NOVEL NEXT Chapter 37
The funeral of Lim Gap-su, the leader of the Gab-su gang, was being held.
Ugh!
What in the world is this on his sixtieth birthday!
What are we supposed to do with the Gab-su gang?
Guests at the sixtieth birthday party instantly turned into mourners. The prominent figures of Chilgok County and martial artists who had just left the party the previous evening showed their faces again.
Of course, I was there to pay my respects too.
“Hello.”
I spoke to the Gab-su gang servant who had called me here.
Huh? Aren’t you the gossip collector? What brings you here? If you want to eat, go over there; I’m busy.
The servant uncle pointed to a corner as if I were a nuisance during his busy time.
Geez, does this uncle think I came just to eat?
Well, I did come for a meal, but…
“I’m sorry to bother you. Like the other mourners, I’m not here to burn paper money, but to burn this instead. Is that alright?”
In Chinese funerals, mourners burn paper money as offerings for the afterlife. It’s somewhat similar to lighting incense at Korean funerals.
Huh? What’s that?
“It’s a Joseon-style condolence letter, called a ‘jojang.’ I’ve heard that if mourners burn a lot of paper money here, it’s believed they have done great deeds in life and will receive a good reception in the afterlife. In Joseon, we also burn letters honoring the deceased’s virtues to send them to the afterlife. I’ve received kindness from the late leader, so I thought I should do at least this much and wrote a letter.”
Oh, is that a custom from Joseon? It’s a barbarian custom, but the intent is excellent.
The servant uncle looked moved. Truth be told, there’s no such custom; I just wrote it to secure my own escape.
“Then, since I have your permission, I’ll burn it with the others.”
Wait a moment.
Yes?
Can I read it first? If it’s something strange, I don’t think it should be burned.
That could be a bit troublesome. As the person managing the funeral, I couldn’t refuse, so I handed it over.
“Lim Gap-su’s virtue is as towering as Mount Changbai; the more I look up, the taller it seems. In Chilgok County, he was always the model of hard work and was the first to step forward to help others. Lim Gap-su was the father of Chilgok County.”
Wow, I didn’t know you respected the leader this much.
No way. There’s no way I could hold such respect for a guy who bit the dust sandwiched between two women.
The servant uncle was staring at me with his mouth agape, as if he was impressed.
“I regret that my poor writing skills cannot fully express Lim Gap-su’s virtues.”
I placed one hand on my chest and sighed dramatically, as if I truly regretted it.
No, no, no. Just wait a moment.
The servant uncle took my condolence letter and disappeared somewhere.
Why is he taking so long? Is he planning to show it to someone and make fun of me? Suddenly, sad memories surged up.
“Here! It’s this person!”
The servant uncle returned with a man dressed in mourning clothes. I recognized him immediately; he was the guy who stood next to the Hamurin Prince when he was performing.
Nice to meet you. I am Lim Ji-wook, the bereaved son.
Ah, Lim Gap-su’s son.
“I offer my condolences for the deceased. I am the gossip collector, Kang Yoon-ho.”
When conducting gossip-collecting duties, I go by the name “Kang Mo” (某), but when interacting with people, I don’t make it that formal. I politely greeted the bereaved son.
You’re a young man who knows etiquette. I heard you wanted to honor my father’s journey with a lovely writing, so I came to see your face.
“I feel sorrow that I cannot express my father’s kindness in just this letter.”
I pretended to be as sad as if I had lost my own parents. It’s hard just to exchange greetings and eat a meal, and now the bereaved son has to come to greet me too.
Though my father’s death is tragic, it’s a relief to see so many people paying their respects. Even a street gossip collector like you is mourning for my father. Don’t be too sad; I will definitely uncover the murderer.
Even if you uncover it, it won’t be easy. That woman is no ordinary opponent.
If I attempted revenge with the warriors the gang could gather, I’d just end up as a puddle of blood.
In my heart, I wanted to tell the bereaved son, “That woman will definitely come looking for me,” but I couldn’t say that.
Who is the Heavenly Killing Star?
She’s a monster who will cause relentless bloodshed in the martial arts world. A villain who can only be defeated with the main character’s advantage. And who am I? An extra from Joseon who can barely handle young hoodlums.
If I bring these soldiers and face the Heavenly Killing Star, I might be able to buy a little time. But no matter what, she will return unscathed. Then what? Those warriors won’t protect me forever, right?
If I want to survive by controlling as many variables as possible, help from the locals might only get in the way.
“Yes, then I’ll burn the condolence letter peacefully.”
After acknowledging the bereaved son’s greeting, I burned the paper money in the designated spot.
It’s hard to even grab another bowl of rice.
——-
“Shall I go?”
Inside the Gab-su gang’s lodgings, I was fixing my outfit and packing my belongings, preparing to leave.
With the influx of mourners filling the lodgings, I had no business to attend to, and as a mere gossip collector, I had to leave.
If the bereaved son pretended to be emotional, shouldn’t he at least let me stay for a week? I wanted to prolong my life here for another week.
I had bought enough time with what I did, and I got paid, but I couldn’t shake the bitter feeling.
It felt like the day before entering the Murong Family’s territory. To think I’d have to do this again.
“Wait a minute! Take this with you!”
The servant uncle, tidying up the lodgings and preparing to leave, called me over and handed me a bundle.
Huh? What is this?
“Your father said to prepare some clothes as a token of appreciation for your condolence letter. You can’t show yourself like this in front of others, dressed so shabbily. I’ll prepare some proper clothes for you, so take them with you.”
“Thank you very much.”
Seems like he felt a bit sorry for my appearance. This is exactly why one should always keep themselves well-groomed.
“I’m sorry that I couldn’t let you stay longer due to the excessive number of mourners. Next time, if there’s a need for a gossip collector, I’ll definitely call for you. Then, you will be welcomed properly.”
The servant uncle said in a tone filled with regret.
No need for an apology. If you can pass my paid membership along to another, I wouldn’t have any complaints.
Haha. Please call me anytime.
I left the Gab-su gang with a bundle of money and clothes.
—————–
As I exited the Gab-su gang, the sun was setting.
I didn’t head straight back to the wooden shanty.
If I wanted to create the scenario I desired, I shouldn’t head to the wooden shanty where the assassin would easily attack. That woman could be tracking me even now.
Welcome!
I entered a tavern that had a decent amount of people inside, and the barmaid greeted me cheerfully.
“I’m thinking of staying here for about a week; do you have any available rooms?”
Yes, we have plenty of empty rooms. The price is cheaper than other inns, but meals are billed separately. Would you like to rent a room?
“Let’s do that. I’ll be sitting at the table, so please bring me some light alcohol and snacks.”
I came with enough money from the Gab-su gang. To keep my life, it would have to wait till nightfall first.
I chose a table in a prominent spot where people could easily see me.
Typically, in taverns, the protagonist tends to sit in a corner, but taverns are like the fantasy world’s mercenary offices. If I just sit still, an event will unfold.
While I’m quietly eating, someone will spill important information that I’ll end up tying back to the main storyline later.
If someone comes in and the barmaids face harassment from thugs, I’d get up and say, “Stop right there!” and save the day.
Or I could just not care and sit in a corner drinking while the place goes haywire, and then, when someone挑 fights with me, I stand up and handle everything.
None of those scenarios are what I want.
I definitely don’t want to sit quietly in a corner and have that woman place a knife at my back, forcing me to follow her without resistance.
To prevent such a situation, I sat in a busy area where many people would be passing by. Barbarians need attention; keep looking at me.
“The Gab-su gang, you know…”
“The young sons these days…”
“My wife…”
As I listened to the voices of the people around me while sipping my drink, it was soon time for them to end their conversations.
Tipsy and feeling good, I surveyed the area. Has she come? Or is she still outside?
There she is.
The slight effects of alcohol vanished instantly. She was wearing a straw hat, but it was definitely her.
Doesn’t she know one has to remove their hat indoors? What’s with wearing sunglasses and a mask in front of an ATM? She’s blatantly saying, “I look suspicious!”
Did she use some special martial arts? She has a masculine air about her, but strands of her black hair were visible. In this situation, a strikingly conspicuous black-haired person makes it very obvious who she is.
Couldn’t she come a bit slower? She’s making me nervous.
Originally, I planned to stay hidden until late at night, but let’s change plans.
“Ugh, I’m so drunk.”
Pretending to be incredibly intoxicated, I stood up and swayed. I needed to act as drunk as possible. I staggered between tables, gripped the railing, and slowly climbed the stairs into my room.
I hope she comes soon.
I can’t be awake. However, I can’t exactly sleep in bed either. I sat on a desk chair, one that’s usually in every room, and pulled out the book I wrote to survive.
Please. Save me this time too.
Holding my racing heart, I somehow tried to sleep.
*
There was a woman disguised as a man, intently watching the man who stumbled up to his room.
Heavenly Killing Star, Cheon So-hee.
The past few days were filled with doubts and questions for her.
Who is he?
A level 5 assassin from the Salmak organization. An elite assassin of the Heavenly Killing Star. There were various titles to call her by, but the name ‘Cheon So-hee’ was one only known to her in the Central Plains.
An ordinary gossip collector.
The information acquired through the Salmak organization had been too poor.
One day, a gossip collector appeared in Chilgok County. His prior activities were unknown. On the surface, he didn’t look like a martial artist. Thus, the chances of him being involved with the Salmak were low.
Black-haired. Joseon person.
She hadn’t seen someone with black hair like hers in quite a while. Does he know her name because he is from Joseon?
No, that’s impossible. There’s no way someone who knows her name would be in Joseon.
Then who is this man?
The more she thought about it, the more lost she felt. She didn’t want to dwell on such worries for long. After the man disappeared and some time passed, she headed up quietly to the room.
Cheon So-hee checked that no one was around before she cautiously opened the room door.
Creeeak. The old door of the room creaked. It was fine to pick the lock, but to not know the state of the room door is something a top-notch assassin shouldn’t do.
However, she brushed aside the thought of her blunder.
After all, this is why her mentor often chastised her for not becoming a top assassin yet; she ignored it. As long as she could kill well and escape, was there really any need for stealth?
She could kill a person that even top assassins couldn’t touch. Not being able to execute stealth techniques wasn’t something to hold against her.
Is he sleeping?
Could it be that he was really drunk? The man dozed off, resting his head on the desk. Should she wake him up and question him right away?
If it came to torture, she had confidence she could make him talk about his family line.
Cheon So-hee hesitated for a moment.
Wake him up. What’s even the point of thinking that?
As she approached the man to shake him awake, she spotted a book lying beside him.
My diary.
A diary was resting next to the man’s head.
She did not write a diary. However, investigating was one of the essential skills of an assassin. Not long ago, she had snuck into the house of a target and used the diary to find the best spot to carry out the assassination.
Cheon So-hee carefully picked up the diary from next to the man’s head.
It’s been already a year since I came to the Central Plains. Finally, my life has gotten somewhat better, so I’m writing this diary now.
The entries recounting tales of making a fortune through gossip-collecting, the fury when the Black Knife took all his money away, the struggles of life. The diary was filled with such stories.
Considering its length, it didn’t contain particularly useful information.
Just wake him. If he’s just a man who knows my name…
There was no need to leave any aftermath.
Just as Cheon So-hee was about to close the diary,
My name?
She suddenly discovered a section where her name was written. Cheon So-hee slowly began to examine that section where her name was noted.
[Today, I saw So-hee. If it’s not my imagination, then it was definitely So-hee. Who else has black hair and red eyes other than So-hee?]
He knew that a person with black hair existed in Joseon. However, he believed that there wasn’t another person with red eyes except for himself.
…Who is this man?
[Strange. So-hee should have died. The people of the village that day all died. I saw it happen with my own two eyes.]
The horrifying event that occurred in the village. The terrible memories of that day. Yes, the only survivor from that village must be him.
…It must be him.
[He definitely asked how I knew his name. Is it possible he doesn’t remember me? There’s no way he wouldn’t remember me.]
A person who knows her unique characteristics.
A person who remembers the village she came from.
However, a person she does not recognize.
[Strange. How is So-hee alive? Why is So-hee in the Central Plains? Why is So-hee killing people? Everything is strange. So-hee, our So-hee, who used to smile so brightly, why are you living like this? What on earth happened to you?]
Who are you.
Who on earth are you?