Volume 1 Chapter 19 – Requiem

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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The two giant men traversed through the busy moving people.

The street was still noisy and complicated, but no one matched eyes with the two, and no one blocked the path the two walked.

While walking, they also snatched and drank the liquor jars of those drinking at the tavern nearby, and devoured a few skewers being grilled at the street stalls.

But no one restrained them.

Even the government soldiers who were patrolling only acted as if they did not see them.

A height a head or more taller than even the well-nourished government soldiers, and a bulk that looked like a bull rather than a person.

Through the tops they wore loosely without caring about the cold, dozens and hundreds of black skull tattoos and large and small scars were clearly revealed.

They were of the Black Bone Gang,

And they were martial artists.

Superhumans born with the talent to handle the mysterious power called qi in the form of internal energy.

No one blocked them.

* * *

A moment later, they arrived at the street where the mask workshop was.

“Ah, I think it is over there.”

The mask craftsman’s workshop was in a quiet inner alley off the main road.

Standing at the entrance of the alley, they looked toward the mask craftsman’s workshop.

“…To my eyes, he does not look like that mask craftsman fellow either.”

“Indeed.”

At the entrance of the mask shop, a boy dressed in a white cotton robe was sitting at the shop stall.

Although there were people passing by occasionally, the posture of the boy who was silently carving only the piece of wood in his hand looked infinitely bored, and also looked infinitely leisurely.

“Did he have… a disciple?”

“Can we not ask directly.”

Those who were walking in the alley discovered the giant men, turned their backs, and scattered.

As if the boy did not even notice the two giant men approaching, he was only focused on carving the piece of wood with his head lowered.

“Hey.”

“Where did the mask craftsman fellow go?”

The carving knife stopped.

The boy who was working with his head lowered deeply raised his face.

“…?!”

The eyebrows of the two giant men twitched.

On the boy’s face, a mask that had no patterns and no eye holes was worn.

The white luster flowing on the roughly finished mask was somehow glossing ominously.

“Hmph.”

No matter how momentary it was, to be surprised by something like a mask.

If it were their usual selves, it would be a thing that could not happen.

“Hey, kid. Are the elders not asking you.”

He subtly released his momentum.

Like a woodcutter encountering a tiger, if it were an ordinary commoner, their knees would shake and their skin would crawl.

But the boy wearing the mask showed no sign of being intimidated at all.

He rather showed the leisure to smirk.

The boy’s neat white teeth were revealed.

“By any chance, do you know the face of Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva?”

As an extremely unexpected question returned, the giant men were displeased.

Usually, either of the two would have thrown a fist.

Their fists were clearly larger than the head of this ominous boy, and would have crushed his skull more easily than crushing dry leaves.

However, neither of the two did so.

No, they could not.

Somehow, their hunch was not good.

It was uncomfortable.

“Indeed, how would I discuss Buddhism with you fellows.”

Snickering, the boy stood up on the spot.

And before they could even react, he entered the inner part of the shop.

There was not even a footstep.

Only the low laughter of the boy resounded emptily.

When they snapped out of it, only wood shavings remained in the spot where the boy was sitting.

“…Huh, fuck.”

Even though he spat out an oath to raise his spirits, it only scattered in the air in vain.

Was it not a state of being possessed by a ghost in broad daylight?

They could not back away because of their pride, nor could they enter right away.

“…What was that?”

“I don’t know either.”

In the inner part of the shop where the boy had slipped into, deep shadows were cast.

Since it was around noon sunshine, it was natural that the shadows were deep as it was bright, but for some reason, they did not feel it as simple darkness.

“Still, should we not catch and beat him?”

As they raised their internal energy fully, some confidence returned.

“…Should do so.”

They were people who regarded wringing and pulling out a person’s neck as trivial.

They always had their fists ahead of their words, and they were ones who had beaten to death several martial artists who had some names.

What they were showing now was clearly abnormal behavior, but they themselves did not even realize it properly.

Following the boy who had already disappeared into the darkness, they headed to the inner part of the shop.

On the walls of the shop, masks were filled.

Clearly, according to the report of the subordinates who came here yesterday, they said they turned the outside and inside into ruins.

And they said they took all things that would make money.

For what reason were these colorful masks hung up everywhere, filling the shop where deep darkness was cast.

With colorful colors, in various forms, the masks that were smiling or crying somehow seemed to be watching them.

“Is this not some kind of evil art?”

The answer was heard after a moment.

“…I don’t know.”

Even if they had heard of or seen evil arts, they were only tricks that deceived the senses through optical illusions.

There was no way such tricks would work on superhumans who possessed internal energy, which broke the limits of humans.

“…This way?”

“…It seems so.”

For some reason, as the corridor of masks that was too long ended, a side door came into view.

Since it was a straight corridor, the boy must have passed through the side door.

If they went inside, the inner yard would appear, and the space used as the workshop and the living space would come out.

Light was leaking in through the slightly open frame of the side door, and for some reason, that sunshine felt very welcome.

The two people, whose minds were driven close to their limits at some point, walked quickly toward the side door.

It was closer to running than walking.

The moment the giant man who reached the side door first pushed open the side door,

“…Huh?!”

A white hand that stretched out from inside grabbed his throat.

“Ugh?!”

A situation where he had already raised his internal energy and stood fully prepared.

Protecting his neck with internal energy, the giant man caught the arm with both hands simultaneously.

With his innate giant strength and the power of his internal energy, he would crush that thin arm more easily than a dry branch.

However,

“…!”

That white grip dug into his neck, which was protected by internal energy, as if tearing it apart.

His grip, which exerted all his strength, let alone crushing the opponent’s arm, could not even leave a fingernail scratch on that cold skin.

Then, without even leaving a scream, he vanished as if pulled inside the side door.

“B-Brother?!”

The giant man left alone was startled and fell backward.

Scrambling up, he ran in the opposite direction.

Whether what he was unfolding now was a movement technique or footwork, he was confused, but he threw his body on the line of his life.

But for some reason, the view of the alley where the sunshine fell right over there only felt far.

It seemed to gradually grow further.

“Argh!”

Was it because his mind was too far ahead?

His legs tangled and he fell.

It was unsightly.

There was no other sight more unsightly than this.

Even if he submitted to the strong and bent to power, when had his shape been lost like this?

But he did not even feel that.

He tried to jump up, but one of his legs did not move.

Something was holding his ankle.

It was that very white hand.

“U-Uaaak!!”

His ankle felt as if it was freezing, and also as if it was burning.

Would it be like this if dozens of cattle and horses pulled at once?

The hand pulled his body inside with strength that transcended imagination.

The giant man drove his fingers into the ground to not be dragged.

His fingers containing internal energy dug into the paving stones laid on the floor.

But the speed did not slow down in the least.

Sparks flew, and his fingernails broke.

His fingers were broken off.

Still, he could not stop.

“S-Save me! Save…!”

He tried to hold onto the door frame with his last internal energy to endure, but it was futile.

The door frame he held broke off, and his figure vanished inside the side door.

Rattle- rattle-

In the empty shop, only the side door that ate the two men swung leisurely.

Somehow, the sound of masks laughing seemed to resound.

* * *

Yeon So-hyeon knew that if he showed his appearance at the mask craftsman’s workshop, the Black Bone Gang would send people.

Carving leisurely, he let go of the small fry who were peeking from afar, and those small fry brought proper big fish.

Whether underworld or orthodox path, martial artists were precious, and naturally, their positions within were high, and the quality of information they knew was good.

This was also the case for these big fish.

But Yeon So-hyeon had a dissatisfied face.

“No, no. Was it this?”

He crouched on the dirt ground and fidgeted with both hands.

Then, backing away slightly, he looked closely and shook his head.

“It seems it is not this expression either…”

Then, approaching again, he looked at the two heads.

Their bodies were nowhere to be seen, and the giant men who only had their heads left had the most painful expressions in the world.

Their tongues were hung out long, and their wide-open eyeballs had all their capillaries burst, and blood had run down in lines and dried up.

The state of the head rolling next to them was also largely similar, only differing in expression slightly.

“Tch…”

Yeon So-hyeon, who smacked his lips in vain, sat down on the dirt ground and held the carving he was working on.

It was an Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva statue whose face part was not carved.

“Somehow, I don’t know well.”

It was not a problem of memory.

He remembered all the numerous Buddhist paintings he had seen, down to the most trivial part.

But…

“It is not sufficient only to imitate the shape.”

What kind of face does the Buddha, who symbolizes endless benevolence and mercy, make?

What kind of face does the Buddha in his heart make?

Yeon So-hyeon’s carving knife, which was lost in thought for a moment, moved as if dancing.

The skills he had not touched were ones that were faster to count from the back, and carving was also one of his areas.

The hand moving without hesitation formed the shape clearly.

“…It is complete.”

Yeon So-hyeon turned around and placed the completed carving on the grave mound.

He also placed the carving knife together.

It was the joint grave of the mask craftsman’s family that Yeon So-hyeon had made.

On the new grave that was only covered with red soil, the warm sunshine of midday fell.

Yeon So-hyeon’s Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva statue was lying on it, shining white.

The face of that Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva was, instead of a benevolent expression, carved with a mask to cover its face.

It was the same shape as the mask Yeon So-hyeon had received.

The crooked expression mocked the world, and the unpierced eye holes turned away from the world.

“…Black Bone Gang, and Geum-ju.”

Looking up at the sky for a moment, Yeon So-hyeon low-muttered.

“Mock, and sneer. Ridicule, and despise. For that will be the sole resistance you fellows can make…”

And probably by now.

It was certain that the needlessly diligent ‘gatekeeper’ was searchingly looking for him all over Luoyang.

Yeon So-hyeon, who let out a chuckle, disappeared from the graveside.

The cold winter wind swept through the two heads rolling haphazardly on the dirt ground.