Chapter 336
## Chapter 336
Heochang.
Yeongha River.
Mugok Village.
In the main residence, two elderly men sat facing each other.
They were Sugumseo, the master of Mugok Village, known as the Scarlet Lightning God, and Wang Inguk, the leader of the Geumilpyo Escort Agency.
Between them was a bottle of liquor and some simple snacks. However, the cups were full, indicating that they hadn’t drunk anything.
Sugumseo asked, as if confirming:
“Are you sure So Jiwoong won’t come today?”
Sugumseo was the owner of the Zhaoyang Bank, a lending institution, and the wealthiest man in Heochang.
“I’ve requested the help of Haesabang and Haomun. I don’t think the escorts from the Geonwon Escort Agency can handle them.”
“I’ve heard that the skills of the Three Heroes of Qingzhou are extraordinary…”
“Don’t worry. Geumbulwi and Dansumun will be enough.”
“I trust you, Leader Wang.”
Sugumseo cast a calm gaze at Wang Inguk.
He had decided to collaborate with the Geumilpyo Escort Agency because the Geonwon Escort Agency had a tendency to set up branches everywhere, including businesses related to loans.
This led Sugumseo to join forces with Wang Inguk to ensure that the Geonwon Escort Agency couldn’t establish itself in Heochang.
“Although, at this point, we should have received news, don’t you think?”
Just as Sugumseo finished speaking, a light cough was heard from outside.
As if they had summoned a tiger by mentioning its name, the door opened and Geumbulwi, the leader of Haesabang, entered the room.
Wang Inguk and Sugumseo quickly rose to greet him enthusiastically.
“Leader Geum, how did it all turn out?”
Before Geumbulwi could even greet them, Wang Inguk directly asked him about the results.
With a bitter expression, Geumbulwi replied:
“We failed.”
“Failed?”
“Ah!”
Wang Inguk’s questioning and Sugumseo’s sigh came out in unison.
Wang Inguk frowned, bewildered.
The Geonwon Escort Agency hadn’t reinforced their escorts, so how could they have failed?
“Were the skills of the Three Heroes so exceptional?”
Geumbulwi shook his head at Wang Inguk’s barrage of questions.
“It wasn’t because of that. So Jiwoong hired a top-level wanderer/nangin named Yeon Jeokha. Dansumun ended up with a broken neck after a single blow from him.”
“What? Yeon Jeokha? Isn’t that the famous Yeon Jeokha from Nokrim?”
“No, it’s not him. If it were the one from Nokrim, do you think he’d be alive to tell the tale? This man claimed to be from Jeongju, but he’s skilled enough to defeat Dansumun with his bare hands.”
Sugumseo chimed in with a sarcastic remark:
“Nowadays, anyone uses the name Yeon Jeokha. In my business, out of every ten who come, three claim to be called Yeon Jeokha.”
“Would a top-level wanderer/nangin use someone else’s name?”
Geumbulwi shrugged.
“If he’s not an imposter, then he must be someone with the same name. In any case, as long as that man is present, we won’t be able to touch So Jiwoong.”
“Damn it! Where did So Jiwoong find someone like that?”
Wang Inguk stared intently at Geumbulwi, as if expecting him to know something.
With no other choice, Geumbulwi recounted what he knew about Yeon Jeokha.
“…And that’s how So Jiwoong renegotiated with him for a contract of 100 taels of silver as a down payment and a daily payment of 10 taels.”
“In that case, why didn’t you offer 200 taels as a down payment and 20 taels per day?”
At Wang Inguk’s question, Geumbulwi responded with an expression of injustice:
“I don’t have that much money.”
“You could have made the promise and then billed me later.”
“And what would you say to me after I promised that amount without your authorization?”
Geumbulwi looked alternately at Wang Inguk and Sugumseo.
Now that they had failed, it was easy for them to criticize.
But, if they had succeeded, would they have been willing to pay such a high sum to a wanderer?
Of course not. They would have certainly found a way to blame Geumbulwi.
Wang Inguk, realizing Geumbulwi’s thoughts, made a sound of disapproval.
“Tsk, tsk! With such little confidence, how do you expect to achieve great things? If So Jiwoong establishes himself in Heochang, we will lose thousands of taels, and you let your prey escape for a mere 200 taels.”
Geumbulwi silently agreed, but he didn’t regret it.
The words of someone in the bathroom and after coming out are never the same.
Especially when it comes to merchants.
Even So Jiwoong had initially tried to pay Yeon Jeokha only 50 mun.
While Wang Inguk and Sugumseo were deliberating on what to do, a noise came from the courtyard, followed by the voice of a servant.
“Master, Chief So Jiwoong of the Geonwon Escort Agency is here. What should we do?”
Sugumseo, after a brief pause, firmly ordered:
“Take him to the Sosimgak pavilion. Tell him I will receive him there shortly.”
“Understood.”
The servant’s footsteps faded away.
Sugumseo, looking at Wang Inguk and Geumbulwi, asked with a sly smile:
“Now, what will you do? Are you going to stand by while the Geonwon Escort Agency establishes itself here?”
Geumbulwi, since this wasn’t his territory, decided not to get involved further.
But then, Wang Inguk asked him an unexpected question:
“Leader Geum, let’s be honest. That Yeon Jeokha…”
“Yes.”
“Do you think it would be possible to recruit him to our side?”
“I don’t think so. From what I gathered, he was hired by the Three Heroes of Qingzhou, and if he has ties to them, money won’t convince him.”
“And is there any wanderer or martial arts master in Heochang who can face him?”
After thinking for a moment, Geumbulwi cautiously replied:
“If the goal is to eliminate him, there’s an expert from the Tang Family in Heochang.”
“From the Tang Family? Are you referring to someone who uses poisons?”
“Yes, as is characteristic of them. From what I heard, he was connected to an outer branch of the Tang Family in the past.”
“Yes, it’s not surprising. He lived in the outer branch (외각) of the Tang Family.”
“Outer branch?” – Wang Inguk tilted his head in curiosity.
There was something about the term that suggested he didn’t belong to the core of the family.
“The direct descendants of the Tang Family live in the inner branch (내각), while the collateral members reside in the outer branch.”
“So, are you saying he’s from the collateral branch?”
“Even though he’s from the collateral branch, they called him Sambojeolmyeong (Three Steps to Death) because of his skill with poisons. Of course, here in Heochang, no one seems to know him. Even I had no idea of his existence until I ran into him by chance. I doubt even the members of Haomun know that Sambojeolmyeong Tang Unmang is in Heochang.”
“So, he’s in seclusion?”
“Something like that. According to him, he left the Tang Family of his own accord because the family leader was closely watching him.”
“Wow! Are you saying he was so skilled that even the Tang Family leader saw him as a threat?”
“From what I know, yes. Tang Unmang was considered the best master of the Tang Family’s outer branch. Although, of course, all of this is what he himself told me.”
Geumbulwi left open the possibility of retracting later, as he had no way of confirming whether Tang Unmang was actually as skilled as he claimed.
Sugumseo, feeling pressured, intervened:
“Leader Geum, do you think we could use that person? If he’s in seclusion…”
“He’s not really in formal seclusion. He just lives avoiding the Tang Family’s gaze.”
“But someone who’s avoiding the Tang Family, would he help in our matter?”
“The Tang Family is in Sichuan, and besides, they suffered heavy losses in their confrontation with the Yoomyung Cult. Right now, they’re not in a position to worry about what the disciples of the outer branch are doing.”
This was something Geumbulwi had heard directly from Dang Unmang while they were sharing drinks not too long ago. On that occasion, Dang Unmang casually mentioned that he was considering “going back to work.”
It was that conversation that led Geumbulwi to think of him now, since they hadn’t been able to find any top-level wandering masters.
“Hmm… poison, eh?”
Sugumseo, after asking several questions, cautiously backed away a bit.
While the idea was good, something about poison didn’t sit well with him. There was always the risk that he himself could end up being a victim of the poison.
Furthermore, the fact that he was from the Tang Family was worrisome.
Even though he belonged to the collateral branch (외각), the authority of the Four Great Families (사대세가) was still significant. Involving the Tang Family in a minor dispute in Heochang could have unexpected consequences.
The Geonwon Escort Agency, for example, could request help from other factions that were enemies of the Tang Family, further complicating matters.
Wang Inguk, who had been silently pondering, seemed to have similar concerns.
“Tsk, it would be best if this remained a simple territorial dispute between minor factions…”
That way, even if the situation became complicated, it would be easier to handle the consequences.
However, there were only three days left until the opening of the Geonwon Escort Agency’s branch in Heochang.
If they couldn’t intimidate or eliminate So Jiwoong within that time frame, the agency’s arrival would cause a significant shift in the economic balance of Heochang.
“It’s already rooster time (신시, between 3 and 5 pm), which means we only have two days left.”
With so little time, the only option was to take risks. Even if they couldn’t achieve a perfect outcome, they had to act so as not to be left with regrets.
Wang Inguk exchanged a decisive look with Sugumseo.
“Master Sugum, let’s call Sambojeolmyeong.”
“Gulp. Even though he’s from the collateral branch, he’s still someone from the Four Great Families. Are you sure?”
“If we don’t do something, we’ll lose everything. As they say, the dead don’t talk.”
“Hah! Are you suggesting that…?”
“Let’s have him bury So Jiwoong, Yeon Jeokha, and the Three Heroes of Qingzhou. That will be better for him too, don’t you think?”
Wang Inguk shifted his gaze towards Geumbulwi seeking approval.
Geumbulwi didn’t deny it.
“You’re right. He wouldn’t want this to become public either. However…”
Geumbulwi left his sentence unfinished.
“However, what?”
“For each additional person we need to eliminate, the reward will have to be adjusted accordingly.”
“How much does it cost to hire someone from the Four Great Families?”
“For legal matters, the prices are set. But in cases of murder… the price is dictated by negotiation.”
“Stop beating around the bush and tell me how much it will be.”
Heochang was a small town, with no clans specializing in assassinations.
Instead, groups like Haesabang handled such matters, so what Geumbulwi was asking would be the price to pay.
“500 taels of silver per head should be enough to convince Sambojeolmyeong.”
Sugumseo, who was doing mental calculations, exclaimed in disbelief:
“Don’t tell me it’s 500 mun!”
“No, it’s 500 nyang of silver.”
Sugumseo looked at Wang Inguk with astonishment.
There were five people to eliminate, which meant a total of 2,500 taels.
It was ironic that someone who shuddered at spending 100 or 200 taels now spoke so calmly about such a sum.
However, it was understandable. That was the price for eliminating a top-level wanderer/nangin, So Jiwoong, and the Three Heroes of Qingzhou.
Finally, Wang Inguk, with a determined tone, said:
“Master Sugum, 2,500 taels is a lot of money, but if we split the costs, it won’t be a problem.”
“It’s true, but…”
Sugumseo hesitated. It wasn’t just the money that worried him, but the potential consequences of involving the Tang Family.
“So Jiwoong won’t ignore what happens today. We’ve come this far; let’s finish what we started. Either we kill him and his group, or they kill us. Don’t you agree, Leader Geum?”
Geumbulwi nodded his head.
“You’re absolutely right. Neither So Jiwoong nor the Geonwon Escort Agency will let this slide. If we want to prevent the agency from establishing itself in Heochang, we have to eliminate them all.”
After looking at Wang Inguk and Geumbulwi, Sugumseo finally gave in:
“Alright. Our lending house will assume half the cost. But make sure the job is done cleanly and without anyone finding out. Understood, Leader Geum?”
“That’s exactly what we want, both Sambojeolmyeong and I. If this becomes public, we’ll both be in trouble.”
With the murder plan practically decided, Sugumseo rose from his seat.
“Alright, let’s go to the Sosimgak pavilion. It’s not polite to keep our guests waiting.”
His face and tone were calm, even majestic.
The hesitation he had shown moments earlier had disappeared, replaced by the dignified attitude of a leader among the merchants of Heochang.
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