Chapter 32
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: An Unexpected Murder
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The shift in address from Uncle to Family Head made Seo Ho flinch for a moment.
For some reason, it sent a chill down his spine.
He shook his head, dismissing it as a baseless apprehension.
I will have a guest room prepared for you. Stay as long as you like.
It wasn't a gesture of genuine goodwill, but rather a perfunctory statement of etiquette. Offering food and lodging to a guest who had traveled a long way was common sense in the Central Plains.
Seo Ho expected Wi Ji-cheon to refuse and leave, but an unexpected reply came.
Thank you for your kindness. If you don't mind, I will impose on your hospitality for a few days.
Hmph! Do as you please.
Guided by a servant, he was led to his room.
He wondered if they might give him a shabby room, but that wasnt the case. It was a perfectly fine, even luxurious, guest room.
What are you going to do?
About what?
Are you going to kill them all?
He angered that demon, so theyre all dead men walking!
Jang Sam gulped, anticipating the impending bloodbath.
What are you talking about? Kill who?
Youre not going to kill them?
What in the world do you take me for? Do you think Im some underworld thug like you? I dont just kill people because Im annoyed or angry.
The words, Youre a demon far more terrifying than anyone from the underworld, rose to the tip of Jang Sams tongue, but he held them back.
In any case, what Wi Ji-cheon said was true.
Honestly, he was angry, but he wasnt going to take their lives. His father wouldnt be happy about that, either.
Most importantly.
That man. He felt sorry for what he did to my father.
What do you mean?
He reacted that way because he felt guilty.
It had been an overly emotional reaction.
It meant that Wi Ji-cheons question had hit a nerve.
Then why did you smile like that?
Like what?
You smiled as if you were about to commit a gruesome murder.
Mr. Jang. You seem comfortable around me now, right? Would you like to just speak casually?
I apologize!! This lowly Jang has forgotten his place again!
Jang Sam, the absolute tyrant of Nanyangs southern road.
Today, too, he groveled to survive.
It was fine.
He was a wise man of the underworld who knew how to bow to the strong!
I was just thinking that I could fleece them for more.
Ah
Its not like I wasnt angry.
Originally, Wi Ji-cheon had planned to take no more and no less than the amount the man had embezzled, plus a reasonable amount of interest.
A fifty percent interest rate would be too harsh, so he had conscientiously calculated it at forty percent compounded over ten years.
Its reasonable, but it feels a little lacking, doesnt it? I should get some compensation for emotional distress, too.
Forty percent compounded over ten years is thirty times the principal, and he wants to squeeze out more?
For reference, thirty times the amount Seo Ho embezzled would be enough to pay off the entire loan the Medical Immortal Medical House had taken out for their new estate, with plenty to spare.
But how?
Wi Ji-cheons original plan was roughly as follows.
Wi Ji-cheon would disguise himself as the Killer of Xi'an and inflict internal injuries on Seo Ho using the Yin Soul Demonic Arts.
When no one could heal him, Wi Ji-cheon would appear like a comet, cure him, and then demand an exorbitant treatment fee.
However, it was questionable whether the Seo family would accept such an excessively high fee.
Werent you planning to inflate the treatment cost by passing off cheap medicinal herbs as priceless, high-grade elixirs during the treatment process? But even with the most precious elixirs, theres a limit to how much you can overcharge, isnt there?
Ill use the Blood Cult.
Pardon?
Why would the Blood Cult come up now?
The Blood Cult is plotting something here in Xi'an. Like most of their activities, its probably something they want to keep hidden. What does that mean?
??
It means that if we impersonate the Blood Cult instead of the Killer of Xi'an, no one will ever know the truth.
!!
Jang Sams eyes widened.
His reaction screamed, What is this crazy bastard saying?
Impersonate the Blood Cult and do what?
Ill have to frame someone from this Seo family for colluding with the Blood Cult.
Who?
Well, now? Thats something Ill have to figure out from here on out, right?
Wi Ji-cheon listed the conditions for a potential candidate, one by one.
Someone close to the Seo Family Head, but with a bad reputation and poor conduct. Someone who stands to gain a lot if something happens to the Family Head. Ill frame a person like that for colluding with the Blood Cult.
And after framing them?
Ill demand an additional reward in exchange for revealing the truth.
In fact, he already had a candidate in mind.
The person who would be most suspected if something happened to the Seo Family Head.
A person who had done so many wicked things that framing him wouldnt weigh on his conscience much.
The sucker Im going to target is
Just then, the door to the guest room flew open.
Is this the room where that bastard Wi Ji-cheon is staying?! Hiccup, how dare he not even come to greet me, the great Seo Geum?! Get up this instant and show some respect to me, Seo Geum!
A rough tone of voice.
The reek of alcohol wafted through the air.
A portly young man with features similar to the Seo Family Head, Seo Ho.
Who might you be?
Me?! You dont recognize me?! I am Seo Geum, the eldest son of the Seo family! You insolent bastard! I told you to show some respect!
Wi Ji-cheon nodded his head.
He knew of this person.
He was the notorious, disowned scoundrel of the Seo family, known for causing trouble everywhere he went.
And.
Hes the perfect sucker for me to use right now.
Im going to use that fool to squeeze them dry.
Wi Ji-cheon mouthed the words silently while looking at Seo Geum, and Jang Sam gazed at Seo Geum with pity.
Hiccup??
Confused by their reactions, the drunken Seo Geum could only tilt his head in bewilderment.
Late at night.
Even the moon was hidden behind the clouds, plunging the surroundings into darkness.
Dressed in black infiltration gear, Wi Ji-cheon stood on the roof of the Seo family estate.
Normally, such attire would attract more attention, but it didn't matter.
He intended to reveal his presence on purpose anyway.
Are you ready?
Yes.
Jang Sam, also clad in black, answered with a grimace.
Dammit, to think Id have to pretend to be an assassin!
And it wasn't just any assassin impersonation.
His role was to act suspiciously in front of the residence of Seo Geum, the eldest son they had met earlier, to draw peoples attention.
All to frame Seo Geum.
Do you think people will fall for this?
They will. In this family, theres a younger brother who considers the eldest son, Seo Geum, a thorn in his side. Hell jump at the chance.
The Seo family had Seo Geums younger brother.
One who was incomparably more capable than Seo Geum.
He was always watching for an opportunity to oust Seo Geum, so he wouldnt miss this chance.
In the future, its the younger brother who actually becomes the head of the Seo family.
He knew what kind of person the younger brother was as well.
Because he knew the future of the Seo family.
The younger brother was a rotten bastard too. Just because hes talented doesnt mean he has a good character.
The father was an embezzler.
The eldest son was a scoundrel, and the younger son was a rotten bastard.
It was truly a dysfunctional, messed-up family of nothing but wicked people.
Lets go.
Yes.
But then, Wi Ji-cheon paused.
Wait, somethings strange.
What is it?
The skill level of the guards protecting the Family Heads residence is too low.
The Seo family was not a martial arts sect but an ordinary merchant family.
So, it was natural for them to have few martial arts experts, but the level was far too low.
Theyre just ordinary strongmen who havent learned any martial arts at all. A family of the Seo family's stature would normally hire at least second-rate martial artists as guards, wouldnt they?
Ah, I heard something about that earlier. Apparently, the familys scoundrel harassed the guards, so they all quit en masse.
Is that so?
Yes, so theyre currently recruiting new guards.
Wi Ji-cheon clicked his tongue.
In a situation like this, the scoundrel Seo Geum would naturally be singled out as the mastermind without him having to lift a finger.
The job had just gotten easier.
But why?
Wi Ji-cheon felt a sense of unease.
Even if he harassed them, would all the guards quit at once?
The feeling of unease intensified as they neared the residence.
The guard on duty was asleep.
It was natural for a guard to doze off late at night, but this was different.
His sleep acupoint had been struck.
!!
Something unexpected had happened!
Wi Ji-cheon entered Seo Hos bedchamber and swallowed a gasp.
Damn it.
Seo Ho was dead.
And he had died from the Yin Soul Demonic Arts.
Just as Wi Ji-cheon had planned to do.
The Seo family estate was thrown into chaos!
Family Head!!
Who did this to the Family Head?!
Its demonic arts!! He was struck by demonic arts!!
Seo Ho lay dead, his hands and feet twisted in a grotesque manner.
Seeing the horrific sight, people quickly thought of a suspect.
Its the Killer of Xi'an! He looks exactly like the other victims of the Killer of Xi'an!
Why would the Killer of Xi'an target our Family Head?!
Wi Ji-cheon clicked his tongue as he watched the commotion.
To think the Blood Cults target was the Seo family all along.
The real Killer of Xi'an was dead by Wi Ji-cheons hand, so there was only one person who could use the Yin Soul Demonic Arts.
The Blood Cult, the power behind the Killer of Xi'an, who had taught him the demonic arts.
In other words, the Blood Cult was responsible for Seo Hos death.
Theres someone in this family who has joined hands with the Blood Cult.
He had a suspect in mind.
Just then, a loud voice rang out.
Wait, everyone, please be quiet!
The people stopped in their tracks.
It was a young man who resembled the late Seo Ho, but was much more handsome.
Second Young Master.
The second son, Seo Eun.
With reddened eyes, he raised his voice.
This is not the time for commotion. We must find out who is behind our fathers assassination. The Killer of Xi'an wouldn't have harmed my father without reason. There must be someone who instigated him.
At his words, everyones gaze turned to one person.
They were all looking at the scoundrel eldest son, Seo Geum.
N-No, it wasnt me?! Whats with those looks?! Do you all want to be punished?!
The peoples eyes turned cold.
If the Family Head dies, the one who benefits the most is the Eldest Young Master, Seo Geum. The Family Head favored the Second Young Master, Seo Eun.
Its also suspicious that he happened to harass the guards and drive them away.
Seo Eun shook his head.
I understand how you all feel, but please refrain from making reckless accusations until the truth is clearly revealed. I have invited some people to uncover the truth.
As he finished speaking, a group of people arrived at the Seo family estate.
They were from the Mount Hua Sect and the Jiwol Medical House.