Who Built The Golden Tower (2)
The mission's 10-minute limit and all that nonsense could wait—I wanted to find the one who killed Geumdok first.
But they were all wearing masks, so there was no way to identify them.
"Times like this, you start from the top!"
Boom boom boom!
I channeled my energy into the Flying Cotton Palm, and the Dark Moon Pavilion thugs exploded as a path opened up.
"I-Insane!"
Pavilion Master Nam Heukgwang recoiled in horror and activated his concealment technique.
His silhouette began to fade!
Grab.
Not a chance.
"Where do you think you're going?"
I seized him by the throat.
Under my gleaming gaze, Nam Heukgwang gulped.
I started by shattering his ankle.
Crack!
A groan of agony seeped out from beneath his mask.
The Dark Moon Pavilion thugs flinched and shuffled slowly backward.
I had broken them apart grotesquely on purpose.
Fear is contagious.
Break the spirit, and the body falls on its own.
Time remaining: roughly 8 minutes.
Being underground, the air grew stale far faster than in the Nanryu Room.
I began interrogating Pavilion Master Nam Heukgwang.
"Where is this place?"
"W-What?"
Crack.
I snapped his wrist.
With a scream, Nam Heukgwang began to speak.
"Aaagh! T-This place is Sichuan Province!"
"Where in Sichuan Province?"
"Chengdu."
Chengdu?
That was the very city where our Sacheondang Family was located.
Dark Moon Pavilion is in Sichuan Province, but their main base is Jiange Mountain.
And yet they're in Chengdu.
"What were you lot doing here?"
"T-That is……."
Crack!
I broke his remaining arm as well.
"Ugh! W-We struck the Sacheondang Family and are lying low……."
"……!"
Of course. Same as before.
Right after attacking me.
The Murim Tower……
What exactly do they want?
Groaning inwardly, I asked again.
"Were you targeting the Sacheondang Family's son?"
"Yes. But…… How do you know that?"
Nam Heukgwang gave me a startled look.
"The Sacheondang Family would've had no reason to make enemies of you, would they?"
"That is……."
"Answer me."
"The Evil Path Alliance Leader…… Gave the order."
As expected. Again.
"In detail."
"The Alliance Leader provided us with intelligence gathered from investigating the Sacheondang Family. He said a traitor had been planted, and told us the date and how to make contact."
I see. The Evil Path Alliance Leader's scheme.
But obtaining information about our Sacheondang Family wouldn't have been an easy matter.
There's something more.
"Was there anything unusual?"
Nam Heukgwang answered cautiously.
"There was nothing of that sort."
Hmm.
"Where exactly is this place?"
After Dark Moon Pavilion's assault, Father had deployed the family's warriors to hunt the assailants down.
But they were never found.
As though they'd sunk into the earth itself.
"This is…… The basement of the Qingcheng Sect's Chengdu branch."
"What?!"
A shocking answer.
Sichuan Province is a land of abundance.
Beyond our own Sacheondang Family, there was the Nine Sects and One Alliance's Qingcheng Sect and Emei Sect.
And mid-tier sects like the Snow Mountain Sect and Shu Mountain Sect as well.
And yet this was the basement of the Qingcheng Sect's Chengdu branch?
"This is truly unbelievable……."
No wonder they couldn't be found.
How could anyone have known that the Qingcheng Sect—fellow members of the Murim Alliance, one of the Nine Sects and One Alliance at that—was hiding them?
The Murim Alliance Leader.
It was undoubtedly the Alliance Leader who had handed over our Sacheondang Family's information.
The Evil Path Alliance Leader and the Murim Alliance Leader.
Again, a collaboration between those two.
Whoosh—
With rage, the blood vessels in my eyes began bursting one by one.
The most important final question remained.
I pointed to the Dark Moon Pavilion thugs and asked Nam Heukgwang.
"Among your men, there's one who got bitten on the arm when a dog lunged at him. Which one is it?"
Nam Heukgwang surveyed his subordinates and pointed to someone.
"……Ah."
It was already a dead man.
One who had taken my Flying Cotton Palm and died.
Moving closer, I saw a black bandage wrapped around his right arm.
Damn. I missed this.
I should've made it a far more agonizing death.
Tch—still, it's fine.
I still have two more chances.
Swish.
I struck off Nam Heukgwang's head and finished off the Dark Moon Pavilion thugs.
There was no more business here.
Ding.
[Sub-Mission Complete]
[Eliminate the Dark Moon Pavilion's Pavilion Master, Moon Night Demon Spirit Nam Heukgwang.]
—Mission (4th Floor) Complete!
—Happiness Points +30,000!
—Treasure 'Dark Moon Mask' Fragment 1/3 has been awarded!
[Time taken to complete mission: 8 minutes 12 seconds]
[Overwhelming Completion (GOLD)!]
[The 4th Floor of the Murim Tower turns gold.]
[The entire world takes notice of the Republic of Korea's tower.]
I collected the Dark Moon Mask fragment.
A palm-sized piece of silk. Black in color, with no sheen.
Being only one-third of a mask, I wondered what its function might be.
The heat in my head cooled down to ice.
Time to ascend to the 5th floor. I stood before the door.
Just then.
"Hm?"
A needle case was visible in the dead Nam Heukgwang's chest pocket.
Given the gold leaf finish, it was clearly a high-end piece.
Let me open it.
"……Oh-ho."
Something interesting was inside.
‘Pear Blossom Needles.’
Hidden weapons.
Hidden weapons designed to scatter like falling pear blossoms, targeting an enemy's vital points.
Pear Blossom Needles originated from the Sacheondang Family.
These were crafted in imitation of the Sacheondang Family's Storm Pear Blossom Needles.
Of course, they didn't come close to the level of our family's secret Storm Pear Blossom Needles.
Still, these were serviceable hidden weapons.
Moreover, they were perfectly suited for training the hidden weapon technique Celestial Maiden Scattering Flowers—the path toward the ultimate hidden weapon art I aimed to reach: Flowers Filling the Sky Like Rain.
These too bore a flower in the name, after all.
"They'll do for now."
The count was around 200.
After clearing through to the 6th floor, that'd be around 600.
"With these, I might even be able to craft Storm Pear Blossom Needles."
A few more materials would be needed.
I tucked them away and entered the 5th floor.
***
[Republic of Korea Murim Tower (5th Floor)]
Pavilion Master Nam Heukgwang had been eliminated.
Ding!
[Time taken to complete mission: 1 minute 48 seconds]
[Overwhelming Completion (GOLD)!]
The completion message appeared, but I had no interest in it.
My eyes saw only one person.
I walked straight toward him.
The one with bandaging on his right arm.
The worthless cur who had killed Geumdok.
I asked him.
"It was you, wasn't it? You're the one who killed Geumdok."
"Pardon?"
"Geumdok……. My loyal hound whom you stabbed repeatedly with a dagger and then slit his throat."
"Ah, right……."
He opened his mouth as if the memory had returned to him.
Ah, right?
Rage surged up through me.
Crack!
I swept his lower body with the Heavenly Kick.
The moment the wave of energy flashed below his knees, both his legs were severed, spraying blood.
"Khraaagh!"
I grabbed the fallen man by the hair and asked.
"Why?"
Tremble tremble tremble.
"Why did you cut Geumdok's throat? He was already dead—why did you have to?"
Rumble!
My shout made the basement shudder as if it would collapse.
"He w-wouldn't…… Let go."
The man shook violently, forcing out his words with great difficulty.
"That dog…… Was still biting my arm even after it died."
I bit down on my lip.
My heart felt as though it would be torn apart.
‘Geumdok……. What am I, that you'd go that far for me.’
The man seemed to want to explain something further, but I no longer wanted to hear it.
Shing.
I ripped the dagger from the man's chest and drew it.
"Is this it? The dagger you used to stab Geumdok."
"P-Please spare me!"
There was nothing more worth hearing.
Exactly like the scene burned into my mind.
I would simply do exactly the same.
Stab!
"Hraaagh!"
Stab! Stab! Stab stab stab stab!
The man died.
And I cut off his head too.
A wretch worse than a dog.
"U-Um……."
The Dark Moon Pavilion thugs trembled and tried to say something to me, but—
Boom boom boom boom!
I blew them all apart.
As always, sub-mission notices and reward alerts appeared, and the door to the 6th floor opened as well, but—
……It wasn't satisfying.
***
Whoosh.
After clearing through the 6th floor, I returned to my herb field.
I dumped everything I'd obtained into the field, and held in my hands the most important thing.
The dagger that belonged to the man who killed Geumdok.
Geumdok's bloodstains were still on it.
That's why I hadn't used the dagger on the 6th floor.
Pat pat—
I formed a small burial mound.
And buried the dagger.
It's only bloodstains, but—
A trace where I could remember him had now been made here……
I quietly prayed for his peace.
‘Father……
Is our Geumdok doing well up there?
He'll have come to meet you first.
Wagging his golden tail.’
My throat tightened.
‘Please tell him he did well…… That he worked hard, and pet him.’
‘He was a creature who loved me more than his own life.’
***
I finished my energy circulation and returned to my room.
There had been many gains.
600 Pear Blossom Needles in a case.
The treasure, Dark Moon Mask.
[All fragments of the treasure Dark Moon Mask have been collected.]
[Treasure Dark Moon Mask lv1: Noticeably reduces the wearer's presence.]
An item specialized in concealment techniques.
It'll be good for infiltration.
Though I wasn't sure if it would work against CCTVs.
The problem was that I had no idea how to handle these gains.
Of course, it would be resolved once I obtained a Murim Tower climbing license—but
There still hadn't been any word that my examination turn had come around.
What a headache this is.
To climb the tower again, another month was needed.
"……."
I suppose I'll go sell some Bungeoppang.
I took my cart out and headed for the front of Sanwang Technical High School.
Buzz buzz.
People were gathered here and there, phones in hand.
I could tell without even looking.
[The citizens of the Republic of Korea rejoice. +10,000 Happiness]
The Murim Tower would have turned golden all the way up to the 6th floor.
Enjoy it, everyone.
It'll keep getting better from here.
***
"Again?!"
Minister Han of the Gukmubon collapsed back into his chair as he looked at the Murim Tower radiating golden light.
"Chief Han! Chief Haaaan!"
The moment he called out, Chief Han came running with her phone pressed to her ear.
"Confirming now!"
She had already moved before the Minister even finished speaking.
She shouted into her phone.
"Lock down the entire Murim Tower perimeter! Anyone within 500 meters—hold them all!"
Something was being said on the other end of the line.
"Arrest them, put guns to their heads—hold every last one of them! What? The police? If the police say they can't, arrest the police too!"
Her shouts echoed throughout the entire Gukmubon.
***
Jeoksapa Chairman Park Jeok-sa was also watching the TV.
[Breaking news! The Republic of Korea's Murim Tower has turned gold once again! This time, all the way to the 6th floor!]
The anchor's voice inside the TV was frenzied.
[The Republic of Korea's time has expanded once more! A feat unrivaled anywhere in the world! This is the strength of the Republic of Korea!]
"……Ha."
Park Jeok-sa's expression twisted.
It was undeniably a joyous occasion for the Republic of Korea.
Six more months added to Korea's clock.
But he was in a foul mood.
It was because he had just received a call from Red Dragon Gate's Sect Leader Lee Won-ryong.
"Chairman Park, lay low for a while."
"Pardon? What do you mean by that, Sect Leader?"
"If I say lay low, then lay low. The Gukmubon has their eyes on us."
"No, Sect Leader—"
"I heard you've been stirring up the police lately?"
"That's, well……."
"Don't."
"Sect Leader."
"If I tell you not to, then don't!"
Red Dragon Gate Sect Leader Lee Won-ryong.
A man considerably younger than himself, yet every other word out of his mouth was a command.
"Chairman Park. I've told you time and again. In front of a truly powerful person, you bow your head and crawl."
"……."
He'd heard those words often.
Lee Won-ryong was the man who had elevated a gang of thugs to one of Korea's Three Great Sects through sheer instinct and political savvy.
"It's the Gukmubon. The great Gukmubon has their sights on us! Negotiations fell through not long ago, so until the storm passes, you tuck your tail and stay put! I'll be the one to raise my head."
"……."
"Understood?"
"……Yes. Sect Leader."
Click—
The call ended.
"Damn it all!"
Park Jeok-sa hurled his phone.
Crack! The phone shattered.
A subordinate approached, cleared away the broken phone, and placed a new one on the desk.
The composed manner of it all suggested this was a familiar scene.
He asked.
"How many CCTVs near the Happy Loan Office have you pulled?"
"Four or five, sir."
"Anything suspicious turn up?"
"We're working hard to find something."
Crack!
The moment a vein bulged visibly on Park Jeok-sa's forehead, his subordinate sensed his anger and hastily reported.
"W-We think we found something. I wasn't confident enough to report it yet—"
"Bring it here!"
Crack!
Park Jeok-sa flung his freshly remade chairman's nameplate.
The subordinate brought over a tablet PC.
Blood streaming down from his forehead, the subordinate explained the footage.
"Here—this man was the last one seen leaving the Happy Loan Office."
Park Jeok-sa studied it carefully, but the image wasn't clear enough to make out the face.
A shopping bag in the man's hand.
There was no doubt that 100 million won was inside it.
He pointed at the man on screen.
"Who the hell is this guy?"
"Still confirming."
"You bastard!"
"T-That's why I hadn't reported it yet! We're tracking his movements!"
The subordinate rapidly swiped through the tablet screen.
Next footage.
"This man goes from here in this direction—"
"Just give me the conclusion!"
Swipe swipe swipe. Several more videos later.
"This is it. Here."
The place the subordinate pointed to.
A rundown neighborhood somewhere.
Park Jeok-sa asked.
"So?"
"……This is the end."
Park Jeok-sa's expression turned to one of disbelief.
The subordinate began to tremble.
"This is all the CCTV footage we managed to secure……."
"And then?"
"We'll comb through the neighborhood immediately, sir!"
The subordinate immediately snapped to attention.
Park Jeok-sa said.
"There'll definitely be a connection to the Happy Loan Office. I'm sure of it."
He thought it over a moment more.
Lee Won-ryong had just implored him to back off, but Park Jeok-sa had no intention of listening.
"You have the ledger from the Happy Loan Office, right? It'll be connected to the debtors in there."
"The ledger…… Wasn't there, sir."
Kim Tae-yang had already taken the ledger and burned it.
Hmmmm—
The sound of energy circulating from Park Jeok-sa's Artificial Dantian was audible.
His subordinate flinched and answered.
"W-We'll look into it! If we ask the people in that neighborhood whether they've seen the man, something will probably turn up!"
The subordinate dashed out immediately.
To the Jeoksapa, who had their hands in the black market, 100 million won was nothing.
But the response from those Happy Loan Office lackeys.
'W-We can't say, sir! Absolutely, absolutely not!'
To think there was someone they feared more than himself—the chairman—standing before them!
The fact that he could reign as chairman was precisely because of the fear his subordinates held.
The idea that something stronger than that fear existed was something he simply could not tolerate.
He already had the CCTV footage secured.
If he stopped here, his own standing would be the thing that crumbled.
And his mood was already ruined, so he planned to drag the man out and work off some frustration.
In front of all his subordinates, of course.
Park Jeok-sa pounded his desk with his fist—thud thud!—and muttered.
"You little rat……. You little rat. I've got you now."
Park Jeok-sa didn't know.
Ding dong!
That from the fortune teller he paid quite handsomely to receive daily readings, a message like this had arrived.
[Born in the Year of the Ox, 1973. Born at the Hour of the Rat.]
[The King of Hell is turning his gaze toward you. Hide.]