Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Translator: Penny
Chapter 55
Silent Exit (1)
The estate exuded an eerie atmosphere.
Had hundreds of soldiers been waiting here, gripping their weapons, the enemy might have seemed more manageable.
But despite Ma Jeongsu's prior notification of his visit, their preparations remained unchanged. This was proof of their extraordinary nature. After all, if they were ordinary, Si Gon wouldn't have been defeated.
A man emerged and led us to the Main Hall.
Yacheon sat at the center of the hall, surrounded by twenty or so men. These were likely the strongest martial artists among the Night Merchants.
Their eyes were unmistakably different from those of ordinary martial artists. What made them terrifying was the sense that their venomous rage stemmed from a contempt for the Martial Arts World.
It wasn't just them. Men were hiding in the shadows all around the pillars, their eyes gleaming like predators eyeing their prey. Though their martial skills weren't particularly high, they didn't look easy to deal with.
I had already seen how they fought. Their martial skills weren't much to speak of, but the real problem was their hidden weapons—poison-tipped hidden weapons, which meant I had to be extremely careful.
Ma Jeongsu also seemed to sense the ambush, swallowing hard. He was nervous.
I strode confidently to a spot about ten paces from Yacheon before introducing him to Ma Jeongsu.
"This is Great Hero Ma Jeongsu, successor of the Heavenly Blade Gate. Please offer him a formal greeting."
At this, Yacheon rose and made a courteous bow in greeting.
"Welcome. I am Yacheon, master of these humble abodes. May I ask what brings such esteemed guests to this modest dwelling?"
Ma Jeongsu clasped his hands in a respectful salute and briefly introduced himself.
As I had promised in the carriage earlier, I stepped forward and spoke:
"What brings you here?"
Yacheon was visibly tense, creating a palpable tension in the air.
I knew what he was worried about. He must have been fretting over whether our visit was related to Si Gon's death.
I smiled and said:
"Great Hero Ma has come to borrow money from you."
Yacheon flinched at these words. He never imagined that Ma Jeongsu would come to him for a loan.
"Why are you so surprised? Isn't this what you usually do?"
"Of course, but I can't believe someone of your stature would borrow money from someone like me."
"Even important figures need money sometimes."
Only then did Yacheon relax. At least he hadn't come to seek revenge.
Yacheon's expression softened slightly as he asked, "How much do you need?"
"One hundred thousand taels."
Yacheon's relaxed expression stiffened again. The staggering sum was one thing, but he couldn't fathom the man's true intentions. Was this a genuine loan request, or an offer to cover up the murder of Si Gon for a hundred thousand taels?
I secretly sent a telepathic message to Yacheon:
Since you killed someone from the Heavenly Blade Gate, shouldn't you be prepared to pay this price?
Yacheon writhed, his reaction a mix of shock and fury.
I quickly sent another telepathic message:
Let's test your luck. Can you truly remain unscathed after daring to touch the successor of the Heavenly Blade Gate? Do you think we came here without a plan? Borrow one hundred thousand taels from us, and we'll pretend this never happened. Of course, you'll have to pay the interest and repay the principal.
Yacheon sent back a telepathic message:
Why are we communicating through telepathy?
The moment we speak Si Gon's death aloud, we'll have to eliminate all of you. It's inevitable, even if we don't want it to happen. Don't you understand? We value our reputation more than our lives.
After sending that sharp telepathic message, I switched to a smooth, persuasive tone.
"You've heard the news, I presume. Great Hero Ma will be establishing his foundation in Shandong. I believe this transaction will be a great asset to your future."
The words carried a subtle threat: if the deal didn't go through, the opposite would happen.
"Give me a moment to think."
"As you wish."
Yacheon closed his eyes, lost in thought.
He suspected that the ones who had revealed Si Gon's whereabouts were none other than Ma Jeongsu. By eliminating this thorn in his side and using Yacheon, the man had managed to borrow money and get rid of a subordinate. From Yacheon's perspective, this was the only logical conclusion.
Those damned bastards!
He thought they were even dirtier and more despicable than himself.
Given the situation, I had no choice but to lend them the money. If one hundred thousand taels represented my entire fortune, it might have been a different story, but risking my life for less wasn't an option. My priority was to get the money out of my hands first and then consider my options for revenge later.
Yacheon opened his eyes and spoke with cool composure.
"Very well, I'll lend you the money."
"Until tomorrow!"
"As you wish."
"Thank you. You will never regret this decision. The full amount will be in small banknotes. Let's meet at the shrine in Pungsan tomorrow."
We immediately drafted a contract.
Ma Jeongsu personally stamped it with his official seal and signed it.
He hesitated, questioning the need for such formalities, but I gently persuaded him.
This level of caution was necessary, especially when dealing with such unscrupulous characters. Precision was key in such transactions.
Though he didn't want to, Ma Jeongsu accepted the money. He desperately needed one hundred thousand taels right away.
This was a necessary step for later. If anyone investigated this matter, they needed undeniable proof that he had borrowed money.
With the contract signed, we left the estate.
Anger erupted in the place we left behind. The first to explode was Gucheol.
"You insolent bastard! How dare you come here! I barely restrained myself from killing you on the spot!"
The men around him wore similar expressions of fury.
Yacheon, on the other hand, remained calm.
"We can kill him later."
After Gucheol killed Si Gon, Yacheon began investigating Ma Jeongsu in earnest.
Ma Jeongsu had been cruel and ruthless since childhood, casually killing maidservants and subordinate martial artists without batting an eye.
Yacheon was a villain through and through, and there were more than a few incidents that made people bristle with anger. His victims were often the relatively weak and vulnerable, and their deaths were mostly buried without being brought to light.
"Are you really going to give this dirty bastard one hundred thousand taels?"
Yacheon nodded.
"We've committed our share of sins, so let's just let this slide for now."
"But that's an enormous sum!"
"Don't think of it that way."
Yacheon was thinking something else.
"If he really stole the Shandong Merchant Guild's money, he must have a lot of cash, right?"
"Right."
"Then he should be able to afford the interest, at least."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"Do you think we're just giving him the money? Who do you think we are? We're not the Heavenly Blade Gate—we're the Heavenly Blade Gate's grandfathers! We'll get both the interest and the principal back, no matter what. And then some, for messing with us."
As the carriage carrying Ma Jeongsu and me left the estate, Ma Jeongsu burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha! You're truly remarkable."
"You flatter me."
"No, you were absolutely brilliant."
He looked at me with newfound respect, likely surprised by how efficiently I had handled the matter.
"Now, all we need to do is retrieve the money tomorrow. After that, Great Hero Ma will take care of everything."
I spoke as if my role was completely finished, deliberately appearing uninterested in the money to maintain my facade.
"I'll leave that to you as well."
Ma Jeongsu still didn't fully trust the Night Merchants. He was worried they might have set a trap during the loan process, trying to kill him.
I had anticipated this reaction from Ma Jeongsu.
"Understood. Wait outside. I'll take the money and come out."
Instead of offering to fetch it himself, I told him to wait outside. This was exactly what he wanted to hear, and it pleased Ma Jeongsu even more.
"Hahaha! Excellent."
I had successfully deceived both Ma Jeongsu and Yacheon. My plan was progressing smoothly.
Throughout my past life, I had endured countless hardships and battles. As a Martial Artist, I had faced both Unorthodox Factions and the Demonic Cult. I had clashed with formidable masters and experienced every type of combat imaginable. And as an Alliance Leader, I had triumphed over power struggles.
All these experiences had prepared me to handle Ma Jeongsu and Yacheon with ease.
Once these forces combined, even Ma Jeongsu and Yacheon could have been manipulated like marbles in Buddha's palm. Moreover, I was known as the Iron-Blooded Alliance Leader, the Punishing Alliance Leader. I've lived my life without mercy toward evildoers. In my eyes, they deserved divine retribution.
Of course, that didn't mean I could lower my guard.
After all, there was still the mysterious woman.
Whether I could seize the One Hundred Thousand Taels, kill Ma Jeongsu, and then shift the blame onto the Night Merchants—all of it hinged on whether I could deceive that woman.
The crux of this matter wasn't about stealing or killing.
It was about how I would slip away from this incident as smoothly as peeling a skin from a tangerine.
That night, I met the woman by the pond. I had deliberately gone out to find her.
"I think you should stop your master."
The woman glanced at me, her expression questioning. I continued, "He extorted money by threatening the Night Merchants."
She must have known about our visit to the Night Merchants. I spoke with a deliberately worried expression. "I had no choice but to help him, but as you know, the Night Merchants are ruthless and terrifying."
I needed to hint that Ma Jeongsu was dangerously entangled with them. After all, I intended to have him eliminated by the Night Merchants and make it look like an accident.
This leak of information was only possible because Ma Jeongsu and the woman hadn't communicated at all.
"He isn't my Master."
It wasn't a muttered soliloquy, but the first words she had directed at me. She spoke politely, though politeness didn't imply kindness.
"If you're that worried, stop him yourself."
She turned and entered the building.
I was certain once more: even if Ma Jeongsu died, she wouldn't intervene. In fact, I suspected she might even be hoping for his downfall.
I looked up at the night sky.
Just as the moon waxes and wanes, I felt that the affair with Ma Jeongsu was hurtling toward its conclusion.
"Would you like to come with me?" I asked at the foot of Pungsan Mountain.
"It's fine. I'll wait here."
He was afraid of the Night Merchants' ambushes, so he wanted to send me alone. What a truly selfish and despicable bastard. Still, I wasn't worried he'd try to run off with the money.
My deliberate efforts had earned his trust. Even if I did flee with the money, he'd probably think he could get it back from the Yang Association Leader who introduced me.
"I'll be back."
"Do you really need such a large leather pouch?"
"I have to accept it as a small-denomination banknote."
"Why is that?"
"It's dirty money. There might be problems later."
"As meticulous as ever."
Meticulous? No, I just needed this money.
"Yes, I'll be back."
I climbed the mountain with a large leather pouch slung over my shoulder.
Inside the shrine, Gucheol was waiting with several men. Perhaps Yacheon had disciplined them thoroughly, as they weren't displaying their usual ferocity.
I filled the leather pouch with the small banknotes they'd brought—fifty taels and one hundred taels each.
"You don't need to count it, do you?" Gucheol said coldly. "Someday, you'll pay for looking down on us."
I chuckled and walked out.
Someday, you'll pay for not recognizing your opponent. No, that's punishment for living a misguided life. If they had lived righteously, I wouldn't have bound myself to Ma Jeongsu in the first place.
Descending the mountain with the leather pouch, I surveyed my surroundings.
Activating my Aura Sense to scan for anyone nearby, I ventured into the forest beside the mountain path.
A man was waiting there. It was none other than Jeong Yeo. He held out a leather pouch identical to the one I was wearing. This pouch, too, was stuffed with banknotes. Only the top few thousand taels were genuine; the rest were counterfeit.
This was why I had chosen this location. When planning the operation, I had discovered several nearby hiding spots where people could easily conceal themselves.
Adding the current one hundred thousand taels to my previous gains, I had amassed a total of two hundred thousand taels from the Night Merchants. This capital would fuel my growth. The money could be used to acquire elixirs, recruit Sword Guard members, or invest in other resources to enhance my power.
Even better, no one would ever know I had been involved in this transaction.
I slung the pouch brimming with counterfeit banknotes over my shoulder and began my descent down the mountain.
At the foot of the mountain, Ma Jeongsu greeted me with a delighted smile. After examining the banknotes in the leather pouch, he beamed.
"Continue helping me in the future."
"Of course," I replied, returning his bright smile. If the fake banknotes were ever exposed, the blame would fall on the Night Merchants. No one would ever dream that I had orchestrated the switch.
Even if they did, it wouldn't matter.
It was time to finish things.
Even if they didn't hold him accountable for past crimes, he had committed enough sins against me. He had humiliated his father in front of his son, tried to steal another man's woman, and oppressed and extorted money from the powerless sects in Shandong—all while hiding behind the Heavenly Blade Gate and preying on the weak.
I sensed the time had come.
It was time to pull out the string and drive the sword into its place.