Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 90

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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 090

“That’s none of your concern.”
“I don’t want it to be. In another time, I’d have slit the throats of every last one of you for the deception. Be grateful to my senior brother—you owe him your life. I’ve swallowed enough dust over trifling matters.”
The woman spoke as Do Pyeong-su turned to leave.
“But our contract was to escort the Young Mistress to her destination.”
“The contract’s void. Sue if you like.”
Do Pyeong-su muttered, ‘I’ll be caught by the Daoists if I don’t leave soon,’ and threw himself into motion without hesitation.
He had no time to waste on those who’d deceived him.
As the representative of the Dong Ssi Do-ga, Dong Seong-bang could not immediately grasp the Jo Hwang Household’s proposal.
“You’re asking us to overlook the establishment of a Cheolhyeol Faction branch in Hangju?”
Yeo Dong-sul’s answer to Dong Seong-bang’s question was respectful.
“It is a matter of vital importance to our Jo Hwang Household. We would be most grateful for your understanding, and we shall depart Hangju as soon as our objective is achieved.”
The Jo Hwang Household was a merchant family, and the Dong Ssi Do-ga was a martial force, yet they were not without points of contact.
The money and martial power each possessed had bound the two families in a long-standing cooperative relationship.
But allowing the Cheolhyeol Faction to establish a branch in Hangju was difficult to accept, regardless of the Jo Hwang Household’s entreaty.
They were no Orthodox Faction, nor were they a martial school weak enough for the Dong Ssi Do-ga to dismiss out of hand.
Even with a time limit set, it would remain a thorn in the side—impossible to tolerate.
“That cannot be done. We cannot stand idle while the Cheolhyeol Faction establishes itself in Hangju.”
“Of course, I understand the position of the Dong Ssi Do-ga. But this matter is far too important to our Jo Hwang Household.”
“What matter could be so important?”
Yeo Dong-sul lowered his voice.
“Oseong Jang-won.”
There was not a soul in Hangju who did not know the relationship between Oseong Jang-won and the Jo Hwang Household was troubled.
“What do you intend to do about Oseong Jang-won?”
“To be frank, isn’t Oseong Jang-won something of a thorn in the side for the Dong Ssi Do-ga as well?”
“The Dong Ssi Do-ga has no conflicting interests with Oseong Jang-won.”
It was not a lie, yet Yeo Dong-sul’s words held truth as well. From the perspective of the Dong Ssi Do-ga as an established local power, Oseong Jang-won was a rolling stone that had come from elsewhere.
That rolling stone was gaining more influence in Hangju than the Dong Ssi Do-ga itself—it could hardly be viewed favorably.
Yet the Dong Ssi Do-ga could not use force to drive Oseong Jang-won out, so they simply watched—indifferent as a dog watching chickens, a chicken watching cattle.
“Our Jo Hwang Household would use the Cheolhyeol Faction to eliminate Oseong Jang-won for you. And this is…….”
Yeo Dong-sul produced an envelope from his robe and set it on the table.
“Something the Family Head has desired for the past five years, or so I’ve heard.”
Inside the envelope was an Iron Mine Development Rights Certificate for the mines of Yeo-hang County, which bordered Hangju.
The quantity of iron deposits was still unknown, but if substantial, it would bring enormous profit to the Dong Ssi Do-ga.
This was no small expenditure for the Jo Hwang Household.
“I had not realized your house took such keen interest in Oseong Jang-won.”
“The Jo Hwang Household repays what it receives many times over—whether that debt be favor or enmity.”
With this iron mine development right, overlooking a branch of the Cheolhyeol Faction was manageable. It was not a headquarters—a branch could be dismantled at any time.
And the Cheolhyeol Faction, cautious as rabbits, would not run rampant within the Dong Ssi Do-ga’s sphere of influence.
‘To have Oseong Jang-won disposed of as well—there’s nothing for me to lose here.’
Dong Seong-bang spoke once his calculation was complete.
“I wish your house every success in this endeavor.”
With those words, he took the envelope—the deal was sealed.
“We are grateful for your generosity.”
As Yeo Dong-sul left the Dong Ssi Do-ga, his expression had grown rigid. He carried out Hwang Jo-gil’s errand, yet by any measure, this was a terrible bargain.
The iron mines ceded to the Dong Ssi Do-ga could be worth millions of silver taels, depending on circumstances.
To exchange that for merely one branch of the Cheolhyeol Faction made no sense.
‘If I just gave the Cheolhyeol Faction plenty of silver and ordered them to sweep Oseong Jang-won away, it would be simple.’
The elite martial artists Yeo Dong-sul could gather on his own would be sufficient without the Cheolhyeol Faction at all.
Upon returning to the Jo Hwang Household, Yeo Dong-sul informed Hwang Jo-gil that Dong Seong-bang had accepted the terms.
“Why do you wear such a sour face?”
“The transaction was far too costly.”
“It would appear so.”
“If you would grant me just ten thousand taels, I could gather elite masters sufficient to sweep Oseong Jang-won away.”
“Is that so? Then I shall give you ten thousand taels.”
“What?”
“But don’t use it now. Use it later.”
“Later, you mean…?”
“You’re clever enough, but you don’t understand the greed of ordinary people—especially Murim martial artists. Do you really think the Cheolhyeol Faction will settle for destroying just Oseong Jang-won and leave Hangju peacefully?”
“If they don’t leave, wouldn’t that cause a clash with the Dong Ssi Do-ga?”
“Of course it will. And if it doesn’t happen naturally, I’ll make it happen.”
“You’re saying you’ll establish a branch of the Cheolhyeol Faction in Hangju under the pretext of Oseong Jang-won, and then make the Dong Ssi Do-ga and the Cheolhyeol Faction fight each other?”
“Murim martial artists are the type who go mad without conflict—they can’t endure a moment’s peace. All I need to do is scratch the Cheolhyeol Faction’s itch a little. They’ve tasted profit now; they’re not the sort to abandon Hangju.”
“So that’s why you poured so much money into the Cheolhyeol Faction?”
“There’s some immediate bleeding, but it’ll come back multiplied many times over. Once the Dong Ssi Do-ga and the Cheolhyeol Faction destroy each other, Zhejiang Province becomes an unoccupied territory. I don’t like ruling half of anything. If I take it, I take all of it.”
In Hwang Jo-gil’s calculations, Oseong Jang-won had already vanished, absorbed into the Cheolhyeol Faction.

***

Few Murim martial artists knew where Ma-o-ryang lived—no more than five—and four of them were the Bloodwind Four Lions.
Yeon Geum-hong and Eun Bi-yeon entered Ma-o-ryang’s estate, which sprawled across five buildings.
“A thief living this well? The Murim’s realization of justice is far off, very far off indeed. Tsk, tsk, tsk….”
Eun Bi-yeon asked the tongue-clicking Yeon Geum-hong a question.
“To own a mansion this large, Ma-o-ryang must have some official occupation on the surface, no?”
“Antiques dealer. Steals rare pieces without suspicion. The boy’s clever with his head, I’ll grant him that.”
As they stepped inside, O Bae-sik, a gaunt middle-aged steward, came rushing out.
“This is no place for outsiders to enter! Leave at once!”
The one who left was O Bae-sik. He was thrown over the courtyard wall. The thugs he’d brought along soon followed suit.
“I… I see you’ve come to meet the Shadow Returning Guide.”
Trembling on his knees, O Bae-sik quivered at the mere mention of the Shadow Returning Guide.
‘What kind of reputation does this Do Pyeong-su have out there?’
It was much like the reputation Yeon Geum-hong carried.
“Where did that bastard go?”
“Who, ma’am?”
“Do Pyeong—I mean, the Shadow Returning Guide.”
“The Shadow Returning Guide, sir, went to the Man-tong Society, as far as I know.”
O Bae-sik couldn’t bring himself to lie and told her everything he knew.
“How long is that bastard going to take on some errand?”
If they went chasing after him to the Man-tong Society and got lost along the way, their meeting would be delayed even further.
“Do you know when Shintu will arrive?”
“The master’s schedule is always uncertain.”
“Figures, for a thief. All right. I’ll wait here until the Shadow Returning Guide returns. Clean out two rooms for us.”
No one dared defy an order from someone who spoke of the Shadow Returning Guide that way.
Yeon Geum-hong’s days were not so different from her time at Oseong Jang-won, but from morning until she lay in bed at night, it was nothing but tedium.
“It’s because he’s not here. I miss him.”
Eun Bi-yeon gave Yeon Geum-hong a pointed remark.
“The way you talk, anyone listening would think you had a son.”
“A senior brother’s worth ten sons. Hehehehe….”
Yeon Geum-hong told Eun Bi-yeon every detail of everything that had happened during her time with Geom U-bin.
“Even now, thinking of that treasure box he carried brings tears to my eyes. How could he have such a gentle heart?”
“It reminds me of when I had feelings for him.”
“What? You’re comparing that brute to your senior brother?”
“In a manner of speaking, yes. But can his personality really be fixed once his martial arts improve?”
Yeon Geum-hong heaved a long sigh.
“It’s a path I’ve never walked before. How can I be certain? I can only trust and move forward.”
Playing with Eun Bi-yeon was fine for a day or two, but the boredom became unbearable. To distract herself, Yeon Geum-hong wandered through Ma-o-ryang’s estate and discovered something intriguing.
“Ah, now this is interesting.”
Thump, thump!
The length of the wall and the room at the end of the corridor didn’t match. When she investigated, she found that the space behind the room’s wall was hollow—a secret passage of sorts, but there was no visible mechanism to open it.
Yeon Geum-hong channeled her Martial Force into her fists, then relaxed them immediately.
“Perfect timing for being bored. Let’s see if I can open it the hard way.”
Half a moment passed.
Bang!
The wall crumbled downward, revealing the empty space.
“Hard way? Nonsense. The easy way is always best.”
Beyond the scattered stones, a staircase descended into the depths below.
“A thief’s secret warehouse.”
As she stepped down, a dryness unexpected in a basement enveloped her. The ceiling of the roughly thirty-pyeong underground chamber glowed with the soft white radiance of a Night-Bright Pearl.
“If I just sold that alone, how much would it fetch?”
Having suffered through troubles over money, she found her thoughts turning inevitably toward it—yet her sense for its value remained dull.
True to its reputation as the greatest thief’s secret warehouse in Zhongyuan, miscellaneous treasures crowded every wall.
From golden oxen to jewels of every kind, antiquities and paintings made her head spin.
“Why covet things you cannot eat and are too cumbersome to use as weapons?”
However many treasures lay before her, none stirred her desire. For Yeon Geum-hong, a brief respite from idleness was treasure enough.
As she turned to leave, a blue box the size of three cun on each side caught her eye.
“Hmm? Isn’t that Pi Han Stone?”
It was indeed. Pi Han Stone protects a man’s vital essence and shields against cold—a stone of considerable value.
To find a box made of such stone at precisely the right moment was fortunate.
“If I put the Ice Crystal in there, that should do nicely.”
Pi Han Stone of that grade could not fully withstand the Ice Crystal’s cold, but it would help in transport.
Yeon Geum-hong climbed the stairs and opened the box’s lid. Inside lay something irregular—not diamond or amber, but something else entirely.
“What is this?”
Had it not been as hard as metal, she would have taken it for compacted unrefined salt.
Yeon Geum-hong tucked the box carelessly into her pocket. And when boredom began to settle in again, Do Pyeong-su finally arrived.
“Why are you so late? A snail could’ve beaten you here.”
“I went to Shanxi Province, then made a detour through Gansu Province on the way back.”
“What was the job?”
“That little girl you transported as far as Shanxi Province—remember?”
“Kang Ji-an?”
“That’s the one. I was supposed to take her all the way to Gansu, but it turned out she deceived me.”
Do Pyeong-su spotted Eun Bi-yeon, who had appeared belatedly, and offered a greeting that was barely a greeting at all. “Oh, Grandma’s here too?”
“Did you just call me Grandma?”
“By age or appearance, you fit the part.”
“And you’re a monster who can’t even manage to grow old and die!”
“Enough! Let’s get back to the job!”
“Nothing special. Turns out that little girl was actually the young mistress of Ihwa Palace.”
“She was female?”
“I was fooled at first too. In the forest when she was… relieving herself…”
Eun Bi-yeon let out a sharp cry.
“You peeped? You pervert!”
“Peeped nothing! I heard it with my own ears!”
“How could you tell by sound alone?”
Do Pyeong-su rose from his chair, approached the wall, and made a show of squatting to urinate. Then he settled into a crouch.
“The sound of the stream is different.”
“Pervert!”
“You two are driving me mad! Focus!”
“What’s there to focus on? Those girls deceived us, so I dumped them about ten li away and came back.”
“Why would the Mudang Faction want to capture the young mistress of Ihwa Palace?”
“How should I know? Those Daoist monks swarmed after me like flies—I nearly killed them in frustration.”
“Nearly. So you didn’t. And the Mudang Faction could keep pace with you?”
“They were stationed at every pass along the route.”
“How did they know your path?”
Someone must have informed them. Could have been those Ihwa Palace women.”
“Why would they?”
“Who knows. It’s already done—why tax my head over it?”
But Yeon Geum-hong was thinking, and soon she grasped the truth.
“They meant to make us and the Mudang Faction enemies. If you’d killed those Daoist monks, we’d have been caught in their trap.”
“Wait, that makes sense. They dared to use the Bloodwind Four Lions as tools? Those Ihwa Palace wretches—”
“It’s done. They probably didn’t even know we were the Bloodwind Four Lions. And now we have more pressing concerns.”

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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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