Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#010

Following Geom U-bin’s gesture, Jo Hae-jung turned his head, but all he could see in the lamplight was the darkness pooling in the basement’s corner.
“Who are you telling me to look at……?”
His words caught in his throat.
Someone emerged from the shadows.
The woman, who appeared to be in her mid-twenties, materialized like a ghost passing through the black curtain.
“Who… who are you?”
“Someone you’ve been wanting to see.”
As Yeon Geum-hong took a step forward, Jo Hae-jung instinctively retreated.
Though he’d immersed himself in the underworld, true masters were rarities in his experience.
Stories about Murim circulated endlessly, yet Murim martial artists were far from common. Most people probably died without ever meeting a single one in their lifetime.
Especially Murim masters—they were as far removed from ordinary folk as immortals.
Yet here one now stood before Jo Hae-jung. He didn’t need to test her martial prowess; that ghostlike movement told him everything.
Jo Hae-jung possessed sharp survival instincts.
His best chance of escaping this crisis lay with Geom U-bin.
The moment that realization struck, he spun around to seize her as a hostage—but Geom U-bin, who should have been sitting in her chair, was nowhere to be found.
“Are you looking for me?”
Somehow, Geom U-bin had already made it to the basement entrance, five paces away.
“Brother.”
“Yes, Sister?”
“Tell me what happened later.”
“And now?”
Geom U-bin shrugged and stepped onto the ascending stairs.
“Handle it yourself.”
As Geom U-bin vanished from the basement, a smile played at the corners of Yeon Geum-hong’s lips.
“Well, well. It’s been ages since I had a toy to play with. How exciting.”
Jo Hae-jung couldn’t make sense of what was happening.
Brother and sister? The reality unfolding before him bore no resemblance to the picture he’d painted in his mind.
“Boy.”
At that form of address, Jo Hae-jung found himself answering almost involuntarily. “Yes?”
“You didn’t seriously think you could kidnap my brother and walk away unscathed, did you?”
The scissors Jo Hae-jung had been holding flew from his grip and landed in Yeon Geum-hong’s hand.
“The… the Heo-gong-seop-mul?”
“You know something about Murim after all, it seems.”
Jo Hae-jung’s legs buckled beneath him, and he collapsed to his knees.
“Spare me, please! I didn’t know I was dealing with such distinguished people. I’ve made a terrible mistake!”
“If begging forgave all sins, there’d be no one left to face punishment in this world. Since you tried to sever my brother’s fingers, I’ll start with yours. All ten of them. You don’t need to choose.”
The distance between Yeon Geum-hong and Jo Hae-jung grew smaller with each step.
And so, that day, the Yagwi Society vanished from Hangju.
Cleanly.

***

“Such cowardice! You’re saying you had all that fun by yourself?”
Do Pyeong-su erupted in protest, and if Seo Seok-san hadn’t already departed for Gangseong Province, he would have grabbed Yeon Geum-hong by the collar.
Crack!
Jang Man-dok vented his frustration by snapping off the corner of the table.
“It couldn’t be helped—the Brother was in danger. Ha ha! But breaking those trash’s bones after all this time felt so… phew!”
Do Pyeong-su and Jang Man-dok watched Yeon Geum-hong wipe her mouth with envious eyes.
“Damn it. When do we get to taste something like that? Hmm? Will such a day ever come? Who knows.”
Even in this good peace they now enjoyed with Geom U-bin, Murim’s ferocity sometimes tugged at them unexpectedly.
They didn’t ask for bloodlust against mere street thugs, but they envied Yeon Geum-hong all the same for having felt that combat experience again.
“Should we spar with each other?”
At Do Pyeong-su’s question, Yeon Geum-hong laughed softly.
“Want to lose the house?”
Their sparring was anything but ordinary, and the moment they began to exert their full strength, this house would be reduced to rubble.
“A tree wishes to be still, but the wind will not allow it.”
Yeon Geum-hong rose as she spoke, and Do Pyeong-su’s expression turned puzzled.
“What cryptic nonsense is this?”
“Will this end with just one incident? Our superior skills can only create enemies. The problem is that our enemies are too insignificant.”

***

“The Yagwi Society—they’ve vanished?”
At the question from Nah Moon-taek, the Chongsa, Go Won-sul bowed deeply before answering.
“In a single night, half their members were killed or crippled, and the rest fled.”
“Were they attacked?”
“We are currently investigating the matter.”
Whether they investigated or not, it was clearly the work of some outside assault.
‘Could it be the doing of a rival underworld faction?’
To the underworld gangs, Hangju was a veritable goose that laid golden eggs.
That was why the regional underworld factions were constantly watching for an opening, but the Muyeong Society had proven so formidable that for the past thirty years it had never yielded an inch of ground.
‘The fact that there was no commotion means it wasn’t a street brawl. Did they perhaps call in some Black Way master from elsewhere?’
However, it was common knowledge that the Muyeong Society enjoyed the protection of the Hyeol-geom Moon, one of the Ten Great Murim Factions of Zhongyuan.
There was no Black Way expert ruthless enough to cross the Hyeol-geom Moon that he could think of.
‘Unless it were the Murim Alliance—’
But they were transcendent beings, beyond such petty concerns, so he put that thought aside.
“Conduct a thorough investigation, no matter how long it takes.”

***

Geom U-bin’s steps were heavy as he made his way out into the streets of Hangju.
It was not merely because the weight of the iron shackles around his wrists and ankles had increased from ten to fifteen catties.
“I thought all I needed to do was sell fine liquor.”
But because of that, people had been harmed and lives had been lost. He had heard the full explanation from Yeon Geum-hong and understood the circumstances, yet still the bad taste lingered in his mouth.
Someone blocked the path of Geom U-bin as he trudged along with a delivery of liquor strapped across his back.
It was a broad-shouldered man in his early thirties with a rough beard like a military general’s.
“So you’re the one they call Geom U-bin, the Liquor Merchant.”
The nickname “Liquor Merchant” hardly suited someone who didn’t even understand the taste of liquor, but since the name was correct, he answered.
“Yes, that’s me. What of it?”
“I need to take that liquor with me today.”
“This liquor belongs to the Wol-ha Pavilion. It’s already been promised——”
Before he could finish, the man moved.
Geom U-bin tried to evade the man’s rapidly approaching hand and deploy his Divine Technique, but the fifteen catties of iron shackles on his feet slowed his movements.
By then, the man’s hand had already swept past Geom U-bin’s shoulders and snatched away the sack he carried.
For someone as weighted down as Geom U-bin, there was no way to escape that speed.
“Take the payment to the Dong-ssi Do-ga!”
With those words, the man vanished rapidly into the distance.
By the time Geom U-bin drew his sword, the man had already disappeared around the corner of a building.
“Blast!”
None of the disciples had accompanied Geom U-bin today to protect him.
It was because Geom U-bin had firmly insisted that they stop protecting him.
“Damn it! Of all times for something like this to happen.”
Though Geom U-bin lived with the Bloodwind Four Lions, he remained a complete outsider to the Murim. So he had no idea where the Dong-ssi Do-ga even was.
“First, I need to clean up this mess.”
Geom U-bin rushed back to the Wol-ha Pavilion and explained everything to Ha Seok-mun, then offered his apologies.
“I am deeply sorry that the delivery will be late due to my negligence.”
“So this man really told you to collect payment from the Dong-ssi Do-ga?”
“He did.”
“What did he look like?”
“He had a rough beard, was quite large, and had piercing eyes. I remember his fingers were unusually long.”
“Hah! So Dong Ga-bong came in person to steal the liquor? There was nothing you could have done.”
“Do you know him?”
“You seem to know nothing of the Dong-ssi Do-ga. Tell me—do you at least know of the Five Great Families?”
Even as an outsider to the Murim, their reputation was so widespread that Geom U-bin knew of the Five Great Families.
“Yes, I understand.”
“The Five Great Families of Murim are beyond our reach, of course, but the Dong-ssi Do-ga is still one of the most prominent clans aside from them. They’re naturally the largest martial force not only here in Hangju but throughout Zhejiang Province. Dong Ga-bong is their Dang-ju, and also the youngest brother of their Ga-ju.”
“A man like that committed robbery over alcohol?”
“The Dong-ssi Do-ga had actually commissioned Sagichu from me, but I couldn’t deliver it because I had none. Now I hear a Murim Alliance representative is visiting them—that’s why they needed the Sagichu. Since the Dong-ssi Do-ga is involved, we’ll have to let this matter go. The one consolation is that they won’t skip paying for the drink.”
“Where is the Dong-ssi Do-ga located?”
“Why?”
“To collect payment, of course.”
Though in truth, to recover the alcohol itself, not the money.
Geom U-bin removed the Iron Shackles from her ankles and wrists, then deployed her Lightness Skill and raced toward the Dong-ssi Do-ga.
She had never used her Lightness Skill without the shackles before, and was astonished at how weightless her body could feel. That was why she reached the Dong-ssi Do-ga, situated on the outskirts of Hangju, in barely half an hour.
Beyond the fields laid bare after the harvest, which stretched out in bleak rows, a broad official road led to the Dong-ssi Do-ga.
Still not fully grown, her body was taxed by a half-hour of unbroken running, and her breath came ragged. She composed herself as she walked, and her steps came to a halt before the Main Gate of the Dong-ssi Do-ga.
The large, heavy gate stood wide open, and she could see several figures moving busily within.
The smell of food carried all the way out to the street, suggesting that the visitor from the Murim Alliance held a position of considerable rank.
Among the four guards stationed at the gate, a young one with a mole on his cheek spoke up.
“Little one. What brings you here?”
“I’m here for my alcohol.”
“Your alcohol?”
“A man named Dong Ga-bong who lives here stole my drink.”
“Our Dang-ju stole a drink? What nonsense is this?”
“Call Dong Ga-bong for me. Then you’ll understand.”
The guard’s eyes narrowed in anger.
“Do you know where you are, spouting such rubbish! Get out of here!”
The guard tried to shove Geom U-bin’s shoulder, but she sidestepped slightly, and he lost his balance, flailing before he fell.
“You little brat!”
His face flushed crimson at his fellows’ snickering laughter. He charged again, but each time his hands found only empty air—he could not lay hold of Geom U-bin.
“What is this commotion on such an important day!”
A man with a black beard grown down to his throat bellowed as he emerged, and the guards immediately bent at the waist.
“We greet you, Chongsa!”
“Did I not ask what happened!”
“It, it’s just—this child came and said our Dang-ju stole their alcohol…….”
“Ga-bong stole alcohol?”
Dong Baek-jae’s gaze settled on Geom U-bin.
“Is it true that Ga-bong robbed you of alcohol?”
“Yes. He took the alcohol I was supposed to deliver.”
Dong Baek-jae grasped the situation at once.
‘That fool—he’s done something thoughtless again.’
Dong Baek-jae sighed thinly and gestured.
“Come inside and we’ll talk about this.”
If the Murim Alliance visitors caught wind of this, it would be a complete disgrace. Geom U-bin followed Dong Baek-jae into the Dong-ssi Do-ga.
“So you’re the Sagichu merchant, Geom U-bin.”
The Sagichu had become the talk of the region, and word had even reached Dong Baek-jae, who did not even drink.
“Yes.”
“It seems my younger brother made a mistake. I’ll pay you right away.”
“I don’t want money—I want my alcohol back.”
“Since you’re selling it anyway, if you sell it to us…….”
“The alcohol is already spoken for elsewhere. And I won’t sell to people who seize goods by force.”
Like a young puppy unafraid of tigers, she clearly didn’t yet understand what sort of place the Dong-ssi Do-ga was.
“I’ll pay you handsomely.”
Among the guests coming from the Murim Alliance, several were drinkers, and the Sagichu was essential to keeping them satisfied. That was why Dong Ga-bong had resorted to such rash measures.
“I said I don’t need money. Return my alcohol.”
“Ha! You’re quite the brazen one. The alcohol has already been opened. So choose: take payment for it, or be thrown out as you are.”
He had no time to waste further on a child.
“Baek-jae, what are you doing here?”
Dong Baek-jae spun around at the voice. Ga-ju Dong Seong-bang was approaching with So-ga-ju Dong Chang-min.
Dong Chang-min, fifteen this year, bowed respectfully to Dong Baek-jae.
“Uncle, you work so hard.”
“Hard work is nothing. But what brings you out here, Ga-ju?”
“It’s hardly a formal occasion—why ‘Ga-ju’? But who is that child?”
Dong Baek-jae explained the situation to them.
“So the youngest brought liquor, and you’ve come looking for it. You’re refusing the money they’re offering.”
“Don’t trouble yourself, sir. Please go inside. I’ll handle this matter.”
“You’ve done all the preparations to receive the guests—if anyone’s leaving, it should be you. Let’s see…… I can’t return the liquor since we need it, so what sum would satisfy you?”
The Dong-ssi Do-ga’s resolve was immovable, and Geom U-bin was not someone who could take it by force. But he had no wish to call upon the strength of the Bloodwind Four Lions.
If the Bloodwind Four Lions stepped in, the Dong-ssi Do-ga would cease to exist as a clan by day’s end.
Annoying though it was, they hadn’t committed a crime of that magnitude.
“If you insist on settling this with money, you must pay ten times the price of the liquor.”
“Ten times? Why ten times?”
“As a merchant, I failed to uphold my credit. Therefore, the Wol-ha Pavilion must naturally be compensated tenfold.”
“Hmm. A admirable resolve. So what’s the sum?”
“The liquor was three hundred sixty silver coins.”
“What? That expensive? No matter how you reckon it—ten times three hundred sixty coins seems excessive as a price for liquor.”
“The original price is three hundred sixty coins. Ten times that is three thousand six hundred coins.”
Dong Seong-bang’s expression hardened.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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