Chapter 60
Chapter 60
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: Eve of the Storm
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"This merchant expedition is doomed to fail."
Hyeok Mulin stated it with absolute certainty, prompting Sima Jin to tilt his head in bewilderment.
"What do you mean? As far as I know, there haven't been any major incidents in Qinghai Province lately, and we've prepared thoroughly for the trip."
It was true that this journey stretched farther than their previous long-distance runs to or from Shinkang.
Moreover, with Qinghai Province serving as a key gateway to the Central Plains, it lay beyond the direct influence of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, adding a layer of risk.
Even so, the Myriad Miles Merchant Group had meticulously assessed the dangers of this venture and mapped out their plans only after deeming the odds of success better than fifty-fifty.
They were now just two days from departure, with everything in place—yet here was Hyeok Mulin declaring the expedition a failure. Sima Jin couldn't help but ask why.
"That's exactly the problem. The current calm in Qinghai Province is like the eve of a storm, one spark away from exploding."
Upon hearing about the caravan and its destination, it had all come rushing back to Hyeok Mulin.
The massacre where an entire merchant group got caught in the crossfire of a brutal clash between the Killing House and the Black Dark House in the Qinghai mutual aid region.
"You've heard of the Three Great Assassin Groups, right?"
"Of course, who hasn't? But why bring them up out of nowhere...?"
Sima Jin's face darkened at the sudden mention of assassins.
And Hyeok Mulin's response perfectly matched his worst suspicions.
"Before long, two of the Three Great Assassin Groups will clash head-on. Right in Qinghai Province, the Myriad Miles Merchant Group's destination."
"Is that true?!"
Sima Jin shot to his feet.
The Three Great Assassin Groups—such an unforeseen crisis had sweat beading on his forehead.
Hyeok Mulin spoke calmly to the flustered man.
"Haven't the Three Great Assassin Groups been turning down all requests and going into hiding lately?"
"Yes, they have."
"Simple reason: they need to prepare for war as quickly as possible."
"W-War?!"
"Exactly. The Three Great Assassin Groups are about to collide outright. Qinghai Province is going to turn into a bloodbath."
Soul Severing House, Black Dark House, and Killing House.
Sima Jin had heard that the Three Great Assassin Groups had rejected all commissions and secluded themselves recently.
But he'd assumed it was just a breather, some internal reorganization, or sorting out succession issues—never in his wildest dreams had he imagined war between them.
Why not?
They were already massive organizations.
In other words, they had far too much to lose by turning their full might against each other.
Even if they beheaded their rivals, their own limbs would be crippled in the process. Who could have predicted they'd risk it all for open war?
If this was true, the difficulty of this merchant run would be off the charts.
"How did you find out, Cult Leader?"
Sima Jin himself, who tracked world trends through the Secret Affairs Hall, had missed this entirely. He had to ask.
"I had some downtime after finishing sword forging at the Southern Iron Gate. While catching up on Central Plains affairs, I spotted the shift with the Three Great Assassin Groups."
Hyeok Mulin couldn't very well say it was from his past life, so he spun a casual tale, and Sima Jin nodded in agreement.
"Makes sense—you were there quite a while. Good thing you caught it early."
Pacing back and forth agitatedly, Sima Jin bit his lower lip with a grim expression.
He'd learned of the looming war between the Three Great Assassin Groups ahead of time, but the core problem remained unchanged.
"This is bad. We've finished all preparations, and we're set to depart in two days."
"Can't we delay or cancel?"
"Not realistically. Canceling at this stage means paying absurd breach-of-contract penalties, not to mention tanking the merchant group's reputation. We'd never land decent commissions again."
Merchant expeditions didn't just transport the group's own goods; they also delivered items from clients to recipients.
This run, venturing beyond Shinkang to Qinghai Province, had drawn widespread attention, and many clients saw it as an opportunity. Thus, the Myriad Miles Merchant Group was carrying a hefty load of valuables.
Canceling would rack up penalties massive enough to cripple—or even bankrupt—the group on the spot.
"Hmm."
Either way, it was a path to ruin.
Hyeok Mulin stroked his chin, lost in thought for a moment.
Then, after a brief pause, he spoke.
"There is one way."
They had exactly one path left.
The only way for the Myriad Miles Merchant Group to navigate the brutal battlefield where Killing House and Black Dark House would savagely clash unscathed.
"Really? What is it...?!"
Sima Jin, who'd been drawing a blank, urgently turned to Hyeok Mulin.
Hyeok Mulin met his gaze steadily and smirked.
"Any spots left on the escort team?"
"Time to head out. Form up and follow me."
"Yes, sir!"
About twenty warriors emerged from the Hyeok Clan's outer estate.
Leading them was Hyeok Chu, captain of the Blood Demon Unit, directing his subordinates forward.
They were one of the Hyeok Clan's premier martial units, and Hyeok Chu himself could be counted among the clan's top fighters.
With his deep-set eyes and upward-slanting brows, he was the demon who'd single-handedly crushed the Demon Spirit Palace and Crimson Terror Cult—groups that had encroached on Shinkang for expansion—and earned the moniker Blood Mountain Demon Sword.
Yet now, Hyeok Chu was taking the Blood Demon Unit away from the clan for a spell.
At the Myriad Miles Merchant Group's request, they'd signed on as escorts for the expedition.
As he walked slowly toward the rally point with his team, Hyeok Chu reflected on recent events back home.
'The clan hit a major snag lately.'
The betrayal by the chief steward and the Falling Lotus Unit captain—a secret known only to the higher-ups.
Everyone who'd learned of it had been stunned.
'But we rose again.'
The savior who lifted the crumbling Hyeok Clan was none other than the former clan patriarch, now the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's leader.
Thanks to his help—rooting out the spy, bridging ties with the Yagul Clan and Myriad Miles Merchant Group—the clan hadn't fallen.
On the contrary, it had grown tighter-knit, forging even stronger bonds than before.
The clan's finances had stabilized too.
Even the warriors could feel it directly: meat dishes appearing more often on the table.
"Yes, from now on, the Hyeok Clan will flourish brilliantly."
Feeling the reconstruction underway, Hyeok Chu clenched his fist.
But the tension soon drained from his grip.
'Still, having us play escort...'
The Seven Great Demon Clans had never been tapped for merchant protection before.
Forget escort agencies—who would dare ask them?
Yet the Myriad Miles Merchant Group had broken that taboo, reaching out to the Hyeok Clan.
The payout for guarding their cargo was too lucrative to refuse.
It was triple the standard escort fee upfront, with completion bonuses far higher still.
An unprecedented premium offer, and Patriarch Hyeok Gongun had swiftly accepted.
True to their request, he'd dispatched the Blood Demon Unit, led by Hyeok Chu—one of the clan's most domineering warriors.
For their first outside gig, the lineup ensured no riffraff even sniffed around the expedition.
But Hyeok Chu himself couldn't shake his unease.
'Honestly, not thrilled about it.'
In his mind, escorts were for down-and-out ronin who couldn't cut it in sects or clans.
So this assignment, by the patriarch's order, didn't sit well.
But what could he do?
It was all for the clan's revival. Hyeok Chu had no intention of shirking.
"...One issue cropped up, though."
The day before, a message had arrived from the Myriad Miles Merchant Group.
A new recruit would join the Blood Demon Unit for escort duty.
Nothing shocking.
Probably to learn the ropes by shadowing elite Seven Great Demon Clan warriors—a rare chance.
'What a hassle.'
They couldn't steal the Hyeok Clan's prestige or prowess just by watching.
Still, he hated the idea of an outsider—some annoying baggage—mixing in with his unit.
'Fine, your choice. Let's see how long you last. I'll work you to the bone.'
Exhaust the newbie harder than ever, and they'd drop out on their own.
With that resolve, Hyeok Chu reached the open field at the outer gate exit.
"Not here yet?"
The appointed time was nearly up, but no sign of the Myriad Miles Merchant Group.
"Tch."
Clicking his tongue, Hyeok Chu ordered a brief rest for his men, then crossed his arms and stared at the entrance.
A mere merchant group keeping the Hyeok Clan waiting? They should've arrived early—ideally an hour ahead—and been ready.
His thick brows twitched, betraying his irritation.
Then, he spotted a man approaching from afar.
'That must be him.'
The one joining the Blood Demon Unit.
No other outsiders would head to this remote clearing, straight for them.
Hyeok Chu was certain it was the man the merchants mentioned.
Wearing a bamboo hat, the man had black cloth covering below his eyes. His gait suggested a trained warrior.
"Gonna give him a piece of my mind."
His mood soured further as he grumbled.
Daring to show up late to the Blood Demon Unit?
He should've been here an hour early, waiting. Mindset all wrong from the start.
Scowling deeply, Hyeok Chu glared ahead with flashing eyes.
But...
'...Huh?'
As the man drew nearer, a strange sense of familiarity washed over Hyeok Chu.
That feeling turned to tension, then to a shiver down his spine.
Soon, the man stopped.
Hyeok Chu's pupils dilated, his jaw dropping slack.
Staring blankly ahead in disbelief, he stammered.
"C-C-C-Cult... Leader...?!"
Hyeok Chu lost his composure upon recognizing the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's leader, Hyeok Mulin.