Ghost Du Hongmo

Tea, Chess and The Whip

The next couple of days, Thorne, Nightmare, Vixen, BP, and Doc visited Hongmo.  She had renamed her home, The Sky Harmony Courtyard.  The three grove have been planted along with the herb garden and flower garden.  The pagoda had also been built with several benches that lined the open columns with a table and chairs in the middle of the pagoda.  

The five of them made their way through the tree grove, around her house, through the flower garden and to the pagoda where Hongmo sat with several chess games set out.  

They have found out that Hongmo could beat most of them easily, but against Nightmare and Thorne, it was a challenge.  As they played, chatted and drank tea, that was when Hongmo questioned them about the Whip.  

"I went to the fruit market the other day and there the merchant was talking about a man called The Whip."  Hongmo said as she stared at the board in front of her.  "Who is this Whip he keeps talking about?  Is he an assassin?"  

Doc looked at Nightmare as BP looked at Vixen.  Their cherry demeanor changed at the mention of name of The Whip.  

"You kiddies are scared at such a ignorant and pompous fool as The Whip!"  Thorne laughed at them.  "He's nothing but a bully.  You guys could kill him easily with his weak strength."  

"What he lacks in strength, he has in allies.  He has the loyalty of the military, the ear to Prince Lucas and the backing of The Thunder Condor Squad. Who wouldn't hesitate to kill the bastard even if he deserved it?"  BP said.  

"Is he as scary as the merchant described?"  Hongmo asked.  

"In terms of strength, he is only at Earth Bound Martial Stage.  In terms of connections, he is someone you don't mess with.  His backing is too great for just anyone to mess with.  Which makes him dangerous."  Vixen told her.  

"I heard this Whip has done bad things towards women."  Hongmo continued the conversation.  

"Women, men, children.  Everyone knows he doesn't know how to stop himself nor does he have any limits.  I prey for the victim's death to come fast should they ever find themselves at his mercy."  Vixen answered.  

"How does he look like?"  Hongmo asked.  "So I can avoid him if I ever come across him."  

"He's a tall man, light brown hair, green eyes.  He's tall and muscled, a figure like a soldier from his days in the military.  He has three scars on his neck like a scratch."  Doc told her.  "Avoid the man at any cost, you hear?  He's dangerous and so is his friends."  

"He has friends?"  Hongmo asked as she acted surprise.  

"Yes.  He has friends he always hangs around with.  Two of them are still in the military, Francis and Vladis.  They are deployed to the boarder at the moment, but when they come back from the boarder, they always hang around with The Whip.  Then there is Seth the Silencer who joined The Dead Spy and The Tyrant, who's apart of The House of the Dark Warhammer."  BP told her.  

Hongmo pretended to shiver in fear, but she was shaking in anger as she slowly learn of the names of her enemies and their whereabouts.  

"The five of them you must avoid at all cost.  Especially since you are a woman living alone.  Without the protection of Prince Asano and Young Master Mace, you would have been an easy target to several noble families already."  Thorne told her.  

"Yes, I must count my lucky stars for their protection." Hongmo said.  

---------

As the week pass by, with her lessons with Asano and her visits from her friends, she scouted her target by nightfall and had followed him on his outings.  When the night fell, he loved visiting the red light district.  Especially, The Nightshade Courtyard where they specialize in hardcore pleasure that is distinctly fine tuned to their patron's needs.  

He would stay there fore several hours, entertaining his guests then spend more time with the women that were chosen by him.  He had two women who he favored.  Those two women had been with him so long that they knew what he wanted and needed.  And they gave in to his needs fully, for they knew that if they displeased him, it was their life that would be endangered.  Afterwards, he would leave to go home before the sun rises.  

Hongmo had spent the week nights following The Whip.  She memorized the faces of those he came in contact with along with the women who served him.  Under the darkness of the new moon, Hongmo made her move against The Whip.  He would be the first of the five men to die, who took her innocence away from her.  

She waited until The Whip along side his two companions had fallen asleep before she crept in through the open window.  They had left the window open to let the breeze blow inside the hot room and The Whip never thought anyone would make a move against him.  Hongmo lit the sleeping incense and place them at the foot of the three people who slept soundly as Hongmo crept out the window and closed it after her.  

After 10 minutes of waiting, the incense have burned down and the room filled was filled with the sleeping powder that was activated.  As she crept back in, she closed the window behind her, not wanting to attract attention.  

Hongmo poked The Whip a couple of times to see if he really was in deep sleep before dragging him behind the screen in the corner.  She tied The Whip with his hand behind his back and his ankles together.  She opened his mouth and stuffed a ball of cloth inside and tied it as well before opening the smelling salt that would wake him up.  

The moment he woke up, confusion hit him before he realize the situation he was in.  He struggled as the rope tightened with every move, which caused him to stay still.  He stared at the shadow that hovered over him silently.  The shadow didn't move the whole time when he struggled and tried to yell for help.  His heart knew, deep down inside that he was going to die that night.  There was something about the shadow that felt cold and unforgiving.  He knew there was nothing he could do to change is fate.  He only hoped his brothers would avenge him.  

The room was too dark to see his killer.  The only thing he could do was watch as the dagger came out from the scabbard and watch as it plunge into is qi core.  He immediately felt  weak from the lost of his qi.  The opening in his stomach grew as the dagger twisted and cut itself deeper inside of him.  His muffled screams were getting louder, but the shadow didn't care. 

Another dagger came out and started stabbing his chest and his face.  With each stab, was a force of hatred and anger.  And with each stab, he lost more blood and consciousness.  The shadow suddenly stopped and slit open his pants with the dagger.  She took the dagger and castrated him before he died.  

She untied him and took the cloth out of his mouth.  She replace the cloth in his mouth with his severed penis and closed it.  She didn't feel the need to let him know who killed him.  She wanted to unleash her anger on him and she did. Finally killing the first of the five me who made her like this. Hongmo left just as quietly and unnoticed as she came in.  Leaving no evidence behind and no witnesses, Hongmo slept well that night. 

The Whip died in the dark hours of the new moon.  And no one knew who had done it.  The Whip had too many enemies and no one stepped forward to claim responsibility.  

A couple of days later, a man claiming to be The Ghost, claimed responsibility for the kill, drawing everyone's attention to the assassin Ghost and Blood Moon Organization.  

Thunder Condor Squad called a parley with the Blood Moon Organization for their involvement in the death of The Whip.