The Terminally Ill Young Master of the Baek Clan

It was clear that the owner had appeared, but what kind of shameless statement was that he wasn’t the one?

Jin Mu gave Dam Hyun a sharp jab in the ribs, signaling him to return the gold coin.

However, Dam Hyun didn’t budge, as if he had iron plating around his side.

The noble who claimed ownership of the gold coin frowned and asked, “What do you mean?”

“I simply picked up the gold coin that I had dropped. It means it’s not yours,” Dam Hyun replied with a nonchalant smile.

It was a blatant lie, as if implying the gold coin had been his from the start.

-What are you doing! I’ll find a way to earn money, so just stop!

Jin Mu sent a desperate telepathic message.

Dam Hyun turned back with a smiling face.

-I just found something very important here in the market a little while ago. I might die if I can’t buy it.

-What kind of nonsense is that!

-If you’re going to interfere, just leave.

It was a brief moment, but an argument ensued through their telepathic message.

Noticing that, the owner of the gold coin frowned.

“A martial artist, huh? I knew the people of the martial world were savage, but to act so arrogantly here in Beijing.”

“Oh dear. Is that thing hanging from your waist not a sword, but something else?”

In response to the insult directed at martial artists, Dam Hyun mockingly pointed at the sword hanging from the man’s waist.

However, the owner of the gold coin was not flustered.

“This is not for swordsmanship but for punishment.”

“Hoho.”

“It is to cut off the wrist of those who covet others’ belongings and to sever the tongue of those who lie without blinking an eye. That is why I carry it around.”

Even someone not trained in martial arts could exude such an imposing aura.

The young man’s voice, delivering such cruel words, carried a sense of authority.

He was clearly someone capable of carrying out his words.

It was evident that he was not a martial artist, so his power must surely come from authority.

In other words, he must be the son of a powerful figure here in Beijing.

A sly smile appeared on Dam Hyun’s lips.

“Hehehe…”

“Hahaha!”

Seeing Dam Hyun laugh at his words, the young man also burst into loud laughter.

At that, the women and men around the young man also laughed.

“You may be an amusing fellow, but you must still pay the price for lying. That gold coin is indeed mine. I even have proof.”

“Proof?”

“I am Il Wi-gang, the third son of the Vice Minister of Personnel, Il Yeong-cheon.”

The young man spoke proudly.

If someone was referred to as Vice Minister, they were a high-ranking official of the upper rank 3. If they were the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, they would be a significant power holder.

As the third son of the Vice Minister of Personnel, he certainly had a status that would allow him to hold his head high even here in Beijing.

Il Wi-gang secretly hoped that Dam Hyun and Jin Mu would immediately prostrate themselves.

However, that did not happen.

Dam Hyun stood with a sullen face, and Jin Mu merely looked at Dam Hyun with concern.

“What’s the proof?”

“…On the back of the gold coin, the character ‘Il’ will be engraved.”

“Oh dear.”

Since gold coins were precious, such things did happen.

Il Wi-gang’s family had engraved their surname as a mark.

Upon hearing this, Dam Hyun looked at the back of the gold coin.

Then, as if embarrassed, he scratched his head.

He smiled again and said, “There’s nothing like that.”

“…What did you say?”

“If you’re curious, I can show you.”

“Bring it here.”

“All right.”

It was surely the gold coin that Il Wi-gang had dropped, but he couldn’t believe how brazenly Dam Hyun was acting.

Dam Hyun approached with a confident stride.

The women and young men beside Il Wi-gang also leaned in, curious about the situation.

“Here, take a look.”

Dam Hyun held the gold coin in his left hand.

His right hand, not holding the gold coin, was clenched into a fist, which he raised first.

Naturally, everyone’s eyes were drawn to that fist.

From Dam Hyun’s mouth came a voice like metal, “Now… look.”

The moment his fist opened, people’s eyes blurred.

Their gaze lost focus, and they seemed dazed.

Seizing the moment, Dam Hyun held up the gold coin and gently waved it.

“See, there’s no such mark, right?”

The gold coin Dam Hyun was waving clearly had the character ‘Il’ engraved on it.

However, the people nodded at Dam Hyun’s words.

“It’s really… not there.”

When someone said that first, the rest became easier.

“It seems Young Master Il made a mistake… oh dear.”

“That could happen…”

“This is rather awkward…”

Dam Hyun had deceived everyone with a simple dark magic.

He hadn’t actually erased the mark engraved on the gold coin but had instead momentarily clouded their judgment.

It was difficult to deceive a single person, but it’s much easier to deceive many at once like this.

That’s because they reinforced each other’s misconceptions, deepening their delusions.

“Ho… astonishing.”

Even the boastful son of the Vice Minister of Personnel was completely fooled. That’s what Dam Hyun thought.

However, upon hearing the following words, Dam Hyun’s expression soured.

“A remarkable skill. Did you use some kind of spell?”

“…”

“You must be something like a Taoist. It’s the first time I’ve actually met one.”

Il Wi-gang’s attitude became more confident.

Only then did Dam Hyun realize what was going on.

“Do you have a Guardian Treasure?”

“Haha… It’s something I received from my father. I never understood why he emphasized its importance so much when he lent it to me.”

Il Wi-gang pulled out a necklace he had been wearing and showed it.

It was a Guardian Treasure that protected against sorcery, such as the Soul Capturing spell.

Such items were originally extremely rare, objects that could only be possessed by royalty or very powerful individuals.

It wasn’t something the child of the Vice Minister of Personnel should be carrying around, but upon seeing the identity of the item, Dam Hyun understood.

“Haha… You seem dumbfounded. Are you surprised to see such a precious item?”

Quite the opposite.

It was merely a suitable item, capable only of blocking very superficial spells.

From the moment Il Wi-gang had so boldly shown the Guardian Treasure, he had proven himself to be an ignorant novice.

Dam Hyun had more than enough ways to neutralize a Guardian Treasure of that level.

He would crush this arrogant young master’s expression.

That was Dam Hyun’s resolve when he raised his hand.

Il Wi-gang escaped the impending danger by adding one more remark.

“You’re an interesting fellow. I’ll give you that gold coin.”

“…Oh, really?”

“I’ll also forgive your insolence. How about it? Would you like to follow me?”

“What’s in it if I follow?”

“I’ll give you an exciting experience. Also, if you’re lucky, you might make some money. You could even make a fortune.”

“Hmm…”

Dam Hyun pondered for a moment.

Il Wi-gang, unaware that his fate was swinging between paradise and hell, waited for Dam Hyun to speak.

“Will it end early?”

“It will be over by today.”

“Fine.”

“Hahaha, I like it.”

Il Wi-gang laughed heartily.

Despite knowing that Dam Hyun could use spells, the young noble made such an offer, which could be seen as youthful bravado.

Or it might just be foolishness, relying on a flimsy necklace and acting bold.

“Da… Dam Hyun…”

“I’ll be back.”

“Wouldn’t it be better not to go?”

“I’ll be back by dinner, so prepare a feast fit to break the table legs.”

Of course, it wasn’t Jin Mu who would prepare the meal but the chefs at the inn.

“And also, a good pound of beef. That’s for Cheongho.”

“Uh… okay…”

This situation, where he had to stake his future on the most unreliable disciple—

Jin Mu felt a great unease and, inexplicably, a strange sense of reassurance, struggling with this contradiction.

---

“So, you see, I shot arrows from horseback and hit every target. You should have seen Jo-ga’s face back then.”

“Wow, as expected, Young Master Il is amazing.”

“You are indeed incredible, Brother! I admire you!”

Il Wi-gang was indeed a person full of confidence.

That’s the polite way to put it; more bluntly, he was someone who loved being praised.

Il Wi-gang’s companions constantly fulfilled his desire for admiration.

Even if you paid them, they wouldn’t provide such immediate responses as these people did.

It was as if they were machines for clapping or expressing admiration.

And Dam Hyun, who was accompanying them…

“Yawn.”

Had already lost all interest.

The reason Dam Hyun followed Il Wi-gang was half due to spontaneous curiosity and half to earn money.

His curiosity was to see how far he could go along with the arrogance of the boastful novice, but Il Wi-gang turned out to be an even more superficial character than he thought.

“But now, even those little tricks are getting boring.”

“Well, of course. Young Master Il’s capacity is much greater than theirs, after all.”

“…Hmm, is flattery the only thing you know how to do? I’m tired of it. So tired.”

“It’s not like that… I’m sorry.”

The man who had been smiling cheerfully just moments ago suddenly turned serious and snapped irritably.

He quickly turned his head away from the flustered man and asked Dam Hyun, “Isn’t that right? Only a true hero can recognize another hero…”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, sure.”

If Dam Hyun had been even half-listening to Il Wi-gang’s words, he wouldn’t have responded like this.

Feeling pleased, Il Wi-gang was asked by Dam Hyun, “When exactly are we going to arrive at this interesting place you mentioned?”

“Haha, we’re almost there.”

If it turned out to be nothing special, he would make Il Wi-gang pay for wasting his time.

That was Dam Hyun’s resolve at that moment.

“Young Master, we’ve been waiting for you.”

Someone ran out from a shabby butcher shop to greet Il Wi-gang.

His clean attire did not resemble that of a butcher working in such a place.

Il Wi-gang entered the butcher shop with a familiar demeanor.

“Are you planning to feed us some meat?”

“Haha, just wait a little longer.”

The fishy, greasy smell of pork and dog meat—the chunks of meat hanging on iron hooks somehow made one feel intimidated.

Dam Hyun smelled blood.

It wasn’t coming from the chunks of meat. It was a hotter, thicker scent of blood—one could even call it the smell of evil energy.

Such a smell would appear when there was bleeding accompanied by extreme pain.

Dam Hyun gave a sly smile.

“The real essence of this place is underground. Normally, one must have their identity verified to enter, but since you’re with me…”

As Il Wi-gang said, no one stopped them.

Indeed, after passing the chunks of meat, a staircase leading downwards appeared.

Clearly, there were individuals who appeared to be martial artists guarding the entrance.

They seemed quite strong. Both were at least of first-rate level.

“Would you like to wear a mask?”

“Yes, I have one.”

Il Wi-gang took out a mask from his inner pocket and put it on.

His companions did the same.

“Ah, you don’t have a mask, do you?” Il Wi-gang said with a grin to Dam Hyun.

Could there be something down below that required one to hide their face?

“They lend out masks here, so take one.”

“There’s no need for that.”

Dam Hyun smiled and wiped his hand over his face.

Then, as if performing a trick, a mask appeared over his face.

It was a mask with a blue fox drawn on it.

“Interesting. Haha.”

“This is getting boring. Let’s go.”

“…Haha.”

Dam Hyun’s serious tone seemed to unsettle Il Wi-gang, but he obediently led the way.

Thump- Thump- Thump-

The deeper they went down the dark stairs, the louder the sound resembling a heartbeat became.

Darkness and a sense of foreboding were all too familiar to Dam Hyun; such an underground space should have felt like a cradle to him.

However, Dam Hyun realized that this sensation was oddly unpleasant.

“This is… drum sounds.”

“They hired a famous band from Beijing, and there are skilled courtesans here, too. It’s a place my friends created.”

Soon, the sound of drums and singing could be heard.

And then, “Waaaaah!”

A loud cheer. It was a cheer shouted by many people at once.

“There are many interesting things this time around. Why don’t you place a bet with the gold coin I gave you?”

“A bet?”

“This place is, you see.”

When the stairs ended and another door was opened, a loud noise accompanied by a surprising sight appeared.

“It’s a dogfighting ring.”

Dogfighting and cockfighting.

These were typically pastimes for idle people or gamblers from the underworld.

“It’s not just dogs that are featured.”

This dogfighting ring had been reborn here underground.

Inside the iron cage, there were five dogs.

They drooled and barked wildly, and in front of them was a tiger.

“They captured all the animals from the mountains around Beijing to send to the palace, and I sneaked some here.”

With a roar, the tiger leaped among the dogs.

The spectators roared with laughter, gulped down liquor, and puffed on their pipes.

The thick smoke seemed not to be from ordinary tobacco but mixed with opium.

“Hahaha! This guy is totally scared.”

When Dam Hyun said nothing, Il Wi-gang burst into laughter and patted him on the back.

“Are you scared? Huh? Hmm?”

“…”

“The sight of red flowing blood excites people. It’s only natural. This is true entertainment.”

Dam Hyun realized that the people gathered here were not ordinary.

Everyone looked wealthy, whether man or woman.

Those born with everything in their grasp created this place to overcome the boredom of life.

To laugh and chatter while watching animals bleed.

“This is boring.”

“…Huh?”

“You might as well have people fight each other instead. Give them each a sword,” Dam Hyun clicked his tongue as he spoke.

If this place were such an arena, he might have burst out laughing himself.

“I thought about that, but if we get caught, Father would scold me.”

“Hehehe…”

Dam Hyun couldn’t help but laugh at Il Wi-gang’s attitude, worrying about getting scolded by his father.

The man playing the role of the dogfighting ring’s host began directing the cleaning of the iron cage.

After releasing the tiger that had been chewing on the dogs’ corpses, they brought in a wild boar and its three piglets.

“This time, we have a wild boar family!”

Then he motioned to the servants standing behind him to come forward.

They were carrying a lot of things.

“This is an event in which you all can participate.”

What they had were bows and arrows.

“Now, one silver nyang for each arrow.”

It was a very expensive price.

However, upon hearing that, the spectators who had been watching threw their silver nyang and received bows and arrows.

“Avoid the mother and try to hit the piglets. Hahaha!” the host said with a laugh.

Dam Hyun also laughed.

“Here as well.”

He called a servant and casually handed over a gold coin.

“Give me everything you have.”

The servant, though flustered, handed out arrows. As many as twenty.

He also tried to give him a bow, but for some reason, Dam Hyun refused to take it.

As he fiddled with the sharp arrowheads, he asked Il Wi-gang in a friendly manner,

“Wi-gang.”

“…Yes.”

“I thought your name sounded familiar. It’s quite similar to that guy Yi-gang.”

“…?”

“Your father is the Vice Minister of Personnel?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“I don’t know how impressive that is. Are you close with King Gye-yeong, Senior Grand Secretary Seong Yeok-ju, those guys?”

“You madman!” Il Wi-gang shouted angrily.

The people Dam Hyun mentioned were all at the pinnacle of power.

“I’m saying that Yi-gang is with those guys. I should find a way to reach them, but I don’t know how.”

“This is difficult to listen to.”

“Now that I think about it, maybe I could use you.”

Dam Hyun pulled out a yellow talisman from his inner pocket.

Unlike ordinary talismans, it had a pattern drawn in blue dye.

“If I grab you by the neck and threaten your father, I might be able to lure out Yi-gang.”

“Stop speaking nonsense…”

Shhh-

The talisman burned white and vanished.

The hundreds of candles that had been lighting up this underground space all went out at once.

The spectators, who were about to shoot arrows at the wild boar, screamed in surprise.

Il Wi-gang could hardly breathe in the sudden darkness that descended.

Right next to his ear, Dam Hyun whispered, “And you, you talk too much.”

Thud!

What pierced through both cheeks and locked his mouth in place was clearly one of the arrows Dam Hyun had been holding.

“Guuuugh!”

A scream burst out, unable to open his mouth properly.

And soon, similar screams echoed from all directions.

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