The Return of the Sw Chapter 100 : Punishment. -01

Chapter 100: Punishment. -01

Guwol’s pupils shook violently.

When two characters that could never be known unless one belonged to the Dark Moon Sect flowed from Ban Hojin’s mouth, it was impossible to believe.

Perhaps because of that, shock surfaced in Guwol’s eyes.

“I knew you were targeting me from the beginning. You could have killed this young master easily, but you didn’t. Why was that? From the start, your target wasn’t him. In truth, in the succession struggle, the biggest obstacle isn’t this young master, but me. So you intended to remove me. This young master can’t be killed if he’s to become the master of the Geum Family Estate, but I’m different. Isn’t that right?”

Gulp!

At Ban Hojin’s ????, who seemed to know every single plan inside out, Guwol swallowed his dry saliva.

It was because it was impossible to believe even while hearing it.

“Brother!”

“What’s going on!”

At that moment, with loud crashing noises from the opposite side of Ban Hojin’s quarters, the group revealed themselves.

They had rushed out in a panic, startled by the sudden attack.

Among them were Geum Hoyeon and the escort warriors.

“Assassins?”

“H-how did they get all the way here?”

At the sight of assassins sprawled everywhere, not only the group but Geum Hoyeon as well was greatly shocked.

He had never imagined that an assassination attempt would be made at Shaolin.

And seeing that it appeared they had targeted Ban Hojin rather than himself, Geum Hoyeon’s pupils trembled.

“They’re assassins from the Dark Moon Sect.”

“If it’s the Dark Moon Sect, isn’t that the place ranked just after the Assassin’s Gate?”

“That’s right. In terms of scale alone, it’s even bigger than the Assassin’s Gate. They have more people too.”

“But why you?”

Seo Joun or Jeong I-ryong didn’t know about the Dark Moon Sect, but Seonwu Bang did.

That was why Seonwu Bang tilted his head.

He found it strange that they had targeted Ban Hojin rather than Geum Hoyeon.

“Because I’m the biggest stumbling block. They thought that if only I disappeared, all problems would be solved.”

“That may be true, but assassinating a Shaolin disciple? No matter how the Dark Moon Sect is considered the second-ranked assassin sect in the Central Plains, it can’t be compared to Shaolin. Moreover, this place is close enough to Shaolin that you could reach it in a single fall.”

Seonwu Bang wore an expression of disbelief.

Mo Yongcheok felt the same way.

No matter how formidable the Dark Moon Sect was said to be, it couldn’t compare to Shaolin.

And Ban Hojin wasn’t just any Shaolin disciple—he was the Abbot’s youngest disciple.

That they would openly target such a person was something Seonwu Bang and Mo Yongcheok couldn’t understand.

Yet Ban Hojin shook his head at their reactions.

“It only becomes a big problem because they were discovered. If they hadn’t been discovered and had succeeded in the assassination act, would anyone really have known it was the Dark Moon Sect?”

“Huh?”

“There’s an unchanging truth. As long as you’re not discovered, it works.”

Everyone was left speechless.

They realized belatedly that they had overlooked the most important point.

“That’s right. Even I used every method available to find out where they were, but I couldn’t uncover it. And what’s even more shocking is that I myself placed a request with the Dark Moon Sect.”

Geum Hoyeon bit down on his lower lip.

Not lightly—blood flowed out.

It was because he realized what a foolish thing he had done.

Now that he understood why failure had been inevitable despite spending a huge sum, Geum Hoyeon gnawed at his lip.

“At the time, there was absolutely no information about the opponent, wasn’t there? Since almost nothing is known about the Assassin’s Gate, the only option was the Dark Moon Sect. I think it was unavoidable.”

“How much must they have mocked me.”

Geum Hoyeon’s eyes reddened.

Since he had been played with on the palm of the Dark Moon Sect Leader’s hand, Geum Hoyeon couldn’t hide his rage.

However, this wasn’t the time to be excited over having been toyed with.

Now that they knew who the enemy was, it was time for revenge.

“But how did you know they were assassins from the Dark Moon Sect? Assassins are basically trained never to divulge anything. I heard some places even cut out their tongues.”

“If they cut out the tongue, they can’t use voice transmission. Unless it’s at the level of Wisdom Light Heart Speech. Dark Moon Sect assassins tattoo their bodies. Other assassin sects do the same. Usually, they do it in places that aren’t visible.”

“Ah.”

Seonwu Bang nodded.

He had wondered why the clothes around the shoulder area were torn—there was a reason.

On the other hand, Geum Hoyeon looked at Ban Hojin with eyes full of curiosity.

It was because he knew the Dark Moon Sect in considerable detail.

“I subdued them since they’re special-grade assassins, but there’s probably nothing we can find out.”

“With ordinary methods, it would be difficult. Torture won’t work either.”

“But we can’t just sit still! Elder Brother was subjected to a sneak attack!”

Unlike Seonwu Bang, who muttered as if there was no choice, Seo Joun shouted angrily.

They had tried to assassinate Ban Hojin of all people.

So no matter what it took, they had to take revenge.

If possible, he wanted to uproot them entirely.

Swoosh.

With eyes filled with such emotion, Seo Joun looked at Geum Hoyeon.

He wondered if, with the Geum Family Estate’s information work, they might know the location of the Dark Moon Sect.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know the location of the Dark Moon Sect either. I only know how to place a contract.”

“Wouldn’t it be possible to track them while pretending to place a contract? Step on the tail first.”

“It will be difficult. I want to grind the Dark Moon Sect down too, but to this day, not even the location of a branch hall, let alone the main headquarters, has ever been revealed. As the Dark Moon Sect grew rapidly, it gained many enemies. Yet the fact that it still flaunts its prosperity means that no one has succeeded in revenge.”

“Hm!”

Just like Seo Joun, Geum Hoyeon also wanted to crush the Dark Moon Sect.

But if they couldn’t know its location, revenge itself was impossible.

Moreover, the opponents were assassins.

They were experts at hiding their bodies, so finding them would be all the more difficult.

“What if there is a way to find the location?”

“Pardon?”

“It might be difficult for the Geum Family Estate alone. But what if the Beggars’ Sect and the Hao Sect join forces?”

Geum Hoyeon’s pupils expanded.

If the three greatest information organizations under heaven joined together, no matter how Dark Moon Sect was, it would be impossible for them to hide perfectly.

They might hide their bodies, but they couldn’t avoid eating.

Since assassins were still human, food was essential.

They could be somewhat self-sufficient, but there were clear limits.

Moreover, since it wasn’t just one or two people, the amount of food consumed would be considerable.

“It will take time, but we can find them. If the information works of the Beggars’ Sect, the Hao Sect, and the Geum Family Estate are combined.”

Geum Hoyeon spoke with conviction.

If those three joined forces, it would be no different from combining all the information under heaven.

So although it would take some time, finding the Dark Moon Sect was not impossible.

“And the Main Temple won’t stay still either.”

“That’s right.”

Since it was none other than Ban Hojin who had been targeted for assassination, there was no way Shaolin would remain idle.

Even if the entirety of Shaolin did not move, it was certain that Damhyeon, the Abbot, would take action.

“It might even be connected to other places as well. For now, we can capture them and find out.”

Ban Hojin did not think that Geum Sangryong had simply paid an astronomical contract fee and that the Dark Moon Sect had accepted the request.

It was not some middling place—the Dark Moon Sect was the second-largest force among assassin sects.

There was no way such a group would have failed to consider what would happen if they failed, nor would they have taken the request without any prior investigation.

Of course, they might have overestimated their own capabilities, but there was more than enough possibility that another reason existed.

‘And I also know the location of the Dark Moon Sect.’

As it was now, and even more so later, the Dark Moon Sect was a place that would earn a fearsome reputation.

Namely, as the minions of the Four Tyrants of the World.

In order to overtake the Assassin’s Gate and rise to a position on par with the current Nine Great Sects and Five Great Families, the Dark Moon Sect Leader had entered under the command of the Four Tyrants of the World.

Because he had personally faced the Dark Moon Sect Leader back then, Ban Hojin knew where the Dark Moon Sect’s headquarters was located.

“At the very least, there’ll be an enormous uproar. Not just the Abbot, but Great Master Beopmu as well.”

“And this happened right near Shaolin, didn’t it? If it were me, I’d want to grind them up and drink them.”

Seonwu Bang and Seo Joun spoke while glaring at Guwol, whose eyes only blinked repeatedly.

Faced with gazes that looked ready to dismember him on the spot, Guwol tightly shut his eyes.

“First of all, I have no intention of staying still myself. So let me ask—what will you all do?”

“I’ll obviously go with you, Elder Brother!”

“Same here. And after you, wouldn’t we have been next anyway?”

“I’ll go as well.”

“I’ll definitely come along too. They targeted Elder Brother—there’s no way we can just sit back. I think we should trample them even more thoroughly.”

Starting with Seonwu Bang, Seo Joun, Jeong I-ryong, and Murong Cheok all spoke in chilling tones.

If the one who had commissioned it really was Geum Sangryong, there was no guarantee that they themselves were safe.

The biggest obstacle was Ban Hojin, but the four of them also had ties to Geum Hoyeon.

If Ban Hojin’s assassination had succeeded, they might have been targeted next.

“It’ll be dangerous.”

“That’s exactly why we should join forces, isn’t it? And it’ll be a good experience too.”

Murong Cheok grinned.

Seeing him already calculating what could be gained in such a short time, Ban Hojin thought once again that his mind truly was sharp.

“But shouldn’t we also go over the First Young Lord?”

“There’s no evidence.”

“Ah.”

Seo Joun, who had brought up Geum Sangryong because it felt like they were focusing too much on the Dark Moon Sect, parted his lips slightly.

He realized that everything discussed so far was based entirely on circumstantial suspicion.

The probability was the highest, but there was no physical evidence anywhere.

There was an assassin who could be used as a witness, but the likelihood of him opening his mouth was slim.

“He probably didn’t place the contract himself either. People like that want to keep their own hands clean. That’s why we have to strike the headquarters even more. That’s where the evidence will be.”

“So in the end, the Dark Moon Sect is the key.”

“That’s right.”

Everyone’s gaze gathered on Guwol.

Yet even though he must have felt all eyes on him, Guwol showed no reaction at all.

“For now, everyone prepare. I’ll go see my Master. At the very least, I should inform him. About where I’m going.”

“It’s going to turn everything upside down.”

“Maybe it will, maybe it won’t.”

Ban Hojin shrugged.

Damhyeon and Beopmu would naturally fly into a rage, but others were different.

Though Ban Hojin’s reputation was considerable at present, speaking coldly, he was still just one among Shaolin’s many lay disciples.

That was why Ban Hojin did not make any rash assurances.

“I’ll prepare as well. In a way, this happened because of me.”

Geum Hoyeon spoke with a resolute expression.

He knew well that he had played a central role in this assassination plan.

Because of that, his face soon filled with guilt.

Instead of helping, he had aided the Dark Moon Sect in setting a trap.

“I was planning to ask Young Master Geum for a favor anyway. So please prepare to depart in the morning.”

“Understood. I’ll make sure the guards are set firmly.”

He wondered what good night watch would do, but the most dangerous moment was always right after a crisis had just passed.

Since the Dark Moon Sect might aim for that opening again, Geum Hoyeon opened his eyes wide.

“It’ll probably be fine. They deployed quite a few people this time. And Bang Yi and the others are there as well.”

At Ban Hojin’s words, the group nodded.

Judging purely by skill, they were superior to Geum Hoyeon’s escort unit.

That was why, if guards were to be set, it made sense for the four of them to do it.

“There’s nothing in your sensory perception, right?”

“That’s right. Still, just in case, don’t let your guard down completely.”

“Of course.”

Ban Hojin smiled faintly at Seonwu Bang’s reliable answer, then turned his body.

Though it was deep into the night, given the gravity of the matter, Ban Hojin headed toward Damhyeon’s quarters.