Chapter 78 - Hidden Card (3)

Published on

Jul 10, 2022

•13 min read•1086 views

His name was Neung Hyunbo, and he was from Lean, in the Gangseo province.

He had such a name, but there were only a few times in which he was called by his real name, the title of ‘helper two’ was more familiar to him.

From the days when Dan Pil-hoo took over the role as an auditor of the Murim Association, took on the appreciation certificate, and when he finally became the deputy, he had looked after that man.

On the surface, it seemed like Dan Pil-hoo was ambitious and always had plans, but he was someone who would take care of people below him until the end, so without a single doubt, they would move with him. But, there was only one drawback.

‘… he doesn’t let us rest.’

The other things he did were good. The salaries were high and there were huge bonuses and special payouts.

The holiday gifts he gave were amazing, and he even provided housing for their families. But they had no time to rest. As much as he gave, he made them work.

‘… should we strike?’

That was what they all thought, but he was someone who took good care of them till the end. It wasn’t strange that they, who were there to work, were being ripped off like this. So the staff would follow him till the end.

And one day.

[Uh?]

[Didn’t you hear? You need to look over each student until the roll call.]

[When you say watch over, do you mean for us to monitor the students?]

This was the first time he had heard an order like this. Information collection and monitoring the activities of people who entered the academy was always done, but this time was the first they were asked to keep an eye on students.

He thought their deputy was a man with good desires, but now that he is getting older, is that disappearing?

[Who said keep an eye on them? I mean it literally, take care to make sure the students don’t cause any mistakes and if anything happens, report it to me right away.]

[Uh?]

What? This was no different than giving him the nanny duty.

He was a helper, an agent who specialized in assassinations, surveillance, and tracking. And he wants him to watch a student? Despite not understanding what he could do?

The reality of paid workers was always like this.

‘Ah! Then is this child someone who needs to be treasured as much as the kids from the Great Four Warriors?’

This was a possibility.

Due to the nature of his deputy, he was the kind of person who would ask this only if the student had amazing connections that he was trying to benefit from. But then, the deputy added this.

[Ah… I am just saying, but don’t be too shocked at the child’s power.]

… what?

Well, the thought didn’t last long. The student called Mumu, whom the deputy asked him to look after, was unique.

‘What?’

He passed the entrance test without learning martial arts. He wondered if that was possible but when he saw the child colliding with other students he realized it was and why this child had to be looked after.

‘… this is serious.’

Aside from the power he held, he was constantly causing accidents. He seemed to lack common sense and was naïve; because he was exiled from the city, this could be understood.

Thanks to that, his days felt short.

‘I thought I could go back.’

Whenever there was an accident, he had to report it and fix it. And this would happen all day.

Fortunately, after the roll call, he could get some rest, if this break wasn’t given he would’ve probably died from mental overwork.

If he had to do this for 3 years, then he might really die. But as time went on, he understood.

‘I need to keep looking.’

That child’s strength was different from the other students. He couldn’t imagine what would happen if the child decided to wield his power for real.

And just like this, a few days passed.

As he looked over him every day, he thought the kid was fun outside of the mistakes he made.

‘Sweet.’

Unlike normal people, he had innocence which reminded him of his childhood.

‘I won’t be bored.’

At least, he felt lighter than when he was asked to find the weaknesses of others. But that day, something unexpected happened.

On that day, he went to the old building to check on Mumu, and it was the first time he saw a real ghost–and he saw Mumu beating it.

‘… is this really happening?’

This was unbelievable. On the way, he was being chased by a ghost and missed where Mumu went down to the basement. He somehow managed to get out.

[You want a vacation?]

Dan Pil-hoo asked him. The story of him seeing a ghost was like this.

It had been a long time since he had felt this angry at not being believed. He was drenched in sweat and filled with fatigue. After checking Mumu had entered the dorm he went out on his own. He then drank enough alcohol to bloat his body and then slept till someone woke him up.

[Helper 2! This is an emergency.]

He was woken up. There had been a warning sounded throughout the academy and a fire had broken out at the dorm site, but something even more horrible had happened.

[Since helper 1 wasn’t getting back to us, we sent 5 and 7 but they didn’t report back either.]

If it was an emergency, then 1 was keeping an eye on Sa Muheo. It was bad If he wasn’t contacting them. It was serious to lose contact especially when 1 was known to be the best in the stealth arts.

[Did you report to the deputy?]

[Yes he asked for us to go right now and find out what happened to the missing ones.]

Accordingly, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 went to search for the missing ones. Since they were all assassins they thought they would have left some kind of sign for them to trace.

[I will search the last place 1 was surveilling and then get back. 5 and 7 too will be searched like that.]

[Yes.]

And so he headed to where 1 last was.

It was about 50 meters northeast of the academy just north of the main building.

The last place they came to was there. They searched the entire area but nothing could be found as if the area had been cleaned.

And then 2 found something embedded in the wall. A broken little fingernail.

[Death.]

Seeing this, 2 realized the man was dead. The inscription on the wall with the nails was to leave a trace for his other team members to know what happened.

‘It has been just 2 hours since the incident happened.’

2 ordered the youngest one, 8, to inform the deputy to seal the gates and then search the area.

‘It is impossible to dispose of the body in this short time.’

Even if the bone scattered bone poison was used, there should be some kind of marks left around.

If only he can find the body then he could know who did this.

[You must find the remains of the corpse before it is disposed of!]

But this was a problem.

“So, this means that the deputy has been imprisoned in the prison and accused of killing Hang Yeon of the academy and trying to kill the students by arson on purpose.”

“Yes.” Said helper 2.

Even they didn’t expect that there would be a trap set for them. It could be said that this was a ploy to get Dan Pil-hoo out of the way.

“As a result, two other helpers except me and the youngest one, have been detained.”

All those who were in the deputy’s office were imprisoned and questioned. The office aides and the warriors, and as a result, the search for the body had been stopped.

Mumu asked as if he was curious,

“But how come you and 8 didn’t get caught?”

At that, 2 raised his right hand and the fingernails with things engraved on them, the little finger’s nail was missing.

“Ah, you don’t have one!”

The word death is engraved on the little finger. It means that one had died.

“Right. Me and 8 had to do this, act like we are dead. Perhaps our men noticed it and said that we died in the process.”

“Good.”

“However, this is a matter of time. Even if such reports are made, they will come to know we are alive.”

“Which is why you are going around secretly like this.”

“Yes, I am mainly going around in places where there are too many students but once the sun goes down, they might find me.”

The situation was quite precarious.

“Only if we find the traces of the two secret agents who died before this, and find the evidence of things which were done, can the false accusation be removed from our deputy.”

Mumu scratched his head at those words.

“What do I do to help?”

“Y-You will help?”

“Yes.”

Mumu said right away.

‘Ah…’

Actually, he didn’t think Mumu would help him. He knew that the relationship between the deputy and Mumu was for the benefit of each other, so he thought Mumu wouldn’t care too much and rejected it.

Besides this was risky. The opponent killed Hang Yeon, so this student couldn’t last against him.

‘I was going to think of some negotiation but.’

Does he want to help? He seemed like a good child when he was keeping an eye on him. Mumu smiled and said,

“I like deputy a lot more than one knows. Except for his occasional nagging.”

“… I guess so.”

He could agree with that.

The work and nagging part. Well, either way, Mumu was ready to help.

“So what should I do?”

And 2 answered,

“Sa Muheo, please get his attention.”

“Attention?”

“Yes. In the meantime, 8 and I will search his residence and office.”

“How do I do that?”

“Sa Muheo is also a staff in the teaching side, and he has been recently transferred to the special teaching department, so he will be there.”

“Do you know his students?”

“One of them is among the floor leaders Ja Muk-hyun, like Mumu in the North Heavenly Dorm.”

“Senior Ja Muk-hyun?”

Ja Muk-hyun.

The 4th-ranked student in the 3rd year and a floor leader of North Heavenly Dorm. And the master helping him was Sa Muheo.

“Ask student Ja Muk-hyun to take Mumu and the other friends and lure the man out of his residence or office in the name of personal guidance.”

“For how long?”

“Well. The more you keep him interested the better for us.”

“Hmm.”

Mumu tilted his head at that response 2 gave and asked carefully,

“… will that be hard?”

“No. We just need to give you time?”

“Yes. Then I and 8 will secure the evidence to clear our deputy. Please.”

The key was how much Mumu could give them.

30 mins after that.

2 was looking at Sa Muheo’s residence with a flustered look. Unlike the normal masters, the special ones got many benefits and one of them was a huge residence.

However, since it was still afternoon, the man seemed to be staying in his home, and not in the main office.

It also seemed like the boundaries of this place were being watched carefully.

’Is there a higher chance of clues being here instead of the office?“

There were a total of 4 warriors guarding the walls. And there were 8 people in the yard.

‘The job gets done even with so many people around.’

Even if the warriors around were skilled, he was someone who could deceive the most experienced person. However, an office was difficult.

It would be difficult to deceive the number of masters who were loitering around.

‘Mumu will soon bring the others… uh?’

At that time, he saw something, it was Mumu.

‘But why?’

Mumu was walking alone to the entrance. He did make sure to tell him to bring his friends so what is this?

He wanted to stop Mumu, but he was already at the gate.

And he said something which made the warrior let him enter.

‘What? Is he going to lure him out alone?’

Was that even possible?

The room in this huge manor was nice. A man in his late 30s with dark eyebrows and a long scar up to the right eye got up from the chair. The man was Sa Muheo.

A member of the Heavenly Upbringing, someone who had joined recently. And he was frowning,

‘Mumu was it?’

An unexpected person came to him. Even so, he did receive reports that this one and a few other students had intervened and stopped their plan.

‘How many times?’

At first, he thought this child was a small variable. But this guy would keep coming to stop them despite numerous deviations.

He had overcome the descendants that the 8 Arkwi (Evil) families had sent, and even the traps laid for him were escaped.

‘He had the help of a deputy though.’

After knowing the deputy was helping Mumu, didn’t he make a change in plans? If this was done, then the deputy would be dismissed from the academy.

‘… did he come here as he was scared of losing his guardian?’

But this child didn’t know him. Since Sa Muheo didn’t ever cross paths with Mumu. Therefore the visit here had to be random.

‘No. This is good.’

He thought this was good.

He didn’t know why Mumu was here if it was counseling or help, but he wanted to check it. Even if he didn’t like it, Kang Mui had told him that he favored this child, so he was thinking of ways to tackle him.

‘Whether or not we can hold him or have to dispose of him can be figured out from these talks.’

-kiik!

So he opened the door and went to the yard and saw Mumu standing there. He wiped off his expressions and spoke with a smile.

“You seem to be a freshman, did you come here to get advice?’

“Yes. Are you master Sa Muheo?”

“Ah. Yes.”

“I see. Then can I ask you one thing?”

“I don’t know for what counseling you have come here, would you like a cup of hot tea in the room?”

Sa Muheo pointed to the room inside but Mumu shook his head.

“Ah. No need for tea, it is a simple question.”

“Is that so?”

“It isn’t nothing much. Did the master try to burn the dorms after killing the heavenly library manager Hang Yeon yesterday?”

‘!!!!!’

At the question from Mumu, his face went stiff. He didn’t expect this child to speak this plainly. As if that was the same for the warriors, all of them were narrowing their eyes. Sa Muheo who stared at Mumu asked,

“Master plan to kill Elder Hang Yeon and burn the dorms?”

“Yes. It is as you heard.”

Everything went silent. And Sa Muheo tilted his head as he burst into laughter.

“Hahahahahaah!”

And he stopped laughing with a cold face.

“That is too absurd.”

The air turned heavier and he was showing his anger.

“Absurd?”

“Isn’t it weird to come to a master who you are visiting suddenly for the first time and call him the culprit of an unfortunate accident in the academy? This is an insult to me. And it can be…”

“You were sloppy.”

“What?”

“I will find it out by force.”

“… force?”

At that time, Mumu crossed his hands and grabbed the dials, turning them. And he said,

Ccrik!

“Once you get hit, the truth will come from your mouth”