Retribution (8)
My sound transmission prompted Jin Yu Warrior to open his eyes. He donned his mask and tied the straps tight.
— I'm ready.
— Go first. We'll follow behind.
— Understood.
Jin Yu Warrior took a deep breath and drew his sword.
The blade, dulled with ash for a matte finish, looked especially chilling today.
Tat!
He kicked off and shot forward. Seo-u Warrior and I followed close behind.
Was this the hour of vengeance? Or the time for karma to strike?
Either way, one thing was certain: hell was about to descend on them.
Sslash!
This time, there was no mercy in our strikes.
Unlike before, they had to vanish without a trace to truly torment the Murim Alliance.
Besides, these were scions of families loyal to the Murim Alliance.
No matter how much of wastrel trash they were, they wouldn't face the same grueling punishment as Ma Jangju's guards.
Their clans would likely settle it quietly with some modest compensation.
Then these bastards would keep wreaking havoc as spoiled delinquents, and the innocent would bear the suffering.
So it was better if they disappeared here.
Unit Vice Leader Sa-gu shot up from his camp bed, his flesh crawling with killing intent.
'Who dares!'
He snatched his sword and burst out of the tent.
But the situation was already dire.
Everyone was too drunk to even stand properly, collapsing helplessly one by one.
"You bastards! What the hell is this?!"
At Unit Vice Leader Sa-gu's shout, the intruders turned toward him.
Smiling face masks.
The sight sent a chill down his spine.
'Was that testimony true after all?'
But he shook his head, shoving down the fear, and gripped his sword tighter.
If these were the culprits behind that incident, they must know where the gold taels were hidden!
"Daring to attack us—you've got some guts. I'll capture you all and recover the missing gold!"
Some of his men had fallen to the surprise assault, but with him stepping in, things would sort themselves out quickly.
Having recently reached the Peak realm, his confidence pierced the heavens.
He swung his sword with that very assurance.
Clang!
But contrary to his expectations, his blade was effortlessly blocked.
"Not bad!"
"……."
His opponent parried without a hint of surprise.
The eyes visible through the mask were cold and unyielding.
"H-Hik!"
A foreboding chill gripped him, but he tried to shake it off with another swing.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Kakang!
Swords clashed repeatedly, sparks flying.
Neither yielded an inch, the tension taut like a thread pulled from both ends.
It felt on the verge of snapping at any moment.
Only then did Unit Vice Leader Sa-gu snap to his senses and realize it.
His opponent's skill matched his own.
'Damn it! This guy's Peak realm too! Where the hell did he come from?'
Attacking them meant these weren't ordinary bandits—they had a grudge against the Murim Alliance.
He had to survive and relay this intel somehow.
'Then even if problems arise, they can be smoothed over.'
That was when it happened.
'An opening!'
He spotted a gap on his foe's left side and lunged like lightning.
Just as his sword neared the opponent's flank.
'Huh?'
He realized something was wrong too late—a dagger was already thrusting toward his face.
Recalling his extended sword was no easy feat.
And with his upper body leaning forward, dodging was impossible.
'Damn! Was that flank opening a trap?'
Springing such a trap meant the enemy was a superior master.
But he'd noticed far too late.
Puk!
"Gaaahhh!"
Pain exploded in his eye, wrenching a scream from him.
Sslash!
His sword arm flew off at the same instant.
Then the enemy's blade pressed against his chest, over his heart.
"Lucky for you it's not a stone knife this time. At least I can avenge my comrades who died back then."
"……!"
Memories flooded his mind at last.
The child who'd tried to stab his chest with a stone knife, the one who'd fled, and what they'd done.
"Y-You!"
Stab!
But he couldn't finish his words.
This time, Jin Yu Warrior's sword plunged into Unit Vice Leader Sa-gu's heart.
Thud.
Thus, he met a death far gentler than his crimes deserved.
But would even the afterlife be peaceful for him?
Considering the tribulations his clan would face because of his death, probably not.
— No survivors.
At Seo-u Warrior's sound transmission, Jin Yu Warrior finally gazed properly at the man he'd slain.
He calmly retrieved the dagger from the corpse's eye and closed its lids.
Faces of his wretchedly departed comrades began surfacing one by one.
Over sixty massacred brutally by the Baekroe Unit, plus thirty more who died in subsequent training.
And...
Five who perished on missions.
Jin Yu Warrior, the sole survivor among those who'd been with them, had only just begun his revenge.
I looked at Jin Yu Warrior.
He seemed somehow unburdened.
But we couldn't linger, so I called to him shortly after.
"Jin Yu Warrior, we need to clean up and get out now."
"Yes, thank you for waiting."
We hurried to work.
Hid the bodies, erased the bloodstains. Packed our gear and scattered false trails of departure.
Of course, the ten thousand gold taels went straight to my secret vault again.
With the job perfectly done, we returned to the inn.
"Young master, you're back?"
"Yeah. Everything quiet?"
"Yes, nothing happened. As you said, I made sure folks saw you and the two warriors."
"Good work."
I handed Palgap a Phantom Mirror and told him to use it to let others glimpse me, Seo-u Warrior, and Jin Yu Warrior.
The Phantom Mirror let you project an illusion of yourself wherever you wished.
But it had a hidden feature: you could project illusions of anyone you knew, not just yourself.
Palgap had used that to create witnesses by showing our images to others.
If you're doing it, do it right.
We all headed down to the first floor.
"Working all day has me starving."
"I'll order food."
"Sure."
Soon, simple-looking noodles were set before us.
As I ate, I sorted my thoughts once more.
All that remained was sending Ma Jangju off for good. He had to pay for his crimes.
The price for brutally killing eight young porters still hung in the balance.
A few days ago, Jin Yeong Daehyeop had visited, asking about the tribute grain to the palace.
I'd sought his advice then.
He said a Censorate Inspector could investigate on their own authority with solid evidence, no accuser needed.
Evidence... Ji-hyeon probably had something.
He groveled to Ma Jangju, but was there no resentment beneath?
As the county magistrate, his pride had to be wounded.
There had to be something—proof he'd gathered, vowing one day to screw him over.
......
......
Three days later, I visited Taegyeong County's magistrate, Ji-hyeon.
"This humble merchant greets Magistrate Ji-hyeon."
"Yes, what brings you?"
"I apologize for intruding when you're busy with that recent unpleasantness."
"No matter. My head was aching anyway; I was about to rest. Care for some tea?"
"I'd be honored."
We headed to the reception room in the county office.
Surprisingly, Ji-hyeon brewed the tea himself.
"Here."
"Thank you. I'll partake."
I was a bit surprised as I sipped.
The leaves were inferior to what I'd had at the Ma estate, but the taste was far better.
Meaning he was an expert in tea.
"Your tea-brewing skills are no joke."
"Nothing to brag about, but I'm grateful you notice."
We chatted lightly for about an hour before I cautiously broached the main topic.
"What do you think of Ma Jangju, Magistrate?"
"……He's someone who works hard for the village's growth."
But his eyes and the trembling hand holding the teacup told a different story.
"Magistrate, you know Ma Jangju lost ten thousand gold taels recently."
"Why state the obvious?"
"Do you know why he needed that huge sum?"
"I do. He's investing in the Murim Alliance's transport business venture."
"Then how do you suppose he sent the money after losing it?"
"……Huh?"
"I'll tell you. He sold me everything he owned. Ma Jangju's flat broke now. Penniless, in the vulgar tongue."
"Penniless...? Ma Jangju?"
Ji-hyeon's eyes flashed briefly, but he shook his head.
"Profits should come soon enough. Can't judge so simply."
"News travels slow for you."
"Huh?"
"The Murim Alliance is in an uproar right now."
"Uproar? What do you mean?"
"The Baekroe Unit members who came here last time vanished. All gone while transporting the gold."
"……What?"
"Without the investment reaching them, the venture can't even launch. How's he getting profits like that?"
"……."
"And most of the warriors guarding Ma Jangju are locked up here in the county office, under interrogation."
At that, Ji-hyeon's eyes widened in realization.
"The only one who can control Taegyeong County's magistrate is His Imperial Majesty the Emperor."
"Exactly!"
"Does it make sense for some mere clan lord to bully the magistrate sent by imperial decree through brute force?"
"No, it doesn't! You're right."
His reaction matched my expectations, so I calmly continued.
"That's why I'm saying—I've heard Ma Jangju's 'wives' numbered eight in total up to now."
"……."
"And they all 'suicided.'"
"Ahem."
He coughed awkwardly and lifted his teacup.
"What's the truth?"
"Th-That, well, why dredge it up?"
"Why? Isn't it the perfect way to send Ma Jangju packing for good? Plus, there's a Censorate Inspector's office here now."
Even after all that, he hesitated—Ma Jangju must have tormented him badly.
"Do you have those investigation records?"
"……."
He didn't deny it outright, confirming he did.
"Then let me give you the courage to decide."
I placed the Censorate Inspector's badge before him.
"……!"
Ji-hyeon's eyes bulged.
"Truth is, His Majesty already knows about this."
"……."
"That's why I'm here."
His hand shook violently holding the teacup, tea nearly spilling over.
I took it from him and set it on the table.
Grasping his hand, I said,
"I understand. You're a victim too, Magistrate. With the county entirely in Ma Jangju's grip, dozens of first-rate warriors at his beck and call—what could you do?"
Only then did he speak.
"Y-Yes. He held a sword to my throat... said if I didn't want a dog's death, obey him."
He parted his official robes, revealing his neck.
"This scar from back then."
A fairly long one remained.
I felt anew just how immense Ma Jangju's influence had been.
To threaten the county magistrate like this.
"Naturally, I resisted at first. But once it got this far, I had no choice but to submit. As the father of this county, it's shameful."
I soothed him and asked again.
"It's not too late. You have the records, right?"
He nodded with a resolute expression.
"I do. Secret files on all eight cases."
......
......
I left the county office.
Ji-hyeon suddenly seemed pitiful.
Honestly, who wouldn't act like him in that situation?
But he'd survived to the end, biding his time—and now the moment to bear fruit had come.
I said to I-pil Warrior,
"Order Unit Leader Sa-jo of the Silver Wind Unit here immediately."
"Understood."
"And Palgap."
"You called?"
"Find us a shack?"
"Pardon? A shack?"
"Yeah. The crummier, the better. Can't just kick him out without even a roof, right?"