I Wish They Would All Die. (3)

“Whew. That scared the hell out of me.”

“……”

“If we’d been caught, I really don’t even want to imagine what would have happened. Anyway, since they haven’t come looking for us until now, they didn’t find out, right?”

“They say it’s darkest beneath the lamp. No matter how capable those bastards are, they wouldn’t think we’d come back here.”

“Haha. Exactly.”

Tang Soso, watching her sahyung-sajae converse, spoke in a slightly lowered voice.

“Sago.”

“Yes?”

“……Am I the strange one here? Weren’t we doomed the moment we were discovered?”

“That’s right.”

“Uh…… We weren’t caught, but the moment we got on Easter Depot’s radar, the fact that we were approaching them was exposed.”

“Yes.”

“Then hasn’t our plan already gone half wrong?”

“That is true.”

Having gotten this far in the conversation, Tang Soso pointed at her sahyung-sajae, who were still fooling around as though they could not care less.

“Then why are those people acting like that?”

“……”

Yu Yiseol met Tang Soso’s eyes without answering. At the strange emptiness in her gaze, Tang Soso squeezed her eyes shut.

“It’s all right, though.”

“Huh? Why?”

“We still have one, you know. Someone who has kept their wits about them.”

“What?”

Tang Soso turned her head at those words. Someone who had kept their wits about them? Who else was there besides those screeching monkeys……?

“Ah……”

Pity filled Tang Soso’s eyes.

Someone was slumped in the darkest corner of the lodging. Jwa Go-Hak, who seemed somehow faded all over, held a bottle of liquor in one hand and muttered endlessly.

“It’s over. It’s all over. I’m a complete idiot. What have I done……? I never should have listened to those crazy Taoist bastards……”

And he had every reason to be that way.

The disciples of Mount Hua had been assigned to this matter after accepting a commission. To put it bluntly, they were closer to mercenaries or hired retainers. Even if things went wrong, it would not cause them any major problems.

But what about Jwa Go-Hak?

“Judging by his position in the hierarchy, he seems to be something like our sahyung-sajae. Won’t he be expelled from the sect after botching this operation?”

“Do you think it will end with just that?”

“Ah……”

There was nothing they could do. All they could do was pray for his soul.

“But…… what are we supposed to do now?”

“Hm?”

“Realistically, we have to consider the operation almost ruined. I don’t think we can investigate either Do-Hyeon or the Minister of Revenue anymore.”

“Hmmm.”

At Tang Soso’s words, even the Mount Hua disciples, who had been fooling around while desperately ignoring reality, turned toward her with slightly stiffened faces.

“It would be difficult, right?”

“It wouldn’t be impossible if we were determined to investigate no matter what…… But they aren’t fools either, so they’ll strengthen their guards and surveillance. That would make things even more dangerous. And if they found out we came from Mount Hua……”

The image of Hyun Jong charging toward them with a Plum Blossom Sword clenched between his teeth and his hair flying loose flashed through everyone’s minds.

“……I’d rather fight the Heavenly Demon.”

“We definitely won’t die peacefully from this.”

“We might get locked in the Hall of Repentance for three years.”

“That might actually be better. Anything is preferable to getting three years of mental education from the Sect leader.”

“I-I feel like dying just imagining it.”

The danger had grown far too great. So, if they thought about it rationally, they should withdraw at this point.

“Hmmm.”

Baek Cheon, who had more or less grasped the situation, turned his head slightly and looked at Chung Myung.

“What are you going to do?”

“About what?”

“Are you going to continue like this?”

“Hmmm.”

Chung Myung shrugged and spoke in an unconcerned voice.

“Well…… I know the situation has gotten more dangerous, but that doesn’t mean we can just pull out now.”

“Why? Because of your promise to the Confucian Grove? If Han-Bin is the issue, it would be better to find a safer way to deal with it.”

“It’s not because of that.”

“Then what?”

Chung Myung snorted and tapped his temple.

“Think about it. With all this happening, what do you think would happen if the seven men who came to work at the merchant company all vanished at exactly this moment?”

“……Eastern Depot’s pursuit squad would chase us to the ends of hell.”

“Exactly.”

Baek Cheon gave an awkward laugh.

Now that he thought about it, Chung Myung was right. This was not a situation where they could withdraw at will. They had let their enemy escape right in front of the Chief Eunuch, so Eastern Depot would be scouring Beijing with bloodshot eyes. If they acted rashly in such a situation, Hyun Jong’s three years of mental education would become a reality.

“Then what?”

“Well, we just have to lie low for a while. Things should quiet down a little after two or three days, so even if we withdraw, we can do it then.”

“Hmmm.”

A hint of suspicion appeared in Baek Cheon’s eyes as he looked at Chung Myung.

“Tell me honestly. You’re plotting something right now, aren’t you?”

“Huh?”

“There is no way you would agree to withdraw so easily.”

“Hah…… sasuk, what do you take me for? Do I look like some lunatic who doesn’t hesitate to make an enemy of the imperial palace and acts first without thinking?”

“Yes.”

“Oh.”

“Now that I hear you say it like that, I’m even more certain.”

“……You people.”

At the affirmation that came from every direction as if they had been waiting for it, Chung Myung ground his teeth.

“I really am not!”

“Are you sure?”

“No, what would I have to gain by fighting those Eastern Depot bastards?”

“……It doesn’t seem like the people you’ve beaten up so far were beaten because they had something to give you, though.”

“Right. If anyone else did that, they’d be a robber. But you’re Chung Myung.”

“……Is Chung Myung worse than a robber?”

“Isn’t he?”

“……”

Chung Myung, left with nothing to say, groaned. He had plenty to say, but it seemed that nothing he said would get through to them. Was this why one’s usual conduct was so important?

‘No, what’s wrong with my conduct?’

He had been a little extreme, but there had been reasons for all of it…… hadn’t there?

“Ahem. Anyway, not this time.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I’ll check one thing and withdraw immediately.”

“One thing? What?”

Baek Cheon tilted his head. What was he planning to check at a time like this?

“You know those mysterious goods that were supposed to be brought here?”

“Ah, those.”

Baek Cheon nodded as though he finally understood. The Chief Eunuch had barged in out of nowhere and complicated matters, but hadn’t they originally been waiting to inspect those goods?

“We’ll just check those.”

“Hmmm.”

As Baek Cheon fell into thought, Jo Gul, who had been watching, clicked his tongue and stepped forward with a sneer.

“Tsk, tsk. This is what happens with half-clever fools.”

“What?”

“What meaning is there in checking those?”

“……What do you mean, what meaning is there?”

“Think about it. If they were truly problematic goods, would they keep sending them to this merchant company—the very place where we revealed ourselves—in the middle of all this?”

“Huh?”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk. Honestly. People need to use their heads.”

At Jo Gul’s confident words, Baek Cheon asked casually.

“Gul. But is it really possible to suddenly stop goods that have been scheduled for transport?”

“It would not be particularly difficult. If they were goods that were hard to store, they would not have transported them that way in the first place. All they would have to do is stash them somewhere out of sight.”

“Hmmm. I suppose that’s true.”

“That’s why I keep saying this is all pointless. We should get out of here quickly instead of wasting time……”

That was when it happened.

Bang.

“E-Elders! Elders!”

“Hm?”

At the sudden commotion, the disciples of Mount Hua whipped their heads around. Hong, who acted as the foreman among the workers, rushed in with an urgent expression.

“What happened?”

“Well…… They, they arrived.”

“Huh? What did?”

“You know those boxes I told you about before, the ones whose origin and destination we couldn’t determine?”

“……Yeah.”

“They’ve arrived now. You’ll inspect them, won’t you?”

“……”

“Hm? Why are you all acting like that? Is there a problem?”

Everyone’s head turned toward the same place in unison.

“……Th-this can’t be happening.”

Jo Gul, looking utterly flustered, hurriedly clung to Hong.

“A-Are you sure? They could just have similar packaging. Right?”

“What? No. I may look like this, but I’ve spent most of my life in this merchant company. For most goods, I can tell what they are and where they came from and are going just by looking at the packaging.”

“……”

“But a large quantity of goods I don’t recognize has come in. It’s clear from the way the merchants evade my questions.”

“……”

“But why are you acting like this?”

“No, no. This can’t…….”

Clap.

At the feeling of someone grabbing his shoulder, Jo Gul flinched and turned around with a tense expression.

Before him was Chung Myung’s face, wearing an extremely bright smile.

“I’d like you to continue what you were saying earlier……”

“……”

“What are you doing! I told you to move them carefully!”

Yeom Mal-saeng fussed and berated the workers.

“Didn’t I tell you not to handle them like ordinary goods? You must never drop them. Stack them carefully inside, one by one.”

“Yes!”

The disciples of Mount Hua watched the scene with blank expressions.

“So those are the ones?”

“Hmmm.”

All they could see were large wooden crates piled high. They looked a little worn, but they did not seem very different from the loads they had moved so far.

“Are those really them? They look ordinary.”

“They should. If the problem were that obvious from the outside, wouldn’t something have happened already?”

“I suppose so.”

Convinced by Tang Soso’s words, they exchanged glances.

“What should we do?”

“There seems to be no need to attract attention. How about we learn the location while moving them around, then infiltrate at night?”

“What if they’re moved again before nightfall?”

“They wouldn’t go that far, would they? This is better than drawing unnecessary attention.”

“Hm.”

Just as everyone was about to agree, Chung Myung sauntered toward the workers.

“Hey, you! What are you doing!”

Ignoring Baek Cheon’s desperate shout completely, Chung Myung went in front of the stacked crates, tapped the one before him, and looked at Yeom Mal-saeng.

“I just need to move this, right?”

“Grrr.”

Yeom Mal-saeng recognized Chung Myung’s face and frowned deeply.

“Should I not?”

“What do you mean, should you not! Are you trying to slack off again! I’ll be watching you with my own two eyes, so move it right now. Carefully! Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes. Of course. Heave-ho.”

Grinning, Chung Myung lifted the crate and hoisted it onto his shoulder. Then he started walking toward the warehouse.

No one paid any attention to Chung Myung. No one except the Mount Hua disciples, who sensed that something unusual was about to happen.

Then, as Chung Myung carried the load, he suddenly let out a sly grin.

“Uh, uh-oh! Whoa!”

He staggered as though he had suddenly tripped over a rock.

“B-be careful!”

“Oof.”

After spinning the crate over his head a couple of times, Chung Myung slammed it onto the ground as if by accident.

Crash!

The crate Chung Myung had hurled smashed into the ground and broke into pieces. The objects inside sprang out and scattered in every direction.

“Huh?”

The Mount Hua disciples widened their eyes in surprise.

They had already expected something unusual to be inside the crate. But the objects revealed before their eyes exceeded even their expectations.

“Those……”

“Yes.”

Some twenty-odd long objects made of metal. They were all too familiar to the disciples of Mount Hua.

“……They’re swords.”

Brand-new iron swords, cleanly manufactured.

Weapons that should never have existed here, in the imperial capital of Beijing.