The Empty Ledger
Yu Sucheon flinched without realizing it.
Dan Hyunwoo's cold, piercing gaze seemed to bore straight through his chest, as if it could see every hidden truth.
Dan Hyunwoo spoke.
"That clothing is made from silk produced by the head of the Danga Manor. Doesn't it strike you as odd that you're wearing it?"
"......"
"The head of the Danga Manor hasn't produced any silk since last year. Yet here you are, dressed in clothes woven from that very silk. And from the looks of it, they were made only a few days ago."
"Th-that's... It's clothing made from silk I purchased some time ago."
"You must have been quite fond of the Danga's silk, then. Enough to commit such vile acts against them."
"Didn't I stake my life on it? I swear I never did anything like that."
"It would have been wiser to spend that time begging for forgiveness instead of inventing excuses."
Dan Hyunwoo tapped the Danga ledger—retrieved from the Guryong Sect's vault—with his finger.
Yu Sucheon realized the bastard was speaking with concrete proof in hand.
He whirled on Jeon Akgwan and roared.
"You insane bastard! Did you really record that I took all the silk from the Danga?!"
"......?"
Jeon Akgwan shook his head in utter confusion at Yu Sucheon's red-faced bellow, as if wondering what on earth he was talking about.
Yu Sucheon wore the exact same expression of bewilderment.
'No way...?'
The instant he realized Jeon Akgwan had written nothing in the ledger, Yu Sucheon whipped his head toward Dan Hyunwoo.
Dan Hyunwoo stared back at him with eyes as cold as falling frost.
'Damn it!'
He had swallowed the bait whole.
His assessment of Dan Hyunwoo shifted once again.
It wasn't that his mind was merely as sharp as his martial prowess.
It was even sharper.
Sharp enough to toy with a battle-hardened man like himself.
Dan Hyunwoo spoke in a voice so icy it could freeze the heart.
"The one who pulls the strings from the shadows while pretending to know nothing is the true villain. Mark it."
"Urk!"
"You said you'd stake your life, didn't you? But I have no interest in your life. After all, it's already in the palm of my hand. Strike the vital point."
"But! I have no direct involvement in—"
Thud!
Before he could finish, Yu Sucheon was sent flying.
Once again, the blow landed squarely on his face.
And of all places, it struck the straight, handsome nose he took the most pride in.
As he tumbled backward, the sickening sound of breaking bone rang out from his nose.
"Kyaaaack! My nose!"
Under normal circumstances, Yu Sucheon would have desperately tried to reset the broken bone even through the pain.
But he had no such luxury now.
He, a man of considerable renown even in Zhejiang Province, had not seen a single one of his opponent's strikes.
Not even once!
'Damn it all! How am I supposed to endure against a monster like him without striking my own vital point?!'
Only now did regret wash over him.
For taking a mere handful of silk.
For offering advice on how to swiftly ruin the Danga.
For suggesting they kill the Danga family quickly and seize their land.
Of course, he couldn't understand why he deserved this kind of beating for such acts.
He simply felt wronged.
What was so terrible about any of that?
Yet Yu Sucheon scrambled to his feet at once.
'If I don't get up quickly, something else will break!'
His body, long accustomed to terror, moved on instinct and dropped him back into the chair.
Dan Hyunwoo looked at Yu Sucheon, whose nose was streaming with blood, and spoke.
"Strike the vital point."
"Urk!"
Humiliation made his entire body tremble.
He—a free-spirited warrior of the Sapa and the most handsome expert in Hangzhou—reduced to a slave! And since he possessed even less wealth than Jeon Akgwan, his life of servitude would likely last even longer.
But he struck the vital point.
Squeeze!
If he refused, that monster might start tearing off limbs one by one until he obeyed.
The vivid mark on his body served as proof that he had chosen the path of survival.
Dan Hyunwoo tucked the document into his sleeve and said,
"Now tell me exactly what kind of dealings you had with the Mokhwa Merchant Group."
Dan Hyunwoo's finger tapped the ledger once more.
This time it was no probe.
Every transaction with the Mokhwa Merchant Group had been recorded in full.
Jeon Akgwan spilled everything.
Of course, it wasn't born from any sense of remorse.
He spoke with the desperate mindset of dragging others down with him so he wouldn't die alone.
"The Mokhwa Merchant Group coveted the Danga's land. That's why they conspired with us to begin this scheme."
"The Danga's land isn't in such a prime location, is it?"
"Not at present. But in the near future, that area will become one of Hangzhou's most vital districts. Land prices have already risen considerably."
"What is the current market value of the Danga's land?"
"It should be around four to five hundred gold ingots."
"And that is why the debt with interest reached nine hundred and ninety gold ingots?"
"...Correct. The amount to be repaid had to exceed the land's value."
"If the land value rose, the Danga could have sold the manor to clear the debt."
"We manipulated the surrounding market rates so the Danga wouldn't notice."
"The fact that you went to such lengths means the Danga's land will rise even further in value, doesn't it?"
"Yes. If all goes well, it could reach around a thousand gold ingots."
Driven by the sole determination not to die alone, Jeon Akgwan vomited out every last detail.
The more Dan Hyunwoo listened, the harder he had to suppress the rage boiling up inside him.
He needed to hear the entire story first.
The Mokhwa Merchant Group had approached the Guryong Sect five years ago.
They desired both the Danga's land and the Danhwa Silk Shop.
But they had no intention of purchasing them at fair value.
So their first move had been a war of attrition.
The Mokhwa Merchant Group didn't care about the losses incurred.
Once they swallowed the Danga, they would recoup hundreds of times their investment.
After maintaining that pressure until the Danhwa Silk Shop finally collapsed, they had the Guryong Sect step forward.
Yu Sucheon had been the one to carefully time their intervention.
Because he wanted to monopolize the Danga's silk.
At first, the Guryong Sect remained hidden.
The head of the Danga would have grown wary otherwise.
So they used likable men hired by Yu Sucheon to make contact.
After that, it was simple.
They lent money, then transferred the debt to the Guryong Sect.
The head of the Danga had ended up paying exorbitant interest without ever realizing it.
That the ruined Danhwa Silk Shop was bought at a rock-bottom price by the Mokhwa Merchant Group was also due to Yu Sucheon's behind-the-scenes advice.
To inflate the interest beyond the land's value, they had given just enough funds to keep hope alive—a torture of false hope.
While enduring that torment, the debt had only grown larger.
And when it finally reached one thousand gold ingots, they would seize the Danga, with the Mokhwa Merchant Group giving half the land's value to the Guryong Sect.
That timing, too, had been orchestrated by Yu Sucheon.
At this point, Dan Hyunwoo's fist slammed into Jeon Akgwan's face.
"Kyaaaack!"
Jeon Akgwan rolled across the floor.
Yu Sucheon immediately followed, tumbling right after him.
"Keuk!"
Neither man could stand for some time.
The impact felt as if their bodies were being ripped apart.
But Dan Hyunwoo had held back.
He wanted to kill them, but the Mokhwa Merchant Group took priority for now.
Dan Hyunwoo sat down in a chair, calming his fury.
Even in pain so severe they wished for death, Jeon Akgwan and Yu Sucheon quickly returned to their seats and watched his expression nervously.
Dan Hyunwoo asked,
"Where is the Mokhwa Merchant Group located?"
"Y-you're going there?"
"Lead the way."
Jeon Akgwan nodded frantically.
If he didn't find a physician soon, the blood pouring from his stomach would kill him.
Whatever happened to the Mokhwa Merchant Group was no longer any concern of his.
Dan Hyunwoo rose from his seat.
Yu Sucheon and Jeon Akgwan awkwardly trailed behind him.
At that moment, Jeon Akgwan shot a sidelong glance at Yu Sucheon.
"......!"
Yu Sucheon immediately understood the meaning behind that look.
Inside his sleeve was a dagger coated in poison.
A precaution for when he encountered someone stronger than himself.
His sworn brother Jeon Akgwan knew about it.
Yu Sucheon's dagger was brand new.
Until meeting Dan Hyunwoo, he had never faced anyone stronger.
'It's coated with lethal poison. A mere graze means death. No matter how skilled the opponent.'
Yu Sucheon curled the corner of his mouth into a sly grin.
Thanks to Jeon Akgwan remembering the dagger, he could avoid the fate of becoming a slave.
His hand stealthily slipped into his sleeve.
With the bastard walking ahead, this was the perfect chance.
All he needed was a single graze.
The odds of success were absolute.
It was almost too simple to fail.
Shrrk.
The dagger emerged from his sleeve and settled into his grip.
Now he simply had to hurl it into the man's back.
'He's let his guard down. Turning his back to an enemy. Heh heh heh.'
Little by little, he closed the distance toward Dan Hyunwoo's back, searching for the right moment.
But then, unexpectedly, he hesitated.
He had faced many experts before.
Even against those he thought he couldn't defeat, he had always found the tiniest opening and driven his blade through it.
Yet against Dan Hyunwoo, he could see no opening whatsoever.
Even though the man walked completely defenseless, back fully exposed, without even drawing his weapon.
'Why?'
A single bead of sweat trickled down Yu Sucheon's temple as he continued looking for an opportunity.
Could a person truly have no weaknesses at all?
He had certainly never encountered one.
Even the top experts in Hangzhou had exploitable gaps.
But no matter which path his blade took, every route was blocked, and all he could envision was his own death.
Instinctive terror gripped his chest.
Even so, Jeon Akgwan kept shooting him looks that screamed, 'What are you waiting for? Stab him already!'
With Jeon Akgwan's level of skill, he probably couldn't comprehend it.
Just how monstrous Dan Hyunwoo's realm truly was.
'Damn it! He's far stronger than I imagined.'
Yu Sucheon withdrew the dagger from his sweat-soaked hand.
It slid back into his sleeve, then into its sheath, falling silent once more.
Dan Hyunwoo, still walking ahead, spoke.
"Wise choice. Keep that dagger on your person from now on."
"Huk?!"
Goosebumps erupted across both Yu Sucheon and Jeon Akgwan's bodies.
He had known all along? He had even detected the approach when killing intent had been completely withdrawn?
Dan Hyunwoo turned his head and let out a soft chuckle.
It was a smile he had never shown even in the imperial palace, yet he found himself making it often these days.
Especially when dealing with Yu Sucheon and Jeon Akgwan, who seemed to possess a particular talent for amusing him.
Dan Hyunwoo said,
"I'll be generous regarding your attempt on my life. Consider it paid by adding another ten thousand gold ingots to the ten thousand you already owe. And before we reach the Mokhwa Merchant Group, each of you will take ten more hits."
By the time they arrived, the already swollen faces of Yu Sucheon and Jeon Akgwan had swollen even further.
The ten strikes from Dan Hyunwoo hurt far worse than any beating they had received before.
Each blow made them feel as though they were dying.
On top of that, their debt had doubled.
That hurt even more than the physical punishment.
Twenty thousand gold ingots.
It made them want to vomit.
Jeon Akgwan finally couldn't hold back and shot Yu Sucheon a resentful glare that clearly asked, 'Why didn't you throw the dagger?!'
Yu Sucheon shot back a look that answered, 'If I had, we'd all be dead!'
Bickering silently like that, they finally reached the Mokhwa Merchant Group.
The guard at the entrance didn't recognize the badly swollen Yu Sucheon and blocked their path.
"Who the hell are you? You can't just barge into the merchant group. Get lost!"
Thud!
Perhaps it was resentment at not being recognized.
Or maybe he simply didn't want to incur any more of Dan Hyunwoo's wrath.
Yu Sucheon drove his fist forward with everything he had.
"Kyaaaack!"
The entrance guard went flying into the merchant group's interior.
Pointing at the now wide-open entrance where the man had flown through, Yu Sucheon said with a servile chuckle,
"Young Master, please go ahead. Hehehe."
Yu Sucheon wore the smile of someone who had taken an excellent first step in his new life as a servant.
Dan Hyunwoo gave a slight nod and stepped into the Mokhwa Merchant Group.
Once inside, he immediately noticed that the atmosphere was off.
'I didn't expect them to be doing something like this.'
The weavers working the silk looms looked one step from death.
Their bodies were gaunt and frail.
Their eyes were sunken from lack of sleep.
The dark shadows beneath them looked utterly pitiful.
They were being exploited.
It was hard to believe, but they were essentially slaves.
Dan Hyunwoo realized at once that the man guarding the entrance had been there to prevent them from escaping.
'So this is why the Mokhwa Merchant Group's silk was so cheap.'
How long had these people been locked away here, forced to work?
It must have been many years.
To be this emaciated, they would have endured over a decade of suffering.
The anger he had tried so hard to bury in his chest slowly lifted its head.
It had been a long time since he had allowed himself to be consumed by such fury.
Dan Hyunwoo threw open the door to the merchant group's workshop.
Thud.
The paper screen door slammed open with a loud noise.
Beyond it, several women with dark circles under their eyes could be seen silently working at the weaving frames.
Even at the loud sound of the door, they remained fixated on their tasks.
As if punishment awaited anyone who failed to meet their quota.
Seeing their skin-and-bones figures, rage flooded the fist he clenched tight.
'Yu Sucheon and Jeon Akgwan were already among the worst of villains, yet I never imagined there could be someone even worse than them.'