118.
With the area where eyes should have been completely hollow, it was difficult to even check if he was unconscious. Judging by the complete lack of movement, he was certainly subdued.
The artifact they had brought had the effect of sealing magical power and draining strength from the entire body, so Jian cautiously placed his index finger under the man’s nose.
A faint but steady breath tickled his skin. He also removed the pants that were no better than rags. He confirmed the Jeongho Association mark engraved on the back of the thigh.
“I think he’s definitely the chairperson of the Jeongho Association. Let’s take him and head back.”
Hyunwoo stood up and signaled to Sehun. Sehun lifted the unconscious man with his telekinesis.
“Let’s check on the elderly villagers first. And we should provide compensation for the inn repairs.”
“Ah, right. It’s completely destroyed.”
Hyunwoo made an embarrassed expression at Jian’s words. The inn building was already contaminated by the stench emanating from the man.
Even so, it would have been the elderly woman’s home for many years, so they needed to visit her and apologize first.
Contrary to their concerns, the inn owner’s reaction was favorable.
“Well now, I’m mighty thankful.”
The white-haired old lady happily waved the check in her hand with a pleased smile. She was so excited she could barely contain herself, having received enough money to rebuild the inn and then some.
Plus, they had removed her troublesome guest and provided separate medical expenses for the other elderly villagers, saving her face.
“Then we’ll be going now. If anything happens, please contact us at this number.”
Hyunwoo handed his business card to the inn owner as their representative. Since this village was where the suspected chairperson of the Jeongho Association had been hiding for a long time, he was concerned about any subsequent issues.
“Drive safe now!”
The inn owner went to the village’s only supermarket and returned with snacks and drinks packed in a black plastic bag, which she handed to them.
From her perspective, Hyunwoo and his companions were like VIPs who had left behind bags of gold.
The four people got into the car, bidding farewell to the elderly villagers. The man, wrapped tightly in blankets, was loaded into the trunk.
The stench coming from the man was too severe for him to ride with them. While heading to Seoul, Hyunwoo contacted Yoonjae, Siyun, and Yongho in turn.
Upon hearing that they had found the suspected chairperson of the Jeongho Association, Yoonjae was speechless for a while.
Several hours later, a black van stopped in front of the Hunter Management Bureau headquarters building. Yoonjae, who had been waiting, approached Hyunwoo.
“…Where is he?”
“In the trunk.”
Hyunwoo pressed a button to open the trunk. Yoonjae swallowed hard at the sight, which was more horrific than a corpse.
It was an appearance quite different from Keum Heon-jung, who had been polished from head to toe. During the raid on Keum Heon-jung’s home and office, they discovered he had more hidden money than most conglomerates.
Yet this suspected chairperson had such a wretched appearance that it was a miracle he was still alive.
To those affiliated with the Jeongho Association, including Keum Heon-jung, this person would have been almost god-like. His mind became confused as this was so different from what he had expected.
“We confirmed the tattoo. Let’s do a DNA test first.”
“Yes.”
Hyunwoo firmly gripped the shoulder of the dazed Yoonjae before letting go. Yoonjae, regaining his composure, called over staff members who were standing by.
Sehun transported the man to the examination room using his telekinesis. High-ranking hunters from the Blue Dragon Guild watched the surroundings of the examination room meticulously, prepared for any contingency.
Yoonjae led Jian and his companions to a conference room not far from the examination room. It would take some time for the DNA test results to come back.
“You’ve worked hard. It couldn’t have been easy to find him with just the information provided. As expected of the Dark Net Guild leader.”
Hyunwoo cleared his throat and turned his head away at Yoonjae’s compliment. The tips of his round ears turned slightly red.
“How is the investigation into Minister Keum Heon-jung progressing?”
Jian smiled faintly at Hyunwoo’s uncharacteristic shyness before asking Yoonjae.
They had been in contact periodically to exchange updates, but they had only received brief information.
If Keum Heon-jung wasn’t properly dealt with, the Jeongho Association forces could revive.
“The evidence is solid, and public opinion is on our side, so he’ll likely get life imprisonment. He’ll be incarcerated in a specialized hunter prison, not a general one.”
Despite his words, in reality, those loyal to Keum Heon-jung had begun to counterattack in earnest, resulting in an ongoing difficult battle.
But it was a fight with a predetermined outcome. No matter how much they struggled, they couldn’t cover up the wrongs that had been exposed to the world.
The World Hunter Association and human rights organizations were also showing interest and concern about the Jeongho Association case. Experiments targeting powerless children were not exclusive to South Korea.
The U.S. Federal Government had already captured those who had done similar things to the Jeongho Association ten years ago and sentenced them all to death.
“Of course, he won’t be able to live comfortably in prison. We’ll replace all the guards with our people.”
Yoonjae planned to use the power he had accumulated for this day without reservation. Researcher Heather, Keum Heon-jung, and others directly involved in the experiments on children were scheduled not to die easily.
Researcher Heather was already receiving the experiments she had conducted on children one by one, causing her mental state to gradually collapse.
“I’ll leave their final moments to Hunter Han Sehun. His hatred for them must be greater than anyone else’s.”
Sehun neither affirmed nor denied Yoonjae’s statement. He simply cast a calm, settled gaze.
“Director.”
Just then, there was a neat knock, followed by a staff member opening the door and entering. He handed the test result to Yoonjae.
Everyone’s gaze fixed on the brown envelope in Yoonjae’s hand. Exhaling softly, Yoonjae pulled out the paper inside.
“It’s a match.”
[Analysis result: 99.99% probability of being the same person confirmed.]
Jian read and reread the sentence at the bottom of the paper. Although expected, the confirmation gave him a strange feeling.
The man found in the mountain village in Gangwon Province was too different from the vague image he had imagined of the Jeongho Association chairperson.
Why were his eyes hollowed out, why was his body so decayed, why was his mind so collapsed that he couldn’t even speak properly?
There were too many questions. But finally, an end had come. Sehun’s past, and the past of Yoonjae and the original owner of this body, “Lee Jian,” could finally be compensated.
“Could you help with the interrogation of the Jeongho Association chairperson?”
Jian raised his gaze from the test results. Yoonjae’s eyes were directed at Sehun.
Probably because of Sehun’s mind control ability, but ironically, it was an ability that hadn’t worked properly on Yoonjae himself.
Perhaps sensing the puzzlement, Yoonjae turned to Jian and raised the corner of his mouth. His narrowed eyes exuded a benevolent atmosphere.
“I was planning to talk about this soon. All the executives belonging to the Jeongho Association possess resistance to mind control abilities. In my case, I was also under a curse that allowed me to speak about Jeongho Association information only to specific individuals.”
He added that this was why extracting information from Keum Heon-jung and Researcher Heather had been very difficult.
“I found the person who placed the curse on me around the time the fourth strike team was finalized. Thanks to that, we were able to strike against Keum Heon-jung’s forces in time.”
Hyunwoo narrowed his brows as unfamiliar conversation flowed. At that moment, Yoonjae winked at Hyunwoo.
Hyunwoo turned his head away as if he’d seen something he shouldn’t. The tips of his ears were even redder than before.
“Han Sehun’s mind control ability is probably the strongest among active hunters in South Korea currently. The fact that it didn’t work on me should be considered an exception. I received intensive experiments related to mental aspects. I was trained to never reveal secrets about the Jeongho Association under any circumstances.”
Yoonjae spoke in a light tone, but the content was anything but.
“I would like Han Sehun to conduct the interrogation of the Jeongho Association chairperson. If you’re not inclined, you can refuse. It will take some time, but the mind control ability users belonging to the Hunter Management Bureau are also quite skilled.”
Given that they had managed to make Researcher Heather and S-rank hunter Keum Heon-jung talk, it would be more accurate to say they were exceptionally skilled.
“I’ll do it.”
Sehun spoke while tenderly holding Jian’s hand. Since this person had caused pain not only to himself but also to Jian, he did not intend to let him die easily.
He needed to place strong mental constraints on the chairperson of the Jeongho Association, as well as on Researcher Heather and Keum Heon-jung.
To ensure they could never commit suicide. To make them writhe in agony in prison until they died of old age.
“Let’s start today.”
Now that they knew the captured man was the chairperson of the Jeongho Association, there was no need to delay. Yoonjae smiled, narrowing his already thin eyes at Sehun’s determination.
“Rest today and start tomorrow. I’ve booked a top-tier spa hotel nearby for everyone to relax comfortably.”
Hyunsu’s eyes sparkled at Yoonjae’s suggestion. He had endured almost a full day without sleep, staying tense throughout.
Having struggled considerably to capture the chairperson of the Jeongho Association at the end, his body was already feeling stiff.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
