Chapter 335
Chapter 335: So, How Much Did You Say It Was?
At Geumbulwi’s words, So Jiwoong exploded, raising his voice.
“What? Are you saying that the Geonwon Escort Agency committed fraud? Control your tongue! However much of a bandit you are, there are things that can be said and things that cannot.”
He tried to deflect attention to Haesabang’s attack.
However, Geumbulwi wasn’t someone easily intimidated.
“When did I say that the Geonwon Escort Agency committed fraud? The one who used a master of Yeon Sohyeop’s level for a mere 50 mun wasn’t the agency, but you. Surely that wasn’t an order from the agency head, was it?”
Geumbulwi shifted all the blame onto So Jiwoong, exonerating the Geonwon Escort Agency.
“If I had known Yeon Sohyeop was so skilled, I too…”
“Bah! Even if you didn’t know, it would have been fair to pay him 100 mun. 50 mun? That was a blatant attempt to exploit him!”
“At the time, I believed Yeon Sohyeop was just someone who followed the Three Heroes of…”
“What nonsense! Even if he’s a wanderer/nangin, someone with a sword in hand deserves at least 100 mun a day.”
“Ugh!”
A groan escaped So Jiwoong’s lips.
There was no point in arguing further about Yeon Jeokha and his group; he would only lose.
While the two argued about Yeon Jeokha, a group of people appeared on the road near the pier.
They were fully armed with swords and all kinds of exotic weapons. They were members of Haomun in Heochang.
Haomun was a third-rate warrior organization specializing in handling shady affairs.
Although they were third-rate, when united, their strength was formidable. With about thirty members assembled, their presence was intimidating.
The leader of Haomun (Hao Clan) in Heochang, Dansumun, arrived at the pier and quickly surveyed the surroundings.
At a glance, it was clear that it was a confrontation between Haesabang and the Geonwon Escort Agency.
After identifying So Jiwoong, Dansumun addressed Geumbulwi, the leader of Haesabang.
“Leader Geum, it seems things aren’t going well. Would you like us to lend a hand?”
Geumbulwi responded with a disgusted expression.
“Are you coming on Leader Wang’s orders?”
“Yes, Lord Wang is always cautious, like someone crossing a bridge by tapping it first.”
Hearing this, So Jiwoong let out a sarcastic laugh.
“Now I see that it was all planned by Wang Inguk, the leader of the Geumil Escort Agency. He pretends to be an upright man, but secretly he moves Haesabang and even Haomun. How deplorable!”
“Still, Leader Wang is better than you, who exploits wanderers. Although he extorts fleas, at least he doesn’t steal the dignity of a master. If Yeon Sohyeop hadn’t known me, he would have been deceived with his eyes wide open.”
When So Jiwoong tried to intervene, Geumbulwi crushed him again by mentioning the salary issue.
And skillfully positioned Yeon Jeokha, his supposed enemy, in a neutral position, as if he were an innocent victim of exploitation.
Yeon Jeokha, with an expression full of interest, merely observed the verbal exchange between So Jiwoong and Geumbulwi.
Sweat ran down So Jiwoong’s face.
If he had paid fairly from the beginning, he wouldn’t have reached this point.
But now his mistake was exposed to everyone.
Even if he offered more money, he wouldn’t be able to regain Yeon Jeokha’s trust.
“Is there really no way to regain his trust?”
After all, Yeon Jeokha was a wanderer, and for wanderers, as Geumbulwi said, money came first.
“First, I must ensure Geumbulwi doesn’t interfere between Yeon Sohyeop and me.”
After quickly reflecting, So Jiwoong addressed Yeon Jeokha.
“Hmm, Yeon Sohyeop, I have no words to apologize. To be honest, I didn’t know about your skills and that’s why I only offered 50 mun…”
Before he could finish, Geumbulwi interrupted him.
“What? Now you want to pay him more? It would be better if you didn’t say those things out of shame. You committed fraud, and now that you’ve been discovered, you want to offer more money? Do you think Yeon Sohyeop will fall for such obvious words?”
“Shut up! Who said I committed fraud? Why do you keep mentioning that?”
So Jiwoong, trembling with anger, glared at Geumbulwi.
Every time he tried to speak, the other mentioned the 50 mun and the fraud, making it impossible to move forward.
Dansumun, who had arrived late to the confrontation, frowned at the situation.
The enemy was only a group of ten, while they were five times more. With such an overwhelming advantage, he didn’t understand why they were talking so much instead of acting.
“Leader Geum.”
“What is it?”
“I just wanted to confirm if we can intervene.”
The strength of Haomun (Hao Clan) wasn’t as impressive as that of the main groups.
For this reason, even now, they needed Haesabang’s permission to get involved in the fight.
“Intervene? Who said you can intervene? Don’t talk nonsense and stand back.”
At Geumbulwi’s firm response, Dansumun was perplexed.
In a situation where even the hands of thugs would be useful, they rejected Haomun’s help.
“It seems So Jiwoong is at odds with Leader Wang, but I don’t understand why they’re rejecting us…”
While trying to understand the reasons, Dansumun looked around and noticed Yeon Jeokha.
He was a young man situated between Geumbulwi and So Jiwoong, with a sword on one side and a gourd hanging from the other.
“Who is that fellow?”
At that moment, his eyes met Yeon Jeokha’s.
Annoyed at being ignored by Geumbulwi, Dansumun automatically frowned at Yeon Jeokha.
“How dare this brat look at me directly? I could gouge his eyes out…”
While muttering insults under his breath, he expected the young man to look away.
However, Yeon Jeokha stared back, unmoved and unfazed.
“This damned brat…!”
Without realizing it, Dansumun uttered an insult aloud.
Immediately, Geumbulwi, who was arguing with So Jiwoong, turned his head towards him.
“Did you just insult me?”
Geumbulwi thought Dansumun’s insult had been directed at him for feeling slighted.
Although that possibility was remote, Geumbulwi couldn’t imagine anyone else being insulted in that situation.
Frightened, Dansumun hastened his words to apologize.
At that instant, Dansumun quickly apologized with a nervous smile.
“No, no, that’s not it! How could I do something like that against you, Leader Geum, without losing my mind? I was just bothered by that young man’s gaze in front of Chief So.”
“In front of Chief So?”
Following the direction of Dansumun’s finger, Geumbulwi turned his head and was suddenly surprised.
Yeon Jeokha was staring at him with a firm expression.
“Damn fool, Dansumun! Useless piece of trash! It’s unacceptable to ruin something that’s about to be resolved! Did you dare insult Yeon Sohyeop? If Leader Wang finds out about this, you won’t live to see the sunrise! Kneel down and apologize immediately!”
Dansumun was stunned by Geumbulwi’s change in attitude.
Until that moment, Geumbulwi, who had always treated him with respect, now humiliated him as if he were a mere thug.
“Who the hell is this Yeon Sohyeop?”, Dansumun thought.
“Leader Geum, you’re going too far. I’m not a mere member of Haesabang, but the leader of Haomun in Heochang. How can you call me trash? Are you underestimating us, the Haomun?”
“Idiot! If you don’t have the eye to recognize people, it’s logical that you’re always labeled third-rate. That Yeon Sohyeop you insulted is…”
Before Geumbulwi could explain, Yeon Jeokha intervened coldly.
“Hey, old man. Did you insult me?”
“Old man?”
Dansumun, already sensitive because he was frequently told he looked older than he was, exploded with rage.
At 32, being called “old man” made him lose his temper.
Without Geumbulwi being able to stop him, Dansumun drew his sword with the greatest speed he had shown in his entire life.
*Shing!*
Despite his level, a weak halo of sword energy (刀氣) extended towards Yeon Jeokha’s neck.
However, Yeon Jeokha slowly drew his sword, Cheonggang.
At first glance, his reaction seemed absurdly slow compared to Dansumun’s swift attack.
*Clang!*
But somehow, Dansumun’s sword flew back.
The rebound was so violent that his arm also recoiled forcefully.
While Dansumun tried to regain his posture, Yeon Jeokha appeared like a shadow and struck him with the edge of his hand directly on the neck.
*Paff!*
With a dry sound, Dansumun fell to the ground like a crushed frog, letting out a muffled groan.
It seemed his neck was broken, as he couldn’t get up.
As Haomun’s members lifted him and quickly carried him away, Yeon Jeokha murmured:
“An eye for an eye. Consider yourself lucky that I was lenient.”
The Haomun members didn’t dare to retaliate and lined up behind Geumbulwi.
Geumbulwi, as if explaining to the Haomun members, said:
“Yeon Sohyeop is a top-level wanderer (nangin). That their leader is still alive is already reason for gratitude. I warned you not to get into trouble, but… *Tsk, tsk!*”
After Yeon Jeokha defeated Dansumun with his bare hands, no one dared to start another fight.
Both sides remained in an uncomfortable standoff, with Yeon Jeokha between them.
Dansumun’s impulsive intervention indirectly benefited So Jiwoong, who used the incident to pressure Geumbulwi.
“Leader Geum, Dansumun is your man, so you can’t shirk responsibility. First, he attacked Haesabang, and now it’s Dansumun. You didn’t seriously try to stop him, did you?”
“What nonsense! Dansumun lost his head and acted on his own…”
“Bah! That’s just an excuse. Although you called him a top-level wanderer, you surely wanted to measure Yeon Sohyeop’s abilities, right? Your conduct is the same as Leader Wang’s, who also pretends to be a gentleman on the outside, but hires people like you to secretly kill me.”
“What nonsense!”
With the roles reversed, Geumbulwi trembled with frustration.
It was true that Dansumun had attacked Yeon Jeokha, so anything he said sounded like an excuse.
Yeon Jeokha, tired of the exchange, raised his hand to stop them.
“Enough. Just tell me what you’re going to do now. Will you keep fighting, or will my fee remain at 50 mun?”
When the daily payment was mentioned, Geumbulwi and So Jiwoong responded in unison.
“I swear by my ancestors that the 50 mun was a mistake! Please give us a chance to correct it.”
“Yeon Sohyeop, I will offer you compensation according to your abilities.”
Yeon Jeokha looked at both of them impassively.
“So, how much will you offer?”
The place of the fight suddenly became a negotiation room.
So Jiwoong, looking at Geumbulwi with disdain, quickly spoke:
“I’ll pay 500 mun a day.”
Although the fee had increased tenfold, Yeon Jeokha didn’t seem impressed, remembering that he had earned 1,000 yang in the past for a few days of work.
Then, Geumbulwi intervened.
“Yeon Sohyeop, forget that miser’s words. Haesabang will offer you 2 taels of silver a day.”
So Jiwoong, realizing he might lose Yeon Jeokha, hurriedly corrected his offer.
“I’ll apologize by offering 100 taels of silver as compensation for what happened. In addition, I’ll pay 10 taels daily, a total of 30 taels for three days.”
Hearing this, Geumbulwi reluctantly backed down, accepting defeat.
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