Kinds Of Power (5)

Gwan Hong’s face, as he looked up at the Jade Fragrance Pavilion, was set as hard as stone.

“Filthy.”

There were far too many people coming and going.

The market street teemed with all sorts of people. It was so varied that one could mistake this for the Heavenly Will Alliance’s Main Office rather than Sichuan.

There were plenty of decently dressed brats, but also drunkards, courtesans, the now-rare matchmakers, fortune-tellers, monks, even Taoist priests.

It was a carnival of trades that would take three months and ten days to gather even by the Branch Chief’s order. He couldn’t fathom what made this street draw such crowds.

Naturally, Gwan Hong found walking this street abhorrent. It was a place crawling with the vulgar—on any other day, the thought alone would make his skin crawl.

Worse yet, he couldn’t come by carriage.

He had to come in disguise to avoid the Branch’s eyes. This was a private matter, not official business. On top of that, it was one that might change his fate. Caution was the only option.

“Instructor Gong.”

“Yes.”

A man stood at Gwan Hong’s side. He was a small, wiry fellow in his early fifties.

He trained the lowborn wretches they purchased, and among Gwan Hong’s people, he possessed the strongest martial arts.

“Keep your senses razor-sharp. At my signal, you move in at once.”

“Don’t worry.”

“There may be Seol Clan warriors about. Be careful.”

“Understood.”

A hint of relief touched Gwan Hong’s face.

Instructor Gong had once been a top-tier assassin. He’d caused too many incidents and was expelled by his guild, and it was Gwan Hong’s father who saved him from death.

He was the finest of all the lowborn people Gwan Hong knew. Hadn’t he been devoting his loyalty for over twenty years to the one who saved his life? Men like him are rare in this age.

“Let’s go.”

Seureuk.

Instructor Gong slipped into the crowd and vanished. He would soon take position on the pavilion roof.

Led by an attendant, Gwan Hong ascended the Jade Fragrance Pavilion.

Up to the third floor was squalid, but the fourth felt suddenly airy.

“Not bad.”

Tables, walls, even the flooring were refined—an elegance unfitting for this filthy market street.

He looked over the people seated on the fourth floor.

It was less crowded than expected; most were tipsy patrons trading rounds.

“Are there no Seol Clan warriors?”

The warriors of the White Sword clan were famed for discipline. Even their bearing would give them away. It was clear that these people weren’t warriors.

“Good.”

The attendant led him to the stairs up.

“Your guest is waiting. Please, upstairs.”

And so Gwan Hong reached the fifth floor.

The fifth floor consisted of five rooms. Open them all and they became one grand hall, but when not rented whole, each room took its own guests.

He stopped before a room with a wooden plaque reading “Yeo-wol.”

The thick door looked sound-absorbent; without shouting, no conversation would leak.

“Damn bitch.”

Whatever happened, he would rip Im Yeo-wol apart.

Gwan Hong opened the door.

In that instant, his eyes went wide.

“Oh? You’re here?”

Jin-hyeon, lounging with a cup in hand, smiled.

“Cutting it close, but on time.”

Left hair white as snow, looking to be in his early twenties.

He was easy enough to recognize—but there was someone else present.

“So you’re tangled up in this too.”

Opposite Jin-hyeon, back to the door, sat a gaunt middle-aged man.

‘Oh Byung-chan!’

Oh Byung-chan, the General Commander overseeing the Sichuan Branch’s armed forces.

For Gwan Hong, the rank was so high he scarcely dared look upon it. Two grades above his own, he was one of the most influential officials below the Branch Chief and Deputy.

Gwan Hong bowed at once.

“I greet you, General Commander Oh.”

“You’re here. Sit.”

A tone stiff as stone.

He carefully took a seat beside Oh Byung-chan.

“What is this?!”

His heart pounded madly. Instinct told him something was wrong.

‘Why is the General Commander here?’

It was none other than Oh Byung-chan.

He was a formidable master, but not one whose strength alone warranted the General Commander’s post.

He held it thanks to outstanding strategic acumen and integrity.

Sichuan’s terrain resisted invasion. In this natural fortress, Oh Byung-chan’s strategy and tactics were a timely rain for troops prone to arrogance.

His prestige was such that even unit commanders followed him; he was admired by every warrior of the Sichuan Branch.

‘Don’t tell me…’

As if reading him, Jin-hyeon spoke.

“Well then, the board is set.”

Gwan Hong stammered,

“You said you’d sell the goods…”

“I did. And I said if you were late, your turn would pass.”

“!”

“What, is there a problem?”

He’d said the turn could pass—he’d never said they’d meet alone here.

Gwan Hong’s face flushed. He’d fallen for wordplay that wouldn’t even fool a novice who had just stepped out into the world.

“Damn it.”

The seat had become extraordinarily uncomfortable.

Even so, inwardly he sneered at Oh Byung-chan.

‘So the clean one’s been pocketing black money?’

He lived in a shabby house with his wife; his children were all married off. He shouldn’t need money—yet he took kickbacks.

‘Filthy bastard. I knew it looking at the way he folded his arms and stiffened his back.’

Having reached his own conclusion, Gwan Hong’s stiff face loosened.

Seeing his expression, Jin-hyeon snorted. What shamelessness.

“Looks like you won’t be drinking, and you’re not hungry either.”

“Let’s get to the point.”

“How gallant of you.”

“You’re here to sell, aren’t you?”

“Of course.”

Setting down his cup, Jin-hyeon clapped.

“We’ve plenty to ask and say about one another, but let’s set that aside. I’m busy too. Let’s finish this awkward meeting quickly.”

Gwan Hong’s eyes deepened.

‘How dare he.’

For a lowborn scoundrel like that to act so arrogantly before the Hall Master of the Finance Hall—

It was nothing short of the heavens and earth turning upside down. Such a sight was beyond anything he could have imagined.

‘Once the deal is done, I’m going to kill you.’

Jin-hyeon spoke.

“I have the register taken from Mighty Tiger. As you both know, the bribe ledger for senior officials of the Sichuan Branch.”

Gwan Hong swallowed before he knew it.

“It records when, where, how much—along with rather detailed transcripts of the conversations.”

Inwardly, Gwan Hong cursed Lee Ho-gon to hell.

Names and sums were bad enough, but he’d even written the talk. If the White Wolf Bureau investigated, Sichuan would flip.

Jin-hyeon drew a thick book from his breast.

“A copy.”

Gwan Hong’s eyes shook as if quaking.

Oh Byung-chan closed his eyes.

“We can’t trade without the goods, right? Let’s see.”

Flipping through the copy, Jin-hyeon looked to Gwan Hong.

“Seven times in total, amounting to three thousand three hundred taels. Correct?”

“!!”

“The most recent, five hundred taels, four months and fifteen days ago, Fourth Floor, White Orchid Room, Blue Moon Pavilion in Kangjeong County. There’s no need for me to recite the conversation, is there?”

Gwan Hong’s face flushed red.

Even with a brazen face of iron, being exposed by a much younger man before a superior would rattle anyone.

He cried out before he knew it.

“Enough! I get it!”

“Fine, I’ll stop. Ill-tempered, aren’t you.”

Clicking his tongue, Jin-hyeon looked to Oh Byung-chan.

Oh Byung-chan opened his eyes and shook his head.

“I’ll take your word.”

He meant to say no more.

It was shameful to have one’s private matters aired before a subordinate.

Jin-hyeon tucked the copy away.

“The buyer receives both copy and original.”

Gwan Hong asked quickly,

“How do we trust that? You might keep another copy.”

“Do you think I’d risk my neck playing games with high officials?”

“Seeing you haggle with such officials, it seems possible.”

Jin-hyeon jerked his chin at the door.

“Get out.”

“Why, you—!”

Gwan Hong ground his teeth—nearly cursing aloud.

“I thought to give the Finance Hall’s head some respect, and called you over, but to think you’d want to argue. There are plenty of buyers besides you—so leave.”

“…”

“Didn’t I tell you to leave?”

“…My apologies.”

Gwan Hong forced the words out.

“I was uneasy, that’s all. It won’t happen again. I ask for your understanding.”

“I can’t trust this. After selling, how am I to sleep soundly without wondering if you’ll kill me?”

A twinge stabbed his chest.

Seated, Gwan Hong even bowed his head.

“I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry.”

“Let’s keep our manners until the deal’s done.”

“…I will.”

“Your crown’s quite pretty, you know.”

Gwan Hong beamed.

Save for the nape of his neck flushed red, it was a picture-perfect smile.

It wasn’t feigned. It was the smile that came when truly enraged, and it didn’t strain his face.

“We strayed a bit. Let’s go straight to it. You two bid in turns. The General Commander will go first.”

Oh Byung-chan spoke in a steady voice.

“Twenty thousand taels.”

Gwan Hong’s hand hidden in his sleeve clenched tight.

Twenty thousand taels. It was an astounding sum.

Jin-hyeon whistled.

“Starting hot—like stepping into a bath. Twenty thousand taels—Hall Master?”

“…Twenty-one thousand.”

“A snowfall in the bath, I hear. Good. General Commander, will you yield?”

Oh Byung-chan closed his eyes again.

“Thirty thousand.”

“Urk!”

Gwan Hong gulped air.

Jin-hyeon sang,

“A gale’s howling. It melts the heart. As expected of the army’s overseer. Fine, thirty thousand. Hall Master?”

“…”

“Very well, I’ll take that as—”

“Forty thousand.”

Oh Byung-chan glared at Gwan Hong.

His smiling face turned to stone again. His clenched lips went white.

Jin-hyeon shimmied his shoulders.

“Hot! That’s it, this makes it worth inviting you both. General Commander?”

“Fifty thousand.”

“…A bit too hot, aren’t we?”

Jin-hyeon eyed Gwan Hong sidelong.

“Well? Can you manage?”

“Fifty… fifty-five thousand.”

“Fifty-five! Flagging, but still burning. General Commander?”

Oh Byung-chan let out a deep sigh.

A corner of Gwan Hong’s mouth twitched up. It was a massive bleed, but that sigh was indescribably thrilling.

Jin-hyeon smiled.

“I think you should concede. The Finance Hall Master looks set to pour in his entire fortune rather than give up.”

“…His entire fortune.”

“I don’t know your internal ties, but he’s your junior—could you still keep the General Commander’s reins? Best to stop here.”

“If he stakes his life, I’ll stake mine.”

“Hm?”

In a deeper voice, Oh Byung-chan said,

“Ninety-three thousand.”

“!!”

“That’s everything I can raise.”

The room fell silent.

Even Jin-hyeon couldn’t keep up the patter at such a sum. He looked to Gwan Hong, eyes slightly bloodshot.

Gwan Hong’s jaw trembled.

Ninety-three thousand. Even scraping together everything and selling his houses would come up short.

As Gwan Hong wet his dry lips to speak—

“This is a cash deal—no guarantees, no notes. You bring the silver in full, or there’s no trade.”

In that dusky voice, Jin-hyeon shook him to the core.

“Ninety-three thousand. Going higher?”

“…”

“Looks like we’re done.”

Smiling, Jin-hyeon looked to Oh Byung-chan.

“My thanks for a fine deal. Your funds?”

“My people are standing by. Everything can be liquidated by noon tomorrow.”

“Then you’ll remain here until noon tomorrow.”

“I will.”

Kwaang!

The table shook.

“This is nonsense!”

At Gwan Hong’s spasm of a shout, Jin-hyeon rubbed his ear.

“What is?”

“There’s no way he has that much money!”

His mind had snapped under anger and crisis.

Oh Byung-chan’s eyes turned fearsome as he glared.

“How dare you!”

“How dare I? Do you have the right to say that to me! Playing at integrity while taking bribes—have you been trafficking in people too?”

“And you! Where did you get the wealth to spit out tens of thousands of taels?”

A day’s worth of anger and confusion exploded; Gwan Hong foamed.

“If you’d promoted me, none of this would have happened!”

“What?!”

“I cut down how many rivals to get here! Is it that I lack ability, that my birth is low? Why must I beat and kill to make money?”

“…You wretch.”

“If I’d been promoted like you lot, I’d have paid up on my own! The ones who deserve killing are people like you!”

Just then.

“Whom did you beat, and whom did you kill?”

At Jin-hyeon’s question, Gwan Hong rasped,

“Vulgar cur! Shut your mouth, you weasel!”

Deureureuk!

In that moment, every private door on the fifth floor slid open.

Worked up and shouting, Gwan Hong started and looked around the now-unified grand hall.

A dozen people sat in formal postures at their places.

Jin-hyeon spoke to Lee An, seated far away.

“He says he beat and killed them?”

“…I heard it too.”

Rising slowly, Lee An’s face twisted like a specter’s.

“I heard it clear as day.”