"f.u.c.king b.a.s.t.a.r.ds! They could've just told us earlier!"
"There's nothing we can do, since they are our biggest customer."
"Shut up and get back to work."
Shim-gu, who was observing the workers with Kang-hyuk, sent him a telepathic message.
-What should we do, Hyung-nim?
-Capture them, what else should we do?
-They work for the Dark Medicine Valley. Even if we capture them, they won't be of much use for finding out their headquarters.
-Of course, I know that. In the worst situation, their brain will melt, but that doesn't matter. What I really want to know is who the people behind the dealings are.
Kang-hyuk took his attendance book out of his sleeve.
Shim-gu had a puzzled look on his face.
-Why are you taking an attendance book out?
-Ah, it's for striking them.
-What?
-Beating with this just feels nicer.
Kang-hyuk almost instantaneously flew into the air, swinging his attendance book around.
*Bam!* *Bam!* *Bam!*
One strike was enough to knock a man unconscious. After all three men had fainted, Kang-hyuk disabled their internal energy by pressing on particular pressure points.
After that, they then began to search the entire workshop.
They were looking for some sort of evidence that must have been left in the s.p.a.ce.
Something along the lines of a doc.u.ment.
Soon enough, Kang-hyuk and Shim-gu found the doc.u.ment.
Kang-hyuk was the retired Clan Leader, while Shim-gu was the former head of Hyeonmugak, so even if the doc.u.ment was carefully hidden, there wasn't a chance that they couldn't find it.
Their eyes weren't eyes that could be fooled.
"Huh?"
As they read the doc.u.ment, they sighed in admiration.
The network of the dealings had spread further than they had expected.
The large-scale mission over the last few years that had been done to suppress the activities of the Dark Medicine Valley caused the organization to have a change on its operational methods.
Their past operations were organized like a web, but now, they were similar to a connect the dots puzzle.
This meant that one couldn't find information about a particular dealing until one found the person that connected a particular point to another point.
'Those Dark Medicine Valley fellows have always been good at s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g people over. In the past and even now. d.a.m.n it!'
Looking at the doc.u.ment, Kang-hyuk was sure that they weren't only just operating in Nakyang, but also setting up elsewhere, slowly increasing their branches and dealings.
'But then, it looks as though those fellows were telling the truth about there being five dealers at the academy'.
They also found evidence of around fifteen other dealers from the doc.u.ment. Now, all that was left was to rouse the unconscious Dark Medicine Valley workers, and confirm the details.
"Shim-gu-ya, wake them up."
"Yes, Hyung-nim!"
Shim-gu immediately slapped the cheeks of the three workers, waking them up.
"Agh!"
"What?!"
"Huh!?"
"Wh-who are you?"
Kang-hyuk strode up to the worker that had queried and abruptly stepped on his leg.
The man exclaimed in pain, "Ouch!"
"You don't need to know who we are, but there's something we need to ask you."
Kang-hyuk spoke up, holding the doc.u.ment they found, "What's written on this- is it true?"
"Well, th-that…."
The man's eyes darted around in aversion. His body language indicated one thing- the doc.u.ment was indeed accurate.
"Are there any other dealers aside from the ones listed here?"
"There aren't."
Kang-hyuk knew the man was lying. He flung his attendance book towards the man.
*Pok!*
"How dare you lie?! Who are the dealers not listed on this doc.u.ment?"
"I-I don't know."
If someone said that they didn't know, it usually meant that they knew, but simply didn't want to speak.
Kang-hyuk clicked his tongue in response.
"Tsk tsk, I guess you guys are asking to be punished."
He continued, "I'm definitely going to beat the c.r.a.p out of the b.a.s.t.a.r.ds that are selling drugs at the academy."
The three Dark Medicine Valley workers gulped, suddenly feeling regretful.
'Sh-should we have just told the truth?'
Unfortunately for them, it was already too late.
***
Sometime later.
*Sniffle*
"Seriously, we've already said everything we know! Believe in us!"
"We've been wronged. We're just doing as we've been ordered to do by those above."
"Indeed."
Kang-hyuk looked at the three workers with a slightly pitiful gaze.
"Even so, what about selling drugs at Hwacheon Academy? Can't you think for yourself? Do you just do whatever you've been ordered, no matter what it is?"
"There's nothing else we can do. We have to make a living somehow."
"Tsk tsk, so in the end, you know what you're doing is wrong, but you're still doing it for money. In that case, you should have expected the situation you're all currently in."
Their claim of innocence as they were following orders was a simple excuse.
Kang-hyuk's belief was that if a person tasted the fruits of their actions, they would have to also bear the consequences of the action.
'Even if I let them live, they'll only get in the way.'
Acting as if he had nothing left to do or say, Kang-hyuk placed his attendance book back into his sleeve, and closed his fists.
"This has been bothersome. I need to hurry and leave so I can go to bed."
But all of a sudden, he swung his fists into action.
*Pok!*
*Ppeo-ok!*
"Ppeok!*
The skulls of the three workers had been shattered by the impact of Kang-hyuk's fist, causing their immediate death.
He could have ordered Shim-gu to kill them, but Kang-hyuk didn't want the hands of his former subordinate and colleague to be stained with blood once more.
And so, he decided to personally execute the deed.
"It's done. Shim-gu-ya, start a fire."
"Yes, the elimination of all evidence is important! But you know, what if the fire spreads to the neighbouring buildings?"
Kang-hyuk grinned at his question.
"Don't worry. I'll stop that from happening."
As they exited the shop, a flame rose up within Shim-gu's palm. The flame had been created with the Sammaejinhwa technique. He set the shop alight.
*Crackle*
Fortunately, no one could notice that the building had been set on fire.
Kang-hyuk had blocked off the area with his energy. Thus, the surrounding buildings remained unharmed, and one building- the base of the Dark Medicine Valley, burned.
In truth, Kang-hyuk did not really want to burn the building.
Fire was a scary object.
However, he had no other option. The energy of fire was the only way that the drugs and potions of the Dark Medicine Valley could be completely destroyed.
Kang-hyuk turned to Shim-gu as they both watched the building burn and said, "Keep the events of today a secret
"What? Why?"
"I've made a promise."
He continued, "As you know, the students of the academy have obtained and taken the rotting powder, but I've promised that none of the students will have to face a shameful expulsion as a result of this issue."
"...."
Shim-gu looked at Kang-hyuk.
Kang-hyuk had always been like this since the day they had first met.
He would always fulfil a promise he had made. Even if it meant sacrificing himself, Kang-hyuk would keep a promise.
'That's why Hyung-nim shouldn't promise things so easily.'
Sadly, Kang-hyuk had already made this promise. And so, even if Shim-gu happened to reveal the matter, Kang-hyuk would still make sure to somehow keep the promise.
'If I did disclose the event, I would of course be severely beaten up...'
Shim-gu knew that the wisest course of action would be for him to keep quiet.
"Okay, Hyung-nim. But will it really be fine?"
"What?"
"It's the rotting powder! And to have obtained that, how could they not be expelled?"
"I know, but punishment isn't everything. The real question is what compelled them to take it in the first place."
"...."
Kang-hyuk sighed.
"The twisted nature of Moorim is what had caused this problem. And so how could I, as the former leader of Moorim, allow them to be expelled?"
"If you're saying that, then I too am to blame. I should have noticed this happening within the academy earlier."
As Shim-gu bowed, Kang-hyuk shook his head.
"Enough. Let's stop with the blaming. Anyway, what do you think we should do with the students that were taking the powder?"
"What are we going to do? Weren't you just going to let them go?"
Kang-hyuk snorted at Shim-gu's confusion.
"I only promised that they wouldn't be expelled. I didn't say that I'd let them go."
"...."
"And as you know, the powder causes the rotting of the entire body. Then, it eventually causes insanity."
"That's true."
"But the truly terrifying quality of the drug is its addictiveness. Once a person touches the powder, they can't stop."
"I remember the addictiveness of the drug was so terrible that even that fellow Ho-seong stuck his tongue out at the mention of it."
Shim-gu tilted his head.
"Ho-seong found it difficult to make a cure for the addictiveness to the drug, but I remember that you fixed an addiction to it, didn't you Hyung-nim? At the very least, that's what I remember."
Kang-hyuk nodded.
"You're right, I have."
"Then why don't you just apply those methods again? What are you worrying for?"
"...I could. If even you are mentioning that, I guess I shouldn't hesitate."
Shim-gu had a query.
"But what kind of method did you use to cure the addiction in three days?"
"Oh that?"
"Yes. When I asked you about it then, you were quite vague, so I let it be. But now that it has come up again, I'm quite curious."
At that time, the person who was afflicted by the addictive properties of the rotting powder was a child of the Hw.a.n.g-bo family.
The fact that a child of the esteemed warrior family was addicted to the drug was a huge shame to the family name. And so, the head of the family had visited the Clan Leader, Kang-hyuk, bringing a huge donation along with a request for his help.
Kang-hyuk a.s.signed Ho-seong to treat the addiction, but it hadn't been easy.
The addiction was a terrible one.
In the end, Kang-hyuk had to make a move himself.
He had fixed the addiction within a span of three days, and presently, the man was a powerful force of the Hw.a.n.g-bo family.
Kang-hyuk addressed Shim-gu's question whilst stroking his chin.
"At the time, it was too much for me to say, so I remained silent. To be honest, my methods weren't really anything much."
"Yes, but what exactly did you do?"
"I beat him up."
"What?"
"I locked him in a room and incessantly beat him for three days."
"...."
"An addiction can be cured either by the person experiencing a pleasure greater than whatever they are addicted to, or by experiencing the opposite of pleasure."
"T-that's true."
"So, I beat him."
Shim-gu blinked.
The effect of Kang-hyuk's treatment was that whenever the temptation of the rotting powder arose, the addicted person would recall his beating, and the fear invoked by the very recollection would prevent them from touching the powder.
But any old beating wouldn't be enough to cure a severe addiction. It was just as a person who was addicted to gambling, couldn't cease gambling even if their hand was cut off.
'How terribly did Hyung-nim beat him?'
Kang-hyuk spoke smilingly.
"Don't look at me like that. Now, if that fellow hears even a small mention of the rotting powder, he jumps out of his skin. Seeing as his addiction was completely cured, it would mean I performed my duty well enough."
"...."
"And frankly, even if those three days were experienced in severe pain, don't you think it's better that then having your entire body rot away and dying from insanity? Hahahah!"
"Well, that's true. Hahaha."
Shim-gu laughed awkwardly in response.
"But isn't there the other method? Must you really use this method?"
Kang-hyuk smirked.
"This method is perfect for those fellows! Touching the rotting powder without any fear! Those fellows, I'll make it so that they can't even recall the characters that spell out the name of the rotting powder!"
Shim-gu recoiled at the energy emanating from Kang-hyuk as he spoke. He silently prayed for the souls of the students that took the powder.
'Well, they would most probably commit suicide after being expelled, so it might be less painful than that….'
Shim-gu began to imagine the plight of the students. He couldn't help but do so, as he was well aware of Kang-hyuk's personality.
"Shim-gu-ya."
"Yes, Hyung-nim!"
Shim-gu promptly replied to Kang-hyuk's call.
"There's something I need you to help me with. Get the cooperation of the princ.i.p.al, will you?"
"Understood."
***
It was now the next day.
Eun Myeong-myeong was a little alarmed at Shim-gu's unexpected visit, but he greeted him calmly.
"Wh-what's the matter? Elder?"
"Is everything running smoothly nowadays?"
"Of course, Elder."
Shim-gu glanced at Eun Myeong-myeong's desk.
The results of the Snaketail Valley investigation. Nothing could be found.
Eun Myeong-myeong was still investigating the Snaketail Valley issue. Something within his intuition was telling him to do so.
