Slave Market (2)
Slave Market (2)
"I'm good with that."
Muk Seo-ah nodded, and Hwang Ga-bi's face lit up.
He even glanced at Taeju Doryeong. Muk Seo-ah seemed like a newbie. He wanted to recruit the more experienced Taeju Doryeong too.
"I'm good. I've got stuff to do."
Taeju Doryeong turned him down and looked at Yoo Bok-hyang. No matter how you sliced it, the guy had zero talent for this stuff. He was just a regular schmuck.
But this woman had killed a yokai. Even with help from an immortal, that was no easy feat. Just succeeding at the exorcism was a huge accomplishment.
"You wanna learn from me?"
Taeju Doryeong suggested to Yoo Bok-hyang.
"I'll teach you how to kill yokai demons without bindings. You can't learn that from other exorcists. It's a method I came up with before I even mastered Taoist Magic. It'll boost your odds of winning to 20%."
From what Muk Seo-ah could tell, Taeju Doryeong didn't have much raw power. Meaning the guy was making do as an exorcist with just a smidge of talent.
He seemed to have his own tricks up his sleeve. This could be a real shot for Yoo Bok-hyang.
Muk Seo-ah flashed a ready smile at Yoo Bok-hyang, who was eyeing her for approval.
"Go for it. Looks solid."
"...Yes!"
Could Yoo Bok-hyang actually become an exorcist? Who knew. Catching one yokai didn't make it likely, that much was true.
Muk Seo-ah planned to leave the training to Taeju Doryeong. She didn't have anything to teach anyway.
After finishing their meal and heading out, she plunked a gold nugget right in front of the Pleasure House employee. The employee's eyes went wide as saucers.
"No change needed."
"Th-thank you! Take care!"
People buzzed at the sight of Muk Seo-ah paying with straight gold. Hwang Ga-bi sneaked a peek too. He thought she was just some newbie exorcist, but maybe her family's loaded.
His awe at her wealth was short-lived as Hwang Ga-bi snapped back to reality. He couldn't tackle this job just the two of them.
"Muk Taoist-nim. Know any other exorcists? We need at least three."
"Sounds like a big gig?"
From the details, it was a job to investigate the Slave Market. But with yokai definitely inside, they couldn't just barge in.
Another exorcist had already gone in and gotten taken out. The yokai hiding in there could be mid-level, or high-level at worst.
The kicker? The client said anyone in there could be killed, no problem. The traders were hardcore criminals dealing in illegal slaves, so summary execution was fair game.
No wonder it was posted by the village Magistrate—things were spicy.
'Exorcists don't get punished much for killing anyway. Not something to sweat.'
Without hard evidence, exorcists almost never got hauled in.
And for exorcists, using Taoist Magic to kill without a trace was a breeze.
'If it's a high-level yokai, even getting inside to kill it would be a mess. The second it senses trouble, it'll pop a Ghost Gate and bail...'
They needed three. And solid disguises.
Muk Seo-ah could solo a high-level yokai, but Hwang Ga-bi wouldn't buy it. She was playing newbie exorcist right now—just starting to get a rep.
Muk Seo-ah got the gist of the job.
"One more? Aw, man, who though."
Her only contacts were Cheong-ui Gongja and Osaekja. Whoever it was, they'd have to head back to the Pleasure House. She needed to stash the gold bars too.
The four hopped in a carriage back to the Pleasure House. Muk Seo-ah and Yoo Bok-hyang had a ton of gold to store.
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"The Magistrate's request? Whoa, this is no small potatoes."
Cheong-ui Gongja whistled in admiration. Osaekja seemed more reliable, but she was off on another job and had left the Pleasure House.
Muk Seo-ah had no choice but to recruit Cheong-ui Gongja. Turns out he and Hwang Ga-bi went way back—they'd crossed paths before.
"Hyung-nim. This could be a high-level yokai. I'll die if I go alone!"
"Got it. I'm in. Sounds like we gotta sneak in—how you planning the disguises?"
"Uh... about that."
Hwang Ga-bi looked like he had zero plan. He grinned sheepishly.
Muk Seo-ah sighed and spoke up.
"Shouldn't we check with the Magistrate first?"
That's when it happened.
A woman in a mourning shroud over her head, hiding her face, sat down right in front of Muk Seo-ah.
She was short and petite, but fierce eyes gleamed from under the shroud. She slid a note across the table.
It was the client, the Magistrate. She'd come disguised as a regular housewife in the shroud. How long had she been watching? Muk Seo-ah hadn't noticed a thing.
Now she spotted them—warriors disguised as commoners, swords hidden, scattered around the Pleasure House. At least three. Their disguises were top-notch, but honestly, Muk Seo-ah was so tough she wouldn't flinch at an ambush anyway, so she'd gotten a bit lax.
'No need to stay on guard.'
Muk Seo-ah took the note. The Magistrate quietly extended her hand for a second one. A small, pale hand flashed from under the shroud and vanished.
Dealing with regular criminals was the magistrate office's job. Muk Seo-ah nodded quietly. Exorcists just nabbed the yokai and bounced. If any criminals got caught in the crossfire, the Magistrate had their back.
The Magistrate sent another note. Looked like she was scribbling fast under the shroud. Still, the handwriting was impeccably neat.
Muk Seo-ah mouthed the words. The client's demands were pretty picky.
'Why?'
'No. We can do it. The house is underground, right? That'll keep the noise from spreading outside.
That's when it happened.
This was the Pleasure House. Drunks stumbling around? Par for the course. One hammered guy plopped down next to the Magistrate, chair-bound in her stupor, and grabbed her ass.
He figured the shrouded figure was an easy mark commoner.
Grab.
The drunk groped the Magistrate's small, firm butt. He seemed to like her more than Muk Seo-ah. The kind of weirdo with a fetish for tiny women that society'd shun.
"Heh heh, so petite—feels great to squeeze. Lemme see that face."
The disguised warriors stood up. Hands reaching for swords hidden in their clothes.
Hwang Ga-bi jumped up fast and clocked the guy in the face.
"You crazy bastard! A-are you okay?"
"Quiet. Make a scene and we're busted. I'm here incognito."
The Magistrate whispered softly. Her face was mostly hidden, but her voice was cute—like a little girl's.
There was steel in that voice. She stood calmly, locking eyes with Muk Seo-ah.
"Finish the job, and I'll grant you one favor at my discretion. Count on you."
Muk Seo-ah nodded.
The Magistrate left with dignified steps, and the disguised warriors trickled out one by one, spaced apart.
The last one dragged the drunk who'd passed out after groping the Magistrate. His fate was obvious.
Muk Seo-ah flipped the last note to check the back. It detailed the exorcists' cover roles and infiltration into the slave trading house.
The explanation was straightforward. In summary:
Role 1. Slave Trader - Manager suspected yokai. Meet and judge. Execute on the spot if possible.
Role 2. Slave Buyer - Monopolize the priciest slaves to draw manager's attention. If manager's yokai, execute immediately upon meeting. Magistrate office providing 100,000 nyang for op costs.
Role 3. Slave - High chance of being transported to deepest part of the house. Scout layout, confirm manager as yokai and execute.
Trader sells the slave-disguised exorcist, buyer repurchases. Confirm yokai during process and execute.
During op, handling criminals inside is at exorcists' discretion. All executions authorized.
The Magistrate's seal stamped the bottom. Simple terms: killin' license. Crooks trading sex slaves? Drop as many as needed.
Power, huh. Muk Seo-ah nodded and spoke up. Before the op, they needed to assign roles first.
"Who's gonna be the slave?"
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"Tch..."
Muk Seo-ah grumbled. Rock-paper-scissors went fair and square, and she drew the slave role.
Cold hard logic said she was perfect for it. Slave was shackled up, deepest exposure to danger. Only she could guarantee survival.
Still, a dog collar on a person? Even in this class-ridden era, it was too much. Treated less like human, more like gear.
Muk Seo-ah wore a thick leather collar. It clamped tight around her neck. Thin chain at the end for the owner to yank her around.
"You okay...? Slaves get treated rough. I'm the seller, so I might have to go hard on you."
Hwang Ga-bi hemmed and hawed. Muk Seo-ah squeezed her eyes shut. Dirty slave rags on, collar tight, hands bound.
Short, tattered pants left her legs bare. No shoes—bare feet slapping cold hard floors.
"I'm fine. Just do it."
"Ahem, right. For real now. We agreed, so no hitting me later."
Hwang Ga-bi cracked his neck. The slave trading house was right there. Time to sell the act.
The door was guarded by a rough-looking brute. Spotting him, Hwang Ga-bi yanked Muk Seo-ah's chain hard.
"You damn bitch! Get over here!"
"Kkgh?!"
Hwang Ga-bi was super tense. The pull was stronger than promised. Muk Seo-ah hadn't braced, so her neck snapped forward and she tumbled.
For a split second, the collar choked hard—spit dribbled from her mouth. As she hacked and coughed, Hwang Ga-bi's face twisted in panic.
But no stopping now. The Gatekeeper was watching. Quit the act to coddle her, and suspicions fly.
Slaves had no rights. Rough handling was the norm, so Hwang Ga-bi had to play brutal trader under the guy's eyes.
"Walk straight! Useless bitch. Can't even walk right now? Guess I gotta sell your ass."
Hwang Ga-bi gripped the chain and dragged.
Muk Seo-ah flopped to the floor and got hauled. The collar strangled her throat—air cut off.
She got it. Hwang Ga-bi's move was right.
If a high-level yokai lurked inside, even a surprise exorcist rush would tip it off to chaos and bolt.
High-level yokai used Ghost Gates—catching 'em was a nightmare. Had to strike up close, no escape time.
Muk Seo-ah knew all that in her head. Sneak-in op meant taking the slave treatment.
This was just part of the plan.
'But this is too much...!'
Muk Seo-ah wheezed dying gasps, scraped across the floor by the man's strong pull.
Tears welled from the choking. Not dying-level blocked, but it hurt like hell.
"Kek, kehk."
Muk Seo-ah's face was a mess—tears pooling, flushed red. Seeing it, the Gatekeeper at the door smirked.
"Here to sell a slave? Looks decent enough."
They fooled the Gatekeeper.
Hwang Ga-bi wanted to wink at Muk Seo-ah—mission success signal—but she was already collapsed, heaving ragged breaths on the floor.