“Well.”
Cheol Gun-ak shrugged nonchalantly, not expecting a response.
Creeeak—
He opened the door to Geum Myeong-hwa’s room.
The scent of blood that had been pooling inside rushed out, filling the space as the door creaked open.
“…!”
The room was drenched in crimson.
Blood and chunks of flesh were scattered everywhere.
It looked as if a wild beast had ravaged the room, tearing and devouring with abandon.
But Geum Jung-tae wasn’t fazed. He walked toward the seat at the far end of the room.
The floor was littered with pieces of flesh so torn apart that no one could recognize who they belonged to.
‘Could it be Geum Myeong-hwa?’
Among the shredded flesh, Geum Myeong-hwa’s signature red silk could be glimpsed.
But just as he thought that, Geum Jung-tae reached into the chair and pulled something out, tossing it toward Cheol Gun-ak.
Thud—.
It was the head of Geum Myeong-hwa.
Just like Cheol Wi-gang’s severed head earlier, it rolled across the floor to Cheol Gun-ak’s feet.
Geum Jung-tae treated even his own daughter’s head like a mere tool.
“This girl told me. She said the Third Young Master seems to know something about the Dark Emperor Sect. So, tell me—do I look like a Dark Emperor Sect member to you?”
Geum Jung-tae turned his body.
He glared at Cheol Gun-ak coldly as he turned.
Cheol Gun-ak pointed to Geum Myeong-hwa’s severed head.
“Anyone who cuts off my daughter’s head must clearly be from the Dark Emperor Sect.”
“Ha ha, you think I cut Myeong-hwa’s head off?”
Boom—.
Thunder rumbled in the distance.
It sounded like a scream echoing from Yuhagak, now abandoned by its owner.
“How do you see me? People call me Geum Gyeon, but I’m not cruel enough to cut off my daughter’s head.”
“…”
“But—”
Geum Jung-tae’s thin eyes snapped open.
A terrifying glint flashed in his gaze.
A madness, the kind only fanatics possess.
“I had orders to deal with her when the time came.”
“…”
“A hole that’s been made will keep leaking if left alone. So, don’t you think it’s better to get rid of it before it does any more damage?”
After the chaos in Yuhagak, Geum Jung-tae had sent guards to protect Geum Myeong-hwa.
She must have been certain that the guards would keep her safe. She never suspected that Geum Jung-tae would send people to kill her at his command.
She had no idea she’d end up dying the same day her son did.
“You were the one who sent assassins after Cheol Wi-gang, weren’t you?”
“Well, as a grandfather, I naturally had to help out, especially when he said he wanted to do his part.”
“Your blood runs black.”
Cheol Gun-ak started to see the bigger picture that Geum Jung-tae had carefully set up.
Using his grandson to get to him, and then eliminating his daughter for speaking out of turn.
‘And finally, placing the blame on me.’
His movements had been reckless.
Since Muhwagak had already burned down, and Jin Yeong-chung and Cheol Wi-gang had died, it wouldn’t be hard to frame him for Geum Myeong-hwa’s death.
‘If they completely deal with me, the Dark Emperor Sect can once again go into hiding.’
It was a well-planned scheme.
But—
Swish—.
Cheol Gun-ak bent his knee, lowering his center of gravity.
He stared at Geum Jung-tae while gripping Heukya tightly.
“I’ll only make this offer once.”
Geum Jung-tae’s eyes narrowed sharply.
In the room where his daughter’s head lay lifeless, he stood there with his hands behind his back, unbothered by the gruesome sight.
“Become a believer, Third Young Master. I’ll share some of the Dark Blood with you.”