Chapter 8
Chapter 8
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: High-Handed (3)
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My heart was pounding like mad.
I couldn't even swallow with the blade pressed right against my throat. One wrong move, and it would slice right in.
How the hell did this guy...?!
How did he know where my quarters were and come find me?
Even though we were part of the Black Tiger Gang, the higher-ups all had separate residences. It was like having an office separate from your living quarters.
Yet this bastard had appeared here like a ghost. And it seemed like no one had noticed. If there'd been any commotion, I would've heard it for sure.
"What? Don't want the money? Gonna just eat the loss?"
Ga Hang looked up at Murong Cheon with trembling eyes and muttered in a low voice.
"How the hell did you even find this place...?"
Slash.
"Gah!"
Ga Hang freaked out. A sharp dagger had sliced into the skin of his neck.
The blood trickling down felt hot. A little deeper, and it would've hit an artery—he wouldn't have made it past counting to five before crossing to the Yellow Springs.
"You gonna take the money or not?"
It was a pointless question—shut up and answer straight.
Ga Hang squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't know what was going on, but he was a man who'd seen it all in the back alleys.
"N-No... I won't take it!"
For a moment, Ga Hang felt the world spin dizzily before his eyes.
Murong Bi's grinning teeth gleamed ghostly white in the moonlight.
"You're the guy who pounded on the family gates in the dead of night saying you wanted to pay up, and now you're saying no?"
"......"
"Huh? No answer?"
Pressure returned to the blade.
Ga Hang's mouth flew open reflexively.
"S-Sorry! I apologize for that!"
"Why apologize? You guys were just there to collect money. Right?"
"Well... yeah, but."
"But you still feel like you did something wrong?"
You crazy bastard! What the hell do you want?!
He wanted to scream it. If the terror gripping his body hadn't overwhelmed his rage, he might've really bellowed it out.
"We were wrong......"
"Whatever. I didn't come here to quibble over right and wrong, so let's drop it."
"......"
"Past midnight now, so interest is piling up. So, how much do I owe?"
Ga Hang jumped in quickly.
"It's not past midnight—interest starts from the beginning of Mao hour. Still 1,080 taels and 70 wen."
"Mao hour... Even in midsummer, dawn's barely breaking then. You sent back the ones who came right before, huh? Prime sleeping time. Right?"
From the King Yama Debt Gang's perspective, who needed every extra day of interest, it was only natural.
That's how they operated—shoo away the debtors who came to pay, refuse them, then show up later when the debt had ballooned and collect.
Of course, whining that they wouldn't even meet you when you came wouldn't fly.
They approached desperate people with friendly faces, loaned money easily, tricked them into unfair contracts, then squeezed them to the bone with violence.
That's why they were called the King Yama Debt Gang—better to borrow from the actual King Yama in hell.
"What? So that's me too? Saying you won't take the debt means you won't take it 'now'? Gonna jack up the interest more?"
"No! W-We won't take the principal at all!"
"Sure about that?"
"Yes!"
"You said 1,080 taels and 70 wen, right?"
"......Yes."
"Good."
Murong Cheon perched on the edge of the bed.
As the bed tipped slightly, Ga Hang's heart pounded even harder. It felt like his heart was rolling just as much as the bed had tilted.
"No need for contracts between us. A big shot like you won't go back on your word, so I'll trust you."
Trembling in fear, Ga Hang inwardly cheered.
Damn bastard! Just leave already! Soon as you're gone, I'll call the boys and turn you into jerky!
"So, dropping the petty crap, you owe me a total of 8,920 taels."
"......?"
"Eh, there's some honor between men, so let's round it down to 9,000 taels."
What the hell kind of crazy talk is this?!
Why the hell did he owe this guy money? Even under threat of death, Ga Hang couldn't hold back his curiosity.
"Wh-Why the hell should I pay you?"
"Disturbance fine."
"......?"
"Crime of barging into the family compound in the dead of night with a mob and making a racket."
"What?!"
"What? Don't wanna pay 9,000 taels for disturbing the peace?"
Murong Cheon tapped Ga Hang's cheek with the blade.
"Your life's worth at least 9,000, right?"
Ga Hang's face flushed beet red.
He'd put up with most of it since one slip meant death, but he couldn't stomach this idiotic demand for 9,000 taels over a little noise.
"You call that worth saying?!"
"Then how's 100 taels turning into 1,080 in under ten days make sense?"
"What?"
"Oh, and 70 wen on top. You sneaky fucks."
"You bastard! That's clearly......!"
"Don't bring up the contract. Anyone can see it's bullshit. Even if I'd turned tail and asked to borrow more, a grown man shouldn't. You should've sent me off nicely or roughed me up. Right?"
What kind of psycho is this?!
"Don't talk nonsense! You dare make light of the main house? Cough up the debt now and scram, or there won't be a single pillar left standing in your rat hole!"
He couldn't hold back the outburst, but Ga Hang had gone too far.
Murong Cheon's cold eyes turned colorless and transparent.
It was similar yet completely different. At that eerie change, Ga Hang felt a choking terror.
"Your way of doing things is pretty appealing."
Unlike the changed gaze, his voice was soft.
That disconnect was even scarier. Ga Hang's body shook like an aspen leaf.
"I'm used to that side myself. If you don't get what you want, just rip 'em out root and stem. It's not classy, but you score big."
Murong Cheon grabbed Ga Hang's wrist and yanked it in front of his face.
"Look at these fat fingers. One worth a tael?"
You mad fuck!
"W-Wai......!"
Slash.
"Arghhh!"
"About a tael, huh? Let me see."
Slash.
"Urk! W-Wait!"
"This one's greasy—no blood. Nice."
Slash!
"Ugh."
In an instant, three fingers from thumb to middle were severed. Ga Hang drooled uncontrollably.
The fear of loss outweighed the pain. He might end up losing fingers, toes—all of it.
"Three taels? Leaves 8,997, then?"
Murong Cheon shrugged.
"No need to get petty over taels between men. Let's call it 9,000."
"Guhk!"
Ga Hang foamed at the mouth.
Now he got it. He'd fallen hard—and properly.
How Murong Bi had snuck in here, how he'd frozen his body solid, how he exuded more pressure than the gang leader himself—those were secondary.
This guy had no intention of letting him off easy.
I'm really gonna die!
Even then, rage boiled up.
Not at Murong Bi, but at his dimwitted underlings who hadn't battered down the door despite the commotion.
As if reading his mind, Murong Cheon said with a hint of amusement.
"If you're waiting for backup, ditch the hope. I thought about knocking 'em out, but Jang Gu aside, none were around."
"......?"
"Makes sense—they charged the main house at night, so they're probably drowning sorrows somewhere."
Murong Cheon pointed at the door with his thumb, face innocently blank.
"By the way, Jang Gu's sprawled out there. Politely told me this was your place."
You fucking mutts!
How were they all irredeemable? When the boss gave orders, you followed to the death. Bunch of drifters who couldn't hold it together without booze.
"Anyway, enough chit-chat. Petty stuff."
Murong Cheon brought the blade to Ga Hang's wrist.
Not fingers—wrist. With his body frozen, severing the wrist meant bleeding out.
Ga Hang's face went deathly pale.
"Wanna pay the 9,000 taels?"
"Y-Yes! I'll pay!"
"Eh, make it 10,000? Round and neat. Cleaner, right?"
Absurd raise, but Ga Hang nodded frantically.
"Ten thousand! Ten thousand taels! Please, spare me!"
"Good."
Murong Cheon struck flint to light the candle on the table.
Ga Hang's breathing grew ragged. The candlelight made the blood staining the bed starkly visible.
Terror deepened.
"Where's the 10,000?"
"I'll get it myself......"
"Wanna shave off a few more taels? Doesn't matter to me."
No bullshit worked on this guy—not even a speck.
In that moment, Ga Hang gave up everything. Revenge could wait—survive now.
"O-Open the black shelf left of the table. Money's there."
"Hmm."
Murong Cheon smirked as he returned to the table.
"Money in here?"
"Yes. Open rashly, and oil jars shatter, ignite on flint. Key's in my pocket!"
"Really?"
"Really! Why would I lie?!"
Ga Hang foamed again. If he could move, he'd pound his chest.
It's true—believe me, damn it!
"Eh, probably money, sure."
Murong Cheon's eyes gleamed with greed as he glanced around.
"But suddenly wondering if there's stuff more precious than money."
"......!"
"Heard you're fifth in the Black Tiger Gang ranks?"
Not surprising he knew. The gang was famous, and so was Ga Hang's name in the underworld.
The real issue was the madness in that demon's eyes.
"A greedy bastard like you wouldn't stash cash openly. Real fortune's hidden elsewhere, right? No guards either."
Simple reason for no guards: couldn't trust 'em.
Famous or not, underworld was underworld. Black Tiger Gang was full of untrustworthy scum like Ga Hang and his crew.
"Where'd you bury the rest?"
Now Ga Hang's teeth chattered too.
"S-Sir... please spare me."
"Who said kill you? Just wanna know where your real stash is."
Bullshit.
Barged in, extorted cash, now after hidden assets too. See it all, then burn the empty husk—that was standard.
"Gotta say, 10,000 taels hidden here? Gang's raking it in. Everyone lining up to join."
"......!"
"Boss hears you're loaded, he'll love it. Can hear new wings sprouting from here."
Ga Hang hadn't saved just from salary. Plenty skimmed off the top.
If that got out, he was dead meat.
His only choice left.
"Y-You'll really let me live?"
Murong Cheon replied indifferently.
"What, you think I'm some killer? What do I gain offing you?"
True. He wasn't a killer.
Just the Mad Demon, whispered to be a murder ghost.