The Scent of the Demonic Flower
Jang Muhwi was focusing his sense of smell when it happened.
A book came flying from behind him.
Thud!
The book that landed at Jang Muhwi’s feet was clearly an account ledger, a contract, and a list all bound together into a single volume.
Then came the voice of Chae Bisu.
“Check the ledger against the goods. If there’s even the slightest discrepancy, there won’t be a next time, so work hard. The clerk who worked here before was so incompetent that he made mistakes every single day. Thanks to him, I had to double-check everything. I trust you won’t be like that.”
“Ah, understood. If you trust me and leave it to me….”
Jang Muhwi answered in a clumsy voice and picked up the ledger.
The first thing he looked for was the list.
The list contained not only Mahwa but most of the medicinal herbs forbidden by the Murim Alliance.
Upon closer inspection, these were all ingredients used for pill refinement.
Jang Muhwi compared the list with the items stored in the warehouse.
He couldn’t be certain just by smell without actually seeing the Mahwa.
Jang Muhwi began examining the neatly organized herb storage one by one.
Of course, he had to move somewhat clumsily.
Apparently still suspicious, Chae Bisu watched him with several warriors.
The warriors guarding Chae Bisu were dressed in black uniforms.
They were people he had never seen during normal operations.
It seemed they were the true eyes monitoring the entire Jangryong Merchant Group.
It was exactly what he had expected.
Jang Muhwi focused his sense of smell once more and headed toward the corner.
In the corner sat a massive iron box.
Though shaped like a box, it was closer to a safe.
Jang Muhwi slowly opened it.
The lid was so heavy that an ordinary person couldn’t have lifted it.
Of course, it posed no obstacle to Jang Muhwi.
Chae Bisu might notice, but confirming it quickly took priority.
Creak.
As the box opened, the scent of Mahwa bloomed outward.
Inside lay neatly arranged petals of Mahwa glowing in five colors.
He had finally caught solid evidence.
It was then.
Urgent footsteps rang out from behind.
Tap tap tap.
When he turned his head, Chae Bisu was running toward him.
Black-clad warriors moved stealthily around Chae Bisu.
Their stealthiness made it clear they had received assassin training.
They weren’t mere watchers—they were killers.
If they weren’t assassins, they couldn’t move with such secrecy even in normal times.
As Chae Bisu approached, Jang Muhwi changed his expression again.
“M-My lord, what is the matter?”
“You don’t need to open that.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
“Yes, for the iron box, just check the items listed on the lid and move on. I forgot to tell you. If you open the box, the medicinal effect will dissipate.”
“Understood.”
When Jang Muhwi slightly bowed his head, Chae Bisu seemed relieved and slowly turned away.
It was then.
Chae Bisu, who had been about to leave, tilted his head slightly.
Then he carefully turned back around.
“By the way… you.”
“Yes?”
“How did you open that box?”
“That was a mistake….”
“What I’m asking is how you opened something that heavy. Now that I think about it, you’re no ordinary fellow….”
Chae Bisu trailed off and stepped backward.
It was because Jang Muhwi’s eyes had changed.
It was only natural that Chae Bisu had noticed. It was also the moment he had been waiting for.
Jang Muhwi, his expression now transformed, walked toward Chae Bisu.
“Eating the porridge you gave me gave me quite the strength.”
“Just who the hell are you….”
“You’ve stockpiled Mahwa, which is strictly forbidden by both the Murim Alliance and the imperial court. Manager Chae.”
“Insolent bastard!”
“Come on, you already noticed, so why act like this? Let’s start with a beating.”
Jang Muhwi casually picked up a metal rod that had fallen on the floor.
Upon closer look, it was a lever used to open the box.
It would have been stranger if Chae Bisu hadn’t noticed that Jang Muhwi had opened a box that required a lever.
Of course, this wasn’t a deviation from the plan.
Escaping this place without revealing his identity had been impossible anyway.
The corners of Jang Muhwi’s mouth rose beautifully as he gripped the iron cudgel.
These people were beasts wearing human skin.
To protect their secrets, they had turned people into half-corpses!
Though it hadn’t been revealed to the outside world, the victims surely weren’t limited to the clerk he had seen earlier.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Jang Muhwi charged toward Chae Bisu with heavy footsteps.
It was then.
Black shadows swooped down on Jang Muhwi.
One from the right.
One from the left.
In the already dark warehouse, their movements looked even faster.
But they could never be Jang Muhwi’s match.
‘Heojeong Manhwa.’
The iron cudgel in Jang Muhwi’s hand bloomed flowers all around him.
In the blink of an eye, he blocked all their swords.
Clang! Clang!
Clatter.
The two black-clad men who had rushed at Jang Muhwi retreated five steps.
They dropped their swords, now broken in half, and clutched their chests.
Only for a moment.
Cough!
The black-clad men vomited up a bowlful of blood.
Chae Bisu’s eyes widened at the sight.
“Just what the hell are you!”
“Before you learn my identity, I told you we should start with a beating.”
Jang Muhwi’s eyes gleamed.
In that instant, several more black-clad men stepped forward to block Chae Bisu.
Swish. Swish.
Even more black-clad men joined them.
Looking at them, Jang Muhwi spoke.
“Wouldn’t it be better if you all came at me at once?”
Having finished speaking, Jang Muhwi charged toward them.
Crash!
Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew several times inside the dimly lit warehouse.
And that was it.
When Jang Muhwi stopped swinging his iron cudgel, every single black-clad man was on the ground.
Only their faint breathing proved they were still alive.
They clutched their legs as if their bones were broken.
Jang Muhwi grinned.
“Any more?”
No one answered his shout.
After speaking, Jang Muhwi tossed the iron cudgel to the floor.
He then picked up the sword and scabbard one of the black-clad men had been holding.
Jang Muhwi alternated his gaze between the sword and scabbard in both hands before discarding the blade.
Holding the scabbard in his right hand, he looked at Chae Bisu.
“Who ordered this?”
“That’s….”
“Ah, right. I made a promise, didn’t I?”
“What promise?”
“That we’d start with a beating. Get down.”
“….”
Chae Bisu bit his lip hard as he stared at Jang Muhwi.
Only for a moment. Then an aura began flowing from Jang Muhwi’s body.
It was the power he had been hiding until now.
Jang Muhwi’s Muyoung Simbeop had grown another level through his battle with the madman.
Few people could fully withstand the aura he emitted.
When Chae Bisu, terrified, stepped back, Jang Muhwi swiftly thrust out the scabbard.
Thwack!
The tip of the scabbard drove into Chae Bisu’s abdomen.
Looking at the collapsed Chae Bisu, Jang Muhwi continued.
“Do you know why I threw away the iron cudgel and picked this up? It’s because I was afraid you might die too quickly. Look forward to it.”
There wasn’t the slightest falsehood in his words.
He had no intention of taking Chae Bisu’s life.
The bastard was an important witness.
He would have to drag out every piece of information the man knew somehow.
However, that was a job for the Murim Alliance, not Jang Muhwi.
After speaking, the scabbard in Jang Muhwi’s hand began to dance.
Thwack. Thwack.
Jang Muhwi paused for a moment before asking again.
“What did you use the Mahwa for?”
“That’s….”
Jang Muhwi raised the scabbard high once more.
Chae Bisu urgently opened his mouth.
“We made recovery pills.”
“Then you would have needed test subjects. If you tested the recovery medicine on ronin, you must have an antidote as well.”
“How could you possibly know that….”
Chae Bisu’s pupils shook as if an earthquake had struck them.
He was clearly more flustered than when he was being beaten.
It was a silver lining amid misfortune.
Without an antidote to mitigate the Mahwa’s effects, continuous pill refinement would have been impossible.
In his previous life, it had been standard practice to create an antidote to alleviate side effects whenever producing highly effective recovery pills.
It was then.
Jang Muhwi’s gaze turned beyond the warehouse.
It was the passage he had entered through.
Beyond the maze-like passage, he sensed quite a number of presences.
Jang Muhwi crossed his arms and waited for them.
Swish.
The stealthy footsteps grew closer and closer.
Chae Bisu looked back and forth between Jang Muhwi and the direction of the approaching presences, clearly anxious.
In the time it took to draw a few breaths, the presences had arrived right in front of them.
There weren’t just one or two.
At a glance, more than a dozen men had drawn their swords and were pointing them at Jang Muhwi.
Moreover, one of the black-clad men in the back was holding someone captive.
Chae Bisu’s face brightened instantly.
He looked at Jang Muhwi.
“You bastard, put down your sword right now. If you don’t, I’ll kill him.”
“Are you serious?”
Jang Muhwi looked at where Chae Bisu was pointing.
There stood the hostage the black-clad man had brought.
The hostage was wearing a guard warrior’s uniform.
The black-clad men grabbed the guard by the nape of his neck and stepped forward.
Seeing this, Chae Bisu spoke with triumphant confidence.
“Are you saying it’s fine if this bastard dies? You two seemed quite close. Judging from your martial prowess, he must be no ordinary servant. I’ll cut off the head of your right-hand man.”
Chae Bisu pointed at the hostage.
At that, Jang Muhwi let out a sigh.
“Why did you get dragged here?”
“These gentlemen told me to come with them. How could I refuse, Young Master?”
The one dragged before them was Ma Uiryong.
Ma Uiryong, dressed in a guard warrior’s uniform, scratched the back of his head with an apologetic expression.
“They looked suspicious at first glance. So why did you follow them?”
“Didn’t you tell me to hide my identity?”
Ma Uiryong made a pitiful face as if he had been wronged.
It was true they looked suspicious.
But he couldn’t disobey Jang Muhwi’s order to conceal his identity.
If his identity were exposed, the contract would fall through, and in the worst case, he would have to return to Pajuk Seonsaeng’s residence.
That would mean seeing the terrifying Geomhui again.
Ma Uiryong bit his lip.
It was then.
Jang Muhwi let out a small chuckle.
“It’s fine now. Handle it as you see fit.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m saying there’s no need to hide your identity anymore.”
“Is that really alright, Young Master?”
“Young Master? What Young Master. Just do what you normally do.”
“Then… my lord?”
“Did you eat something wrong?”
“Then I’ll call you Big Brother. Young Master.”
“Do as you please. Just stop standing there looking so awkward.”
Jang Muhwi pointed at the black-clad men.
To Jang Muhwi, Ma Uiryong being subdued by the black-clad men looked completely out of place.
In his eyes, it was like a cicada trying to suppress an old tree.
How could a cicada possibly break an old tree!
Of course, that was only in Jang Muhwi’s eyes.
The black-clad men listening to their conversation looked at each other with dumbfounded expressions.
Even Chae Bisu, whose face was swollen like a balloon, let out a wide grin for the first time in a while.
“You’ve got some nerve. If that’s what you truly want, I’ll grant your wish. Prepare to force that bastard to his knees and cut off his head.”
“Understood.”
The two black-clad men holding Ma Uiryong quickly replied.
They pressed down on Ma Uiryong.
But their expressions immediately hardened.
Even though they had pressed down hard on Ma Uiryong’s shoulders as ordered, he hadn’t budged an inch.
It felt like trying to push down a boulder.
At that moment, Ma Uiryong raised the corners of his mouth in a beautiful smile.
“Are you joking?”
Having finished speaking, Ma Uiryong lifted the two black-clad men who had been holding him into the air.
Then he slammed them straight into the ground.
Crunch!
Their necks snapped like dry twigs.
It had all happened in the blink of an eye.
Ma Uiryong dusted off his hands and looked at Jang Muhwi.
“Can I kill them?”
“Hah, you already killed them and now you’re asking me? Each and every one of these bastards is evidence, so from now on, capture them alive whenever possible. And this should suit your hands better.”
Jang Muhwi hooked the iron cudgel that had fallen on the floor with his toe.
Then he lightly kicked it toward Ma Uiryong.
The iron cudgel looked remarkably similar to the short spear Ma Uiryong used to wield.
Ma Uiryong caught the iron cudgel as it drew an arc through the air.
Clack!
The moment he gripped the iron cudgel, Ma Uiryong’s expression subtly changed.
For a fleeting moment, it looked as if the old face—the face of Ma Uiryong from his fighting dog days—had resurfaced.