****
“You bastards! If it weren’t for the leader, I’d smash your damn heads in.”
Cheol U’s face flushed red and purple as he downed his liquor.
“Enough. They said before that it was too small to fetch three hundred taels of gold anyway. We needed the right buyer just to have a shot at it.”
Sima Geon soothed him, satisfied that they had obtained the empty clear stone milk regardless of the price.
“Anyway, sorry about that. It was our money.”
“What’re you talking about? When it comes to saving the little one’s life, whose money is it? I’m just pissed at those bastards trying to jack up the price when they knew damn well what was going on.”
Even after extracting promises of secrecy, Hwang Jeong had leaked the information, and the Water Dragon Merchant Association had sniffed out their desperate need for the empty clear stone milk to treat Sima Jin. Cheol U had ended up handing over not just the night-luminescent pearl but most of the gold ingots he had on him as well. He couldn’t calm his rage.
“Should I go grab it back right now?”
Unable to contain his frustration, Cheol U let out a ferocious killing intent. Sima Geon furrowed his brow.
“What nonsense is that? You want to stain the precious medicine that’ll save the little one with blood?”
“Yeah, when you put it that way... Sorry, leader.”
Cheol U waved his hands in embarrassment and let out a sigh.
“Now that things have turned out like this, I keep thinking back to the old days.”
“What thoughts?”
“The empty clear stone milk you got from the Ghost Gate Family and gave to me. If I’d rationed it back then, we wouldn’t be going through this hassle now.”
“Ration it? What was there to ration?”
Sima Geon shouted, his face serious.
“Was there? Still, it felt like more than what we just got. Thanks to it, I completed the Diamond Indestructible, but still...”
“If we’re counting, I drank way more than you. And think about your size. That amount was barely enough to get any real effect. Anyway, we got it, expensive or not. Cut the crap and have a drink. You’re tempting me to run over there right now and snatch back every last night-luminescent pearl and gold ingot myself.”
“Heh heh heh! Knew you’d say that!”
Cheol U grinned slyly.
Sima Geon and Cheol U shared a laugh, finished their meal of simple dishes with drinks, and promptly left Hangzhou.
Desperate to treat Sima Jin as soon as possible, the two rode without rest until nightfall.
When dusk settled, somewhere between Hangzhou and Shaoxing, Sima Geon halted.
“What’s up?”
Cheol U gave him a puzzled look at the sudden stop.
Despite running for over two hours, not a drop of sweat beaded on Cheol U’s forehead.
“Seems some folks in a hurry are coming up the road.”
Sima Geon said, glancing back.
“What...”
Feeling the faint vibrations shaking the ground, Cheol U fell silent.
A dozen or so horses were kicking up dust in the distance.
“What the hell are they?”
“Dunno. Got a bad feeling, though. We’ll know soon enough.”
Sima Geon murmured quietly and stepped aside to let the horses pass.
Sighing as the galloping horses abruptly slowed, he watched twenty or so mounts snort and whinny to a halt. Burly men leaped down, their sinister eyes gleaming with murderous intent.
“These beggar-looking bastards move fast.”
“Yeah, thought we lost ’em.”
“Should we start by cutting off their legs?”
The men dismounted and surrounded Sima Geon and Cheol U, chuckling mockingly.
“What bullshit. Ugh, the stench of blood. Vermin that reek like demons from hell.”
Cheol U sneered, wrinkling his nose at the blood scent carried on the wind.
“They chasing us?”
The man still atop his horse yanked the reins harshly at Sima Geon’s question.
“Hand over the goods nice and easy, and we’ll kill you quick. Refuse, and we’ll make you suffer hell’s torments—neither alive nor dead.”
“Goods?”
Sima Geon feigned ignorance, though he had a rough idea what they wanted.
The leader smirked and pointed at Sima Geon’s chest.
“What you got from the Water Dragon Merchant Association.”
Sima Geon confirmed the leak from the man’s confident demeanor.
‘So much for trusting them.’
He recalled the aged face of the Water Dragon Merchant Association’s chief steward, who had seemed certain to keep the deal secret. Shrewd merchant or not, he hadn’t seemed the lying type.
‘Or maybe it leaked from somewhere else.’
As Sima Geon pondered, the leader continued.
“Don’t play dumb. We confirmed you got the empty clear stone milk and tailed you.”
“I’d hand it over quick if I were you. You have no idea how worried my big bro was that the old man might’ve eaten it.”
“Yeah. A few more days of stalling, and screw the government protection—we’d have hopped the fence anyway.”
“You’re dying either way, so why not go easy? Hand it over and die fast.”
“What’s with that big bear? Ugly mug too.”
“Looks like he’s had some fun lately. This’ll be good.”
“I’ve already called dibs on that bastard. Touch him and you die.”
The men encircled them, swinging their weapons tauntingly.
“Bear, huh? Funny. So, what are you punks?”
Cheol U asked with keen interest.
“Gonna tell ’em?”
“They’re dead men soon. Why not?”
“True. Least we can do for dying men—satisfy their curiosity like true heroes.”
They bantered among themselves, then lowered their voices dramatically.
“Heard of Thousand Kill Hall, rulers of Hangzhou’s nights?”
“We’re Thousand Kill Hall’s finest.”
The thugs, utterly convinced of Sima Geon and Cheol U’s doom, boasted without restraint.
“Shut your traps.”
Thousand Kill Hall Leader Ga Deung snapped irritably, leveling his blade at Sima Geon.
“I’ll count to three. Choose: quick death, or agony worse than death?”
Cheol U dug in his ear, bored, flicked away the wax, and blew on his finger.
“How about you just drop dead instead?”
“W-what?”
His unexpected retort left Ga Deung and his men momentarily dumbfounded.
Ga Deung’s face twisted demonically.
“You dare mock me? Boys!”
“Yes, leader!”
“They want hell’s pain? Give it to ’em. Gouge their eyes, rip out their tongues. Oh, lop off their limbs first.”
At Ga Deung’s command, the already savage men grew even more ferocious.
Cheol U smirked at their beastly, murder-filled glares.
“These punks! The blood stench, the killing intent, those tensed-up eyes. Definitely the look of guys who’ve killed plenty.”
With a chilling smile, Cheol U cracked his knuckles and stepped forward.
“Hold up.”
Sima Geon stopped him.
“Why?”
Sima Geon jerked his thumb backward instead of answering.
“Tch.”
Cheol U glanced back, clicked his tongue, and slyly retreated.
“Who the hell are they?”
Ga Deung frowned at the approaching group behind Sima Geon.
“What now, leader?”
Il Gyeon, Ga Deung’s right-hand man and infamous for his cruelty, sidled up.
Ga Deung eyed the newcomers.
One woman, two men. The men carried weapons.
‘Escorts?’
The men trailed half a step behind the woman.
Someone needing escorts wasn’t to be trifled with.
But he didn’t hesitate long.
This was about empty clear stone milk.
How much had they paid the Water Dragon Merchant Association’s chief for the tip?
With overwhelming numbers, retreat wasn’t an option. Leaving witnesses was foolish even without conflict.
“Kill them all.”
At Ga Deung’s order, Il Gyeon grinned and signaled his men.
“Bandits?”
Hwang Yeong, now close by, asked.
“Yes. Thugs from Hangzhou’s underworld.”
Sima Geon replied flatly, but Hwang Yeong and her escorts mistook it for fear.
Thousand Kill Hall’s mob bared their killing intent, surrounding them.
Gok Ja Yu, guarding Hwang Yeong, stepped forward.
“Looks like they’re coming for us too, miss.”
“These scum dare bare fangs before her?”
Yu Sa Ha drew his sword with a sneer.
“What should we do?”
Gok Ja Yu asked politely.
Unlike Yu Sa Ha, he hadn’t drawn his weapon yet, maintaining composure amid the tension.
Cheol U eyed Gok Ja Yu and sent a transmission.
[Not bad.]
[Yeah. Top-notch expert.]
[Eh, top-notch might be a stretch. Still, he could sweep these guys.]
Sima Geon stifled a laugh at Cheol U’s disappointed tone and glanced at Hwang Yeong.
‘Well, the real expert’s her.’
Sima Geon instantly saw Hwang Yeong far surpassed her escorts. Cheol U, realizing late, looked shocked.
Unaware they were gauging her, Hwang Yeong offered Ga Deung one last chance.
“Back off now, and no one gets hurt. We’ll forget this happened. Leave.”
Ga Deung wavered at her calm amid the odds. But his greed for the empty clear stone milk was too great.
“Kill them!”
At his shout, Il Gyeon and the men lunged.
“Vermin!”
Yu Sa Ha sneered coldly, his sword tracing a smooth arc.
Il Gyeon’s slash was fierce but crude. Yu Sa Ha’s was fluid, worlds apart.
Cloud-soft yet storm-fierce energy swept the area.
“Kaaak!”
“Guhk!”
Screams erupted as the first attackers crumpled lifelessly.
“Ho! Impressive.”
Cheol U murmured.
It looked like one swing, but he caught the subtle sword variations.
Thousand Kill Hall’s thugs, outclassed, died unknowing.
Only battle-hardened Il Gyeon dodged instinctively, avoiding fatal injury.
“L-leader! Ex... experts...”
Clutching his chest, he staggered mere steps before Yu Sa Ha’s thrown sword pierced his heart.
The blade elegantly arced back to its master.