Episode 41. Ohgu, Transformed by Youth
A short man spoke up.
“In my opinion, even seven hundred nyang is a bargain. It’s my money, so you don’t need to worry. Let’s take a look at some other paintings before we go.”
The two of them wandered over to the opposite wall, browsing the paintings. When they saw one priced at two thousand nyang, they were shocked.
“Are they crazy? Who would pay two thousand nyang for a mere copy?”
The plump man eyed Jong Bi suspiciously.
“Be honest. Did you put that price tag on yourself?”
“No, sir. Our shop is always honest and fair in our dealings. That price was set by the magistrate himself.”
“Oh…”
Hearing that the magistrate was responsible, the plump man couldn’t argue further.
Once the customers left, Jong Bi closed the shop and headed into the back room.
It was almost evening—time for Ten Perfect Servant Jong Bi to transform into the chef.
As he was about to enter, Jong Bi suddenly stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening.
“Who are you?”
The person standing there had to be Ohgu—after all, Jong Bi himself had dressed him in those underclothes and wrapped him head to toe in bandages.
Now, a pile of those very bandages lay at the man’s feet. It had to be Ohgu.
But… the person wasn’t Ohgu.
A strikingly handsome young man looked at Jong Bi in confusion.
“Um, it’s me, Ohgu. Teacher Song.”
“Ohgu…? Did you undergo Youth Transformation?”
It was no wonder Jong Bi didn’t recognize him.
Ohgu had always looked to be in his early thirties. But the man before him now couldn’t be more than his mid-twenties.
As Jong Bi stood there, dumbfounded, Ohgu sensed something was off and hurried over to the bronze mirror.
“What the—! Who is this?”
With double eyelids, his eyes looked bigger. His once-hooked nose was now straight and refined, and his eyebrows were long and elegant.
‘This… this isn’t me.’
Ohgu was gone, replaced by a handsome stranger staring back in disbelief.
Just then, Won Seung entered.
“Do you like it? I put some effort into this,” Won Seung said, admiring his handiwork with satisfaction. “Dress him up properly and the noble ladies of Xiangyang will flock to him like clouds.”
Ohgu flinched at Won Seung’s words.
Noble ladies?
What’s that supposed to mean?
What am I supposed to do?
“We should change your name, too. Since you’ve been reborn, how about Woo Bok-Saeng—‘Born Again’? What do you think?”
“Huh?”
“Don’t just stand there looking dazed. Go wash up and change. I bought you some clothes that’ll suit you. There’s a lot you need to learn from now on.”
Won Seung needed to teach Ohgu about art and salesmanship.
*
As darkness fell over the Ruined House of the Yong Clan.
The Descendant of the Yong Clan returned empty-handed once again, entering through the broken main gate.
He walked with practiced steps to the inner quarters he called home. The shattered window was patched with wood, but the wind still whistled through.
Hwa Cheon-gang hadn’t shown up today either. It seemed time to try a different approach.
He went to the kitchen, cobbled together a meal from leftover rice and vegetables, and retreated to his bedroom.
Lighting a small candle, he sat for a moment, practicing his Cultivation Practice, then peered outside through the wooden boards covering the window.
‘Five again today.’
At some point, people had started watching him. First one, then two, and now, for some time, there had been five.
He couldn’t be bothered to chase them off anymore, so he just let them be.
He had nothing to hide, and even if they tried to ambush him, he was confident he could handle it. In fact, being watched helped keep his senses sharp.
Night deepened.
Strangely, sleepiness crept up on him earlier than usual.
Just in case, he checked his energy flow, but there was no sign of Poison Energy.
He lay down, and the moment his head touched the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.
Then—
Crack!
A small stone flew in and struck the headboard.
The Descendant of the Yong Clan snapped awake, instinctively drawing the saber he’d left by his side.
Clang!
Steel clashed, sparks flying. Incredibly, the enemy was right in front of him.
The powerful energy in his saber forced the attacker’s dagger back.
Whoosh!
Clang!
A dagger came flying, but he blocked it with his saber. The enemy was already vaulting over the broken window ledge—a ghostly Movement Technique.
The Descendant of the Yong Clan sprang after them.
Swish!
Even as he flew through the air, his saber didn’t stop. He spun once midair and brought the blade down on his foe.
Slash!
The sharp Saber Energy swept across the attacker’s back.
Rip!
The assassin’s clothes tore, blood spurting. As the enemy flinched, he threw a punch—not to kill, but to capture and question them. That was his mistake.
The enemy spun, deflecting his punch with both palms, and used the recoil to leap back three paces.
‘A woman!’
It had been a brief clash, but from her build, movements, and the feel of her hands, he knew the enemy was a woman.
While he hesitated in surprise, she vanished.
He looked around and spoke.
“Which expert has come to give me a wake-up call?”
A moment’s delay and he would have been beheaded.
The assassin’s skill was astonishing. If not for the warning stone, he’d be dead.
He wanted to express his gratitude, but there was no reply.
The other watchers had disappeared, probably afraid he’d take out his anger on them after the ambush.
He followed the blood trail.
Soon, he realized his opponent was a professional assassin.
The blood led toward the mountains. Most people would have searched there, but he had a keen nose.
He could smell the faint scent of blood on the breeze.
The wind was blowing from Xiangyang.
‘Xiangyang… Clear Water Sect?’
A cold blue fire blazed in his eyes.
*
Won Seung sat in the tearoom, enjoying tea as he gazed out over the nighttime garden.
A thud sounded from the back courtyard.
Jong Bi emerged from his room, checked the yard, and beckoned.
Won Seung followed to find someone collapsed beneath the wall. Dressed all in black, face masked—clearly not someone up to anything good.
Won Seung frowned at the wall.
“I really need to raise that wall. People keep coming over it—first Ohgu, now this one.”
Jong Bi approached, pulled off the mask, and whispered,
“This time it’s a woman. And she’s really pretty.”
Won Seung looked and saw it was indeed a woman.
“Wait—she’s bleeding!”
Jong Bi, noticing the blood on his hand, examined her.
“She’s been cut across the back.”
“She must’ve passed out from her injuries. Just toss her out.”
“What? You want to throw out an injured person?”
“We only just opened. Imagine if a corpse turned up here—nothing good would come of it.”
“Hmm. You really are cold-blooded. Helping the wounded is the right thing to do.”
The odd atmosphere drew Ohgu from his sleep.
Jong Bi called to him,
“Perfect timing. You grab her legs. Let’s move her inside.”
As Jong Bi tried to carry the woman in, Won Seung stopped him.
“Bringing her in will only cause trouble.”
“What? Do you know her?”
“No. But look at her—she’s an assassin, isn’t she?”
“She’s an assassin?”
“Look at her clothes. That’s work gear. She’s probably killed someone, and now the victim’s allies or subordinates will be after her.”
Jong Bi turned to Ohgu.
“Mr. Woo, go clean up the living room.”
As Ohgu left, Jong Bi whispered,
“She’s one of us. All the more reason to help.”
“One of us?”
Was there such a thing as camaraderie among assassins? Didn’t they kill their own if a mission failed, to tie up loose ends?
Won Seung was baffled.
“Come on, admit it. You just want to help because she’s pretty, right?”
Jong Bi replied, face solemn,
“Assassins aren’t swayed by beauty. But if I were injured on a mission, I’d hope someone would help me.”
Ohgu returned after tidying up.
Jong Bi and Ohgu laid the woman on the living room table—the same spot where Ohgu had been operated on.
Then, as if by agreement, both stared at Won Seung.
Their eyes said: Hurry up and treat her.
“Tsk…”
Shaking his head, Won Seung entered the living room and examined the woman. She had a long, sharp wound across her back—like a cut from a razor.
“This was done by Sword Qi or Saber Energy. She wasn’t struck directly by the blade. The vital spots were avoided. Her internal injuries are worse.”
“I see,” Jong Bi and Ohgu nodded. Won Seung sighed.
“Are you two idiots? Didn’t anything occur to you from what I just said?”
“What are we supposed to think?”
“The attacker used Sword Qi or Saber Energy—a master. And they deliberately avoided killing her, just injuring her enough to let her escape.”
“Cruel bastard. Didn’t even let her die quickly…”
Ohgu muttered.
“That’s not the point! They let her go on purpose, so they could follow her back to her base and kill everyone there.”
Only then did Jong Bi and Ohgu realize the danger and rushed out.
“Wipe up the blood!”
“Clean the alley too!”
They hurried off, cleaning up any traces.
Won Seung stripped off the woman’s top. He’d dissected plenty of bodies with the Poison Master, including women, so he did it without a second thought—but seeing her bare chest made his eyes widen.
‘It’s different when they’re alive…’
She was stunning. If Hua Yeo-wol was quietly beautiful, this woman was a dazzling rose.
“Ugh…”
As she began to stir, Won Seung quickly pressed her pressure points.
He then turned her over and cleaned the wound with water. A long, diagonal gash ran across her pale back.
Won Seung fetched a needle.
“Count yourself lucky you met me. Minimal scarring! Let’s see if I can pull it off.”
With careful, practiced stitches, Won Seung closed the wound. Thanks to his embroidery skills, the wound was neatly sealed. He then applied a thick layer of Wound Medicine and wrapped her torso in bandages before dressing her.
“The external wound’s fine, but… the internal injury is the problem. What kind of energy is this? It’s so fierce.”
He checked her pulse, frowning, then went to the medicine room for an internal injury remedy.
“This stuff is expensive…”
He hesitated, but seeing her face, he didn’t hold back—he put the medicine in her mouth.
After finishing, he pressed her numbness points. If she woke and thrashed, the stitches might tear, so he had to be careful.
By then, Jong Bi and Ohgu had finished cleaning up.
“Go lay her down.”
“Already done?”
They looked disappointed, wishing they’d seen the treatment. Won Seung clicked his tongue.
“She’s a master, too. Don’t mess with her or you’ll lose your heads.”
“We’re not like that. Don’t get the wrong idea.”
Jong Bi and Ohgu waved their hands defensively, then looked puzzled.
“But where do we put her? There aren’t enough rooms.”
The Hundred Flowers Pavilion was small, with only three rooms—one for each of them.
Won Seung pointed at Jong Bi.
“Put her under your bed, face up.”
Jong Bi and Ohgu carefully carried the woman out. Won Seung cleaned up the surgery traces and lit some incense.
The gentle scent masked the smell of blood.
As he checked the room again, he noticed a blood-stained breast cloth under the operating table.
He bent to pick it up, but suddenly twisted his right hand behind his back and rubbed his waist.
“Ugh. I can’t read late into the night anymore. Why are my eyes so blurry and my back so sore?”
Muttering to himself, he went to the cabinet for tea. On his way back, he nudged the breast cloth under the table with his foot.
He took the teapot to the kitchen, filled it with hot water, and brewed tea.
Drinking tea while gazing at the night garden was a pleasant scene, but it didn’t quite suit him.
A cold voice rang out.
“Drinking tea at this hour… Are you planning to stay up all night? Or is there something on your mind keeping you awake…?”