A Trap Within a Trap
The head manager of the Baemyeong Merchant Group, one of the ten great merchant organizations and the foremost trading house in Guangdong Province, had come to the Gangso Merchant Group with a secret proposal.
“So what you’re saying is that you want us to kill the second son and third daughter of the Haedong Merchant Group?”
“That is correct. And there is one young escort warrior with them. We would appreciate it if you could eliminate him as well.”
The second son of Bae Nam-il, current patriarch of the Baemyeong Merchant Group, had suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of a young escort from the Haedong Merchant Group while at the Wulin Alliance headquarters. Every last one of his teeth had been knocked out.
When Bae Nam-il learned of this, he flew into a rage and demanded justice from the Wulin Alliance. But the Alliance simply replied that Yi So-ryong and Yi Jin-hwa had already withdrawn from the Alliance and returned to their family home, so there was nothing they could do. Enraged, Bae Nam-il began plotting his revenge.
“Directly harming the Haedong Merchant Group would be extremely dangerous.”
While the ten great clans might overlook such matters, the Nine Great Orthodox Sects would never tolerate martial artists invading the family home of their Great Princess and causing harm.
The reason the Haedong Merchant Group had never suffered direct attacks from any Murim faction or individual up until now was precisely because the Nine Great Sects held Yi Hwarin in such high regard.
Although some voices within the ten great clans had expressed dissatisfaction, even they could not persuade the Nine Great Sects to allow anyone to touch the family of a woman who had sacrificed herself for the sake of the Orthodox Murim.
As time passed, not only the Murim world but also the merchant world and even the imperial court refrained from taking direct action against the Haedong Merchant Group.
“We are not asking you to attack the merchant group itself. Those children cannot stay locked inside their home forever, can they?”
“That is true.”
“Then wouldn’t it be simple to strike when they leave the house? If you disguise the attack as the work of bandits, no one will ever know.”
For Nam Il, the eldest son who served as head manager of the Gangso Merchant Group, this was not an easy decision to make.
“This is something that requires my father’s permission. I cannot decide on my own, so please wait a moment.”
“Very well. We hope you will make the right choice.”
Nam Il asked the Baemyeong Merchant Group’s head manager to wait and went to see his father, Nam Cha-seong.
“Father, I have something to report.”
“Come back later. I am currently speaking with your uncle.”
“The head manager from the Baemyeong Merchant Group has arrived. I know Uncle is here because of the secret proposal, but I still came to see you.”
“A secret proposal? Come in.”
When Nam Il entered the room, Nam Cha-seong and Nam Sang-deok were seated inside. The atmosphere was heavy, as if their conversation had not been pleasant.
“What is it?”
“Well…”
Nam Il relayed everything the Baemyeong Merchant Group’s head manager had told him.
“So the eldest son of the Haedong Merchant Group, Yi Cheon-sang, has an escort warrior who knocked out all of Bae Jae-man’s teeth, and they want us to take revenge for them?”
“Yes. They said they would pay five hundred gold nyang if we handle it.”
Nam Cha-seong let out a derisive snort at the mention of five hundred gold nyang.
“Send them away.”
“Pardon?”
“What possible benefit would we gain from doing such a thing?”
“Considering our relationship with the Haedong Merchant Group…”
“Exactly. The Baemyeong Merchant Group is using that relationship to set a trap for us. If we accept the request and the Haedong Merchant Group suffers harm, do you think the Baemyeong Merchant Group will stay quiet?”
Nam Il looked confused. Seeing his son’s expression, Nam Cha-seong spoke with clear disdain.
“They will secretly spread rumors. If that happens, we will face pressure from the Nine Great Sects or the Wulin Alliance. If we were helping the Wulin Alliance, that pressure might be lighter. But we are supporting the Warlord Alliance and have the Moon Shadow Sect behind us.”
“Ah… I understand what you mean now.”
“Precisely. While we are busy dealing with the Wulin Alliance’s scrutiny, the Baemyeong Merchant Group will come for our market share. From their perspective, they get revenge for their son and steal our business at the same time. Two birds with one stone. And you think five hundred gold nyang is worth that risk?”
“No, Father.”
“Go and politely decline, then send them on their way.”
“Understood.”
After Nam Il left, Nam Cha-seong’s expression remained displeased. He turned his gaze toward his younger brother.
“So, how much money do you need?”
“I believe one hundred thousand nyang should suffice.”
“One hundred thousand nyang…”
It was not an enormous sum for a merchant organization, but the problem was that money had been flowing out in this manner repeatedly of late.
“I understand. Sang-deok.”
“Yes, Brother.”
“Lately, too many unfavorable incidents have been occurring around our organization. Our smuggled goods were stolen, the gambling houses continue to lose money, and now this has happened to you as well. It is difficult to call all of this mere coincidence.”
“There were such incidents?”
“For the time being, focus on recovering your strength and observe the situation carefully. If someone is deliberately targeting our merchant group and orchestrating these events, we must prepare countermeasures.”
“Then should we contact Sang-o?”
“No. This is something the Moon Shadow Sect can handle easily. It would be best to keep Sang-o’s existence hidden as much as possible. That way, even if we fall, the children will still have a chance to rise again.”
“Understood. And Brother, this is merely my personal opinion. Please do not misunderstand.”
“Speak.”
“I do not think we should leave the Haedong Merchant Group alone for much longer. If our organization is to rise to true prominence, shouldn’t we erase the Haedong Merchant Group’s existence entirely?”
“And?”
“How about commissioning an assassination sect?”
“You want to hire assassins?”
“Yes. If we can eliminate Yi Sang-woo, the Supreme Leader, and Yi Ja-saeng, the current head, wouldn’t the Haedong Merchant Group collapse on its own?”
“Hmm…”
“We cannot commission the assassins operating in the nearby provinces since they have ties to the Haedong Merchant Group. But if we hire those based in other provinces, it should be sufficient.”
Nam Cha-seong listened to his younger brother’s suggestion and fell into brief thought. If word ever got out, his own family would suffer the same fate as the Haedong Merchant Group. That was precisely why he could not openly use force.
“Let us wait a little longer on that. Since the Baemyeong Merchant Group has made a move, they may very well hire assassins themselves to kill those two.”
“Understood.”
Hyeok Cheon-gwang accompanied Cheonhwa to meet Yi Sang-woo, the Supreme Leader of the Haedong Merchant Group, and they spoke at length.
“So you wish to have them serve as escorts for our merchant group?”
“Not exactly escorts. I intend for them to take charge of the military force necessary for the merchant group’s growth.”
“I see. However, Cheonhwa, if the Murim Alliance learns that members of the Demonic Cult are residing within our merchant group, they will not remain silent.”
“I am aware. But they will not realize that the Black Wind Squad are members of the Demonic Cult. Furthermore, those within the Wulin Alliance who follow my mother have already come to Suzhou to assist the merchant group.”
“From the Wulin Alliance?”
“Yes. Of course, even the Wulin Alliance is unaware of their presence. Just like with the Black Wind Squad.”
“Hmm…”
Yi Sang-woo listened to Cheonhwa’s words, thought for a moment, then asked.
“What exactly are you planning?”
“I wish for the Haedong Merchant Group to once again become the greatest trading house under heaven, just like in the old days. Mother told me to come here if I ever needed help, but now that I have arrived, it seems I am the one who must provide help instead.”
“Is that how it appears to you?”
“Yes. And I believe my parents would be greatly disappointed and saddened if they left the island and saw the current state of the family home. So before they come, I intend to restore everything to how it once was.”
A smile naturally formed on Yi Sang-woo’s lips at Cheonhwa’s answer.
“You rascal. It has not collapsed as badly as you seem to think. It is merely on the verge of collapse.”
“Either way. I heard that in the past, the merchant group had over five thousand people in its employ.”
When the Haedong Merchant Group had been at its peak, including all its branches across the Central Plains, the total number of people working for it had exceeded five thousand.
“That was a long time ago.”
“Cheon-sang, So-ryong, Jin-hwa, and I will make it that way again.”
Looking into Cheonhwa’s eyes, Yi Sang-woo could tell this was neither childish bravado nor empty words meant to please him.
“Hehe, it seems this old man will be able to enjoy the former glory once more thanks to our family’s treasures.”
“I will make it happen without fail.”
“Good, good. Then is there nothing this grandfather can help with?”
“Later on, I will need Grandfather’s experience.”
“My experience?”
“Yes. We are still young, so we may occasionally make wrong judgments based on emotion or recklessly push forward with dangerous ideas. At those times, we will need Grandfather’s wisdom and guidance.”
“I see. Very well. Then starting today, Squad Leader Hyeok and the members of the Black Wind Squad will be living with us?”
“Yes.”
“We will need to hire a few more servants for the household.”
“Servants?”
“People to handle everything from preparing meals to laundry and other chores. Did you really think your grandmother and Jeok-sang could manage all of that by themselves?”
“Ah, I see.”
“I will take care of the household matters, so you may freely pursue whatever you have in mind.”
“Yes. Thank you for trusting me.”
A warm smile spread across Yi Sang-woo’s face.
Yes. That’s how it should be.
Once the Haedong Merchant Group began increasing its personnel and posted notices seeking new workers, the surrounding people could not stop talking about it.
“Is it true?”
“It is. I heard they’re hiring a full twenty people.”
“That’s quite a lot. I thought they were on the verge of ruin.”
“But weren’t they once one of the ten great merchant groups? They say even a rich man’s family can last ten years after collapsing. Since they were once one of the ten greats, shouldn’t the Haedong Merchant Group last at least thirty?”
“Haven’t they been conducting business all this time? They must have landed some major deal. Otherwise they wouldn’t be recruiting so many people.”
“Should I send my wife to apply?”
“If it’s the Haedong Merchant Group, they’ll probably pay the monthly wage properly.”
Although people said the Haedong Merchant Group was declining, they had never once delayed or withheld wages. For the people of Jiangsu Province, especially those living in Suzhou, the group still held a favorable reputation.
“By the way, how much do they pay per month?”
“I heard it’s three gold nyang.”
“Three gold nyang?”
The average living expenses for an ordinary family of four came to about two gold nyang per month, so three gold nyang was not a bad wage at all.
“It might be a little low for a young man, but for someone older or for women, it’s not bad pay.”
Upon hearing that the Haedong Merchant Group was hiring, the people spent the entire day discussing the matter, offering their support to the merchant group that was once again trying to rise to its feet.
For the first time in a long while, the main residence of the Haedong Merchant Group became bustling with activity. With so many more people, there simply weren’t enough hands to manage everything.
Until the new hires arrived, everyone agreed to help with household chores little by little.
Early the next morning, Cheonhwa climbed Mount Gonsan together with the members of the Black Wind Squad.
Mount Gonsan was not particularly tall, but it was densely wooded and rugged, a mountain that rarely saw visitors.
At the summit, Cheonhwa began teaching the Black Wind Squad martial arts. He wanted to raise their current level even higher.
All the members of the Black Wind Squad were Peak-class experts or above and already possessed a solid understanding of martial arts.
“I know all of you are already martial artists of a certain level, but I still want you to become even stronger than you are now.”
Cheonhwa intended to teach them the Demonic Cult’s martial arts that he had learned from his father, Cheonwoo.
He could not teach them the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, the supreme martial art of the Cult, but he planned to teach them every other technique.
“Squad Leader Hyeok.”
“Please speak.”
Cheonhwa took out a book from his robe and handed it to Hyeok Cheon-gwang.
“Starting today, make sure every member of the squad memorizes and masters this within ten days.”
“Underst—”
Hyeok Cheon-gwang began to answer but froze the moment he saw the title written on the cover. His eyes widened in shock. He looked at Cheonhwa, then back at the book, repeating the motion several times.
“C-can we truly learn this?”
The Demonic Cult possessed countless demonic and divine arts. Even excluding the supreme Heavenly Demon Divine Art, there were techniques powerful enough to overturn the heavens. Among them, the one recorded in the book Cheonhwa had just handed over was the Nine Hell Forms.
The Nine Hell Forms consisted of nine primary forms and thirty-eight variations. Within the Demonic Cult, it was a martial art that only the Heavenly Demon’s direct disciples, the elders, and the disciples chosen by those elders were permitted to learn.
Yet Cheonhwa had given this very technique to the Black Wind Squad. And it was clear that this was only the beginning.
Cheonhwa planned to transform both the Black Wind Squad and the New Wind Squad into the strongest military force in the world, and he was now taking the first step toward that goal.
“Why? Is there some reason they shouldn’t learn it?”
“No, there is none. However, this is a martial art that only those permitted by the Cult may learn…”
At those words, Cheonhwa smiled.
“That was when you were inside the Cult. Now you are outside, helping me. There is no problem. Besides, all of you may one day have to fight against the entire world alongside me.”
No one spoke.
“And after that fight is over and we return to the Cult together, who would dare criticize you for learning the martial arts I taught you?”
At Cheonhwa’s words, Hyeok Cheon-gwang’s body trembled faintly.
“I do not yet know exactly what kind of fight lies ahead of us. But I believe it will be a battle worthy of contending for supremacy under heaven, and it will be brutal enough to risk our lives.”
Everyone simply listened to Cheonhwa’s words.
“After that fight ends, I want every single one of you here to return to the Cult with me without so much as a single injury.”
The declaration that they would all return to the Cult together stirred a small but powerful emotion in the hearts of every Black Wind Squad member.
“Do you have the confidence to return with me?”
“We do. We will accomplish what you have asked within ten days.”