Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Translator: Penny
Chapter 52
Closer (1)
A carriage entered the estate.
Inside were Go Sunkyung, the Master of the Shandong Merchant Guild, and Baek Jung, his steward.
When the carriage stopped, Baek Jung spoke with a fearful expression. "Society Head, meeting him directly is dangerous. Leave this to me and wait here."
"It's fine."
Go Sunkyung opened the carriage door and stepped out. Baek Jung hastily followed, leaving the old coachman alone with the carriage. This place, devoid of any martial artists, was the headquarters of the Night Merchants.
The Night Merchants existed throughout the Central Plains. Even in Shandong Province alone, every major city had its own branch. Whether they were a single organization or separate groups sharing the same name remained unclear.
Rumors about the Night Merchants abounded. Some claimed it was a single person wielding absolute power, while others speculated it was a collective of powerful figures working together. Still, there were those who believed multiple, separate organizations operated under the same name.
Regardless of the specifics, one common thread remained: wherever the Night Merchants operated, they were universally feared as ruthless, vicious, and terrifying entities.
In any case, Go Sunkyung had borrowed money from the largest Night Merchants group in Shandong.
A man with an unremarkable appearance led the two men into a private room. Though he seemed amiable enough, knowing he was a subordinate of the Night Merchants made it impossible to meet his gaze.
Inside the room, a middle-aged man in his fifties awaited them. Clad in a Human Skin Mask, neither his age nor initial appearance mattered.
The man introduced himself as Yacheon.
"Tsk, you lost one hundred thousand taels without even getting to use it?"
"That's right."
Go Sunkyung was desperate. It was either death or ruin. Or rather, he had already woken up from ruin several times.
"Please, help me."
"What do you mean?"
"Find the money I lost."
"Heh heh. This isn't about finding a child's lost toy. How easy do you think that is?"
"If we can't find that money, the Guild will go bankrupt. Then you won't get paid either!"
At that moment, the smile vanished from Yacheon's face. The Human Skin Mask already gave him a somewhat dry appearance, but when he turned serious, his face became terrifying. His courteous demeanor completely changed.
"Hey, do you think we're pushovers?"
His voice lowered, radiating a thick aura of murderous intent.
Even in this situation, Go Sunkyung refused to back down.
"How could that be possible? I'm just stating the truth."
"Shut up! Before I rip your tongue out!"
The murderous intent that flew towards him made his skin tingle, and Go Sunkyung clamped his mouth shut.
Yacheon glared coldly and warned him, "Let me tell you what happens if you don't repay my money. First, your wife will be thrown to the beggars. A hundred beggars a day. Your daughter will be sold to a brothel, and your son will be sent to a meat ship. Unless he jumps into the sea from exhaustion, he'll never be able to leave. You'll have your eyes gouged out, your tongue cut off, your tendons severed, and be thrown into the marketplace to beg. That guy over there can drag you around."
Go Sunkyung and Baek Jung's faces turned ashen.
"If you don't want to repay it, then don't. Consider it one hundred thousand taels for a good show."
Go Sunkyung swallowed hard, his face pale with fear. "I know who stole the money."
"Then go find them."
"I can't handle this person alone."
"Who is it?"
"Ma Jeongsu."
Yacheon's eyes lit up. "Isn't that the man who agreed to take the one hundred thousand taels from you?"
"He's trying to double his money."
"Proof?"
"Ma Jeongsu has powerful allies who could rob me."
"But there are countless experts in the Martial Arts World. That alone wouldn't be enough."
"No! It's definitely him! Who else would dare target funds meant for a collaboration with the Heavenly Blade Gate?"
Seeing Yacheon nod in acknowledgment of this point, Go Sunkyung quickly continued.
"If you find the money, I'll consider it a thirteen percent interest loan. We'll treat it as if you borrowed 130,000 taels. So please, find it."
"You're telling us to mess with the Heavenly Blade Gate? If we get killed, you won't get your money back. Isn't that right?"
"That's not what I mean."
Yacheon smiled. It was a smile more terrifying than anger. He spoke in the same gentle tone he'd used when they first met.
"Go back and figure out how to pay me back. You're not the type to collapse so easily, right? That's why I lent you the money. Now, leave. You'll regret forgetting what I've said."
Go Sunkyung left the room, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
As the carriage drove out of the estate, Baek Jung, who had been trembling with fear, finally spoke.
"I told you I was useless, didn't I?"
But Go Sunkyung had already calmed down. The desperate fear that had gripped him earlier had vanished without a trace.
"I already anticipated that he wouldn't consider my circumstances."
"So why did you go?"
"He'll find out about my lost money eventually. He might already know. Either way, he'll soon realize I can't repay him. I went to buy time before he does something rash. Once Ma Jeongsu learns there's money in the essence water, he'll start scheming to seize it. He's too greedy to resist. Thanks to that, I've bought myself some time."
"Ah!"
Baek Jung finally marveled at Go Sunkyung's resilience. Though recent events had been unfavorable, his master was someone who had weathered countless storms.
"Do you truly believe they were behind this?" Baek Jung asked.
Go Sunkyung sighed and turned his gaze out the window.
"If not them, then who?"
Meanwhile, in the room the two men had just vacated, another man entered. It was Gucheol, Yacheon's most prized hanger-on.
"Someone has reported the whereabouts of the person who stole one hundred thousand taels," he announced.
"Who in the world?"
"They didn't reveal their identity in the letter. What should we do?"
Yacheon pondered for a long moment, but the decision had already been made. One hundred thousand taels was a sum worth taking any risk.
"Go and verify the information. But be fully prepared."
When Si Gon regained consciousness, he found himself in a clearing deep within an unknown forest.
The first question that came to mind was:
Why didn't they kill me?
If his intuition was correct, and the attacker was the same person who had ambushed him at the safe deposit box, he couldn't understand it at all.
Was it because he'd drunk too much? Or was it because of the beating he'd taken yesterday? His head throbbed, and he felt dizzy.
I need to get out of here first.
Si Gon staggered to his feet and began to walk unsteadily.
Just then, a group of men appeared. A dozen or so men, exuding an unsettling aura.
They all wore swords, but they didn't seem to be proper Martial Artists. Yet they weren't Wastrels either. They weren't Ronin or assassins, but there was a disturbing, sticky quality about them, something different from the raw savagery he'd expected.
Si Gon gripped his sword hilt and asked quietly, "Who are you?"
One of the men stepped forward. It was Gucheol, the man who had previously reported to Yacheon.
"Night Merchants," he said, introducing himself with a single word.
Si Gon could sense it. The man was proud of being a Martial Artist of the Night Merchants, and he was hoping that name alone would frighten Si Gon.
Of course, Si Gon wasn't the type to be intimidated by such a threat. To him, the Night Merchants were nothing but trash.
"Do you know who I am?"
"I know you're bold enough to dare touch the Night Merchants' money."
At that moment, Si Gon should have reacted immediately.
"What nonsense is this?" Si Gon thought. But at that moment, he couldn't properly assess the situation. He was convinced that Elder Flower Fan had stolen the money.
He assumed that his opponents had come to confront him because they'd discovered Elder Flower Fan's theft. Since Si Gon had been working with Elder Flower Fan, it was only natural that they would suspect him.
Si Gon softened his tone slightly. "I understand why you're acting like this, but it's a misunderstanding."
Naturally, Gucheol saw this as a confession of guilt.
"If there's a misunderstanding, we should clear it up. Go on, explain yourself."
Si Gon was struck speechless by this response. He needed to reveal Elder Flower Fan's betrayal, but he had no reason or desire to tell these people. His anger began to boil over.
The urge to slaughter these trash in one fell swoop surged within him. But remembering the incident with Ma Jeongsu yesterday, he realized he couldn't afford another scandal. He tried to restrain himself.
"Let's check your pockets."
"What? You're searching me now?"
"We're cutthroats too. We need something to report to the higher-ups. If you're clean, this shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Si Gon's anger boiled over.
"You bastards! If I don't have any money, I'll snap your necks..."
He froze mid-motion, his hand halfway into his robe.
He slowly withdrew his hand, clutching a wad of bills.
Gucheol sneered. "You're quite wealthy."
"It's not... mine."
"Of course not. It's ours now."
Si Gon spat out his words like venom.
"Damn it! This is a trap! How did they know I was here? Someone must have ratted me out. That bastard is trying to pin the blame on me! Otherwise, would I have foolishly handed over the money like that? I'm not that stupid, am I?"
Gucheol nodded.
"Very well, we'll believe you. But you must come with us. You'll have to explain yourself directly to our Superior."
Si Gon sensed it. Whether they believed him or not, going with them would only lead to trouble.
His head throbbed from a hangover, and his heart burned with various resentments. His conclusion was simple:
Kill them all first, then think.
The moment he made up his mind, he drew his sword and charged at them.
The swordsmen drew their blades and moved to block Gucheol's path.
Swish.
Si Gon slashed through the man at the forefront, sending him flying.
The second man collapsed in quick succession.
Just as Si Gon was about to strike down the third man, something shot from Gucheol's hand.
Pwah!
A piercing explosion accompanied the projectile's launch. Si Gon barely managed to deflect it with his sword, the force nearly causing him to lose his grip.
But it wasn't the only projectile. Another man fired a second projectile.
Pwaaah!
Si Gon twisted his body, but this time he couldn't dodge it completely.
Pwuk!
Something sharp embedded itself in his shoulder.
"Shit!"
Si Gon lunged forward, swinging his sword wildly.
Shiiik! Pwuk!
The sword pierced the chest of the man who had launched the projectile. The impaled man desperately clutched at the blade.
"Damn it!"
Si Gon twisted the sword to free it, severing the man's fingers in the process.
But the blade didn't come out completely. He realized he couldn't move his arm properly.
"Poison!"
The dart that had struck Si Gon's shoulder earlier was poisoned.
Whoosh!
As if things couldn't get worse, a third dart was launched.
Thud! Thud!
The dart struck Si Gon squarely in the back.
"Aaaaaah!"
Si Gon roared and swung his sword wildly, severing another man's head. But his movements gradually slowed.
Whoosh!
A sword thrust from behind pierced Si Gon's back and emerged from his chest.
Blood gushed from his mouth.
"...All for these stupid bastards..."
He swung his sword wildly, but no one was left to block his strikes. Instead, the remaining men couldn't evade the blade.
Thud! Whoosh! Thud!
Unable to endure any longer, Si Gon collapsed, his life ebbing away. This outcome would have been unthinkable in a fair fight.
Si Gon's body was already compromised, and he had no idea his opponents were using such a terrifying weapon. They had employed a projectile-type weapon forbidden in the Martial Arts World—one coated with poison, no less.
Gucheol furiously stabbed the corpse with his sword.
"You bastard! How dare you swing your sword like that?!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The surviving men with Gucheol proceeded to hack at the already lifeless corpse with their daggers.
I watched the scene from a distance, my gaze cold and detached.
It was the moment I severed both wings of Ma Jeongsu.
I hadn't enlisted the Night Merchants merely to kill Si Gon. If that were my sole intent, I would have killed him myself.
There was another reason for involving them. By linking them to the Night Merchants, I could have Ma Jeongsu's death officially recorded as their doing.
Whether the Heavenly Blade Gate seeks revenge against the Night Merchants or not doesn't matter. The Night Merchants are an organization that should be eradicated from the Martial Arts World. If the Heavenly Blade Gate doesn't take revenge, they will eventually be eliminated by my own hand.
Now the remaining problem is the Mysterious Woman. She has been observing the entire situation from beginning to end.
Given that Elder Flower Fan was believed to have betrayed them, if she intended to protect Si Gon, she wouldn't have left him alone.
Yet she showed no interest in any of them.
Here are two intriguing questions. Setting aside her identity for now:
First, would she truly stand by and watch if Ma Jeongsu were in a situation where he might die?
And second, what is the true extent of her abilities?