A Fatal Miscalculation
It was a mistake. The man pinned under Bukjin trembled in sheer terror.
"...I heard you asking the waiter at the Yeollae Inn about Ak Hong-seol. We thought you were one of the Jilpung Brotherhood. We were planning to capture you and take you to the Cheonrihaeng Merchant Alliance to collect the bounty."
"The Cheonrihaeng Merchant Alliance is offering a reward just for catching someone who knows Ak Hong-seol? Is all that really necessary?"
The man stammered his reply. "It’s because Sim Bi of the Sword Flame Mercenaries fell into Demonic Possession during the Academic & Martial Arts Competition preliminaries and was corrupted by the Void Realm. The Imperial government used Sim Bi as an excuse to uproot the Sword Flame Mercenaries entirely, which shattered the balance of power among the gangs in Unmong City. Word is, the Cheonrihaeng Merchant Alliance is backed by some major heavyweight. They’re planning to use this opportunity to unify all the gangs in the city. To do that, they have to wipe out the Jilpung Brotherhood, the Hwarang Mercenaries, and the rest."
Hearing this, Bukjin finally understood the situation. A bloody turf war was currently raging within the walls of Unmong City.
"Do you know where they took Ak Hong-seol?" Bukjin demanded.
Chihyeon Manor.
It was a massive estate located in the northwestern district of Unmong City. Built across nearly fifty thousand square meters of land, the grand manor boasted red brick walls and elegant blue-tiled roofs. The security was incredibly tight, befitting the headquarters of the Cheonrihaeng Merchant Alliance, the city's premier commercial power.
The Cheonrihaeng Merchant Alliance boasted a sixty-year history in Unmong City. They had their hands in every business imaginable, amassing a fortune through frequent trade with the Sea Race and other cities within Pung-eo-haeng-do. Their influence was so pervasive that they were inextricably linked to the daily lives of the city's residents.
The current chairman of the alliance was a man named Jo Tak-eon. He was the wealthiest man in Unmong City and maintained deep connections with high-ranking officials in the government. Chihyeon Manor had been built twenty years ago by Jo Tak-eon specifically to gather talented heroes from all corners of the land.
Over the last two decades, the alliance had recruited countless warriors—partly for protection, but also to serve as muscle for transporting goods or whenever force was required. Everything was done for the sake of the alliance's expansion. As the scale of their trade grew, so did their profits. Currently, hundreds of warriors resided within the manor, most of them swordsmen and martial artists who had cultivated Hyeongi. This made the Cheonrihaeng Merchant Alliance a force that could not be ignored within Unmong City.
"Haha, it’s only been five days. Are you surrendering already? Your patience is even thinner than I imagined."
A massive paulownia tree stood in the center of the manor’s training grounds. It was so thick that it would take ten men to encircle its trunk, and it stood nearly thirty meters tall, casting a vast shadow. There was an old saying that if a paulownia tree grows in a home, a phoenix will descend upon it. The Cheonrihaeng Merchant Alliance had spent a fortune to transplant this tree into their manor years ago.
Beneath the shade of the tree sat a red rattan chair, often used for resting or contemplating business. A young man, appearing to be about eighteen years old, was lounging in it. He had a very neat and tidy appearance, and a pleasant smile graced his face whenever he spoke. At first glance, he seemed to possess a very friendly and approachable personality. However, those who actually spoke with him often felt a creeping sense of dread, as if something sinister lurked beneath the surface.
Two swordsmen stood like statues behind him, one to his left and one to his right. In front of him was a large stone table laden with various vegetables and fruits. The young man had his legs propped up on the table, munching on a slice of watermelon as he spoke. Standing before him was Bang So-baek of the Jilpung Brotherhood, who had slowly approached the tree with five of her comrades. They were holding two women—who appeared to be mother and daughter—captive.
"Who are you? Where is Jo Tak-eon?" Bang So-baek asked. She wore form-fitting clothes with her hair tied back tightly, giving her a sharp and refined look. She scanned her surroundings before asking in a frigid voice.
"Haha, I suppose I should introduce myself." The boy in the rattan chair spat out a few sunflower seed shells and wiped his mouth. "My name is Jo Mu-yang. The man you just mentioned is my father. I am the one who has been dealing with your Jilpung Brotherhood and the Hwarang Mercenaries lately. Every order, every action, every plan—it was all designed and executed by me."
"So you're the one!" Bang So-baek’s eyes flared with rage. Over the past few days, many members of the Jilpung Brotherhood had been captured by the alliance. To think that this boy, Jo Mu-yang, was the mastermind behind it all.
"Haha, I’ve heard that Bang So-baek of the Jilpung Brotherhood is the most beautiful and thorniest flower among the gangs of Unmong City. Seeing you in person today... well. Tsk, tsk, tsk." Jo Mu-yang looked Bang So-baek up and down as if he were appraising a piece of meat, his gaze lingering lecherously on her body.
"Stop the nonsense. Where is Ak Hong-seol?" Bang So-baek snapped, her voice like ice.
"As agreed, we’ll make the trade. If you release Ak Hong-seol, we will release your stepmother and your younger sister."
The woman the Jilpung Brotherhood had brought was roughly twenty-five years old, possessing fair skin and a beautiful face. She was the most favored concubine of Jo Tak-eon, the chairman of the alliance. Clutched in her arms was a young girl about four years old—the daughter she had borne for Jo Tak-eon. In terms of kinship, they were Jo Mu-yang’s stepmother and half-sister.
"Ak Hong-seol?" Jo Mu-yang tossed a large watermelon rind aside, a thoughtful expression crossing his face. "Ah, you mean that arrogant little brat we picked up? Hahaha, right. He’s right here."
Jo Mu-yang clapped his hands. Suddenly, a figure bound in chains fell from the thick canopy of the paulownia tree. It was Ak Hong-seol. He appeared to be unconscious. Thick iron chains were wrapped tightly around his body; it seemed he had been hanging from the tree this entire time. His body was covered in dark, dried blood, and numerous wounds were visible through his tattered clothes. It was clear to anyone that he had been brutally beaten and tortured for a long time.
"Seol!" Bang So-baek cried out, her voice thick with grief.
"Haha, this little brat... he’s got quite the backbone. No matter how much we hit him, he wouldn't breathe a word about where you were hiding. He kept his mouth so tightly shut that it wasn't even fun to torment him. If he wasn't such a perfect bait to lure you out, I would have fed him to the dogs already." Jo Mu-yang picked up another slice of watermelon and laughed.
"Let him go, now!" Bang So-baek screamed.
"Let him go?" Jo Mu-yang looked mockingly surprised. "Why should I?"
Bang So-baek drew a rapier from her waist and leveled it at the throat of the woman they had captured. "If you don't release him, I’ll kill her."
Jo Tak-eon’s concubine trembled, her eyes pleading for mercy. At that moment, Jo Mu-yang spat out a watermelon seed and spoke.
"Oh my, you’re going to kill her? How terrifying. Haha, actually, why don't I help you kill her?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jo Mu-yang clapped his hands again.
Swoosh—!
A dozen hidden archers loosed their arrows simultaneously. Startled, Bang So-baek raised her rapier to deflect the incoming projectiles, but there were too many. Two of the Jilpung Brotherhood members beside her collapsed instantly. The concubine and her daughter were riddled with arrows, falling to the ground in a pool of blood, their faces twisted in terror as they died.
Bang So-baek stared at the scene, stunned. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead as shock and fury washed over her. She had captured the woman and child only to use them as leverage to save Ak Hong-seol. She had never intended to kill them. She could never have imagined that Jo Mu-yang would be so heartless as to slaughter them himself.
Bang So-baek hadn't believed such a cruel and demonic person could exist in this world. To murder his own stepmother and half-sister without blinking an eye... he was a beast. No, he was worse than a beast.
"Haha, it looks like the hostages you brought are dead," Jo Mu-yang said, his sinister eyes scanning Bang So-baek’s body. "Your leverage is gone. Now you’re just a rat in a trap. What are you going to do? Haha, if you surrender and become my slave, I might consider letting Ak Hong-seol live. What do you say?"
Bang So-baek felt her heart sink. She knew Jo Tak-eon, the chairman of the alliance, quite well. He was a notorious womanizer, and he especially doted on the concubine Bang So-baek had captured. That was why she had taken her and the child as hostages. But she had never expected to face Jo Mu-yang.
She had heard that Jo Mu-yang was Jo Tak-eon’s eldest son, but he hadn't shown his face in Unmong City for a very long time. Rumors said his father had sent him away to another region for training. No one knew anything about his personality or what kind of man he had become. And today, Bang So-baek had learned the truth: Jo Mu-yang was a depraved monster. It was a fatal miscalculation—she hadn't understood her opponent.
"Well?" Jo Mu-yang narrowed his eyes. "Do you still want to resist? With one word from me, Ak Hong-seol will be turned into a pincushion. Don't believe me?"
Bang So-baek let out a deep sigh. "I don't believe you."
"Hmm?" A dangerous smile played on Jo Mu-yang’s lips.
Bang So-baek spoke slowly. "If you kill Ak Hong-seol, I will leave this place immediately. With my skills, retreating from here is no problem at all. And if that happens, I will spend the rest of my life hunting you down for revenge, using every means and method at my disposal."
"Haha, so you still trust in your own strength and hope for a miracle?" Jo Mu-yang smiled and waved his hand.
Whiz—!
A streak of silver light flashed past. Bang So-baek’s hair tie snapped, and her long hair cascaded down her shoulders.
Thwack—! Vwooom—!
The silver arrow that had grazed Bang So-baek slammed into a tree a hundred paces away, vibrating with immense force.