Chapter 95. It's okay to sit down a bit.

Kaebong.

Cheonhyang Banjeom.

The owner of Cheonhyang Banjeom, Chek Dogwang with the nickname of Thousand Killer Eyes, is a rather unique person. Although he is a notorious figure in the underworld, he saved up money to open a large restaurant called Cheonhyang Banjeom.

While most gangsters live in their own world of self-importance, he valued relationships. As a result, he is now one of the ten elders of the Black Society, the Kaebong underworld alliance.

His way of running Cheonhyang Banjeom was also different.

Cheonhyang Banjeom has a normal restaurant, a black market for human flesh, and a death squad for contract killings.

He entrusted the management of the restaurant, the black market, and the death squad to his three disciples. The restaurant to First Scholar, the black market to Second Scholar, and the death squad to Third Scholar.

With three managers in one building, the rivalry among the disciples was intense, but he found their power struggles entertaining and even encouraged them.

Thousand Killer Eyes Chek Dogwang looked at Third Scholar Ghost Sword Shim Youngchun with snake-like eyes.

"Two assassins are dead. And that too, at the hands of mere courtesan guards."

Though his voice was calm, Shim Youngchun shuddered and bowed his head.

"Their martial arts skills were different from what we expected, so..."

"How much do you think it costs to raise an assassin?"

"Please forgive me."

"At least ten thousand nyang. Do you think it's just about feeding, clothing, and housing them? They need to be trained, treated, and given elixirs when necessary."

"..."

"It takes at least five years for one to become competent. But Yooksal and Chilsal were over ten years in the making. They are worth more than twenty thousand nyang each. By killing two of them, you have caused me a loss of at least forty thousand nyang."

"This is all Chuyepjin's fault. He didn't provide the proper information..."

Shim Youngchun shifted the blame to Chuyepjin.

"Was it a commission from the Four Seas Merchant Guild?"

"Yes. They should have known the skills of the ronin they hired, but they didn't say a word. I confirmed it several times."

Shim Youngchun looked aggrieved.

It's understandable that he felt this way, given that a simple task of dealing with a ronin hired by a courtesan house had escalated to this extent.

"If I had known the opponent was that skilled, I would have taken a different approach. I would have charged more than three thousand nyang, not just seven hundred. They clearly deceived us."

The target had now expanded from Chuyepjin to the Four Seas Merchant Guild.

Sensing the subtle change in Shim Youngchun's tone, Chek Dogwang's eyes darkened.

Shim Youngchun's intention was clear.

He wanted the Four Seas Merchant Guild to compensate.

If Cheonhyang Banjeom and the Four Seas Merchant Guild clashed directly, Cheonhyang Banjeom would be at a disadvantage.

The Four Seas Merchant Guild has over forty bodyguards.

In contrast, Cheonhyang Banjeom only has seven assassins in the death squad. Originally, there were nine, but two have died.

However, avoiding a direct confrontation would be advantageous for Cheonhyang Banjeom.

If the assassins were determined, killing the Four Seas Merchant Guild's leader, Sang Jaeyong, would be a piece of cake. Sang Jaeyong, the cunning fox, would know this too.

The problem is that Sang Jaeyong is not an ordinary greedy person. How else would he have even commissioned the killing of the courtesan house's bodyguards?

Chek Dogwang stroked his beard and said,

"Sang Jaeyong might even demand a penalty for the failed commission."

"Then I'll kill him."

Shim Youngchun's eyes glinted with murderous intent.

"Tsk tsk! You've lost your reason to anger. How can I trust the death squad to you? Stay away from the death squad until further notice."

"..."

Shim Youngchun's head dropped.

This was the worst outcome.

The words he least wanted to hear from his master had come out.

"Tell Sang Jaeyong that I want to meet him at the Moon River Pavilion at the seventh hour of the night tomorrow."

"Understood..."

Shim Youngchun replied in a dejected voice.

It seemed he would be running errands until his master's mood improved.

***

Henan Province.

Zhengzhou.

Zhengzhou is the capital of Henan Province, a city that can be considered the heart of the continent.

On the last day of the tenth month.

A carriage entered the city gate, bathed in the fading autumn sunlight.

The carriage stopped in front of Zhongyuan Banjeom.

The coachman, having tied the reins to one side, called out, "We've arrived!"

A moment later, two men got out of the carriage.

Yeon Jikha and Guchunno, who had left Luoyang, were also with Shim Tong.

Despite envying the carriage of Changhae Wuguan, they had finally managed to acquire one.

It was too early for dinner, but the two men entered without hesitation. They couldn't wait until dinner after having a meager lunch.

Sitting down and waiting for the food, Shim Tong glanced at Yeon Jikha.

"Why?"

"I just thought of the reason why the Young Master suddenly came down from the mountain."

"Interesting."

Yeon Jikha, feeling thirsty, poured water into his teacup and drank it in large gulps.

"Have you made any progress?"

"You're asking for progress after just a few days of meeting the Heavenly Merchant? I'm not looking for ginseng in a well."

"Isn't it just that you're neglecting your martial arts these days?"

"Rest when you can't, right?"

"Resting is good, but I'm worried that you're letting it go too much."

"Resting? Or not resting?"

"Hehe, just do it in moderation. Moderation."

"Do you know? A frog crouches before it jumps far."

"Yes, yes, just don't collapse."

"At my age, it's okay to sit down a bit. But for an old man like Shim, it could be dangerous."

"Ouch! I was wrong. Please forget what I said."

"Alright. Oh, by the way! Brother Feng was poisoned, right? Shouldn't we find an antidote somewhere? Just going won't help much."

"Is that why you were looking for an assassin group?"

"Huh?"

"I thought you were trying to get the antidote from them."

"I just wanted to take revenge."

"Hehehe."

Shim Tong laughed awkwardly.

His martial skills are so outstanding that people often assume he is profound in other areas too. But he is just a newcomer to the martial world.

"Maybe we can find the antidote if we find out who did it and punish them."

"Ah! That's right."

"Those who use poison usually carry the antidote with them."

"Then we should find an old friend of Shim's quickly."

"Hehe! He's not a friend. We just know each other's faces."

Knowing assassins is not a common thing.

So, maybe he is a friend, but Shim Tong strongly denied it.

"The coachman said it would take about half a day to get to Kaebong, right?"

"Yes, but the horses and the coachman need rest, so it's better to stay overnight in Zhengzhou."

"That's true. I hope Brother Feng can hold on..."

"Don't worry too much. Martial artists can endure longer than ordinary people. Besides, Brother Feng has learned the White Jade Formula. He will be fine."

Yeon Jikha, who had been nodding, suddenly looked at Shim Tong.

"Who could have commissioned the hit? What could Brother Feng have that they wanted?"

"I don't understand either. Given that Brother Feng worked at a courtesan house, it doesn't seem to be about money."

"Find out who it is. I'll make them pay."

Yeon Jikha gritted his teeth.

To try to kill someone who had just returned to his family after over a decade?

Having been mistreated as a child, his longing for a normal family is stronger than most. So, he was furious as if it had happened to him.

"But since we're in Zhengzhou, aren't you going to visit Dae Yeon Merchant Guild?"

"Uh-huh."

"Why not?"

"Later... When I feel more at ease. I'll visit then."

Seeing the somewhat melancholic expression on Yeon Jikha's face, Shim Tong didn't ask further.

***

Kaebong.

Moon River Pavilion.

One of the three major courtesan houses in Kaebong, the Moon River Pavilion, was always bustling with guests every night, seeking fine wine, delicious food, and beautiful courtesans.

In a private room favored by VIPs, the owner of Cheonhyang Banjeom, Chek Dogwang, and the leader of the Four Seas Merchant Guild, Sang Jaeyong, sat facing each other.

The table was laden with wine and dishes.

The two old men only picked at the dishes with their chopsticks, not speaking for a long time.

After about a quarter of an hour?

Sang Jaeyong, who had been leisurely picking at the dishes, suddenly looked at Chek Dogwang.

"Hehe. Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Ah, I was just curious why you called me here."

His brazen answer made Chek Dogwang chuckle.

Two assassins had died due to their commission, yet he was acting as if nothing had happened.

"Chuyepjin did something interesting."

"Did he?"

"He came to me with a commission worth seven hundred nyang. A mere bodyguard of yours couldn't have that much money. It must be your doing. Thanks to this, I've suffered a significant loss."

"I don't understand what you mean. I have over forty warriors under me. Why would I need to commission you?"

Chek Dogwang's smile vanished instantly.

"Sang Jaeyong, don't push your luck. Do you think those bodyguards can protect you?"

"..."

Taken aback by the sudden outburst, Sang Jaeyong shut his mouth.

The assassins from the death squad were terrifying, but even Chek Dogwang himself was a notorious figure from the previous generation. At the moment, he was just a wealthy merchant with no means to protect himself.

However, while Sang Jaeyong was afraid, he didn't bow to Chek Dogwang.

The moment Chek Dogwang took his life, he and Cheonhyang Banjeom would be finished. The other side knew this, so they were just barking loudly.

"You didn't provide proper information about the target. As a result, I lost two valuable subordinates who I had raised for ten years. I won't mince words. How will you compensate me?"

"It seems there's a misunderstanding. I repeat, I know nothing about any commission."

Sang Jaeyong continued to act oblivious.

He had drawn the line from the beginning, claiming it was not his business in case things got complicated.

"So, you're going to keep this up? You want to end it with Chuyepjin, don't you? But do you think it will be that simple? Chuyepjin asked to kill a bodyguard from the same courtesan house, Longxi Lou. What will happen when this fact is revealed? People will be very curious about why Chuyepjin did this, won't they?"

Despite Chek Dogwang's provocation, Sang Jaeyong remained calm.

In fact, the final move of this operation was to expose the commission's backer. It had become a bit complicated because Feng Yanchao didn't die, but the result was the same for him.

"I'm curious too. Why did Chuyepjin do this?"

"..."

Chek Dogwang glared at Sang Jaeyong as if he wanted to eat him alive.

'Brazen bastard. He's going to stick to his denial until the end.'

If the commission by Chuyepjin was revealed, the Four Seas Merchant Guild would have to bear the burden. Yet, he couldn't understand why Sang Jaeyong was so calm.

In the end, a sigh escaped Chek Dogwang's lips.

"Ha! Leader Sang, I admit defeat. Let's find a solution that benefits both of us. In business, it's better to have more friends than enemies, isn't it?"

Chek Dogwang acknowledged that he couldn't outsmart Sang Jaeyong no matter how much he tried.

"Hehe, truly wise words. It's better to have more friends than enemies. Alright. I have a proposal for both you and me. Would you like to hear it?"

"Go on."

"Reveal who commissioned Chuyepjin. When the time comes, I will commission you. It's a simple task, but the amount will satisfy you."

Chek Dogwang looked at Sang Jaeyong in a daze.

He couldn't figure out what the merchant really wanted.