Chapter 78
Chapter 78
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: Secret Inspector
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"Money. Bring it."
The scammer's face turned ghastly pale. But that bewilderment quickly twisted into rage. True to form as a seasoned crook in this line of work, he began thrashing about desperately to turn the tables.
"Y-you bastard! What the hell kind of trick did you just pull?!"
He jabbed a finger at me, bellowing at the top of his lungs.
"Everyone saw it, right?! That guy just touched his cup! This is blatant cheating! He's the scammer here!"
His ravings were utter nonsense, twisted excuses. Amid the murmurs rippling through the crowd at his furious outburst, voices of agreement began to erupt.
"Yeah! He's right! That guy's been acting suspicious!"
Shills, no doubt. Figures a guy running a solo operation wouldn't be flying completely alone.
Emboldened, the scammer shouted even louder.
"Grab that bastard right now and chop off his hands...!"
Chop them off?
Even if some absolute master scammer here had used Void Grasping to hurl a wooden block their way, would these clowns have uttered so much as a peep?
Seizing the chaos of the growing commotion, burly figures lurking in the corners of the gambling den started to move. Hulking, muscle-bound bruisers—the house guards.
"That's the guy! He cheated! Drag him out now!"
The scammer pointed at me, howling at the guards. The same punk who'd been groveling and calling me "young master" just moments ago now glared at me with murder in his eyes. Mayfly lifespan, huh? Not scared of the rich folks. Probably planned to grab the cash and bolt if things went south. Well, not that I'm loaded anyway.
Thud. Thud.
With heavy footfalls, two guards lumbered toward me. Their menacing scowls made the onlookers shrink back. Definitely intimidating presences.
As if waiting for them, I quietly closed and opened my eyes.
Invisible ripples spread through my vision, blanketing the entire gambling den.
'That scammer used a trick.'
And just like that.
"Wait, that guy's hand movements were weird."
"Yeah, he's been grinning to himself all shady-like from the start!"
"So he's the real scammer!"
In an instant, every finger that had pointed at me now swung toward the scammer. The guards and the scammer alike couldn't hide their stunned expressions at the sudden reversal.
"W-what the hell are you all talking about?!"
The scammer bellowed, but the tide of opinion had already fully turned. Amid the chaos, I slipped a light suggestion into the errand boy standing beside me.
'Now.'
The errand boy suddenly straightened up, cleared his throat, and bellowed loud enough to shake the rafters.
"The Secret Inspector has arrived!"
His voice boomed thunderously.
The din filling the gambling den cut off like a lie. These street toughs had no clue what a "Secret Inspector" even was. But the authority inherent in the words, combined with the sheer force in the boy's voice, was enough to overwhelm everyone present.
I pulled something from my bosom and flashed it high.
A silver badge gleaming faintly like it held moonlight within—Yeon Ha-eun's. Mine hadn't come through yet, so this would have to do. Fine craftsmanship; unless someone had razor-sharp eyes, it wouldn't give itself away without a close look.
I flashed the badge for a split second before tucking it swiftly back away.
"I am the First Vice Squad Leader of the Murim Alliance's Azure Dragon Squad. By order of the Alliance Leader, I have come to audit the corruption here."
The room held its collective breath. Azure Dragon Squad Vice Leader—that title carried far more weight than some "Secret Inspector." Driving the final nail into the frozen crowd, I declared,
"Anyone who moves from now on is under arrest!"
Just wanted to channel that middle-aged detective vibe.
The errand boy, freed from the suggestion, astutely sidled right up to me. I gave him a quiet order.
"Round up all the staff and bring them here."
Now that I thought about it, this kid wasn't exactly normal either. I'd told him to guide me to a Haomun gambling den, and he'd brought me to his rival joint instead.
"Yes, sir!"
The boy barked back energetically and immediately started herding people through the den.
That was when I spotted a few guys in the corner slinking toward the back door.
'Where do you think you're going.'
I focused an invisible intent on them.
'Get crushed.'
Crash! Thud!
"Gahk!"
"Aaaagh!"
As if a giant hand had slammed down, the fleeing men screamed and flattened to the floor. Accompanied by the crunch of breaking bones, they writhed on the ground like bugs pulverized by gravity.
The faces of those who witnessed it drained white, trembling like aspen leaves. No one dared make a move now.
Soon enough, the errand boy had corralled every staff member into the center—including the scammer and guards.
I swept my gaze over the huddled group and spoke.
"Customers, all of you leave. It'd be best for your well-being if today's events stayed quiet. Spread a word, and I'll issue an arrest warrant for obstructing official duties."
No sooner had the words left my mouth than the patrons bolted from the den in a panic. In the suddenly cavernous space, only the staff remained, frozen in terror.
I picked up the gold ingot from the table and approached them.
"Empty every coin from your pockets onto the floor in front of you."
They hesitated, but after glancing at their crushed comrades, they began fumbling through their pockets with bitter resignation. Clink, clink. Silver and coins piled up on the floor.
Watching the scene, I said,
"This money you've scraped together through crooked means will now be put to precious use for the Murim Alliance's poor and needy neighbors. Be grateful."
"And from now on, we're searching your bodies. If even one more coin turns up... it's one punch per coin."
"Collect it."
"Yes, sir! Vice Leader, sir!"
The errand boy bowed obsequiously and sprang into action.
Of course, not everyone handed over their loot willingly. A few tried hiding coins in their bosoms or shoe soles, but every one that caught my eye got nabbed.
Crack—!
"Argh!"
I stomped the face of the nearest one flat; blood and a few teeth splattered across the floor with his scream.
The rest blanched and shook out their very last hidden coins. Amid the clinking, the pile on the floor soon grew into a small mound.
The errand boy tallied it with sparkling eyes and whispered to me,
"Vice Leader, sir... it's gotta be at least ten times what you started with."
A hefty haul. Nodding in satisfaction, I told him,
"You've earned your keep. Take your cut."
The boy waved his hands, putting on airs.
"No, no way! These guys set up shop right under our Haomun noses—such an eyesore all this time. Just wiping out a rival den like this is a huge win for us."
Not even hiding it anymore.
"Fine then."
I handed him the original gold ingot along with the massive pile we'd just amassed.
"Use this to snag us a top-notch manor."
The boy gazed at the heap in rapture. I leaned in and whispered,
"You saw those guys get flattened earlier, right."
He flinched, shoulders stiffening.
"I've slapped a restriction curse on your skull too. Try running off with the cash... and it'll explode right then and there. So no funny business. Oh, and your sect leader's getting punished too."
Of course, no actual curse. But if needed, a suggestion could mimic it just fine. And the sect leader's punishment? Skewering.
The boy let out a dry laugh, wiping cold sweat from his brow.
"No worries, Vice Leader, sir! Why would a guy like me with a handful of lives even dream of that?"
Liar. Looked like he'd been thinking exactly that. Hmm. Still, gutsy kid. Leading me here in the first place showed he had a knack for scheming. He'd probably score a decent manor too.
I turned and strode out of the den without a backward glance. Leaving the clamor and stench of blood behind, I headed back to the Azure Dragon Squad's lodging.
'Maybe I should start a business later.'
A man's gotta hustle. Truth be told, I didn't even need to lift a finger myself. Just like today—nab a few punks, sweet-talk and strong-arm them into doing the work. Lost in such thoughts, I arrived at the lodging before I knew it.
Pushing open the door, an unexpected sight greeted me.
Clack. Tap.
Soso and Rabbit sat facing each other on the porch, serious expressions as they fiddled with mahjong tiles.
...They're gambling. Not great for their young minds.
"......"
Ha-eun, who'd been watching them fondly, spotted me and gave an awkward smile.
"Oh... Shadowless. We were out walking Soso and Rabbit when... Paeng Daesan gave us this."
Paeng Daesan. You're dead later.
But they were so absorbed and having fun, no need to break it up. I sidled up close to Ha-eun and sat down. Casually slipped my hand into her robes.
Squish.
That perfect, soft handful filled my palm. Nice.
"Eek...!"
Ha-eun's shoulders quivered faintly, but she didn't push me away. I gently kneaded her supple breast while watching the game. Rabbit and Soso were laser-focused, staring holes through each other's tiles, pondering gravely before slamming one down with a resounding 'Tap!'. Looked pretty legit.
But...
I don't know the mahjong rules. Eh... watching those two, seemed like they didn't either—just matching pictures or something. I whispered in Ha-eun's ear.
"Does our Ha-eun know the mahjong rules?"
"Mmm... Ah..."
Twisting her waist slightly at my touch, exhaling hot breath, she nodded faintly.
"I do..."
"You know and didn't tell them?"
"Yeah... On purpose..."
She answered shyly.
"Didn't want them getting hooked on something like this... bad for their development..."
Good girl.
Couldn't hold back anymore. I turned and roughly claimed her flushed lips.