Chapter 157
Chapter 157
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 157
Chapter Title: Hwangju Merchant Guild (3)
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Hwangju Merchant Guild.
It was a merchant guild large enough to be called one of the three great guilds of Nine Dragons Fortress.
In fact, that was why I had gone so far as to infiltrate it disguised as a servant.
For a guild of any ordinary size, the matter could have been settled by mobilizing the Outer Hall warriors for a raid and search.
However, such methods wouldn't work on a place like the Hwangju Merchant Guild.
This was due to their close ties with high-ranking officials in Nine Dragons Fortress.
Even this incident, while appearing to be a problem of the Hwangju Merchant Guild on the surface, had the White Dragon Hall and the Military Affairs Department entangled in the background.
The fact that dozens of people were imprisoned in the basement of such a guild meant one thing.
‘These bastards… surely not?’
It meant they had, nine times out of ten, dabbled in human trafficking.
*Crack. Crunch.*
To confirm it, I tore up the floorboards, revealing a space far larger than the pavilion above.
“…”
A pitch-black space without a single speck of light.
It seemed to be a measure to prevent escape.
If you couldn't see anything, you couldn't do anything.
I enhanced my vision to check inside.
Ten rooms, their fronts barred with lattices. In each room, four or five people were huddled together, trying to sleep.
I clicked my tongue at the sight, but soon felt something was off.
‘…They're too small.’
The figures of those imprisoned were far too small.
As if.
They were children.
“No way!”
I immediately tore off the bars to get a better look at the people's faces and couldn't hide my shock.
*Grind.*
“You sons of bitches!”
My jaw clenched, and my teeth ground together involuntarily.
That's right.
The ones imprisoned here were young girls who looked to be barely over ten years old.
In the territories governed by Nine Dragons Fortress, the Righteous Path Alliance, and the Martial Emperor Fortress, human trafficking was fundamentally prohibited.
Which meant it wasn't prohibited in the domains of the Ten Demon Alliance and the Lion's League.
That was why human trafficking still continued.
However.
Isn't this too much?
No matter how different the concept of age was between the modern world and the martial world, to sell girls who were barely ten years old…
“Has our turn come?”
A voice devoid of life and hope reached me.
She must have woken up from the sound of me tearing off the bars.
However, the word ‘turn’ bothered me.
“…‘Turn’? You mean there were others before you?”
The girl hurriedly asked back.
“Ah, sir, aren't you from the Hwangju Merchant Guild?”
“That's right. I'm an Outer Hall warrior who came to return you to your families.”
“C-could you just go back, please?”
A completely unexpected answer.
“If you don't believe me, I can show you my Nine Dragons Medallion.”
I asked, wondering if she doubted my affiliation.
“It's not that. If we run away, our families will be in danger. Please, just let us be sold.”
“Ah…”
Only then did I begin to understand the situation.
Hell King Loans.
The girls' fathers had taken out high-interest loans from a lender said to have come from hell.
The children had been sold voluntarily to save their fathers and families.
It was an all-too-common cliché in the world of martial arts.
‘Well, if they had been kidnapped, a report would have been filed long ago.’
“You will not be sold.”
Of course, that didn't mean I could just turn a blind eye and walk away.
“What? But if we don't go, our families…”
“You don't have to worry about your families either. Those bastards out there won't be able to come near your homes ever again.”
I met the awake child's eyes and gave her a small smile.
“Because this big brother is going to smash every single one of those guys outside.”
With those words, I went up to the first floor.
To punish the ones who committed this atrocity.
Of course, the infiltration mission was now out the window. My seven days of living as a servant would also go to waste.
But.
‘I won't let them get away with this.’
If I saw something like this and pretended not to, could I even call myself human?
“Hoo.”
I took a deep breath, calming my mind.
Keep a cool head and a warm heart… yeah, right.
*Clank.*
Just then, a man opened the door and entered, and my fury surged the moment I saw him.
I immediately activated the Battle Lord Arrow and wrapped it around the man's neck.
*Whoosh.*
“Wh-who?! Gak!”
*Drag. Drag.*
“Guhk…”
I pulled the cord, and the man was dragged toward me with a short scream.
“Let me ask you one thing.”
I asked, looking down at him.
“Krrgh.”
“Did you know that the ones locked up in here are young girls?”
“Gak, gak.”
The man couldn't answer because of the Battle Lord Arrow tied around his neck.
But it didn't matter what his answer was.
“Just as I thought. You knew. Then you deserve divine punishment.”
Whether he knew or not, his punishment was already decided.
*Crack! Crack!*
I shot out my fists and struck both of his knees.
*Cruuunch.*
A gruesome sound.
The force that penetrated his joints and surrounding bones must have shattered them like sand.
“Gyaaaaargh!”
Even with all the medicine of this era, not to mention modern medicine, the man would have to live the rest of his life as a cripple.
“What?! What's going on?!”
Hearing the scream, another man poked his head into the pavilion.
*Crack! Crunch.*
I used the leg techniques of the War Dragon Thirteen Strikes to smash his knees, putting him in the same state as the first man.
“Aaargh!”
“Shut up.”
*Thwack.*
I struck him between the eyes, sending him flying out of the pavilion.
*Thud.*
At that, the gazes of the dozens of men who were putting out the fire turned to the fallen man and me.
“…”
Feeling their stares, I brought a hand to my face.
*Riiip.*
As I tore off the human-skin mask, I felt the heat wafting from the flames.
*Step, step.*
I took a few steps forward.
“Inside here are the victims of the human trafficking your Hwangju Merchant Guild has committed.”
I slowly looked around at them.
In their eyes, I could see various emotions like confusion, anger, and fear.
“Those who didn't know, drop your swords and kneel. Those who participated, remain standing.”
Despite my warning, no one knelt.
They were either trusting in the power of the Hwangju Merchant Guild or watching the reactions of those around them.
“Then I'll assume you all knew. But you know.”
*Crackle.*
“Actually, it doesn't matter whether you knew or not.”
I continued, raising my War King Ki.
“Because I was going to turn you all into cripples anyway.”
*BOOM!*
The moment I finished speaking, I shot out my foot.
It was the War King Step.
“Huk!”
I planted my foot in the chest of the man at the very front.
*BAAANG!*
He shot back like a cannonball, crashing into the men behind him.
*CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!*
I controlled my strength enough so that they would suffer serious injuries but not die.
For whatever reason, killing someone in the Outer Fortress was punished as a serious crime.
*Snap! Crunch.*
With a leg technique that struck like lightning, I shattered another man's shoulder bone.
Of course, it would be a shame to end it there.
*Grab.*
“Guk!”
*Cruunch.*
Using the Three Yang Hand for the first time in a while, I crushed his other shoulder as well.
He'd have to live the rest of his life unable to use both arms, so if he paired up with the guy whose knees I broke earlier, they might manage to get by.
*Stab! Crack.*
“Gyaaaak!”
And so, with every touch of my hands and feet, the bodies of the merchant guild's warriors were broken.
Nine.
That was the number of bodies I had broken in less than a minute.
“Aaargh!”
“Ugh!”
The men writhed on the ground, wailing.
Only the man whose chest was crushed had fainted.
It was somewhat intentional.
“Stoooop!”
That way, the higher-ups who heard the commotion would come running.
Before long, a middle-aged man with a face flushed red with anger appeared.
It was Ju Gyeong-ryun, the Master of the Hwangju Merchant Guild.
Surrounded by dozens of warriors, he roared at me in a furious voice.
“How dare you! This place is…!”
“I know this is the Hwangju Merchant Guild, so let's skip the clichés and get to the point.”
*BOOM!*
I put strength into my leg and unleashed a Quaking Stomp.
The ground trembled, and dust rose into the air.
A warning not to attack recklessly.
The warriors beside Ju Gyeong-ryun flinched and halted.
Only then did Ju Gyeong-ryun seem to recognize me, pointing a finger.
“You, aren't you the leader of the Outer Hall's First Squad?!”
“Finally recognized me? That's right. I'm Jin Mujeon.”
He squeezed out his voice and bellowed.
“You bastard! For an Outer Hall warrior in charge of the Fortress's security to attack a merchant guild! I will report this directly to the Fortress Lord!”
“Go ahead and try. But I wonder if the Fortress Lord will listen to the story of a man who deals in human trafficking?”
“What?!”
Ju Gyeong-ryun's gaze fixed on the pavilion behind me.
“You… you!”
Seeing him unable to hide his shock, a dry laugh escaped me.
“Besides, shouldn't you be more concerned about whether you'll survive today before you go see the Fortress Lord?”
*Fwoosh!*
As I released my killing intent, a strong wind whipped around me.
“What are you all doing?! Kill that bastard at once!”
He said to kill me, not capture me.
It seemed he wanted to leave no evidence.
However, the guild warriors only hesitated, not moving.
Having eyes, they couldn't possibly be unaware of the state their comrades on the ground were in.
“…”
“I said, what are you doing! Are you scared of a mere Outer Hall warrior?!”
In the cruel silence, Ju Gyeong-ryun's voice grew louder.
“That's right, you should follow your employer's orders. Is it right to hesitate when you're getting paid?”
I said, sneering as much as I could.
“Whether you resist or not, you'll have to live the rest of your life as cripples. You might as well get paid for it.”
*KUUUNG!*
I slammed down a Quaking Stomp and unleashed the War King Step.
* * *
The fight was one-sided.
*Crack! Crunch.*
“Gyaaaaargh!”
The War Dragon Thirteen Strikes, which was moving beyond Great Achievement toward a new realm, shattered their kneecaps.
*Kwoooosh.*
The incoming swords were constantly devoured by my protective aura, the War Dragon Ki.
*BOOM! BOOM!*
The lightning force of the Battle Lord Arrow blew up the knees of the men far away.
Of course, as befitted one of the three great guilds of Nine Dragons Fortress, it wasn't just filled with weaklings.
*Fwoosh! Sliiice!*
A pair of twins appeared, unleashing chillingly sharp sword and saber energy.
They seemed to be the guild's hidden trump card.
But even so.
*Sliiiiiice!*
They too were unable to block the even faster Ultimate Death Force, and their legs were severed below the knee.
“Hoo.”
After dealing with over forty men, I immediately used the Flying Heavenly Wind.
It was to catch the fleeing Ju Gyeong-ryun.
About a quarter of an hour had passed since Ju Gyeong-ryun fled, but catching up to him was all too easy.
“Eek!”
There was only one place he could go.
Following the path toward the Inner Fortress, I saw the back of Ju Gyeong-ryun, running with a waddling gait.
Drenched in sweat, the man looked back at me and was so shocked he nearly fainted.
*Thwack. Clatter.*
I kicked him square in the back, knocking him down.
“D-don't come any closer!”
“I won't, so just listen.”
I stared into his fear-filled eyes.
“There's only one way for you to live. Bring back the children you've already sold. Can you do it?”
“I-I can. I can bring them all back!”
The man replied, his eyes darting around.
My killing intent surged, but without him, I would never be able to find them.
I couldn't harm him, at least not until the children were returned home.
“But there's a condition.”
“…What is it?”
“Hand over the ledger you used when you sold the kids. You wouldn't have sold them off without keeping records, would you?”
To a merchant, a ledger was crucial not just for accounting but also for customer management.
There was no way he sold dozens of children without recording it in a ledger.
“Th-there's no such thing.”
“Don't play games with me. You did business on such a large scale; there's no way you didn't write it down.”
“It's true! The Hwangju Merchant Guild isn't so careless as to leave evidence while committing illegal acts.”
Impossible.
Whether he hid it somewhere or kept a second set of books, a transaction ledger definitely existed.
“Then you die here.”
I walked toward him, releasing my aura.
*Drip.*
Engulfed in terror, the man began to scream.
I had to get that ledger, even if it meant torture.
Just as I reached for him.
“Stop!”
*Thud, thud, thud.*
Swordsmen in white martial arts uniforms began to drop from the sky.
They must have heard about the incident at the Hwangju Merchant Guild.
And.
“It's been a while, Jin Mujeon.”
Baek Mu-ha, leading the warriors of the White Dragon Hall, drew his sword.
‘Just my luck.’
*Tsk.*
“If you stop now, I will not hold you accountable for attacking the Hwangju Merchant Guild.”
“By what authority does the White Dragon Hall have?”
“…The Hwangju Merchant Guild is a long-standing ally of the White Dragon Hall.”
Killing intent rose from all sides, pressing down on me.
I endured all of that killing intent and said.
“So what? If you don't want to get beaten like last time, stay out of it.”
“I will not ask again. Release Guild Master Ju.”
“Ah, I saw the White Dragon Hall Master recently. He looked well. It goes to show you shouldn't be too generous. If I'd taken both your arms back then, I wouldn't have to see you again, senior. Right?”
*Fwoosh!*
An explosive aura, incomparable to before, erupted from Baek Mu-ha, but he did not swing his sword.
I inwardly clicked my tongue. My plan to end it in a single blow by provoking him had failed.
I looked at the White Dragon Hall members behind Baek Mu-ha.
Sizing them up, I had a gut feeling I couldn't break through alone.
But I couldn't just let Ju Gyeong-ryun go.
*CRACK! SPLURT!*
“Gyaaaaargh!”
I ripped off Ju Gyeong-ryun's entire left arm.
“Come any closer, and this bastard dies.”
It was to stage a hostage situation and escape this place.