Chapter 58

* * *

Head Joo watched the clerks collapse and wore a dazed expression before suddenly shouting.

"What is this nonsense!"

"Arrest the suspects."

Jang Geon briefly answered while forcefully prying open the mouth of the captured clerk. Head Joo's face turned blank again upon hearing this.

"Don't worry, Head Joo. Now the Martial League will protect you."

Jeong Se-in, who had struck the clerk on the head with his scabbard, reassured him as he placed it back on his back. However, Head Joo remained agitated.

"What about my daughter! What about my daughter!"

"Daughter?"

"These bastards kidnapped my daughter!"

Hearing his cry, Jeong Se-in nodded in understanding and met Jang Geon's gaze.

"…I see what's going on."

Jang Geon nodded in agreement, extracted the poison pill from the clerk's clenched teeth, and asked.

"What did these people demand in exchange for your daughter? To leave this Shinsachun?"

Head Joo hesitated, looking at the two men with anxious eyes. At that moment, the workers from the shop rushed in.

"Head Joo!"

"Are you alright, Head Joo!"

The workers, each holding a stick or a broom, rushed in. Though they showed no signs of martial arts training, their numbers were intimidating. Jeong Se-in reflexively reached for his sword on his back as he saw them.

The workers murmured upon seeing the fallen clerk.

"Hey! Wang clerk is bleeding from his head!"

"These bastards! Where did they come from all of a sudden…"

"Quiet!"

However, their murmurs quieted down at Head Joo's shout. He had regained his composure and the face of a head of a shop. He looked at the workers and said.

"Everyone, quietly return to your posts. Don't cause unnecessary trouble and continue preparing for the move. These are martial artists from the Martial League, so you can rest assured."

The workers hesitated, looking at each other, but slowly retreated as they saw Head Joo waving his hand. After they left, Head Joo, who had been waving his hand, held his forehead and looked at Jeong Se-in and Jang Geon.

"…I don't know how the Martial League found out about this. But I didn't expect them to come so boldly. Did one of the workers report it?"

At this, Jeong Se-in licked his lips and replied.

"That's a secret of the Martial League. Rather, let's hear about your situation. Your daughter was kidnapped, right?"

"Didn't you already know?"

"Reports and direct explanations from the person involved are different. So, Head Joo, please tell us the whole story from the beginning."

Jang Geon smiled slightly as he watched Jeong Se-in trying to deceive Head Joo. He then quickly applied pressure points to the clerk, who was struggling in his grip. Head Joo flinched at the sound but seemed to gain some trust in them when he saw the clerk stiffen. He finally spoke.

"…I used to be in the transportation business along the Yangtze River in Central Plains. I realized that to make my business truly big, I needed to expand into maritime trade and minimize intermediaries. So, I chose this Shinsachun as the starting point and planned to open a branch here…"

Head Joo seemed to have a broad business vision. He had envisioned expanding his transportation business from the Yangtze River to the New Continent, Central Plains, and even further west. He was an ambitious person who wanted to connect all these routes through his own business to maximize profits. This showed that he was also very greedy.

In any case, he prepared a ship as the first step of his ambitious plan and decided to establish a connection with the New Continent before the less accessible Western Regions. Despite the significant investment, he was confident due to the solid financial backing from his Yangtze River business. He believed that his greater success was just a matter of time. However, things in the world don't go as smoothly as one might hope.

"…I was shortsighted. I should have thought more deeply about how those who had dominated this route for a hundred years would not easily give up their positions…"

Initially, the one who tried to obstruct him was the Shinsachun Merchant Association. When they realized that Head Joo was connecting his Yangtze River business with the Shinsachun branch, they began to criticize him for monopolizing transportation and started to interfere.

Head Joo tried to solve the problem with money. He planned to buy off the association members with his own funds and incorporate them into his business, eventually taking over the association. That's when the real problem arose.

"…A letter arrived a week ago. It said that if I didn't leave Shinsachun immediately, not only I but also my daughter would be in danger. It was clearly from the existing Merchant Association. Naturally, I had no intention of leaving, so I increased my security and pushed more aggressively to take over the association."

He also warned his daughter, whom he had brought to gradually learn the business, to be careful. However, to a fifteen-year-old girl who had just arrived in the New Continent, this seemed like an excessive and harsh interference. She threw a tantrum, demanding to go out.

Unable to withstand her, he allowed her to visit the night market, on the condition that she wouldn't stray from the security guards. He thought she would be safe with so many guards, even with the threatening letter.

However, that was a mistake.

"…The security guards I hired for dozens of gold pieces were all beheaded, and their heads were delivered. Along with them was my daughter's pinky finger."

Jeong Se-in let out a short gasp and asked.

"Why didn't you report this to the Martial League?"

"It's because of the heads and the surveillance officers who were delivered with them. I don't want to know who was behind this. And I didn't believe the Martial League could safely return my daughter…"

Head Joo sighed deeply. In a short moment, he seemed to have aged ten years. Jang Geon thought about whether his brother Jang Yun had received a similar letter. The Zhang family's business had not yet decided on any specific plans, and although the Zhang family in Henan was wealthy, they were not yet ready to undertake a business connecting continents. Such a plan would require a person with great ambition, and there was no one like that in his family.

Jang Geon felt that he needed to investigate this matter further, especially the Merchant Association.

"…Do you have anything else to add? The end of my story is that I received the heads and the letter last night and am now preparing to leave. Can you please save my daughter?"

"Don't worry, Head Joo. The Martial League will rescue your daughter and bring her back safely. We will also send martial artists to protect your business."

Jeong Se-in said this to reassure Head Joo and hoisted the clerk he had knocked out onto his shoulder. He then looked at Jang Geon and said.

"Let's return to the League first. We need to interrogate these people."

However, Jang Geon shook his head. If it were just the Zhang family's business, it wouldn't matter, but with Head Joo's daughter kidnapped, this was now a race against time. The longer they delayed, the more advantageous it would be for the Merchant Association or the Dark Dragon Corps.

Jang Geon quickly applied pressure points to the clerk, who was rolling his eyes.

"Jang Geon! What are you doing?"

"The longer we delay, the more disadvantageous it is for us. We need to strike quickly to catch them off guard and expose their weaknesses."

"Are you going to interrogate him here? But…"

Before Jeong Se-in could finish, a disturbing crackling sound began to emanate from the clerk's body. Jeong Se-in, Head Joo, and the only real clerk present all stiffened at the sound.

"What is this…"

The clerk's eyes rolled back, showing only the whites. His body made a violent cracking sound but remained still, trembling. His face was flushed, and foam was seeping through his clenched teeth, indicating unbearable pain.

Jang Geon pressed a point again when he saw a faint trace of blood in the foam. The clerk coughed and gasped, tears streaming down his eyes from the pain.

"…Stop, please… S, save me…"

"Name."

The clerk looked at Jang Geon with trembling eyes. As he hesitated, Jang Geon raised his hand again.

"Wait! I'll talk! Lin Jie! My name is Lin Jie!"

Jang Geon kept his hand raised and continued to ask.

"Dark Dragon Corps number."

When the Dark Dragon Corps was mentioned, Lin Jie's eyes showed both surprise and resignation. He realized that Jang Geon knew everything.

"…Twenty-three, Dark Dragon Twenty-three."

"Who is this?"

"Twenty-two…"

Satisfied with his answer, Jang Geon lowered his hand.

"Why is the Dark Dragon Corps involved with the Merchant Association?"

"…I was just following orders. I was supposed to monitor and report on this merchant's actions while he was in Shinsachun."

"You don't know the details?"

"I'm just a low-ranking member. I do what I'm told and don't do what I'm not told."

"Who is your superior?"

Lin Jie licked his lips and hesitated. Seeing Jang Geon's hand rise again, he laughed bitterly. A bit of blood-tinged foam spurted from his mouth.

"Damn… We didn't even have this kind of torture during training…"

"Did you receive training for torture?"

"…It was a terrible training. Not to build resistance to torture, but to make us bite the poison pill if we were caught. Now I see that it was the right training… I should have prepared more poison pills…"

"Let's make it easy. Tell me who your superior is."

Jang Geon's calm tone finally made Lin Jie close his eyes tightly and answer.

"I usually work as a laborer in a warehouse on the dock. I do loading and unloading, and when I receive a mission, I go undercover like today. I usually get my missions from an old man who works as a night watchman in the warehouse."

"Which warehouse?"

"There's a junk ship with a red sail docked at the pier. In front of that ship, there's a warehouse with the number thirteen. That's the place."

Having found the location, Jang Geon stood up and looked at Jeong Se-in.

"I'll go check out that warehouse."

"Wait! You're going alone? It's dangerous! You might encounter a Huang, or a high-level martial artist! We should send these people to the Martial League and get support from the patrol team before moving…"

"Time is not on our side. Don't worry. I can get myself out even if things go bad. Besides, if we get support, it might put Head Joo's daughter in danger."

Hearing this, Head Joo exclaimed in shock.

"No! I can't allow that!"

"But we can't just move recklessly…"

"Don't worry, I'll bring the child back."

Jang Geon didn't wait any longer. He adjusted the sword on his waist and started to leave.

"Wait! Jang Geon! Then…"

Jeong Se-in, who was trying to calm Head Joo, hesitated, looking at the man on his shoulder and the Dark Dragon Corps member on the ground. In that moment, Jang Geon had already disappeared from the building's entrance.

"…So you want me to carry these two alone…?"

The Dark Dragon Corps member Lin Jie, Head Joo, and the clerk all looked at her. Jeong Se-in sighed deeply and adjusted the man on his shoulder. It seemed he would have to work up a sweat.

* * *

Jang Geon moved quickly. As he headed from the southern route of Shinsachun to the western dock, he saw many people, most of whom were heading to the night market or taverns. In some places, the crowd was so dense that people were bumping into each other.

However, Jang Geon moved through the crowd like water, slipping away quickly. If someone had noticed him, they might have rubbed their eyes, thinking they had seen a ghost.

After quickly crossing the heart of Shinsachun and reaching the dock, Jang Geon immediately began to inspect the anchored junks. Among the mostly white or yellow sails, the red sail he was looking for should have been easy to spot.

However, it wasn't that simple. The junks did not have their sails unfurled while docked.

"Damn."

Jang Geon had to inspect each ship, looking at the sails that were tied down. The dim light of the crescent moon helped illuminate the dock.

Despite the dim light, Jang Geon's sharp vision quickly found the ship. He then located the warehouse numbered thirteen nearby.

"Who are you?"

As he approached the warehouse, someone holding a lantern approached. It was an old man with a bent back and a messy white beard.

"Old Uncle Xing?"

"Old Uncle Xing? I'm Mr. Wu."

However, Jang Geon, having already noticed the old man's unusual neck muscles, had his hand extended.

His fingers sliced through the air like a blade.

The old man didn't stand still. He fell backward to avoid Jang Geon's hand and kicked at his chin with his right foot. Jang Geon blocked the kick with his left hand. The old man, seeing his kick blocked, immediately kicked Jang Geon with his other foot.

Jang Geon pulled back his extended hand to block the attack and was pushed back a few steps. The old man, having pushed Jang Geon back, spun low like a swallow and stood up straight.

"…Who are you?"

"I'm here to find a child."

"A child?"

The old man furrowed his brow slightly. Then, he seemed to understand and became expressionless.

"…Head Joo made a bad move. Hiring someone like you will only get that girl killed."

"Before that, you'll die first."

The old man snorted at Jang Geon's response and suddenly started to run away. Jang Geon, surprised, watched as the old man quickly climbed the walls of the warehouse, leaping over them to reach the roof.

The old man looked down at Jang Geon from the roof, as if challenging him to follow.

Jang Geon, seeing this, shrugged and pushed off the ground, leaping up. Without grabbing anything, he kicked the wall twice and landed on the roof.

"…What…"

The old man on the roof, seeing Jang Geon at the same eye level, widened his eyes. He immediately turned and started to run without looking back.

"Damn."

Jang Geon chuckled and started to chase him. A pursuit began on the roofs of Shinsachun under the dim crescent moon.

The old man, proving his disguise, leaped effortlessly from roof to roof on the dock. Despite the many obstacles and dangerous gaps, he was faster than most young men running on the ground. Jang Geon, noticing that the old man's agility and internal energy were more effective than lightness techniques, realized this.

If the old man had more time to refine his running technique, he might have developed a specialized lightness technique for leaping over obstacles.

However, that wasn't the case now.

Jang Geon increased his speed. Unlike the old man, who ran with heavy steps, Jang Geon moved lightly and quickly, closing the distance.

Below them, the streets of Shinsachun were brightly lit by the lanterns of the night market and brothels. The night sky, dim with the crescent moon and stars, made it look like a black rock island with streams of light flowing through it.

The old man, glancing back, was startled to see Jang Geon almost catching up. He hissed and leaped to the opposite building, which seemed to be an unfinished pavilion of the Merchant Association that Jang Geon had seen earlier. The old man likely chose this place, thinking the complex structure and obstacles would be to his advantage.

Jang Geon, estimating where to catch him, followed, thinking no one would be at the construction site at this hour. He quickly closed the distance and kicked the old man's back.

"Oof!"

The old man let out a short cry and tumbled forward. Since the pavilion had no roof, the sky was open above him as he rolled. After rolling out, he gasped for breath, looked up at the sky, and groaned as he stood up.

Seeing Jang Geon approaching, he asked.

"…I don't know where Head Joo found someone like you in such a short time. His network in Shinsachun wasn't that extensive…!"

Jang Geon didn't listen to him. He kicked the old man in the face, knocking him down, and raised his hand to apply pressure points. The old man struggled, blood streaming from his nose.

"Wait! Do you know who I work for? I'm not just a pawn for the Merchant Association! Behind me is—"

"The Dark Dragon Corps. And behind them, the Emperor."

The old man's face froze.

"H, how do you know…"

"But I'm not sure if the Emperor is really involved. If he were, he would have burned everything to the ground instead of acting so cowardly."

"What, what do you mean…"

Jang Geon shrugged and grabbed the old man's chin to prevent him from biting the poison pill. He then raised his right index and middle fingers to apply pressure points.

"…"

The old man trembled in fear, both from Jang Geon's grip and the impending torture. When Jang Geon's hand, which had been raised, didn't move, he looked