Chapter 127: I Fleeced the Dragons and Phoenixes-2
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 127: I Fleeced the Dragons and Phoenixes-2
Mangeum Bank, Gyunhyeon Branch
Wang Gi-seong, the branch manager of Gyunhyeon, was currently in a state of extreme excitement.
Today was the day he would finally, after a long wait, share a bed with his recently acquired concubine, Aewol. He had been so busy lately that he hadn't been able to hold her, and it felt like a personal tragedy.
Even while working in his office, her luscious breasts and voluptuous buttocks flickered before his eyes, making it impossible to concentrate. Now was the time to satisfy all that pent-up longing.
"Hehehehe, Aewol..."
After finishing all his morning and afternoon tasks, Wang Gi-seong slowly rose from his seat. His phallus throbbed of its own accord at the thought of teasing her private parts with it. He began to walk with a rhythmic spring in his step.
It was time to go home.
Just then—
Tap, tap, tap, tap.
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed from somewhere.
Slam!
The door burst open, and Hwang Sam, the deputy manager of the Gyunhyeon branch, rushed in.
"Manager! Urgent news!" Hwang Sam called out breathlessly.
"Get lost! I’m off duty now, and no one can stop me!" Wang Gi-seong snapped, cutting him off before he could even speak.
He had finished all his work, hadn't he? He wouldn't listen to a single word the man had to say.
"But this is a serious matter!"
"Leave it! Even if the Head of Mangeum Bank himself visited today, I’d feign illness and vanish!" Wang Gi-seong declared his firm resolve to Hwang Sam.
"The Rising Stars of the Dragon and Phoenix Gathering are here to borrow money!"
"..."
Upon hearing those words, Wang Gi-seong was struck dumb. After a long moment of dazed silence, he finally spoke.
"You're joking, right?"
"I am dead serious!"
"God dammit!" Wang Gi-seong spat out a curse.
It seemed his night with Aewol had gone up in smoke.
"Lead the way, you bastard!" Wang Gi-seong barked at Hwang Sam.
Even so, his anger didn't subside. Knowing his superior's temperament, Hwang Sam simply led the way in silence.
*
"We’ve brought it."
Lee Ye-seol stepped forward as the representative and handed a stack of bank notes to Sun-woo. Every single note was for a thousand Nyang.
Sun-woo began to count the stack of notes she had given him, flipping through them one by one.
Fwip, fwip.
"One... two... three... five... ten... twenty... thirty... fifty."
Before long, Sun-woo had verified all the notes they had handed over. It was exactly fifty thousand Nyang.
Confirming the amount, Sun-woo smiled inwardly. It seemed things had gone well. He had told them they could borrow as much as they wanted as long as they had their identity tokens and signatures, but he hadn't expected them to secure such a large loan so quickly. The Gyunhyeon branch manager must have a very decisive personality.
"Can you... can you really return her to normal?" Lee Ye-seol asked, looking at Sun-woo with eyes full of suspicion.
Not long ago, she hadn't been able to utter a word due to Sun-woo's merciless violence. But now that some time had passed and she had calmed down, she managed to speak to him again.
"Don't worry. I'll take responsibility and return her to the way she was," Sun-woo replied nonchalantly.
In any case, Yorang had self-regeneration abilities. By now, most of the lacerations on her body would have healed. And besides, he was the Poison King himself—what was there to worry about?
Sun-woo reminded himself of the massive sum of fifty thousand Nyang now in his possession. Honestly, he could have squeezed more out of them if he wanted to, but he felt this was the right limit. It was the minimum line to avoid making permanent enemies of them.
Having secured the Tang Clan as a hideout, Sun-woo wanted to avoid picking fights with the major powers of the Orthodox Faction if possible. Of course, if Yorang had died because of them, it wouldn't have ended here. He would have slaughtered them all, even if it meant turning the entire Orthodox Faction against him.
As a result, he had beaten the main culprit, Lee Ye-seol, until her cheeks were ruptured and oozing blood and pus, and he had even subjected her to the humiliation of wetting herself in front of everyone. While it might not have been as physically painful as what Yorang endured, for someone who valued pride over life, it was a disgrace so deep she likely wanted to bite her tongue and die right then and there.
Furthermore, he had managed to extract three thousand Nyang from each of the Rising Stars who had stood by and watched. This should suffice as a decent amount of mental alimony.
‘With this, I’ll buy Yorang all the sweets and mooncakes she can eat.’
After making that vow to himself, Sun-woo looked around at them. Everyone had grim expressions, likely realizing they had borrowed money behind the backs of their clans and sects. They would surely face a thunderous scolding the moment they returned, and they would be questioned about the source of the money.
Sun-woo looked at them with a pitying face and spoke.
"Take the remaining five hundred Nyang and buy wedding gifts before you return to your homes. Send them to the Tang Clan."
If they returned to their clans or sects with five hundred Nyang in hand, it was obvious the money would be confiscated. Fearing they might not realize this, Sun-woo kindly explained it to them.
‘You demonic bastard.’
‘Scum of the earth.’
‘Money-grubbing fiend.’
‘I’m dead now...’
The Dragons and Phoenixes glared at Sun-woo, cursing him in their hearts. It was infuriating that a man who had just pocketed fifty thousand Nyang would add such a comment just to make sure he didn't miss out on five hundred Nyang worth of gifts.
"What are you staring at?" Sun-woo barked, noticing their insolent gazes.
Flinch.
Terrified by his harsh tone, the Dragons and Phoenixes hurriedly lowered their eyes. They didn't want to give him any excuse to pick on them further.
"Then everyone, get out. And don't forget to keep your mouths shut."
At Sun-woo's final word, the Dragons and Phoenixes began to turn and leave one by one. They were likely already agonizing over what excuses to give their sects.
Just then—
"Hey."
Sun-woo’s finger pointed at Lee Ye-seol.
"You stay."
"Why!?" Lee Ye-seol, singled out by Sun-woo, asked in shock.
"It wouldn't be right for the perpetrator to just leave like this."
At Sun-woo's words, her face turned deathly pale. It seemed this man had no intention of letting things end here.
*
Sun-woo sat at a table and stared at Lee Ye-seol. Because his expression betrayed no emotion, Lee Ye-seol trembled in anxiety. Just what was he planning to do?
"Did you think it would end with just money for you too?"
There was a world of difference between the Rising Stars who merely stood by and Lee Ye-seol, who had caused the actual harm. If he let her off with just money, it would be unfair.
"What do you want?" Lee Ye-seol asked him, sounding resigned.
If this man demanded it, she had to do anything. If he wanted her body, she had to give it; if he wanted money, she had to give it. She had no choice. As long as she could keep this incident a secret, she would do anything.
Sun-woo began to look her over with a greedy gaze. Feeling that gaze, Lee Ye-seol fell into despair. This man was definitely lusting after her body.
A surge of sorrow washed over Lee Ye-seol. It was humiliating enough to be beaten like a dog in front of the other Rising Stars and to have wet herself. Even if today's events were kept secret, she would surely be branded in their minds as the girl who couldn't hold her bladder. But despite enduring all that shame, it seemed her ordeal was far from over.
The way the man before her was looking at her was unmistakable. He was surely after her chastity. Lee Ye-seol felt a chill run down her spine. They said all men were beasts, and the man before her was no different. He might be the fiancé of the Greatest Beauty of Sichuan, Dok Seo-si Tang Seo-yoon, but what man would ever turn down a beautiful woman?
He would ravish her, and she would be cruelly violated. It had been strange from the start. Why would he ask her to stay behind alone? It must be so he could rape her at his leisure where no one was watching.
He would drag her up to the private room on the second floor. There, he would slowly strip her of the green robes she wore, which boasted the unique hue of the Tang Clan. He would take them off, thread by thread, slowly.
Moreover, she had just discarded her traditional undergarment because it had been soaked from her incontinence. That meant she had nothing on underneath. He would look at her and call her a lewd woman. Then, after laying her down, he would feast his eyes on her naked body—her sleek legs, her perfectly rounded breasts, her slender waist, and finally, her apple-shaped buttocks of just the right size.
The mere thought was horrifying. She was about to lose the purity she had cherished for twenty years. He would surely approach her most intimate part, which no one had ever touched, and ruin everything.
Her eyes grew moist. A flower was about to be plucked. How could she not be sad?
‘Ah... I wanted to give my first time to someone I loved...’
She let out a sorrowful cry in her heart.
"Do whatever you want! Whether you lust after my body or my breasts, just do it! But know this—you might have my body, but you will never have my heart!"
She squeezed her eyes shut and shouted at Sun-woo. It was the last bit of resistance she could muster.
"Are you out of your mind?"
Of course, from Sun-woo's perspective, it was an absurd thing to say. What was she suddenly talking about?
"Are you a pervert?" Sun-woo asked her flatly.
He wondered if he had hit her too hard earlier and broken her brain. What kind of nonsense was this?
"There's no need to play innocent! I may not have experience, but I know what it means when a man wants to be alone with a woman!"
"We're not the only ones here, though? Yorang is over there, and there's the waiter and the innkeeper too."
"You're clearly going to drag me to a private room and take me forcefully!"
"Why would I?"
"Because I'm beautiful!" she declared confidently.
It was true. Even if she didn't quite reach the level of Yorang or Tang Seo-yoon, she was a woman of exceptional beauty, counted among the best in the Murim.
"You look pretty ugly right now, though."
At least, she did after Sun-woo had beaten her until her cheeks burst.
"What!?"
"I don't think you realize your current state. Your face is all torn up and a mess. You're covered in blood and oozing pus. It's gross."
At Sun-woo's words, her face flushed with shame.
"So stop talking nonsense and hand over that sword you're carrying. Was it called the Dragon Tail Soft Sword?"
Sun-woo continued, pointing at the Dragon Tail Soft Sword she wore at her waist. In fact, Sun-woo had been feeling greedy ever since Zhuge Jia told him that the sword Lee Ye-seol carried was the Dragon Tail Soft Sword. A sword that moved with its own will—wasn't that just like the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor?
"Wait, the Dragon Tail Soft Sword was what you were after?"
"Do you really think I'd lust after a girl with a ruptured face oozing pus?" Sun-woo replied indifferently to her question.
Hearing his words, a wave of embarrassment washed over her. She had been making assumptions and putting on a one-woman show all by herself. From his perspective, she must have looked like a crazy woman.
"Don't stall and hand it over quickly. That's also part of the alimony. The Sixth Lady will be satisfied if I bring her the very thing that cut her."
"I can't give you this!"
Lee Ye-seol protested. What was one of the Six Great Treasures? It was a peerless treasure of the world. How could she just give such a thing away?
"Then what should we do? You're the one in the most serious situation right now. The other Rising Stars only stood by, so there's room for leniency, but you committed the depravity of hacking away at the woman who would have been your aunt-in-law. I wonder what would happen if the entire Murim found out about this?"
"..."
"You'll lose everything. Everything you've built. Even the title of the Alliance Leader's daughter won't protect you. Is that what you want?"
"..."
At Sun-woo's words, Lee Ye-seol hesitated for a moment before slowly unfastening the Dragon Tail Soft Sword from her waist. Although the Dragon Tail Soft Sword was a treasure renowned as one of the Six Great Treasures of the Murim, it wasn't more valuable than hiding the fact that she had nearly crippled the Poison King's wife.
Losing a treasure like the Dragon Tail Soft Sword was a painful blow, but it wasn't as important as losing the foundation she had built. If this truth came out, the elders of the Cheonmu Alliance, who valued etiquette and morality above all else, would turn their backs on her. Her succession to the Alliance Leader's power would vanish. She couldn't let that happen.
Grit.
She ground her teeth and handed the Dragon Tail Soft Sword to Sun-woo.
"Good. I'll deliver this to the Sixth Lady when she wakes up. Along with your apology."
Sun-woo took the Dragon Tail Soft Sword with a faint smile. He shouldn't show how happy he was, but he was so delighted he could barely control his expression. It was one of the Six Great Treasures. Having personally experienced the effects of the Overlord Ghost-Face Armor, Sun-woo couldn't help but be thrilled. This sword would surely make him even stronger.
Grit.
Watching him, Lee Ye-seol ground her teeth. This man had clearly extorted her Dragon Tail Soft Sword using the Sixth Lady as an excuse. His claim that he would deliver it to her was surely a blatant lie. Anger began to smolder in her eyes as she glared at him.
"What are you doing?"
Sensing her gaze, Sun-woo turned to look at her.
"If you're done, get out."
Sun-woo spoke while waving his hand at her as if shooing away a fly.
Grit.
Lee Ye-seol ground her teeth at the sight.
‘I will repay this grudge, no matter how long it takes.’
Making a firm vow in her heart, Lee Ye-seol turned around. She walked straight out of Pungcheonru, harboring a deep resentment.
Of course, Sun-woo didn't care in the slightest. Pungcheonru was littered with various debris, and only Sun-woo, Yorang, the innkeeper, and the waiter remained.
*
Sichuan Tang Clan, Office
Tang Seo-yoon, Un Ga-ryeo, and Geum Jeok-hwa were in the middle of a mountain of paperwork. Since the direct bloodline members who could handle administrative tasks had been virtually wiped out, they were forced to carry on the work themselves, racking their brains.
"Sigh."
Tang Seo-yoon let out a deep sigh. She was a martial artist by birth. Being buried under piles of documents naturally made her sigh.
"Lady, why don't you go and get some sleep?" Un Ga-ryeo asked concernedly upon hearing her sigh.
"She's right. You've been working without any sleep. Please, go rest for a bit."
Just as they said, Tang Seo-yoon hadn't been able to rest. Normally, the task of approving documents was Sun-woo's responsibility. But since he was away from the Tang Clan, all the approval documents had fallen to her. Consequently, her fatigue had doubled, making her even more exhausted.
"Then... should I just close my eyes for a moment?"
Tang Seo-yoon spoke while glancing at them. She felt guilty about being the only one to leave while everyone else was working.
"Yes, please do."
"I think that would be for the best."
Un Ga-ryeo and Geum Jeok-hwa readily agreed. To them, Tang Seo-yoon looked like she had already reached her limit. If she didn't sleep now, it would harm her health.
At their answer, Tang Seo-yoon stood up unsteadily. In her current state, she felt like she would fall asleep the moment she lay down.
Just then—
"My Lady!"
A familiar voice called out.
"I think you need to come outside for a moment!"
The voice belonged to Tang Gam, a martial artist of the Outer Hall.
"What is it?"
She replied with a stern expression. She didn't like how a martial artist of the Outer Hall was making such a fuss without any dignity.
"Something big has happened outside!"
Snap.
At his words, Tang Seo-yoon's eyes snapped open, and she quickly moved her feet. Could it be an attack by the Demonic Cult? Or an invasion by another force? Filled with worry, her pace quickened.
"Lady, wait for us!"
She moved so fast that even Tang Gam was left behind.
*
"...What is all this?"
Tang Seo-yoon spoke with a look of utter bewilderment. What on earth were all these things?
"They are wedding gifts," the man standing before her replied cheerfully.
"For whom?" she asked, sounding dumbfounded. Who in the Tang Clan had gotten married?
"They are wedding gifts for the Clan Head and the Sixth Lady, Yorang."
"For Yorang?"
Hearing the man's words, Tang Seo-yoon looked at the gifts before her in disbelief. Items that looked incredibly expensive at a glance were being stacked up inside the Tang Clan.
From expensive-looking ceramics to jade ornaments, silver spoons, gold hairpins, silks of exquisite colors, and various other accessories.
She couldn't believe her eyes. The sight jolted her wide awake.
‘Just what on earth did he do?!’
She screamed inwardly.