24. The Law of Exchange
Could there be a law of exchange in this world that I do not know? It seemed that the arrival of a good person named Yeonjeoseong was being balanced by the unwelcome presence of some unsavory characters.
Two individuals, dressed similarly, blocked my path, and a young man among them asked, “Are you the Lord of Ijahah, Luju?” I shook my head and replied, “No, I am Jeomsoui.” Upon hearing my answer, the man sighed. “I am Hyukryeonhong, the messenger of Heukmyobang. I have come to convey a message from my superior.” “Another Heukmyobang?” While observing the two men’s expressions, I noticed one of them was holding a large bundle.
It was likely filled with unusual weapons or strange items.
If it were neither, then it would contain a human head.
Hyukryeonhong spoke in a stiff tone. “The Lord of Geumbong, Geumbonggakju, wishes to see you.” “Who is Geumbonggakju? Tell him I don’t want to see him. With a name like Geumbong, he must be a middle-aged man obsessed with money.” Hyukryeonhong showed no particular reaction to my rude remarks.
In truth, I already knew about Geumbonggakju.
His name was Bansahung.
I had never seen him, but I had often heard his name.
He was the one who had been caught embezzling funds from Heukmyobang and was subsequently executed in a gruesome manner.
In short, he was a man driven mad by money.
Geumbonggakju was a senior figure in Heukmyobang, responsible for financial matters, and his martial arts rank was irrelevant.
He had risen to his position at a young age due to the large sums of money he contributed to the upper echelons.
Therefore, it would not be an exaggeration to say that all the troubles that befell Ilyang-hyeon later were due to his orders.
He pressured his subordinates, who in turn squeezed the powerless.
The fact that he was a person who brought in money from the dark side was closely related to his ruthless cunning.
Moreover, I had heard that Bansahung had also accumulated wealth through contract killings unrelated to Heukmyobang’s affairs.
He was a man who engaged in all sorts of despicable acts.
It was no surprise that such people were common in the dark world.
Hyukryeonhong spoke to me in a soothing manner.
“It would be best not to refuse, as we have come to invite you without sending assassins. If I return, the assassins will surely follow. Lord Luju.”
Hyukryeonhong seemed to find it amusing to speak to me with such respect, chuckling as he spoke.
“It’s a trap.”
“Indeed.”
“When shall we meet?”
“He is hunting not far from here. The sooner, the better. It would be best to depart together by this evening at the latest.”
I was curious about what was inside the bundle, so I asked, “What is that you are holding? It seems you brought it to show me.”
“Ah, I should show you.”
Hyukryeonhong gestured to the man holding the bundle.
The man stepped forward and lifted the cloth to reveal what was inside.
Unexpectedly, there were the heads of Jeonpung and Hangoog.
It seemed they had brought the heads as a threat, but such intimidation did not affect me at all.
“How dare you kill my drinking companions.”
Hyukryeonhong said, “The two were aware of the incident in Ilyang-hyeon but chose to conceal it. Thanks to that, our understanding of the situation was delayed, which is a grave sin. While torturing them, I found their story quite absurd.
They claimed you only made them drink, is that correct?” I nodded, and Hyukryeonhong grinned.
“That saved you, Lord Luju. Geumbonggakju found that part amusing. The reason we did not send assassins was that we became interested in you.”
I briefly contemplated whether I should kill the two men here or let them go.
I had only thought of killing them, but suddenly, the guard holding the bundle grabbed Hyukryeonhong’s shoulder and retreated with a swift movement.
The sound of their hurried steps echoed loudly.
After creating some distance, Hyukryeonhong said, “Lord Luju? We have only come to deliver a message. You seem quite murderous.”
“What nonsense…”
I looked at the two men and said, “After killing Jeonpung and Hangoog so brutally, do you expect me to go? I have no intention of walking into a trap.” Hyukryeonhong scratched his head and replied, “If you feel fear, you should run.
Many have fled to avoid entanglement with Heukmyobang. If that happens, there will be no innocent killings in Ilyang-hyeon, which would be good for both parties.” This meant that if I wanted to continue acting as the leader in Ilyang-hyeon, I had to bow my head to Heukmyobang.
If I fled and stayed away from Ilyang-hyeon, they would let me live. “Run away?” Hyukryeonhong smiled. “Yes.” “A man cannot do that.” Hyukryeonhong asked, “How about I give you until evening? Or would you prefer to move immediately?” Heukmyobang was skilled in handling matters, making it seem like there was no way out of the negotiation.
As I remained silent, Hyukryeonhong said, “For your information, we will not drink with you, Lord Luju.” “What a pity.” Surely, anyone affiliated with Heukmyobang would never drink with me again.
With Heukmyobang taking such a stance, I had no choice but to meet them.
I spread my arms as if to show my attire. “It’s hard to visit in this state. Let me change into something more presentable before we go. After all, I’m meeting someone of importance from Heukmyobang. I need to dress properly. Right now, I look too much like Jeomsoui.” Hyukryeonhong nodded. “That is true. You do look like Jeomsoui.” “……” “Lead the way. I will follow.” I led the two men like a tail and headed towards Meihwa Tower.
After changing into neat clothes, I informed Chasungtae of my destination.
“I need to meet Geumbonggakju of Heukmyobang.”
“Geumbonggakju? Isn’t that the money-obsessed murderer?”
Chasungtae looked at me with surprise.
“Indeed, the last time, Jeonpung and Hangoog were also killed. Their heads were severed.”
“And you still want to go?”
“I’m not being summoned; I’m going on my own.”
Chasungtae said with an excited expression, “Is there really a need to go alone? I’ll gather everyone. Let’s have a war.”
I sighed as I looked at Chasungtae.
‘He’s so naive.’
When people in the neighborhood die or get hurt, it’s not just boring; there’s nowhere to eat gukbap, nowhere to drink, nowhere to make weapons, and no one to steal clothes from.
Even just breathing feels lonely, and if these guys disappear too, I’d have to wear the title of Madman on my forehead immediately.
“Just bear with it. I’ll go alone.”
“Are you crazy? If you go, you’ll likely die.”
Chasungtae suddenly spoke with a serious expression.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Are you serious?”
After looking down at the ground for a moment, Chasungtae replied with a troubled expression, “To be honest, I’m not serious.” I slapped Chasungtae’s head for the first time in a while.
“You and your mouth, I’ll be back, so just stay alive.”
Suddenly, Chasungtae took off his long robe and put it on me.
Since I had taken his clothes so many times, this time he was willingly offering them.
I asked, “Is this your precious robe? You have a lot of clothes.” “It is my precious robe.” “It could get torn.” “I can make it into rags.” I patted Chasungtae on the shoulder and left the room. “I’ll be back.” Chasungtae said while taking a stance. “Stay alive.” The phrase “stay alive” sounded like a rallying cry.
Chasungtae had the task of transforming the three brothels operating under Cheongru into Hongru.
Yeonjeoseong was sweating to create a new Jaha guesthouse.
Geumcheolyong was still pondering over the weapon he would gift me, the Gwangin.
Jangdeuksu would be making gukbap today to sustain his livelihood.
While they were all doing what they could… I had once again become the leader of the One-Man Killing Gate.
Each person must do what they are good at.
Hyukryeonhong looked me up and down after I changed my clothes and said, “You truly have a remarkable appearance. Shall we go?” “Let’s go, you minions of the dark side.” “Yes?” “Let’s go.” Hyukryeonhong seemed to want to say something but swallowed his words.
As a subordinate, he could not let personal feelings interfere with orders from his superior.
During our walk, the three of us did not speak at all.
I looked around and finally opened my mouth after a while.
“Are we going to Jeonghosan?”
“That’s right. If the Lord calls, we would go to the main hall, but since we are going to meet Geumbonggakju, we are heading to a lodge near the hunting grounds. The main hall does not admit those with uncertain identities.”
I replied as I knew, “Is it because of the Twelve Divine Generals?” Hyukryeonhong paused for a moment and looked at me.
“Yes, that’s correct. There are also Twelve Divine Generals skilled in the art of transformation. Now I see you are well-informed about the world of martial arts, young Lord.”
As we ascended the mountain path again, I said, “When you sell alcohol at the guesthouse, you hear all sorts of news.”
Hyukryeonhong chuckled.
“How could a mere guesthouse worker know about the Twelve Divine Generals? Speak sensibly.”
“By the way, can someone affiliated with Heukmyobang own a personal lodge?”
“Why wouldn’t they? It was a lodge they owned before joining Heukmyobang. They love hunting and have lodges everywhere.”
“So they are wealthy.”
“Indeed, they are. That’s why it’s convenient for us. We gather our subordinates, grill some meat, and when we want to relax for a day, we stay at the lodge.”
“Geumbonggakju would be pleased to hear that.”
Since Geumbonggakju would later be killed by the leader of Heukmyobang, I couldn’t help but tease.
Hyukryeonhong chuckled. “Please refrain from such remarks in front of Geumbonggakju. He has a fiery temper…” A fiery temper…? I couldn’t help but chuckle like Hyukryeonhong.
Geumbonggakju’s personal lodge would serve various purposes.
As Hyukryeonhong said, it could be a vacation spot, a place to bring troublesome individuals to bury or incinerate, and it was highly likely to be a secret battlefield for hiding funds obtained from various sources.
While ordinary people might not understand this, Heukmyobang was part of the dark side.
It was not surprising that those belonging to it would engage in all sorts of bizarre acts.
After walking for about an hour, we finally arrived at the lodge’s entrance.
A tall iron gate stood in the center, and the walls connected to it were covered in vines, making it hard to see.
It resembled a fortress backed by a cliff rather than a lodge, and if the iron gate were hidden by vines, it would be no different from a hideout.
It certainly felt like a place for handling shady business.
Hyukryeonhong reported in front of the iron gate, “Hyukryeonhong has returned. I have brought Lord Luju.” Without any response from inside, the iron gate opened.
Following Hyukryeonhong inside, the atmosphere changed instantly.
There were more people moving around inside the lodge than I had expected, and in the spacious central area, there was a bonfire.
I saw a sturdy man sitting in a chair next to the bonfire.
Just from the first impression, it was clear that he was a man devoid of compassion.