Chapter 48
Chapter 48
Translator: Penny
Chapter 48
Blood and Tears (3)
I met Jeong Yeo, the Yang Association Leader, again.
He was overjoyed that I had successfully raided the vault.
"I knew Young Master Byeok would accomplish it."
He didn't seem surprised at all, reacting as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"It's all thanks to your help, Association Leader."
"What did I do? It was all Young Master Byeok's work."
"If you hadn't revealed the secret passage, how could I have reached the room before Si Gon? It's all thanks to Association Leader Jeong."
As I deflected the credit to him, Jeong Yeo smiled contentedly. I meant every word. Without his active assistance, this feat would have been impossible.
"Are they not suspicious of you?"
"Fortunately, it doesn't seem so."
From the start, they've regarded us as backwater bumpkins from the Backwater Faction. They never imagined we'd dare challenge the Five Great Forces of the Central Plains, since no local faction has ever managed such a feat before.
"What are they up to now?"
"They seem to be trying to establish connections with the Shandong Merchant Guild."
The Shandong Merchant Guild was the very group that had previously failed to recruit Song Family Manor.
The Shandong Merchant Guild needed power, and Ma Jeongsu needed money—a truly perfect match.
"If they secure the Shandong Merchant Guild, their financial problems will be solved."
"Exactly. In fact, even more money might start flowing in."
The corners of my lips curled slightly upward.
"Why are you smiling?"
"Then I might get even more money, wouldn't I?"
"Ha ha ha."
Jeong Yeo laughed heartily, taking it as a joke, but I meant it sincerely.
Now that I've stuck the straw in, I might as well suck it dry.
Besides, the Shandong Merchant Guild had already fallen out of my good graces. They had tried to exploit the Song Family Manor to escape their own predicament. They were a target I would have punished even without this, and now their involvement in Ma Jeongsu's affairs only makes it more convenient.
"I've commissioned the information broker to gather intelligence on the Shandong Merchant Guild. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything."
"Thank you."
Jeong Yeo was demonstrating unwavering loyalty to me. While I had helped him become Association Leader, his devotion seemed far too fervent and profound to be merely gratitude. Take the recent vault incident, for example—a single misstep could have cost him his life.
I sensed the time had come.
"Association Leader Jeong."
"Yes?"
"You once said your dream was to raise Yang Association well, didn't you?"
"That is correct."
"Have you never considered pursuing a grander ambition?"
Jeong Yeo flinched, instantly grasping the implication of my question: Would you join me in pursuing a great cause?
"Do you trust me?" His voice trembled. He understood that my question could alter his destiny.
"I'm not sure."
"Then why did you ask such a thing?"
"Because you're someone I want to trust, at least once."
In my previous life, I trusted no one indiscriminately. Every relationship underwent rigorous vetting, either by me or Gal Saryang.
The resulting connections were always sterile.
And this was the consequence.
As if they had been waiting for my death, those I had trusted turned against me the moment I fell.
Looking back now, I realize our relationships weren't built on loyalty.
What had sustained them was fear—the fear that crossing me would mean their ruin. That fear, not trust, had been the core of our bonds.
Those relationships, forged over two decades, were less meaningful than my connection with Jeong Yeo, which had barely lasted a year.
That's why I intend to approach human relationships differently in this life.
I'm not starting from verification or certainty, but from a desire to follow my instincts.
"Someone I want to believe in, even just once... perhaps that's similar to my own feelings."
Jeong Yeo revealed his honest sentiments. He felt the same way I did.
If he had said he trusted me, I would have been disappointed.
Yes, this is the precise distance between us.
I mustn't mistake his help for closeness, nor should I assume he's too distant just because he rejected my proposal.
"You once said you weren't particularly virtuous, but you weren't ungrateful either."
"Yes, I did."
"What I seek from you isn't virtue."
A truly virtuous person was already by my side.
"I need someone who will silently carry out their duties without betraying me."
Perhaps these words would offend him, but they were sincere and true.
"My expectations of you begin there."
Jeong Yeo, who had been quietly studying me, spoke calmly.
"May I have some time to consider this?"
"Of course. Take as long as you need—months, even years. Consider it thoroughly."
"Thank you."
Jeong Yeo bowed respectfully and left the room.
I heard him enter the adjacent chamber.
This was the distance he had currently granted me. How that distance would change depended entirely on his decision.
Before eliminating Elder Flower Fan, I needed to find one person.
According to Gwangdu, Elder Flower Fan had been in a location that could prove his alibi during the incidents in Jinan.
This meant he had someone acting as his hands and feet. After all, Elder Flower Fan wouldn't have carried out such tasks himself.
Someone was clearly acting as his agent.
Since he couldn't openly command his subordinates while traveling with Ma Jeongsu, they were likely waiting nearby, ready to receive orders.
I had to find that man first. Through his confession, I would prove that he committed the crimes under Elder Flower Fan's orders. I couldn't kill them based on mere speculation.
I bought another Human Skin Mask. I couldn't use the masks I used when visiting the Yang Association for this task.
This time, I purchased a High-Grade Mask. It wasn't meant to be discarded after a single use.
The masks were sold in hermetically sealed packages, so even the general store owner selling them couldn't see the face inside. Naturally, the buyer couldn't see it either. Of course, you could choose the gender and age range. The mask I bought this time was the face of a man in his thirties.
For a bit more money, you could select masks with specific features, like knife scars or burn marks.
In the past, mask experts had to painstakingly craft each mask like applying makeup. Now, we live in such convenient times. Moreover, the quality is astonishingly high. Even experts struggle to distinguish a High-Grade Mask from a real face. Of course, they come with a hefty price tag.
With my new face, I tailed Elder Flower Fan, observing him closely. His martial arts prowess was extraordinary, making the task of following him far from easy.
Lacking extensive experience in tailing, I maintained a safe distance, focusing solely on tracking his movements.
Elder Flower Fan was a truly diligent and methodical man.
He rose early each morning, took a stroll through the nearby bamboo forest, ate breakfast, and enjoyed a cup of tea at the teahouse before starting his day's work.
He moved tirelessly from place to place, primarily meeting with people.
The thought that all his busy activities were merely a means to satisfy his selfish desires, like the tragedy of Jinan, sent shivers down my spine.
On the fourth day, I finally caught a break.
I discovered that he was meeting someone in the bamboo forest during his morning walks.
I didn't follow him into the forest, but observed his stroll from a distance. On a hunch, I continued waiting even after Elder Flower Fan had left.
Sure enough, a man emerged from the bamboo forest.
The next day, and the day after that, the same man appeared from the forest a fixed time after Elder Flower Fan had departed. The timing was too precise to be coincidence.
Today, on the fifth day of my surveillance, I entered the bamboo forest immediately after Elder Flower Fan left.
Swoosh...
The sound of bamboo swaying in the wind echoed like the rush of water.
Feeling my mind calm, I continued walking.
How long had I been walking? At the end of the path, the man was approaching.
I strolled leisurely, like someone out for a casual walk. The man continued walking toward me.
Just as we were about to pass each other—
Swishhhhhh!
The man's sword flashed out, aimed at my neck.
His lightning-fast draw revealed him to be a formidable swordsman. But unfortunately for him, I was well-prepared.
Clang!
The sword froze in mid-air. My hand had seized the man's wrist. His attempt to kill me without even confirming my identity revealed his true nature.
Without hesitation, I twisted his arm. He resisted with his internal energy, but it was no match for mine.
Crack.
The man's arm twisted and snapped like a brittle stalk.
"Aaaah!"
He screamed and dropped his sword, but even as he did, he lunged with the fingers of his other hand, aiming for my eyes.
I swiftly snatched his fingers and snapped them too.
Crack.
"Ugh!"
Another scream tore from his throat. Now he had no more chances.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
My fists hammered into his ribs and chest in rapid succession. He collapsed to his knees.
"Grrrgh..."
The man groaned in agony. The punches had shattered several ribs—deliberately targeting non-lethal areas.
He glared up at me, his face contorted in pain.
"...Who are you?"
"You tried to kill me without even knowing who I was?"
At least this guy was remarkably quick on the uptake. His immediate attempt to kill me proved that. Typically, people like him value their own lives above all else. If that were the case, he'd be easy to manipulate.
"Do you want to live?"
The man hesitated.
Shing.
I drew my sword and raised it high. As I prepared to strike him down in a single blow, he blurted out urgently, "I want to live!"
Sword still raised, I glared down at him coldly.
"The murders you committed in Jinan regarding the Martial Arts School Site—were those ordered by Elder Flower Fan?"
His eyes flickered with fear. He was terrified that answering would mean death at Elder Flower Fan's hands, but his body had already betrayed him.
When he hesitated to answer, I struck down mercilessly with my sword.
"Wait!"
Whoosh!
The blade sank into his shoulder. Blood streamed down from the wound. If I hadn't stopped, his shoulder would have been severed, killing him.
The man realized I wouldn't show him any mercy.
"The one I seek to punish is Elder Flower Fan. Is he the kind of man who would risk his life to protect you like this? If so, you don't need to answer."
The man's hesitation was brief. Elder Flower Fan was not that kind of man.
"Everything was ordered by Elder Flower Fan."
I withdrew the sword from his shoulder.
Blood gushed from the wound. I pressed acupoints to stop the bleeding and sheathed my sword.
The man confessed everything, interpreting my act of opening his mouth as a promise to spare his life.
"I never directly ordered anyone to kill, but I did instruct them to stop at nothing to buy land at rock-bottom prices."
The shrewd Elder Flower Fan would never issue a direct order to kill. But to this swordsman, the instruction to "stop at nothing" was tantamount to a murder order.
"Do you meet with Elder Flower Fan daily?"
"Yes."
Once the man had broken his silence, the answers flowed freely.
"What did he tell you today?"
"There's a woman who came down with us. We've been investigating her lately."
This was information I needed as well.
"Wasn't she supposed to be an ally?"
"Yes, she's the woman sent by Martial Arts Alliance Leader Ma Bonggi."
"Why did he send her along?"
"It seems she's meant to monitor Ma Jeongsu, but we can't be certain."
"So, what have you learned about her?"
"Nothing. We've inquired everywhere, but no one even knows her appearance."
"What does she usually do?"
"Sometimes she stays at the Yang Association, other times she suddenly disappears. Her behavior is completely unpredictable."
She is currently the most dangerous threat.
In the Martial Arts World, the most terrifying enemy isn't someone stronger than you, but one whose identity remains unknown.
"Are you meeting Elder Flower Fan here again tomorrow?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Is there a special rendezvous method? A code word or something?"
"No, nothing like that. If you walk a little further in, you'll see a small rock. Wait there, and Elder Flower Fan will come."
"Understood."
"What about me?"
His hopeful eyes reflected the image of my palm flying toward him.
Thwack!
My palm strike shattered the man's skull. He died without uttering a single scream.
He must have felt betrayed, believing I would spare him. But from the start, I had no intention of letting him live. I only pretended to keep him alive briefly to confirm whether Elder Flower Fan had ordered this.
He deserved to die.
Even if it was an order, he had killed innocent people—including children and the elderly—who knew nothing of martial arts, all to seize their land.
Gazing coldly down at the corpse, I said, "Don't worry. By tomorrow morning, you'll be reunited with your Master."
Of course, the sight you'll witness won't be this beautiful bamboo forest, but a scene of raging flames and wicked men impaled on long skewers.
One by one, I'll send you all to him.