Chapter 57 - Settlement
The red thread, Blood Demon.
Having experienced the Blood Demon from Dan Ri-ye before, Jin Muhon immediately unfolded the Fate Soul Heaven Sacrificing Scripture.
Come.
The Blood Demon surging toward the sky changed direction and floated languidly toward Jin Muhon. Responding to his call like a living creature, it slipped smoothly between his brows.
And soon, unfamiliar images began to unfold in his mind.
That bastard's... memories?
It was hazy. No sounds could be heard.
The cold, damp feel of stone floor transmitted through his knees. From the close-up view of just the ground, he must have been kneeling with his head bowed.
- ######!
A buzzing voice echoed in the foggy memory. He raised his head.
Someone was kneeling, turning toward him and shouting something.
......
He focused his mind. The face, obscured like mist, gradually sharpened. A familiar face, one he could never forget even in his dreams.
It was Cheon Gunak.
That fucker...
Just seeing that loathsome mug made his teeth grind involuntarily.
[Do it.]
But then, a clear voice rang out. Soft and gentle, yet domineering as if ruling over the world. He slowly raised his head following the voice.
In front of the kneeling Cheon Gunak. Someone stood there.
......?
Immaculate white robes without a speck of dust. The hand peeking from the sleeve was delicate and pale like a woman's. Even just standing there, he exuded an aura beyond mortals.
His gaze climbed to the man's neck and jaw.
Tsssss—
The memory scattered like smoke.
"Family Head? Family Head! Are you alright?"
Had he lost himself for a moment? Jin Muhon blinked and looked up at the sky where the moon was veiled.
"Family Head!"
A familiar voice came from beside him. Hoarse, but laced with affection.
It was Go Seokchu.
Jin Muhon met Go Seokchu's eyes.
"Go Seokchu."
"Yes! Go Seokchu here! I'm right here! You really okay? You didn't get hit by some Demonic Cult sorcery and turn into a mad demon or anything, right?"
......
Jin Muhon chuckled softly.
"You mad bastard."
***
The night deepened. The thick clouds thinned, casting faint moonlight over the land. The Yangtze glimmered silver, the blood-soaked earth and lingering debris stark against it. Without those, the riverside would have seemed peaceful and serene as ever.
"Thanks, Jin Family Head. Have a drink. If you hadn't shown up right on time, we'd have been in deep shit this time. I owe you big. Haha!"
Glug glug.
Ak Manho had invited Jin Muhon and Go Seokchu to his quarters and laid out a modest drinking table. Unlike usual, there were few side dishes, no serving maids.
"Whew... Righteous-Demonic Great War, they say. Still gives me chills down my spine."
Go Seokchu gulped down his drink and rubbed his arms. Jin Muhon slowly savored the liquor Ak Manho offered.
"It's been a while, Go Branch Chief. Doing well?"
Ak Manho shifted his gaze from Jin Muhon to Go Seokchu. Go Seokchu grinned and spoke up.
"You bet. Didn't know you two were buddies. So, the one covering the commission fee is the Bandit Chief himself, right?"
"Huh? Commission fee? What's that about?"
Ak Manho's eyes widened. Go Seokchu looked flustered and glanced at Jin Muhon.
"Family... Head?"
Clink.
Jin Muhon set down his cup. Ak Manho and Go Seokchu both flinched.
"You said you owed me a favor?"
"Y-yeah, I did."
"Repay that favor with money."
"What? H-how much...?"
Ak Manho's eyes slyly drifted downward. The Four Emperors Sword he'd been fleeced of just recently was snug at Jin Muhon's waist. And not just that—the precious elixir from the Four Emperors Alliance Lord, plus Han So-wol, all safe. Now what more did he want? Ak Manho glared at Go Seokchu, eyes bulging.
"How much."
"It... it ain't much."
"How. Much."
Ak Manho lowered his voice menacingly. Go Seokchu hurriedly pulled a small ledger from his bosom, licked his thumb, and flipped it open.
"First, total transport fee ten gold taels, food one gold, escort fee three gold, plus hazard pay five more. Oh! Gotta add the cart costs too!"
As Go Seokchu excitedly tallied, Jin Muhon cut in.
"We agreed to waive the cart fees."
"Ah, right we did. Sharp memory you got."
Go Seokchu smacked his lips regretfully.
"Plus miscellaneous... Eh! For a regular customer, I'll make it one big round number! So, let's see... twenty gold taels!"
......What?
Ak Manho gaped in disbelief. Ten gold could idle a decent household for months. Not a fortune for the Long River Bandits, but no trifle for a commission either. He turned to Jin Muhon.
"Just... what the hell have you been up to?"
"Traveling."
......
Ak Manho blinked, then rose and headed to the safe in the corner. Go Seokchu's eyes sparkled as he watched.
Jingle— jingle— clink—
Soon, he plopped a bulging pouch of gold taels in front of Go Seokchu.
"Thirty gold. Generous, eh?"
"Ooooh! As expected of the Bandit Chief! What a big shot!"
"Put in a good word with the Haomen Lord."
"You got it! Leave it to me! Anytime you need something, just say the word—I'll make sure they treat you special! Hahaha!"
Having scored more than expected, Go Seokchu beamed, guzzled booze, and soon thunked his head onto the table.
"Tha's why I— hic! say— hic! rivers beat mountains any day!"
Ak Manho clicked his tongue and called for his bandits.
"No one outside? Clean this up!"
- Yes, Bandit Chief!
Two bandits slid the door open and entered. They bowed deeply to Jin Muhon with eyes full of respect and awe. Jin Muhon nodded lightly in return.
Glug glug—
Ak Manho refilled Jin Muhon's empty cup.
"Finally some quiet. Right, Jin Family Head?"
Ak Manho poured while subtly gauging Jin Muhon's mood.
"Spit it out if you got something to say."
Jin Muhon lifted his cup and eyed Ak Manho. Ak Manho averted his gaze and poured himself a drink.
"Nah, not so much something to say as..."
"Then we're done here?"
Clink!
"Jin Family Head! Things look pretty serious."
Ak Manho set down his cup and blurted what was on his chest. Jin Muhon looked puzzled.
"What're you on about?"
"You saw it too! The Demonic Cult! They're crawling right into the Central Plains, poaching our allies! You get what that means?"
Jin Muhon narrowed his eyes at Ak Manho.
"Hey, kid. Your speech pattern's changed a bit."
"Eh? Ahem! Hm!"
Ak Manho slyly looked away and sighed softly. He'd just reconfirmed Jin Muhon's prowess after so long.
It was astonishing.
Fuck. Who the hell spread that bullshit about his dantian being shattered?
The feral ferocity of old was reined in, but his movements were so swift they were hard to track. No doubt.
The Sword Demon had grown stronger.
"Jin Family Head. Sorry if I offended."
Decision made, Ak Manho immediately bowed. A swift pivot, fluid as the Yangtze's waves.
"Wasn't offended."
"Hahaha! That's our Jin Family Head! Class act!"
"So."
"Huh?"
"Demonic Cult sneaks into the Central Plains and then what?"
Jin Muhon swirled his cup, eyes fixed on the flickering candle. Though drinking and talking, his mind had been consumed by the memory glimpsed through the Blood Demon.
Younger than I thought.
He'd seen the hand and jaw. The hand was pristine, untouched by labor; the jaw bore no trace of stubble. Was there anyone that age in the cult who could wreck it so? Jin Muhon recalled the young cult warriors he knew, but none fit as the mastermind.
"Jin Family Head. You listening?"
Ak Manho called out. Jin Muhon's gaze stayed glued to the flame.
"Jin Family Head!"
......?
Only after Ak Manho's shout did Jin Muhon snap out of it and look over.
"What'd you say?"
"The Four Emperors Alliance! Four Emperors Alliance!"
......?
Four Emperors Alliance out of nowhere. Why bring that up here? Ak Manho pressed on.
"The sects and families the Demonic Cult's poaching! Us too! The bandits too! Most were Four Emperors Alliance affiliates! What does that tell you?"
Jin Muhon narrowed his eyes instead of answering.
"Was the Long River Bandits part of the Four Emperors Alliance?"
"Ahem! Hm! N-not exactly part of... more like allies! Yeah, alliance relations! Not super tight ones, though."
"So the story about stumbling on the Alliance Lord's treasures was bullshit too?"
Thinking back, it was suspicious. Neither the Four Emperors Sword nor the Alliance Lord's elixir were trifles. If someone killed the Alliance Lord, they'd claim them as spoils. Even otherwise, odd for the Long River Bandits to end up with them.
"Th-that... sorry. Had to keep it from you, Jin Family Head. No, precisely because it was you!"
"Meaning?"
"The killer of the Alliance Lord still ain't known. Then the Sword Demon shows up—what're we supposed to do? Spill the truth and end up headless—who pays us then?"
......
Seemed Ak Manho had pocketed the sword and elixir early. But Jin Muhon wasn't particularly curious about the details. He had the sword, and Jin Hayeon had the elixir. Still, Ak Manho's words weren't to be dismissed lightly.
"So the cult's poaching old Four Emperors Alliance affiliates?"
"Exactly! You know how it is, Jin Family Head. Unite and live, scatter and die! When the Alliance Lord was around, no one messed with us. The Nine Great Sects? Unless their top dogs, they watched their step."
......
Jin Muhon nodded silently. The Four Emperors Alliance Lord. An absolute master rivaling the Heavenly Demon. Jin Muhon had seen him once as the Sword Demon, and despite his seventies, the man had an overwhelming presence that made victory uncertain.
Was Dan Ri-ye really... the Alliance Lord?
Come to think of it, Dan Ri-ye's madness didn't match the Alliance Lord he'd seen. Faces vaguely similar, but auras worlds apart. Dan Ri-ye was pure lunatic; the Alliance Lord, a stern pinnacle of the martial world.
"Do you know the Alliance Lord's real name?"
......?
Ak Manho's beady eyes widened.