Shaanxi Scorpion (4)
At that moment, one of the merchant leaders asked cautiously.
"If we help with the investigation, can we get our losses back?"
"How much were your losses?"
"Silver... thirty taels. It's the smallest amount among us, but..."
"What do you mean by that?"
I continued.
"Whether it's thirty taels of silver or three thousand, it's all money earned through the same hard work. We analyze trade routes until our feet are covered in blisters! We fight tooth and nail against rival merchants! We grovel before customers! It's money earned with blood, sweat, and swallowed tears. Its value is the same."
At my words, the three merchant leaders' eyes reddened with emotion.
"Ours is two hundred taels of silver."
"Ours is five hundred and fifty taels of silver."
"I promise. If we catch the swindler, I'll do everything to ensure you recover as much of your losses as possible."
Moved by my words—or perhaps by the promise of recovery—the three leaders pledged their cooperation.
"Did you report it to the authorities?"
They nodded at my question.
"We did report it, but..."
I could sense their frustration, resignation, and emptiness toward the officials' lack of action.
"I see. Then, could you tell me about the circumstances at the time?"
The three merchant leaders shared their experiences of being scammed.
I analyzed their cases alongside ours and found the common thread.
The Shaanxi Scorpion knew information that only an insider could possess.
I had my suspicions when I heard Um Haengsu had been scammed, and sure enough...
So how did he get that internal information?
It was crucial intel that people in easily tempted positions wouldn't know.
We could assume he bribed someone in a position of authority, but I know the Shaanxi Scorpion's methods.
He never planted accomplices in the merchant groups.
He disguised himself with a human-skin mask and impersonated the real person so convincingly that even the victims were fooled.
That's why he'd evaded capture for so long.
He left no traces, whether with the victimized groups or the ones he impersonated.
To make a human-skin mask from wax and pigskin instead of actual human skin, he needed a mold of the face.
But taking a mold or describing the face in detail takes considerable time.
Yet there was one place where people had no choice but to let him take a mold of their face.
That was the second reason the Shaanxi Scorpion had gone undetected.
I asked them for one piece of information.
"By any chance, do you have a favorite pleasure house you frequent?"
.
.
.
After seeing off the victimized merchant leaders, I spotted people rushing toward me.
It was Isaengsu and the cart supervisors.
"Just as you said, Young Master."
"Candy has hit the market, and upon inspection, it's definitely the batch we brought."
"Let's go check it out."
I headed straight to where the candy was being sold and inquired about its source.
That led me to one merchant group.
Their name was the Green Gold Merchant Group.
The leader explained it was named after his Nok family name.
I had known from the start that this was the Shaanxi Scorpion's base.
Their leader was undoubtedly the Scorpion himself.
But I couldn't just barge in and declare, "The culprit's here."
"When we calculated the amount of candy the Green Gold Merchant Group sold to the retailers, it matches almost exactly what we brought."
"That place either has the Shaanxi Scorpion or is in league with him."
"We should go confront them right now!"
I shook my head at I Haengsu's words.
"We can't do that."
"Why not?"
"Do you have proof?"
"Pardon?"
"Proof that they're the Shaanxi Scorpion, and that the candy they sold is ours."
"If we press them on where they got the candy..."
"These are people who pulled off the scam with meticulous preparation. They wouldn't have left that kind of evidence uncovered."
I Haengsu fell silent at my question.
Eo Haengsu asked.
"So what do you propose we do?"
"From now on, we'll find that proof."
I told him.
"Ask Haengsu Hwang to come see me. And Supervisor Yoon."
I summoned Yoon Jisim, the fourth squad leader of the Silver Wind Corps.
"Keep an eye on them."
"Understood."
A moment later.
I met with Haengsu Hwang, who had come to my inn, and discussed the matter.
"I'll help with whatever I can. You've traded with us for so long; it's only right."
I didn't refuse his offer.
"Do you have a favorite pleasure house you frequent, or one you've visited recently?"
.
.
.
I was in my room.
On the table lay a list of pleasure houses frequented by the three victimized leaders and Haengsu Hwang.
One reason I considered the Shaanxi Scorpion truly vile was another factor in his evasion: he manipulated powerless courtesans.
When investigations closed in, the courtesans lied, allowing him to slip the net multiple times.
Under interrogation, they took their own lives.
Why?
Because of the artifact he possessed.
It was an object that controlled those he'd been intimate with, which he used to manipulate the courtesans into aiding him.
I looked at the most likely pleasure house on the list that had helped the Scorpion.
Water Jade Pavilion.
Shall I pay a visit?
.
.
.
A short while later, I entered the Water Jade Pavilion.
Following behind me were Palgap and two escort warriors.
"Welcome, milord!"
I was wearing a bamboo hat.
Bamboo hats were typically worn by those hiding their identity. But the ornate decoration on mine ensured I wouldn't be turned away.
"Bring a liquor table."
I spoke with deliberate arrogance, and the errand boy bowed deeply.
"Right away. Allow me to guide you to a seat first."
I sat where the boy led me.
"I hear there's a girl here named Juwol?"
"Yes, she's one of our prides at Water Jade Pavilion. But summoning Juwol is a bit difficult..."
At that, I tossed a silver coin from my pouch.
The boy grinned brightly and bowed again.
"I'll do my best."
After the boy left, I sighed.
Ah, I really suck at this.
The music's grating, and the laughter grates on my ears.
I do visit pleasure houses occasionally on merchant business, but I hate them.
In this environment, slipping drugs into drinks to knock someone out and take a face mold goes unnoticed.
And over drinks, business secrets slip out one or two at a time.
With a beauty fawning over you, only a saint wouldn't talk.
This is Haengsu Hwang's regular spot.
And Juwol is the courtesan who entertained him. He blacked out, woke up with his head in her lap...
"You seem uncomfortable, young master?"
Palgap, sitting beside me, whispered, and I nodded.
"Yeah, it's killing me."
"But how do you plan to convince the courtesans? You said they're controlled by that artifact?"
"I have a way."
Soon the door opened, and a courtesan entered.
"You summoned me?"
"Are you Juwol?"
"Yes."
I gazed at her silently. The moment she entered, my stomach churned.
Why...? Ah!
I realized it felt similar to the sensation when facing a black道 practitioner.
She tilted her head and said.
"Allow me to pour you a drink."
She approached and poured my cup. I lifted it and asked.
"Do you know the Green Gold Merchant leader?"
"..."
In that instant, I read her expression.
She knows.
Sure enough, the courtesan before me is the Scorpion's accomplice.
But she shook her head.
"No, I don't."
A lie.
Her body was trembling. Not from fear.
That unnatural quiver meant her body was under some control.
My churning stomach was clear proof she was under a curse.
The artifact's control was a form of sorcery.
In that case, I should break that control.
I circulated my energy.
"Those who cultivate the Taiyin Ice Sea Divine Art have energy so cold and pure that they cannot be affected by sorcery or illusions."
As my master said, I'd never fallen victim to such things. It had helped me navigate many crises.
Some business rivals tried petty tricks like aphrodisiacs in tea.
"The same holds for those influenced by that energy."
I spread the energy of my Taiyin Ice Sea Divine Art widely.
The method I planned to use was inspired by how I'd used the Lion's Roar at the Jegal clan to snap people out of a formation's influence.
Back then, the area was too vast, so I needed the roar. Not this time.
Just spreading my energy throughout the room should break the courtesan's control.
Or so I thought...
Whoosh—!
I'd overlooked one thing.
My internal energy had grown much stronger.
As a result, the energy spread beyond the room, covering most of the pleasure house.
"Huh, the alcohol's wearing off all of a sudden?"
"Is it the chill?"
I scratched my cheek at the voices from the next room and looked at Juwol before me.
The churning from her was gone.
The artifact's control was severed.
"Gasp!"
She gasped deeply and stared at her raised hand.
"Huh?"
No need to act like a spoiled rich playboy anymore, so no archaic speech.
I asked politely.
"Can you tell me about the Green Gold leader now?"
"That Green Gold leader's a son of a bitch."
She blurted it out, then jumped in surprise.
"Oh my gosh! I can speak my mind!"
"I severed the energy that was controlling you."
"Ah..."
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Thank you... truly, thank you."
"Then."
I removed my bamboo hat and set it aside.
"Tell me about the Green Gold leader."
"...!"
But something was off in Juwol's gaze as she looked at me.
Why's she suddenly smiling like she's happy?
"How can you be so handsome... Ah..."
"........."
I pressed on.
"The Green Gold Merchant leader..."
"Ah! That bastard... right."
She told me about the Green Gold leader. It was quite useful information.
"Are there other courtesans who know about him?"
"Wait a sec!"
She left the room and soon returned with other courtesans.
They spilled everything they knew.
Thanks to my Taiyin Ice Sea Divine Art energy blanketing the entire inn—no, the pleasure house—their controls were broken in one go.
"Could I buy you a drink?"
"I'm free tonight..."
"Tonight, let me treat you with my own money!"
I smiled awkwardly and declined their offers.
"I have urgent business tonight..."
I felt a chill and turned. Palgap, sitting behind me, had eyes full of unspoken words.
"What? You just glared like you were cursing me."
"I was cursing this filthy world that only cares about faces."
Green Gold Merchant Group.
Leader Nok Il had realized since childhood that he possessed an extraordinary talent.
The talent to deceive others.
It started with tricking a friend to steal his snacks. His antics grew bolder over time.
It was fun.
Watching people fall for his tricks was fun, and the gains from it were fun too.
Whether others shed bloody tears or fell into hardship didn't concern him.
Isn't the point to live life enjoying it?
That was his philosophy.
A few years ago, he began scamming in earnest.
His targets: merchants.
The rewards were substantial.
The thrill matched the risk.
Ordinary刺激 no longer amused him.
So now, he aimed for a big score.
The target: Eunhae Merchant Group.
He'd scammed merchant groups four times without getting caught, thanks to an artifact he'd luckily acquired.
The straw doll in his hand, called Jeung, was that artifact.
Dozens of strands of hair were bound to Jeung.
By binding the hair of someone he'd been intimate with to Jeung, he could control them.
He'd used it to manipulate courtesans and gain their aid.
But then, something strange happened.
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