Chapter 24

“You fucking bastard.”

Jang Chun-sik spat the thought into the open. It was a man’s stance — and a man’s stance always comes with a price.

Smack!

“Chun-sik. The more you mess around, the worse it’ll be for you.”

Yeon Mujin landed another ruthless punch to Jang Chun-sik’s face.

He was no righteous warrior, nor a spineless good man. If anything, he was the opposite.

After two hits, Jang Chun-sik shut his mouth.

“Good. I’ll ask you a few questions.”

“Trying to get information for free again?”

“Yes.”

“For heaven’s sake — you ask an informant for free intel and have the nerve to be so bold.”

“That information comes from our place anyway, you bastard.”

“……”

Jang Chun-sik glared, as if about to retort: You’re just a lowly member of the Bukgung Family — who are you to talk about our place?

Ignoring the look, Yeon Mujin continued.

“You know the Wang Family’s Trading Company, right?”

“I know.”

“This guy’s got a cheeky mouth, huh?”

“I know! I know!”

Slap!

“Argh!”

“Answer quietly, you punk.”

What maddened him was that this jerk kowtowed before the Lonely Claw Troops yet kept his chin stiff in front of Yeon Mujin. Finding it insulting, Yeon Mujin smacked him on the head again.

“Why are you hitting me again!”

“Then don’t make me hit you again — look down.”

Only then did he lower his eyes.

“You know the Wang Family Trading Company was wiped out, right?”

He nodded.

“When did it happen?”

“…It happened five nights ago. Between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. There are rumors the trading company’s head was seen before 1, and that a group left the manor after 5.”

Yeon Mujin nodded with satisfaction. Annoying as he was, the man did one thing right.

“What about the culprit?”

“How would I know that?”

Yeon Mujin raised his fist again.

“Don’t play dumb, you bastard. Since you even know the time of the incident, doesn’t that smell like the Bukgung Family is involved? Want another hit?”

“It was the Lonely Claw Troops! There’s talk their leader personally intervened. There’s also a rumor the Sixth Young Master flew into a rage inside his manor. They say he was out of his mind for a while.”

“Why did he go mad?”

“Well…”

Jang Chun-sik’s eyes said it plainly: it was because of you.

Not only Yeon Mujin, but Jang Chun-sik bore some responsibility. Jang Chun-sik had been gathering evidence to the death for the Wang Family Trading Company’s eldest daughter, Wang Ga-hwa. Once the visitors were revealed to be Lonely Claw Troops, they thought what was bound to come had come — and that was why the Sixth Young Master wanted to bury his plots in blood. That was why the Wang Family Trading Company was massacred.

What a splendid family. They annihilated an entire household over one blemish.

“It was mass slaughter. My hunch was right.”

For now, there seemed no way to squeeze money out of the vanished Wang Family Trading Company. No choice — he’d have to find another way.

“Understood. Then stay well.”

“…?”

Jang Chun-sik grew flustered when he saw Yeon Mujin preparing to leave.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“I’m going home.”

“You’re just going to leave like that? Is that all you came here for?”

“It’s over. Even if I dig more, nothing else will come up. The Sixth Young Master got furious and slaughtered them. That’s the end of it, isn’t it?”

“No, wait!”

Jang Chun-sik grabbed Yeon Mujin’s sleeve.

“What, you were just telling me to get lost? You’re not letting go now?”

“What am I supposed to do if you leave like this?”

“So what do I do?”

“The Lonely Claw Troops will come for me again!”

Profanity rose in his throat, but he forced himself, with superhuman patience, to explain calmly.

“If you hadn’t intervened, half of us could’ve lived — myself included. But you intervened, drove off the Lonely Claw Troops, and you framed us too!”

“Am I making things up? The Sixth Young Master got angry because of the evidence you brought, isn’t that true?”

“You ordered that, you bastard…!”

Jang Chun-sik swallowed his rage and closed his mouth. Talking with Yeon Mujin made his stomach churn. He mentally etched the character for ‘patience’ a hundred times and spoke again.

“Because of you, our Cocoon Silkworm Clan is finished. Every one of us — all gone!”

Even after saying that, Yeon Mujin remained nonchalant. Jang Chun-sik suddenly thought he’d be content if he could just land one punch on that face. The clan members who understood the situation shot Yeon Mujin looks half fear, half resentment.

“If this was your boss’s doing, you must take responsibility! Are you a man to run away so cowardly?”

“Why? Men aren’t forbidden from being cowardly. Men can be cowardly sometimes — what a retrograde thing to say.”

Yeon Mujin wasn’t the sort to be swayed by shouts of cowardice. But since he had kicked the hornet’s nest first, he felt a very small, almost ant-tear-sized pang of conscience.

Still, it was too much to expect Yeon Mujin to take responsibility for the entire Cocoon Silkworm Clan’s lives.

“Ah.”

That would do.

“Is there any good solution?”

“You lot — it’d be hard for you to flee Taiyuan as you are, right?” Yeon Mujin asked in a low tone.

“Of course. The Bukgung Family’s eyes and ears are everywhere. If the Lonely Claw Troops tracks us, how could we escape?”

“But you can’t stay here in Taiyuan either.”

“Naturally. Taiyuan is the most dangerous place for us right now.”

“Yes, yes, what a big problem.”

“…?”

“But you’re wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

Jang Chun-sik looked at Yeon Mujin as if he were spouting nonsense.

“There is a place in Taiyuan — the safest place in the world where the Lonely Claw Troop’s hand can’t reach.”

“Where on earth is such a place?”

“But, mind you…” Yeon Mujin made a small circle with his thumb and forefinger. “It’s a bit expensive.”

“…?”

“You did some background on me, right? Do you know who I am?”

“Flying Swallow Manor guard unit’s chief…”

“No — I’m captain of the External Protection Troops.”

“What’s that?”

“You don’t need to know that part. Anyway, my main job is protector and guardian. A bodyguard capable of single-handedly driving off nine Lonely Claw Troops warriors. A very expensive and capable guard.”

“You want us to pay and hire you? You’d protect all our Bando by yourself?”

Yeon Mujin scoffed loudly. “You want me to take money and guard you? Do you have more money than the Bukgung Family?”

“Then what do you want me to do!”

Yeon Mujin grinned. “Sponsor our Flying Swallow Manor. I’ll protect you from Flying Swallow Manor.”

“……”

Jang Chun-sik looked at Yeon Mujin and thought, without saying it aloud: it’s basically pay tribute if you don’t want to die. What a thug of a bastard.

Yeon Mujin’s words sounded glossy, but when cut to the chase it was one sentence: Money — hand it over.

Bukgung Family, Solitary Cloud Manor

Cheol-ack, having returned to the manor, was immediately summoned by the Lonely Claw Troops’ leader.

“You’re back.”

Un Ji-kang, handler of Solitary Cloud Manor and leader of the Lonely Claw Troops, greeted him with a smile.

Un Ji-kang felt completely different from when he was with the Sixth Young Master. Before the Sixth Young Master he had been calm and cold; now he seemed a warm superior who cared for his subordinates.

But Cheol-ack wasn’t fooled. Many had been deceived by that smile, treated orders lightly, and lost their lives. Having watched him since youth, Cheol-ack knew his true nature well.

“I’ve returned.”

Cheol-ack bowed his head in courtesy.

“So, how did the assigned mission go?”

The back of Cheol-ack’s neck prickled.

“Well…”

Just as he was about to speak, Un Ji-kang added a word.

“This mission was personally ordered by the young master. It had to be carried out perfectly and thoroughly. Of course…”

He spoke warmly. “I know you’re fit for this mission. There was not a single mistake, right?”

Cheol-ack felt the hairs on his body stand on end. Un Ji-kang couldn’t conceive of mission failure; he only wanted to hear how perfectly the mission had been executed.

Cheol-ack closed his eyes tightly and confessed.

“The truth is…”

“What is it?”

“There was an unexpected ambush. The Cocoon Silkworm Clan had already hired warriors. Their martial skill was higher than expected, and other comrades sustained considerable injuries.”

Ssssss—.

Cheol-ack felt the air in the office grow heavy. He didn’t even have the nerve to look up; he couldn’t bear Un Ji-kang’s gaze.

“…The identity of that one?”

Un Ji-kang’s tone turned cold.

“I don’t know.”

“What level of skill?”

“That too…”

Un Ji-kang pressed his temple gently — a habit when very angry.

“So?”

“…”

“Did you fail the mission?”

Cheol-ack — or rather Un Cheol-ack — felt his breath catch. He knew this voice of his uncle well — the tone used when displeased. Terrified, he answered quickly.

“No.”

“…No?”

“There were unforeseen variables, but the mission succeeded. The parasitic pack, including the Cocoon Silkworm Clan, will no longer be found on Taiyuan soil.”

“This variable — who was it?”

“I dealt with him with my own hand.”

“Is that so?”

On the surface, Cheol-ack showed no wounds. Since he’d been struck in the groin and collapsed, external injuries were unsurprising by their absence, so Un Ji-kang regarded him with half-doubt.

Cheol-ack lifted his head, forced an awkward smile, and said, “Otherwise, there’s no way our entire Lonely Claw troops could have returned alive, right? I cut his neck clean with my silver claw, so there’s nothing to worry about, Uncle.”

“……”

All returned alive, Cheol-ack unharmed. Those two proofs eased Un Ji-kang’s suspicion.

Cheol-ack felt the room’s atmosphere finally lighten.

“That’s right. Indeed. Well done.”

Only then did Cheol-ack breathe a sigh of relief. From here on, it was up to him. He had to take out that masked one again without the leader knowing.

As Cheol-ack caught his breath, Un Ji-kang spoke.

“Ak-a. Move the items kept at the Wang Family Trading Company to that place called the Cocoon Silkworm Troops.”

“…Yes?”

Cheol-ack was startled.

Un Ji-kang said it with that same affable smile. “With the Wang family wiped out, people’s attention is focused on that place, isn’t it? Our original plan to clean out the Cocoon Silkworm Troops was not only by Lord Bi-beom’s order, but also to create a new hiding place.”

When Cheol-ack hesitated, Un Ji-kang’s gaze hardened.

“Why — is there a problem?”

“No. None. I will follow the order.”

“Keep the funds for hiding secret even from Lord Bi-beom. Handle it covertly. Un Cheol-ack, only our Un family must know about this.”

“…Understood.”

And at that moment, Yeon Mujin.

“No matter how I think about it, it’s odd.”

Yeon Mujin had extorted money from Jang Chun-sik under the pretense of sponsorship funds. He made a considerable sum, but compared to the manor’s operating costs it was a drop in the bucket. How much money could someone like Chun-sik, a mere countryman, possibly have?

Yeon Mujin remained fixated on one thought.

“Why did that guy appear at the Wang Family Trading Company?”

It was weird no matter how he thought about it. That fellow was slow to move. He wasn’t the type they’d just use to vent the Sixth Young Master’s anger. And if he was going to move, he’d have gone all the way — he didn’t show up at the Cocoon Silkworm Clan, did he?

Yeon Mujin even considered confronting Chief Un when he went to the Cocoon Silkworm Clan.

He was at the Wang Family Trading Company, but not at the Cocoon Silkworm Clan.

This, this.

“Did someone smear honey on it or something?”