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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: cyno
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“Ugh…!”
Namgoong Bin clutched his ear, thick veins bulging on his forehead.
There was nothing left where his ear should have been.
No matter how desperately he groped for it, all his fingers found were a handful of hair and a smear of blood.
“…Tch. Who told you to act recklessly…?”
“Dammit…! It’s gonna take ages to get used to this…!”
Gritting his teeth, Namgoong Bin glared at the moving lips of the Lord of the Bureau.
Losing his ears didn’t mean he was completely deaf.
It was just that sounds were now muffled and indistinct.
The searing pain didn’t bother him much.
Whining about it wouldn’t change anything.
“See? Who told you to act out of line?”
“…Damn. It’s a pain in the ass to understand you now.”
“Be grateful I stopped at just your ears. If you weren’t a business partner, I’d have split your skull open instead.”
“Just… my ears… huh.”
Namgoong Bin strained to read the Lord’s lips, piecing together his words.
Fortunately, losing his ears didn’t dull his vision or perception. If he focused hard enough, he could still make out the gist of what was being said.
Though, for Namgoong Bin right now, that was more of an unfortunate blessing.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
“What now? You’ve already taken my ears.”
“A very important request. It’s about money.”
“…Money?”
“Yes, money.”
The Lord smiled leisurely as he continued.
“The commercial district is quite prosperous… but the main bureau really dislikes paying taxes.”
“What kind of nonsense is that, coming from someone who collects massive taxes from the martial world?”
“Nonsense or not, the bureau pays enough taxes every year to feed hundreds of commoners. And now you want more? Preposterous.”
“The fact that you even have that kind of wealth is the real nonsense here.”
“Do you want me to tear off your nose this time instead of your ears?”
“Kkh…!”
As Namgoong Bin swallowed back a groan of suppressed rage, the Lord smoothly continued, his words dripping with amusement.
Hearing them, Namgoong Bin’s face twisted in irritation.
The Lord was far more cunning than he had anticipated—a truly vile creature.
“You’ll launder the money for me, won’t you?”
“Excuse me…?”
“It’s simple. The accounts will be under your name. The profits come to me. You pay the taxes, and the real earnings go to me. You can handle that much, can’t you?”
“Tch.”
Already pissed off from losing his last ear, having his nerves grated like this was the last thing he needed.
Of course, Namgoong Bin wasn’t foolish enough to openly show his anger.
So, he let out only a slight scoff.
The displeasure was just an extra touch.
“First, you’re fed noodles, and now you want someone to wipe the broth off your lips?”
“Considering the Sword Saint’s execution, isn’t that a fair price?”
“……”
“Refuse if you want. I have nothing to lose here.”
“Damn it, fine. I’ll do it.”
“Glad to see you’re being reasonable. Heh heh heh.”
Like forcing bitter tea down his throat, Namgoong Bin reluctantly agreed and rose to his feet.
The Lord’s domineering attitude was grating, but more than that—
The Lord wasn’t wrong.
The Sword Saint’s execution.
It was carried out in accordance with the law, leaving no room for backlash. No matter how monstrous Namgoong Cheolbin was, facing the Dongchang, the Imperial Guards, and the Lord was impossible.
Most importantly, it meant avoiding Yoo So-eun’s vengeance.
This was a legitimate legal execution, completely unrelated to him.
Even if it cost a little more, ensuring a clean, worry-free outcome was the rational choice.
“Ugh…”
Covering the spot where his ear had been, Namgoong Bin left the bureau and headed straight for the Namgoong Estate.
By now, Yoo So-eun and Namgoong Soo-ah had likely returned from the Seven Flowers Tournament.
Whoosh—
A fierce wind blew through the gaps in his robes.
As if nature itself were whispering that the miraculous smoothness of his plans was no more.
First the Star of Slaughter, now the Lord of the Bureau.
The downfall of the Sword Saint—the one thing he thought would be the hardest—had somehow succeeded with unexpected ease, as if someone had helped him.
Yet now, the aftermath was proving far more troublesome.
It was as if the heavens themselves were obstructing him.
No—they are obstructing me.
Namgoong Bin gritted his teeth.
Damn heavens… damn author.
Between his clenched teeth festered deep rage and hostility.
You fucking bastard, I’ll make you pay. Even if it kills me, I’ll make you suffer for sending me here.
He reaffirmed the resolve he had when he first arrived in Murim.
But to achieve that “goal,” there were still glaring obstacles in his way.
The Star of Slaughter didn’t do the job, so I had to go to the Lord…
—”Aside from me, you must never entrust the Sword Saint’s matter to anyone else.”
Though he had only heard it once, he remembered every word perfectly.
Partly due to his sharp memory, but mostly because the weight behind the Star’s words was too heavy to forget.
Namgoong Bin also remembered her other warnings.
Like—
—”This is just a warning.”
—”If you ignore it, I’ll take your head instead.”
Threats, plain and simple.
But since he had already gone to the Lord, there was no turning back.
How do I deal with the Star of Slaughter…? Who’d have thought that brat would grow up to become one of the Five Peaks?
Fortunately (or unfortunately), the answer came quickly.
If the Star didn’t kill the Sword Saint out of affection…
The solution formed in his mind.
Then I just need to offer her something greater than that affection—money.
Nothing held more value than money.
After all, he had just used it to strike a deal with the Lord.
What should I sell this time…? The Sichuan branch? The Golden Scale Merchant Group in Hubei? The profits from there were decent…
As one worry faded, another took its place.
Lost in thought, Namgoong Bin trudged toward the Namgoong Estate.
Then, suddenly, a gust of wind lashed against his wounded ear.
Whoosh—!
They say even the wind can cut like a blade.
Feeling the truth of that old saying firsthand, Namgoong Bin covered the empty space where his ear had been.
Well, he was already covering it—but now he pressed harder, sealing every gap between his fingers to block even a whisper of wind.
“Haah… damn it.”
A wave of unease washed over him. Could he really live like this, without ears?
Sure, he could still hear muffled sounds, and he could roughly understand speech by reading lips, but…
“It’s going to draw a lot of attention…”
Crinkle—
He reached into his pocket and fiddled with the severed piece of his ear.
The flesh hadn’t rotted yet. Maybe, just maybe, it could still be reattached.
“This time, I’ll head straight to the basement as soon as I get back.”
Muttering to himself, Namgoong Bin quickened his pace.
He needed to return to the Namgoong Estate—his stronghold—as soon as possible.
Behind him, hidden in the shadows, the Star of Slaughter’s assassins followed at a distance.
Like shadows clinging to a figure walking toward the light.
Byurak and Okhwa were helping Jin Ga-young into the carriage.
The rattling carriage wasn’t large enough for three, so Okhwa naturally took the driver’s seat.
Watching them from afar was a lone figure.
“Aha…! Finally, I’ve found my nemesis…!”
A rare shade of pink hair fluttered softly between the leaves.
Excitement over finally meeting the Sword Saint made the girl’s body tremble uncontrollably.
She wore a wide bamboo hat, pulled so low that her eyes were completely hidden from the front.
“Hah, hah…! Finally…! My nemesis is right there…!”
With each panting breath, the twin peaks on her chest swelled and deflated.
The delicate compression bandages couldn’t hope to contain such majestic curves.
“My nemesis… What should we do first…? A quick life-or-death duel to break the ice…?”
Though they hadn’t even exchanged words yet, the girl was already lost in blissful fantasies.
As the strongest assassin, she had little experience with human relationships—so this was inevitable.
She was aware of it, too.
That it was her own flaw.
“It’s fine. From now on, my nemesis and I can take it slow, right? Yeah, no problem at all.”
But in her exhilarated state, even her flaws seemed endearing.
If anything, imagining overcoming them with her nemesis only made her happier.
Flick—
A dagger spun effortlessly around her finger, as natural as an extension of her body.
A habit honed over years of wielding blades.
“Hmm… Is that Okhwa next to her? Why’s she playing coachman? Well, now that I’m here, it doesn’t matter.”
Coo-coo—
“Huh? A messenger pigeon?”
A pigeon fluttered onto the girl’s hand as she stood on a thin, swaying branch—proof of her inhuman balance.
Coo, coo-coo-coo—
“Ugh… Who’s sending messages now? I’m in the middle of something important…”
Irritated, she skimmed the letter tied to the pigeon’s leg.
Eager to reunite with her “nemesis,” she impatiently unfolded it.
The letter was crumpled and torn, having endured rough winds.
Since it was from the Assassins’ Guild, the contents weren’t entirely illegible, but—
“What the… hell?”
At first, she only felt mild annoyance.
But as she read further, her anger snowballed.
> – Namgoong Bin, head of the Namgoong Family, met with the Lord of the Bureau seven days ago.
> – The Captain of the Imperial Guards has issued an emergency summons.
> – The Lord of the Bureau met with the Dongchang leader at Honghwaru eight days ago.
> – Suspected to be conspiring against the Sword Saint.
How dare they—
The thought surged through her skull.
Was it rage at her orders being defied?
Rage at her nemesis being targeted again?
No.
It was the overwhelming fury of someone whose long-awaited reunion had just been interrupted.
CRACK—!
The girl’s—no, the Star of Slaughter’s—fingers clenched violently.
The pigeon trapped in her grip let out pained cries, but she paid no attention.
Or rather, she didn’t even notice.
“These—”
Whoosh—
A terrifying killing intent erupted from her, shaking the trees.
Though ordinary humans remained oblivious, animals and birds fled in terror, screeching as if the world itself were ending.
An aura so vast it defied belief, one that could only belong to the Star of Slaughter.
The pigeon in her hand had long since fainted.
“Bastards.”
THUD—!
Hongryeon—the Star of Slaughter—kicked off the branch.
Like an arrow loosed from a bow, she shot through the air, riding the wind with inhuman grace.
Her bamboo hat remained perfectly balanced atop her head, a subtle testament to her mastery.
“Nemesis, please wait for me just a little longer.”
As she flew toward Anhui, where the Namgoong Estate stood, she glanced back with a sorrowful expression.
The cataclysmic killing intent from earlier was gone, replaced by the delicate face of a heartbroken girl.
Tears even glistened at the corners of her eyes.
“I’ll finish this quickly and come back…! Until then, don’t you dare look at anyone else…!”
No one would believe this was the Star of Slaughter, one of the Five Peaks.
Sniff…!
SCREECH—!
Of course, her expression was the only thing soft about her.
In the blink of an eye, her figure blurred across dozens of yards—undeniable proof of her status as the world’s greatest assassin.
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