The Duke's Son :Re-Chapter 260

The youths listened blankly to the news discussing Phoenix's disappearance.

“T-that... is that really Phoenix?”

No, setting aside Phoenix, the other corpses were also familiar. Their images had been all over the news for the last week and a half. Alongside Phoenix, they were the two other National Treasures that China had sent as part of their investigation team.

Thinking to here, the youth’s eyes drifted back to Chen Dian’s face.

The corpse’s hair was white, and its bloodless skin was wrinkled and chapped. But looking at its general build and clothing—which was the same as Phoenix’s yesterday—there was no question about the corpse's identity.

Three Chinese National Treasures were in a hole in Jae-Hyeok’s yard...

“Yeah, that’s him.”

Jae-Hyeok shrugged.

“Um, if someone asks—”

“W-we’ll say we didn’t see them!”

Da-Hee half-shouted. She was trembling badly, and her face was deathly pale. It was a pitiful sight.

“Great. No matter what, you can’t admit to seeing or knowing anything.”

Jae-Hyeok reiterated. This was a question of his friends’ safety, so he made sure they understood.

He might’ve invited them over to create an alibi, but Jae-Hyeok had no intention of putting them in danger.

So long as they keep their mouths shut, their involvement will end here.

Chen Dian had planned nothing good in coming to the Kang Estate yesterday. His mission was naturally confidential, so even if the other Chinese players suspected his involvement, they couldn’t announce it outright without inviting unwanted questions from the Korean news.

Jae-Hyeok’s eyes turned cold.

Even so, it’s best to tidy the loose ends sooner rather than later.

Jae-Hyeok signaled Theodore with his eyes, and the two of them returned to work.

......

By midday, the garden was looking much better than it had that morning. Theodore and Jae-Hyeok buried the corpses, while Butler Hwang and Jae-Hyeok’s friends laid new sod and tilled the flower beds—let alone three days, at this rate, the gardens would look good as new by day’s end.

Regarding the three corpses, Jae-Hyeok’s friends were all players and elites in their own right; so, other than the initial shock, the revelation didn’t bother them much.

It wasn’t that they didn’t understand the weight of life.

A person with a normal sense of ethics would feel pity even at the death of an animal, let alone a fellow human being. However, humans were also different from animals in that they lacked intrinsic innocence. With higher thought came the burden of choice.

Rather than hunting in their own homeland, the Chinese sought to steal benefits from Korea and target their friend’s life. For such people, the youths felt no pity; Chen Dian and the other two had sought their own end.

The only thing that bothered them was...

Glance.

Glance.

How did he deal with them?

They had all witnessed Jae-Hyeok’s skills for themselves during his candidate exam just three weeks ago. Jae-Hyeok’s power and battle intelligence stirred awe and respect in all their hearts.

However, National Treasures wielded powers beyond measure. The title “National Treasure” was reserved for people who wielded powers so grand, so potent, that they became synonymous with the nation itself.

Moreover, China’s National Treasures were among the strongest in the world, alongside those of the United States and Europe.

It was hard to believe that Jae-Hyeok had wiped them out overnight.

Are the Death Knight’s skills so great? No... There’s no way an intelligent monster would accept a weak master. Jae-Hyeok must be the stronger of the two...

The youths tilted their heads, and their eyes naturally fell on Hyeon-Ah.

The woman was currently crushing all the charred trees with her hands, turning them into fertilizer.

Hyeon-Ah had been training them for the past few days... no, it was more accurate to say she’d tortured them, overworking their bodies and minds from dawn to dusk, and even beyond. She claimed it was a step necessary for learning the Kang-style martial arts, so they could only suck in their tears and follow along.

But in the process of all this brutality, they’d come to realize just how powerful Hyeon-Ah was. She had strength greater than an ogre, limitless stamina, agility that seemed unnatural, and a focus that was completely unaffected by external distractions.

The children hadn’t even seen her martial arts yet, but they were certain that she was an S-class player.

She must’ve fought alongside them...

Thinking so, everyone reevaluated their understanding of the seemingly quaint Kang family. Even newly resurging, the Kang family was already so strong, strong to the point of making several of China's National Treasures quietly disappear...

Should this ancient family rise once more, Korea might well stand shoulder-to-shoulder with China and Japan.

And the tip of that spear was none other than their friend, Jae-Hyeok!

The youths’ eyes flickered.

A strange sense of pride arose within them.

The Kang family was a rising sun; years from now, when the Kang family dominated Korea, who but them could say they’d stood by the Kang family’s young patriarch, sharing hardships and glory, from the beginning?

Gradually, the cheery air among the youths gave way to solemn frowns, upright backs, and burning hearts!

Butler Hwang sensed the charged atmosphere and harnessed that energy like a master conductor.

“I need three on boulder flipping duty! Quickly now, let’s hide those scorch marks!

“The rest, please divide yourselves under me and Young Miss Jang. We’ll have those new flowers arranged and planted in no time!”

......

By late afternoon, the gardens were fully restored.

Every one of Jae-Hyeok’s friends boasted superhuman stats, so this much was to be expected.

“It’s perfect.”

“It’s beyond perfect. It’s almost shining.”

The flowers and transplanted trees were even more richly colored and beautifully arranged than it had been before, making it look like a living work of art.

“Well done, everyone! If this were a landscaping competition, we would’ve won top place, to be sure!”

Butler Hwang was also satisfied.

“As a reward, I will prepare a special meal.”

Jae-Hyeok coughed.

“I’ve already ordered delivery.”

“Why?!”

Butler Hwang fell to his knees in despair while everyone else rejoiced.

Just then, the front gate doorbell chimed.

“It’s jajangmyeon!”

“Isn’t that too much of a commoner’s meal?”

“Hye-Ji, your tone is annoying.”

“Still, it is true that it is the cheapest dish on the menu in Chinese restaurants! After all that work, the least he could do was order us some sweet and sour pork!”

Having worked hard since morning, the youths were famished and rushed toward the front gate like a pack of hungry beasts.

But they soon discovered the people across the gate were not the deliveryman they’d hoped.

“Where is Phoenix?”

Glaring through the gate were six Chinese players, the very same National Treasure candidates that had accompanied Chen Dian as part of the Chinese investigation team.

As expected of the best talents selected from a vast continent, the aura they exuded was extraordinary.

It was enough to make anyone admit that China’s next generation would shine brilliantly.

However, Jae-Hyeok was unimpressed. He unlatched the gate, strode up to the Chinese players, and looked them up and down.

“Why are you throwing a tantrum in the middle of the day?”

“You insolent brat!”

The eyes of the Chinese candidates went wide with rage, and one immediately raised his hand, ready to issue a tight slap.

Just then, a car screeched to a stop and Park Chang-Cheon flew out, arriving before the Chinese players in several meter-eating steps. Park Chang-Cheon stretched as if having pulled something. Then he sighed.

“How many times have I warned you six not to come here? The Kangs are a ducal family. Their estate is not a place where foreign guests can simply show up unannounced. And Second Young Master Kang is not someone you can interrogate as you please.”

One of the Chinese candidates sneered.

“Well, Kang Jae-Hyeok personally opened the gate for us. As for what we can and can’t do... how dare you lecture your betters? What do superfluous manners and customs matter during times of crisis?”

“Hmph. Ignorant Koreans, I suppose you wouldn’t know the first thing about handling crises.”

“Old man, you’re nothing but a bodyguard. Step aside.”

Jae-Hyeok’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly.

Phoenix and his detail of National Treasures were nowhere to be found, so the Chinese players were understandably sensitive. But it was inexcusable for them to turn their ire on Park Chang-Cheon for simply following protocol.

Slap!

In the end, the Chinese players reached the point of no return.

Park Chang-Cheon touched his cheek, stunned.

The Chinese player who’d slapped him withdrew his hand and sneered.

“That’s for insulting your guests and obstructing our investigation.”

It was a blatant display of contempt for Korea.

Park Chang-Cheon’s daughter, Hae-Rin, was watching the situation.

“Father!” Hae-Rin shouted. Her brow was furrowed and her pupils were shaky. There was no sign of her typical indifference.

“It’s okay.”

Park Chang-Cheon rubbed his ringing ear and spoke in a calm voice to soothe his daughter.

Even now, he was trying his best to de-escalate the situation. He turned his eyes back to the Chinese players and continued speaking as if nothing had happened.

“Look. Second Young Master Kang is currently hosting a summer training camp. With so many kids present, someone would’ve come forward if Phoenix Chen Dian had visited the Kang Kstate.”

“Excuse me—excuse me.” Just then, a deliveryman squeezed through the group of Chinese players and pressed the gate intercom.

“Hello. Your jajangmyeon has arrived.”

Butler Hwang’s voice came through a moment later.

“Jajangmyeon... Sigh. Come in.”

“Alrighty.”

And with that, the young deliveryman hefted the bags in his hand and slipped through the front gate.

“Um...”

The Chinese players fell silent.

If even an ordinary person was allowed entry, then people really could come and go freely...

Besides, the Kang family was far from flourishing. Had it been the Shinras, then perhaps they would’ve held their doubts, but it was absurd to think the Kang family could make three National Treasures quietly disappear without a trace.

Beyond the gate, the scenery was clean and peaceful.

Granted, the group of youth behind Jae-Hyeok was covered in sweat and dirt, but from Park Chang-Cheon’s words, they chalked that up to training.

The Chinese players traded sheepish glances.

“Perhaps... we were a little rash. ”

But if Chen Dian wasn’t here, then where?

The Chinese players lapsed into thought.

“Ah! I know. Let’s check Lion’s Castle.”

Chen Dian had personally participated in the battle for Lion’s Castle. Whether it was to reminisce or revisit a lingering regret, Chen Dian might’ve returned to Lion’s Castle for any number of reasons.

The Chinese players judged this and were about to step back.

“It’s strange.”

At this time, the only young man who’d remained calm from the start spoke.

“The structure of the garden is very different from what I know.”

“You talk like you’ve been to the Kang mansion before?”

“I’ve never come to visit it myself. However, I looked up news about you when you became a National Treasure candidate. At that time, some media outlets showed aerial footage of the Kang mansion. The garden looked completely different from what it is now.”

“It’s been a while since then.”

“A while? It’s been less than a month.”

“My butler’s hobby is landscaping.”

“Completely changing the structure of the garden simply as a hobby? The changes go far beyond replanting the flowers. The arrangement of trees and the placement of the structures are completely different. In addition, the lawn looks freshly laid without any patches.”

“That’s because my butler is so diligent...”

“Above all, if I were you... I don’t think I would easily alter the gardens filled with childhood memories of my time with my family.”

For an instant, a flicker of emotion crossed Jae-Hyeok’s eyes, and the young man’s lips rose into a smirk.

“Just to be sure, I’d like to search your garden. You aren’t thinking of defying China’s investigation team, right?”

Jae-Hyeok clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“The jajangmyeon is going to get cold...”

Inwardly, Jae-Hyeok was cursing his luck.

Damn. There just had to be one unnecessarily sharp person.

Should I just kill them? In any case, I’ll need to attract China’s attention sooner to drag Qilin out of seclusion.

But if I do this, I’ll drag everyone else into my mess...

Thinking of his friends, Jae-Hyeok hesitated.

Just then, the young man made an unexpected proposal.

“If you object, I won’t insist. But in that case, I would ask that you come with us to the Twilight Kingdom. There’s something we need your help with, Young Master Kang.”

The young man spoke casually, but his eyes flickered with greed.

What he really wanted were the hidden rewards within the Twilight Kingdom.

Even before they’d arrived, it was always his plan to enter Jae-Hyeok’s property under the guise of “investigating.” Once in, he’d harass Jae-Hyeok until Jae-Hyeok agreed to accompany them to the Twilight Kingdom, where he could then torture the secrets of the gate’s hidden rewards out of Jae-Hyeok.

“I would be happy to help you.”

Jae-Hyeok smiled brightly, and the young man blinked.

The only thing he hadn’t expected was for Jae-Hyeok to concede so easily. After all, with Phoenix’s means, he certainly hadn’t met his end at the hands of a bunch of brats.

After a moment of stunned silence, the young man returned Jae-Hyeok’s smile.

Keh. All too easy.

......

That night, Park Chang-Cheon and the Guardian Guild members stared, gobsmacked, after the portal light faded.

“W-what is this...?”

Jae-Hyeok stood alone, the only survivor to have returned from the “perilous” Twilight Kingdom.