Chapter 470: I Told You I Was a Scammer!
Chapter 470: I Told You I Was a Scammer!
Lee Chu felt as if his heart had stopped.
Had he ever been this startled in his life? Had he ever allowed someone to get this close to him without noticing?
Instinctively, Lee Chu tried to throw himself backward and flee.
But the moment his body soared into the air, he felt it. The man who had been standing beside him was now soaring right alongside him, clinging to him like a shadow.
The moment Geom Mu-geuk grabbed his shoulder, Lee Chu—who had been trying to escape through the roof—was brought back down to the exact spot where they had originally stood.
The movement was so fluid that it looked as if the two had synchronized their jump and descent.
Lee Chu realized then that the other man’s martial arts completely overwhelmed his own. The feat he had just displayed was far more difficult than simply approaching quietly or sealing one's acupoints.
“Since we’ve already started peeling it off, let’s finish the job.”
Geom Mu-geuk pulled hard on the plywood attached to the carriage.
Riiiiiiip!
The true wall of the carriage was revealed. It was the Heavenly Demon’s personal carriage, crafted from a unique metal—the sturdiest carriage in the Murim.
“Actually, considering the person who usually rides in it, there’s really no need to make it this sturdy.”
Lee Chu didn't even hear Geom Mu-geuk’s words. His eyes were wide, staring at the carriage as if possessed.
The drawing on the carriage...
Just as Geom Mu-geuk had said, it wasn't a crescent moon. It was a pair of horns.
It was the terrifying face of a fiendish ghost with two horns like a demon—a gruesome specter that made one's blood run cold just by looking at it.
Lee Chu froze completely. There was only one organization in the Murim that openly displayed such a symbol. If this carriage belonged to the place he was thinking of...
‘I’m a dead man.’
Truly, when he had entered this stable, he hadn't dreamed in his wildest nightmares that today would be the day he died.
Whether he sensed Lee Chu’s terror or not, Geom Mu-geuk walked back to his side, stood shoulder to shoulder with him, and said nonchalantly, “Isn't it scary? Was there really a need to draw it so realistically? I get the chills every time I see it. How about you?”
Geom Mu-geuk looked at him.
Lee Chu answered in a trembling voice.
“It’s... my first time seeing it.”
“Right, it’s not a drawing you see every day.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s words took on a meaningful weight.
“Not just anyone can have this drawn on their carriage. Only someone of very high status can.”
Normally, he should have said ‘only one person,’ but he didn't go that far.
At that moment, a sudden doubt sprouted in Lee Chu’s mind.
‘Wait. Are these guys really scammers?’
The thought occurred to him that it might be possible. Would three people of such high status in the Demonic Cult really travel alone like this? It felt hard to believe.
‘Anyone could pay a painter to draw something like this, couldn't they? And they peeled it off specifically for me to see...’
It was right then.
When he came to his senses, he was standing in the sky. The sky was blue, and everything around him was blue. He wondered if all of this had been a dream. Praying it was a dream, he reached out to touch the blue floor.
Splash.
It wasn't the sky; it was incredibly clear water. What he was seeing was the sky reflected on the surface.
It was Geom Mu-geuk’s aura. The sheer pressure he had released in an instant had dragged Lee Chu into a mental world.
But Geom Mu-geuk’s true aura was beneath his feet.
An invisible energy dragged him down into the water.
He kept sinking. The terror of the bottomless deep sea overwhelmed him. The fear of the abyss was endless and horrific.
“Aaaargh!”
When Lee Chu screamed, he was still standing in front of the carriage.
Geom Mu-geuk was looking at him with deep, piercing eyes.
Only then did Lee Chu realize the truth.
‘They aren't scammers.’
But he immediately corrected that thought.
‘No, they are scammers. The greatest scammers in history.’
No one knew they were demonic practitioners, let alone absolute masters of the Demonic Cult, yet they were being escorted to the Clan with such excitement. Without knowing any of this, Geum A-jong had ordered him to investigate these people.
Lee Chu squeezed his eyes shut.
“Kill me.”
His voice trembled.
“Do you have no last words?”
“Who would I resent? I can only blame my own fate for getting caught up in this.”
Even though he kept his eyes closed for a long time, the other man did not strike. When Lee Chu opened his eyes, Geom Mu-geuk was still looking at the wall of the carriage.
“Why aren't you killing me?”
“What great sin have you committed that I should kill you? All you did was rummage through a carriage.”
“You people are...”
“What? Do we look like evil ghosts who kill everyone we lock eyes with?”
Come to think of it, his acupoints hadn't even been sealed yet. He briefly considered whether he should run, but soon gave up.
“Are you... sparing me?”
Of course, there were conditions.
“Just as Miss Geum hired us, I shall hire you. Only until this business is over and we leave.”
Lee Chu was shocked. He had expected certain death, but a path to survival had opened.
“Are you loyal enough to Geum A-jong to give your life for him?”
“No.”
“I thought as much.”
The Geum A-jong he knew was not a man capable of inspiring such loyalty in his subordinates.
“His fate won't be affected by your decision now anyway. So there’s no need to feel guilty. I’ll pay you triple what you’re getting now.”
“I only work for him as much as I’m paid. I have no guilt.”
The problem was this: how would this new employer treat him? This opponent wasn't some merchant from a rival group offering more money.
“Are you going to force me to swallow a Gu poison?”
“There’s no need for that.”
“What if I reveal your identities? How can you trust me?”
“I don’t trust you.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze turned toward the carriage wall.
“I trust that.”
Lee Chu’s gaze followed his to the fiendish ghost on the carriage wall.
Geom Mu-geuk didn't make a single threat. He didn't say he would imprison and torture him for life if he betrayed them, or that he would kill him cruelly, or even kill his family.
That made it even more terrifying.
“What... do I need to do?”
*
“I intend to intervene in the Golden Dragon Clan’s succession struggle.”
Geom Mu-geuk threw the words out like a declaration of war as the carriage rolled along.
Geom Wu-jin replied calmly.
“Isn't that your specialty?”
“Well, isn't starting a fight between others the most entertaining thing?”
Of course, that wasn't the only reason he was intervening.
“Once the succession struggle breaks out, everyone’s attention will be on that fight rather than us. We’ll use that chaos to find the mastermind, deal with them, and pull out. Please leave it to me.”
Geom Wu-jin nodded silently, giving him free rein.
Just then, Hwi spoke from the driver’s seat.
“The horses are tired. We’ll stop to rest.”
The carriage slowly came to a halt.
Geum A-rin’s carriage, which had been traveling ahead, was already waiting at the stopping point. After releasing the horses into the field, Hwi began to prepare a meal.
“I’ll prepare the meal this time.”
“I’ll help.”
Im Hyeok stepped forward, rolling up his sleeves, but Hwi declined.
“Just rest. You can handle the meal at the next break.”
“Understood.”
Was it because he recognized a fellow guard? Among the three men, Im Hyeok was most concerned with Hwi. He felt a strange sense of kinship, as if he had met a great senior in the world of guards.
At that moment, Geum A-rin said to Geom Mu-geuk, “Let’s talk.”
“Let’s do that.”
Geom Mu-geuk and Geum A-rin walked away slowly.
Im Hyeok tried to follow, but Geom Mu-geuk stopped him. “You can just rest when she’s with me.”
“I have never left the Young Lady alone.”
Looking into his eyes, which were full of loyalty, Geom Mu-geuk said, “Try it this once. If there’s ever a day you should, today is the right day.”
Geum A-rin just watched Geom Mu-geuk. She felt that if he was acting this way, there must be a reason.
“Are you going to have a conversation I shouldn't hear?”
Geom Mu-geuk shook his head.
“No. I purely mean for you to rest. I know you won't be able to rest well because you’ll be worried, but I’m telling you to rest anyway.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze turned toward Hwi, who was nearby. These words were also meant for Hwi. He was telling him to rest a bit during this journey. These loyal guards were proficient in all sorts of things, but they truly never learned how to rest.
Geum A-rin nodded to Im Hyeok, signaling him to do as requested.
Im Hyeok didn't decline any further.
“Understood. Please, go ahead.”
With that, Geom Mu-geuk and Geum A-rin left the area.
Perhaps feeling uneasy after letting them go, Im Hyeok stared at their retreating backs for a long time. He lingered around Hwi, unable to leave his side.
“Do you have something to say?” Hwi asked.
“No.”
Eventually, the hesitating Im Hyeok spoke the words he had been holding back.
“Actually, I do. May I ask you one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
He wasn't sure if they were close enough to ask such a question, but...
“About your nephew. Do you think he believes my constant presence by the Young Lady’s side actually hinders her growth as a martial artist? I’m asking because I wonder if that’s why he told me to rest.”
He used Geom Mu-geuk as an excuse, but it was his own concern. Because he truly cherished Geum A-rin like a daughter, he had always tried to protect her. But was he ruining her because of that? He had been agonizing over that thought.
He wanted to ask Hwi. He felt like Hwi would have the answer.
“I don’t know my nephew’s thoughts. Maybe that’s it, or maybe he just wanted to give you a break.”
Hwi, who started as if he were going to brush it off, looked up at Im Hyeok and asked, “Whatever the reason, what does it matter to us?”
“Pardon?”
“Isn't her growth as a martial artist a separate issue from us? Someone destined to grow will do so whether they have a guard or not. For us, mere guards, to worry about that... isn't that overstepping our place?”
It was a simple answer—not to become too emotionally invested in the person being guarded—but Im Hyeok felt a weight lift from his chest.
How could he not have thought of that himself?
But no matter how much he had agonized over it, he couldn't reach a conclusion. Yet hearing it from someone else made him feel refreshed. And since it came from someone who felt like a great senior in the guarding profession, he felt he could simply follow those words.
“Yes, you’re right. It’s not a matter for me to intervene in. Thank you truly for the guidance.”
Today, Hwi spoke more than usual. Just as Hwi felt special to Im Hyeok, Im Hyeok was a special connection to Hwi as well. It was like meeting a junior in the Murim who was struggling with his duties. So, he added one more thing.
“My nephew’s words are likely true. That it will be fine as long as she is with him. So, think of it as your last vacation and enjoy it.”
Im Hyeok felt a strange sensation.
It was hard to refuse these people. Geom Mu-geuk, this guard, and even that man standing with his back turned over there. He felt that they were all people beyond his capacity to handle.
Im Hyeok’s gaze turned toward the direction where Geum A-rin had disappeared.
‘So, Young Lady, you must choose well.’
*
Geom Mu-geuk and Geum A-rin stood side by side on a hill.
The view was beautiful. Reeds swayed like living things, and the river flowing beyond them shimmered in the sunlight, moving gracefully.
“I have something to tell you.”
Geum A-rin had been agonizing over one thing throughout the carriage ride. She had reached a conclusion, and she intended to convey it to Geom Mu-geuk.
“The reason I entered into a contract with you isn't because you made a deal with the Silver River Merchant Group to kill me.”
“Then what is it?”
“I want help with the succession struggle.”
She spoke honestly. This decision was a gut feeling. Choosing Geom Mu-geuk was a hunch, and the belief that she had to be honest was also a hunch. If this hunch was wrong, she was ruined.
“Make me the successor of the Golden Dragon Clan.”
Geom Mu-geuk wasn't particularly surprised.
“You knew, didn't you?”
“I had a rough idea.”
Geum A-rin felt glad she had spoken. Even if she were to fail, the sense of stability this man provided felt very good. That was probably why she could ask such a question.
“Can you make me the successor?”
“That depends on you.”
Geom Mu-geuk’s gaze toward her was serious.
“How much are you willing to trust me?”
*
Geum A-jong was also returning to the Clan.
He was actually traveling faster than Geom Mu-geuk and Geum A-rin’s carriage. He had returned to the Clan first after sending Lee Chu to investigate Geom Mu-geuk.
And the Lee Chu he had been waiting for finally returned.
“Did you find out anything?”
“Yes, I did.”
Lee Chu lowered his voice as he spoke.
“Your prediction was correct, Young Master. I was lucky enough to overhear their conversation, and I heard them saying they should go to the Clan and pull off one more big score.”
“Right? I told you they were scammers! Those damn scamming bastards!”
Geum A-jong was delighted that his prediction was correct.
“The evidence?”
“I haven't found it yet.”
Geum A-jong’s expression soured. It was useless without clear evidence. Even if Lee Chu said he heard it, they would just claim he was framing them since he was his subordinate.
“We have to find evidence. That’s the only way to take A-rin down.”
At that, Lee Chu spoke cautiously.
“May I share my thoughts?”
“Go ahead.”
“Use them to entangle the First Young Master, not the Third Young Lady.”
It was an unexpected suggestion.
“My brother?”
“Isn't the First Young Master your true rival for the succession anyway?”
It was true. He worried that his father might make his sister the successor, but that was closer to paranoia. Currently, the most likely successor was his older brother. Perhaps he was bullying his sister as a form of escapism because he lacked the courage to face his brother.
“It’s a good idea. But how?”
“Aren't they scammers? Throw the First Young Master to them as bait.”
Geum A-jong’s eyes snapped wide. The idea hit home. If he could just link those guys to his brother, he could completely destroy his father’s and the Clan warriors’ trust in him.
“Will my brother fall for it easily?”
“You have to make him fall for it.”
“How?”
“I don’t know that much.”
Geom Mu-geuk had told Lee Chu to stop there; if he spoke too perfectly, it would arouse suspicion. He said Geum A-jong would handle the rest. Since he was a man with a knack for low-level scheming, he would figure it out.
Sure enough, just as Geom Mu-geuk predicted, Geum A-jong’s mind began to race.
‘Lure my brother to those scammers?’
His eyes gleamed with cunning as he searched for a way. In the world of commerce, financial scandals were always the most fatal. Since his sister had already caused a two-million-tael disaster...
“How big of an accident should I make my brother cause?”