Rogues really do all sorts of jobs.
There are too many kinds to count them all.
They fill out the numbers in fights between sects.
They serve as foot soldiers when capturing demon heads or villains.
Sometimes, when hired by villains, they commit all sorts of evil deeds, including murder.
Those who can't afford assassins sometimes hire rogues instead.
But not all jobs involve danger or drawing a blade.
Occasionally, they spar with the young masters of wealthy families.
That's pure honey.
It does require some acting skills, though.
'Aaaagh! Young master, please go easy on me. Your sword is too fierce. I really think I'm going to die like this.' If you flop over with some exaggerated whining like that, you can even score some extra cash.
They search for missing people.
They deliver letters or goods.
Of course, they find runaway kids, and sometimes even dogs or cats.
They deliver food before it gets cold.
They collect debts on behalf of others.
Occasionally, they spread false rumors to sway public opinion.
And so on.
Rogues handle a truly vast array of tasks.
And in each field, there are rogues who specialize.
Green Snake Blade O Makeong, Yin-Yang Monk, Wang Geol, Dog Nose Mak Chil.
These four fell into the latter category.
They never took dangerous commissions, always sticking to safe ones.
But even safe jobs weren't always safe.
Not today, for instance.
"You bastards! What the hell is today? Kill them all!"
O Makeong, Yin-Yang Monk, Wang Geol, Mak Chil.
The four of them were stunned first by the nine corpses.
The stench of blood, severed limbs, rolling heads.
And the ferocity of enemies who swung their blades without a word of question.
They froze solid.
They were rogues and martial artists, for heaven's sake.
They were so shocked and terrified that they couldn't even think to draw the swords at their waists.
At that moment.
One of them let out a beastly shout and swung his blade at my neck.
Reflexively, I snatched up the sword of a dead rogue at my feet.
Slash!
My blade tip smoothly parted bone, and the guy's head slid off at an angle.
Immediately, tat-tat!
I took two steps with footwork.
Slash! Slash!
Of the four closing in on O Makeong's back, blood fountained from the necks of two.
The remaining two halted their attack on O Makeong's back and spun around.
They scowled fiercely, then launched themselves at me with rage-twisted faces.
Clang!
Clang-clang!
Clang-clang-clang!
Slow.
Too slow.
Their eyes blazed with madness, and their swinging blades were loaded with inner power.
Normally, when blades clashed like this, your hands would go numb enough to drop your sword.
But what I felt on my blade now was just the whisper of wind.
Not even the slightest weight.
The three of us exchanged twenty bouts in an instant.
Truth be told, I could have killed them ages ago if I'd wanted.
I was too shocked.
Not because of them.
It was because I'd become ridiculously strong overnight.
To confirm it for sure, I was deliberately clashing blades with them.
And now.
It was certain.
Slash!
One guy's head came clean off his body.
As I moved to sever the last one's neck too.
"Spa... Spare me! Please spare my life!"
Thwack!
Crash!
The final guy dropped his sword and surrendered.
I kicked him hard as he knelt begging for mercy.
From my kick, he tumbled a good dozen rolls before collapsing.
"Let's trade a few more blows."
Thwack-thwack-thwack!
Splat!
Splat-splat-splat-splat!
I beat him mercilessly for quite a while.
I stopped my brutal pummeling only after he'd turned into a bloody mess and passed out.
As I halted the beating, O Makeong and the others rushed over and bound him tight.
I watched for a moment, then slowly turned my head.
Toward Baek Jun, the gisaeng pretty boy.
He clutched a heavy money pouch in one hand, his face pale white as he trembled.
"Kneel."
Thud!
No sooner had I spoken than he dropped to his knees.
O Makeong and the others dashed over again and trussed him up tight with rope.
Only then, with the situation resolved, did sobs erupt from the terrified women.
"Waaah!"
"I want to go home."
"Waaah. Waaaah!"
"That bastard lured us and sold us to those guys. I miss my mom. Waaah."
From their tearful stories, I quickly pieced together what had happened.
It was a common enough occurrence.
Trafficking women like this.
Baek Jun and the human trafficker would get their due punishment... Huh?
O Makeong, Yin-Yang Monk, Wang Geol, Mak Chil.
Why were they standing at attention?
Lined up in a row, rigid with perfect posture.
I addressed Green Snake Blade O Makeong among them.
"Why...?"
"Uh? Oh, this... it just felt right..."
"Hmm. Brother O. You can escort all these guys and the women to the capital, right?"
"Uh."
"Do that. See the women safely home, and send these two to Jade Water Manor—they'll handle it."
"R-Right."
"My pay is two taels of silver. Give it to me when we meet later."
"Uh. Sure."
"Then I'm off. I've pushed myself, so I really need some rest."
I placed the sword I'd picked up from the ground back where it belonged.
Its owner was dead, but a sword was property and money.
Also a keepsake.
It rightfully belonged to the dead rogue's family.
As I turned to leave the scene.
"Um... Brother Jin."
Green Snake Blade O Makeong called out to me cautiously.
"Just call me like you have been."
"Uh... right. Aren't you coming with?"
"To the capital?"
"Yeah."
I stared blankly at him, and O Makeong swallowed what he'd been about to say.
Then O Makeong, Yin-Yang Monk, Wang Geol, and Mak Chil just exchanged glances.
Finally, O Makeong mustered his courage again and spoke.
"Sorry."
"About what?"
"Actually, the success bounty for finding and bringing back Miss So Ok-hyang wasn't one tael per person—it was a total of twenty taels from Jade Water Manor."
"Ah..."
"But the commission fee is one tael. Of course, for a second-rater like me and the special provisions, it's three taels, but for third-raters... I mean, you're not a third-rater or anything..."
"It's fine. I am a third-rater."
O Makeong broke into a cold sweat before continuing.
"So your share would be one tael commission plus twenty taels success bounty..."
"Split it equally among the five of us."
"Gasp! Really? You okay with that? You took them all down by yourself!"
"Everyone worked hard. So my cut would be five taels?"
"Yeah! Right. Of course, if you wanted more, that'd be fair too..."
"No need. Split equally."
"Ah..."
All four looked deeply moved.
They also seemed sorry toward me.
And a hint of fear.
Then O Makeong spoke up again.
"Still, shouldn't you go to the Hundred-Li Clan?"
"Why there?"
"They've had the Heaven's Net up for five days now. Word is they pay two taels a day. That's ten taels. You should claim that."
"Hmm... yeah. Five taels from Jade Water Manor. Ten from Hundred-Li Clan! Whoa! Even if I'm exhausted, that's worth risking my life for!"
"R-Right."
I exaggerated my tone and expression on purpose.
To avoid suspicion.
I was dying to rush home right now and check out the latter half of the 32 Rogue Arts.
But I couldn't.
Fourteen taels of silver was more precious than life to a third-rate rogue.
Dismissing it would surely make someone suspicious of me.
"Let's hurry! Support the injured women, and beat those guys if you have to make them walk. Let's go."
"Yeah, alright! Let's move!"
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Jade Water Manor was in an uproar.
They'd thought their only daughter So Ok-hyang had just run away, but she'd been sold to human traffickers and rescued.
The traffickers, no less.
The ones I'd taken down.
The Human Money Five Ghosts—pretty notorious guys.
Soon after, several experts from the Martial Alliance's capital branch arrived.
In the main hall of Jade Water Manor, the manor lord and the Alliance experts talked at length.
Explaining the situation was our representative, Green Snake Blade O Makeong.
The rest of us waited outside the hall, lined up.
But then.
"Muhyeon."
"Yes."
"They want you inside?"
"Me? Oh, right."
I had to explain the situation to the Jade Water Manor lord and the Martial Alliance capital branch experts.
The manor lord, grateful, gave me an extra ten taels on top of the commission and success bounty.
Total of fifteen taels of silver.
Leaving Jade Water Manor, I headed straight for the Hundred-Li Clan.
When parting with O Makeong and the others, they looked at me with awe, envy, and a touch of regret.
I waved lightly and parted cleanly.
There was good reason they eyed me like that.
When O Makeong explained the situation in the hall, he'd mentioned my exploits quite a bit.
We'd wiped out the Human Money Five Ghosts, after all—notorious human traffickers.
One of the Alliance experts had been watching me closely at first.
But when he heard I was a third-rate rogue, he lost interest.
Must've been frustrating for O Makeong, but fortunate for me.
Anyway, I arrived at the Hundred-Li Clan.
They were surprised to hear I was a survivor from the squad led by One-Eyed Wolf Yeo Yeop.
But it turned troublesome.
With the Horizontal Mountain Seven Blood Demons vanished completely, they grilled the last eyewitness—me—for two shichen (about four hours).
"...That's how I survived to the end, and just as they were about to catch me, I fell off the cliff. I don't remember anything after."
"Hmm. Anything at all, any clue..."
After repeating myself dozens of times, I finally got my ten taels and left the Hundred-Li Clan.
Or rather, as I was about to exit the main gate.
Flash Blade Wi Yeon.
Blood Flower Yi Boreong.
Two big shots even in the western capital rogue market were passing through the Hundred-Li Clan's main gate.
They were leagues above me, so I quickly stepped aside by the gate.
As they brushed past me.
Flash Blade Wi Yeon stopped and looked at me.
"Rogue?"
"Yes."
"What business here?"
"Came to collect pay for the Horizontal Mountain Seven Blood Demons matter."
"Which squad?"
Ah!
I didn't want to say it.
"From the squad led by One-Eyed Wolf Yeo Yeop."
In that instant.
Wi Yeon and Yi Boreong's gazes toward me shifted subtly.
"Heard the squad led by One-Eyed Wolf Yeo Yeop was wiped out?"
"Well, Brother Wi. I just spent two shichen explaining that to the Hundred-Li Clan. If you're curious, ask th..."
Shing!
In that instant.
Blood Flower Yi Boreong drew and pressed her blade tip to my neck.
That wasn't all.
She spoke to me in a voice dripping with venom.
"Want to die?"
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