****
Hongmaeru.
As could be known from Hong (Red), this place was a Hong-ru (Red Pavilion/Brothel).
“Is it here?”
Cheon Muryang arrived at this place.
Cheon Muryang, who arrived in front of that door, the promised place, sensed a subtle spirit felt from inside.
“He must already know, that it isn't those bastards.”
It was at that moment.
A slash flying through the threshold rushed toward Cheon Muryang.
“Right. You should have come out like this earlier.”
If it were the Cheon Muryang of the past, it was a slash he could never have received.
However, Cheon Muryang had changed.
Compared to that near-infinite sky, this slash was merely a single streak of wind.
Ka-a-ang!
Cheon-gwang struck that slash.
The slash that lost its direction struck the innocent ceiling and disappeared.
Hoo-du-duk.
Falling dust.
However, Cheon Muryang stared with cold eyes at the man sitting inside the room.
“Who are you bastard?”
“Kkeul-kkeul-kkeul. This, this, unexpectedly I came to face the Eldest Gongja of the Cheon Family.”
He was not a person of the Cheon Family.
That made Cheon Muryang even more furious.
“I asked who you are.”
“There won't be anything good in knowing. If you came to Hongmaeru, play as you originally played. Ah, do you need money?”
He threw a pouch containing money in front of Cheon Muryang’s feet with a pleased look.
Tuk.
Looking at it at a glance, it looked heavy, so it was never a small amount.
“Well, if it is insufficient, I have the intention to give more.”
Although he was wearing a relaxed smile, he knew that Cheon Muryang had struck away the slash he threw.
So, unlike the smile.
His hand was placed on the sword.
“Funny.”
It was the lowest level of So-ri-jang-do (Dagger Hidden Behind a Smile).
If it were the Cheon Muryang of the past, he would have said ‘Good!’ and taken the money.
“If you intended to conciliate me…… you should have prepared at least one hundred gwan of gold.”
Isn't it absurd?
Cheon Muryang kicked the money pouch that fell in front of his feet just like that.
Hoo-du-du-duk.
Coins falling in the air.
Seeing this, the relaxed smile he wore was slowly erased.
“If you dare refuse the toast and drink the penalty wine…….”
“Retard.”
“What?”
Cheon Muryang ridiculed that idiot who still thought he held the initiative.
“The sword has already been swung.”
Pu-seu-seu.
Only then realizing something was wrong, he assumed a defensive posture, but it was already late.
“Your eyes are too high. If you faced the Eldest Gongja of the Cheon Family, kneel.”
At that moment.
The ceiling collapsed.
“……!”
Although he reacted belatedly, he could not block all the already falling fragments.
“Chet!”
Therefore, he had no choice but to rush toward Cheon Muryang in front.
“If you won't kneel.”
Hoo-ung!
Cheon-gwang resonated.
Cheon-gwang advancing forward along with it.
“……!”
Since the sky was sometimes like a wall.
He had nowhere to advance.
“I will make you kneel.”
Cheon Muryang, who deflected his sword that lost its place just like that, kicked his abdomen hard.
“Heup!”
He, who was bounced backward with a terminal scream, could not believe this situation.
‘Strong……!’
He was never below himself.
He had no confidence to pierce the wall he faced in an instant.
‘Why does the Eldest Gongja known as that mangnani possess such high-level martial arts?’
He had to maintain composure, but he couldn't.
So, he, who failed to realize that Cheon Muryang’s breathing was disturbed, stood unable to do this or that.
‘Now is the opportunity.’
One breath.
It was the grace period left for Cheon Muryang.
Cheon-gwang soared above the sky.
It was a sword of Dan-cheon (Severing Sky) that would cut even the sky.
Cheon Muryang, who caught his breath, thrust Cheon-gwang just like that.
“W, wait!”
“Bullshit.”
Seo-geok!
Cheon-gwang cut from his shoulder to his flank and advanced.
“I, if you kill me…… a, any information!”
“Shut up.”
Using the centrifugal force of retrieving the sword, he struck his neck just like that.
Cheon Muryang stood blankly while being hit by blood.
“Because there is nothing to hear from you bastard.”
Ttuk.
Ttuk-ttuk.
Blood flowing from the sword tip of Cheon-gwang fell to the floor.
Cheon Muryang, who shook off the blood and retrieved Cheon-gwang, said indirectly.
“Please come out.”
“…….”
Geum-san revealed himself.
Cheon Muryang had already perceived the eyes tailing him.
“That you killed them…… means it is irreversible.”
“They were guys to be killed anyway. Since they were leech-like guys sucking the blood of the weak, there is no reason to keep them alive.”
Geum-san stared alternately at the dead person’s corpse and Cheon Muryang.
“You must have seen my decision, right? Now you must tell me everything you know.”
“……Eldest Gongja-nim.”
“Speak.”
“The family might be divided in two. Even so, must you hear it? Sometimes ignorance is medicine.”
“Wouldn't it be better than the family perishing?”
“If you say so…… anyway, since I am a dead life, I will tell the Eldest Gongja.”
Geum-san nodded his head.
What would he hide?
Perhaps the reason he couldn't leave Zhejiang even while enduring this humiliation might be for this moment.
“I must tell you the reason I left Cheon-geum-gak first.”
“…….”
“At the time, I was on a mission to track the flow of whether the executed funds were used correctly. However, that flow was cut off at a certain moment.”
“Cut off?”
“Yes. Although it was a tremendous amount of funds, it was so cunning that from a certain moment, the flow itself had disappeared altogether.”
“Disappeared?”
“Yes. It means those funds themselves were transformed into funds that did not exist from the beginning.”
Therefore, Geum-san, who discovered this, intended to report to the upper level.
However, Geum-san could not bear to put it into action.
“However. I was not the first to discover such a fact.”
“…….”
“When I grasped this fact, there was already a person who reported to the upper level.”
His face became distorted.
Cheon Muryang could anticipate the words that would follow.
“Not long after…… he, who reported the corruption of the family, rather became the person who committed corruption and disappeared without a rumor.”
“Mm…….”
“I was afraid. So, I intended to cover it up.”
Like that, Geum-san left Cheon-geum-gak.
Was it guilt?
Geum-san lived drowning in alcohol every day.
He squandered all the assets he gathered, and even touched usury.
“Even so, the reason I couldn't die and couldn't leave Zhejiang…… was because I wanted to soothe the vengeful spirit of that child who died futilely.”
He wanted to resolve the injustice.
Extraordinary affection was felt.
So, he asked.
“What is his name?”
“Geum-gang, my younger brother.”
“…….”
“Eldest Gongja-nim, I beg of you.”
Geum-san bowed his head.
He took out one old paper from his bosom.
It was stained black with handprints as if he had looked at it so much.
“This is……?”
“It is a document I smuggled out fearing all evidence would disappear.”
“Ah-ah.”
It was the weapon Cheon Muryang needed most.
Cheon Muryang put this evidence, which he must have wanted to throw away dozens, hundreds of times, into his bosom.
“Please…… resolve my brother’s injustice.”
“Do not worry. Because I will oust everyone related to this matter.”
Cheon Muryang picked up the money that fell on the floor and gave half of it to Geum-san.
“Please give the rest to the owner of this pavilion.”
“Yes, Gongja-nim.”
Cheon Muryang took the head of the dead person here in a nearby cloth wrapper.
“Ah, come to think of it, since I came out to buy clothes. Could you get clothes that fit me?”
“M, me?”
“Yes. You have to work again, right?”
“……!”
Cheon Muryang left Hongmaeru.
Before he knew it, the sun had set and the streets of Hangzhou became dark.
“A wind of blood will blow.”
<><><>
Cheon Muryang returned to the family.
And immediately, he went to Cheon-geum-gak.
The person guarding that place recognized Cheon Muryang and bowed his head.
“I greet the Eldest Gongja.”
“Where is the Cheon-geum-gak-ju (Lord of Heavenly Gold Pavilion)?”
“He is inside.”
“Put in a notice, that the Eldest Gongja of the Cheon Family wants to see the Pavilion Lord.”
“Yes. Please go in.”
“No. I will not go in. Tell him to come here directly.”
“……!”
Looking at him with a bewildered expression, Cheon Muryang said coldly.
“I must have told you to put in a notice.”
“T, that is…….”
It was then.
The door of Cheon-geum-gak opened.
From there, Cheon-geum-gak-ju, Cheon Bang walked out with several people.
“Why is the Eldest Gongja persecuting the gatekeeper? Instead of coming in directly.”
“Ah-ah, Cheon-geum-gak-ju-nim. It has been a while. It is very good to see that your complexion is good.”
“It is undeserved praise. How could I follow the Eldest Gongja’s physique?”
“Since you are a very busy person with public and private matters, I will speak only the business straightforwardly.”
Cheon Muryang threw the cloth wrapper he was holding in his hand to Cheon-geum-gak-ju.
While flying, the wrapper unraveled.
“Heok!”
What was contained inside was a severed neck.
Cheon Bang spoke sharply with a straight face.
“What are you doing now? Are you…… committing a mangnani act again unable to endure that short while?”
“That can't be. That bastard is a bastard who dared to do usury selling the name of the Cheon Family.”
“U, usury!”
“…….”
Because Cheon Muryang’s voice was so loud, people inside Cheon-geum-gak also flocked in a crowd.
So, they had no choice but to react to the remark of usury.
“Did you say usury now?”
“Yes. Although I do not know if this bastard is the ringleader or a bastard playing tricks in the middle.”
“By the way, why did you come to Cheon-geum-gak and not the Inspection Corp?”
“Because this bastard said meaningful words before dying.”
“W, what does that mean!”
He threw a sneer toward Cheon Bang who was startled.
“Why are you so surprised? If someone sees, they would think you are this bastard’s mastermind?”
“Eldest Gongja!”
At that moment.
Cheon Muryang’s spirit changed suddenly.
It was a heavy spirit completely contrary to the playful smile.
“Heok!”
“I came as a warning. Because it seems there are rats digging into and eating the family’s storehouse.”
Cheon-geum-gak-ju, Cheon Bang kept a straight face.
“W, what are you saying now!”
“Deung-ha-bul-myeong (It is dark under the lamp). There is nothing bad in being careful.”
It is dark under the lamp.
At those words, Cheon Bang felt something eerie somewhere and had no choice but to nod his head.
“T, that is right. There is nothing bad in being careful. Regarding this matter, the entire Cheon-geum-gak will dig into it.”
“Then it is fortunate. Since I conveyed all my business, I will get going now.”
“Go safely, Eldest Gongja.”
“I will see you again soon.”
Leaving meaningful words, Cheon Muryang left Cheon-geum-gak.
“…….”
Cheon Bang felt reluctance.
‘When did the Eldest Gongja become so…… threatening a figure?’
He became anxious.
So, Cheon-geum-gak-ju headed somewhere secretly.
“…….”
He seemed not to know that Cheon Muryang was following secretly behind him.
‘This is the way to the Council of Elders (Jang-ro-won).’
Cheon Muryang could not follow up to the area where security became strict.
‘Was the Council of Elders behind Cheon-geum-gak-ju?’
That was sufficient.
Since he threw the bait, isn't it clear they will move in some way?
“I must see Uncle.”
Cheon Seon-hak would be at the training hall.
Naturally, Cheon Muryang also headed to the training hall.
Hoo-ung!
Recently, trainees immersing in training until late hours increased.
Also, those greeting Cheon Muryang first also increased.
“Ah-ah.”
At least those immersed in training until late hours were those who acknowledged Cheon Muryang.
Cheon Seon-hak, who heard long ago the fact that Cheon Muryang came out of the Cheonryong Library, laughed seeing Cheon Muryang who appeared only now.
“Heul-heul-heul. You asked for just two days, but it took ten days.”
“I greet Uncle.”
“Right, what did you see in the Cheonryong Library?”
“Infinite sky. There was a sky.”
Cheon Seon-hak’s smile deepened.
He became curious about what that sky was.
“Show me somewhere.”
“Yes.”
The two people suddenly lifted swords.
Hoo-ung!
Two skies that could not overlap unfolded in one training hall.