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Chapter 5
Nak Yang Jin FamilyYoungest Son
Ka-ka-ka-kang—!
The fight was fierce.
Though they had only infiltrated as servants, maids, or bodyguards, those who had been scheming behind the scenes were surprisingly skilled.
Of course, their lack of backup also played a part.
Amid the intense sword clashes, screams echoed from all around.
I stood at the very back, quietly observing the scene.
I didn’t miss a single detail.
We agreed to see this through, even in our own hell.
This battle wouldn’t end until everyone killed each other.
And this wasn’t even the preliminary skirmish.
Squinting, I saw someone running toward me.
It was Gam Cheong-woon.
His face, partially visible through the torn mask, once again confirmed his identity.
“Die, you bastard—!”
He charged madly with a sword in hand.
The bodyguards tried to follow, but it seemed they wouldn’t catch up.
I still didn’t move.
It was as if I knew that blade would never reach me.
“You maggot of a bastard—!”
Thwack—!
At that moment, before the blade could reach me, a fist came flying.
A crude, overpowering punch from Jang Chu-hyung struck Gam Cheong-woon squarely in the face.
The strength of someone born with a prodigy’s body.
Unlike in my previous life, I had no martial arts training, but even so, it was enough to shatter the defenses of someone like Gam Cheong-woon.
He flew back and crashed into the wall.
Rumble—
His face, utterly mangled, slid grotesquely down.
But it didn’t stop there.
As he groaned and wriggled, Jang Chu-hyung charged again.
Thwack—!
“You son of a dog! You little bastard! How much did Hong Ah-keun and I do for you? And yet, this worthless creature dares to point a sword at someone?!”
Thwack—thwack! Crack!
Fists flew relentlessly.
This wasn’t just beating him up. Bones were crushed, and his face shattered into pieces.
Seeing him completely still, I couldn’t help but smile.
Yes, that’s right.
He risked his life to protect me.
It wasn’t about trusting his fists or strength.
It was loyalty.
With nothing but loyalty, he faced anyone head-on like that.
The most trustworthy person in the world.
I smiled faintly, picked up a sword from the ground, and turned my back.
Though the battle raged on, I couldn’t stay fixated here.
Now that Jang Chu-hyung had joined, I was certain they had no chance of winning.
“Ah—where are you going?!”
“Home. Clean up here, then follow me.”
“No, Gongja-nim?! Argh! These bastards!”
I heard the commotion as I moved slowly.
The Nak Yang Jin family was thrown into chaos.
Dozens of bodyguards who served the clan moved stealthily. They suddenly burst into the maids’ quarters, grabbed a woman by her hair, and dragged her out.
“Kyaaaah!”
“It’s her!”
“Kill them all! Grab everything she owns!”
Everyone was caught off guard.
The maids seemed terrified as the bodyguards stormed in and dragged one of them away.
And it wasn’t just one person.
The chaos spread throughout the quarters.
Another maid was pulled out, struggling with a dagger, some even dying in fierce resistance.
The servants fared no better.
Even when trying to resist with swords, the seasoned fighters tore them apart mercilessly.
But some resisted stubbornly.
“Damn you! How dare you betray the Jin family?!”
“Betrayal? Don’t talk nonsense. I never considered you guys comrades from the start.”
“We’ve spent five years together…!”
“Hahaha! Five, ten, a hundred years—what do I care?”
The bodyguards’ quarters became a battlefield.
Over ten people resisted fiercely with swords in hand.
Confident in their skills, they seemed determined to escape.
The fight escalated further.
Despite the numbers, most of those present weren’t elite members of the clan.
Moreover, there was no overall commander to coordinate them, making it look chaotic.
The difference between having Jin Cheon-woo present or not was clear.
“They tried to kill the clan head! Capture all traitors! Whoever catches them will be greatly rewarded!”
Yu-hyun, the chief commander, lent his strength to the situation. Gritting his teeth, he glared at the assembled group.
Even without the clan head, someone had tried to kill Jin Cheon-woo. Poisoned him, aimed swords at him—almost tore him apart.
It was infuriating enough.
On top of that, everyone involved—maids, servants, bodyguards—had served the clan for years, which made it even more enraging.
All this chaos had unfolded without anyone realizing it.
Because of this ignorance, the youngest clan member had almost been poisoned to death.
Though tragedies sometimes occurred in the Nak Yang Jin family’s centuries-long history, nothing like this had happened.
It was a catastrophic mistake.
This mistake had to be corrected.
“Don’t let any of them escape!”
Yu-hyun’s voice rang loudly. Though weak and lacking martial power, his sheer determination made sure no one ignored him.
Thanks to that, the bodyguards redoubled their efforts.
All had received some favor from the Nak Yang Jin family.
Protecting the clan and its members was their duty. They gripped their swords tightly, igniting their fighting spirit.
The fight grew fiercer, but victory was gradually slipping away.
Watching from afar was someone else.
He swallowed and trembled, then steadied his breath.
Even just a quiver at the corner of his mouth showed his disbelief, yet he recognized the reality of what was happening.
“Why is this happening?”
He hadn’t issued any orders.
Yet, somehow, the subordinates had moved.
It was a trap laid perfectly by someone.
But who?
He couldn’t think of anyone.
Perhaps someone knew their identities?
He shook his head, still unsure.
But he had to act.
He had to inform the current situation.
That was his role.
Fortunately, there was no sign that anyone was pursuing him.
Though others were caught, the mastermind hadn’t been reached.
That was enough.
He moved cautiously, hiding in shadows.
Blending into the panicked crowd, he exited.
With countless people outside monitoring the situation inside, a single person disappearing wouldn’t be noticed.
He held his breath, moving carefully.
Having not practiced martial arts for a long time, he was slow, but still stealthy enough that ordinary people wouldn’t even notice.
He quickly moved through the streets outside the Nak Yang Jin family’s estate.
He headed for the slums.
This area of Nak Yang was notorious for poor security.
Few ventured there, fearing what might happen.
It was the perfect place to hide a secret home.
He moved deftly along the dark streets, navigating a maze-like network of alleys and abandoned houses.
Anyone unfamiliar with the area would get lost easily.
But he moved confidently.
Eventually, he stopped in front of a decrepit house.
He scanned the ground, not the front door, and found an entrance leading below.
He entered cautiously.
Thankfully, there was no trace of anyone.
The house was exactly as he had left it a few days prior.
Inside, he lit a lamp and retrieved a hidden bird—the Jeon-seo-gu—and placed it in a container.
“Go as fast as you can.”
He muttered like a spell. The bird seemed to understand, chirping softly.
He carefully brought the bird outside.
Just as he raised it into the sky—
Thwack—!
A stone flew suddenly, hitting the bird squarely. It fell limply to the ground, flapping helplessly.
Cough.
The sound froze him.
It was far too familiar. Almost as if it came from that person himself.
Trembling, he looked ahead.
Footsteps approached—slow, deliberate.
And a familiar voice pierced his ears.
“I’ve always wondered who was feeding them information. So this was the place.”
The speaker moved with ease. He muttered and looked around, then locked eyes with him and shrugged lightly.
“I hope your effort wasn’t wasted. I believe there’s some important stuff inside.”
“…….”
He couldn’t answer. He still couldn’t tell if this was reality or a dream.
Why was this person here?
Why did he stand there so calmly?
He glanced around.
Aside from Jin Cheon-woo, there was no one else.
Alone?
A hollow laugh almost escaped him.
But Jin Cheon-woo spoke first.
“You probably have no idea what’s going on. You didn’t expect the subordinates to move, right?”
“…….”
“I did it. I left a mark. The one you use to refer to me.”
“……!”
Jin Cheon-woo traced a pattern in the air.
It was unmistakably the mark of the youngest son of the Nak Yang Jin family.
By adding elements to it, it conveyed additional meaning.
He knew this?
He trembled in disbelief.
“You don’t know how I know. I’d be the same. But I… have seen it hundreds of times. The marks you use, and what they mean.”
Impossible.
This should only be known to them, revealed to no one.
Yet Jin Cheon-woo’s words seemed true.
Especially the composure he showed.
Cough-cough. “Don’t overthink it. No matter what you think, the answer won’t come from it. But…”
Jin Cheon-woo drew his sword.
He aimed it at him, smiling faintly.
At that moment, dark clouds that had covered the moon slowly parted.
Moonlight poured down, illuminating Jin Cheon-woo.
At the same time, the man was clearly visible.
Jin Cheon-woo’s lips curved further upward.
“I thought… hundreds, thousands of times. If I could go back, I would swear to rip your neck apart first.”
“Unbelievable.”
Cough! “The sight of those who died before me, your mother pierced by your sword, your father screaming to run. Their tears and cries…”
“What are you saying….”
He exhaled, trying to calm his anger.
The man frowned, confused by the incomprehensible words.
“That’s why, from the moment I opened my eyes until now… I swore I would kill only you.”
“……!”
“Hong Gu-hyun. You die today.”
At that moment, the moonlight revealed Hong Gu-hyun’s eyes trembling.
