Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 45

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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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#045

Like a wooden puppet moving at her command, his collapsing body straightened of its own accord.
“A man’s knees exist to support his life, not to be broken.”
“But Go Shin-ji——”
“I know what you want to do. If kneeling a hundred times would save me, you’d do it without hesitation. But can you honestly say it will? Can you truly save me that way?”
He knew it was a thin thread of hope.
The desperation to grasp at that slender chance was what had loosened his resolve to kneel.
“Death comes for everyone eventually—sooner or later makes no difference. It finds us all once in a lifetime. Let’s not die shamefully.”
“A woman of iron. But what crime has the child in her womb committed, to vanish before seeing the world?”
O Pil-yang clearly wanted to see Sang Nam-jae on his knees. That vain assassin, monopolizing Naeng Seo-mok’s favor, flaunting himself as the finest killer in the world.
“Do you truly think you can kill this child?”
She spoke while stroking Sang Nam-jae’s arm.
“You’re no match for this man. He will protect me, protect the child, and protect himself. Isn’t that right?”
Sang Nam-jae read the fear in the depths of Go Shin-ji’s eyes. Her voice didn’t waver as she spoke, but terror was justified.
She knew it was a battle they couldn’t win, yet she gave him her faith.
Even if his martial arts were weak, he could win. Even if he was afraid, he could win. The only unwinnable fight is the one abandoned before it begins.
She grasped this truth without ever studying martial arts.
“Of course. A dozen assassins? They’re not even appetizers.”
Sang Nam-jae drew the blade he’d sheathed.
‘I’ll keep Go Shin-ji alive, even if I have to die doing it!’
“Hehehehe! I thought we’d have some fun, but you’re not playing along.”
O Pil-yang unsheathed the sword on his back and continued.
“I wonder what it would feel like to pierce through and reach the child. I’m curious.”
A Yeon-mu-gi appeared in O Pil-yang’s left hand.
The disc-shaped Yeon-mu-gi, no larger than a palm, would fill the surrounding ten paces with smoke, obscuring all vision.
In a one-on-one duel, both would be equally blind—a tactic Sang Nam-jae might have used himself. But surrounded as he was, with someone to protect, the smoke device became a catastrophic liability.
Hiss!
The Yeon-mu-gi shot forth, spurting smoke as it fell at Sang Nam-jae’s feet.
In an instant, the surrounding area was engulfed in thick smoke.
“Stay close to me!”
Even Go Shin-ji, close enough that he could touch her with an outstretched arm, appeared as a vague shadow.
With his blade in his right hand, Sang Nam-jae pushed his senses to their limit. If he missed a single approaching enemy, Go Shin-ji’s death was sealed in that instant.
“Cough! Cough!”
Go Shin-ji, unable to hold her breath, coughed violently.
But she dared not move, lest she stumble outside the smoke’s reach.
Any movement would fracture his concentration, and the assassins would seize that opening without hesitation.
“Bear with it a moment longer.”
It was all he could offer her as she suffered in the smoke.
‘Come on—come at me!’
Sang Nam-jae stood motionless, waiting for the assassins’ assault.
But only Go Shin-ji’s painful coughing reached his ears. The enemy did not attack.
Gradually, the smoke began to thin.
‘When are they going to strike?’
Sang Nam-jae grew more impatient, waiting. Go Shin-ji’s arm became visible, then her face came into sharp focus, yet still nothing happened.
The smoke cleared completely.
Only then did he understand why the attack never came.
O Pil-yang and three other assassins lay sprawled on the ground.
The smoke from the Yeon-mu-gi was clearly not poison—the fact that he and Go Shin-ji were unharmed proved it.
These men were definitely dead.
A moment later, Sang Nam-jae realized something else.
The three corpses were not all of them. The twelve assassins surrounding the cottage had all vanished without a trace.
“What in the world is happening here?”

***

Hangju’s underworld was at peace.
One faction had vanished entirely, and Kang Chan-sik, who had been the leader of the Hongmun Society, had retired for reasons no one could explain.
Of course, peace was not entirely a blessing.
Without wind, an apple does not fall of its own accord.
The tree must be shaken for fruit to drop, and only then does the underworld have something to gather.
“Because of the Sagi-ju, pavilion revenues have plummeted, protection money has dried up, and with one man earning so much, the rest of them have empty pockets—the gambling dens are half-empty too.”
Wang Bok-ju, the newly appointed leader of the Songmun Society who now controlled Hangju’s nights, muttered this to himself as he walked.
All of this was because of the Sagi-ju, and what he lamented most was that falling revenues meant he couldn’t drink as much of it as he wanted.
“Boss.”
Bong Tae-man, following one step behind, called out to Wang Bok-ju.
“What?”
“Over there.”
Bong Tae-man pointed at a middle-aged man carrying a bag as he entered the Wolha Pavilion.
“Isn’t that one of the Oseong Jang-won workers?”
“Yes. The one who nearly got himself killed by a blade on Main Street the other day.”
“So what?”
“Usually So Ju-seon handles the deliveries, but if that one’s come instead, it means So Ju-seon isn’t at Oseong Jang-won. I heard he went off on a distant liquor delivery with Hang Ju-sa-seon.”
“And?”
Bong Tae-man whispered, barely audibly.
“It means right now, Oseong Jang-won has no one of consequence—just small fry left behind who take blade strikes on the road.”
Bong Tae-man’s already narrow eyes grew even narrower.
It was the expression of someone seeking praise for a clever idea—like a dog wagging its tail.
“You want to rob Oseong Jang-won?”
“There must be an enormous stockpile of Sagi-ju in their warehouse. Sagi-ju is as good as silver coin—better than any bank note, wouldn’t you say?”
At the thought of Sagi-ju, his mouth watered more than it did at the thought of silver.
“But the leader told us not to cause trouble…….”
“If we slip in and steal it quietly, who’ll know it was us? Take it somewhere far away like Wuhan and sell it—now that’s what you call a perfect crime.”
Bong Tae-man’s unspoken words—’Think of the tribute you owe this month’—tipped the scales of Wang Bok-ju’s resolve.
“When would be good?”
“Strike while the iron’s hot—we go tonight.”

***

Their purse was light, so they went to the Money Exchange first to convert their banknotes to silver coin. As befitted Wuhan, the largest commercial city in Hubei Province, the exchange had ample silver.
They bought two horses and a carriage first.
“Now that we’re staying at an inn, couldn’t we buy the horses and carriage slowly?”
Do Pyeong-su spoke, and Geom U-bin answered.
“We never know when the disciples might cause trouble again. It’s better to buy what we need while we have the means.”
It was a roundabout way of saying ‘please, no more incidents,’ and the Hyeolpung Saja had no choice but to bow his head.
Wuhan was not as brilliant as Hangju, but it was a large industrial city. The roads were broad enough that four carriages could pass abreast, and grand buildings stood in abundance.
Geom U-bin secured lodging at the finest inn in Wuhan. It was called the Musang Pavilion, though it also operated as a pleasure house.
While Geom U-bin was arranging the rooms, something erupted between Seo Seok-san and Yeon Geum-hong.
“I’ve seen women fall for scarred faces and hare-lips, but I’ve never seen a woman taken with a balding man.”
At Yeon Geum-hong’s words, Seo Seok-san bristled.
“The charm of a man of refinement transcends all physical appearance—it’s absolute! You stone-hearted girl wouldn’t understand, but any courtesan in any pavilion would fall for me without exception!”
“S-stone-hearted? You bald beast obsessed with this woman!”
Yeon Geum-hong’s momentum surged.
As a hidden weapon appeared in her hand, Seo Seok-san hastily retreated and prepared to fight back.
Geom U-bin’s voice cut through between them.
“I’ve already bought the horses and carriage and paid the lodging fee, so feel free to tear the place apart.”
Though Geom U-bin smiled, it was a smile that meant anything but amusement. Both of them quietly let their aggression fall away.
Geom U-bin, catching sight of Jang Man-dok, spoke.
“That’s right—Jang is the kindest one. Want to spend the evening with me, Jang?”
Jang Man-dok, beaming with a broad smile, nodded enthusiastically. Then Do Pyeong-su spoke with an aggrieved look.
“Those two were the ones about to cause trouble—why are you leaving me out?”
Yeon Geum-hong and Seo Seok-san chimed in.
“We nearly caused trouble, but we didn’t actually cause any.”
“It was just attempted misconduct. Like trying to undress someone but not even managing to lift their skirts.”
Yeon Geum-hong let out an exasperated shout.
“This whole mess happened because you boasted you could strip every courtesan in Wuhan—and now you won’t stop talking about skirts!”
“I don’t care whether I’m undressing a courtesan or a provincial governor—what the hell business is it of yours?”
“If you’re going to spout nonsense, at least bark like a dog so we can’t understand you! A dog with a decent coat of fur is almost cute when it barks!”
Geom U-bin pressed his palms to his temples.
“We’ve been lifelong friends, haven’t we? Anyone watching would think we were enemies.”
Yeon Geum-hong spoke.
“Enemies is right. I’ve bled nine times in my whole life, and three of those times were because of Seok-san.”
“Hmph! Listen to you, gossiping like a busybody! My arms, my back, and a certain delicate region all bear his scars! Ugh…… thinking about it makes my blood boil all over again!”
“Could we perhaps resolve this in a less violent manner?”
Both spoke at once.
“A mad dog needs a stick!”
Do Pyeong-su stepped forward abruptly.
“So why am I being left out?”
A chance to lie in the same bed as Geom U-bin and watch that lovely face sleep peacefully all night. If Geom U-bin were to catch even the moonlight streaming through the window, his heart would swell with tenderness at that beauty.
“Fine. Then we’ll all sleep in the same room.”
The three of them, excluding Jang Man-dok, wore satisfied expressions at the outcome of the negotiation.
No one could bear to see Jang Man-dok lost in solitary bliss.
As they climbed the stairs with the room key in hand, Yeon Geum-hong and Seo Seok-san bickered again.
The largest room at the Musang Pavilion had a common parlor in the center, with bedrooms arranged on either side.
The slightly larger room held three beds, while the other had two. The Bloodwind Four Lions, without anyone’s input, moved two of the beds into the larger room.
Four beds were arranged in a circle around a single bed.
It was an arrangement that satisfied everyone except Geom U-bin.
Weary of further trouble, Geom U-bin let the Bloodwind Four Lions do as they pleased.
“I’ll go tend to the Sagi-ju business.”
Seo Seok-san said to Geom U-bin as he rose.
“I have something to tell you about our sales approach.”
“What is it?”
“In Wuhan, just as in Hangju, we should concentrate the Sagi-ju in a single establishment—one pavilion or inn.”
“Really? Is that necessary?”
“Auctions drive up prices best. We deliver the Sagi-ju exclusively to whoever bids the highest.”
Geom U-bin’s expression darkened.
“In Hangju, that strategy shut down so many pavilions.”
“I understand your generous heart. But this is business, and in business one must choose the method that yields the greatest profit. Good deeds can be done with money earned that way.”
“Since the priests made this wine, we must respect their wishes. I understand.”
It was heartbreaking to watch Geom U-bin leave the room with slumped shoulders, but there was no help for it.
“Why should we spare the feelings of those pavilion operators?”
“The same kind of men who ruined themselves in Hangju will show up here too, won’t they?”
“Bad men exist everywhere. Hehehehe…….”
“It’s only a matter of time before those ruined by Sagi-ju start appearing at our estate.”
Seo Seok-san stood, and Yeon Geum-hong asked him.
“Off to undress courtesans?”
“I’m taking a piss!”
“While you’re at it, don’t look at yours. Your hair might fall out from the sight.”
“Why is she like this today of all days? Ugh! Instead of dealing with an old crone, I ought to enjoy some refinement with younger folk.”
“Do you have money for refinement?”
“A connoisseur of my caliber doesn’t need money.”
“Care to wager on it?”
“A wager?”
“Whether you can really undress a courtesan without spending a single coin.”
“And what will you do if I manage it?”
“Then I’ll call you brother.”
Seo Seok-san sat down at lightning speed.
“You’re serious?”
“I don’t lie about things like this.”
“Hehehehe…… that’s true.”
“And if you fail?”
“Then I’ll have to call you fool!”
Do Pyeong-su and Jang Man-dok watched the two with pleased expressions.
“Why do you two look so delighted?”
Do Pyeong-su said.
“Being a spectator at a quarrel like this—I’ve never felt better. Hehehehe…….”
“I’ll choose the courtesan. If you pick, you’ll definitely end up with someone who’d spread her legs for ten copper coins.”
“No courtesan alive can resist my fatal charm. Start calling me ‘brother’ now. Why don’t you practice? Brother, brother, brother….”
Yeon Geum-hong shoved Seo Seok-san’s smirking face away and stood.
“Well then, shall we go choose a courtesan? Since I’m feeling generous today, I’ll lower my standards a bit for you.”

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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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