The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 126



Only Noblemtl

Episode 126

126. Sit down.

“Brother Deoksu! I’m here.”

“Yeah, what did those guys say?”

“What did you say? Kang Mu-hyeok? He’s the kid from the Southern Hunters’ Activity Group. He’s that arrogant guy. What was his name? That’s right. Hyun Jeong-geon. I heard he was hiding here after having sex with that kid. Bring him here.”

“Until when?”

“The deal to bring him in right away was barely postponed until tomorrow.”

Cheon Deok-su looked into the distance as if he was thinking deeply about something, and only after a long time did he open his mouth.

“Don’t clash with Yeonjeongmun’s son as much as possible and search him thoroughly. If he starts a fight, report it to me right away.”

“Yes, I understand.”

* * *

Kang Moo-hyuk felt the attic was cramped because of the children sitting around the bed.

‘I just wanted to hear some stories about the prison village.’

Kim Gil-young was so excited that he called all his friends from the alley. The children had never talked to anyone other than the villagers, so they sat together with their eyes sparkling with curiosity.

‘I feel like I’ve become a monkey in a zoo. Well, at least now that I have more mouths to talk, my information has become richer.’

Kang Moo-hyuk did not ignore the information coming out of their mouths just because they were children. Rather, he spoke without preconceptions about what he saw, heard, and felt, and a considerable amount of it was revealed frankly.

Moreover, it was quite logical and clear to say that they were children who were mature beyond their years.

“The leader of the Yeonjeongmun clan is really cool. When I grow up, I’ll become like the leader.”

“But that old man’s face is too scary. I like Mr. Hyun better. Maybe it’s because he lives in Seoul, but he has a noble style. I’m going to marry a man like Mr. Hyun later.”

“I heard that Deoksu caused a commotion at Mr. Gong’s house last time?”

“No. Deoksu isn’t that bad of a guy. The one who gave Old Man Gong the briquettes was Deoksu.”

“How do you not know that?”

“I saw it when I passed by Deoksu. He said there was briquette on his clothes.”

“I guess he put briquettes in his house. He’s not that kind of person.”

“Sometimes Chinese guys come into the village and it’s scary. Last time, I met their eyes in the prison warehouse and I almost peed my pants. He came to me laughing and I was shaking, but Hwang Dong-soo helped me? I said something to the Chinese guy in Chinese and he got scared and ran away.”

“What? Hwang Dong-su-myeon, the old lady Hwang’s house’s scoundrel? What’s that scoundrel doing?”

“I don’t mind if you go out and die, but Grandma Hwang is in big trouble. She’s not feeling well, and I wonder if she’s keeping herself warm in the attic since it’s winter.”

Although it soon became a place where they just chatted amongst themselves without any particular reason, Kang Mu-hyeok was able to obtain a lot of information.

From the nitty gritty of town news to the power dynamics that divide this place.

The prison village was largely divided between Cheon Deok-su and Yeon Jeong-mun’s forces, but there were also many hunters who moved individually, such as Hwang Dong-su.

There were also hunters who moved by party rather than forming large groups, and there were even movements to introduce a small guild-like operating system to absorb other hunters.

“What are these guys?”

Hyun Jeong-geon, who had just returned to the hideout, asked in disbelief when he saw the attic.

“Mr. Hyun!”

The little girl who said that Hyun Jeong-geon was her ideal type grabbed Hyun Jeong-geon’s leg and greeted him. The other kids also ran to Hyun Jeong-geon and hugged him.

“Oh my, you guys. Okay, there are some snacks in that round container over there. Gil-young, take them out and share them with everyone.”

“yes!”

Hyun Jeong-geon shouted at the children who were rushing out with candy containers as if they had never seen him before.

“It’s a secret that there are old men here!”

“Yes, yes~!”

The voices of the children chattering away quickly faded away.

“You’re out of your mind. You can’t call this place a hideout. Huh? Why?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Because they were staring at me intently. It seemed like the captain had something to say… Oh, I wonder if the kids would run around here talking? You don’t have to worry about that. Even though they seem young, they are tight-lipped and deep in thought. Maybe it’s because they live in a place like this. They’ve really matured. Back then, I was busy causing trouble.”

“No. It’s not that. It’s just that it seems surprisingly popular among children. I was surprised.”

When Kang Mu-hyeok looked genuinely surprised, Hyun Jeong-geon scratched the back of his neck as if embarrassed.

“It’s even popular.”

“Well, it seems like you donated a lot of things like rice and briquettes when you first came here. You’ll probably be popular.”

“What are the kids saying? Why are they even saying such things, those guys? It’s nothing serious. Normally, when a stranger comes in, the villagers are wary. They approached it strategically. No one would hate it if they were given food and clothing for free. Since they didn’t have anything to spend their money on, they gave them some rice cakes instead of moving.”

“It was quite a large quantity for a moving rice cake. I heard it was enough for the entire village to hold a feast.”

“What about a feast? That year, the price of rice coming into Sinuiju went up a lot, so some people starved to death. The Chinese kids controlled that and harassed them. At that time, they loaded up the trucks and were very excited. All they did was cook and eat until they were full.”

When Kang Mu-hyeok stared blankly at him without saying anything, Hyun Jeong-geon coughed in vain and changed the subject.

“Don’t keep asking questions. That’s not important right now. Cheon Deok-su’s gang has moved. Oh, you don’t know? Cheon Deok-su, this village… … .”

“I know. One of the two major forces in the prison village.”

“Did the children talk?”

“I just found out today. If you have seven kids talking nonstop for three hours, you can get information that even the National Intelligence Service has a hard time getting.”

“Hahaha, they are quite talkative. They must have been excited to see a foreigner for the first time in a long time. The adults are all too busy trying to make a living to pay attention to them. The alleys are so close together that there is no place to play, and the schools aren’t properly equipped, so there isn’t really a place to gather.”

“Isn’t there a school?”

“It’s called a school. There are some educated people teaching, but it’s not enough. Well, isn’t the school the only thing that’s lacking? There’s no hospital, no fire station, nothing. If you get seriously hurt here, you’ll die. It’s fortunate if you have potions, but if you don’t have the money to buy them, you have to worry more about food, clothing, and shelter, so most people end up dying after getting sick. If there’s a fire, it’s even worse.”

“So that’s why the people here can’t fight freely against the Chinese hunters.”

“If we get kicked out of Shinuiju, we have nowhere to go. Should we go to Ma-gyeong or go down south? It would be fortunate if we don’t get caught by the police.”

Hyun Jeong-geon, who had been spitting out words while getting angry, closed his mouth for a moment and calmed his breathing.

“Anyway, we haven’t found a route out of here yet. And there’s no way to contact the outside world.”

“You said you were a broker. What methods did you use?”

“Not only the line I used, but also the brokers here are blocked. There is no island in the middle of the real land.”

“I see… Ugh, gulp gulp! Keuheup… … .”

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Kang Moo-hyuk suddenly coughed as if he had caught a cold. The cough that made him feel like he was going to suffocate immediately subsided a little while later, but his face turned pale and discolored.

“Hey, there, some medicine over there… … .”

Kang Moo-hyeok chewed and swallowed the pills that Hyun Jeong-geon had brought him without water. As time passed, his colorless face began to return. Hyun Jeong-geon placed the pill bottle next to the table and said.

“I guess this is working? I see people who were coughing like they were going to die get better.”

“It’s a temporary measure. Every time I cough, I lose energy. If this continues, I’ll end up in a wheelchair. I need to get an injection before it gets any worse.”

“Well, let’s go back out and try to find a way to contact Ironwill. There’s bound to be a loophole somewhere.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Just check.”

“I am Hyun Jeong-geon. As you know.”

That night, Hyun Jeong-geon did not return to the hideout.

* * *

“Donsu, don’t you know that our brother is big-hearted? If you catch that guy named Kang Mu-hyeok, I’ll give you a lot of money. The Chinese guys looked down on you and got hit with a punch, but you know how strong Hyun Jeong-geon is. There aren’t many people here who can handle him. You have to take care of your mother. You can’t go hunting because you’re nursing her, so shouldn’t you do something else? If I get the money, my brother will talk to the Chinese kids and open a way for you to use a hospital in the city.”

Hwang Dong-su was moved by the suggestion of his older brother, who had lived next door since childhood.

Although Hwang Dong-su was shy around groups like the Baekdu Mountain tigers and was distant from Cheon Deok-su’s gang, he couldn’t help but give in to this one-off request.

Originally, Hwang Dong-su was a hunter who was considered one of the best in the prison village, just like his missing father. Because of his skills, he often caught valuable monsters.

But what good is it if you get expensive byproducts? You can’t sell them as you please.

The people of the prison village could only sell the byproducts of the demons within Sinuiju. If they were caught selling them on the Chinese black market on the Tumen River or Shandong Peninsula, their business would be over.

These are people who would have lived comfortably if they had sold themselves elsewhere, but their natural fate as North Korean hunters forced them into inequality.

Since the only distribution channels for by-products were Chinese hunters who controlled the commercial district of Sinuiju, if we fell out of favor with them, our livelihood would be in jeopardy.

Food supply, restrictions on movement, even access to medical treatment. It was natural to feel antipathy toward the Chinese who held the power of life and death in the village, but Hwang Dong-su decided to close his eyes just once after hearing that his mother would be treated.

“Do you know where it is hidden?”

“It’s obvious, isn’t it? There aren’t many. It’s probably one of the people who were close to Hyun Jeong-geon.”

“There are few people in this town who haven’t benefited from Hyun Jeong-geon. I’m no exception.”

“So you’re not going to do it?”

“… … .”

“Brother Byung-ju’s house. Isn’t your sister-in-law hiding it there?”

“If you know, just go and catch him. Why are you calling me?”

“I told you earlier. If we’re going to catch Hyun Jeong-geon, at least our brother has to step forward. Or maybe you or Yeon Jeong-moon? We can’t ask Yeon Jeong-moon to do it. Just go and catch him. You don’t even have to breathe. Then, we’ll take care of the rest.”

Hwang Dong-su let out a long sigh and opened his mouth as if he had made up his mind.

“For the sake of my brother Byung-ju, who died saving the villagers, I cannot cross the threshold of that house while my sister-in-law is awake. I will go in late at night and handle it quietly.”

“Okay. You can do whatever you want. You still have time until noon tomorrow anyway. Then, I’ll just trust you.”

* * *

A late night with only lanterns lit because the electricity was not working properly.

Even this was a waste of batteries and oil, so everyone went to bed early, and there was no light other than moonlight in the alley.

In the darkness, Hwang Dong-su moved. Hwang Dong-su, who had entered Ui-ju’s house as if it were broad daylight, soon realized that something was wrong.

‘There is no sign.’

The sound he was talking about was Hyun Jeong-geon’s.

On the first floor of the house, which was so shabby that it looked like it would collapse if a typhoon came, I could feel the presence of my sister-in-law and Gil-young.

However, above, only the presence of an ordinary person suspected to be Kang Mu-hyeok could be felt, and Hyun Jeong-geon’s presence was nowhere to be found.

‘Even if you’re a hunter, you can’t hide your presence like this while resting. That alone consumes a lot of strength. Is it hiding? Anticipating an invasion? No way. Do you think it’ll keep going like that knowing when you’ll come?’

Normally, I would have felt uneasy and backed off, but if not today, there was no other chance. I had to catch her by noon tomorrow so I could take my mother to the hospital.

Hwang Dong-soo went up to the attic, prepared to fight in the worst case scenario.

There was a person lying on the bed. Hwang Dong-su looked at the face to see if it matched the target’s appearance. Then he was startled.

“You weren’t sleeping?”

“I’m worried because the current president hasn’t come in yet.”

Only then did Hwang Dong-soo realize why he had not felt any movement from Hyun Jeong-geon. He had simply left the place.

I let out a sigh of relief at the fact that there was no one to bother me, but then suddenly I noticed the strange attitude of the person I was seeing right before my eyes.

“How strange. He didn’t even scream. How could someone who isn’t a hunter be so calm and collected when they see an intruder? It’s hard for an ordinary person. I don’t know what he does, but he must have been a very anxious Chinese trying to catch him.”

Kang Mu-hyeok struggled to lift his upper body.

“It’s because it’s dark. I can’t see the night guest’s fierce face, so there’s nothing to be surprised about.”

“Night guest? I am not a thief.”

“That would be rude to a thief. Thieves only steal things, and at least they don’t climb over walls to take innocent people’s lives.”

“I won’t make excuses. I have my own circumstances.”

“Is it because of your mother’s illness? Or is it food? What did they promise?”

“!!”

Hwang Dong-soo was so shocked that he couldn’t open his mouth. The other person knew his true identity.

‘Is it a trap?’

Kang Moo-hyuk continued speaking.

“Just like I heard, you speak in a polite manner that is not commonly used these days, with a low tone. You have a sturdy build and tall stature, long, unkempt hair, and a large scar on your face. Are you Hwang Dong-soo? The scoundrel of the prison village?”

“Who are you?”

“You came here to kill me. Don’t you know? Kang Moo-hyuk. No?”

“How do you know me? I’ve never seen you.”

“Sit down instead of standing there. It’s tiring to even raise your head.”

“Tell me what you are talking about!”

“Sit down, Hwang Dong-su. If you don’t want to see your mother die.”