Whack! Thud!
Hwang Geum-seon tore the flyer and tossed it aside, grumbling. It was a provocation.
“…That kid is someone I wouldn’t want to chew on, even if I were starving.”
Hwang Geum-seon thought about Ho Cheon-an, the weirdo who put on a bizarre sorcery performance in front of the Hwang Gold Clan. Ever since then, he hadn’t shown any sign of opposing the Hwang Gold Clan, nor was he associated with Sacheon City, and after investigation, there was no connection to Miss Yeo Il-ye either.
The reports from Hwang Geum-bu-rin, which mentioned that he was wandering about outside, were rather mundane, so he didn’t pay much attention.
He had suspected a connection to Miss Yeo Il-ye, but the overlap was too slim to regard him as significant.
Hwang Geum-seon felt a chill just as much as he felt anger. Ever since the existence of Ho Cheon-an was revealed, it was as if a noose had been tightened around his neck.
‘Is he a survivor from Yeo-ga Mountain Villa? Or is it something else?’
The existence of Ho Cheon-an pushed everything into an abyss of chaos where nothing was clear. If there was a connection to Miss Yeo Il-ye, did that mean the strings reached even the Jeomchang? What kind of game was being played here?
Did Miss Yeo Il-ye bursting through the main gate of the Hwang Gold Clan also play into this? No, was the creepy performance he did in front of the Hwang Gold Clan part of the plan? Was exposing the Gratitude Plaque just to lend credence to the scheme?
Was the reappearance of Tang Do-gyeong coincidental? The rumors of Tang Do-gyeong hanging around the Outcast Inn also came to mind. Was this a plot involving even the Tang Clan?
“Damn it!”
It was a trap laid to hunt down Miss Yeo Il-ye. He never thought that other entities would intervene in that plot. Why did the Tang Clan, citing their status as a local clan, get involved, and why did the governor allow it? And then there was the move from the government to rally martial artists?
Master Cheongheo hastily stepping back now seemed suspicious. Did he have information? If he were connected to Miss Yeo Il-ye or Hyeok Gi-rin, it was completely plausible.
‘Who’s the main player, who?!’
Who orchestrated this trap intended to hunt him down while he intended to catch Miss Yeo Il-ye? Was it Miss Yeo Il-ye? Or perhaps Jeomchang? Governor Samayeom? The Tang Clan? Ho Cheon-an?
Was Ho Cheon-an truly a threat? Was he just bait used by other factions to throw Hwang Geum-seon into chaos? Even if Ho Cheon-an had links to Miss Yeo Il-ye or was assigned to protect Hyeok Gi-rin, he was still nothing but a lowly Sacheon Outcast with no backing.
Could it be that he merely borrowed the nerve-grating flyer to stir chaos?
Crash!
Hwang Geum-seon flipped over the desk, hurling and kicking broken objects. After venting for a while, he breathed heavily. Now that he expressed his pent-up frustration, his head began to spin.
Now, finding out who was behind it all wasn’t the priority.
‘First, I must evacuate the bandits!’
Hwang Geum-seon quickly wrote a letter and called on a trusted subordinate to deliver it.
“Start as night falls and deliver it to the hideout!”
“Yes, sir!”
The bandits had to be evacuated at all costs. At the very least, the executives and sect leader must all be whisked away. If they were all caught, the links would most likely be exposed.
He had safety measures in place, but this situation couldn’t be resolved just with those.
Next, Hwang Geum-seon immediately summoned the representatives of the Hwangbo Clan, Cheongseong, Ami, and Jongnam.
“I believe you’ve heard the news about the proclamation.”
Hwang Geum-seon read the expressions of the four. They looked worried, thinking that if the bandits were eradicated, the plans for establishing branches would be canceled entirely or support would be drastically cut.
“Don’t worry. There won’t be any significant changes in the support plan for establishing branches.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes, indeed. Although the Tang Clan’s martial artists are currently coming forward, there’s no guarantee that this won’t happen again in the future.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.”
The representatives of the sects visibly relaxed. While the support from the Sacheon Merchant Alliance was beneficial, what was most crucial for them was that the Sacheon Merchant Alliance provided a valid justification for the Hwangbo Clan to establish itself in Sacheon City.
‘Right, there’s nothing to worry about…’
As he reassured the sect representatives, Hwang Geum-seon felt his heart start to settle.
As long as the Hwangbo, Ami, Cheongseong, and Jongnam were present, direct intervention by the Tang Clan or Jeomchang could be stopped. Even if the connections with the bandits were exposed, Hwang Geum-seon was currently a victim who had suffered massive losses due to the bandits.
He might face accusations of intentionally luring bandits to wipe out small businesses, but it wouldn’t be a blow significant enough to shake the Hwang Clan itself.
The real threat capable of toppling Hwang Geum-seon was still the business of Yeo-ga Mountain Villa.
‘Miss Yeo Il-ye… Ho Cheon-an.’
In a roundabout way, it all circles back to Miss Yeo Il-ye and Ho Cheon-an. Hwang Geum-seon gritted his teeth.
‘If you provoked me, it’s time to repay the favor.’
An ambush on Ho Cheon-an, and another provocation for Miss Yeo Il-ye.
With clenched teeth, Hwang Geum-seon moved.
*
Thud!
The ambusher was cornered in the alley.
“Looks like the road today is quite treacherous.”
“I believe today will be quite enjoyable.”
Miss Yeo Il-ye looked at Tang Do-yeon, who disguised herself as a bodyguard alongside her. Although Ho Cheon-an had suggested it, she never imagined someone from the Tang Clan would come out like this, dressed up.
Was it Ho Cheon-an who had the guts to disguise a member of the Tang Clan as a bodyguard? Or was it Tang Do-yeon’s silliness for complying and showing a curious expression?
The ambushers laid in wait in the alley leading to Seongrakru, but they were nothing more than the dregs swept away like autumn leaves by the two Peak Experts.
“Hah hah hah!”
As soon as they entered Seongrakru, Ho Cheon-an burst into laughter, capturing everyone’s attention.
Even the people who had been passionately discussing the bandit suppression turned to focus on Ho Cheon-an.
Murmurs.
“Who is that guy?”
It was a reasonable question, as very few came to the Gilu daily, and with the stories of the bandit suppression led by Tang Do-gyeong heating up Sacheon City, almost no one in Seongrakru recognized Ho Cheon-an.
“Oh, it’s the lucky weirdo from yesterday, decked out!”
However, a few who recognized Ho Cheon-an gazed at him with disapproval. The rich young master who won money with a gorgeous female warrior was already unlikable, but now he came dressed in flashy new clothes, flaunting his wealth and accompanied by a beautiful bodyguard?
“Chunyang! Watch and behold my demonic gambling skills! I won a hefty 100 nyang yesterday, so today, I target 150 nyang!”
People listening were speechless. They instantly grasped what kind of person Ho Cheon-an was – a clueless, spoiled brat! He was flaunting his wealth and bringing two women along to Gilu?
Tang Do-yeon was amazed.
As soon as Ho Cheon-an entered, he succeeded in announcing who he was to the crowd, garnering hostile glares and attention.
“Oh my~ Young master, now that you’re here at Gilu and about to gamble, how about aiming big and targeting 200 nyang?”
“Haha! I see now my expectations were too small! Alright, let’s go for 200 nyang today! Wahahaha!”
“Oh ho ho ho~”
Ho Cheon-an, satisfied with Tang Do-yeon’s act, nodded.
Today’s role for Tang Do-yeon was to fan the flames, making the oblivious young master seem even more insufferable!
‘This performance is top-notch. Today, let’s make a real show of it.’
Most of the people in Gilu were already throwing hostile glares, some even muttering curses.
“You! Today, I will settle the score with you for yesterday! Sit down at the table!”
“Oh~ Have you come loaded with bankroll today? Yesterday, we had to halt the gaming due to a lack of funds…”
Gu Joo-jin, who lost dozens of nyang yesterday, gritted his teeth, glaring at Ho Cheon-an.
He had put in a request to catch Ho Cheon-an and bring him before him, but the only return message had been saying they failed. He suspected that someone among the special customers, who were robbed by Ho Cheon-an yesterday, might have given him a bonus to whisk him away here. He barged into Seongrakru to confront Ho Cheon-an for creating a ruckus.
‘Damn useless Gilu folks!’
Indeed, it seemed to be a clear failure, considering his now extravagant attire and strutting demeanor!
Gu Joo-jin gritted his teeth as he looked at Ho Cheon-an, who had humiliated him.
‘That brat! Two top-tier gamblers from Seongrakru were hired for him!’
“Today, I must win at least 200 nyang in gold! If I don’t have the stash, I’ll have to play with someone else…”
Ho Cheon-an perched on a chair, crossing his legs and flicking his feet, while Gu Joo-jin’s face turned red with rage.
“Get my money right now!”
“Yes, yes!”
The gambling commenced. Tang Do-yeon marveled at Ho Cheon-an’s dazzling gambling skills. Gu Joo-jin’s ability was effectively that of a rookie, but the gamblers accompanying Gu Joo-jin were skillful enough that even Tang Do-yeon noticed something amiss.
“Ah, I’m in!”
“Damn it!!”
“Wahahaha! Looks like it’s my lucky day again!”
Ho Cheon-an toyed with the game. Sometime he’d suddenly lose with a low pair, and then he’d act all boastful about it. But when he had a good hand, he’d put down small bets or throw out outrageous high bets. He looked every bit the rookie.
However, the cash kept flowing toward Ho Cheon-an’s side.
“Just one point difference!”
“Gu Joo-jin seems to have terrible luck today!”
‘He is completely controlling the gambling table.’
Ho Cheon-an kept nibbling away at Gu Joo-jin and the gamblers’ wealth with risky hands. For Ho Cheon-an, who was already dominating the gambling, the differences in cards against his opponents meant nothing at all.
[Wow, did you see this amazing spectacle yesterday too?]
At Tang Do-yeon’s telepathic message, Miss Yeo Il-ye almost turned her head but stopped. After all, it was telepathy among Peak Experts, so only a few would be able to catch on.
[Your performance is quite skillful.]
“Wow! Young master, you’ve won again! It seems today is your day!”
“Hahaha! Chunyang, this isn’t just luck; it’s skill!”
[Isn’t it exhilarating?]
Miss Yeo Il-ye remained silent. That was because it wasn’t exactly an act.
[You must feel quite pleased, right?]
Miss Yeo Il-ye glanced at Tang Do-yeon. She recalled what Ho Cheon-an had said. The Tang Clan shared all information about enemies excluding her details. Therefore, Tang Do-yeon would reckon she had come here to clear out the local villain.
‘Exhilarating… huh.’
Suddenly, the upper levels grew noisy. Miss Yeo Il-ye diverted her attention from the gambling table and looked over.
She then locked eyes with a sharply-dressed man.
‘The Seongrakru leader, Yu Ji-gyeong.’
Miss Yeo Il-ye watched Yu Ji-gyeong with interest. He was glaring at Ho Cheon-an while receiving explanations from someone next to him. It seemed he had come to see the troublemaker causing commotion in his establishment.
Seeing her enemy’s face made her heart race, but there was no sense of hostility rising within her.
‘Why is that?’
While pondering this, Yu Ji-gyeong’s eyes shifted. The disdainful gaze passed through Tang Do-yeon and landed on Miss Yeo Il-ye.
And then…
Yu Ji-gyeong’s expression drained of color in an instant.
‘He seems to have seen through my disguise.’
Miss Yeo Il-ye glanced up at Yu Ji-gyeong calmly. It wasn’t really a disguise; a bit of makeup here and a dot there—anyone familiar with Miss Yeo Il-ye’s original face would easily spot her.
Yu Ji-gyeong took a step back and ran away, followed by his shocked associates.
Watching that retreat…
“Delightful.”
[Oh dear, Miss! Speak through telepathy!]
Miss Yeo Il-ye chuckled, trying to suppress her laughter. What could Yu Ji-gyeong do? In the face of Ho Cheon-an, disrupting his business, what could he possibly achieve against her? Nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
How could two Peak Experts like her and Tang Do-yeon be subdued? Would they just let Ho Cheon-an stay quiet while being kicked out of Gilu? Whatever method he’d use, it seemed far better than just allowing these two to barge in.
Special customers would not tolerate Ho Cheon-an’s mischief, and they’d either pressure Seongrakru or abandon it.
What kind of feeling would Yu Ji-gyeong have, being a high-level expert, watching Ho Cheon-an wreck havoc in his establishment?
He’d be nothing but paralyzed by helplessness and fear, retreating to a corner, trembling.
Imagining that feeling, Miss Yeo Il-ye couldn’t stop chuckling.
[Miss, Miss? Stop laughing, or your act will fall apart…]
“Hahaha! It seems Chunyang is finally starting to enjoy gambling!”
Ho Cheon-an seemed to have heard Miss Yeo Il-ye’s laughter, turning to look at her. He flashed a sincere smile that was unlike any act.
“I told you yesterday! Just one day and you’ll be alright!”
At those words, Miss Yeo Il-ye recalled their conversation before entering Seongrakru.
[However, it’s not as easy to manage emotions as you might think.]
[From tomorrow, it will be fine.]
[…I don’t think I’ll get comfortable in just one day.]
‘Is that what he meant?’
“Yes, that’s right, young master.”
Miss Yeo Il-ye giggled.
The day wasn’t even over yet.
And she began to look forward to tomorrow.
