The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 133



Only Noblemtl

Episode 133

133. Did I hit the nail on the head?

A small table set in the living room.

All that was served was a bowl of soup with no meat and kimchi. Rice, which was hard to come by in the prison village, made the table look plentiful.

The rice and soup bowls were exactly enough for three people. It was more like they were going to talk amongst themselves rather than not sharing with their subordinates.

Hwang Dong-su sat down in front of the table without saying anything and picked up his spoon. The other two also sat down in their respective seats.

Hwang Dong-su took a spoonful of soup without saying much, then began to eat it with rice. The other two had no choice but to start eating too.

The three of them emptied their plates almost simultaneously, as if they had finished their meals in sync with each other.

At that moment, Lady Uiju came in holding a bowl of rice cake and placed it next to Hwang Dongsu. Yeonjeongmun flinched at her appearance. Cheon Deoksu avoided eye contact.

“Ugh! Sister-in-law, your cooking skills are still the same. I can’t believe how delicious this ‘radish stew’ without a single piece of meat is.”

When Hwang Dong-su turned around and spoke, Ui-ju’s wife smiled faintly.

“If it’s Gaeseongsik, it should have beef, chicken, and pork. But since there’s no meat, it’s just something boiled like soup. Still, I’m glad it was delicious. How about you two, young masters?”

“It was delicious.”

“Ahem. Well, it was okay.”

“I’m glad you like it. Let’s have a nice chat.”

When Mrs. Uiju opened the door to the bedroom and went out, Kim Gil-young was seen through the open door. He was glaring at Cheon Deok-su.

“Children do not come to the place of adults.”

Mrs. Uiju scolded her son. Hearing her voice, Cheon Deok-su turned around and met Kim Gil-yeong’s eyes. Kim Gil-yeong answered without taking his eyes off Cheon Deok-su.

“I came to see my enemy’s face.”

“Kim Gil-young!”

“Okay. I saw it. If only I could become a hunter… … .”

Kim Gil-young turned around and ran out. Mrs. Ui-ju looked at the place where the child had run to for a moment, then turned her gaze toward the bedroom and closed the door.

Cheon Deok-su looked away with a complicated expression.

“Let’s talk after you’ve finished eating. What do you mean? You’re suddenly forming a faction.”

When Yeonjeongmun pressed him, Hwang Dongsu answered.

“That’s exactly what it is. I’m going to gather the guys who follow me and create something like a two-sided group.”

“Hwang Dong-soo! You punk! The reason we haven’t touched you until now is because you’re alone and powerless. But if you act like this, we won’t be able to tolerate it any longer!”

Cheon Deok-su shouted. But Hwang Dong-su was not discouraged. He spoke calmly.

“Brother. Even though we are distant now, we used to be called brother and younger brother. Today, I will call you brother like we used to.”

The two made strange expressions at Hwang Dong-soo’s voice that suddenly became soft. At the same time, they felt a sense of discomfort at his appearance that was different from his usual fierce appearance.

“Okay, since we’re on the subject, I’ll call you my little brother too. Let’s be honest. What on earth are you planning?”

“First, let me set some facts straight.”

“what?”

“First of all, I am not the ‘leader’ of our group.”

“What is it?”

Cheon Deok-su’s face distorted.

Hwang Dong-soo isn’t the leader. Then who?

Although Yeonjeongmun also had doubts, he calmly asked back.

“If not you, then who… surely it’s your sister-in-law?”

“Not even sister-in-law.”

“Then, who… … .”

That was when.

Chin, chin, chin, chin.

A strange sound came from outside, enough to interrupt the conversation. The dull sound of something hitting the floor. Between them, there was the occasional sound of weak, dragging footsteps.

Soon, the old hinges opened with a creaking, back-breaking sound. At the same time, Hwang Dong-su stood up from his seat.

Yeonjeongmun and Cheondeoksu couldn’t turn their heads toward the door. It was because something so absurd, so unbelievable that they thought they were dreaming, was unfolding before their eyes.

Hwang Dong-su was bending his back.

“Are you here?”

“What are you doing now… … .”

“This is the person I serve.”

Yeonjeongmun and Cheondeoksu looked back with their eyes wide open.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Kang Mu-hyeok.”

* * *

The man leaning on the cane looked extremely frail. His face was pale and his lips were bloodless. He looked like he would collapse and die if you just hit him with a harsh word.

“You’re not a hunter, are you? What kind of guy is this… Huh?”

Cheon Deok-su muttered to himself, then remembered the name Kang Mu-hyeok and closed his mouth. He realized who he was.

The one the Chinese told me to bring in by noon today, dead or alive. But who would have thought he wasn’t a hunter?

‘You’re sticking with Hyun Jeong-geon, I thought you were a skilled man. You’re not even a hunter? Wait! How can a man who’s not even a hunter… ?’

Kang Mu-hyeok answered as if he had read Cheon Deok-su’s mind.

“Yes. I’m not a hunter.”

“Judging from the way you speak American dialect, you must be from the South. Judging from the fact that Dong-su said he would follow you, even if he is not a hunter, he must be something. What is your affiliation?”

“I come from the Ironwill Guild.”

When Kang Mu-hyeok answered, Yeon Jeong-moon looked slightly surprised and asked back.

“Iron Will? Is that Joo Se Ah there… …?”

“That’s right. I’m the manager there.”

Right away, Yeonjeongmun’s eyes showed a look of caution.

Just the fact that he came from the guild that Ju Se Ah was in charge of made him someone to be wary of. Considering the rumors about Ju Se Ah circulating in the North, I thought he was a nuclear bomb.

“So. Chief Kang, what brings you all the way to this cold north?”

“Those Chinese guys.”

Before Kang Mu-hyeok could answer, Cheon Deok-su intervened.

“Why them?”

“That guy is the one that told his son to kill him along with Hyun Jeong-geon. He said that Hyun Jeong-geon called him and he came to Sinuiju. But he’s in cahoots with Joo Se-ah, the hunter… Is this Chinese son’s liver swollen?”

“Hyun Jeong-geon called?”

Yeonjeongmun looked at Kang Muhyuk carefully.

‘Hyun Jeong-geon is a person whose heart is unknowable. Although he may seem calm on the outside, he is not a person who lives in peace. If someone like that called him, it would be unusual. No, just by looking at the fact that he has already possessed Dong-su, does that mean he is a dangerous person? Hmm, no matter how I look at it, he doesn’t seem to be sick… … .’

Still, it was forbidden to let down one’s guard. Yeonjeongmun’s gaze became even more fierce.

Kang Moo-hyuk said after giving his opponent enough time to organize his thoughts.

“It was not Hunter Hwang Dong-soo who called you two here, but me.”

“Why did you call me?”

“How long do you think you can live in this village, in Sinuiju?”

“What? Are you threatening me now?”

“Brother Deoksu, let’s listen to what our leader has to say a little more.”

“Dong-soo, this… Ha, really. I have a short temper. If you were going to beat around the bush, I would have just gone back.”

The moment Cheon Deok-su suddenly stood up from his seat, Kang Mu-hyeok blurted out the words he had been holding in his mouth.

“We are trying to unite the hunters in this village. Our goal is to expel the Chinese hunters. We are going to drive them out of Sinuiju.”

There was silence.

Yeon Jeong-moon’s lips trembled as she pondered Kang Mu-hyeok’s words. But she couldn’t say anything.

‘What is this guy? Was he just a crazy guy?’

Cheon Deok-su also couldn’t come forward. It was because he didn’t understand the meaning of the words. Then, as he gradually began to understand, his face distorted, and eventually, his anger boiled inside him and he ended up screaming.

“Do you understand why the Chinese son called you a scapegoat?! Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what you’re talking about? Right here in front of Cheon Deok-su, not only are you putting this village under your feet, but you’re declaring war! I don’t need to listen to this crazy guy anymore! I’ll just kill him in one blow and hand him over to the Chinese son, and that’s it!”

“Brother, don’t act rashly.”

Hwang Dong-soo took one of his chopsticks and aimed it at Cheon Deok-soo. Cheon Deok-soo burst into laughter, saying that it was ridiculous.

“Are you going to stab me now? Even with the ‘chi’?”

“You were the one who raised my spirits, weren’t you, hyung?”

“If you’re still like this after hearing that crazy talk, you must be crazy too. Let’s beat up all the crazy guys today and go back to how we were before.”

chin!

The cane took a step forward towards the wild Cheon Deok-su. Kang Mu-hyeok also took a step closer.

“Are you angry?”

“What did you say?”

“You’re angry.”

“That’s not a given. Why would you turn a village into a battlefield?!”

“I have a question. This part keeps bothering me. I think if you help me out a bit, I can also decide on a direction.”

Cheon Deok-su looked at Kang Mu-hyeok, who suddenly asked a question, incredulous. Kang Mu-hyeok spoke without caring.

“Wasn’t Hunter Cheon Deok-su a stooge of the Chinese guild? If anyone heard about it. He seems like a person who protects the village.”

“… … .”

“That’s not like someone who would capture the most respected hunter in the village and offer him up to a Chinese guild.”

“Hey, you little brat! How dare you!”

“No way!!”

The moment Cheon Deok-su was about to jump out, Yeon Jeong-mun stretched out his hand to block his way.

“Chief Kang, you are provoking Deoksu too much right now. You are risking your life too much when you do your work.”

“All I have is my life, so I have to give it to you hunters so I can at least talk to you. And you just called the facts provocation. There’s usually an appropriate expression for this situation. You hit the nail on the head. Did I hit the nail on the head just now? Which part?”

“Don’t insult the dead. Don’t cause trouble. It’s an unwritten rule in this village to bury the past. That’s how we’ve lived. It’s not a matter for outsiders to meddle in.”

Just a moment ago, the accent of Yeonjeongmun, which had been close to standard language, had collapsed. The northern accent was occasionally mixed in. However, his expression looked even more uncomfortable than when he was using standard language. Cheon Deoksu also seemed to want to get out of this place right away rather than being angry.

dump.

Kang Mu-hyuk sat down. No, rather than sitting down, it would be more accurate to say that his legs gave out and he sank to the ground.

“It’s hard to stand. Well, while we’re sitting down, let me tell you a few more things that I found strange. In a certain village, there are two factions with opposing goals. However, they have been at odds with each other for a long time, but they have never had a big fight, and they don’t even see blood. When there is a conflict, they resolve it through conversation rather than fists. And that’s the Hunters.”

No one said anything. Even Hwang Dong-soo, who was not directly involved, held his breath.

Kang Moo-hyuk continued speaking.

“I’ve been reading a lot of Hunters. I’ve never heard of this before. It’s like something out of a fairy tale. Peace without war. So I thought. Are these two really on bad terms? And one more thing.”

Although Kang Mu-hyeok only raised one finger, Yeon Jeong-moon and Cheon Deok-su flinched their shoulders.

“Why does Mrs. Ui-ju, or rather, Mrs. Jeong-ye-bun, only hate Cheon Deok-su, who captured and offered her husband to the Chinese guild, in words?”

“What is that… … .”

Hwang Dong-soo couldn’t overcome his curiosity any longer and tried to step forward, but Kang Mu-hyeok waved his hand to stop him, so he had no choice but to step back.

“I have a bit of a weird constitution. I’m quicker on the uptake than other people. Sometimes it’s hard because I can tell what kind of emotions someone is feeling just by looking at their expressions. When Mrs. Jeong was dealing with the subordinates of Hunter Cheon Deok-su, she would curse at them with her words, but her eyes would show compassion, um… I don’t think that’s the right word. So… Jeong. Yes, I should say ‘Jeong.’ That’s the kind of affection he had. On the contrary, young Gil-young’s eyes were filled with venom. Of course, this is my personal opinion. If you don’t agree, then there’s nothing I can do.”

The room was quiet, as if only Kang Mu-hyeok was there. Only Kang Mu-hyeok’s voice could be heard, and he was knocking on people’s doors.

“As I let my imagination run wild, other questions began to arise. The common denominator that connects everyone here. Kim Byung-joo. Yes, the man who is Mrs. Jeong’s husband. The A-rank hunter. Why did he die quietly?”

Kang Mu-hyeok raised his head and looked at Yeon Jeong-moon, Cheon Deok-su, and Hwang Dong-su alternately as he spoke.

“No one knew about the process. Not even Hwang Dong-soo, the sworn brother. The other two sworn brothers must know something, right? They were together until the end, right?”

“I hope you stop pressuring your younger siblings, Director Kang Mu-hyeok.”

The door opened and Mrs. Ui came in.

“My husband was wrong. He should have fought back then. He shouldn’t have avoided it.”

* * *

‘Chief Kang’s thoughts were right. These guys are preparing to fight. Five guilds in total. If things continue like this, that village will become a battlefield. It would be better to prepare for escape than to fight.’

After completing his reconnaissance near the building where the enemy guild leadership was located, Mr. Joe immediately tried to escape the enemy lines.

But then the voice I heard grabbed my ankle.

“When will the support team at Dandong across the bridge arrive?”

“They said they’d move once they started cleaning up? If they join in, the North Koreans won’t be able to escape even a single ant.”

“Hahaha! Now the tooth that was hurting will fall out.”

Dandong? Engineering college?

Mr. Joe was taken aback.

‘These guys… They’re not just fighting, they’re trying to kill us all!’