The Lord of the Night
"Above there is heaven; below there are Suzhou and Hangju."
The pleasures of Suzhou and Hangju were so legendary that this eight-character proverb became widespread. This was largely because they were port cities where goods and culture converged.
Changsha flourished for the exact same reason.
Situated on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, the lifeblood of Hunan Province, it was the perfect hub for logistics, just like Suzhou and Hangju.
But just as a bright light casts a dark shadow, the greater Changsha's prosperity grew, the deeper its darkness became.
Like moths drawn to a flame, those seeking wealth and glory yearned to control the night streets of Changsha.
Moreover, Changsha was classified not as Orthodox territory, but as the domain of the Unorthodox faction.
This meant that things the hypocrites of the Orthodox faction couldn't do to save face could be done here without restraint.
After countless lives were lost and blood was spilled, one man finally seized control of Changsha's night.
The common folk of Changsha, filled with awe and dread, gave him a name.
The Lord of the Night, the Yaju.
But...
Hmph. Lord of the Night, my foot. He's just a merchant managing brothels.
Jang Bo-heum, the leader of the Gwi-mong-dae who had been sent by Vice Lord Do Ye-cheon to meet the Yaju, dismissed the rumors as utter nonsense.
This was true even though he was currently sitting in the most dazzling and luxurious chamber of the dozens of brothels the Yaju owned.
Tsk. How dare he keep me waiting?
Jang Bo-heum pouted.
Frankly, he was displeased.
The Gwi-mong-dae proudly held a seat among the Ten Heavenly Squads, and he was its leader.
He was someone who made others wait, not someone who waited for others.
Creak.
As Jang Bo-heum grumbled to himself, the door opened and someone walked in.
"Ah, Leader of the Gwi-mong-dae. My deepest apologies for keeping you waiting."
It was Ji Dong-tak, the Yaju, rubbing his hands together like a fly.
"Hmph! To keep me waiting this long... What, were you busy chasing down a runaway courtesan?"
Jang Bo-heum glared at Ji Dong-tak.
His tone made it clear that he wouldn't let it slide if he had been kept waiting for some trivial matter.
Ji Dong-tak scratched the back of his head, looking troubled.
"Oh, no, it's not that. I was in a hurry to handle a matter ordered by the Vice Lord."
"...The Vice Lord?"
Jang Bo-heum flinched at Ji Dong-tak's reply.
If it was a task ordered by Vice Lord Do Ye-cheon, it was not something Jang Bo-heum could casually pry into or judge.
Especially now, when he was already receiving cold glares due to his blunder at the recent assembly.
"Would you like me to share the details?"
"Ahem, no need. I have a general idea."
"Ah, so you've already heard. As expected, the Lord of the Poison Corpse Peak must enjoy the Vice Lord's absolute trust. Ah, I am truly envious."
"Ahem, cough."
Jang Bo-heum grinned at Ji Dong-tak's flattery, but quickly hardened his expression.
"Watch your tongue. How dare a mere merchant try to gauge the Vice Lord's mind? Mind your words."
"Ah, what a slip of the tongue...!"
Ji Dong-tak bowed his head, begging for forgiveness with broad-minded generosity, and Jang Bo-heum nodded arrogantly with a tilt of his chin.
"Well, it is only natural for a subordinate to want to understand their master's true intentions. I am merely warning you to be careful not to cross the line."
"Yes, yes, of course. Here, please have a drink."
"Oh, isn't this the famous Maotai liquor from Guizhou?"
"You recognized it instantly! I brought it out specially for today!"
"Ahem, well, out of respect for your sincerity, just one cup..."
Just then, the drinks table was brought in, and Ji Dong-tak continuously filled Jang Bo-heum's cup to the brim.
By the time Jang Bo-heum's face grew flushed from the alcohol...
"Hic. Anyway, there is a reason I came to find you."
"Just say the word. I will obey with my life."
"Phew, you had better. This is also a matter ordered by the Vice Lord."
"The Vice Lord, you say?"
"Ugh, yes."
At the mention of the Vice Lord, Ji Dong-tak's eyes narrowed slightly for a split second, unnoticed by the drunken Jang Bo-heum, before returning to normal.
"Jegal Jeok-un. Do you know him?"
"How could I not? He's the bastard who caused an unprecedented commotion in Changsha recently."
"Indeed. Crashing the initiation ceremony and beating the leader of the Gwang-hon Squad half to death... He caused a massive scene."
"...The leader of the Gwang-hon Squad?"
"Ah. F-Forget I said that. Anyway!"
Jang Bo-heum, realizing his drunken slip of the tongue, waved his hands frantically.
The fact that Do Ju-man had been thoroughly thrashed by Jeok-un was a closely guarded secret, strictly silenced by Do Ye-cheon.
Ji Dong-tak tactfully nodded.
"It seems a mere pup has offended the Vice Lord. Should I take care of him on my end?"
"No, the opposite. Recruit him."
"Recruit... him?"
"Yes. The Vice Lord intends to bring him over to our side."
"...What?"
"Hic. So, approach him secretly, build a rapport, and set the stage for him to join us."
Ji Dong-tak was taken aback by the unexpected command.
But it was only momentary. He quickly bowed his head to accept the order.
"Leave it to me. In my younger days, I was quite the broker."
"Haha, that's the spirit. Serve with loyalty. The Vice Lord will surely reward you handsomely, won't he?"
"A mere thug like me deserves no such thing. The grace I have already received is more than enough."
"Haha! You certainly know your place. But dream a little bigger. You have me, don't you?"
"...I am merely grateful."
Ji Dong-tak poured another cup, flattering Jang Bo-heum, who was now completely intoxicated and accepted everything without a shred of suspicion.
"Then, please get back safely."
"Belch. Right... You rest well too, Brother Ji."
As Jang Bo-heum stumbled away, waving his hand before vanishing into the darkness...
Ji Dong-tak's eyes instantly changed.
He was no longer the groveling merchant from moments ago, but the Yaju—the true Lord of Changsha's Night.
"What a fucking idiot. And he calls himself a leader of the Ten Heavenly Squads, even if he is at the very bottom."
The Yaju exuded a murderous aura, as if his previous subservience had been nothing but an act.
His presence was not inferior to Jang Bo-heum's in the slightest; in fact, it was far superior.
Step.
Just then, a subordinate who had been hiding in the shadow of the wall stepped forward.
"Shall I ask the Vice Lord for permission to assassinate him?"
Ji Dong-tak pondered for a moment at his subordinate's bloodthirsty suggestion before replying.
"No. Seeing how he doesn't even know my true identity, the Vice Lord must view him as nothing more than a disposable pawn."
"Understood."
Indeed. The Yaju's true identity was far from that of a mere merchant.
He was the "Shadow" employed by the Vice Lord.
Not operating in the light, but belonging to the dark, Ji Dong-tak was the one who handled all the dirty, vile, and bloody tasks on behalf of Do Ye-cheon.
His relationship with Do Ye-cheon was far closer than Jang Bo-heum's.
After all, his success in unifying Changsha's underworld was only possible because of Do Ye-cheon's active support from the shadows.
"When should we contact the target?"
"Start immediately."
"Understood. However, I hear his personality is quite volatile. Perhaps we should approach with caution..."
"Hmph. His moniker is the Wastrel of the Zhuge Clan, isn't it? If we quietly approach him, grease his palms, and let him indulge in the pleasures of the brothels..."
Ji Dong-tak sneered, a greasy, vile smile spreading across his face.
"How could a bastard like him resist aligning with the Vice Lord?"
"Understood. Then I will initiate contact through standard means."
"Yes, do so. Ah!"
The Yaju abruptly cut himself off mid-instruction.
"Now that I think about it, you said he was appointed as the leader of the Baekya Squad, right?"
"Yes, that is correct."
"Speaking of the Baekya Squad, that reminds me. There is someone there I've had my eye on. Why hasn't she been brought to my bedchamber yet?"
"...Ah, about that."
Sigh. Here we go again.
The subordinate swallowed a sigh at Ji Dong-tak's words.
Ji Dong-tak possessed both business acumen and martial prowess, but he also harbored a grotesque sexual deviancy.
Once a woman caught his eye, he had to possess her, regardless of whether she was betrothed or had a husband and children. He would commit any atrocity to get what he wanted.
He had ruined the families of ordinary women and forced them to work in his brothels.
What was her name again? Hae-yeon?
The woman Ji Dong-tak had targeted a year ago was named Hae-yeon.
Originally a low-ranking scribe in the Strategist Department—the brain of Sadocheon—she had caught the lustful eye of the Yaju, who pulled strings to have her forcibly transferred to the frontline Baekya Squad.
There is nothing more thrilling than making them submit and crawl to me on their own.
To force her into his grasp, he had spent a whole year tormenting her relentlessly.
Yet Hae-yeon had not given up, silently enduring the abuse.
"How is a bitch who was just a scribe in the Strategist Department, who has never even learned a lick of martial arts, still holding out?"
"It seems she has a natural talent for martial arts. I heard she taught herself in the Baekya Squad's archives..."
"Hmm."
Seeing Ji Dong-tak frown in displeasure, the subordinate quickly added.
"But you need not worry. To ensure her submission this time, we have sent the vice leader of the Black Spirit Squad."
"Oh? The vice leader of the Black Spirit Squad... You mean the Red Awl Sword?"
"Yes. Though they are both Outer Squads, the Black Spirit Squad is a first-rate combat unit ranked just below the Ten Heavenly Squads. Her meager skills won't stand a chance."
"Heh, the bitches the Red Awl Sword brings back are always covered in unsightly scars, but I suppose it can't be helped."
It was a chilling statement, but Ji Dong-tak didn't care in the slightest.
To him, nothing mattered more than his own desires.
"Hehe, it looks like I'll have some fun tonight for the first time in a while."
Ji Dong-tak licked his lips.
The name of Jeok-un was already fading from his mind.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"...Leader, will it be alright?"
Go Bok-gil asked Jeok-un with a worried look.
Having left their quarters, the two were on their way to the Baekya Squad for their first day.
"What will be?"
"What else? The members of the Outer Squads are notoriously rough. I heard their hazing rituals for newcomers are brutal..."
"Hmm, don't worry. I'll be perfectly safe."
"Huh? W-What about me?"
"The first rule of the Baekya Squad: protect your own skin!"
"W-What does that even mean?!"
Jeok-un replied nonchalantly and strode forward.
Go Bok-gil, his face turning pale, kept chattering anxiously by his side, but Jeok-un had no intention of soothing him.
Rather, it would be more accurate to say he didn't have the peace of mind to do so.
How long has it been, Blood Empress?
Jeok-un's heart was fluttering with excitement at the thought of reuniting with an old companion.
Like the protagonists of epic tales like the Rise of Han and the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the unification of the Unorthodox faction was not something Jeok-un had accomplished entirely on his own.
Jeok-un had four trusted lieutenants to whom he could entrust his life, known in the Jianghu as the Four Pillars of the Black Heaven.
The four pillars that supported the dark sky.
The giants who had helped the supreme ruler of the Unorthodox faction achieve his grand ambition were as mad as their achievements were legendary.
They had fought alongside Jeok-un through countless battlefields, accumulating merits, forging legends, and earning their titles:
Death Thrower, Black Bamboo, Iron Mountain.
And...
The Blood Empress.
The person he was going to meet now was the youngest and the sole woman among the Four Pillars.
The Blood Empress.
Or rather, Hae-yeon.
Though she was the prickliest and most meticulous of the four pillars—sometimes to a terrifying degree...
Her innate intellect was simply peerless.
Her capabilities were extraordinary.
She was so brilliant that she could easily hold her own against his father, who was known as the Heavenly Brain.
Yet, before meeting him, she had inexplicably been in the Baekya Squad—an Outer Squad—rather than Sadocheon's Strategist Department. The moment Jeok-un had laid eyes on her, he had recommended her.
From then on, he recognized her talents even more than she did herself, keeping her close by his side.
And she had blossomed, displaying her abilities to the fullest, until...
She was the first to die...
Among the Four Pillars, she was the first to sacrifice her life for him.
Just as Jeok-un felt a pang of bitterness at the memory of her tragic end...
"Phew, Leader. We've arrived."
Conveniently, they had reached a shabby manor bearing the plaque of the Baekya Squad.
Huh?
But something was off.
Go Bok-gil tilted his head in confusion.
"Huh? Why is there no one here?"
Even for an Outer Squad, there should have been guards stationed at the gates, yet the entrance was completely deserted.
In the midst of this silence...
Clang! Clang!
Roar!
The sounds of clashing blades and shouting drifted from deep within the manor, reaching Jeok-un's ears.
...What is going on?
Feeling an ominous foreboding, Jeok-un stepped inside the headquarters of the Baekya Squad.