Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 226

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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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#226

“Aaaahhhhh!”
A drawn-out scream cut through the air, and Do Pyeong-su plummeted from the sky. The impact of his landing—Boom!—was so violent that Hang Ju-sa-ung and Gwak Bong, who had been enduring what passed for training but felt more like torture, collapsed where they stood.
“Sire!”
“The Lord isn’t here.”
Since no one else would answer, Kang Chan-sik stepped into the role.
“Where did he go?”
“I… have no idea.”
“How can you not know something this important!”
“I live at the magistrate’s residence, not at Oseong Jang-won.”
Kang Chan-sik’s expression was so pitiful that Do Pyeong-su’s gaze shifted to Jang Man-dok.
“Where did he go? Why Hubei Province? What good does that do? Listen here—if the Sire has left on urgent business, you should obviously know! How can you be loitering here when he’s risked going out into that harsh world! He insisted on going alone, is that it? So your feelings are hurt, are they? You should have followed him in secret! What if something happened to him out there in that treacherous place! That’s right—this is your fault! Whose fault could it be but yours!”
Jang Man-dok’s face turned the color of a man about to explode. Gwak Bong crept forward and nudged Kang Chan-sik’s arm.
“Governor, we should run.”
Hang Ju-sa-ung began backing away as well.
When they had retreated perhaps three paces from the two of them, a tremendous crash erupted—Bang!
The ground buckled, a nearby wall collapsed, and the shock wave struck them full force.
If Gwak Bong hadn’t shielded them with her own body, the flying debris might have cracked their skulls open.
They rushed around to the rear courtyard and bolted past the buildings.
With no one to stop it, Oseong Jang-won might well be reduced to rubble today.
“Get the workers to safety at once!”
Gal Ma-pyeong, who had cried out the order, was evacuating the nearby laborers when the thunderous sounds suddenly ceased.
When the Bloodwind Four Lions fought each other, the noise never stopped. Silence meant only one thing: the battle had ended.
“Already?”
“Seems he’s calmed down quickly.”
“Should we look?”
Hang Ju-sa-ung and the others exchanged glances, then carefully advanced toward the rear courtyard. They kept their bodies poised to spring away at any moment, but no further crashes sounded as they approached.
Do Pyeong-su’s voice reached them just as a piece of rubble caught at their feet.
“All I received was a carrier pigeon saying he was heading to Hubei Province? The Jegal Family is in Hubei Province—did he go to see them? Ma-pyeong!”
Gal Ma-pyeong hurried over, startled.
“Yes, Master!”
“Find out what’s happened in Hubei Province.”
“At once!”
Gal Ma-pyeong turned to leave, then hesitated and asked carefully.
“How should I do that?”
“That’s something you need to figure out yourself!”
“Yes, sir!”
As Gal Ma-pyeong dashed off without a clear plan, Se-hwa shouted after him.
“Ask the Gae Bang beggars!”
Fortunately, Gal Ma-pyeong didn’t keep them waiting long.
Those who had been waiting with anxious hearts felt their worries ease when they learned that Gal Ma-pyeong had returned with useful intelligence.
“The Bloodblade Fiend has appeared in Hubei Province, sir. Could that be the reason the Sire went there?”
“The Bloodblade Fiend Maeng Mang-do? The disciple of the Bloodwheel Specter Baek Chu-byeong?”
“Yes. It turns out rumors of the Bloodblade Fiend’s appearance in Hubei Province spread like wildfire. Even the Gae Bang has mobilized to search for him. So Gi-cheon seems to have been drafted into that search as well—I wonder if perhaps the Sire went to Hubei for So Gi-cheon’s sake.”
“Well, the Sire does have a soft spot for that Gae Bang disciple. Hmm. I suppose we should head to Hubei Province. Man-dok, you stay here.”
“Grrrgh!”
“Stay here and look after things! Ah, wait—the Sire isn’t even here! Tsk! Having to go to Hubei with someone as tedious as you. Why did I even come here, you ask? Just had time on my hands. Stop asking so many questions! Let’s depart for Hubei at once!”
“Wait, hold on just a moment…!”
Kang Chan-sik, looking as though he might expire at any second, clutched his belly and called out to Do Pyeong-su and Jang Man-dok.
“What’s wrong with him? Did you give him Pido Baekbyeong? It’s good for the body.”
Gal Ma-pyeong observed.
“Being good for the body doesn’t mean it won’t hurt.”
“I… please… something…!”
Kang Chan-sik couldn’t even form words properly, his insides twisted like knotted thread in waves of agony.
“Just bear it for three or four days. Then you’ll build immunity to most poisons. Come to think of it—you still have to take it three more times, don’t you?”
“Lord, I’m dying, ah, ah, ah, I’m finished!”
“Stop your fussing, child. I’ll be back soon, so look after the estate while I’m gone.”
The two of them left Oseong Jang-won, leaving Kang Chan-sik rolling about on the ground.
A smile played at the corner of Hang Ju-sa-ung’s mouth as they regarded each other for a moment.
“All the masters have left, then?”
“Heh heh heh! Looks like it’ll take them a while, so no training for a bit.”
They danced about merrily, oblivious to Kang Chan-sik’s existence.
‘Not a drop of sweat spilled on my Oseong Jang-won!’

***

Geom U-bin had come to Hubei Province because of the Jegal Family.
The Oseong Merchant Association had grown into the largest merchant house in Zhejiang Province and Jiangsu Province.
Judging by how Daesung Merchant House was handling Anhui Province, which they had now formally entered, the Oseong Merchant Association would be able to claim it as well.
Once they controlled the three provinces known as the South, and the Oseong Merchant Association rose to become the greatest merchant house in Hubei Province, they would form a vast belt alongside Shaanxi Province, where they had long since ousted the Taseong Merchant House and established their dominion.
For this reason, they needed the Jegal Family to strengthen the Oseong Merchant Association’s power in Hubei Province.
Of course, it was also beneficial to the Jegal Family.
Even now, the Oseong Merchant Association in Shaanxi Province and Hubei Province sent considerable monthly contributions to the Jegal Family, and if their scale expanded further, those donations would be far greater.
The Jegal Family merely needed to demonstrate their closeness to the Oseong Merchant Association, and their role would be fulfilled.
With the Jegal Family backing them in Hubei Province, business became that much easier—it was a mutually beneficial relationship.
Upon arriving at the Jegal Family estate, Geom U-bin requested a meeting with the patriarch.
“From where have you come, I wonder?”
“I’m Geom U-bin, from Oseong Jang-won. You should know the name.”
A warrior who appeared to be in his mid-twenties started in surprise.
“My goodness! You’re the Provincial Governor from Hangju. My apologies for not recognizing you!”
The warrior rushed inside and soon returned with Jegal Hoon.
Jegal Hoon’s face was bright with laughter as he wheeled his chair forward.
“You should have sent word ahead. I’d have come to meet you.”
It was always a pleasure to visit the Jegal Family when there was a friend to greet him warmly.
“Have you come because of the Bloodied Sword Demon?”
“The Bloodied Sword Demon must be quite formidable—even the Namgung Family mentioned him.”
“You stopped by the Namgung Family?”
“Yes, I had some business to discuss with them regarding the Oseong Merchant Association. Since I was already out, I wanted to see you too, so I came all this way.”
“How generous of you. First, let’s pay our respects to my father.”
“But it seems the family has lost quite a few people.”
“Fifty men were mobilized to track down the Bloodied Sword Demon. My uncle and older brothers went out as well. The Murim Alliance pressed so hard that we had no choice.”
Jegal Hoon seemed displeased that the Jegal Family had been drawn into the pursuit of the Bloodied Sword Demon.
As they exchanged various remarks, they arrived before Jegal Myeong-jung, the patriarch.
“I pay my respects, Patriarch.”
Jegal Myeong-jung welcomed Geom U-bin warmly.
When Geom U-bin expressed his hopes that the Oseong Merchant Association in Hubei Province would prosper, Jegal Myeong-jung replied that Oseong Jang-won was as family to the Jegal Clan.
After taking tea with Jegal Myeong-jung for a time, they moved to Jegal Hoon’s chambers.
“Did your sister happen to go along as well?”
“Why? Do you want to see her?”
When Geom U-bin flinched, Jegal Hoon burst into laughter.
“Haha! She’s participating in the search, so you won’t see her. I still don’t understand why the Murim Alliance is so desperate to capture the Bloodied Sword Demon.”
“He’s a public enemy of Murim.”
“The Alliance made him that, but frankly, I disagree with them.”
“Isn’t it already established that the Bloodied Sword Demon is the greatest villain in Murim? In terms of cruelty alone, he surpasses even the Bloodwind Four Lions. At least they didn’t slaughter civilians, but the Bloodied Sword Demon has killed over a hundred.”
“That’s what the Murim Alliance announced, but according to my investigation, it’s not the case.”
Jegal Hoon wheeled his chair over to the bookshelf, pulled out a volume, and spread it open on the desk.
“Have you heard of the Daerim Valley Incident?”
Since the Bloodied Sword Demon was the hottest topic in Hebei Province these days, he couldn’t help but hear of the atrocities he had committed in the past, whether he wanted to or not.
“Wasn’t that the incident where the Bloodied Sword Demon massacred fifty tenant farmers who lived in Daerim Valley in Sichuan Province?”
“Yes, that’s the incident that led to the Bloodied Sword Demon being designated a public enemy of Murim, but there’s something strange about it…”
Jegal Hoon flipped through the pages until he stopped at a section titled “The Daerim Valley Incident.”
“Around that same time, an incident occurred in which the minor patriarch of the Hwangbo Clan in Shandong Province was murdered. It remains an unsolved case to this day.”
“The minor patriarch of the Hwangbo Clan, one of the Five Great Families, was murdered and they still haven’t caught the killer?”
“It wasn’t murder—the official conclusion was that he died from Zhuhua Rumo during cultivation practice.”
“But the truth is, he was actually murdered, isn’t it.”
“At the time, I obtained testimony from the person who first discovered Hwang Bo Ji-myeong’s body when he was the minor patriarch of the Hwangbo Clan. According to the testimony, there was a hole in his throat that looked as though it had been pierced by an awl. My conclusion is that only Maeng Mang-do could have killed someone of Hwang Bo Ji-myeong’s caliber with such a wound.”
“But then why did the Hwangbo Clan make such an announcement? And why bring up Hwang Bo Ji-myeong’s death all of a sudden?”
Jegal Hoon extended the book so Geom U-bin could see it.
“Look at the dates here—the Daerim Valley incident and when Hwang Bo Ji-myeong died.”
“Only two days apart.”
“Right. Hwang Bo Ji-myeong was killed two days after the Daerim Valley incident. Sichuan Province to Shandong Province—a distance that spans nearly half of Zhongyuan. Someone massacres civilians in Sichuan and then murders Hwang Bo Ji-myeong two days later? There’s no one in this world capable of that.”
Geom U-bin knew of four people who could manage it, but there was no need to say so.
“The Murim Alliance declared the Daerim Valley incident the work of Maeng Mang-do, but if the person who killed Hwang Bo Ji-myeong is revealed to be Maeng Mang-do, then the innocence regarding the Daerim Valley incident would be exposed.”
“Exactly. That’s why the Hwangbo Clan initially announced it as death by poison, then hastily corrected it to death by Zhuhua Rumo. There must have been pressure from the Murim Alliance, though I couldn’t uncover that part. And the civilian massacres attributed to Maeng Mang-do—there are far too many suspicious elements, not just in that one case.”
“If he’d been falsely accused, wouldn’t he have shown some kind of reaction?”
“He did. At first. But between the Murim Alliance and figures of the Demonic Path, whose word would the world believe? At first he desperately insisted on his innocence, but eventually even Maeng Mang-do seems to have given up and simply vanished. And now he’s appeared again.”
Geom U-bin pondered for a moment before asking.
“You’re convinced that Maeng Mang-do was falsely accused in the Daerim Valley incident?”
“In that incident and three others. All of them involved the deaths of civilians.”
“And the one who fabricated the charges is the Murim Alliance? What’s their motive?”
“I haven’t uncovered that part yet. A more compelling interest came up in the meantime.”
“What?”
“You.”
“Me?”
“Yeah, studying you turned out to be far more entertaining than investigating Maeng Mang-do. Heh heh!”
It was Jegal Hoon’s way of dreaming of a world despite his damaged legs.
“You’re going to keep that book? It seems like you could be in danger if you’re not careful.”
If it were true that the Murim Alliance had falsely accused Maeng Mang-do, it would be an incident grave enough to determine the very existence of the Murim Alliance.
“If I’m discovered, it’ll be dangerous. I’ve already thought of an excuse—I’ll say I found it.”
“Why not just burn it instead?”
“I put quite a lot of effort into that investigation…….”
“Burn it right now. Here.”
Only when Geom U-bin opened both hands did Jegal Hoon realize it meant “give me that book.”
Since he’d already lost interest in the case, there was nothing he regretted about giving it up, but he still didn’t want to hand it over just like that.
“You’re staying the night, aren’t you?”
“It’s late, so if the owner permits.”
“Then stay one more day. I’ll burn it then. Since your sister has left, there’s no one around to catch you.”
“If anyone sees us, they’ll think we’re lovers.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Jegal Hoon laughed with a soft chuckle and placed the book in Geom U-bin’s hands. Taking the book, Geom U-bin spoke.

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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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