Urban Vagabond: Reload

“Since you both decided to join, I’ll explain the operation starting now.”

At Kim Muhyuk’s words, Kim Bokja and Shin Kangheon nodded with serious expressions.

Choi Geon slipped a step back.

He planned to take part in his disciple’s plan too, but for now, he intended to let the three of them lead the discussion themselves.

This brings back memories.

Back when he was a hot-blooded young righteous hero.

Choi Geon had gone on mission after mission with his Martial Alliance comrades, and they’d spent whole nights with their heads together, agonizing and debating over how to realize justice.

This whole process will make you grow even more.

So for now, it was time to watch quietly.

With youthful blood, they might make the wrong call or botch things—but that kind of experience was necessary for young rising talents.

Even if they make a mistake, I’ll be right beside them to advise them....

While Choi Geon watched the three with a pleased smile, a memory suddenly surfaced—how he’d lost a bet with Kim Muhyuk not long ago—and his expression turned sour.

Wasn’t his disciple someone who judged situations more coldly than a veteran like him, and even extracted decisive information?

“...Tsk. Anyway, he’s got no cute side at all.”

Because he couldn’t imagine his disciple making a mistake, the dissatisfied master slightly furrowed his brow and muttered.

“Master. Do you have something you want to say?”

“Forget it. Finish what you were saying.”

At the sight of his master waving a hand with a curt expression, Kim Muhyuk looked briefly bewildered, then quickly turned back to his friends and spoke.

“We’re going to disguise ourselves as Sun and Moon Gate masters and tear up Great Heaven Gate’s business operations.”

Once an orthodox martial world sect reached the level of a mid-tier power, it inevitably ran various businesses.

Among them were legal operations, but there were also ones that clung precariously to the edge of the law—or outright illegal operations they couldn’t reveal to outsiders.

One corner of Kim Muhyuk’s mouth lifted, and a cold smile formed.

“The real big money is always made through illegal operations. That’s what we’re going after.”

Shin Kangheon, who’d been listening, tilted his head with an expression that said he didn’t get it.

“Great Heaven Gate is big, even among mid-tier sects. And they’re doing illegal business?”

“Our youngest really doesn’t know how the world works. The ones who already have the most are always the most vicious.”

When Kim Bokja patted his back like, What do we do with this innocent kid, Shin Kangheon shot her an annoyed glare.

“I’ve been wondering for a while. How do you two know this stuff so well?”

“Can you handle it? It’s a secret too dangerous to tell a young master who grew up like a greenhouse flower...”

“Ah, shit!”

Watching Bokja cackle and Shin Kangheon look like he was about to lose his mind from being teased, Kim Muhyuk snorted a laugh, then spoke in a slightly firmer tone.

“I have a reliable source. I can’t tell you who it is, but it’s information they confirmed.”

He could feel Choi Geon’s interest, but Kim Muhyuk didn’t say any more.

Because the source of that information was his past life.

I don’t know exactly how far Great Heaven Gate’s reach goes....

But he knew, from rumors he’d heard during his vagabond days, that they had a foot in dangerous business.

And knowing that much was enough—he was confident he could dig out the rest.

I’ve got connections I built for moments like this.

With a meaningful smile, Kim Muhyuk continued.

“If we disguise ourselves as Sun and Moon Gate martial artists and hit Great Heaven Gate, Sun and Moon Gate won’t just sit still. They’ll try to investigate, and attention will focus on us.”

Kim Muhyuk turned his head to the side and looked at Choi Geon.

“While things are in chaos, Master, infiltrate Sun and Moon Gate and secure decisive evidence. That’s the big frame of the plan. We’ll fill in the details as we go.”

Choi Geon nodded, then looked over the three of them as he spoke.

“It’s an extremely dangerous mission. If your identity is exposed or you’re captured, you’ll suffer greatly. No—your life could be in danger. It’s not too late. You can pretend you never heard this and go home.”

“Forget it. I already took the down payment.”

Kim Bokja answered with a bored look like, Why are you asking so much, and Shin Kangheon pounded his thick pectorals and boasted.

“If you run because you’re scared, you’re not a righteous hero. I’m ready to stain my blade with blood anytime!”

“You brats...”

Choi Geon looked at the two of them—especially Shin Kangheon—with a pleased expression, then met his disciple’s eyes.

Nod, nod.

Kim Muhyuk nodded back, let out a low sigh, and set the tone.

“There’s one important problem. You know Sun and Moon Gate is split into the ice-technique faction and the blazing-yang martial arts faction, right? I can imitate ice techniques. But if we only have one side, the balance is off.”

If not only an ice-technique master but also a blazing-yang master appeared and attacked Great Heaven Gate, Great Heaven Gate’s suspicion would become even more certain.

And on top of that, Sun and Moon Gate could be pushed into blaming the other faction’s scheme—sparking mutual accusations and conflict.

Was there any better way to maximize the chaos?

“In other words, we need someone to play the role of a blazing-yang master. It won’t be easy... but I believe you can pull it off.”

Kim Muhyuk looked straight at Shin Kangheon as he spoke.

“...Me?”

Shin Kangheon, who’d been happily letting his imagination run wild about being a hero of the shadows, felt an inexplicable anxiety under Kim Muhyuk’s stare that seemed like it would bore through his skin.

So he unconsciously stepped back—but Kim Muhyuk’s approach was faster.

“You said earlier you were ready to burn your whole body for justice. Don’t tell me you didn’t mean that.”

Shin Kangheon flinched for a moment, but pride—I can’t go back on what I said—and his refusal to lose to Kim Muhyuk made him stop and shout.

“Of course I meant it! You think I’m gonna get scared just because you’re staring at me like that? Fine! I’ll do whatever!”

“You definitely said you’d do it.”

Thud.

Kim Muhyuk’s smile deepened as he placed a hand on Shin Kangheon’s shoulder.

Flameblade Shin Kangheon. A body with overwhelmingly high fire affinity.

He couldn’t have Shin Kangheon learn and deploy blazing-yang saber arts on the spot, but imitation was more than possible.

As long as he had help from an excellent spellcaster.

“Bokja. Use spells to light Kangheon on fire.”

“...What?”

“Literally. Let’s set his body on fire. We’ll see how well he can endure it.”

For a moment, Kim Bokja’s eyes went wide, but as a freelancer who lived by reading the room, she understood immediately and nodded.

FWOOSH!

A ghostly blue flame bloomed above Kim Bokja’s hand.

After listening dumbly until that point, Shin Kangheon finally snapped back to his senses and tried to resist.

“Wait. What the hell are you talking about? Why are you lighting my body on fire?”

“You were puffing your chest out in front of reporters because your fire affinity tested high. Let’s test how far it really goes.”

PAPAPAPAP!

With pressure-point sealing as fast as lightning, Shin Kangheon’s body locked stiff.

In his eyes—unable to move at all—the blue flame drew closer.

“No, you lunatics! You’re gonna set a person on fire?! Are you out of your minds?!”

Kim Muhyuk calmly spoke as he yanked off Shin Kangheon’s top while Kangheon screamed.

“You said you could burn your whole body for martial-world justice.”

“How is that the same thing, you crazy bastard—! Teacher, don’t just watch! Stop them!”

“Hardship is the natural companion of justice.”

Choi Geon pulled Shin Kangheon’s pants down to his calves. It was to keep his clothes from burning.

“Bokja. I don’t want to see anything hideous, so be careful not to let the fire spread below his abdomen.”

“Only roast the top until it’s nice and crispy, right?”

After confirming the requirement, Kim Bokja applied the ghostly flame to Shin Kangheon’s body.

FWOOOOSH!

“AAAGH! I’m suing all of you—!”

After a stretch of time filled with shouting, profanity, and screams, Shin Kangheon’s fire-affinity test ended.

Just as expected.

Amazingly, Shin Kangheon endured even the flames Kim Bokja produced with her spells with ease.

It ended with nothing more than slightly singed skin and a bit of burned hair.

Even Kim Bokja, the one performing it, looked flustered.

“...He’s enduring this? Is his skin made of some kind of flameproof material?”

“It’s less that he endures it, and more that he absorbs the energy.”

Choi Geon, too, looked shocked at Shin Kangheon’s constitution, which far exceeded expectations.

Only Kim Muhyuk wore a satisfied expression as he nodded.

Because he became known as Korea’s Greatest Blade through blazing-yang saber arts.

When it came specifically to the fire element among the Five Elements, Shin Kangheon had far greater affinity than Kim Muhyuk.

It was a talent so tremendous that even Sun and Moon Gate would covet it—yet even Shin Kangheon himself looked dazed, like he hadn’t realized he was this extreme.

“I’m kinda fucking awesome...?”

At the sight of him grinning like an idiot, Kim Muhyuk shook his head, then held a more serious conversation with his master.

“With this, he can disguise himself as a blazing-yang master, right?”

“It should be fine. No one would expect someone to walk around with their body literally on fire through spells.”

“Can it fool masters with sharp eyes?”

“A master at my level would notice quickly... but Great Heaven Gate doesn’t have anyone like that. So as long as he isn’t exposed for too long, it should work.”

Then Shin Kangheon cut in and asked the two of them.

“Hey, but—what if I couldn’t endure the fire? What were you gonna do then?”

“Hahaha...”

“Heh heh heh...”

“Don’t brush it off with laughter!”

After they even mapped out the detailed disguise plan, Choi Geon asked Kim Muhyuk.

“Are you going to hit Great Heaven Gate’s illegal operation immediately?”

Kim Muhyuk shook his head.

All he knew was the fragmentary fact that Great Heaven Gate ran illegal operations—he didn’t know the exact location.

But he did know one person who would.

“I have an acquaintance with a wide network in that world. I’m going to visit and ask for cooperation.”

“...It isn’t good for the number of people who know the plan to increase.”

“Don’t worry. He owes me his life once.”

Kim Muhyuk smiled with confidence.

*****

“Look who it is! You didn’t come by for a while, so I figured you died somewhere!”

Hwang Suksu made a big fuss as he welcomed Kim Muhyuk.

He also greeted Kim Bokja with an easy grin.

“Long time no see, Red Rabbit. I heard you haven’t been sticking around the shop lately?”

“You even know that?”

“When you sell liquor, you hear the rumors in this world whether you want to or not.”

Hwang Suksu laughed sociably and personally guided the two of them in. Then he briefly glanced at the unfamiliar person following behind them.

“......”

The Dark Den was the same as ever. Even though it was a time slot without many people, he could feel eyes everywhere.

That guy—ain’t he Blue Wolves’ goggle killer?

Red Rabbit came with him too. What’s going on?

And who’s the guy behind them?

Maybe because his senses had sharpened and his realm had deepened, he could hear people’s whispers clearly.

Just like last time, he’d come wearing goggles and even a mask, but now he could barely feel any difference at all.

“Loud, isn’t it? C’mon, let’s go inside.”

Hwang Suksu immediately led the three of them to one of the few private rooms in The Dark Den.

A room that guaranteed perfect soundproofing and privacy.

They hadn’t reserved it or paid for it separately, yet he brought them here anyway—his attitude had clearly changed from last time.

Thud.

The moment he closed the door, Hwang Suksu winked at Kim Muhyuk and said,

“Thanks to you, I found the snake bastard. A guy I’d known for over ten years—turns out he was plotting to clean out my entire fortune.”

“Sounds like you harvested strawberries properly.”

“Hahaha! It wasn’t the season, so the taste was pretty bad, though!”

A few years later, Hwang Suksu had been destined to be found dead in the street from anaphylactic shock.

But with the hint Kim Muhyuk had casually given him the last time he visited The Dark Den, Hwang Suksu had found the traitor and safely removed the future trouble.

With a very good-humored face, Hwang Suksu said,

“I’ve been waiting to treat you properly when you came back. Want me to have some braised pork belly made? Some good liquor came in too.”

At the words good liquor, Kim Bokja swallowed hard, but forced her expression into control and looked at Kim Muhyuk.

Kim Muhyuk waved a hand.

“No. I came to get information today. I’ll take care of my business and leave right away.”

Hwang Suksu was someone who kept accounts clean. He paid back exactly what he received, and he worked exactly as much as the compensation demanded.

It was a common trait among people who survived long as vagabonds.

In other words, the price of owing a life could be used very effectively.

“Then that’s a shame. We’ll have to do the treating next time. So what is it you’re curious about, benefactor? Ah—before that...”

But that also meant he was cautious.

Narrowing his eyes, Hwang Suksu looked at the unfamiliar figure standing stiffly behind Kim Muhyuk and said,

“I don’t recognize one face. Is he someone who should be in here?”

“......”

The man was tall, with a huge saber strapped to his back, and his entire body was wrapped tightly in bandages.

Even his face was wound in bandages with only his eyes exposed, so it was impossible to make out any identifying features.

Sniff, sniff.

I think I can even smell something slightly burned on him.

Curiosity rose, but Hwang Suksu didn’t ask directly. He only stared at the bandaged saber-wielder with a wary gaze.

Then Kim Muhyuk answered in a relaxed voice.

“He’s Blue Wolves’ youngest. Quiet and serious, as you can see.”

“......”

With his mouth wrapped in bandages too, he looked like he couldn’t speak even if he wanted to.

And somehow, it also felt like he was putting on a weirdly theatrical pose...

Hwang Suksu had a lot of thoughts, but he didn’t bother saying them out loud.