Black Path Saint Black Flame Dragon (2)
The carriage departing from the Eunha Merchant Group headed back toward Hebi once more. On the return journey, they encountered a welcome flag.
“Oh? Dae-cheon Merchant Group!”
Just as they were about to enter the inn, they spotted the Dae-cheon Merchant Group's flag on a carriage.
“Ah, Young Master Jin.”
Stepping inside the inn, the warriors and merchants who had been eating rose in unison to greet him.
“Are you returning from the Eunha Merchant Group?”
At Go Jungtak, the chief steward's question, Jin Sowoon nodded. Go Jungtak then asked cautiously.
“……Did everything go well with your business there?”
True to form as a steward, he seemed deeply interested in the deal struck with the Eunha Merchant Group.
“Yes.”
Jin Sowoon handed over the contract from the Eunha Merchant Group. Go Jungtak examined the documents carefully, unable to hide his astonishment.
“It really went through……!”
“You were expecting it?”
“Don't even ask. We were struggling so much just to scrape together the funds rolling around in Hangzhou.”
Go Jungtak made a pained expression, and they shared a hearty laugh.
“By the way……why are you, the chief steward, out here in person?”
Stewards typically didn't stray far from their merchant groups. Their usual duties involved appraising goods and setting costs for transport and distribution.
“And no escort agency's flag in sight. You didn't use one?”
“Ah……well.”
Go Jungtak scratched his cheek with a finger.
“To cut costs, we handle short distances ourselves. Plus, this trip involved mostly high-value goods relative to their bulk, so I came along personally.”
“I see.”
It made sense. For short hauls or safe official roads, skipping escort agencies was standard. Using one just added expenses and hurt competitiveness.
“Perfect timing, then. Since you're headed to the Dae-cheon Merchant Group anyway, travel with us. Our coachman is an excellent cook.”
The servant from the Eunha Merchant Group was no slouch in the kitchen either, but Jin Sowoon nodded readily. He was curious to see how the Dae-cheon Merchant Group operated, after all.
'Talk about a complete reversal.'
Recalling what he'd been doing around this time in his previous life, he'd been desperately job-hunting for any scrap of pay. Gye Cheolyeong had entered the Murim Academy through special admission, and the Tae-eul Gate disciples hadn't even dreamed of taking the regular entrance exam.
With years still before mandatory service in the Murim Alliance, he couldn't just loaf around at the sect eating for free, so he'd sought work. But all he'd learned was thievery, so naturally, he'd aimed for an escort warrior gig.
'Fat chance.'
He'd tried hard to land an escort job, but no agency would hire a third-rate nobody with no experience or connections. In the end, he'd slaved as a porter for the Gye-ryong Merchant Group, barely scraping by to feed himself and send scraps back to the sect.
But this life was different. The Dae-cheon Merchant Group, founded in Tae-eul Gate's name, employed countless people earning good money. No more fretting over shrinking sponsorships from the Gye-ryong Merchant Group.
No more groveling before people he despised. He could feed the training kids three square meals and didn't need to patch their torn uniforms anymore.
That thought lifted his spirits, and he called the waiter over.
“What's the best liquor you've got?”
“We have So-hong Brew and Gold Sovereign Pure.”
“Ten bottles of Gold Sovereign Pure.”
“Ah! Yes, sir!”
The waiter bowed deeply, nearly snapping in half, then bolted to the kitchen. The merchant group members nearby, having overheard, couldn't hide their shock.
“Young master, we're still on a business trip……”
“I know. So just have a light drink as an appetizer.”
Under expectant gazes, Go Jungtak let out a small sigh.
“You heard him. Drink only enough not to get wasted.”
“““Yes, sir!”””
Even Go Jungtak's stern face softened as the aroma of Gold Sovereign Pure wafted over. The meal continued in high spirits.
Then—
Bang!
The door flew open roughly, and a gang of hulking brutes stormed in. The waiter emerging from the kitchen sighed, skipped greeting them, and retreated. Instead of sitting, the brutes scanned the room.
'Ugly fuckers.'
Their fierce faces and blatantly displayed massive weapons screamed black path scum.
'Debt collectors?'
Exuding menace with their bulging eyes sweeping the crowd, the diners avoided eye contact. Jin Sowoon had no business with them, so he ignored it.
“Over here! Where's the Dae-cheon Merchant Group?!”
Eh? Whoa??
Suddenly, Go Jungtak beside him stood up.
'What the?'
Go Jungtak clasped his hands politely in greeting.
“Greetings, great heroes. I am Go Jungtak of the Dae-cheon Merchant Group.”
“Good. The money?”
“Right here.”
He handed over a small pouch. The brutes opened it and peered inside.
“Dae-cheon must be doing well these days. Drinking pricey booze in broad daylight.”
Their eyes flicked to the Gold Sovereign Pure on the table.
“All thanks to great heroes like you.”
Bam!
Fuck, that startled me…… No, my booze!
A thick hand slammed the table. Jin Sowoon instinctively checked the bottles.
Phew, safe. But that bastard just pounded the table?
“Then you owe extra toll fees!”
A booming voice echoed through the inn. Despite the brutish bellow, Go Jungtak remained polite.
“……I'll discuss it with the group leader.”
“Fine. Tell our gang leader that too.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
The brutes turned away as if it were natural. Watching the exchange, Jin Sowoon thought.
What the actual fuck is this bullshit?
Rubbing his temple, he called them back.
“Hold up…… Hold on, hold on, hold on.”
At his voice, Go Jungtak paled and hurried over.
“Young Master Jin. Allow me to explain.”
“No. You stay put, steward. Hey, you! Get over here.”
The brute widened his fierce eyes and pointed at himself.
“Whelp, you talking to this seat?”
“This seat's about to fucking die……”
“Y-Young master!”
Jin Sowoon sealed the steward's pressure points as he clung like a leech, then stepped forward.
“Hand over that money.”
“……What?”
“That's blood money from the Dae-cheon Merchant Group. Fork it over.”
Silence blanketed the inn. The tension was so thick, even swallowing sounded like thunder.
The brute burst into mad laughter.
“Hahahahahaha!”
He glanced at his crew, who joined in.
“Hahahaha!”
“Kuhahaha!”
“This lunatic dares…… You're begging to die!”
He swung a watermelon-sized fist. Jin Sowoon didn't block or dodge—he took it head-on.
Thud!
But the groan came from the brute, not him.
“Guh……”
The thug tried hiding the pain from his fist. Jin Sowoon loosened his wrist first.
“You hit me once. My turn now, right?”
He had no clue what was going on. Something he didn't know about, probably.
Fine, whatever.
“You crazy bastard lost your mind……”
“Shut it.”
Still, watching them take his hard-earned cash right in front of him boiled his blood.
“Bite down hard on this.”
The rage dwarfed even what he'd felt facing demons.
Toll Fee. A fee paid by travelers to the owner of a road or path. Toll stations at city gates charge for paved official roads, and bandit strongholds charge for mountain paths they've cleared. Canal gangs guide waterways and take tolls too, apparently.
This toll bullshit made no sense.
“You didn't pave this road, so why the fuck are you charging tolls?”
The brute, eyes black-and-blue and kneeling, grimaced and mumbled.
“……P-Protec toll.”
“Speak properly, asshole! Want more teeth yanked?”
Maybe he wanted to complain that missing teeth garbled his speech. The brute glared pitifully, but tough shit.
As Jin Sowoon glared back, Go Jungtak spoke up.
“Young Master Jin, the protection toll is a recent thing.”
“Protection toll?”
Go Jungtak sighed softly and nodded. Black path gangs had stuck to extorting protection money only in their own territories. Starting fights in orthodox sect areas under the Murim Alliance would lead to purges, so they avoided encroaching.
But since the Four Black Leagues formed, more black path gangs had been creeping into orthodox turf. Affiliation offered some shield from unilateral purges, letting them expand gradually.
Still, the Leagues wouldn't back baseless aggression or incidents they provoked, so they couldn't outright seize orthodox zones.
As a compromise, they'd invented protection fees, tolls, and this hybrid protection-toll nonsense.
Whoa, what kind of bullshit scam was this?
“No, that's what I don't get! No protection, no road ownership—why charge protection tolls?!”
“……”
“No answer?”
“A-Are you insulting our g-gang?!”
“Asshole Gang? That's your sect name?”
“Th-This! Tongueless me!”
A lackey quickly answered for the glaring brute.
“S-Sangmunbang.”
“Sangmunbang?”
Never heard of them.
“Steward.”
“Yes, young master.”
“Does this happen often?”
Go Jungtak hesitated, then confessed resignedly.
“It's been increasing since the Four Black Leagues.”
“Holy shit……”
So these fuckers found a new racket thanks to the Leagues. Jin Sowoon tapped his temple.
“How much do they usually squeeze?”
“Not much. Cheaper than hiring an escort agency outright, so other merchants do it too.”
“How much exactly?”
“About ten times per city……”
Once per village, then. He turned to Wang Soso.
“You guys pay too?”
“Uh…… I don't think we do.”
Whoa, look at these pricks.
“So you only shake down easy marks.”
Fucking Four Black Leagues causing this side effect? Daring to dip into his pockets!
“Y-Young Master Jin, I get you're angry, but maybe let it go?”
“Why? This cash could bonus the porters or upgrade our inns.”
“Sure, with you here now……but later, who knows what could happen.”
The steward fretted over long-term stability. They might not pay now, but turn bandit later and fuck future trips.
Jin Sowoon shrugged.
“Just make sure it's safe later too.”
“Pardon?”
Flip it around: Force these bastards never to turn bandit, and no more fees plus safe travels.
He nudged the toothless brute with his foot.
“Hey, Asshole Gang.”
“……!!!”
The brute shot him a murderous glare.
“Take me to your gang leader.”
“A-Are you serioushly going, young mashter?”
“Why would I die? Just wanna talk.”
“Huh?”
Not getting through? The brute and lackeys looked baffled. A lackey asked carefully for the mumbling brute.
“Uh……do you know our gang leader?”
“Like I'd know black path small fry!”
The lackey pondered, then asked hesitantly.
“M-May I have your name……?”
“Jin Sowoon.”
Just those three syllables turned the lackey's face ashen.
“B-Black Path Saint Black Flame Dragon?!”
“No way……! Th-the Black Maitreya?!”
Yeah, that's me, you chewing bastards.