Chapter 473: I’ve Come to Collect the Debt
Chapter 473: I’ve Come to Collect the Debt
Geum A-rin was experiencing this for the first time. She hadn't known that murderous intent could feel so... calm.
"You’re planning to kill them all, aren't you?"
She understood now.
She understood why Geom Mu-geuk had accepted her father’s request, why he had demanded half the proceeds, and why he had told her to inform the other merchant groups and sects that he would collect their debts as well.
"You know they’d never hand over such a massive sum unless it was mere pocket change."
To this, Geom Mu-geuk replied, "The problem isn't collecting the money; the problem is what comes after."
"What do you mean?"
"Didn't you say it yourself? They’re the type to seek revenge even if it means slaughtering an entire family. How do you think they’ll react after being stripped of such a fortune?"
"They will definitely seek revenge."
Geom Mu-geuk nodded calmly. "I am not the one killing them. Their own lives are what will kill them."
A-rin felt her intuition was correct. Now, her only question was: How?
Did this man truly possess enough strength to annihilate the entire Hundred Immortals Guild by himself?
Geom Mu-geuk turned to her. "Now, go and get as many permissions as possible. Persuading them is up to you. Consider it part of your training to become the successor."
He handed her a list of the merchant groups and sects before ushering her toward the door.
"Leave immediately. Start with the ones who are owed the largest amounts."
"Wait, don't push me! Let's talk a bit more."
"I have a lot to do. I’m a busy man at night."
And just like that, she was shoved out of the room.
Standing outside the closed door, she raised her voice. "I’m the leader! I’m the one who gives the orders!"
Had anyone else ever been kicked out by a subordinate worth two million taels?
Geom Mu-geuk’s voice drifted from inside the room. "A leader who does nothing but bark orders isn't particularly charming. Now, Leader, have a safe trip."
*
For the next few days, Geum A-rin busily traveled between the various merchant groups and sects. Just as Geom Mu-geuk had instructed, she visited them in secret to obtain their consent.
"I plan to collect the money stolen by the Hundred Immortals Guild. I’ll collect yours at the same time, provided you give us half as a service fee."
If she had demanded a formal contract, they would have refused, terrified of retaliation from the Hundred Immortals Guild. However, she didn't ask for a signature. She only verified their promissory notes to see the extent of the debt.
Verbal promises were easy. They could always deny it later or claim the Golden Dragon Clan had dragged them into it just to create a pretext.
If anyone else had come with this proposal, they wouldn't have even agreed to a conversation. But this was the Golden Dragon Clan—the wealthiest family in Shaanxi and one of the top three in the Central Plains. Everyone pinned their hopes on her. They figured she wouldn't have stepped forward unless success was possible.
Thus, Geum A-rin secured permission from those who had been bled dry by the guild. Among them were those whose family fortunes had collapsed under the weight of the thugs' extortion. They placed all their hope in her promise.
When A-rin returned, she handed Geom Mu-geuk the list of the amounts owed.
"Now, what do you plan to do?"
Geom Mu-geuk stood up. "I’ll be back."
A-rin blocked his path. This man was truly planning to go alone to face nearly a hundred masters in a den of villains.
"You’re going even if I try to stop you, aren't you?"
She wanted to go with him, but she knew she would only be a burden.
"Earning money is such a difficult task," Geom Mu-geuk remarked before vanishing in a flash.
She couldn't find the words to stop him. Normally, she should have said, "Be careful," but a different thought kept surfacing.
Just run away while you can.
Surprisingly, that was what she wanted to tell him. Even if it meant she could never become the successor—even if she were branded a fool who was scammed out of two million taels for the rest of her life.
Why did she feel that way?
Because she felt that this man, at least, shouldn't die at the hands of the Hundred Immortals Guild. She felt that his bright, leisurely smile shouldn't be extinguished by such scum.
A-rin sighed and looked out the window. She had a feeling that the wait for his return would feel very long. She should have at least said one thing:
You don't have to get the money. Just come back safely.
*
"Someone from the Golden Dragon Clan has arrived."
At the subordinate's report, Yeom-je, the Guild Master of the Hundred Immortals Guild, looked up. With his long beard and white robes, he looked every bit the transcendent immortal.
However, even his dignified beard and pristine clothes could not hide the cold, cunning glint in his eyes. If he truly had the heart of an immortal, he wouldn't have been able to lead the villains gathered in this hall. He would have been killed several times over by one of their blades. This place was hell, and no one survived here unless they were an evil ghost.
"Who is it?"
"A green youth. A face I haven't seen before."
Yeom-je tilted his head. The Golden Dragon Clan sent someone he didn't recognize?
"What is his business?"
"He said he would only speak with you in person."
"Make an excuse and send him away."
"Yes, sir."
Yeom-je was displeased. He would barely consider meeting the Clan Head himself; sending some unknown brat was an insult. Regardless of the reason for the visit, his pride was wounded.
"It seems I need to discipline the Golden Dragon Clan a bit."
The 1st Immortal, standing near the Grand Tutor’s Chair, chimed in. "I will tell the Clan Head to pay us a visit soon."
Beside the 1st Immortal stood nine others. They were the Ten Immortals who guarded Yeom-je—the top ten in the guild's hierarchy.
They weren't the only ones present. The wide main hall was filled with the "immortals" of the guild.
"17th Immortal, settlement complete!"
Today was the end-of-the-month settlement, the day everyone reported their earnings and offered a tribute to Yeom-je. Once the settlement was over, they would hold a massive banquet. Yeom-je intentionally created these occasions to foster competition.
The Hundred Immortals Guild was built on a strict hierarchy. Below the Guild Master were the Ten Immortals, and below them was a fixed ranking from the 11th to the 99th Immortal. This system was the guild's greatest strength and the source of its increasing profits.
Everyone wanted to climb higher. Since those with higher ranks took a larger share of the spoils, they strove to move up. The rankings changed once a year.
It was at that moment that the first words to change their fates rang out.
"You certainly have a lot of money."
At the unfamiliar voice echoing through the hall, every eye turned toward the source. A young man stood looking at the piles of banknotes on the settlement desk.
"With all this money, why haven't you paid back your debts?"
An immortal standing nearby asked in surprise, "Who the hell are you?"
No one had noticed the stranger enter until he was standing right beside them. It was a hectic settlement day, but given their martial arts prowess, this should have been impossible.
The young man walked into the center of the hall, drawing every gaze. He looked at Yeom-je, who sat in the Grand Tutor’s Chair, and gave a polite salute.
"Greetings, Guild Master. I am Geom Yeon of the Golden Dragon Clan."
At the mention of the Golden Dragon Clan, the tension in the room evaporated. "Phew, you startled me!" laughter broke out here and there. The moment the opponent was confirmed as a mere representative of the Golden Dragon Clan rather than a mysterious master, they stopped caring.
However, Yeom-je did not relax. The fact that even he hadn't noticed the boy's entrance bothered him.
What if he were an assassin?
Yeom-je raised a hand to stop the 1st Immortal from stepping forward. He decided to question the boy himself.
"A face I haven't seen before."
"I recently formed a connection with the Golden Dragon Clan."
Yeom-je was puzzled. They sent a newcomer to see him? This was unprecedented. "What brings you here?"
Everyone's attention focused on Geom Mu-geuk. The words that left his mouth were the last thing they expected.
"I’ve come to collect the money you borrowed."
A heavy silence fell.
Is he crazy? Did I hear that right?
In the midst of the confusion, someone burst out laughing. The laughter was contagious, spreading throughout the hall. It had been a very long time since someone had the audacity to ask them for money. How unlucky could one person be? To show up not on any other day, but on the settlement day when the entire guild was gathered.
"The unpaid debt amounts to three million taels. I should collect interest as well, but I’ll make an exception and only take the principal."
Laughter erupted again. Yeom-je even found himself wondering if the Golden Dragon Clan had sent the boy here to be killed. Perhaps the Clan Head wanted him dead but didn't want to get blood on his own hands?
"And who are you, exactly?"
"I am Geom Yeon. Not the 'Yeon' for 'fate,' but the 'Yeon' for 'smoke.' When a connection ends, one should disappear like smoke, but sometimes lingering feelings remain. Like the intoxication of a man who loves wine, there are times I want to linger. But today, I think I’ll disappear quickly without any regrets."
"What kind of nonsense is this?"
The guild members exchanged glances. Their eyes held various emotions, but the most prominent was amusement. A crazy bastard has arrived! They began to wonder how they should play with him.
Despite the absurdity, Yeom-je felt a strange sense of unease. Why would something like this happen today of all days?
"Do you know where you are?"
"Is this not the place where a hundred immortals play?" Geom Mu-geuk lowered his voice slightly. "But just between us, isn't it a bit much to call yourselves immortals when you aren't? I heard you’ve done some truly terrible things."
Seeing him speak such provocative words, Yeom-je was now certain the boy had been sent to die. He signaled to one person: the 99th Immortal, the lowest in the hierarchy.
"Why does this brat talk so much?"
The 99th Immortal strode forward. It was a golden opportunity to look good in front of the Guild Master—a chance to stop being the "youngest."
Geom Mu-geuk asked for his name. "What is our immortal's name?"
"Why do you care?"
"I have something to check." Geom Mu-geuk pulled a banknote from his robe. It was a voucher for a hundred thousand taels. "If you answer, I’ll give you this."
Give a hundred thousand taels just for a name? No one was naive enough to believe that.
"You intend to mock me with a fake voucher?" The 99th Immortal's hand moved to the hilt of his sword.
"It’s real. What do you have to lose? If it’s real, you get a hundred thousand taels for a name; if it’s fake, you have an excuse to punish me."
The 99th Immortal looked between Geom Mu-geuk and the voucher, then glanced at Yeom-je. The Guild Master nodded.
"I am Jo Gung."
Geom Mu-geuk pulled out a piece of paper and scanned it. "Jo Gung, Jo Gung... Ah, here it is. Failed to repay a debt to a friend in your hometown, murdered said friend, and fled. Wandered as a ronin before being trained by a rogue master. Later active as one of the Three Tigers of Black Essence, then fled after killing your two sworn brothers. It seems our immortal's specialty is stabbing those close to him in the back."
Jo Gung’s eyes turned cold. The boy had accurate information. "What do you think you’re doing?"
"Is what’s written here correct? It’s information I trust, but I felt I should verify it with at least one person. That way, my mind will be at ease."
One of the Ten Immortals standing behind Yeom-je laughed. "That’s wrong. He didn't just kill his brothers; he slaughtered their entire families to eliminate any future trouble."
Jo Gung wasn't ashamed. Everyone here was cut from the same cloth. In this guild, the more despicable you were, the easier it was to survive. He drew his sword and strode toward Geom Mu-geuk.
"Since you’ve wagged your tongue so recklessly, I'll take that tongue and the hundred thousand taels."
Jo Gung unleashed a killing move, thrusting his sword toward Geom Mu-geuk’s mouth.
However, Geom Mu-geuk’s tongue was not something Jo Gung’s sword could reach. Dodging the incoming blade with a slight tilt of his head, Geom Mu-geuk counterattacked.
Jo Gung, his heart pierced by a single strike, collapsed and died instantly.
The sharp scent of blood filled the air. A heavy silence descended upon the hall.
The move Geom Mu-geuk had used was extremely ordinary. He hadn't used a flashy technique; he had simply dodged and thrust.
The reactions varied depending on skill.
To fall for such a pathetic attack!
To kill Jo Gung with such a simple strike?
Of course, no one was frightened. Only the 99th Immortal had died, and there were ninety-nine of them still standing.
Geom Mu-geuk gave a fist salute to Yeom-je. "My apologies. As you can see, I had no choice."
Yeom-je spoke with a sunken gaze. "It’s fine. When men with swords gather, blood is bound to be spilled."
"You are a man of great magnanimity. If you just give me the money you borrowed, I will leave at once."
But Yeom-je was not the type to hand over three million taels just because a low-level subordinate had died.
"I intended to pay it back. However, the guild's circumstances haven't been good, so I’ve been forced to delay. Go back and tell the Clan Head that I will repay the debt soon."
He had no intention of doing so. He would kill this brat eventually, and the Golden Dragon Clan would pay for today's events with interest.
It would have been nice if the boy had just said, "I see," and turned to leave. But Geom Mu-geuk turned his head to look at the piles of banknotes.
"You have plenty of money right there. Let's see... if this much money comes in every month, your vault must be overflowing."
At the mention of the vault, Yeom-je’s face twitched.
"Pay back the debt, won't you?"
The command to "tear this bastard apart" rose to Yeom-je’s throat, but he forced it back. His instincts were screaming at him. This boy was strange.
Yeom-je smiled and looked around at his subordinates. "As you can see, I have many mouths to feed."
The "immortals" looked at Geom Mu-geuk with sneers and sly grins.
Geom Mu-geuk, watching them, offered a solution.
"That can be easily solved."
He slowly drew his sword.
"Let's reduce the number of mouths."