TYSN 04

A place that could rival even the imperial palace.

That was the Luoyang Jin Family estate—so vast that a large number of people were employed just to maintain it. At the very bottom of the hierarchy were the servants and maids, responsible for cleaning and preparing meals.

Given the immense size of the estate, more than a hundred people lived on-site at all times, with at least a dozen workers assigned to each pavilion to manage their duties.

Then there were the guards.

These were highly skilled warriors—ronin, disciples of martial sects, or martial artists affiliated with noble families—recruited from all over to protect the Jin family.

But their role wasn’t limited to simple guard duty.

When needed, they were dispatched to escort trade caravans, defend traveling parties, go to battlefields or inns, and if their skills stood out, they could even become personal bodyguards for direct descendants of the Jin family.

Naturally, no other job in Luoyang could compare.

Even becoming a mere servant or maid could completely change one’s fortune.

That was because, compared to elsewhere, the pay here was overwhelmingly good.

Every time a position opened up, people from all corners of the land would rush to apply—it speaks for itself.

Naturally, a mix of many kinds of people gathered.

Among them were those hiding their true identities.

One woman, while mopping, discovered something.

She had keen eyes—and noticed a strange mark. Without hesitation, she wiped it clean with her rag.

Before long, the floor was so spotless that no one would guess a symbol had ever been there.

She quickly left the area and headed somewhere else.

Glancing around nervously, she etched something on a wall and hurried away. Not long after, a man passing by spotted the symbol.

He quietly erased it using his sleeve, returned to his quarters, pulled out a piece of paper, and began drawing a small mark.

A symbol known only to them—the secret emblem representing the youngest son of the Luoyang Jin Family.

A single line was drawn through it.

And alongside it, using dots, the date and time were inscribed.

Among those who knew the code, there wasn’t a single one who misunderstood its meaning.

Kill Jin Cheon-woo.

That was the order.

After finishing his brushwork, the man folded the paper and slipped it into his pocket. Soon, that message would be passed to his comrades one by one.

Time was slowly tightening its noose.

As I completed my breathing and energy circulation exercises, I slowly opened my eyes.

What had started in the late night had already turned to morning. Yet, my condition seemed better than the day before.

Whether it was the effect of the training or simply because I had distanced myself from the poison without realizing it, one thing was certain—my mind felt much clearer today.

I slowly rose to my feet.

Judging by the time, Jang Chuhyung should be here soon.

“Master, you’re awake?”

Right on cue, the door burst open and in came the fellow.

Behind him, a group of maids carried in breakfast—an extravagant feast once again.

The aroma was rich, and the colors were vibrant.

Every dish looked mouthwatering.

As the maids set the dishes on the table and left, Jang Chuhyung, having nothing better to do, sat down and looked at me with a soft gaze.

“You’re not going to eat again today, are you?”

“No.”

“Then… may I eat? Ah—I had such a light breakfast earlier, I’m starving.”

He rubbed his stomach and drooled slightly.

If I didn’t eat, the food would go to waste anyway.

Or perhaps a hungry maid would snack on it.

That would be fine if it were just a little—but judging from Jang Chuhyung’s expression, he clearly intended to devour it all.

“Leave it. I’ll eat later.”

“Aw, come on! If you’re eating later, just have them serve it later. Let me have this one.”

“I don’t want to tell them to serve it later. That’s why I said that.”

“You said the same thing yesterday… and ended up throwing it out.”

He grumbled, but realizing it was pointless, he gave up and looked away.

Still clutching his belly, though.

I sighed, watching him.

“Let’s go out.”

“Huh? Where?”

“I feel like eating street food for once. Cold noodles with dumplings? Maybe some skewers too.”

“Eh? You eat stuff like that?”

“I’m human too, of course I eat it.”

Of course, that only started after the family collapsed and I was thrown out on the streets.

At home, just asking would bring better food than anything sold outside—so there was no reason to eat from street vendors.

But now, things were different.

Once you’ve tasted something, you start craving it.

I took Jang Chuhyung and headed outside.

We walked quickly toward the marketplace, which was already bustling with people even in the early morning.

“Young master…”

“What is it?”

“The Unryong Inn…”

“This street vendor looks good. Sit.”

“……”

I looked at the dejected Jang Chuhyung and smiled faintly.

He probably wanted to eat at the Unryong Inn.

But not today.

We ordered simple food from a vendor—cold noodles, dumplings, and skewers.

Simple, yet enough to fill our stomachs. With the satisfying fullness, even I felt slightly more energized.

Jang Chuhyung, who had looked reluctant and grumpy, took one bite of the noodles and—finding it to his taste—slurped it down as if possessed.

The once-full bowl of noodles disappeared in an instant.

He ate like he wasn’t even breathing.

I shook my head involuntarily.

After eating, we spent some time out.

We had tea at a teahouse, and even visited a gambling den for the first time in a while, where I made a decent profit.

Jang Chuhyung, miraculously, turned a silver coin I’d given him earlier into five.

All because he followed me.

He couldn’t stop grinning.

“I knew it! Just being around you makes good things happen.”

“Gambling is luck. You won because you were lucky, so don’t get cocky. You’ll definitely lose next time.”

“Sure, sure! I won’t touch gambling without you around, so don’t worry.”

Grinning, he stuffed the silver into his pouch, and I couldn’t help but smile as we left the gambling den.

Before we knew it, night had fallen.

The sky was thick with dark clouds—not even moonlight seeped through.

Without a lantern, you couldn’t even see what was ahead.

I smirked and kept walking.

“Let’s go back.”

“Yes, sir!”

So we took the dark path home.

At night, no one used the road back to the Jin family estate.

Most of the land nearby belonged to the Jin family, so there were no homes around. And most of the family’s people stayed within the estate itself after dark.

During the day, the area buzzed with workers and visitors. But at night, not a soul passed through.

So the street was deserted and quiet.

As if wrapped in a thick blanket of silence.

“Ugh… it feels like ghosts might pop out.”

Jang Chuhyung rubbed his arms and shivered.

The absence of moonlight only made the feeling worse.

I looked at him and chuckled softly.

Then lightly pushed his shoulder.

Shhhk!

Thunk!

“Eeek?! Wh-what was that?!”

Startled, Jang Chuhyung shouted in surprise.

Something had just flown by.

His eyes widened as he turned—and saw a dagger embedded in a tree.

“A… a knife?”

“Don’t hide. Come out.”

“…Young master? What are you talking about?”

Confused, Jang Chuhyung quickly looked around. But he saw nothing.

Hack—Cough.

“If you want to kill me, face me head-on. Or are you nothing but cowards who only know ambush?”

“……!”

At my taunt, someone let out a quiet laugh in the darkness.

A mocking laugh.

But I laughed too.

Heh.

“You’re worse than common alley thugs. Are you afraid of me? Or scared of failing?”

The laughter stopped. Silence fell.

Then—

Step… step…

Someone began to appear.

Not just one.

Roughly twenty of them.

All clad in black, masked, and armed.

I couldn’t see clearly due to the dark, but there was something familiar about their eyes.

“I hold no grudge… but you’ll have to die tonight.”

“Seems that way. But are you sure about this, Gam Cheong-un? If you fail to kill me, you won’t be able to escape the consequences.”

“……!”

He flinched—startled that I knew his name.

He stared at me with wide eyes.

Even with his face hidden, I could see he was shocked.

Then Jang Chuhyung shouted—

“Gam Cheong-un?! That servant guy?! Hey—take off that mask!”

“……”

Gam Cheong-un said nothing.

Still shocked, unsure of what to say.

But I looked away from him and scanned the others.

“Jo Gong-seok. Baek Chae-min. Ma Hoon. So many familiar faces.”

“What the… nonsense!”

“Don’t talk rubbish!”

As I called them out one by one, some denied it, others got angry.

They never expected their names to be revealed so easily.

I hadn’t either—until I experienced it.

I smiled.

“You think I’m a fool? I’ve known you since childhood. You think a mask will hide who you are from me?”

“……!”

“And it seems you’ve forgotten why I was chosen as heir despite having older siblings.”

Because I was superior.

Far beyond them in talent.

Of course, the fact that I was the legitimate child played a role.

My elder siblings were born of concubines. I alone was born of the legal wife. And with my talent, no one could object to my position.

“Kill him! Now!”

Gam Cheong-un shouted.

The others, previously stunned, snapped out of it.

So what if their identities were exposed?

They just needed to silence me.

That’s probably what they were thinking, gritting their teeth.

I smiled at them.

“You fools. Cough! You don’t even realize why I’ve been wandering around all night.”

“…What?”

“Who do you think left that signal? The one that gave exact orders—where and when to attack? Has that ever happened before?”

“……!”

Hack—Cough.

“By now, every single person who saw, passed, or delivered that symbol has been caught.”

“……!”

“And of course—”

Snap!

I snapped my fingers lightly.

In an instant, dozens of warriors appeared from every direction.

Clad in robes bearing the Jin family crest—my personal selection from the guards still loyal.

They were also the ones who, in the end, sacrificed everything for the family.

“You’re no exception. Capture them. Kill them if you have to—there are plenty more who’ll talk.”

[As you command!]

The warriors responded in unison, charging forward like a storm.

Most of them had fire in their eyes—burning with rage and betrayal.

Their longtime friends had betrayed them.

The ones they’d seen every day had turned their backs.

Who wouldn’t be angry?

The warriors of the Jin family surged forward with unmatched momentum.

And above the once-silent night…
the moon began to shine once more.

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