Chapter 153: Demanding Compensation-3
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153: Demanding Compensation-3
Jin Sam, a warrior of the Geumcheol Sect, lay on the floor, drowning in a sea of bewilderment.
He was a man who had been recognized as the most promising warrior in the Geumcheol Sect. Though he hadn't been a disciple of a prestigious sect and thus hadn't inherited any divine arts, he had spent decades honing his skills to reach the Peak Realm.
People said that even the heavens, moved by his diligence, had allowed him to reach such heights.
Jin Sam himself was a man of immense pride. He was confident that as long as he wasn't facing a disciple from a prestigious sect, he would have no equal.
However, that confidence was shattered in less than fifteen minutes.
Actually, it took only a single move. A single move was all it took for the Geumcheol Sect’s finest warrior to end up sprawled on the ground.
He had realized at first glance that the man was a formidable master. He also knew that a direct confrontation would result in significant damage. That was why he had planned to take one of the man's companions hostage. It was common knowledge that even a Murim master couldn't display their full strength if they had baggage to protect.
He immediately ruled out the woman with the sword. He had personally witnessed her slice through the blades of the Geumcheol Sect warriors in a single stroke.
Naturally, his gaze shifted to the other woman.
She wore a black veil and had a slender, delicate frame. Since he couldn't sense any martial aura from her, he was certain she hadn't trained in any martial arts.
He waited for the perfect opening to pounce on her.
That opportunity came soon enough. The other warriors charged at the man and the woman with the sword all at once. Without a moment's hesitation, he lunged toward the veiled woman. His plan was to slip behind her and press his blade against her throat.
Crack!
But along with the sound of something snapping, his plan fell apart. He slowly lowered his head toward the source of the sound.
It was his own leg.
Before he knew it, the woman had closed the distance and stomped on his leg, shattering the bone.
Thud.
With his leg broken, his body collapsed onto the floor. He was left with no choice but to lie there and watch the fight unfold. It was a pathetic end for the Geumcheol Sect’s greatest talent.
The fight was utterly one-sided.
Every time the woman with the sword swung her blade, the Geumcheol Sect warriors fell, spraying blood. When the other woman threw a punch, warriors were sent flying into the walls.
Before long, the reception room, which had been filled with Geumcheol Sect warriors, was now filled with men crawling on the floor just like him.
Unable to accept this irrational reality, Jin Sam dismissed it as a dream and promptly fainted. He refused to believe that a mere three people could annihilate the entire force of the Geumcheol Sect.
*
Sect Leader Cheol Mu-deuk stared blankly ahead. He had lost his senses, stunned by the unbelievable sight before him.
When the intruders first started acting tough, he had found it almost cute. He was confident that a crumbling family like the Tang Clan could never pressure the Geumcheol Sect.
However, it didn't take long for him to realize how wrong he was.
They were annihilated—the elite forces that were the pride of the Geumcheol Sect.
He knew the importance of martial power better than anyone. That was why he had spared no expense in training capable warriors. He had purchased elixirs and secret manuals at exorbitant prices and hired famous martial artists. He believed that earning money was useless if you couldn't protect it.
After decades of such investment, the Geumcheol Sect had built a martial force where every member was at least a first-class expert. It was a force that could rival most mid-sized sects.
That was why he had been so confident. He held a firm belief that money never betrayed a person.
But it took less than fifteen minutes for that belief to be pulverized. The warriors he had poured money into for decades were wiped out in less than half that time.
He was so hollowed out that he couldn't even find the words to speak. He could only watch blankly as his "masterpieces" were torn down.
Step. Step.
Soon, the man who had finished off the Geumcheol Sect warriors began walking slowly toward him.
"Did you really think you could cross the Tang Clan with this pathetic level of strength?"
Sun-woo spoke to Cheol Mu-deuk in a somber voice.
It had only been half a gak. That was all the time it took for the Sect Leader's sky-high confidence to plummet to the dirt.
"It took only half a gak."
Sun-woo's eyes were so cold they didn't even flicker with anger. Just how much had this man underestimated the Tang Clan to attack them with such meager forces?
It was insulting. Truly insulting.
"It took only half a gak for your precious warriors to be annihilated!" Sun-woo shouted.
Cheol Mu-deuk closed his eyes in agony. He didn't have the courage to look the man in the face. But the words that followed forced his eyes wide open.
"One million nyang."
"Wh-what!?"
Cheol Mu-deuk's eyes bulged as he stammered back.
"If you do not pay, I will wipe the Geumcheol Sect off the face of the earth."
Cheol Mu-deuk's face turned deathly pale. Wipe them out? What on earth...
"On what grounds do you claim such a thing!?" Cheol Mu-deuk screamed at Sun-woo, who was spouting such nonsense.
"You made an enemy of the Tang Clan! That is more than enough grounds!" Sun-woo raised his voice, glaring at him.
"If you do such a thing, the Cheonmu Alliance won't stand idly by!" Cheol Mu-deuk protested.
If such an atrocity occurred, the Cheonmu Alliance, which claimed to uphold justice in the Murim, would surely intervene. The Tang Clan would undoubtedly suffer severe consequences as well.
"The Cheonmu Alliance has officially declared its protection of the Tang Clan. Do you really think they would care about a bunch of country worms from Shandong Province who crawled together to form the Geumcheol Sect?"
It was true. From the start, the standing of the Tang Clan and the Geumcheol Sect were worlds apart. Even if the Tang Clan was half-ruined, the fact remained that they were in-laws with the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won. It was also an unchangeable fact that they were a family of heroes who had saved the Murim from the Demonic Cult twenty years ago.
Furthermore, with the Cheonmu Alliance having officially declared their protection, who would dare criticize them?
"Grrr! This is absurd! How can the price jump from four hundred thousand nyang to one million just because a sword was drawn once?! Bring me someone higher than you! I will negotiate with them!"
He shouted in indignation. One million nyang. It was an impossible sum. If they paid that much, the Geumcheol Sect would suffer a devastating blow. Their income was already set to drop because they had broken their contract with the Tang Clan. If they had to shoulder a million nyang on top of that, the sect would surely collapse.
And how could a mere negotiator have the authority to decide such a massive matter? He demanded to see the person in charge. He needed someone he could actually talk to, not this ignorant martial artist.
"I am the highest-ranking person in the Tang Clan. Who exactly do you want me to bring?"
Sun-woo replied calmly to his desperate outcry.
"......"
Cheol Mu-deuk's jaw dropped. He couldn't process the information immediately. Then, his mind slowly began to race.
As far as he knew, there was only one person who held the highest position in the Tang Clan. But he immediately shook his head. It was impossible. Why would that man personally travel all the way to Shandong Province to pressure the Geumcheol Sect?
He shook his head violently, over and over. It couldn't be. It mustn't be. If it was the person he suspected, the Geumcheol Sect was facing an uncontrollable catastrophe.
However, a deep-seated anxiety began to prick at his chest. Cheol Mu-deuk's entire body began to tremble.
"Are..."
He finally managed to steady his trembling lips and spoke.
"...Are you... the Clan Head?" he asked in a quivering voice.
"I am Tang Jin-cheol."
Sun-woo replied flatly. And that simple answer was enough to plunge Cheol Mu-deuk into utter despair.
*
Despair was the only emotion left in Cheol Mu-deuk's mind.
No matter how much they had declined, the Tang Clan was still remembered by the people as a family of heroes. And he had drawn a sword against the head of such a family—against Tang Jin-cheol, a hero of the Great War of Righteousness and Demons.
The justification was sufficient. No, it was more than sufficient. Even if the Poison King wiped out the Geumcheol Sect right this second, no one could say a word.
Cold sweat began to pour down his face. He had to fix this. He had to appease the man's wrath somehow. Otherwise, the Geumcheol Sect was finished.
"Oh, Clan Head! I failed to recognize your greatness and committed a grave mistake..." Cheol Mu-deuk hurriedly bowed his head, his voice dripping with servility.
"Enough. I've seen enough to know exactly what kind of man you are. If it had been anyone else but me, they would have been greatly humiliated."
Sun-woo cut him off. The man was so predictable he wasn't even worth dealing with. He was a man who was weak before the strong and strong before the weak. It seemed the spectrum of human nature was the same whether in a novel or the modern world.
"No more words are needed. One million nyang. And I want it right now. If you cannot pay, the Geumcheol Sect will be destroyed."
Sun-woo glared at Cheol Mu-deuk with a furious expression. There was no room for compromise in his eyes.
"Clan Head! If we pay that entire amount, the Geumcheol Sect will go bankrupt!" Cheol Mu-deuk pleaded in a trembling voice.
"Isn't that better than being annihilated?" Sun-woo replied coldly, as if it were none of his business.
What did he care if the Geumcheol Sect went bankrupt? The Tang Clan had the justification and the martial power to enforce it.
"I... I will pay four... four hundred thousand nyang! Please, I beg you, let go of your anger!"
"I don't want it."
"But...!"
"Only one million nyang."
Sun-woo drew a firm line. It was the Sect Leader of the Geumcheol Sect who had let go of the rope first. Sun-woo had no intention of showing him mercy or considering his circumstances. He was simply carrying out the consequences.
The Sect Leader's face turned a ghostly shade of white.
*
Cheongpung Inn, Private Annex.
"Hehehehe."
A wide smile spread across Yorang's face. The mountain of food laid out before her was a feast for her eyes. From roasted duck to nameless seafood delicacies, a magnificent spread was laid out in front of her.
"I'll dig in!"
She gave a loud shout and reached out to grab a roasted duck.
Rrip!
She tore off a leg and stuffed it into her mouth. The savory, smoky flavor of the roasted duck exploded in her mouth.
"Mmmmmmph!"
She let out an involuntary moan of delight.
"Is it really that good?" Sun-woo asked nonchalantly as he watched her.
"Totally!" Yorang replied with a blissful smile.
Sun-woo chuckled. It wasn't like she was starving, but Yorang always wore that incredibly happy expression whenever she ate. If she went to the modern world, she'd probably make billions as a mukbang streamer.
"You should have some too, Sun-woo."
Just then, Ok-ryeong, who was sitting beside him, picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and offered it to him.
"Aren't you going to eat?"
"I feel full just watching you eat, Sun-woo."
Ok-ryeong replied with a radiant smile. A bright grin spread across Sun-woo's face. He wondered how such a woman could exist in this world.
"Sun-woo, my arm is going to fall off."
She playfully pretended her arm was shaking. It was her way of showing how much she wanted to feed him.
Chomp.Munch, munch.
Sun-woo took the meat from her chopsticks and began to chew slowly. Perhaps because she was the one who gave it to him, it felt like the flavor was doubled. Truly, there was no seasoning better than affection.
"It's delicious!"
At that moment, Yorang, who had already devoured more than half the food on the table, shouted. She was clearly impressed by the flavors stimulating her tongue.
"Sun-woo! Can't we stay here for a few more days?" she asked, looking at him.
Cheongpung Inn served the best food she had eaten recently. She wanted to stay for days and days just to savor these flavors.
"No, we have to go back to the Tang Clan," Sun-woo replied gently.
He understood how she felt, but they couldn't stay in Jining forever.
"Hmph... then are we leaving tomorrow?" Yorang asked with a pout. The thought of leaving these delicious dishes behind filled her with regret.
"Probably not tomorrow," Sun-woo replied with a smile.
"Really?"
"There's still some unfinished business."
"What is it?"
"Well, it's..."
Bang! Bang!
Just then, someone knocked loudly on the door of the annex.
"Who is it?" Sun-woo asked, looking toward the door.
"It is the owner of the Cheongpung Inn," a voice replied from outside. It was indeed the innkeeper.
"Come in."
Creeeeak.
With his permission, the door opened and the innkeeper appeared.
"What is it?"
"A guest has arrived downstairs. He insisted on meeting the guests staying in the annex, so I have taken the liberty of coming up to inform you."
"I'll be down shortly."
"Understood."
The innkeeper turned and disappeared back downstairs.
"I'll be right back," Sun-woo said, looking at the two women.
"Where are you going?" Yorang asked, tilting her head in confusion. Where could he be going when there was all this delicious food?
"I have some business to settle."
Sun-woo patted Yorang's head, stood up, and walked out.
The time had come to settle the matter.