Monopolizing Fortunes (69)
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Monopolizing Fortunes (69)
Won Dae-yeon backed Namgung Seol-rin up.
"Namgung Protector's right about that. With a treasure in front of them, people will stop distinguishing orthodox from unorthodox and see everyone as an enemy. Besides, you don't even know the rules of the martial world."
"People live the same everywhere."
"The martial world is a place where not knowing one small thing can get you killed. So travel with Namgung Protector."
"Right. Two people wandering around is better than one person wandering around alone."
With even Wang Chil saying that, he couldn't keep being stubborn. And honestly, if Namgung Seol-rin came along, it would be reassuring.
"When are you leaving?"
"Tomorrow. You've gone over the plan I gave you, right?"
"I did, but..."
"Don't do it half-heartedly. You have to act like real bandits."
Won Dae-yeon let out a long sigh.
"So now I'm becoming a bandit, something that was never in my fate."
"Did you ever imagine Won Dae-yeon'd end up an Underworld thug?"
"Exactly. Thanks to you, I'm getting to try all sorts of things."
"Then I'm counting on you for the Gong So-yang operation. Whatever you do, don't make a mistake and kill Gong So-yang. That old man is mine to kill with my own hands."
* * *
"Huh?"
"I'm asking you to be bandits for a bit."
Hwang Tae-gun stared at Won Dae-yeon with a baffled face. The man had left only a few days ago, and now he was back telling them to become bandits.
"Um... you mean those bandits who rob people in the mountains?"
"If not those bandits, there are also skewers you roast on a stick. Why? Want me to skewer and roast you?"
No matter what Won Dae-yeon said, it never sounded like a joke.
"N... no. I'll be the kind of bandit who robs in the mountains."
"I'll let you know later when and which route the escort agency will take, so you'll only need to move out a couple of times. And try not to kill the escorts. They're innocent people."
"So as long as we don't kill them?"
"Just take the cargo. Don't even take one wagon wheel."
"I'll keep that in mind."
* * *
The Blue Cloud Escort Agency was one of Gong So-yang's many businesses and also the largest escort agency in Hangzhou.
Thirty percent of the goods entering and leaving Hangzhou were handled by the Blue Cloud Escort Agency.
The Blue Cloud Escort Agency operated a total of sixty-four escort teams. Each escort run typically mobilized sixteen escorts and about twenty porters, which gave some idea of how large the Blue Cloud Escort Agency was.
Escort Leader Seong Chil-gu crossed the pass at a leisurely pace. No matter how bold a bandit was, they would never dare think of robbing Blue Cloud Escort Agency cargo.
The martial skill of the escorts guarding the cargo was high, and even if a robbery succeeded, the robbers would never get away safely.
It was an iron rule of the Blue Cloud Escort Agency to take revenge on any bandit who robbed their cargo. After six bandit strongholds had been wiped out that way, bandits stopped appearing before the Blue Cloud Escort Agency.
The bandits who occasionally blocked their path weren't there to rob the cargo but to demand tolls or beg.
Seong Chil-gu, who led Squad 34, assumed the bandits who had appeared now were that kind.
The only difference from other bandits was that all eight of them had their faces masked.
"Leave the cargo and run, and I won't chase you."
At the rough voice of the bandit standing at the very front, Seong Chil-gu let out a scoffing laugh.
"Can't you see that flag?"
Thinking, 'Maybe they can't read,' Seong Chil-gu continued.
"We're the Blue Cloud Escort Agency."
"So?"
Seong Chil-gu frowned.
"Bandits who were never in this area suddenly showed up, so is this your first time doing bandit work?"
"It's my first time, but it won't be my last."
"What do you think you're going to do with only eight men?"
Most bandits in the Central Plains were made up of starving farmers or runaway slaves. Because of that, cargo was rarely robbed unless the bandits had overwhelming numbers.
But now there were more escorts than bandits, so it was only natural that the bandits looked ridiculous.
The masked man at the very front drew his sword and spoke.
"Talking doesn't seem like it'll get through to you, so I'll have to beat some sense into you. If you realize midway that you can't win, run."
"Look at this lunatic. Do-seong!"
"Yes, Escort Leader!"
Escort Jang Do-seong stepped forward.
"Get rid of that bastard quickly!"
Drawing his sword, Jang Do-seong charged at the masked man. And then he was sent flying. After tumbling across the ground, Jang Do-seong clutched his stomach and tried to stand, but soon collapsed again.
"Wh... what?"
He hadn't even seen the masked man attack. This wasn't some common bandit but one with real skill.
"All of you, attack!"
Shouting, Seong Chil-gu drew his sword and charged.
"Waaaah—!"
The escorts who rushed in with battle cries were knocked flying with screams. Arms and legs broke, ribs broke, and some escorts had their heads cracked when they were hit once and fell.
It didn't even take half a ke for all sixteen escorts to be rolling on the ground. The porters were so stunned they couldn't even think of running.
The masked man swept his gaze once over the people rolling on the ground, then spoke to the porters.
"Take them and leave. Leave the cargo."
As soon as those words fell, the porters helped the wounded escorts up and fled in a hurry.
After confirming they had all disappeared, the masked man removed his mask. The man letting out a long sigh was Jang Yu-seom.
The other seven also removed their masks, and all of them were Red Tiger Society thugs.
"Move the cargo quickly. We have to hit one more place today."
That day, all six Blue Cloud Escort Agency cargos leaving Hangzhou or carrying goods in from outside were robbed by bandits without exception.
The incident ignited Gong So-yang's anxiety.
'They're not the type to sit still.'
Whenever the released Red Tiger Society executives came to mind, Gong So-yang always thought that.
He had been certain they would rot in prison for ten or twenty years, but the Red Tiger Society bastards had somehow gotten themselves acquitted.
He had been hit so thoroughly that even the county magistrate couldn't do anything about it. People like that would definitely strike back.
He was anxious, but he wasn't afraid. As one of the Three Great Merchants of Hangzhou, his power was by no means weak.
There was also little overlap between him, a merchant, and the Red Tiger Society, an Underworld group. On top of that, the county magistrate was still on his side. If a fight broke out, it couldn't turn out favorably for the Red Tiger Society.
He felt uneasy, but he still slept with his legs stretched out comfortably.
"Sir! We have a serious problem!"
When Oh Pil-jin's voice came from outside the door, the first name that came to mind was Do Tong-dal.
"What is it?"
The door swung open roughly and Oh Pil-jin spoke.
"The Blue Cloud Escort Agency's cargo was attacked by bandits!"
Hearing that it was bandits and not the Red Tiger Society strangely put his mind at ease.
"Bandits attacked our Blue Cloud Escort Agency cargo? So?"
He figured at worst a few escorts or porters had been injured.
"All six cargos currently on escort runs were taken!"
"What? The cargo was taken? Six of them at that?"
"Yes! Four were leaving Hangzhou, and two were incoming cargos!"
"Does it make any sense that six cargos were robbed by bandits in a single day? Which bandit stronghold bastards were they?"
"Well, they were bandits no one had seen before, and they were all masked."
It was unusual for bandits, not robbers, to wear masks. Six cargos being robbed at the same time meant this was a crime aimed specifically at the Blue Cloud Escort Agency.
So the Red Tiger Society came to mind again.
"These Underworld bastards dare...!"
At that moment, another urgent voice calling for Gong So-yang was heard.
"Sir!"
The newcomer was the warehouse manager, Mok Cheon-seok.
"What is it with you now?"
"The... the warehouses are on fire!"
"The warehouses are on fire? Which warehouses?"
"Six of them! The silk warehouses on Dongju-ro and Seohyeon-ro, the grain warehouses on Wangjuk-ro and Byeokhwa-ro, the tea warehouse on Baejang-ro, and the ceramics warehouse on Soi-ro all caught fire almost simultaneously!"
If they caught fire at the same time, this was definitely arson. The Red Tiger Society came to mind again.
"So what's the damage?"
"I don't know the final situation because I came to report, but they'll probably burn down completely."
"You son of a bitch! Do you know how much the goods stored in those warehouses are worth!"
The direct financial loss was bad enough, but if he couldn't meet delivery deadlines, he would also have to pay penalties.
On top of that, the places to store goods that would keep coming in had also disappeared.
"Those Red Tiger Society sons of bitches!"
Gong So-yang went straight to the government office. Gong Myeong-un was comfortably receiving a massage from a woman.
Gong Myeong-un, who came running in a fluster at the news of his arrival, looked like he had just been in bed with a woman.
"Is now the time to be lounging around getting a massage?"
"What's the matter?"
"Six of my escort agency's cargos were robbed, and six large warehouses caught fire and burned to ashes! This is all the work of those Red Tiger Society bastards! Arrest them right now!"
"Those bastards dared to do such a thing? I'll arrest them right away... but you do have evidence, right?"
"My conviction is the evidence!"
Even if he called his conviction evidence, Gong So-yang's heart couldn't be submitted as an exhibit.
"Well... we need more solid evidence. If we arrest those bastards again without evidence, a petition could fly to the capital."
"What does some measly petition matter!"
It might not matter to Gong So-yang, but it was a very big problem for Gong Myeong-un. The most common reason a local county magistrate lost his post was a petition.
"First, I'll send out officials to look for evidence."
"You must catch the arsonists, of course, and those bandits too!"
"Understood."
After Gong So-yang stormed off fuming, Gong Myeong-un immediately summoned the chief of the Punishment Bureau.
"Send the head constables with the best investigative skills to my uncle's... no, Sir Gong's burned warehouses and investigate thoroughly. Investigate the cargo-robbery cases just as thoroughly!"
"I will arrest every last criminal!"
After boasting to the county magistrate and leaving, the Punishment Bureau chief called for Head Constable Yang Cheol-jung.
"You've heard the news that the Blue Cloud Escort Agency's cargo was robbed, right?"
"So I heard."
"What about the six warehouses of Sir Gong burning down?"
"Sniff sniff! I can smell the smoke from here."
"Take a few constables and at least make a show of investigating."
"Leave the cargo-robbery case to Head Constable Seong."
"Why?"
"To inspect the scene, you have to climb a mountain. My knees have been hurting lately."
"It's a problem if you're too blatant about being lazy."
"I have that much sense. Why did Sir Gong have to poke the Red Tiger Society when they were staying quiet. Tsk tsk tsk..."
"Exactly. He misjudged the Red Tiger Society. Is the Red Tiger Society some ordinary Underworld group?"
"Anyway, what do you think will happen now?"
"What do you mean, what will happen? Sir Gong is going to be ruined completely. The cargo being robbed and the warehouses burning are only the beginning. There are plenty of places for the Red Tiger Society to hit, and Sir Gong has no way to do anything to them."
The Red Tiger Society had neutralized the government office's power and then even swept away the people who came from martial sects. Gong So-yang, a merchant, no longer had any way to harm the Red Tiger Society.
On the other hand, to the Red Tiger Society, Gong So-yang was a target as bright and large as the moon. The officials who should arrest the Red Tiger Society for attacking him openly were already practically on the Red Tiger Society's side.
The only people who didn't know that were Gong So-yang and Gong Myeong-un. With all six bureaus and officials of the government office on the Red Tiger Society's side, they were fighting a battle they couldn't win.
"Let's just enjoy the show and pick up the scraps."
"There should be plenty of scraps falling, right?"
"Coordinator Do's pretty generous, you know."
"Even if my knees hurt, I guess I'll have to climb the mountain a bit. Heh heh heh..."
* * *
The dining hall on the first floor of the inn was packed with customers. Do Tong-dal and Namgung Seol-rin barely managed to get a corner seat.
Do Tong-dal looked around the dining hall and spoke.
"They're all martial artists."
This was probably the first time so many martial artists had gathered in Gao'an County, a small county in Jiangxi Province.
"Just how many martial artists have gathered for this place to be crawling with them all the way out here? The last place the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King was located is a hundred li from here."
At Do Tong-dal's words, Namgung Seol-rin wore a sneer.
"They're the ones who gathered just in case. Too scared to jump into the contest, but they covet the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King."
"So they're hoping to hover around and get lucky?"
"It makes for a good old story to tell the grandchildren. 'I was there.'"
"They've got damn all to do."
"There are a lot of martial artists with nothing to do."
"If that's the case, they might as well become Underworld thugs."
* * *