Chapter 284
Chapter 284
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 284
Chapter Title: 64. Retribution (5)
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If the citizens didn't come up with the money, he would kill all three of Tongliao's Swords...
The ones most shocked by the somewhat eccentric threat were the Tongliao Three Swords themselves, who belatedly realized they had been taken hostage.
"Y-You're a bandit?"
Tongliao Second Sword Hwang Seong-ri asked in a bewildered voice, and Yeong-woo flinched involuntarily despite himself.
"......"
He had never once thought of himself as a bandit, but now that he heard it, what he had just done was banditry pure and simple.
He had grabbed the opponents hostage out of nowhere and demanded money from the citizens.
And on Earth, such a person was precisely called a "bandit."
'Damn, things have gotten really messed up.'
On top of that, Hwang Seong-ri, now his hostage, was staring at the "Tower" that Yeong-woo had ridden in on.
She was deeply shocked that this mysterious structure, which even evoked awe, had been merely a tool for banditry.
But was Yeong-woo just any bandit? No. Jeong Yeong-woo07 was a powerful bandit who could hold the Tongliao Three Swords hostage in place of the citizens.
And he was a furious bandit who figured there was no point in exchanging polite words and "righteous" talk to resolve things here.
"You attacked me first."
"...What?"
"Three of you ganging up on one person, and now what? Bandit? Demanding assault compensation is banditry?"
"W-Well......"
"Hurry up and get the money ready, you bastards!"
As Yeong-woo rolled his eyes wildly and threatened Tongliao's citizens, a loud shout erupted from the rear this time.
"You thieving scum! Let's settle this rematch!"
It was Tongliao First Sword Jeong Chosan, who had stabbed at Yeong-woo's back earlier and failed.
Shweeeeeek!
This time, an attack precisely aimed at his nape sliced through the air sharply, forcing Yeong-woo to put on a brief display of skill.
'I didn't want to cause any permanent damage if possible.'
He swung Outlaw like lightning, severing the opponent's blade.
Slash!
As Jeong Chosan's Unique-grade sword snapped in two, Hwang Seong-ri's eyes widened like saucers right in front of it.
"......!"
She instantly sensed that this bandit who appeared with the Tower was no ordinary foe, not just in character but in martial prowess as well.
'Who the hell is this guy?'
It was the emergence of a freak like a bolt from the blue.
"You son of a bitch!"
Next, Third Sword Kwak Wang-bo finished wrestling with the golden greatsword and charged in.
Tat-tat-tat!
But the moment he took three steps, the bandit's form shot forward like an arrow.
"S-Stop!"
Hwang Seong-ri, still gripped by Yeong-woo, screamed, and at almost the same instant, a heavy thud rang out.
Thwump!
"Urk?"
It was a groan from Kwak Wang-bo, who had been about to swing his sword at the bandit.
He then looked down at his own abdomen, where an immense pain throbbed.
"......"
There, a bright red sword hilt was pressed right between his navel and solar plexus.
Jeong Yeong-woo had struck Kwak Wang-bo with the hilt of Outlaw.
Of course, it was a controlled blow, so Kwak Wang-bo had no external wounds.
But instead...
"Ughhh!"
The golden Punishment's pain-infliction effect began gnawing at his senses.
As Kwak Wang-bo rolled on the ground in agony like his whole body was burning, the citizens finally began to move.
"L-Let's pool some money."
"How much does everyone have right now?"
"This is all I have......"
If things went on like this, the Tongliao Three Swords really would all die, so they decided to gather the money the bandit had demanded for now.
Seeing this, Hwang Seong-ri gritted her teeth.
Grit.
Yet she barely managed to form a polite sentence.
"What are you, exactly? Do you go around extorting money like this?"
"......"
Faced with a question phrased entirely in formal speech, Yeong-woo paused to think.
Then, unable to come up with another option, he nodded.
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yes, I'm someone who goes around extorting money."
Straightforward admission.
As he spoke, Yeong-woo released Hwang Seong-ri's arm, which he had been holding until now.
She didn't seem the type to abandon the citizens and flee.
Hwang Seong-ri then scanned Yeong-woo up and down.
"What do you plan to do with the pocket change you squeeze from us? You already look like you have more money than you know what to do with."
"Doesn't it take many streams to make an ocean?"
"......?"
"Even dust piles up into mountains. I plan to collect every bit of spare change in China to buy this planet."
"Buy... what?"
From dust to purchasing a planet.
Faced with this cosmically radical conversational turn, Hwang Seong-ri's mind seemed to blank out for a moment.
Now she saw: the intruder before her wasn't just a simple bandit—he was a complete madman.
But Yeong-woo remained utterly serious.
"Please contribute some money to help me buy Earth. I beg you."
He then gazed toward the southwest, where Beijing—formerly Peking—likely lay.
"In return, I'll take Beijing and erase Im Du-pyeong for you."
Beijing, and Im Du-pyeong.
The moment Yeong-woo uttered those two terms, the bustling collection efforts in the hall fell silent at once.
"......?"
Caught off guard by the completely unexpected reaction, Yeong-woo widened his eyes in surprise.
Tongliao First Sword Jeong Chosan, still holding his broken sword, pointed his half-blade at Yeong-woo.
"Fall Beijing? That's our long-cherished goal. Who are you to butt in?"
"You're saying you're aiming to fall Beijing when you can't even subdue one guy properly?"
"You...!"
Yeong-woo's words were irrefutably true, leaving Jeong Chosan unable to retort.
And this conversation was happening publicly in front of Tongliao's citizens, no less.
Talk about humiliation.
Some random bandit shows up out of nowhere, spewing nonsense nonstop, and they lacked the ability to shut his mouth—Jeong Chosan was going mad with frustration.
"You crazy bastard!"
"I've heard that so much it doesn't faze me anymore. Just hand over the money. I won't harass you further then."
As Yeong-woo said this with a face showing absolutely no impact, Hwang Seong-ri finally brought up the price.
"...How much exactly do you need?"
So Yeong-woo had no choice but to ask back.
"How much are you paying Im Du-pyeong right now?"
"Hmm......?"
"Hmm?"
"What are you talking about?"
Hwang Seong-ri looked utterly baffled.
Yeong-woo hurriedly turned to check the expressions of the other two Tongliao Swords, Jeong Chosan and Kwak Wang-bo.
"...My god."
Sure enough, they too seemed completely clueless.
About the Standing Committee members who roamed China's cities daily, collecting tens of millions of karma.
"You've never met them? Im Du-pyeong's collection squads."
"Collection squads?"
"Im Du-pyeong is collecting tribute?"
Seeing the Tongliao Three Swords flare up in instant fury confirmed it.
Beijing's shadow hadn't reached this city yet.
'Damn, is it because of me? Well, I did kill the eastern region overseer.'
The circumstances pointed to it without a doubt. One of the two Standing Committee members he killed after arriving in China had been Tongliao's collector.
"Ah, sorry. Looks like I killed Tongliao's overseer. Otherwise, you all should've been bleeding money starting yesterday."
Yeong-woo scratched his chin with the tip of Outlaw.
"So, how should I make you feel this harsh reality...?"
"W-What are you saying right now?"
"You probably didn't know, but every other city in China pays tribute of 50 million karma to Im Du-pyeong daily."
"50 million...?"
Daily tribute of 50 million karma.
To Tongliao's citizens, who hadn't yet encountered a Standing Committee member, it sounded utterly unrealistic.
"Does that even make sense?"
"Not monthly, but daily 50 million?"
"Why the hell are they paying that?"
As the hall stirred once more, Jeong Chosan demanded of the intruder.
"Don't spout bullshit! All cities handing over that much to Beijing? Why? It doesn't make sense."
Yeong-woo immediately unleashed golden light from his eyes, radiating the "Supreme Sword's Aura."
Fwooooosh!
It was the first proper threat he had shown since arriving in Tongliao.
"Huh?"
"Guh...!"
"Ow, it hurts!"
Though only the Tongliao Three Swords were directly affected by the aura, making their bodies stiffen, the surrounding citizens could clearly sense it too.
Just how profound and mighty the internal energy of this "Supreme Sword" was.
"If they don't pay, they all die—that's why they pay. Why wouldn't it make sense? Did I explain it too nicely?"
Yeong-woo casually lifted his sword in front of Jeong Chosan, whose body was rigid.
"I don't want to become a villain either. But if you keep wasting my golden time, even my patience will crack."
"......?"
"What... does that mean?"
Even as Tongliao's top experts, their hearts crushed under the aura, they didn't just listen to Yeong-woo's drivel.
"So, you're saying you'll take the money Im Du-pyeong was going to extort anyway?"
Hwang Seong-ri's voice rose in outrage.
"Yes! But you missed something important!"
"What? What's that?"
"I take 10 million less than Im Du-pyeong!"
"You mad bastard!"
Hwang Seong-ri's patience cracked first, and right on cue, the Supreme Sword's aura binding the three experts faded.
Fsssh...
The aura's duration had ended.
Shf!
As the restraints on the Tongliao Three Swords lifted simultaneously, all three charged at Yeong-woo as if on cue.
"Haaaah!"
"Die!"
"You're not fit to live!"
It was a critical battle hinging on whether they lost tens of millions of karma daily or not.
Of course, Yeong-woo, who had anticipated this reaction, swiftly retreated while shouting to the golden goblin.
"Black Sword!"
It was the command to pull out the Dullahan's sword and toss it.
But the goblin...
-Keek?
Didn't even open the subspace pouch, merely tilting its head.
Only then did Yeong-woo remember.
'Right, I put it in the compendium.'
So in a pinch, he grabbed the "golden trajectory" floating behind him with both hands.
Thud!
He then swung at Tongliao's three top experts, now right upon him.
"Listen to me! Paying me is the safest, easiest path! Don't make me into a real villain!"
Shwooooooo!
True to its name, a broad golden arc slashed out, causing the Tongliao Three Swords to flinch momentarily—but they didn't lose their fighting spirit.
"We've never even met a collection squad, and we wouldn't lose to scum like that anyway!"
"Aren't you the collection squad? Im Du-pyeong's dog!"
"Killing you is justice itself!"
As the Tongliao Three Swords spat their righteous lines and charged, Yeong-woo looked every bit the villain.
'Fuck, these guys for real.'
Clang-clang-clang!
Over a dozen exchanges flew by in an instant.
And these exchanges had only been possible because Yeong-woo was holding back against the three swordsmen.
He could make their heads roll on the ground in ten seconds flat if he wanted.
But as he had said earlier, time was gold to Yeong-woo, and his patience was wearing thin.
"You bastards—now I'll show you why the other cities pay me."
Just as Yeong-woo reached for Outlaw again...
Kwaaaaaaaa!
An ominous explosion roared from the rear of the chaotic melee of four.
"What."
"What, what is it?"
Not just Yeong-woo but the Tongliao Three Swords turned toward the sound—and soon saw it.
―Chairman Im Du-pyeong demands military tribute payment! Tongliao, obey the command...!
A certain old man approaching, bellowing an eerie voice laced with demonic energy.
―I am Central Political Bureau Second Standing Committee Member, Hong Kyung-baek!
"......!"
A Second Standing Committee Member, no less.
Excluding the Number One, Im Du-pyeong himself, this meant the strongest in Beijing.
A top-ranking member had been dispatched to investigate the eastern region where Standing Committee members kept disappearing.
Yeong-woo quickly pulled back from the battlefield and pointed at the neatly clustered Tongliao Three Swords.
"Hong, my friend! Over here! These guys are plotting rebellion!"