Chapter 25

Chapter 25
## Chapter: 25

### Chapter Title: Fixer (3)

—

“You are out of danger now.”

Sima Geon pulled Sima Hyeon into a firm embrace.

The younger man’s complexion was pale and his face bore several marks of battery, but fortunately, he did not appear to have sustained any permanent damage.

“I am truly sorry. I must have caused you a great deal of anxiety.”

“I never doubted for a moment that you would return to us safely.”

With a hearty chuckle, Sima Geon tapped his brother on the chest. Sima Hyeon offered a weary but genuine smile in return.

“Tell me, where have you been hiding these past few days?”

Sima Ho, whose nerves had been frayed ever since Sima Hyeon was seized by criminals—and made worse by the simultaneous disappearance of Sima Geon and Cheol Woo—demanded an answer, his face flushed with irritation.

“Now, don’t be so harsh. We had our own share of struggles to deal with,” Sima Geon replied with a sheepish grin.

“And what exactly took so much time…?”

Just as Sima Ho began to raise his voice in protest, Cheol Woo poked his head into the room. The sight of him caused Sima Ho to stop mid-sentence, his anger replaced by a sudden, involuntary bout of hiccups.

“I went to call in some favors from old acquaintances. Fortunately, a few comrades were willing to assist. However, despite our best efforts to hurry, the conflict was already resolved by the time we reached the scene. Truly, I am just glad it is over. Had the Nangong Clan not intervened, things might have ended much worse.”

“I see! So that was the reason. When I heard you had vanished, I suspected you were off looking for a solution.”

Sima Hyeon felt a surge of gratitude, imagining his elder brother desperately scouring the region for allies to save him.

“Wait—actually, the warriors of the Nangong Clan weren’t the ones who rescued us. They were there, but…”

“What are you saying?”

“The Nangong Clan’s men did arrive at the Golden Fox Bandit Lair to eliminate the outlaws, but someone else had already slaughtered the bandits before they could act.”

Feigning ignorance, Sima Geon asked, “Another party? Who could it have been?”

“It is a mystery. Witnesses said there were two individuals, both incredibly formidable. One was a massive man with a terrifying expression. Honestly, he sounded quite a bit like Brother Cheol Woo.”

Sima Hyeon looked toward Cheol Woo, his eyes narrowing as if trying to piece together a puzzle.

“Hmph. It seems there is another champion of justice out there who shares my rugged charm,” Cheol Woo remarked, striking a boastful pose. Sima Hyeon laughed softly before turning back to Sima Geon.

“I cannot speak to the other person’s martial prowess, but they said he was just as capable. Though, apparently, he looked nothing like you.”

“Oh? You actually thought it was us?”

“At first, yes. The descriptions provided by the Nangong Clan sounded remarkably similar to you two. They were asking around, wondering if we knew them. But as they went into detail, it clearly wasn’t you. You don’t have those facial scars, and your bone structure is completely different.”

Sima Geon let out a dry, forced laugh.

“I wish I could claim the credit. It would have saved you a lot of worry.”

“True, and I would have had something to brag about. regardless, the Nangong Clan believes they were fixers. They heard rumors that some people with a personal vendetta against the Golden Fox Bandit Lair had commissioned the hit.”

“It matters little who they were. Whether they were fixers or ghosts, the only thing that counts is your safe return. Congratulations, little brother. You have finished your final task as a porter without failing.”

Sima Hyeon looked confused for a moment, but seeing the firm, unyielding look in Sima Geon’s eyes, he simply nodded with a faint smile.

“I appreciate that. So, does this mean I begin my apprenticeship at the butcher shop now?”

Sima Ho, who had been eavesdropping intently, suddenly interjected with lightning speed.

“I—I will be the one to train you!”

His eyes were wide and shimmering with a vengeful desire to inflict upon Sima Hyeon every hardship Cheol Woo had forced upon him.

Cheol Woo reached out, grabbed Sima Ho by the ear, and gave it a sharp tug.

“You! You can barely manage your own daily chores, and you think you’re ready to teach someone else?”

“Ow! Stop! Why are you doing this? Let go!”

“Quiet. Let’s go see how much of a mess you made of the shop while we were gone. Move it.”

Despite his protests, Sima Ho was dragged toward the back of the building, Cheol Woo’s grip never wavering.

“Is that going to be my fate as well?” Sima Hyeon asked, looking slightly unnerved.

“No. There is no need for you to handle a cleaver. Cheol Woo and I have that covered.”

“Then what role will I have?”

“Shopkeeper.”

Sima Hyeon hesitated for a beat, then broke into a wide grin.

“I like the sound of that.”

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

“It is Jwa Gong, Master.”

At the sound of the low voice, Yeong Ho Jung stopped his aggressive brushwork on a canvas.

“Enter.”

The door creaked open, and a man of small stature stepped cautiously into the study.

Yeong Ho Jung glared at his half-finished painting for a second before slashing a line of black ink across the work in a fit of pique.

“I commanded you to maintain your composure, and yet you bring me this trash?”

He dropped the brush, drained a cup of wine, and turned to face his visitor.

“Is the report verified?”

“It is.”

“Is there any risk that our involvement was discovered?”

“I hand-picked the most loyal and skilled subordinates for this. The lead scout is the finest among my recruits. There will be no leaks.”

Jwa Gong spoke with certainty, but Yeong Ho Jung merely shook his head.

“Arrogance is a precursor to ruin. Just as you serve me, my competitors have their own agents in play. A single lapse in judgment and we fall into the abyss.”

The Flying Wing Squad, where Jwa Gong held the position of deputy commander, functioned as the primary intelligence arm of the Yeongho Clan.

While the commander, Baek An, maintained a facade of impartiality regarding the clan’s internal power struggles, Yeong Ho Jung knew his rivals were likely manipulating other sub-leaders just as he manipulated Jwa Gong.

“I shall exercise the utmost caution.”

“Do not underestimate the commander. He likely sees every move we make and simply chooses to remain silent for now.”

Jwa Gong felt a chill run down his spine at the mention of Baek An’s name, bowing his head in silent agreement.

“Now, tell me. What the hell happened in Soheung?”

Jwa Gong took a steadying breath and looked up.

“According to the intelligence gathered…”

He began a detailed, clinical recitation of the events.

As the report unfolded, Yeong Ho Jung’s face contorted through various stages of disbelief and rage. By the time the thirty-minute briefing concluded, his temper boiled over.

“What kind of monster are we dealing with?!”

Under the weight of his fury, the wooden table beneath his hand splintered and collapsed into ruins.

The essence of Jwa Gong’s report was devastatingly simple.

The Black Ox Squad, the elite unit dispatched to Soheung to secure the Celestial Pure Jade Milk, had failed their mission. More than that, they had been eradicated to the last man and dumped in a hidden grave.

“Was this the work of the Living Immortal Medical House?” Yeong Ho Jung asked, his eyes burning.

“It is unlikely, though we cannot rule it out entirely.”

“Explain why.”

“Three representatives from the Living Immortal Medical House were staying at the Clear Heart Clinic in Soheung. Our reports indicate they departed the city exactly as planned, showing no signs of having engaged in a lethal struggle. Even if we underestimate them, the Black Ox Squad was far too powerful to be wiped out by such a small group without leaving a trail of blood.”

“Correct. I did not train those men to fall to the likes of those healers.”

Yeong Ho Jung bit his lip, forcing himself to think rationally.

“If not them, then who? Was it that Sima… the one who purchased the Celestial Pure Jade Milk?”

“Sima Geon.”

“Right. Is he responsible?”

“That seems even more improbable.”

“Why? If he possessed the capital to buy the Celestial Pure Jade Milk, he must have some hidden strength.”

Jwa Gong hesitated, shifting uncomfortably before answering.

“He is… a butcher, sir.”

“A what…?”

Yeong Ho Jung stared at him, sure he had misheard.

“He operates a local butcher shop.”

“…”

Yeong Ho Jung stared in stunned silence before his face darkened with irritation.

“A common butcher managed to accumulate that much wealth? You expect me to believe such a ridiculous story?”

“Our background checks suggest he spent many years traveling abroad to earn his fortune. Our agents watched him for days and saw nothing but a normal shopkeeper. However, we are maintaining surveillance just in case.”

The veins in Yeong Ho Jung’s forehead throbbed as he ground his teeth together.

“If it wasn’t the healers, and it wasn’t the butcher—then who did this?”

“I suspect a third party intervened.”

“A third party?”

“Someone who viewed the presence of the Black Ox Squad as a threat to their own interests.”

Yeong Ho Jung’s eyes widened as the realization hit him.

“Are you suggesting my eldest brother took action?”

“The moment the Thousand Kill Hall—which once controlled the underworld of Hangzhou—was dismantled, the young master immediately deployed the Nanjing Flying Knife Society to fill the vacuum.”

“Yes. It took him a mere ten days to seize control.”

Yeong Ho Jung snarled. Hangzhou had been his primary source of illicit funding, and he had lost it in a heartbeat.

“The Flying Knife Society, having secured Hangzhou, has now expanded its reach into Soheung, where Thousand Kill Hall had been operating in the shadows.”

“It is a logical move,” Yeong Ho Jung admitted bitterly.

He had personally ordered Thousand Kill Hall to use the Blood Ministry to infiltrate Soheung’s criminal landscape. Even though the original leadership had been purged and absorbed by the Flying Knife Society, the infrastructure remained.

“The night markets of Soheung are currently under the control of the Eastern Heart Society, but once the Blood Ministry—now backed by the Flying Knife Society—exerts its full pressure, the balance of power will shift. The young master was able to move this quickly because the Black Ox Squad, the only force capable of stopping him, was removed from the board.”

“But I refuse to believe the Black Ox Squad lost to a group like the Flying Knife Society. It’s impossible. And I’ve seen no evidence of my brother’s personal guards moving into the area.”

Yeong Ho Jung shook his head. The Flying Knife Society might control the streets of Nanjing and Hangzhou, but they were still just street thugs compared to the Black Ox Squad, his personal elite force.

“What about the East Sea Dragon Fisher?”

“What?!”

Yeong Ho Jung’s face turned white at the mention of the legendary figure.

“Is that old ghost involved in this?”

“We cannot prove he fought them, but he was confirmed to be in Soheung at the time.”

“Even so, even the East Sea Dragon Fisher alone could not have annihilated the entire Black Ox Squad without a massive struggle…”

Yeong Ho Jung paused, remembering the name that was always linked to the Fisher. He looked at Jwa Gong with renewed dread.

“Tell me… was the Eight Flying Swords with him?”

“Yes. His pupils were seen in Soheung before they traveled on. Their official reason for being there was to attend the seventieth birthday of the retired scholar Song Hak, but the timing is far too perfect to be ignored.”

“Ugh!”

A sound of pure frustration escaped Yeong Ho Jung.

“Curse it! Of course. With the clan elders watching his every move, my brother couldn’t use his official warriors. So he used his wife’s family instead? How typical of him to be so underhanded!”

Yeong Ho Jung roared, his eyes bloodshot with hatred.

While he still commanded official troops within the clan, the Black Ox Squad had been his secret weapon for the tasks that required no witnesses. Losing them was a catastrophic blow to his power.

It took several minutes of heavy breathing for him to master his rage.

“And the remains? They are in the bamboo forest?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Can they be recovered without drawing attention?”

“I will attempt it if you wish, however…”

Seeing Jwa Gong’s hesitation, Yeong Ho Jung waved his hand dismissively.

“No. I will not have the men who died for me recovered like common thieves in the night. I will see they receive a proper burial when the time is right. Leave them for now.”

“Understood.”

Jwa Gong felt a wave of relief that he wouldn’t have to carry out such a risky task.

“But I cannot let this insult go unpunished. Jwa Gong.”

“Yes, Master.”

“Contact the Dead Blood Forest.”

“The… Dead Blood Forest?” Jwa Gong stammered in shock.

“The East Sea Fisher can wait. For now, I want the heads of the Eight Flying Swords and his students. I will pay whatever price those assassins demand. But there must be no link back to us.”

“It shall be done!” Jwa Gong bowed deeply.

“And the Celestial Pure Jade Milk is truly lost?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“…”

Yeong Ho Jung’s expression was a mask of cold fury.

“Kill the butcher as well. A mere merchant who thinks he can possess such a treasure… he needs to learn his place.”

“As you wish.”

Jwa Gong bowed and retreated from the room in silence.

Neither man had any idea that the East Sea Dragon Fisher and the Eight Flying Swords had actually been in Soheung for nothing more than a birthday party. Nor did they suspect that the “elite” Black Ox Squad had been decimated by the very butcher shop workers they considered beneath their notice.