The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 232
“Sister...”
Jae-Hyeok was surprised at how naturally the word left his mouth.
Having come to understand his siblings’ feelings days ago, Jae-Hyeok had let go of his resentment toward his sister—but letting go of resentment and holding her accountable in his heart were separate matters.
For a time, Jae-Hyeok had worried that looking at her would serve only to remind him of that fated day eight years ago. But when he laid eyes on Kang Hyeon-Ah’s skinny waist and baggy eyes... Jae-Hyeok found he didn’t care about the past.
Only one thought occupied his mind.
Sister... That’s my sister.
“Step down, and I’ll overlook everything you did today.”
Cha Seung-Min formed a new arm with the remainder of his mana, but instead of ending in a hand, the wrist narrowed to a dagger-like point. Kang Hyeon-Ah’s unkept hair made it difficult to see, but the point seemed to be pointed directly at Kang Hyeon-Ah’s neck.
“Once you achieve more merits and become a National Treasure, change the law. Then, whether you visit or release your sister will be entirely up to you.”
Cha Seung-Min’s message was clear.
Give up for now, or I will ensure we both experience a disaster today.
His eyes radiated a firm killing intent, ready to strike at Kang Hyeon-Ah at the first sign of trouble.
As for his shame? He had discarded that the moment his life fell on the line. The only pride Cha Seung-Min kept was in knowing that Jae-Hyeok would be leaving without his sister.
That said, Cha Seung-Min was only retreating to advance.
Kang Hyeon-Ah’s wits and principles had yet to be broken from her solitary confinement. So there was a chance she might collect herself and testify against him and the military for her inhumane treatment. Therefore, whatever happened, Cha Seung-Min couldn’t allow her to leave today.
I’ll get him to back off today. Then I’ll take care of Kang Hyeon-Ah in the years it takes him to reach Nation Treasure...
As Cha Seung-Min was planning his next steps, Jae-Hyeok suddenly threw a dagger, shattering the light on the ceiling and plunging the area into darkness..
Cha Seung-Min frowned and was about to speak when Jae-Hyeok spoke first, “The light was hurting her eyes. If she were an ordinary person, wouldn’t she be blind by now?”
Jae-hyuk had watched as Kang Hyeon-Ah kept her head lowered from start to finish, seemingly more afraid of the light than the blade that Cha Seung-Min was pressing against her neck.
Perhaps over the last eight years, Kang Hyeon-Ah hadn’t seen a single ray of light.
Jae-Hyeok’s eyes darkened at the thought. “Have you ever treated her as a human being?”
“She continues to exist despite committing treason. Is that not generous enough? Am I not humane? You know, I’ve received countless complaints over the years. Every day people question if it is reasonable to waste taxpayers’ dollars to feed a terrorist like her.
“You should be grateful that this country’s laws are merciful. If this were the United States or China, your sister would’ve been executed a long time ago.”
Ignoring Cha Seung-Min’s nonsense, Jae-Hyeok questioned, “Also, why did she target the National Assembly?”
Meeting Kang Hyeon-Ah again after a long time had stirred up some old memories. She wasn’t as reckless as the world believed; rather, she was far worse. If she were truly outraged by the politicians who wanted to strip their father of his title, as the public wished, then she wouldn’t have stopped at just targeting the National Assembly.
Rather...
“She would’ve gone straight for the Blue House,” Jae-Hyeok muttered.
“?”
“In addition, how did you find out my sister’s plan in advance and arrest her?”
“There was a whistleblower...”
“Is that so? I noticed that you have been on a winning streak, gaining a whole two stars in just eight years. Your promotion rate is almost unheard of in the military.”
On hearing this, Cha Seung-Min’s heart sank. And to make matters worse, the mana forming his arm flickered then, looking like a candle struggling in the wind.
His heavy injuries and the strain of using Black Dragon’s Ascension left Cha Seung-Min’s mana nearly entirely drained.
I overdid it.
At the time, he’d overexerted himself in hopes of killing Jae-Hyeok outright. Once he had, he would’ve been able to take his time recovering. But ultimately, he’d failed and fallen into an even more critical situation...
Cha Seung-Min shifted the angle of his body to prevent Jae-Hyeok from noticing his faltering arm and issued a threat.
“I don’t have time to listen to the nonsense of a brat who doesn’t understand the world. Five seconds. Step back within that time, or Kang Hyeon-Ah dies. Five, four—” Cha Seung-Min gave Jae-Hyeok no time to think and immediately began the countdown.
Jae-Hyeok moved, but rather than retreat, he advanced.
“Two...”
Is he crazy?
Cha Seung-Min’s eyes shook. He became impatient and his counting speed increased.
Jae-Hyeok let out a small laugh.
“You’re too naive.”
After completing the National Treasure candidate examination and killing the Baus family’s assassins, Jae-Hyeok’s level had grown rapidly, climbing all the way to 120..
Through level alone, he would be classified among the top in Korea. And with the addition of his dozens of achievements, Jae-Hyeok’s stats far exceeded what his level predicted. His Insight stat, for example, was over 300. In other words, he had the senses of a transcendent.
He could sense Cha Seung-Min’s mana fading even without looking.
“One...”
Moreover, if Kang Hyeon-Ah were killed like this, Cha Seung-Min would be giving Jae-Hyeok the full justification to kill him in turn. Moreover, a count’s family was unlike a ducal family; killing Hyeon-Ah unprompted would cost his family their heritage title. The merits his father and grandfather had built across their generations would lose their value, and his lone surviving daughter would be demoted to a commoner.
For someone as obsessed with power as Cha Seung-Min, there was no way he could bear such an outcome.
“Zero.” Jae-Hyeok finished the countdown on behalf of Cha Seung-Min, who in his hesitation, had stopped counting.
Frightened, Cha Seung-Min reflexively moved his blade hand, and the flickering tip sank into Kang Hyeon-Ah’s neck. In nearly the same moment, blood erupted from Cha Seung-Min’s chest and back.
Jae-Hyeok withdrew Iyarugt.
“You should know. You’ve only scratched the surface of Kang Hyeon-Ah’s martial arts.”
[Your level has risen.]
With that, Jae-Hyeok then slashed horizontally, intending to split open the door to Kang Hyeon-Ah’s cell. But when Iyarugt struck the metallic door, his sword bounced off in a rain of sparks, leaving behind only a scratch.
It looks to be made from the same material as the outer walls of this prison wing. I wonder what it is. The strength of the material doesn’t fall short of other otherworldly materials.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sweat dripped down Jae-Hyeok’s chin as he continued to swing his sword.
......
Finally, he saw the solitary cell through the small opening he’d carved into the door.
Kang Hyeon-Ah had collapsed, and her splayed form filled most of the room. Moreover, the only thing in the cell was a toilet tucked into a corner. There was no desk or sink, and there were also no blankets, toothbrushes, pen, or other utensils.
I see.
After testing the walls, Jae-Hyeok discovered a needle-sized hole drilled in one corner of the ceiling, beyond which was a camera lens.
Jae-Hyeok dropped down and returned to Kang Hyeon-Ah’s side. Even through his shoes, he could feel the chill air and the rough touch of the dirty cement floor.
Elder Sister. You’ve been wronged....
He had wondered how Cha Seung-Min had stolen the Kang family’s martial arts. At first, it seemed like Kang Hyeon-Min had leaked her techniques to protect herself. But that proved not to be the case.
Kang Hyeon-Ah was just trying not to go crazy. In this small space where only darkness existed, she’d constantly trained in her martial arts, unaware that she was under someone else's watch.
“......”
Jae-Hyeok gently brushed Kang Hyeon-Ah's hair back, which felt rough and dry as if it had been neglected for a long time. He examined her neck closely. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries. The wound was minor; it was just red and swollen, resembling a bee sting.
“You really trained without skipping a single day.”
A solid body—this was a hallmark of those who practiced the Kang family’s martial arts from the very basics. Her bodily defenses offered resistance comparable to the morphing mana of the Cha family, and as a result, the mana-drained Cha Seung-Min stood no chance of harming her.
Of course, Cha Seung-Min was unaware of this fact.
The Kang family’s martial arts were less well-known than the Kang family’s sword-drawing technique, and it called for a strict prerequisite: every cell in the body had to be tempered using mana in order for the user’s tendons, bones, and organs to endure the strain of the later levels of the technique. So while anyone could imitate the basics, only those having undergone the grueling, foundational tempering could reach higher attainments.
This was by no means easy, and consequently, throughout the two-hundred-year history of the Kang family, it had been exceedingly rare for anyone to master this martial art.
Jae-Hyeok had also given up on learning it.
But it may be possible now...
With the increase in his endurance, Jae-Hyeok's body was much more resilient. There was a good chance his body could withstand the tempering process.
Of course, this was assuming he had a good teacher to guide him.
“Sister, I hope you will be my teacher.”
Jae-Hyeok smiled bitterly as he hugged Kang Hyeon-Ah.
It pained him how light she felt in his arms.
“U-unbelievable! General Cha was killed!”
“R-ridiculous...”
Meanwhile, the corridor was in chaos. The warden and soldiers who eventually built up the courage to check on the situation inside were shocked to find Cha Seung-Min’s body. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
“What the hell did you—”
The flustered warden spotted Jae-Hyeok emerging from the solitary cell and opened his mouth to reprimand the boy, only to stop mid-way.
Jae-Hyeok carried his sister in his arms, and his face was streaked with tears. They had a feeling that the current Jae-Hyeok was in an even more dangerous and unpredictable state.
They hesitated only for a moment before stepping aside. No one dared to block Jae-Hyeok’s path.
“Warden.”
Jae-Hyeok reached the end of the corridor before and spoke without turning his head.
“Bring all the video files you recorded of Kang Hyeon-Ah to my car.”
“That... there is no such thing...”
“Should I kill you and ask the deputy?”
“......”
Thinking of how the renowned General Cha Seung-Min had yet to even cool on the floor, a chill went up the warden’s spine at Jae-Hyeok’s words, and he swallowed.
“I... will bring it right away!”
