Episode 181

For the first time, she saw Dan Woo-hyun’s expression waver.

Namgung Sohye felt more confident now that she saw it.

She clenched her fist and looked at him for a response, but there was only an unbearable silence.

How long was it?

She suddenly realized that the silence which seemed like it would never end, lasted just for a moment at most.

Namgung Sohye, who was staring at Dan Woo-hyun blankly, made a gulping sound.

At that time, the silence broke.

“I don’t know what… you are saying.”

“Ahahah… I-I just said it for fun.”

Laughing it off like it was a joke, Namgung Sohye realized through the silence just now that Dan Woo-hyun didn’t want anyone to know about this.

Also, Dan Woo-hyun seemed like he didn’t want this being mentioned either.

The two people, who understood each other and reached an unspoken agreement, laughed at the same time.

“Nam Joo-ryeon’s martial arts…. I came across them by accident and managed to remember them. But I cannot tell you that they are perfect.”

“Even so, it is fine. Do teach me.”

“Hmmm.”

Dan Woo-hyun stroked his chin.

But his worries weren’t that bad.

He didn’t know if he had been thinking of doing such a thing from the start, but he just nodded and complied with Namgung Sohye’s request.

“It isn’t so difficult. Starting from tomorrow morning, come to the lot where you left last time.”

“I understand.”

Namgung Sohye nodded willingly and turned back.

Her pounding heart will have to calm down.

It took quite a bit of courage and strength from her to look at Dan Woo-hyun and to openly declare his secret like that.

“Haaa.”

Sighing softly, she clenched her fists; the curiosity wasn’t resolved, but the goal was achieved .

Still, more… You can go higher.

Namgung Sohye smiled and ran to her quarters.

“I had a feeling that I was identified…. But how?”

Dan Woo-hyun was troubled as he looked at Namgung Sohye vanishing. It wasn’t that he had any intention of hiding the truth of him being the Martial God at all costs.

Even if he told someone there, they wouldn’t have believed him. The time of a thousand years wasn’t something which could be slowed or stopped.

Was there any human who could make that happen?

Even the Blood Demon, who was said to have mastered all sorcery techniques including transference of the soul, couldn’t stop time.

That was why he felt like no one would care or believe it.

Just a moment ago, there was certainty in Namgung Sohye’s eyes.

“Was this your doing too?”

He raised his head and looked somewhere. At the high cliff overlooking the manor.

With three graves on them.

Dan Woo-hyun looked at the beautiful woman before his eyes. That blur of a woman who had this naughty smile on her lips.

As he was looking at that, he realized it was no coincidence.

Dan Woo-hyun frowned.

“You always were like this, naughty.”

And he walked with a smile. His steps seemed full of life.

He felt a sense of relief, as if he had confessed and taken off a burden kept in his heart for a long time.

“I roughly know the series of events but… I never thought it would happen like this.”

Two days later.

Zhuge Yun, who had recovered a bit enough to walk, heard what happened with the Hunan Merchant Union at the gathering, with Dan Woo-hyun, Namgung Chun, and Sa Dohak.

There were some things he already knew and some he didn’t.

He was confident in his abilities to get information but this time, for the very first time, he heard that the other party had laid a trap and waited patiently.

It was said that there were people who could use their heads on the other side.

Zhuge Yun grinned.

“The losses we have suffered are a bit large this time.”

The most important items of the Golden Ring merchants, alcohol and silk, were stolen. It is true that we have to catch them first, but if we cannot even find any traces of them, it is going to be quite difficult.

Unless one can find it.

Zhuge Yun looked at Dan Woo-hyun.

“What is happening with the Golden Ring merchants?”

“Hmmm?”

Dan Woo-hyun discreetly turned his gaze to look at the door. Kwon Mujin, who had been standing there in silence, approached them with long steps and bowed.

“Currently we have hired a dozen wanderers and tightly guarded the area around the top.”

The good news was that the Golden Ring merchants hadn’t lost everything yet. There was still alcohol from the Ho Yeon family and the alcohol which Dan Somi made to pass time, and thanks to that, there was no need to halt the business.

“After the theft, did you or the merchants send anyone off?”

“I don’t know.”

Zhuge Yun nodded.

The Golden Ring Merchant Union was a fairly old one in Changsha.

Despite being old, it was a small place, and the people who worked there were those who had been there for ten years out of loyalty.

“There was a lot of stuff, so no matter how many people came in, there had to be traces left. But the fact that there was no trace meant….”

“Someone on the inside had helped them.”

Dan Woo-hyun had this doubt but Geum Eun-hak said it wasn’t possible. Since there were employees who worked with him for years, he firmly trusted that they wouldn’t betray him.

Therefore, Dan Woo-hyun left him alone without saying anything.

Anyone who made a mistake once will make another unless they underwent a change. And so, the Merchant Union and Geum Eun-hak were bound to suffer in the long run.

The same thing will happen again and again, until Geum Eun-hak realizes it and catches them. Of course, by the time he realized that, the same mistake would have happened too many times and it would be too late.

And by then, Dan Woo-hyun would have abandoned the Merchant Union.

There was no need to be with such a foolish man. In that way, Dan Woo-hyun was a lot better than anyone.

“The products will be safe there. Even if the Hunan merchants are behind this, they are too clean to hand over such a large amount of stolen goods.”

Zhuge Yun smiled and looked at Dan Woo-hyun.

It was none other than because of Dan Woo-hyun that any wrongdoers were taken down in Hunan. Considering the various information, Yueyang had one thief.

What one couldn’t see was the influence of Dan Woo-hyun that helped Hong Won-chang.

“The stolen items must have been taken by sea. To completely erase the trace means to take a boat or a ship.”

“Right.”

Dan Woo-hyun nodded and Namgung Chun clapped his hands like it made sense.

The fact that there was no trace inside meant the help of someone, and the fact that there was no trace outside meant that someone on the inside helped them out. Also, if they went by sea, it would be safer than the carriage and no traces would be found, since there were countless hiding spots like Dongting Lake, which worked well to hide things.

“So, what happened?”

Sa Dohak was picking his ears as if he was annoyed and asked.

Whether there were people who betrayed them or not, whether they used the sea or not, what good will all that thinking do?

Dan Woo-hyun wasn’t good at looking for things?

The reason?

Because he didn’t have to.

The problem here was also that the Hunan merchant Union did something he hadn’t planned for.

It wasn’t the best to waste time looking for things.

“You cannot possibly think about this treasure hunt now, right?”

Zhuge Yun held his breath at the disapproving gaze from Sa Dohak.

The opponent was the leader of the Demonic Cult.

Even if he was the Commander of the Murim Alliance, there was a difference of rank.

He was such an incredible person that not even the Sword Emperor could protect Zhuge Yun from.

Zhuge Yun gulped and said.

“Just one.”

“Which one?”

Sa Dohak asked as if all these talks made no sense.

Should he just cut out the tongue which kept babbling needless things? Such thoughts ran through his mind, and when that gaze fell on Zhuge Yun, he trembled.

“It means that with just one action, we can cut off not just the Hunan Merchant Union, but also have most of the ties they have.”

“Ohoo!”

The one person who exclaimed here was Dan Woo-hyun.

The man who hated troubles.

The kind of man who needed to solve the problem right away, he wasn’t sure what Zhuge Yun was planning, but it could be said to be quite an attractive offer.

“An eye for an eye…. Is that what it’s called?”

Zhuge Yun smiled brighter than ever.

A man looked around sneakily as he headed out somewhere.

His face was full of anxiousness like someone might identify him, so he constantly looked around with every few steps he took.

The man, having moved for a while, stepped out of Yueyang and then walked along the path of Dongting Lake.

And since it was late at night, not only the cries of animals coming from the forest, but even the small flutter from the wings of birds gave him goosebumps.

After moving for another hour, the man stopped.

The place he stood at was in the forest.

An area surrounded by large old trees, rocks, bushes and nothing more. As the man stood there and looked around nervously, several strange shadows appeared in front of him.

“I heard there is new information. It is an obvious one, but….”

“Of… of course. I will never reveal anything about this, and it is important information which no one can know.”

The man trembled and lowered his head.

And the shadow took out a small pouch and threw it to the man. The man realized how heavy it was and picked it up. But he couldn’t bring himself to check its contents.

Because he knew, if he did, the sword of the shadow would find its way to his throat.

“Euk…”

“Before you confirm what’s inside, speak the reason you called us. If the information is of no worth, may you be prepared to leave your head.”

“Ku… t… that… you know…. Merchant leader…. Geum… is planning to form a great sale.”

“Great sale?”

“Yes, he is gathering as many wanderers as he can. I don’t know the number since the meetings have been going on secretly, but it seems to be easily over fifty….”

“…Right, but are there that many goods?”

“Recently, there was this surplus of alcohol and the prices have stabilized… I think they are probably going to sell that….”

“But that isn’t concrete information…?”

At the question of the shadow, the man stepped back in fear.

Of course this wasn’t accurate. But it was true that large crates of alcohol had been brought in, and there was no sign of it being packed yet.

But just how many crates had he confirmed till now. He didn’t know what the cloth was covering in there, but since the Golden Ring Merchant Union was one which sold alcohol as its main product, that was what had to be in there.

“The… the thing is… the exchange of….”

“What?”

“There is this talk of back and forth among the traces that Beijing is the destination for this trip….”

“And this is true?”

“Ru…. It is…. A rumor… but when the Golden Ring Merchant Leader was with my son, I heard him muttering that he was going to see Beijing for the first time in a long time.”

The people were startled at the mention of Beijing.

The Golden Ring Merchant Union sold alcohol of the Ho Yeon family. And such precious alcohol was being produced in large quantities now, and moving to Beijing meant targeting the Imperial Family.

This was information they had to report to their chief right away. So the people turned swiftly.

“I will say this just one more time….”

“O-of course. I will not speak even if I have to die.”

The man smiled.

He made a lot of money. He earned an amount which he couldn’t even have after working for twenty years in the Golden Ring Merchant Union in just a month.

Where could he even gain such money?

The man looked at the disappearing shadows and bowed his head many times. He will become an important person when they aim for the Golden Ring merchants.

The man with a happy smile and heavy pocket turned his head.

“Eik!?”

That moment.

He saw someone ahead of him.

A black shadow with white teeth.

Soon, the pitch-black hand of the black shadow moved toward him.