Mercenary Black Mamba

Mussang genuinely marveled. The walls of the bathroom and the thick door couldn't shield from a high explosive. It must have been divine intervention for a fragment to break the faucet. The tub filled with water must have shielded Neopchi from debris, shrapnel, fragments, flame, and energy waves. Otherwise, he would have been turned into soup and barbecued flesh. His ancestors must have been looking out for him.

"A lucky one!"

Mussang muttered.

"A lucky one?"

Neopchi listened to Mussang attentively. He was always determined to listen to everything Mussang, the great one, had to say.

"The universe looks out for you. It is someone like you who gets lucky continuously."

"That's great! I shall buy a lottery ticket first thing tomorrow. Since I am a lucky one, I shall be able to find Ms. Gim soon."

Mussang stared at Neopchi who looked happy. Neopchi wasn't educated and had a hard life yet he had a pure side and he was loyal to his friends. The bear didn't turn into a human because she was smart. She could be human thanks to her patience and tenacity. Neopchi would wholeheartedly help him find his mother, not because of the money Mussang would pay but because of his good-heartedness and sincerity.

"Neopchi, move into Eungsimje tomorrow. I will give you one of the outhouses. Found the headquarters for finding Gim Malsun. Use any much manpower as you would need."

"Are you sure?"

Neopchi jumped ecstatically. He didn't even realize that he responded without asking for permission to do so.

"Eastern Swordsman does not say vain words."

Mussang grinned.

"I am sorry. I didn't realize. I will be loyal to you."

Neopchi bowed deeply. To be Mussang's subordinate was what he had been dreaming of. If he was going to be a tail, he needed to be that of a dragon. He had already realized that Gim Malsun was Mussang's family. It was a thug's hunch.

Neopchi gritted his teeth. He was determined to find Gim Malsun, whether by calling every number in the phone book, directly searching the inns along the shoreline, or visiting all the restaurants around the area.

Neopchi was an onion farmer in his hometown. He dropped out of high school. He only knew how to land a good punch. Despite that, his mother must have been praying for him to the spirits. He met an extraordinary person and now he had a bright future. The lucky one continued to be lucky.

"What is that?"

Neopchi had brought three bags with him. The traveling backpack and the Boston bag were from Bak Gichung. He had gifted it to them voluntarily. Neopchi emptied the contents of the large fishing bag. There were three wakizashi, 10 shurikens, two tomahawks, an iron pipe, a sashimi blade, and Muramasa whose tip was broken off.

"I should be able to pay for the food that goes into my gob to contribute to your business."

Neopchi smiled shyly. The weaponry that was from the bag remained proof of Mussang's legendary power. First, he had escaped the building with only the money bag. Then he went back in and brought the weapon bag too. He barely evaded being buried alive but it was said that you only live once.

"You are quite economical. You will do well no matter what you do."

Mussang clucked his tongue. For Neopchi to consider selling the weaponry when he was on the verge of being killed, he must have some four-dimensional thought process.

"I have heard that often since I was young. Look at this. The tip is gone but it is a great sword. If I sell this to Samsik, he will give me at least 1,000,000 won."

Neopchi picked up Muramasa and scrutinized it. Even the uninitiated could see that it was a great sword.

"Don't attempt anything foolish. That sword is haunted by countless spirits full of grudges. If Samsik owns that sword, his days will not extend for much longer. You cannot use a Japanese sword either."

"I see."

Neopchi lowered his head, disheartened.

"When the time comes, I shall fashion you a tool that will suit you."

"I see. Thank you."

Neopchi's mood brightened up quickly. He was quite simple-minded.

"Don't tell anyone about that."

"Of course. I didn't see anything today. I wasn't even here. I have a surefire alibi."

Even Neopchi could read the air. It was not an ordinary incident. The building collapsed and 37 Pungguk thugs and four Japs were buried in the rubble. About ten of them were buried alive. There may be unaccounted-for victims. It was a sensational incident. A real man resulted in a real incident.

"He's a real man!"

Neopchi's eyes gazing at Mussang resembled those of Ombuti. The four Japs were great masters, worthy of being featured in a wuxia novel. When Mussang decimated them at once, he was thrilled and almost jizzed in his pants. When the ghostly old man and Mussang fought, the sounds alone indicated that it was not a fight between humans. Neopchi got to witness the making of history. He was already hyped to gossip about this. Yet he was just ordered to keep silent. This was tragic.

Mussang gazed at the building that was not a heap of concrete rubble. It was quite an incident. He came here to settle Gim Gitaek's debts. Inadvertently, he caused the Pungguk Capital's building to collapse and its people to be killed along with the Japs.

An innocent bus driver was sacrificed too. The bus, crushed by the building, became as flat as a hotcake. The taillights were still blinking. Mussang was determined to live as Mussang in his hometown, quietly. That resolve was short-lived. As Bonipas said, he was a living natural disaster.

He looked up at the sky. The half-moon was approaching the western horizon. The chicken porridge that Jinsun prepared was likely cold now. The young radishes must have lost their freshness by now. His clothes were a mess too. His jacket and jeans were in tatters as if slashed by a lunatic. Several holes made by flame sparks revealed the skin underneath. Also, he was covered in a lot of blood. If he went home like this, there was going to be some telling off.

"Mussang, why isn't the police here yet? There were a lot of explosions and flames. Normally, they would be swarming by now."

Neopchi wondered.

"Yeah. I think it is odd too. Are they on a strike?"

That was an absurd prospect. They were in Korea, not France. Under the stern military regime, no public worker could ever go on a strike.

"Mussang, didn't you tell me to scout that building over there?"

"I did."

Mussang clapped his forehead. He had told Neopchi to investigate the barracks surrounded by tall walls. Because of the Japs and Choe Dosik, he had completely forgotten about it.

"They are involved in some shady business. Don't you think they all ran off? Rumor has said for a long time that the Pungguk are involved in organ and human trafficking."

"Even if they did, there would still be their trace. I shall investigate the place."

Mussang, who was about to leap, listened closely. A police car with its siren on was approaching them.

"Let's go! Shit flies are swarming in. Tomorrow, you will find out who the bus driver was. He was only working a night shift to earn some more money. I will surely avenge him. Tsk, tsk."

Mussang clucked his tongue and turned on his heel. He had already confirmed that there was no life sign within the concrete rubble. He was not to stay here for a long time. Neopchi quickly held the bags and followed him. He couldn't hear anything but if Mussang said so, it was so. Only after quite some time had passed since the Citroën left the scene, police cars started gathering at the site.

Mussang, like a thief, jumped over a wall, turned into smoke, and seeped into the basement. Kkamdung, sprawled on a treasure mat, glanced at him and resumed the comfortable posture.

"Hey, the homeowner. You are not a middle school student anymore. You shouldn't be fighting like that!"

Kkamdung clucked his tongue like an old man. Indeed, he was one since he was 150,000,000 years old.

"Huh?"

Mussang was dumbfounded. He never expected to be reprimanded by a leopard in his life.

"Stay safe. Even if you are the strongest man in the world, you cannot possibly rival all the evil in the world. First, you shall think of a way to evade Gyesun's nagging. You shouldn't be trouble for Jinsun."

Kkandung turned over and added. Mussang was awestruck, mouth agape. Momentarily, he thought Kkamdung must be the one to inherit Teacher's temple. Ssamdi, also, became monk-like in a short period. Kkandung followed suit.

Mussang didn't know if Teacher was extraordinary, if Buddhism itself was transformative, or his two friends were born with hidden Buddhist aptitude. Also, when did Kkamdung acclimatize to Jinsun? Ssamdi was sort of Edel's fanboy. Kkandung became Jinsun's.

"I never expected to be advised by a leopard in my life. This is absurd."

Mussang washed off the bloodstains and changed into clean clothes. As Kkamdung said, if the five sisters ever caught glimpse of that, there was going to be a mess. Gyesun's nagging was quite frightful but the fastidious Yeonsun and freakishly intuitive Jinsun were on another level. In the manor, there were three beings far scarier than Choe Dosik.

Mussang, who was headed to his quarters, flinched. The shadow sitting on the foundation stone in front of his quarters couldn't be anyone else than Jinsun. She used to wait for him just like that when he was a student.

"You scared me!"

"Mussang, I know you fought with some cult leader."

"Are you a psychic?"

Jinsun forcefully led Mussang inside.

"I know you. If you felt like you should change into new clothes to come home, you must have been through a mess with your long-term nemesis."

"You are scarier than Choe Dosik."

"Be quiet. Own up. Are you hurt?"

"I have a little hole in my side."

Jinsun looked under Mussang's clothes. The wound made by the shuriken had already almost faded. Jinsun was visibly relieved.

"What happened to Choe Dosik?"

"I spared his life. I only took out one of his ankles and probably an eye too. But I had to let him go."

"Oh well. You should have been more careful."

Jinsun was visibly disappointed. Choe Dosik was the embodiment of evil. If Mussang had to let him go, he must have had a reason. But it was still disappointing. But Jinsun was content that Mussang came home safe and sound.

"Don't you worry in the least? He wasn't as strong as I expected. From this day on, he will suffer from nightmares. He will fear that I may ambush him at any moment."

Jinsun calmly gazed at Mussang's eyes as he boasted. Her eyes teared up.

"Mussang, promise me one thing. That you will not die before I do."

"I promise!"

Mussang was touched. Jinsun was saying that she was okay with him being injured but he still needed to be careful not to die. She meant that she won't be able to overcome the grief. Mussang pulled Jinsun close and held her tight.

"I promise. I will never die before you do, Jinsun."

Jinsun pulled Mussang's head close and placed it on her lap. She had numerous questions but didn't ask any. Love's history is not made with words but touch. Love began and ended with touch.

The heft of Mussang's head turned to the equal weight of love. If love were a game, it was said that the one who loves more was the losing party. That was a very stupid thing to be said around. Love was not a contract or transaction. What was there to exchange? Love was not a game but a story.

"Mussang, I went to Mina's school today."

Jinsun changed the topic.

"What happened?"

"Mina beat up some boys who teased her for being from the countryside."

"She did well."

"Mina is acting like a mischievous boy because you are lenient like this! There were two boys and one of them had a father who is a prosecutor."

"A prosecutor?"

"Yeah. A superintendent at the Daegu Prosecutor's Office."

"And?"

"One of his lackeys came to school and raged. He threatened to prosecute Mina's guardians. Her homeroom teacher was frightened."

"He is asking for some battering. What is the prosecutor's name?"

"I glimpsed at the student card and it said 'Gim Dalsu.'"

"Gim Dalsu?"

Mussang, who was enjoying the bouncy feel of Jinsun's thighs, sat up abruptly. Jinsun pressed firmly on his forehead to make him lie down again. Mussang's memory synapsed made several connections. There were many Gim Dalsus in Korea but few Gim Dalsus who were prosecutors. There could be only one ill-tempered Gim Dalsu who worked at the Daegu Prosecutor's Office.

[You are a filthy wretch. Don't ever think that six months of jail time cleared your name. I will send you to Cheongsong. I will show you how powerful a prosecutor is.]

On the day Mussang was released on probation, Gim Dalsu had babbled such words. His smirk and the foul stench from his mouth were still vivid in Mussang's memory. He had to restrain his trembling fists from punching Gim Dalsu's face outright.

"Haha, Gim Dalsu! I will show you the power of Eastern Swordsman."

Mussang muttered. He told him to show the power of a prosecutor. Mussang was going to show him the power of the Eastern Swordsman.

"Do you know him?"

"I do. I know him well. Hahaha!"

Jinsun flinched. She smelled the incoming bloodbath.

"Is he one of the..."

Jinsun figured it out right away. Gim Dalsu must have been one of the people who made Mussang's life hell.

"Is there going to be a typhoon? My stacked-up connections to people are being cleared one by one."

Mussang closed his eyes and muttered. There is no real coincidence in the world. Could this be a hunch? Something big was about to happen.

Mussang feasted on a basinful of chicken porridge and Jinsun's proper ginseng chicken soup then fell asleep. Jinsun had made the same soup five times. Even Samsik could never expect to be treated with such effort.

The next morning, Gim Gitaek and Ms. Yang, holding the debt settlement receipt, cried with joy. They had suffered hell for three years just because they resorted to a loan shark's "help." They didn't know what strings Mussang pulled but they were finally out of hell. These pieces of paper could hurl someone into hell then haul them out at once.

"Thank you, Mussang. I do not know how I shall replay this favor."

Gim Gitaek and Ms. Yang stood and bowed. Jinsun grinned widely. Mussang had gone through some hassle just to return some semblance of hope to Yeonghui's family.