Chapter 26

Jang Chun-sik felt every hair on his body stood on end.

Where on earth had he heard it from?

“Aaaah!”

He tried to run, screaming, but Yeon Mujin already gripped him by the scruff of the neck.

The thug who’d been grabbing collars a moment ago had already fled; no loyalty at all.

“Chun-sik.”

“Aaaah! No! Please!”

Slap!

“You haven’t told me where you heard it yet, you bastard.”

Clutching his head, tears of pain streaming down his face, Jang Chun-sik asked.

“Where did you hear it from?”

“Starting with the part about digging and hiding slush funds.”

“Damn it…”

Jang Chun-sik swallowed his curse.

Not out of fear of Yeon Mujin, but out of concern for his own face.

As a major figure in Taiyuan and a patron of Flying Swallow Manor, could Warrior Jang—prominent in Taiyuan and patron of Flying Swallow Manor—be reduced to quarreling over a few coins?

Truly, status makes the man.

“Hey!”

Jang Chun-sik puffed out his chest and stepped forward with as much dignity as he could muster.

“External Protection Troops’ captain, show some respect. Am I not the sole patron of Flying Swallow Manor? Not even a captain of the External Protection Troops can intimidate Jang Chun-sik of the Cocoon Silkworm Clan.”

He declared this with a solemn expression.

Yeon Mujin stared at him in disbelief.

“Wasn’t that just some nickname I threw around?”

“I won’t let the captain extort money from me…! I’ll pay it myself!”

“Enough—shut up. I’m not interested in your nose-wiping money anymore.”

“No…interest…?”

Jang Chun-sik looked at Yeon Mujin, half doubtful.

“Say what you just said again.”

“What do you mean?”

“The thing you just said now.”

After a pause, Jang Chun-sik said.

“Don’t you have any gratitude for being raised?”

“Not that.”

“You’d send the clan leader alone while assassins sharpen their knives and wait?”

“Not that. Before that.”

“…My money’s buried; how could I send someone?”

That’s exactly it.

Yeon Mujin felt his mind suddenly clear.

The reason the sedentary Chief Un had appeared at the Wang Family Trading Union—no matter how he looked at it, there was no other explanation.

Right there,

‘They had really spread the honey.’

Meanwhile, Jang Chun-sik watched Yeon Mujin’s mouth twitch and felt a boundless unease.

“I told you already, I can’t give that money. No—I won’t! If I’m going to give anything, I’ll hand it over myself!”

Thud.

Yeon Mujin laid a hand on his shoulder.

“Chun-sik, don’t worry.”

“…?”

“Because I think I’ve found the real honey pot.”

During his sixth regression, Yeon Mujin served as guide to the Sixth Young Master.

He least wanted to serve the Sixth Young Master.

Among the Bukgung family’s brothers were the shady and the stupid.

But the one who was both shady and stupid—emotional and lacking discernment—there was only one.

It was the Sixth Young Master, Bukgung Bi-beom.

In truth, being shady or stupid could be forgiven.

Calling him stupid meant he could be manipulated to Yeon Mujin’s will.

But during his time in the Lonely Claw Troops, what irritated Yeon Mujin most was not the Sixth Young Master.

It was his chief of guards, Un Ji-kang.

Un Ji-kang had served as chief of the Lonely Claw Troops since Bukgung Bi-beom was very young.

Before that, he had apparently been on the murim world’s list of criminals and tracked by the Murim Alliance. In any case, he had a colorful past.

After fleeing, Un Ji-kang ended up at the Bukgung Family.

How he twisted the manor leader’s ear, nobody knows, but he eventually became the Sixth Young Master’s right-hand man.

Thanks to that, the Murim Alliance could no longer pursue him.

They could chase the criminal Un Ji-kang, but not Un Ji-kang the chief of the Bukgung Family.

The Bukgung Family’s power could shelter even martial criminals, but it also attracted opportunists hoping to turn their lives around.

Anyway, that’s exactly why Un Ji-kang remained with the Lonely Claw Troops and stayed sedentary.

If he stepped beyond the Bukgung Family’s walls, too many people would hold grudges against him.

So this made the current matter even stranger.

Because what Yeon Mujin had found at the Wang Family Trading Union was undeniably traces of Un Ji-kang.

“Well, maybe only I recognized it.”

That doubt was answered by a single remark from Jang Chun-sik.

It was the slush fund.

“A crafty rabbit always digs three burrows; that Un bastard always had a back pocket. A pocket hidden even from his master.”

Even in his past life, Un Ji-kang would open one of those pockets whenever a crisis arose.

He admitted frankly: while Yeon Mujin had played a significant role in making the Sixth Young Lord the family lord, Un’s help had also been considerable.

And the back pocket—Un emptied it whenever the Lonely Claw Troops or the Sixth Young Master fell into crisis.

One of those was,

“It was the Wang Family Trading Union.”

Now everything fell into place.

Yeon Mujin had once fought Un Ji-kang to the finish in his past life.

Back then he had even investigated that Un bastard thoroughly, trying to expose those back pockets.

But he found nothing; he had ransacked Un’s surroundings until dust flew and still couldn’t catch a glimpse of the slush funds.

“Right. If he’d hidden it like this, of course no one would know.”

The correct answer wasn’t some faction within the Lonely Claw Troops. It was hidden with the planted agent’s family inside Flying Swallow Manor.

And right under their noses, in Taiyuan itself. What a bold method.

No doubt most of the trading union’s revenue was flowing into Un’s back pocket.

The Wang Family Trading Union’s declared income going to Flying Swallow Manor was far too small for its size.

“Right.”

Whoosh.

Yeon Mujin pulled a black mask over his face and muttered.

“Ji-kang.”

Do you know?

“Across seven regressions, I’ve done all sorts of things in my life.”

And I—

“was once the legendary great thief who ruled Shanxi.”

Yeon Mujin melted into the darkness of Taiyuan.

I hadn’t noticed before, but now it’s definitely strange.

“There are too few people around.”

A trading house of this size collapsed, yet not a single petty thief is to be seen.

At first he thought the place was avoided because of grisly deaths, but even so, wouldn’t petty thieves come and go?

With a company this size, no matter how well guarded, there are always holes to pilfer.

Yet not a single mouse—it’s impossible.

“That doesn’t mean he’d hide money out in the open courtyard either.”

Yeon Mujin knew Un Ji-kang’s character well.

There has to be a path somewhere leading to the warehouse.

A surefire way to find it?

Of course there is.

“Kak—ptoo!”

Yeon Mujin spat a thick wad of saliva onto his palm.

He then snapped his hands together sharply.

The glob of saliva flew off to one side.

“That way.”

I told you, this is a sure method.

……

……

……

A quiet corridor in the Wang Family Trading Union led to the warehouse.

A low voice emerged from the darkness.

“You’ve prepared the cart to move the goods, right?”

Un Geuk-jin, the Lonely Claw Troops’ golden claw, asked.

Though it looked like an empty corridor, three silver claws and one golden claw were hiding there.

Their duty was to guard this place until the leader’s orders came down.

“Yes.”

“After handing the goods to Cheol-ack, the mission ends. Don’t let your guard down until then.”

Even with Un Geuk-jin’s reminder, the knife-edge tension slackened slightly. The others, being human, were bored of the tedious stakeout.

They all thought about the pleasures they’d enjoy after the mission.

Some longed for drink, some for women, some for a warm bed.

“I heard Lady Geum returned to Taehwa Pavilion.”

“Taehwa Pavilion? Their Bamboo Leaf alcohol is tasty.”

“Taehwa Pavilion’s alcohol isn’t great, but their courtesans are top-notch.”

“Other things may be lacking, but their Bamboo Leaf alcohol is different. Haven’t you tried it?”

“Taehwa Pavilion is about the courtesans, I tell you.”

“Taehwa Pavilion is about the Bamboo Leaf alcohol, I tell you.”

“None of that; I just want a proper sleep.”

Low voices blended into the moonless night.

Un Geuk-jin said as much but didn’t restrain the silver claw members.

He too was tired from the long mission.

‘Bad luck or not, nothing’s likely to happen on the last day.’

Because of that complacency.

When the unfamiliar voice interjected, neither Un Geuk-jin nor any of the silver claw members immediately noticed anything amiss.

“If I could sleep soundly with a cup of Bamboo Leaf alcohol and Lady Geum beside me, I’d have no complaints.”

“Exactly.”

“You know something.”

A silver claw member who had a crush on Lady Geum snickered.

And immediately felt goosebumps.

‘Who was that just now? It’s an unfamiliar voice.’

He turned toward the sound but felt no presence.

For a moment, the silver claw members thought:

‘Am I so tired that I’m hearing things now?’

And the next moment he was genuinely startled.

Because that unfamiliar voice whispered right into his ear.

“Peekaboo.”

He deserved praise just for not screaming his throat hoarse.

Instead, the silver agent flung the silver halberd on his arm to both sides.

Clang!

The sound of metal scraping the wall filled the corridor.

As expected.

Spitting to reveal secret places is an age-old trick dating back to the days of legendary Taoists.

Otherwise, how could he find it so quickly?

The moment Yeon Mujin stepped into the hidden corridor, he felt it.

‘Three.’

Three of them were hiding in this narrow corridor.

And they were masters whose presence was barely noticeable.

‘Good.’

With that alone he knew he’d found the right spot.

The problem was,

‘How to get in?’

If this were a wide space, he was confident he could slip in undetected.

But in this narrow corridor he wasn’t sure he could slip past the hidden masters and open that door unnoticed.

‘This won’t do.’

He thought it over, but found no answer.

Yeon Mujin drew his blade from the darkness.

It was the dark, worn sword he always carried.

He always felt swordplay wasn’t really his style.

He was a pacifist who hated blood.

“I heard Lady Geum returned to Taehwa Pavilion.”

Just then, the fools resumed their chatter at a fortunate moment.

Yeon Mujin used their complacency to approach.

The one yammering about Lady Geum stood closest to the entrance.

His skill from his thief days hadn’t rusted—no one noticed his approach.

But that was as far as stealth would take him. To get any closer, bloodshed would be inevitable.

Alright, if I’m going to do it, I’ll do it properly.

He disliked blood, but once he drew his sword, blood was what he saw.

That was Yeon Mujin.

“Peekaboo.”

“……!!!”

He felt the man beside him so startled it was as if his hair stood on end.

The man reflexively swung his halberd to both sides.

He was a silver-claw member in halberd armor.

Yeon Mujin was not someone a half-hearted halberd swing could fell.

Using light footwork, Yeon Mujin slipped out of the halberd’s arc.

His blade reflected the faint moonlight.

Did I tell you?

I only know one sword technique.

The Three Calamities Sword Technique.

Raging Wind.

In the narrow corridor, wind began to blow.

At first a faint breeze, but it quickly surged into a fierce gale.

Of the Three Calamities Sword Technique’s three moves, Raging Wind is the only one designed to face multiple opponents at once.

The silver-claw member closest to him was torn apart without even a dying scream.

In an instant the corridor filled with the thick stench of blood.

“Intruder!”

Two remaining rat-like men leaped from the darkness.

They were not careless.

Calmly they adjusted their distance, guarding against Yeon Mujin.

In a fight between sword and claw, the longer weapon—the sword—has the clear advantage.

Therefore the claw-wielders must be meticulous about maintaining distance.

To do that, their footwork must surpass their opponent’s…

Who am I?

Am I not from the ranks of the legendary great thieves?

In contests of footwork and timing, I’ve never been outdone.

Thud.

“……!”

With a single step he closed the distance by five paces.

The silver-claw member was startled—his eyes widened, his mouth parting slightly—the last expression on his face.

Swish!

The silver-claw member’s body split in two.

What about the last one?

I told you earlier.

Raging Wind is a move meant for one against many.

Thud-thud-thud.

Chunks of the third silver-claw member’s corpse rained from the ceiling.

Yeon Mujin dispatched all three in the time it takes to draw a breath.

He swung his sword, shaking the blood from the blade.

Then he tapped the bodies with the tip of his sword as he counted.

“One, two, three.”

Then he tilted his head in puzzlement.

“One is missing?”