Chapter 158
Chapter 158: Turn It Into A Wasteland(1)
The next morning arrived, and as promised, the Japanese Prime Minister made his announcement.
【The Korean people rejoice at the return of Dream Journey to the Peach Blossom Land. +500,000 Happiness】
【The Korean people nod in acknowledgment at the Japanese Prime Minister's apology regarding the comfort women and Dokdo issues. +500,000 Happiness】
‘Less than I expected.’
‘What an ungrateful people!’
‘If it were France, it would've gone up by 5,000,000 points.’
"These Koreans."
"Pardon?"
"Never mind. Is the food ready?"
"Almost ready, sir."
Im Ye-rin reacted to my grumbling.
We had a simple breakfast while watching TV.
Preparing the meal was Im Ye-rin's responsibility.
"You cook better than I expected."
"Im Ye-rin, a prepared homemaker and wife."
Chief Han furrowed her brow.
"It's just a fried egg and miso soup level, isn't it?"
"Oh my, Chief. The basics are always the hardest, you know."
"Let's just eat."
Unnecessary chatter filled the morning.
After the meal, the car was ready, and I drove a nail in with Chief Han first.
"Since you came hoping for my magic, all command authority for this operation belongs to me."
"Understood."
"Then let's start by hearing the plan you had laid out."
Chief Han cleared her throat.
"There are a total of 5 places we need to deal with."
Senzo-gumi, the Japanese government, Korean powerbrokers, Changbai Sect and Hwangbo Geom, and lastly, Bell Tower Sect.
"First, the Japanese government has been removed."
She folded 1 of her 5 fingers.
"I was planning to personally contact and persuade Changbai Sect."
"What was your method?"
"I know the elders of Changbai Sect."
"But isn't your master Hwangbo Geom?"
"My master isn't taking my calls at all. Even when I send messages, there's only a read receipt but no reply."
She pulled out her phone and showed me Hwangbo Geom's unanswered message thread.
‘Securing Hwangbo Geom's phone number—done.’
"The primary objective is to keep my master from getting involved in this incident. If he steps in, it's all over."
"The lack of reply is itself the answer."
Meaning he would get involved.
Even if she met with the Changbai Sect elders, without Hwangbo Geom's instruction, persuasion was impossible.
"You're right…… So I dealt with Senzo-gumi instead. At least if information reaches him that his own disciple is fighting yakuza, perhaps even my master would hesitate."
Chief Han was afraid of Hwangbo Geom stepping forward personally.
He was, after all, someone once called the Supreme Sword Under Heaven.
But I was certain.
Hwangbo Geom would not appear.
According to information obtained on 40th floor, the Alliance Leader had summoned Hwangbo Geom to climb the tower.
He would be occupied like a dog, focused on climbing to carry out his orders, with no room to spare.
"What grounds do you have to persuade Changbai Sect?"
"The thought that we shouldn't hand over Korea's Black Market to Japan just like this."
"How naïve."
"I know it's difficult too. But I still believe."
"That belief isn't the only thing you're counting on."
At my words, Chief Han scratched her head and came clean.
"I was going to offer to share some of the Red Dragon Gate's Black Market stake."
"Without my permission?"
"I was going to get it now."
"Out of the question."
She bowed her head.
A textbook plan, but my judgment differed.
Hwangbo Geom needed to appear.
I needed to draw that hiding figure out—only then would my sword reach the Murim Alliance Leader.
"Meet your master, Hwangbo Geom."
"……He won't meet me, I'm telling you."
"To catch a big fish, you have to throw the finest bait."
"There's nothing he lacks. Power, authority, money—he has more than enough."
Hwangbo Geom, who hadn't even budged at the Black Market stake she'd tried to dangle as bait.
"My bait is different."
"You must have something very special in mind."
"What about intelligence on how to clear the Murim Tower up to 46th floor?"
Chief Han, who had been hanging her head low, snapped it sharply upward.
"That's not just special…… It's remarkable."
"Just cast the rod. I'll handle the bait and the hook set."
"Alright. Still, telling my master I'm going fishing is a bit……"
Color returned to her face.
‘Meet me.’
‘That way I'll know where Hwangbo Geom is.’
Chief Han folded 2 fingers.
"The government—my father had been exerting influence. We are, after all, a former minister and his daughter. We still have reach within Gukmubon, and I'd been hoping some agents would step forward."
"Was there anyone who stepped forward?"
"They said if there was clear evidence, they'd move too."
"And that evidence?"
"I haven't secured it yet."
"By the time the evidence is gathered, it'll already be too late."
"Yes. But there's a Plan B for the government."
She pointed at me.
"I was going to borrow your strength, Hero."
‘A sound judgment.’
Kim Jae-yeol seemed to listen well to what I said.
"You'll pressure Park Jae-yeol to stop Kim Mu-ok and Kim Do-han's involvement?"
"That's right."
"Let's reverse it."
"Pardon?"
She tilted her head.
"Let's get Kim Do-han deeply involved."
"Why?"
"We'll need to blow Kim Do-han and Kim Mu-ok away before long."
I smiled faintly.
‘Because Chief Han and Minister Han need to return to Gukmubon.’
She understood my meaning and parted her lips slightly.
"Will it be as easy as it sounds? It feels like we're just making more enemies."
She placed her hands on her hips.
"We're short on both manpower and skilled fighters."
"I'll supply the manpower."
"Could it be?"
"Red Dragon Gate will step up."
"Those gangsters?"
Chief Han let out a sigh.
"Red Dragon Gate has done vigilante work too. Don't you remember how they swept out all the bad guys before the Super Tower Climber K competition?"
"Is it the same as us?"
"What's so different? They beat people who don't listen, greed over dirty tribute money. Do you really think Gukmubon is cleaner than Red Dragon Gate?"
"……"
"You're no longer Gukmubon's chief either. Whether it's patriotism or justice or obedience to orders—the goal is the same."
Chief Han fell silent in the face of my confident demeanor.
I drove the nail in.
"The one who brought in the Senzo-gumi man in the first place was Gate Master Lee Won-ryong."
"……Understood. But even if Lee Won-ryong steps up, it won't be enough."
She clenched her fist tightly.
"We need skilled fighters. There are 2 powerful unknowns in Senzo-gumi."
"Is even the chief not enough?"
"I barely handled 1. Even Gate Master Lee Won-ryong can't win. Ah! Of course, now that the Hero is here I feel reassured, but."
"I have separate matters to attend to."
"Stepping back again."
"I'll assign skilled fighters to you as well."
"Who's there?"
"There's a secret weapon."
She bit her lip slightly.
‘I have someone in mind.’
‘Chief Han won't like it, but.’
"And Bell Tower Sect?"
"I'll handle it."
"Alone?"
"That's why I said I have separate matters to attend to."
"It's too heavy a burden."
"There's someone who'll help."
I gave her a light smile.
"You really are like Zhuge Kongming."
At my words, the corners of her mouth lifted.
"In what way?"
"After Liu Bei of Shu Han died and Cao Pi raised an army in 5 prongs."
"You mean the Five-Front Offensive."
She was referring to how Zhuge Kongming had successively countered and dispersed the strategy devised by Sima Yi—the invasions from Liaodong and the Xianbei, the assault of Meng Huo the King of Nanman, Sun Quan of Jiangdong, Meng Da's advance on Hanzhong from Shangyong, and Wei's main attack.
"I actually told my father before that the Hero was like Zhuge Kongming."
I replied with an awkward smile.
"I haven't blocked them all yet."
"You've already blocked one—the Japanese government."
Hmm.
Zhuge Kongming is fine, but.
‘I prefer Cao Mengde.’
I rose from my seat.
"Contact Hwangbo Geom. Let me know the time and place you arrange to meet."
"Understood. And this."
She hesitantly held out a small paper box.
Opening it—
The Secret Communication Device I had given her was inside.
The token of the relationship between the Nameless Hero and Chief Han.
"I'll be in touch."
As I tucked the Secret Communication Device into my bag, her expression brightened.
* * *
While driving, a message buzzed from Kim Tae-yang.
【Kim Tae-yang asks how you plan to deal with Bell Tower Sect. +1 Happiness】
"I have a plan."
【Are you thinking of using the Choi brothers? +1 Happiness】
No.
‘The brothers need to focus on climbing.’
Eeerk—.
I parked the car nearby and walked over to look at the house—
It was Park Je-hwang's house.
I scanned the back alleys, and there were only a few CCTV cameras with no one in sight.
【Kim Tae-yang points to 1 CCTV camera and says 'it's broken'. +1 Happiness】
‘I saw it too.’
‘A broken CCTV in this upscale residential area?’
An uneasy feeling crept over me.
"The signal says Kang Hae-san is definitely nearby."
The location tracking app installed on Kang Hae-san's phone was responding.
I'd called before coming here too, but it kept going to voicemail.
I went near the broken CCTV and examined the area.
"Well, look at this."
Behind a streetlight, Kang Hae-san's phone had been dropped.
‘I have a rough idea.’
"Let's go inside first."
Ding-dong—.
I rang the doorbell but got no response.
"As expected."
I glanced around and leaped over the wall.
I was already wearing the Human Skin Mask of the White-Faced Scholar.
Inside the wall was a small garden.
"Lots of mugwort."
Proof that it hadn't been tended to for a while.
Mugwort's vitality is extraordinary. It grows vigorously even in the most barren, devastated environments.
‘There was a lot of mugwort in the Gangho I lived in too. I survived just as tenaciously as mugwort.’
‘Hey Kim Tae-yang, did you know?’
‘The mugwort that grows in Europe is poisonous.’
【Focus, Poison Demon. It's Park Je-hwang. +1 Happiness】
Kim Tae-yang, perhaps sharply tense, sent a warning first.
Even after beating Park Je-hwang so thoroughly just a while ago.
It still seemed Kim Tae-yang was afraid whenever he thought of Park Je-hwang.
Park Je-hwang's house was silent. All the curtains were drawn, and there were no signs of life.
"Where are you. Come out, come out."
I pressed against the wall and quietly sensed the energy around me.
Thud—! Thwack!
The sound of something being struck rang out.
Schring!
I drew the Iron Instrument God's Throwing Blade and sliced through the window lock.
Walking straight in, I spotted stairs leading down to a basement.
Soundproofing material was attached to the walls, and there were faint bloodstains.
Feeling with my hand, blood came off on my fingers.
‘Not long ago’, it said.
Going down below—
I saw Park Je-hwang beating and torturing Kang Hae-san, who was tied to a chair.
"Talk, Kang Hae-san. Why were you lurking around my house?"
"S-someone told me to, I said."
"Then who is it?!"
"I can't say."
Thwack!
Park Je-hwang slapped Kang Hae-san across the face.
Blood splattered from Kang Hae-san's already battered face.
Hmm.
‘At this rate Kang Hae-san will die.’
‘He can't talk anyway.’
‘I fed him Gu Poison.’
【Kim Tae-yang clicks his tongue. +10,000 Happiness】
"S-save me…… Je-hwang. We were friends……weren't we."
"Friends?"
A cruel smile crossed Park Je-hwang's lips.
"Someone like you, a friend?"
Crack! Crunch—.
Kang Hae-san took a front kick from Park Je-hwang and slammed into the wall along with the chair.
Bang!
The shattered chair and Kang Hae-san tumbled across the floor like trash.
Sheesh.
‘That crunch sound just now means broken ribs.’
‘He's really going to die.’
【Kim Tae-yang is moderately amused. +10,000 Happiness】
‘Come to think of it, Kim Tae-yang.’
‘Why have the points gotten so small?’
‘Park Je-hwang is beating Kang Hae-san—it should be worth at least a few million points.’
‘Don't tell me.’
‘You'll only give points if I beat him myself?’
‘Ah, this picky bastard.’
‘Can't be helped.’
"Park Je-hwang."
"……!"
Park Je-hwang spun around in alarm, and I was leaning a shoulder against the wall with my arms crossed.
"M-master!"
"Master?"
I frowned.
"I apologize. Ghost. But how did you get here?"
"Rang the bell, but you didn't open up."
"……!"
"Why are you beating up someone disabled like that?"
"That's……"
"Who is that?"
"He's been staking out my house repeatedly for a while. I let him slip last time, but he showed up again so I caught him this time."
"I heard him saying something about a friend."
"He's not a friend."
Park Je-hwang snorted and said,
"Well, I suppose not every classmate is a friend."
I walked toward Kang Hae-san.
Kang Hae-san was coughing up blood, looking at me with glazed eyes.
"Sa……"
Even without hands, the look in Kang Hae-san's eyes begging to be saved caught at my ankle.
Thud—.
I flipped Kang Hae-san's body over with my foot, shaking off that gaze.
"Ghost."
At that moment, Park Je-hwang asked me.
"How did you know he and I were classmates?"