Mercenary Black Mamba

The block-hair guy looked intently at Mu Ssang's mouth. His life was dependent on the other person's benevolence anyway. The goblin that popped out of nowhere in the daytime was surprisingly a strategist. He wasn't the kind of person who would be deceived by lies. The block-hair guy didn't want to die. If he died, what would become of his wife and cute child?

Ah, damn it, this guy looks like he's about to cry.

Mu Ssang frowned. Japs always had a bad habit of taking the most minor matters seriously.

"I'll let you go. I'm not a human if I don't keep my promise."

Mu Ssang wasn't a human but an Epidium. He'd basically made a false promise.

"Haa, who else can I trust? Governor Yamanashi wasn't an idiot. He hid the real treasures that he carefully selected in an underground room and got the best yin-yang spellcaster in his time from Japan to build a barrier around it."

"Oho, that's interesting. Yamanashi wouldn't be able to rest in peace due to regrets."

"There was a reason for that. Governor Yamanashi was someone who went crazy over money to the point that he was called 'General Money Worshipper.' When he was dragged down from his position due to involvement in a bribery case and was continuously threatened by the pro-imperialist faction, he turned his collection over to Abe Nobuyuki, the ninth governor. An Bae Tae is Nobuyuki's grandson."

"No wonder he seems to reek of poison… He's the grandson of Joseon's last governor. What shameless b*stards. B*stard governors stealing national treasures like chinpira and exchanging them at will? Do you Japanese have no basic morality?"

The block-hair guy had nothing to say. Although it was embarrassing, what was he supposed to say about something that his ancestors did?

"…"

Mu Ssang managed to hold back from beating up the block-hair guy. Who could he blame when the country was powerless and failed to wipe out the pro-Japanese faction?

"Why weren't you able to find them in the first place? Aren't the Nihonjin's[1] specialty finding things?" Mu Ssang mocked.

Tomb robbing executed by the Japanese began in earnest during the Imjin War. During the Japanese colonial period, all graves were robbed indiscriminately, from dolmens to the tombs of nobles.

"We haven't found a way to break through the barrier in decades."

"Barrier? You can simply put up construction fences and use a crane fork. If you clear all the land surrounding this barrier, how will it sustain? I know a crane fork master with the nickname "Tiger of the Forest," and he's skilled enough to open a jar with a bucket. If you hire skilled drivers, you can dig up those treasures without damaging them."

"Don't look down on yin-yang spellcasters. High-rankers know how to handle space. If we forcefully dig up the ground, the treasures would turn to dust or disappear into space."

The block-hair guy shook his hands as though his suggestion was far-fetched.

"What? It disappears into space?"

Mu Ssang was greatly surprised. Space transfer was a spell of the highest level. It meant that a person on his master's level existed in Japan. He suddenly understood the meaning behind the saying "what you see is not everything." Unlike fortune-tellers who read fortunes and faces, Japan's yin-yang spellcasters held high ranks in society.

"Yin-yang spellcaster" was a term used to refer to spellcasters, shamans, ritual casters, and fortune-tellers. During the Shogunate period, they served as staff members to the shoguns and daimyos. Spellcasters were people who performed special rituals using livestock, objects, and people to increase luck and extend lifespan. Fortune tellers were people who attempted to extend their lifespan through organized efforts such as increasing ki and life force. Shamans were people who ordered ghosts around, predicted fates using charms and spells, spread diseases, and called upon wind and rain.

A category of people called strategists appeared during the Muromachi shogunate period in the 15th century. They were extremely talented people with strategic mindsets and skilled in martial arts. They also had a talent for casting spells. Higashi Hongan-ji was a representative of such people.

The number of yin-yang spellcasters declined with the appearance of strategists. Spellcasters were absorbed by strategist clans, and fortune-tellers and ritual casters were alienated from society. Naturally, yin-yang spellcasters became synonymous with shamans.

When the era of war ended and the era of peace began, the lineage of yin-yang spellcasters ended. Without a goal in mind, their descendants lived as Shinto heads of rituals. Like how Taoists disappeared from Korea, yin-yang spellcasters disappeared from Japan.

"Are there still any powerful yin-yang spellcasters in modern times?"

"The Abe clan is a yin-yang clan."

"Huh! Everything falls into place. There's a reason why you tried to burn the children."

"While the Abe clan continues the lineage of yin-yang spellcasters, their abilities have deteriorated and are incomparable to their ancestor's abilities. As you know, they develop their powers and abilities through the extreme emotions of humans. However, in a world without war, there is no method to obtain the pain of one's soul."

Under Mu Ssang's watch, the block-hair guy continued to speak with difficulty. The man before him was the best strategist and yin-yang spellcaster. He didn't dare lie to him.

"What b****es! So, you guys were planning to absorb the energy of young children's souls to make up for the lack of power. The land deal is but a farce, you're all here to burn the children. Om…"

Mu Ssang's eyes emitted a blue light. His hand stopped flinching just as he was about to take action. He chanted and barely managed to suppress the bloodlust arising from within him.

"Ugh!"

The block-hair guy shouted and curled up. Suddenly, he felt like he was about to be shoved into a large predator's mouth.

"Sorry. Although I don't want to, I don't dare go against their orders either. Higashi Hongan-ji gets rid of anyone who disobeys their orders."

"Ridiculous. I've never seen such evil before." Mu Ssang sighed.

Human lives were precious and equal. However, their weight changed depending on time, location, and situation. From an ethical point of view, the life of an elderly who spent the remainder of their time picking up trash on the side of the road and the life of a president weighed the same. On the other hand, the life of a soldier who went to battle with a gun and the life of an orphan weighed differently. He was someone who put his life on the line and also someone who had to be protected. Mercenary Black Mamba was someone who committed massacres, but human Park Mu Ssang was someone who didn't enjoy twisting the neck of a chicken. It seemed as though the disregard for human life was truly engraved in the Japs' DNA.

"Good work. Take a break."

Smack—

The block-hair guy received a smack to the back of his head and collapsed. The sports-hair guy confessed the same thing. Funnily enough, Abe confessed to everything too. Apparently, the loyalty and trust that the Japanese spoke of was nothing but collective madness and subservience.

Mu Ssang wasn't very interested in the collection of the fifth governor, Hanzo Yamanashi. Back then in the underground world of Kaparja Valley, he wasn't greedy for the diamonds worth 1,000,000,000s of dollars either. If he had taken them, he would have lost everything while wandering the caves.

Treasures found their way to him through fate. Jamal even brought him the backpack of gold that he had given up. He managed to acquire the cotton farm in Doba through connections, and somehow Novatopia too. If it was not fated, one would use a winning lottery ticket as tissue paper in the bathroom.

What should I do with them?

Mu Ssang started thinking. While politics in Korea was a mess, the internal security and the government's administrative power were the best in the world. It would be difficult to bury 15 b*stards at once. If their traces ended at In Ae Won, the priest and Hyung Dong would become suspects. One way or another, priest Bumwoo and Hyung Dong were going to suffer.

Even if he did hand the gangsters over to the police, the three Japanese ninjas, who were key members of the gang, wouldn't get much punishment. The police would simply conduct a cursory investigation, and the prosecutors would defer prosecution. They would end up being deported to their own country. Higashi Hongan-ji would then continue to aim at In Ae Won. Although he wanted to damage their brains and turn them into idiots, that wasn't something a human should do.

Isn't there a way to get rid of them cleanly?

Mu Ssang suddenly snapped his finger after much thought. There was Novatopia. Like how England sent people to exile in Australia, he could send them to Novatopia and use them as laborers. Hyung Sang Chul was transporting heavy machinery and workers to Novatopia every day. He could sneak them among those workers.

Didn't he promise to release Abe and the others?

Of course, he promised them, but that was invalid. He wasn't a human but an Epidium. Anything promised in the name of humanity held no truth. Moreover, he only said he'd release them, not send them back to Japan. If they're able to escape Novatopia and return to Japan, he'd let them. Mu Ssang was even more vicious than Abe.

A few minor matters ended just like that. The day got brighter. In Ae Won grew busy. The fear they felt since dawn disappeared. The ajummas' voices were heard as they continued to boss the children around. The younger ones burst into tears, and the older ones were busy taking care of their siblings.

It was a happy sight. Humans tend to get bored easily. They complained about how boring their peaceful routine was. When their lives proceeded without much change, they complained about going crazy from boredom. They realized how precious those times were only after losing their peaceful routine. As long as there was peace, they forgot how precious their country was. They forgot about the horrible days when they lost their country, and some people even casually said, "I hope this country falls to ruins."

"Hyung Dong, is there any empty room where I can throw these b*stards into?"

There were three ninjas and 12 gangsters. The director's office wasn't a prison cell.

"The basement should be perfect. It has been there even before this building was built, and it is so sturdy to the point that they built a building on top of it."

"That's nice."

Mu Ssang shoved Abe and the others into the basement.

"B*stard, hurry up and get in. You b*stards may spread your disease to the children if you stay above ground."

One slow b*stard got his ass kicked by Hyung Dong. Mu Ssang dislocated the ninjas' arms. People had to be careful around ninjas no matter how securely their hands and feet were tied up. Abe and the others had their mouths taped and their hands and feet bound with packaging tape. They starved in the basement that reeked of mold.

"Boss, I'm really sorry. You had to step in because of me."

Hyung Dong scratched his right cheek. The habit revealed itself whenever he felt embarrassed. A smile crept up. Familiarity was good.

"Brat, have you ever seen me pulling out of anything that involves my friends?"

"Well! That's why you are called boss." Hyung Dong smiled as he reminisced memories of their past.

"You have to send the children to school."

"Ah, right. I'll be right back after I drive them over, ok?"

Hyung Dong slapped his forehead. He walked quickly toward the Bongo Coach parked in a corner of the yard.

Priest Bumwoo, who had been waiting anxiously in the director's office, broke out into praise.

"Thank you. I've managed to avoid a calamity because Buddha's wisdom brought you here, monk Mu Ah. I'm indebted."

"It is nothing. Everything is as Buddha intended."

Mu Ssang didn't say anything about Yamanashi's collection. That wasn't something that priest Bumwoo and Hyung Dong could handle. If they couldn't handle it, they were better off not knowing at all.

"What should I do about those b*stards?"

Worry was written all over priest Bumwoo's face.

"An Bae Tae's group arrived before the day even began and forced you to sell In Ae Won. Priest, you turned them down immediately. They forced you, but when their threats didn't work, they got angry and headed back," Mu Ssang summarized simply.

It was all true except for the fact that they headed back. Lies were always hidden in truths.

"Mm, monk Mu Ah is planning to get rid of them. What can I do for you? I've caused you so much trouble."

"This isn't something that you and Hyung Dong can solve, priest. Leave it to me. I can't bear to see Japs walking around on this land."

"Thank you. Those b*stards initially came across as gentlemen but grew more evil as time passed. There was nothing more like hell." The priest was shaking.

"Why didn't you notify the police?"

"I reported them three times, but it's pointless. The investigator in charge got mad at me instead and said I should just sell the orphanage."

"Those damn b*stards!"

[1] It is a term for "Japanese person" or "Japanese people."