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Chapter 39
-Huaya. My son… Run. Live.
-And… whatever happens… don’t walk the same path as your father.
His mother’s body lay cold on the ground.
His father, drenched in blood, left his final words.
The boy—Ihu—opened his eyes.
“……”
A horrifying past, replayed within the dream.
Any ordinary six-year-old would have burst into tears. But not Ihu.
Just like always, he wore a blank expression as he folded up his bedding.
“I am awake.”
He stepped out of the worn-down, shabby guest room and headed downstairs. Upon reaching the innkeeper, who was wiping down a table with a rag, Ihu reported without emotion.
“Sam Ho.”
The innkeeper, equally expressionless and cold, called Ihu by that name.
He held out a slip of paper.
“Take this.”
After receiving it, Ihu silently read the written mission instructions and precautions—then swallowed the paper whole.
“I will carry out the mission.”
With a short response, Ihu turned toward the tavern’s entrance.
Just then, the door opened, and customers entered.
“Hey, innkeeper. You open for business?”
The innkeeper’s stiff face melted into a beaming smile in an instant.
“Oh! Welcome, welcome! What can I get you?”
Ihu glanced briefly at his superior, now lost in the act, before stepping outside.
‘Lure customers near the target’s residence. If any strangers appear, remember their faces and report them later.’
Recalling the words written on the paper, Ihu walked through the marketplace.
The target was one of the wealthiest families in Gugang—The Yu Clan. More specifically, its head, Yu Hyeongshim.
Why he was ordered to watch Yu Hyeongshim, Ihu didn’t know. No—he didn’t want to know.
He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to feel anything about it.
But.
No one in this world can truly stop their thoughts just because they want to.
‘…It’s probably for an assassination.’
The thought crept in without warning.
A chill ran down Ihu’s spine, and his body shuddered involuntarily.
The nightmare from the morning came back to him, like chewed memories surfacing.
His father’s dying words—to never walk the same path.
His breathing grew ragged, as if something were choking him.
‘No! I’m not trying to kill anyone. I’m just doing what I’m told… so I can survive.’
His father had been a killer—an assassin—who broke an unspoken law by falling in love.
For a moment, they had a family. A fleeting glimpse of happiness.
And then came destruction.
‘Don’t walk the same path as your father.’
That final plea from his father now seared itself across Ihu’s mind like a brand.
For a moment, he thought—if he hadn’t been practicing the Emptiness technique, he might’ve just collapsed and burst into tears right there.
‘Born to an assassin. Ran from assassins. Then captured by assassin clans and raised as one myself…’
Was there any other child in the world with such a twisted fate?
Probably not.
The most laughable part was that, even while having such thoughts, he felt… nothing.
Not a twitch of the lips. Not a flicker of emotion.
All thanks to the Emptiness technique.
Emptiness technique: A technique every assassin from the Nameless Killing Valley must learn—forced to learn. As its name implies, it severs emotions to create a perfect killer.
‘Everything in me… is fading away.’
The death of his parents had once shattered his entire world.
But now, he felt almost nothing.
And though he found that realization tragic, even that sense of tragedy was eroding, little by little, with every day of training.
‘I have to stop practicing the Emptiness technique… if I want to remain myself. But…’
He could not stop training.
If his progress in internal arts was judged too slow—if he was deemed talentless—
He would be discarded.
‘I don’t want to die. I can’t die. I have to survive, just as Father asked me to.’
Training meant losing more of himself.
But not training meant disposal—that is, death.
It was an unbearably cruel choice to give a child. Yet, the Emptiness technique dulled even the fear that should’ve followed such cruelty.
Maybe that, at least, was one of its benefits.
“There’s a cheap and tasty inn over here!”
Calling out like someone luring customers, yet still expressionless, Ihu slowly changed locations.
His destination was the Yu Clan estate—the location tied to his mission directive. Ihu checked the sun’s position to estimate the time.
‘Yu Hyeongshim, the clan head, should be coming out soon.’
Every day, Yu Hyeongshim left his manor at the exact same time to check on his various businesses.
Right on cue, the gates of the Yu estate opened, and Yu Hyeongshim stepped out, flanked by his attendants.
Ihu kept pretending to lure in customers, carefully following at a distance.
‘Same time as usual, same route. No abnormalities.’
Following Yu Hyeongshim into his business under the guise of a street peddler wasn’t possible.
From this point on, it would be up to another assassin in a different disguise to take over the task.
Ihu turned to walk back to his base at the inn.
Once he submitted his report, he would need to resume training—so he wouldn’t be discarded.
That was when—
“Please, young master! Spare a coin!”
Ihu’s gaze snapped to a beggar boy who had suddenly appeared.
‘If you see a stranger, memorize their face and report it later.’
A face he hadn’t seen before. At the very least, this child wasn’t someone who normally begged in the area.
A drifter from the next village, maybe?
Ihu studied the beggar, wondering whether to classify him as a person of interest.
‘For a beggar, he’s got a bit of meat on his bones… Is he in disguise?’
Just as that thought crossed his mind—
A dumpling fell from a street stall nearby.
“Oh! Ma’am, you dropped a dumpling! Mind if I eat it?!”
The beggar boy rushed over and, without even brushing off the dirt, stuffed the dumpling straight into his mouth.
Watching that scene, Ihu revised his assessment.
‘Yeah… he’s definitely a real beggar. No wonder he’s so chubby—he eats anything.’
With that conclusion, Ihu returned to his original path.
Unaware that the beggar boy chewing on his dumpling was grinning at him.
****
The next day.
As usual, Ihu was on his way to carry out another directive when he spotted a beggar sprawled beneath the wall of the Yu estate.
A familiar face. No—not familiar. He’d only seen it twice.
‘That beggar… already figured out that the Yu estate is the most generous place in the area?’
Indeed, the Yu Clan was the wealthiest household nearby.
The Yu Clan was not only the regional landlord but also ran a rapidly growing business empire. A promising household with a flourishing future.
Naturally, it was also known for its generosity toward beggars and the poor.
‘Figures. With that kind of quick wit, even a beggar like him ends up well-fed.’
Just as Ihu thought that, the beggar, spotting him, sprang up and waved excitedly.
“Hey there! Ain’t you the young master I saw yesterday? Feeling generous today?”
Ihu ignored the cheerful beggar boy approaching with a grin.
The boy clicked his tongue in mock disappointment.
“Guess you’re tight on change. Maybe next time!”
The same happened the next day. And the day after that.
Each time Ihu passed by, the beggar boy was sprawled beneath the Yu Clan’s outer wall, waving frantically the moment he spotted him.
“Young master… Hmm, wait, you actually look younger than me. Little inn boy, can’t you spare a coin for your poor beggar brother?”
“Hey, little inn boy! Today’s the day, come on—just one coin, yeah?”
“Little inn boy, it’s already been four days! You seriously gonna keep ignoring me? Spare just one coin!”
By then, Ihu began seriously debating whether to report the beggar boy to his superiors.
After careful deliberation, he chose not to.
He had observed the beggar boy from multiple angles over the past few days and analyzed his behavior thoroughly.
And no matter how you looked at him, the kid was nothing more—and nothing less—than a real beggar.
‘If I report him just for being cheeky, I’ll get slapped for wasting time.’
His superior, the innkeeper, had a viciously strong slap. Whenever Ihu irritated him, he’d land a blow so hard it would split the inside of Ihu’s mouth.
To report something uncertain and invite that kind of punishment? Not worth it.
‘Actually… I might be able to use this beggar instead.’
A directive he had received not long ago came to mind.
‘In addition to tailing Yu Hyeongshim, engage in active customer-calling near his estate to build familiarity.’
‘Get close with the Yu estate staff. Investigate whether any of Yu Hyeongshim’s collectibles match the mission target.’
As is often the case with the wealthy who don’t know what to do with their money, Yu Hyeongshim had a strong obsession with collecting antiques.
So strong, in fact, that he even dealt on the black market to expand his collection.
This directive brought a small wave of relief to Ihu.
‘Thank goodness. It’s not an assassination mission.’
If the target had been identified as a collectible, then the objective was likely theft—not murder.
Even after masteringthe Emptiness technique, the thought of killing someone still sent uncontrollable shivers through his body.
The trauma of his father’s death… the weight of his final words… had instilled a deep-rooted compulsion within him.
He had managed to hide it until now—but if a superior ever discovered that psychological issue…
‘I’d almost certainly be discarded.’
There was no way an assassin clan would continue to raise a child with a compulsive aversion to killing.
So he couldn’t afford to let that secret slip—not now, not ever.
Not until he found a way out of this cursed life.
With that thought heavy in his chest, Ihu finally reached into his sleeve and pulled out a small copper coin.
He held it out toward the beggar boy.
“Whoa there, little inn boy! I knew today was gonna be my lucky day!”
“I’ve got a question.”
For someone so young, Ihu spoke with a strangely stiff tone. He worried it might make the beggar boy uncomfortable.
But the boy’s face didn’t change in the slightest.
“Ask me anything, junior brother. No, wait—since you gave me money today, I’ll call you hyung instead!”
Ihu asked the beggar boy a few questions related to his current mission.
“The young attendants? Hmm… There’s this one older guy, three or four years older than us, I like him. Got a mole on his face—real friendly.”
“Yu Hyeongshim-nim? Ah, that guy’s a saint. Just walk up to him and he’ll toss you a coin. Super generous. Suspicious? Nah, can’t say I’ve noticed anything.”
Once he had the intel he needed, Ihu stood.
“If you answer again next time, I’ll give you another coin.”
“Then I’ll keep calling you hyung, deal?”
And so, for the next several days,
Ihu continued to use the beggar boy to carry out parts of his mission.
Despite being a bit slick, the boy was honest and openly shared useful details. He proved to be surprisingly helpful.
‘If only things could stay like this forever.’
He trained. He conducted surveillance and tailing missions.
And every now and then, he joked around with a beggar boy he could now say he was familiar with.
But—
That small wish shattered all too soon.
“Sam Ho.”
“Yes.”
Just as he was leaving the inn early in the morning, as usual, to carry out his orders—
The innkeeper, his superior, called him back.
“Today, you have a special directive.”
The man who had never once displayed a trace of emotion curled his lips into a cold smile.
And in that moment, a wave of dread washed over Ihu, sending chills down his spine.
And that fear soon became reality.
“Congratulations. Your first assassination has been assigned.”
Something dropped with a thud inside him.
Ihu clasped his hands behind his back to hide their trembling.
“Tonight is the operation. If everything goes according to plan, you’ll appear before Yu Hyeongshim as he tries to flee. Pretend to help, then lure him in—and finish the job. That’s your role.”
The innkeeper detailed the operation step by step, but Ihu’s mind had gone blank.
“Carry out your usual routine until then. Stay alert and observe for anything unusual.”
“...Yes.”
Ihu forced himself to maintain a normal expression.
Controlling his breathing, he stepped out of the inn.
Not until he reached near the Yu estate did he finally exhale.
“Haa… Haa…”
That’s when—
“Hey, little inn boy.”
Startled, Ihu looked up.
It was the beggar boy.
“Something wrong?”
“N-No, nothing.”
Even a mere beggar could sense that he was shaken.
That wasn’t good.
Unlikely as it was, there might still be someone watching him.
“You feeling sick? Want me to find you some medicine or something?”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Ihu brushed off the beggar’s hand and walked away.
The boy didn’t follow—just silently watched from behind.
****
Time passed. Night fell.
“Sam Ho, Follow me.”
Ihu trailed after his superior.
They arrived at a low hill behind the Yu estate—more of a sloped forest than anything else.
“If Yu Hyeongshim appears here, approach him as if by chance. Then stab.”
A sodo—a short blade small enough to hide in a sleeve but sharp enough to pierce a man’s gut—was placed in his hand.
In the darkness, Ihu bit his lip to suppress the trembling in his grip.
“Understood.”
His superior disappeared into the shadows beneath a nearby tree.
Soon after, a commotion erupted—and Yu Hyeongshim appeared.
“Huff! Huff! Is anyone there?! Anyone—!”
Drenched in sweat, the portly estate master stumbled forward, gasping for air.
“Help me! Please—there’s been an attack!”
Ihu stepped out silently, the sodo still hidden in his sleeve.
“Y-You! You’re the inn boy from Cheongang Inn! What are you doing out here… No, wait—haa!”
His superior had told him to approach naturally—but it was already too late for that.
Yu Hyeongshim, seeing Ihu’s silent expression, sensed something was wrong.
“No… No, don’t tell me—”
Before he could finish, Ihu lunged.
He shoved Yu Hyeongshim to the ground, straddled him, and pressed the blade to his neck.
“P-Please, please spare me… Please…”
Sweat, or maybe tears, dripped down the trembling man’s cheeks.
Ihu glanced toward the trees where his superior was hiding, then turned back to Yu Hyeongshim’s face.
“Haa… Haa…”
His breathing was ragged—just as desperate as the man beneath him.
To survive, he had to kill.
-Don’t walk the same path as your father.
To survive, he had to kill.
-Don’t walk the same path as your father.
If he failed—he’d be discarded.
-Don’t walk the same path as your father.
“Haa… Haa…!”
His vision blurred. The energy from the Emptiness technique surged through him, cooling his head.
Or maybe it felt hot—like pressing a hand to cold ice and burning from it.
“Haa… Haa… Haa…”
“Still… I have to do it. If I want to live—”
The blade twitched downward. Yu Hyeongshim shut his eyes and screamed.
‘Hey, little inn bro!’
‘Can’t you spare something for me today?’
’Why? ’Cause you’re a good person, that’s why!’
The sensation—hot and cold—wrapped around Ihu’s entire body.
In the end… instead of plunging the blade down…
He fainted.
“Tch. I knew something was off. He’s defective.”
The superior stepped out of the shadows, clicking his tongue as he looked down at Ihu, now collapsed.
Yu Hyeongshim’s face, which had been filled with relief, quickly fell back into despair.
“Y-You…! Please, spare me… Please…”
The assassin ignored him and muttered coldly.
“A shame about the talent, but he’ll have to be discarded. Convenient, though. We’ll just say he killed you out of greed.”
The assassin raised his blade to strike—
“The one getting discarded… is you, bastard.”
---The End Of The Chapter---
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