Chapter 51
Chapter 51
Translator: Penny
Chapter 51
There is no next (2)
Rumors began to spread throughout Shandong.
The rumor that Ma Jeongsu was joining forces with the Shandong Merchant Guild sent shockwaves through the region.
If he were to establish a martial arts school and partner with a major merchant guild, his influence over Shandong would only grow stronger.
My parents were deeply concerned when they heard the rumors.
"I can't fathom what they're plotting," my father said.
"Exactly," my mother replied. "I worry they might try to swallow Shandong whole."
Knowing the full story, I remained calm.
"Don't worry too much," I reassured them. "Shandong isn't such an easy place to conquer, is it?"
I couldn't tell them the truth: that this collaboration was a desperate struggle for survival by both parties—a final, desperate act from a dead end.
After visiting my parents, I immediately went to see Gong Suchan.
"I came to ask you something."
The astute Gong Suchan immediately guessed the reason for my visit.
"Is this about the Shandong Merchant Guild?"
"Correct. Tell me everything you know about them."
"You've likely heard the recent rumors about Ma Jeongsu. Because of these rumors, the Hebei Merchant Guild, which has long had strained relations with the Shandong Merchant Guild, is on high alert."
The mere name "Heavenly Blade Gate" carried an intimidating weight.
Gong Suchan proceeded to detail the Shandong Merchant Guild's internal affairs. The situation was far worse than I had imagined.
"What do you see as the Shandong Merchant Guild's greatest weakness, Steward Gong?" I asked abruptly.
His answer came without hesitation.
"Go Sunkyung."
Surprisingly, he named the Shandong Merchant Guild's Society Head.
"He harbors an ambition to elevate the Shandong Merchant Guild into the Foremost Merchant Guild of the Central Plains. This ambition drives his aggressive business expansion. However, it has also led to massive debts and numerous enemies."
A stark example would be the Hebei Merchant Guild and the Seok Family Manor.
"In the past, he was certainly the kind of man who could dream such dreams. But time has passed, and the Merchant World has changed drastically. It's become faster, newer, and younger. Unfortunately, he remains stuck in the past."
Gong Suchan revealed an unexpected piece of information.
"Oh, and there's a rumor that the Shandong Merchant Guild promised Ma Jeongsu One Hundred Thousand Taels as compensation for joining forces."
"One Hundred Thousand Taels!"
That was far more than I had imagined.
"Given the Shandong Merchant Guild's financial difficulties, how could they possibly raise such a sum?"
"They couldn't possibly secure it through their own means."
"Then how?"
"My guess is they'll draw the funds from the Night Merchants."
The Night Merchants! I knew that organization well. They were the ones who moved truly dark money.
"I've heard they're extremely dangerous."
"That's right. It's best to avoid dealing with them if possible. But right now, they're the only ones willing to lend money to the Shandong Merchant Guild."
"You've been a great help. Thank you."
"Don't mention it."
I could have asked Gong Suchan to investigate the Shandong Merchant Guild and the Night Merchants.
But there was no need to burden him with such a dangerous task.
Now that I had someone who excelled at this kind of work.
I immediately sent a letter to Jeong Yeo, instructing him to investigate in detail how the Shandong Merchant Guild was raising funds, and if they were borrowing from the Night Merchants, to find out when, where, and how the loans were being secured. I added a strict order: no matter the cost, he must uncover the truth.
The reply arrived three days later.
Two days later, Ma Jeongsu suddenly appeared at my door.
Though his visit was unannounced, I had anticipated it. Jeong Yeo had reported his movements in advance.
"Ha ha ha! Brother, how have you been?"
We had never agreed to address each other as brothers, yet he treated me like a younger sibling.
"Have you been well, Elder Brother?"
"I've been doing splendidly."
Indeed, he seemed in high spirits, likely due to the agreement to receive one hundred thousand taels from the Shandong Merchant Guild.
"What brings you here?"
"Just passing by."
"Welcome. Please, come inside."
"Let's go out instead."
"Huh?"
"Didn't we promise to show me your fiancée? Her injuries should be healed by now. Grant this Elder Brother the chance to behold Shandong's Fairest Maiden."
At a time when he should have been preoccupied with Elder Flower Fan's affairs, he still hadn't forgotten Song Hwarin.
I could sense that this wasn't mere lust.
If it were, he would have found an excuse to meet Song Hwarin directly. But coming to me and asking me to go with him meant he wanted to take her from me. He wanted to savor the process. Now that talk of breaking off the engagement had surfaced, he probably thought it would be even easier. What a despicable bastard.
"Come on, let's hurry. She'll be thrilled to see you."
He tugged relentlessly at my sleeve.
"Still, showing up so suddenly..."
As I hesitated, Si Gon, standing beside him, glared at me coldly. I flinched, pretending to be intimidated by his intensity.
"Understood. Let's go together."
As I reluctantly left the house, a martial artist rushed up and handed Si Gon a letter.
Si Gon's expression changed drastically as he read the contents.
He whispered to Ma Jeongsu, "Urgent news from the Shandong Merchant Guild."
"What's happened?"
Si Gon turned to me and said coldly, "Young Master Byeok, please wait inside for a moment."
"Understood."
I closed the door and stepped inside. Despite their attempts to whisper, their agitated conversation was perfectly clear to my exceptional hearing.
"The Shandong Merchant Guild can't send the promised One Hundred Thousand Taels."
"What? Why not?"
"It seems they were robbed while transporting the money last night," Si Gon reported.
"What kind of bullshit is that?" Ma Jeongsu roared, his voice thunderous.
Though venting his anger on Si Gon was pointless, Ma Jeongsu couldn't contain his fury, his voice rising in agitation. "How could you handle this so poorly?!"
"I don't have all the details, but the Shandong Merchant Guild is in a state of emergency," Si Gon replied.
Inside the room, I smiled sweetly. The One Hundred Thousand Taels were now in my possession.
I had ambushed the Shandong Merchant Guild's Steward and his escort of martial artists while they were returning after borrowing the money from the Night Merchants. Naturally, I wore a Human Skin Mask and a face covering, and I made sure not to kill any of the guild's martial artists. I subdued them effectively without causing serious injuries.
Because of that.
They mobilized their most trusted and skilled members within the guild, but they were no match for me. Moreover, the nature of the operation meant they couldn't deploy a large force, making the task even easier.
All of this was possible because I had precise transaction information.
Jeong Yeo claimed he had spent twenty thousand taels to acquire this information—an exorbitant sum for a single piece of intelligence.
But it was worth every tael.
One hundred thousand taels.
What's more, the money provided by the Night Merchants came in the form of untraceable small-denomination notes.
In other words, it was money I could spend as I pleased. Of course, I wouldn't use it immediately. I planned to wait until I had completely resolved the Ma Jeongsu matter and confirmed there would be no repercussions.
Truly killing three birds with one stone.
Since the money came from the Night Merchants' dirty dealings, there was no guilt attached. Moreover, they had humiliated the Shandong Merchant Guild and put Ma Jeongsu in a very difficult position.
Outside, hushed voices continued their conversation.
"It must be the old man's doing."
"You mean Elder Flower Fan?"
"Who else would dare pull such a stunt? This could only have been orchestrated by someone who knows our situation inside and out."
"That crazy old bastard!"
Si Gon spoke cautiously.
"It's time we seek help from the Main Family. Don't you have people who can assist the Young Master?"
"But that bitch is monitoring our every move. In other words, everything we do will be reported directly to Father. As you know, the Shandong affair is a test—a test to determine his successor!"
My smile deepened behind the door.
Of course, that greedy bastard wouldn't want to be the first to fail the test.
Yes, keep being greedy. That's how my plan will succeed.
"We must handle this ourselves."
"In any case, you should return for now. You need to meet with the Shandong Merchant Guild again to discuss this matter. If we can't send the payment to Jinan within a few days, the Martial Arts School Establishment Contract will be terminated."
"Damn it!"
Ma Jeongsu's regretful sigh sounded sweet to my ears.
A knock came at the door.
When I opened it, Ma Jeongsu said, "An urgent matter has come up. I need to return immediately."
"Ah, I see. It's a pity, but please come again next time."
"I will."
Ma Jeongsu and Si Gon hurried away.
I watched their retreating figures, a smile playing on my lips.
The moment I heard the Shandong Merchant Guild had involved the Night Merchants, a plan formed in my mind—a way to eliminate Ma Jeongsu cleanly. Robbing them of their money was just the first step.
I regret not being able to tell Ma Jeongsu this:
There won't be a next time for you.
Ma Jeongsu reconnected with the Shandong Merchant Guild.
Go Sunkyung promised to secure the funds again but admitted he couldn't do so immediately.
Oblivious to Ma Jeongsu's urgency, Go Sunkyung even asked for his help, urging him to continue the partnership and assuring him the money would be arranged.
"Bring the money first if you want to proceed," Ma Jeongsu coldly replied before leaving.
Fucking idiots!
But the downward spiral, once begun, seemed endless.
Si Gon entered with a grim expression, bearing the news Ma Jeongsu had dreaded.
"The Martial Arts School Construction contractor has notified us they're terminating the contract."
"They dare refuse my request to postpone the payment deadline?"
"Yes, sir."
"These bastards must have a death wish!"
Ma Jeongsu's eyes flashed with murderous intent.
"Someone seems to have started a rumor," Si Gon said hesitantly.
"What do you mean?"
Si Gon hesitated before answering.
"Answer me at once!"
"The rumor is that the Young Master has gone bankrupt."
"What?!"
Ma Jeongsu expected something to be smashed to pieces.
But instead, he didn't react with anger. The moment he heard the rumor, he realized something.
"I see! I know who's behind this."
Spreading a rumor might seem as simple as visiting a few inns and spreading the story, but in reality, it was far more complex. To launch a rumor, many people had to work systematically over a long period, especially when the rumor was one that shouldn't have been spread in the first place.
"Elder Flower Fan couldn't be this organized and daring. It must be the work of one of my damned brothers."
Now, even Elder Flower Fan's incomprehensible betrayal made sense. He must have been recruited by one of the other heirs—or perhaps he had approached Ma Jeongsu already compromised.
Si Gon nodded in agreement.
"I think so too."
The reason they had brought in Elder Flower Fan, an outsider, was frankly because they couldn't trust anyone within their own ranks. Yet they had been thoroughly betrayed.
Bang!
Another innocent desk was smashed to pieces.
Ma Jeongsu couldn't recall ever feeling so utterly powerless in his life.
He had lived with hatred, believing himself to be quite clever. But he was wrong. He had been nothing more than a fool, manipulated and used.
Now, Ma Jeongsu was consumed by murderous intent.
The thought of finding and killing Elder Flower Fan consumed him, along with the desire to hunt down and kill whoever had recruited him.
But those were matters for later. First, he needed to resolve this immediate crisis.
"Yes, the ends justify the means."
In fact, succeeding in this difficult situation might even earn him more favor in his father's eyes.
"Go and get the money immediately."
"How am I supposed to do that?"
"Damn it! Just get it! Stop standing there like an idiot, delivering useless news. Earn your keep! Steal it, extort it—whatever it takes, now!"
Though Si Gon was his bodyguard, considering their ages and positions within the Heavenly Blade Gate, such abusive language was clearly crossing the line.
"Understood," Si Gon replied quietly, before leaving the room.
Si Gon was drinking at the inn.
It was late, and the other patrons had gradually left, leaving him alone in the inn.
He was still furious about Ma Jeongsu's earlier actions, but he also understood his desperation.
Ma Jeongsu had been backed into a corner.
All afternoon, Si Gon had traveled from place to place, trying to secure funds. He had approached merchant guilds other than the Shandong Merchant Guild.
But the rumors had already spread far and wide. Everyone offered excuses and refused him, some even lying about their absence. He felt like killing them all.
"Damn those merchants!"
It seemed they valued money more than their own lives.
Truth be told, Si Gon had no experience handling such matters. He had spent his entire life wielding a sword. How could he possibly persuade merchants in this situation?
He rarely drank, but tonight he was overindulging.
"More 술 here!"
"Yes, sir."
The waiter yawned as he shuffled toward the kitchen.
His foul mood made even the waiter's appearance unbearable. He felt an urge to rush over and beat him senseless.
You have to choose the right side... and I failed.
He had chosen Ma Jeongsu, the faction with the fewest talented individuals. At the time, he had reasoned that if Ma Jeongsu succeeded, he would claim all the credit. With fewer rivals, he had hoped to quickly rise to the position of second-in-command. Driven by this ambition, he had stooped to all sorts of dirty deeds, doing Ma Jeongsu's dirty work and crossing lines he never should have.
I'd done everything.
"Damn it."
He drained the last of his liquor.
He could tolerate his lack of talent; he'd known that from the start. But when someone humiliated him like this, it was almost unbearable.
He'd believed Ma Jeongsu's venomous nature would be the driving force that would help him surpass his rivals. But when cornered, that venom had devolved into vulgarity.
Still, he had no intention of betraying Ma Jeongsu. Who would take him in now?
"Hey, you bastard! Hurry up and bring me more liquor!"
As he jerked his head around in irritation—
Wham!
The moment the fist struck his face, he knew. It was the same fist that had hit him in front of the vault.