Chapter 31

Chapter 31
## Chapter 31: Time to Seize the Staff (3)

Past the hour of midnight, Sima Geon and Cheol Woo stepped out into the night, greeted by a full moon positioned perfectly in the center of the dark sky. The lunar glow was exceptionally intense, casting a silver light that made every detail of the landscape visible, almost as if it were midday.

“Chief, you couldn’t ask for a better night to pull this off,” Cheol Woo remarked with a soft laugh, his shoulders bouncing with amusement.

“Don’t most people prefer the cover of darkness? The moon is blindingly bright tonight,” Sima Geon countered.

“That’s for amateurs. I find this gentle lighting quite helpful.”

“I wouldn’t call this ‘gentle,'” Sima Geon teased, though his relaxed expression suggested he wasn’t truly bothered.

The hour was so late that the world seemed frozen; not even a single insect made a sound. To be safe, they avoided the main thoroughfares to ensure no random passerby would spot them. Before long, the pair reached the previous headquarters of the Concord Society, a place that had recently been seized by the Blood Robe Gang.

Now, the group that had dismantled the Concord Society was using the compound as their own base of operations.

“Ha! Look at these clowns trying to act like a prestigious sect,” Cheol Woo scoffed, gesturing toward the two sentries posted at the front entrance. “What’s the play?”

“Ignore them. We’re doing this without a scene,” Sima Geon replied indifferently, heading toward a section of the wall away from the gate.

With a fluid motion, both Sima Geon and Cheol Woo cleared the wall in a single leap, making a direct line for the most extravagant building on the grounds.

“Judging by the guards out front, that’s where the prize is,” Cheol Woo noted, watching the men pacing nervously before the main hall. “Are they not even worried about the guys they lost a few days ago?”

“If they were the type to worry, they wouldn’t have had the guts to move in here,” Sima Geon muttered. He picked up three small rocks, casually flicking his wrist as he continued his approach. The pebbles cut through the air with a faint hiss, instantly dropping the guards before they could utter a sound.

“Move them out of sight, just in case,” Sima Geon ordered. Cheol Woo grabbed the unconscious men and unceremoniously dumped them into the thick shrubbery lining the hall.

Upon entering the hall, Sima Geon let out a dry, mocking laugh. There lay Mak So-dong, the leader of the Blood Robe Gang, completely dead to the world in a drunken fog. He wasn’t alone; two incredibly beautiful women were draped across him on the bed.

“Look at him, living like a king. Almost makes you jealous,” Cheol Woo sneered as he approached.

The moment Sima Geon used a strike of palm wind to seal the women’s pressure points, Cheol Woo lunged onto the bed and delivered a brutal stomp directly to Mak So-dong’s groin.

“Aaaaaaghhhh!”

Mak So-dong’s body jerked upright, his mouth hanging open in a silent, agonizing scream that seemed to vibrate his entire soul.

“You’re a monster! Even if you’re envious, hitting a man there is…” Sima Geon, who had already used his internal energy to dampen the sound within the room, winced at the sheer intensity of the man’s silent cry.

“My aim was just a bit off, Chief,” Cheol Woo said with a mock-innocent shrug. He grabbed Mak So-dong by the hair and hauled him off the mattress.

Dragged like a stray dog to the floor, Mak So-dong could barely process his surroundings, his mind consumed by the white-hot pain throbbing from his lower half.

“Keep it down. If you make another sound, I’ll make sure you never speak again,” Cheol Woo hissed.

Terror-stricken, Mak So-dong clamped his hands over his mouth, desperately trying to swallow the moans of pain. Sima Geon waited a moment for the man’s face to turn from a deep purple back to a flushed red before speaking.

“Are you the one in charge of the Blood Robe Gang?”

“Y-yes… that’s me,” Mak So-dong stammered, pressing his forehead against the floor in a submissive bow.

Even through the blinding pain, he understood the gravity of his situation. He saw the cold brutality in Cheol Woo’s gaze and knew his life hung by a thread. He had survived the streets and risen to power because of a sharp, animalistic instinct for danger—and right now, that instinct was screaming that he was in the presence of death.

“Then we’re in the right place. Do you have any idea why we’ve paid you a visit?”

“N-no, I don’t, sir.”

“You’re a quick one, aren’t you?” Cheol Woo, who had picked up a tea cup from a nearby table, tossed it casually toward the man.

The cup flew through the air, but Mak So-dong stayed frozen, too terrified to move or flinch. Just as it was about to strike his forehead, Sima Geon flicked a finger, shattering the ceramic into dust that rained harmlessly over the gang leader.

“Stop playing around,” Sima Geon snapped at his partner before turning back to the trembling man. His voice took on a deceptively soft tone. “Listen closely. I don’t give a damn about your gang or the Concord Society. I have no interest in taking over your territory.”

Mak So-dong let out a shaky breath of relief, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.

“I’m just a man who wants a quiet life. I want the same peace as anyone else. But lately, things have been disturbing that peace.”

Hearing this, Mak So-dong slammed his head against the floor again. “Tell me what you need, and I’ll take care of it immediately!”

“Good. Let’s be blunt then. You’ve been shaking down the local merchants for higher protection fees lately, haven’t you?”

“I… what?” Mak So-dong looked up, genuinely confused for a second.

“The protection money,” Sima Geon repeated, his voice dropping to a freezing temperature.

“Ah! Yes! We have, but…”

“I’m not telling you to stop entirely. Just be reasonable. Go back to the rates the Concord Society used to charge. That’s all.”

While Sima Geon sounded reasonable, Mak So-dong hesitated to answer. “That… that’s a bit difficult…”

Cheol Woo, who had been leaning against the wall, grabbed a sword from a display rack and walked over. “Why is it difficult? Do you need me to simplify the problem for you?”

“No, no! It’s not that!” Mak So-dong cried out, shaking his head violently as he feared for his life.

“Then just do what the Chief says. Otherwise, this is your future.” Cheol Woo grabbed the steel blade between two fingers.

*Snap!*

The sound of metal breaking rang through the room as the tip of the sword fell onto the floor by Mak So-dong’s knees. The man’s eyes widened in horror. A high-quality steel blade had been snapped like a dry twig by a man’s bare fingers.

“I want to obey, truly! But it’s not entirely my decision!”

“What kind of lie is that? You’re the boss of the Blood Robe Gang!” Cheol Woo glared, looking ready to use the broken blade on the man’s throat.

“I am! But I don’t have the final say on everything!”

Sima Geon watched the man’s desperate reaction and made a calculated guess. “It’s the Plum Sword Society, isn’t it?”

“Plum Sword? Those guys from Namgyeong?” Cheol Woo laughed mockingly. “I thought they left Soho days ago. Wait, were they really Plum Sword? Hahaha!”

Mak So-dong’s eyes darted around in panic. Many knew the Plum Sword Society was the power behind them, but the existence of the Hidden Dragon Squad was a closely guarded secret known only to a select few.

‘They even know about the Hidden Dragon Squad…’

He realized these men knew about the secret unit that had been dispatched to hunt down those responsible for killing their members. A chill ran down his spine.

‘It’s them. These are the monsters the Hidden Dragon Squad went looking for.’

The realization that these two had wiped out such elite warriors left him paralyzed with fear.

“Are there any Plum Sword members left in the area? It seemed like they moved out two days ago,” Sima Geon asked.

“Yes, they all left. But we still have to provide the monthly tribute…”

“Then lower your own take,” Sima Geon interrupted.

“What?”

“Don’t touch the tribute. If you mess with their money, it creates a headache for me. Just reduce the Blood Robe Gang’s portion. Charge the merchants just slightly more than the old rates. They won’t complain, and you’ll still have enough to live on.”

“But… I…”

As Mak So-dong faltered, Cheol Woo reached out and began patting the man’s head with terrifying affection. “Don’t want to? That’s fine. We’ll just kill you and find someone else who’s more cooperative. There’s no shortage of thugs.”

“No! I’ll do it! I’ll do exactly as you say!” Mak So-dong screamed, fearing the hand on his head would crush his skull at any moment.

“Good choice. I was about to scramble your brains so you wouldn’t have to worry about thinking anymore.” Cheol Woo patted him a few more times before turning to Sima Geon. “Chief, we still need to settle that outstanding debt for the meat.”

“Of course.”

Sima Geon nodded, and Cheol Woo leaned in close to the bewildered gang leader. “You had a big celebration recently, right?”

“Yes…”

“And you ate a lot of meat.”

“Y-yes…”

“You ate like kings, so it’s time you paid the bill. You weren’t planning on skipping out on your debt, were you?”

“……”

Mak So-dong was utterly lost. A man in his position didn’t keep track of butcher shop tabs, so he had no idea what they were talking about.

Sima Geon’s eyes traveled across the room until they landed on a specific painting on the wall. Mak So-dong’s eyes followed, his pupils shrinking in terror.

“Well, look at that!” Cheol Woo grinned, stepping over and ripping the painting off the wall. Behind it, a small string hung from the masonry.

Cheol Woo glanced back at the trembling Mak So-dong before pulling the string. Part of the wall slid away, revealing a heavy iron door with a massive padlock.

Cheol Woo whistled as he grabbed the lock. Mak So-dong closed his eyes, hearing the sound of the expensive, custom-made lock being crushed like dry leaves. The door swung open to reveal a hidden vault.

Shelves made of fine wood lined the walls. Two were empty, but the one on the left was packed with the riches the gang had confiscated from the Concord Society.

“You greedy bastards! You have all this and you’re still squeezing the merchants?” Cheol Woo shouted in disbelief.

“It doesn’t matter. We’re only taking what we’re owed,” Sima Geon said, dismissing the outburst. He reached in and took a several high-value gold notes. “This is for the meat.”

Mak So-dong watched, his heart sinking. ‘What meat costs that much…’

Sima Geon took several more notes. “And this is for the interest on the debt.”

“……”

“Chief, don’t forget the medical expenses. We had to come all this way to collect, and we might have hurt ourselves in the process. That’s not fair,” Cheol Woo added.

Sima Geon nodded as if it were perfectly logical and took a few more notes. “He’s right. Having to use force to collect a debt is a real chore. This is for the trouble.”

After pocketing ten gold notes, Sima Geon stepped back. Cheol Woo then grabbed Mak So-dong and shoved him toward the vault.

“Now, pay your life insurance.”

“My… what?”

“We’re letting you live. What do you think your life is worth?”

Understanding finally dawned on him. Swallowing back his bile, Mak So-dong reached for the remaining gold notes with shaking hands. As he hesitated, Cheol Woo whispered one last threat.

“Choose wisely. If you’re stingy, I’ll start taking your limbs instead.”

His hand, which had stopped at five notes, quickly grabbed more until he had matched what Sima Geon had taken. Cheol Woo let out a booming laugh.

“See? I knew you were a man of potential. You know exactly what your head is worth! Hahaha!”

Without another word or a glance back at the remaining treasure, Sima Geon and Cheol Woo left the room.

Mak So-dong sat on the floor, paralyzed. He had already lost a huge chunk of the loot to the Plum Sword Society, and now these two had walked away with the best of what was left. He felt like he was in a nightmare.

*[Keep your mouth shut and stay quiet. Do that, and you’ll keep breathing. But if a single word of tonight gets out…]*

Before the mental message even finished, a sharp sound whistled past his ear. He jumped and spun around.

A single green leaf was embedded deep into the iron door of the secret vault.

In that moment, Mak So-dong made a silent vow to the gods that he would take the events of this night to his grave.