Chapter 33

Chapter 33
On the following evening, Wang Gon gazed out into the dark as he listened to Wang U deliver his debriefing.

“Except for the fighters directly answering to you within our post, I’ve cleared everyone else out.”

“You did well.”

Aside from the regulars stationed at the outpost, he had cultivated a private force of fighters as a shield against potential crises. However, the instant genuine peril landed, those men were the very first cast aside. Put simply, they had failed as an effective contingency.

From this bitter trial, one unmistakable conclusion crystallized.

‘My reserves of silver are far too thin.’

Spending wealth to survive an ordeal was reasonable, but being shaken to the verge of collapse like this was intolerable. If another catastrophe struck, he would find himself entirely defenceless.

‘I must wring out funds by any means possible.’

That was his ultimate assessment. With ten thousand gold in hand, one could sway even the Shin-hwa-bang Lord.

“I managed to borrow that sum of nyang from Elder Yang.”

“Excellent.”

“Hardly excellent. That rotten old vulture acted as though he barely recognized my face and insisted on taking two percent interest every single month.”

“Let it go. Once we clear this barrier, we can recoup everything down to the last coin.”

Wang Gon refused to surrender to despair. Inevitably, a new path would unfold after this tempest blew over.

Even so, an avalanche of business demanded attention beforehand. He had to ensure that not a single breath slipped about how he had bribed Jeong-pung. It was essential to fabricate a flawless explanation for his superiors, pinning Yeom Jeong-gil—rather than himself—as the true architect of this disaster. Furthermore, he needed to accelerate the stalled iron ore trade to elevate this post beyond the reach of his detractors.

“Starting this moment, the iron ore enterprise falls to you.”

That duty had initially belonged to Heuk Su.

“Lay bare every detail regarding it, from start to finish.”

Wang Gon’s voice hardened against his subordinate’s hesitant mien.

“Your faint heart is your greatest failing. Carry on like that, and you will invite ruin by chasing petty gains while inviting colossal disaster.”

Right at that second, a voice that had no right sounding in this chamber slipped through the air.

“And pray, what do you imagine your own great failing to be?”

Both Wang Gon and Wang U spun about in pure astonishment.

Yeom Jeong-gil stood framed by the half-parted entrance.

“Hero Yeom! You’ve obtained your freedom.”

Though chaos churned inside him, Wang Gon swiftly composed his facade. Wang U, on the other hand, went chalk-white.

“Indeed, only moments ago.”

Exactly as Baek So-cheon had foreseen, he had marched straight to this threshold.

“The ordeal must have weighed heavily upon you, Hero.”

“Why did you do it?”

“Whatever can you mean by that?”

“Why offer that bribe to Jeong-pung?”

Yeom Jeong-gil kept his stare pinned forward. Rage and bone-deep exhaustion had drained him of any inclination to mince words.

Predictably, Wang Gon issued an immediate and outright denial.

“You labour under a grave error. I took part in no such scheme.”

“Then on what grounds did you extract silver from that Elder Yang?”

He had captured their complete exchange with his own ears.

Yeom Jeong-gil shifted his gaze onto Wang U. While Wang Gon spun falsehoods without batting an eye, Wang U stood frozen, petrified by sheer terror.

‘Useless fool!’

No matter how flawlessly he maintained his innocence, that shivering wretch would shatter the facade. Such a pathetic reaction was enough to manifest imaginary sins out of thin air.

Wang Gon abandoned the lie. After all, with Yeom Jeong-gil loose in the flesh, concealment had become a futile endeavour.

“Yet you were the one who walked out first.”

“I reasoned that I had to operate from the outside to orchestrate your extraction far more smoothly. If my judgment proved lacking in foresight…”

Before the sentence could settle, Yeom Jeong-gil’s blade tore free from its scabbard.

A sharp whisper of steel.

A crisp cleave.

That edge did more than sever Wang Gon’s words. It carved Wang U’s throat clean open.

A sudden crimson spray erupted from the severed flesh, and Wang U tumbled backward onto the floor.

“No!”

Wang Gon hurled himself forward, but his son had already drawn his final breath from that solitary cut.

“What madness have you wrought?!”

Wang Gon roared in a tempest of fury.

“My reply to your useless tripe.”

Wang Gon wrenched his own weapon free.

Even so, he could not bring himself to rush Yeom Jeong-gil. That was simply the core of his character. Even while observing his own flesh and blood perish before his eyes, he placed his own survival first—convincing himself that throwing his life against a far superior fighter was the futile demise of a stray cur.

“How dare you! Even our Lord will never permit you to walk away from this!”

“And if he refuses? Will he butcher me as well after discarding you? That would prove far too steep a forfeit, would it not? Do you honestly believe our Lord is the sort of leader to accept a net deficit?”

Neither man had climbed through the ranks of Shin-hwa-bang out of pure loyalty. Except for an elite handful of high commanders, most of the sect’s fighters shared that exact background.

When Shin-hwa-bang laid down its roots across Jeol-gang Province under its grand banner, the Lord had gathered martial artists from every corner. Silver, promises of power, feminine enticements, brutal leverage—whatever tactic succeeded was employed.

Because of that foundation, Shin-hwa-bang functioned solely on naked talent and cold outcomes, wholly devoid of fellowship or moral fidelity.

“The Murim Alliance will never turn a blind eye to this outrage either.”

“What?!”

Yeom Jeong-gil’s steel lunged straight for Wang Gon.

Wang Gon brought his weapon up to deflect the incoming arc. Yet from the very first breath, the gap in prowess was absolute. He barely managed to swat aside a handful of strikes before his footwork faltered entirely. Furnishings and ornate displays shattered into splinters, and right alongside them, Wang Gon’s chest was ripped open.

A dull thud sounded.

Wang Gon collapsed, drained of life.

He had attempted to pin the slaughter of Yang Chu’s kin onto others in an effort to eradicate Im Choong and Beon Saeng.

Yet in the end, he perished while having that exact same cold logic turned upon his own neck. While countless villains scoffed that retribution was mere fiction, Wang Gon certainly could no longer claim as much.

The moment Yeom Jeong-gil pivoted to depart, he froze in his tracks. A different figure was lingering precisely where he had been standing by the doorway only moments before. It was Baek So-cheon.

“Even when handling a scoundrel deserving of execution, what sort of brute butchers an offspring right before his sire’s eyes?”

Recognizing the young man, Yeom Jeong-gil staggered back.

“You!”

The question of how the youth had crept up so silently rose to his lips, but he bit it back. The voice, the gaze—everything about him was fundamentally distinct from their prior encounters.

Regardless of how worn down his body was, Yeom Jeong-gil could piece together the board.

“Was it your design all along to make me slaughter the branch chief?”

“Hardly an elaborate plot—merely taking advantage of who you are. You cannot endure being slighted for even an instant, can you? No matter how I ground down your remaining dogs, they were never capable of laying a finger on me. Isn’t that the truth? It certainly proved so today.”

The flippant insolence that Baek So-cheon had projected up to this point had completely evaporated.

Reflecting on their earliest encounter, Yeom Jeong-gil remarked,

“I detested your very aura from the moment we crossed paths.”

“Could it have been any more repulsive than mine was toward you?”

“Who are you beneath that mask?”

“Can you genuinely not place me? A man of your standing ought to know. Baek So-cheon—the name rings no bells at all? Ah, I suppose I should reflect upon my own obscurity.”

“There’s no way… You?”

“Aye, the exact figure running through your skull right now. That is me.”

“Cease your nonsense! That master is vastly senior to your years.”

“I have gathered plenty of winters myself.”

Yeom Jeong-gil fought against accepting the truth until the bitter end. Rather, he simply refused to swallow it. Forcing down the prickling dread in his chest, he roared,

“What gives a powerless brat like you the sheer audacity to carry on with such arrogance?!”

Fortunately, his senses had verified that Baek So-cheon possessed not a scrap of internal energy.

“A hundred nyang.”

“What?”

“I swagger on the strength of a hundred nyang.”

Right at that instant, a murmur brushed against Yeom Jeong-gil’s ear.

“Offer ten times that silver, and you might claim my services. Though in truth, not even a mountain of gold could purchase you that right.”

Cheon-geuk had materialized behind his shoulders without stirring a single breath of wind.

Yeom Jeong-gil whipped about in raw panic, swinging his steel in a desperate arc.

Yet before the blade could complete half its circle—

A sickening puncture echoed through the room.

A slender blade drove straight through his throat.

Yeom Jeong-gil strained to catch a glimpse of the phantom behind him, but Cheon-geuk ripped the dagger free before he could turn.

Blood sprayed violently into the room as Yeom Jeong-gil dropped lifeless to the floorboards.

Looking down upon the fresh corpse, Cheon-geuk remarked,

“However I look at it, a hundred nyang is far too paltry a sum.”

“Hardly. It is entirely exorbitant.”

“Exorbitant, you say?”

“What?”

“For me to step onto the stage with my own hands demands considerable resolve.”

“I am well aware.”

“You are?”

“There exist rival factions within the alliance, do there not? If word of this venture reaches their ears, they will seize upon it as political ammunition.”

“So you grasp the stakes after all.”

Heavy footfalls approached from the outer courtyard. Cheon-geuk melted away into the shadows without a sound, leaving behind a parting whisper.

“Splendid, so long as you keep that in mind.”

Jeong-pung strode through the doorway, accompanied by fighters from the Jeol-gang branch. Im Choong and Beon Saeng flanked them.

Jeong-pung stopped dead in his tracks at the slaughter before him.

‘They truly are dead. Every last one, just as Baek So-cheon promised.’

The rest of the contingent were equally stunned by the sight.

Naturally, one heart among them was consumed by unadulterated relief.

Im Choong.

Staring down at Wang Gon’s empty shell, a broad grin broke across his face. Even though Yeom Jeong-gil had decreed his execution, Im Choong had not actively pursued blood for blood.

Yet Wang Gon had been the monster who placed his wife and child in mortal danger. His cutthroats had marched forth with the deliberate intent to butcher them.

Now, that looming shadow over his household was thoroughly extinguished. He felt not a speck of sorrow for Wang Gon’s demise—only pristine vindication. The same held true for Wang U. How much torment had that wretched youth’s spoiled cruelty brought upon others? How many more lives would he have crushed had he lived?

Jeong-pung shifted his gaze toward Baek So-cheon.

“What is our next move?”

“The branch chief of Shin-hwa-bang and four prominent fighters are now corpses. They were formally under inquiry regarding the Yang Chu household tragedy. Reaching this stage, does it not give us every reason to seize and question the Shin-hwa-bang Lord himself?”

“The Lord?!”

A chorus of gasps rippled through the onlookers at the thought of hauling in the supreme leader.

“The directive to wipe out Yang Chu’s kin came straight from the high seat of the Shin-hwa-bang Lord.”

“Why push things to such an extreme?”

“Sticking your neck out for a slaughtered clan that means nothing to you? Meddling in affairs that aren’t yours?”

“Well, not entirely. But even if we frame it so.”

“If you intend to navigate your days like a coward, you have no business lingering inside the Murim Alliance.”

“If your design is to perform half-measures, avert your eyes when trouble brews, and play the fool, then choose a different trade entirely. Countless other roads exist—routes that pay far more silver, in fact. Yet if you resolve to feed on the rice of the Murim Alliance, then even if you do not actively pursue injustice across the realm, you cannot simply pretend blindness when it unfolds right beneath your nose.”

“Your words bring heat to my face.”

“There is no cause for shame. Men walk different paths and think with different minds. You need not feel mortified merely for standing on this ground. Let us simply say Shin-hwa-bang ran into foul fortune. I have been searching for a proper target to vent my wrath upon as of late.”

“And has this display cleared your temper?”

“We have barely made an opening move. Let us move out—we are placing the Shin-hwa-bang Lord under arrest.”

Now that the die was cast, the tension knotting Jeong-pung’s chest began to unravel.

“Very well, let us march. We shall determine whether that fiend truly commanded the slaughter of the Yang Chu line. Granting them room to prepare only harms our position, so we will ride beneath the cover of night directly to their primary fortress.”

“Splendid! Knowing there is someone to shoulder the blame if the sky falls brings immense comfort to my heart.”

“Was it truly necessary to voice that aloud?”

Jeong-pung tossed his head in dry exasperation, though he harboured genuine gratitude for Baek So-cheon’s blunt reminder. In the end, this enterprise rested upon his own shoulders. As the official steering the blade, every consequence would land squarely upon his head.

‘Indeed—no turning back, no regrets.’

The young man’s words had offered him the resolve to embrace that very mindset.

At the very least, he would not drown in second thoughts later when the chaos erupted.

Jeong-pung assigned a detachment of warriors to secure the scene and strode out into the night air.

As Baek So-cheon fell in behind, a subtle mental whisper reached his awareness from Cheon-geuk.

—May I observe the spectacle? I shall waive the hundred nyang fee.

Behind them, Im Choong and Beon Saeng matched their pace.

Ever since laying eyes upon Wang Gon’s ruined form, Beon Saeng’s pulse had been hammering relentlessly against his ribs.

Back at the iron excavation, the pair had first discovered that their true adversary was the entirety of Shin-hwa-bang.

They had never envisioned that this perilous conflict would materialize so starkly before their eyes—and certainly not with such lightning speed.

Beon Saeng leaned in close to Im Choong, his voice a cautious murmur.

“Branch Head, will we emerge from this unscathed?”

“I would give much to assure you we will… but truthfully, I do not know. And when it is just the two of us, simply call me elder brother.”

Beon Saeng blinked in surprise, feeling another wall between them dissolve into dust.

“Understood, brother.”

“Remember, we are on duty.”

“Understood, Branch Head!”

Beon Saeng’s stride grew lighter as they pushed forward.

Buoyed by a sudden swell of high spirits, he called out toward Baek So-cheon with deliberate bravado.

“With our venerable elder brother at the front, nothing can stand against us. Even if we were to assault the main fortress of the Murim Alliance itself!”

“The Murim Alliance is a stride too far.”

“Hahaha.”

Beon Saeng let out a hearty burst of laughter.

A Jeol-gang fighter marching ahead glanced back with an irritated scowl, clearly questioning how anyone could find room for amusement in such dire circumstances. Beon Saeng quickly straightened his features.

‘True enough, this is hardly the hour for jesting. Shin-hwa-bang Lord—just wait in your high tower.’

If only his own blade had the power.

‘Our brother is marching straight for your throat!’