Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 58

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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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#Episode 058

Gwak Bong glanced back over her shoulder, her face threatening to crumble into tears. But Se-hwa was nowhere to be seen—only four dogs trotting obediently in her wake.
“I’ve already chosen someone to oversee the work. You just need to make sure nothing goes wrong at the pavilion.”
Se-hwa stayed behind at Oseong Jang-won, sending Gwak Bong and the four dogs to the construction site alone.
When funds ran tight, Se-hwa had personally managed and supervised the work. But now, with fifty thousand silver coins in hand, there was no need for her to appear on-site.
More than anything, it was better to leave such matters to someone with expertise.
Of course, the real reason behind her decision had nothing to do with spare money—it was Yeon Geum-hong.
The three instructors each kept themselves occupied teaching the Gang Seo Samak disciples, but during those hours, Yeon Geum-hong sat alone, wrestling with loneliness.
Even Sajo couldn’t spend every moment attending to Yeon Geum-hong.
That was Se-hwa’s concern, and it was why she’d decided to remain at Oseong Jang-won.
“You’re really sure you don’t need to go?”
“An expert would be better than me.”
“What if those troublemakers come back?”
“That’s why I sent those four adorable ones along.”
……
Yeon Geum-hong shook her head slowly as she spoke.
“You don’t trust Gwak Bong at all, do you?”
“Would you trust her if you were me?”
Yeon Geum-hong paused, considering, then turned toward the door.
“Let’s go to the Training Hall. Your cultivation practice has fallen behind—be prepared.”
“Yes! I’ll work hard!”
A smile played at the corners of Yeon Geum-hong’s mouth as she read Se-hwa’s heart.
She’d walked a path of blood her entire life, and this warmth was unfamiliar to her. Yet it came to her as something pleasant.
‘Since meeting him, I’ve experienced so many things.’
Geom U-bin was like a gift that Hwa Jeok-san had left them upon his death.
True to her word, Yeon Geum-hong put Se-hwa through a grueling cultivation regimen. Cutting corners might ease the body in the moment, but it wouldn’t help Se-hwa in the long run.
If Se-hwa had neglected her cultivation practice, she could easily have died at Oseong Pavilion.
There was no guarantee such trials wouldn’t come again, so the stronger her martial arts, the better.
For someone who’d come to martial arts so late, Se-hwa’s progress had been remarkable.
Of course, no small amount of that success came from the Healing Pills she’d been fed along the way. There were so many pills originally prepared for Geom U-bin that Yeon Geum-hong had distributed a considerable portion to Hang Ju-sa-ung.
Se-hwa’s Divine Technique had become quite refined, and her Lightness Skill was so swift that even masters of her level would have difficulty keeping pace. Most importantly, her Hidden Projectile Technique had reached a level where even first-rate masters couldn’t afford to let their guard down.
Even accounting for lowered expectations, Yeon Geum-hong wouldn’t be satisfied with merely that standard.
She’d started late, but she was still young. In time, Yeon Geum-hong believed, Se-hwa could reach the realm of the Gang Seo Samak.
The person who trained latest into the night at Oseong Jang-won was Geom U-bin. It had always been that way, but now, with her study of the Jincheon Leigak, those sessions stretched even longer.
Thump!
When Geom U-bin’s right foot struck the ground, Gong Seong-tak flinched. It had been barely four days since she’d formally begun learning the Jincheon Leigak.
Yet her deployment of internal energy and technique forms was flawless.
‘I thought it would take at least five years given her cultivation time, but it could be much shorter than that.’
Since Geom U-bin had already grasped the essence of martial arts, learning the Jincheon Leigak could only come quickly.
As Geom U-bin exhaled deeply and released the tension in her body, Gong Seong-tak began to applaud.
“Magnificent! Truly magnificent! I never expected you to learn so swiftly!”
When a master teaches a disciple, even excellent work is usually met with measured praise. But Gong Seong-tak was offering something far beyond simple compliment—sheer admiration.
“The Jincheon Leigak is rather enjoyable, actually.”
“Enjoyable?”
“Yes. It’s fast, and powerful, and there’s a certain pleasure in overwhelming an opponent.”
“Is that so? For me, it was the opposite. Martial arts was…… nothing but pain.”
That Gong Seong-tak had mastered eight forms of the Jincheon Leigak was a testament to how deep his resentment ran.
“That’s enough for today. The blacksmith construction is progressing well?”
“Of course. In another month, we’ll have a fine smithy. Hehehehe!”
“Aren’t you going into the city to recruit disciples?”
The original plan was that once Geom U-bin had learned the technique, they would take on suitable disciples should the opportunity arise.
“Wait! Did we put out the forge fire while working on the blacksmith? My mind’s been scattered lately.”
Gong Seong-tak hurried away before Geom U-bin could press further on the subject of disciples.
A mountain of gold gleamed before his eyes—he wasn’t about to waste time chasing after iron. If he just bided his time and let Geom U-bin grasp the essence of the Jincheon Leigak, his obligation would be fulfilled.
Finding the next sect leader of Jincheon Ilinfoon would naturally fall to Geom U-bin’s shoulders.
Geom U-bin watched Gong Seong-tak’s retreating figure and let out a soft sigh.
Even though he could only see the back of his head, it felt as though Gong Seong-tak was smiling.

***

Yeon Geum-hong was organizing her martial technique forms.
In truth, for one who had already reached the absolute realm, cultivation held little meaning. To become as strong as Hwa Jeok-san, she needed not practice but enlightenment.
Of course, there was no need to grow stronger than she already was.
Even the Sect Leader of the Gudaemun Faction looked up to Yeon Geum-hong. Getting any stronger than this would amount to nothing more than self-indulgence.
Yeon Geum-hong was organizing her martial arts precisely for Geom U-bin’s sake.
Still, as she worked through it, she realized this process itself proved quite helpful. Until now, she had simply used these techniques naturally, but by thinking through them carefully, she discovered new interpretations of their weaknesses and strengths.
“Master.”
Se-hwa called cautiously from outside the room.
“Come in.”
Se-hwa’s face, flushed from having just finished her training, showed the warmth of exertion as she entered.
“What is it?”
Se-hwa sat down across from Yeon Geum-hong with quick eagerness and asked her question.
“I heard something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“Is it true that your standings as masters are being determined by the order in which you sell Saegiuju?”
That promise, now meaningless, had long ago been forgotten.
“It was. But since all four wines sell out as fast as we make them, we need some way to determine who ranks highest.”
“Is there no rule beyond the sales volume?”
“Why do you ask?”
“If sales volume is the absolute standard, there’s a simple way to win, isn’t there?”
“How so?”
“Just make more. If the other masters make a hundred jars, you just make a hundred and ten and sell those—you’d win, wouldn’t you?”
In that instant, a light blazed in Yeon Geum-hong’s mind.
It was indeed a simple solution. They had never set any rule forbidding the production of more wine.
“How have I not thought of this until now?”
She could understand why the three fools hadn’t conceived of it, but she should have thought of it long ago.
“I’ve spent too long around those idiots—I’ve fallen to their level. I’ll need a new brewery.”
Since all the Saegiuju was made in one place, it would be impossible to make wine there without the three fools noticing.
“What about the room next to mine? It faces north so the sunlight doesn’t reach it, and the ventilation is excellent.”
“How large?”
“It’s a bit cramped, but we could make ten more jars there. And since there’s a blacksmith who knows how to build, we could have him convert it into a brewery if you just add a little extra coin.”
Yeon Geum-hong smiled with genuine delight.
“I really did take on one good disciple, didn’t I.”

***

Gong Seong-tak worked at the blacksmith construction site like one of the laborers, putting his full effort into it.
Thud! Thud!
With each swing of the great hammer driving in the posts, the muscles of Gong Seong-tak’s bare chest rippled as though alive.
Yeon Geum-hong watched the construction site from afar, perched on a rooftop.
In truth, she was watching Se-hwa, who was negotiating with the construction workers.
“What are you doing here?”
At Seo Seok-san’s voice, Yeon Geum-hong started and turned her head.
“Can’t you tell by looking?”
Seo Seok-san, following Yeon Geum-hong’s gaze to the construction site, tilted his head in confusion.
“I’m not sure what I’m looking at.”
“It’s quite a magnificent sight.”
Do Pyeong-su and Jang Man-dok, having spotted the two of them, joined them on the roof.
“A blacksmith being built is magnificent?”
“If that’s magnificent, we ought to head over to the Oseong Pavilion construction site instead.”
Yeon Geum-hong clicked her tongue with exasperation.
“Not the construction—the person doing the constructing. Especially, take a look at the man driving in those posts.”
Despite the distance, their keen eyes could see Gong Seong-tak, half-bare, with perfect clarity.
“What is the leader of Jincheon Ilinfoon supposed to be?”
“Can’t you see it? Can’t you feel it?”
Yeon Geum-hong’s gaze had fastened relentlessly on one thing: the bellies of all three men. Each of them bore the telltale bulge of middle age gone soft.
“It’s not as though we’ve neglected our External Martial Arts, and all Internal Energy masters look like this!”
“You can console yourselves however you like. Sigh! I was just admiring a proper physique, and now I’ve wasted my eyes on you lot.”
“If we put our minds to it, we could achieve a body like that in a mere fortnight!”
“Is that so? Then why don’t you apply yourselves earnestly to training for those two weeks and see what happens.”
Seo Seok-san asked as Yeon Geum-hong rose to her feet.
“Why are you picking a fight this early in the morning?”
“Hehehehe! A fight? No, no. I’m just taking pity on you three, that’s all. Hehehehe!”
With that laughter, Yeon Geum-hong vanished from the rooftop. Do Pyeong-su grumbled.
“Why does she get to comment on our bodies? Ridiculous.”
“No, there’s something there. That look in her eye just now, that laugh—I’ve seen it before.”
At Seo Seok-san’s words, Do Pyeong-su and Jang Man-dok’s eyes glimmered with curiosity.
“When? Where?”
“Fifty years ago, when she perfected the Yeogeum Wine. Remember?”
Most would say that recalling events from fifty years past suggests an unnaturally keen mind, yet both men nodded without the slightest hesitation.
“Of course we remember. She was cackling about how she alone might even become our master’s disciple. Though in the end, she was just grasping at air.”
“That eye and that laugh—they were exactly the same. The look and expression of someone who believed she could crush us beneath her feet.”
Do Pyeong-su nodded in agreement.
“Now that you mention it, it does seem similar. Ah! She had that same look in her eye when she performed the Banno Hwandong, looking down at us like that!”
“It’s the expression she wears when she thinks herself superior to us. But what occasion for that could there be now?”
The wager over wine sales that had settled their hierarchy was already resolved, so it wouldn’t be that. Yet nothing else came to mind.
But fear of the unknown has always run deeper than fear of the known.
The three quickly summoned the Gang Seo Samak.
“From today on, outside of training hours, I want you watching Geum-hong. All the time.”
“Pardon? You mean Master Yeon?”
“That’s right. Find out everything you can. Her bowel movements too.”
The faces of the Gang Seo Samak drained of color.
“Sir, sir—do you wish us dead? If we’ve done something wrong, please tell us. We’ll correct it at once.”
“How could we—we mere disciples—ever surveil Master Yeon? We’ll be caught before even a quarter hour passes.”
Not even two breaths. They’d be discovered before taking two breaths.
“That’s why you do it naturally. We all live under the same roof. You’ll need to act.”
The Gang Seo Samak could not bring themselves to refuse.
Seizing the Gudaemun Faction’s sect leader by his stones would have seemed an easier task.
With three masters commanding it, they had no choice but to attempt the surveillance.
They stole glances as they passed by, drew out their greetings a touch longer, and occasionally followed at her heels.
And inevitably, the consequences arrived.
“Aaah!”
Gal Ma-pyeong was dragged away by Yeon Geum-hong, who had seized him by the ear.
Soon after, Go Seo-bang’s ear was caught, and not long thereafter, O Tong-su found himself kneeling before Yeon Geum-hong as well.
“Why are you three watching me?”
“W-we weren’t! Surely not, Master Yeon! We would never do such a thing!”
“Then I must have made a mistake. My Investigative Eye has never failed me.”
The very mention of the Bloodwind Four Lions’ epithet froze the Gang Seo Samak solid. None of them possessed the nerve to lie beneath that gaze.
“We’re sorry, we’re sorry. The three masters ordered us to, and we—”
Kneeling, they couldn’t hold out even a quarter hour’s worth of time.
“Three fools told you to watch me? For what?”
“We don’t know that either, sir.”
“They gave no specific reason for what to look for?”
“They told us to find out even the color of your, ah, your stool. Perhaps they were concerned about your digestion?”
Only O Tong-su received a blow to the back of his head for that remark.
“It’s not your fault. You’re just following orders. The blame lies with those three blockheaded masters. Go on, be off with you.”
“Sir? You’re… just going to forgive us?”
“Would you prefer I break one of your legs instead?”
“No! Thank you, thank you!”
The Gang Seo Samak fled from Yeon Geum-hong’s presence as though their lives depended on it. As she watched their retreating figures, a smile played at the corners of her mouth.
“Ordering them to watch without any specific goal—they haven’t the faintest notion about the wine. Well, those fools would never have caught on anyway. Hehehehe!”

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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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