The God of Massacre (3)
Not far from the bustling night market stood a grand estate.
The servants and attendants there were all dressed in white. These were the very people who had been at the estate when Ju Cheol-ryong first met Cheon So-seon.
Though they appeared to be mere servants, they were, in fact, highly skilled martial artists.
They weren’t under Cheon So-seon’s command; rather, they had been sent by the Dark Master to keep an eye on things. Once Cheon So-seon disappeared with his grandfather, they returned to their original master.
The estate’s main hall was elegantly arranged, with eleven chairs set in a semicircle. The central chair was notably larger and more luxurious, gilded in gold.
The Dark Master sat there, surrounded by ten others. These were the ten leaders known as the Dark Ten.
To the left of the Dark Master sat the taciturn Dark One, known for his silence. On the right was the Dark Two, the closest confidant of the Dark Master.
Like the merchants of the night market, they too concealed their identities, wearing top-grade masks and veils.
Only they knew each other’s true identities, and initially, even among themselves, they couldn’t see each other’s faces. Only when trust was fully established did they reveal their faces and accept each other as family.
A man entered the room.
Unlike the eleven others, he wore no mask or veil.
He was a middle-aged man in his fifties, with a rugged, unattractive face marked by a square jaw and prominent cheekbones.
Yet, knowing his identity, no one would dare underestimate him.
“It’s been a while, Master. How have you been?”
“I’ve been well, Night Lord.”
He was the master of the Night Guild, known for its secretive and clandestine dealings, often lending money at high interest or orchestrating mergers between trading companies.
Despite the high interest rates, people turned to the Night Guild because it was easy to borrow money. If they couldn’t repay, the guild would stop at nothing to collect. The Night Lord was the head of the entire Night Guild across the central plains.
Surprisingly, the infamous master of the Night Guild was part of the underground network.
The Night Lord handed over a significant portion of his earnings to the Dark Master. The Night Guild had grown so large thanks to the Dark Master’s support, and he knew well that arrogance could cost him his life.
“Profits have decreased.”
“There was a gap when the leadership in Shandong changed.”
“I see.”
“I heard the night market has opened.”
“A particularly troublesome client.”
“Once the night market opens, he’s as good as dead. Or perhaps he’s already dead.”
Just then, the door opened, and another man entered.
“You need to come with me for a moment.”
“Very well. Wait here. You two, come with me.”
He gestured to the Dark Two and Seong Wang-bo.
“Yes.”
The Dark Two and Seong Wang-bo followed the Dark Master outside.
A subordinate led them to the night market. As they entered, the Dark Master’s expression hardened slightly.
The lanterns that had illuminated the musical instrument shop were extinguished.
As they approached, the shopkeeper hung his head in defeat.
“I have no excuse.”
He pulled out a silver coin from his pocket and held it in both hands.
Snap.
With a firm grip, he broke the coin in half. It was designed to be split this way.
The man carefully handed half of the coin to the Dark Master.
“The mission failed, and all those I sent are dead.”
Even if a subordinate was sacrificed, if the mission failed, returning half of the coin was the rule. A whole coin meant full support, but a half coin came with many restrictions.
“Regrettable.”
“I’m sorry.”
At that moment, another shop’s lights went out in the distance.
It was another shop where the Dark Master had given a coin the previous day.
As the Dark Master approached, the shopkeeper there also split the coin and returned half.
“The mission failed. I’m sorry.”
“Regrettable.”
The Dark Master calmly accepted the half coin.
Seong Wang-bo’s heart pounded. He had promised to side with the enemy but had led them into a trap. Even if it wasn’t his intention, the enemy would think so.
It would have been easier if the night market warriors had killed him, but it wasn’t that simple.
And it wasn’t just them.
Several shops’ lights went out in succession.
The Dark Master collected half coins from each.
Every shop they had visited the previous day had its lights extinguished.
The Dark Master spoke to the Dark Two.
“Didn’t I say I had a bad feeling?”
“You were right.”
“How many did he bring?”
The martial artist who had first guided them answered cautiously.
“He came alone.”
“Indeed.”
Though the Dark Master’s tone was calm, everyone could sense his anger.
“Business on the first day was a bust. But we can’t just give up.”
The Dark Master turned to Seong Wang-bo.
“Tell him we want to meet again.”
“Will he come, knowing it’s a trap?”
The Dark Master nodded.
“He will come.”
“Yes, understood.”
Though he wondered how the Dark Master could be so sure, he dared not ask.
“Our fates are already intertwined. He knows it too. The only way to resolve this is for one of us to die. But in the end, we’ll be the ones left standing.”
Seong Wang-bo bowed respectfully, though he thought to himself, ‘Not us, but you.’
He briefly considered, ‘Should I have defected to the other side?’
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
‘If I had, I would have had to give up all my wealth.’
He believed they would have taken everything under the guise of protection. He couldn’t bear to part with his wealth, even if it meant risking his life.
On the other hand, with the underground network, he didn’t have to give up his wealth since he was in charge of the accounts. He was exempt from the tributes everyone else had to pay.
The Dark Master pulled out new coins from his pocket.
“We lost big on the first day, so let’s make today’s business count!”
I went to Gong Su-chan to check how much money I could use immediately.
It was about twenty million nyang, and I took one and a half million. Despite the huge sum, the chief accountant didn’t ask a single question about its use.
“If you need more, just let me know. If necessary, I can arrange another million within three days.”
“Haha, this will be enough. I won’t need to spend such a large amount again.”
I headed straight to the Black Market’s Wuhuan branch.
During yesterday’s fight, I realized something about my internal energy.
After using my final sword technique, my energy was depleted. If another master had appeared, it would have been a dire battle.
[What are you here to buy?]
[Elixirs. After yesterday’s fight, I realized my energy is running low.]
I had thought three cycles of internal energy would be enough.
But it wasn’t. Although my energy was fully restored thanks to proper breathing techniques, three cycles weren’t sufficient to face them.
[Stronger opponents will come after the first day. Not preparing would be foolish.]
[Indeed.]
The Heavenly Demon agreed. When it came to combat, our thoughts were almost always aligned.
[It’s their money anyway. If I use their money to bring them down, it has its own significance.]
[Buy all the elixirs. Buy out the entire Black Market!]
[Even I don’t have that kind of money!]
I wondered if this place might also be owned by them. But it didn’t matter. Once I dealt with them, everything would be mine anyway.
But the Black Market was unlikely. It had been around for far too long, probably with a history much longer than theirs.
The man in charge of elixirs at the Wuhuan branch greeted me warmly.
“Welcome.”
“Do you have any elixirs in stock?”
“You’re in luck. There was a shortage for a while, but elixirs have been available since last month. We have some excellent herbs in stock.”
I was now certain. The recent shortage of elixirs was related to the old man’s grand plan.
The fact that elixirs were back on the market meant their preparations were complete. If my guess was right, the grand plan was already underway.
I bought all the elixirs available at the Wuhuan branch.
Five roots of Gongneung Nanghwa and twelve roots of Cheonnyeon Payangcho. Gongneung Nanghwa was a high-grade herb that provided half a cycle of internal energy, while Cheonnyeon Payangcho offered fifteen years’ worth of energy.
The prices were forty thousand nyang per root for Gongneung Nanghwa and forty-four thousand nyang for Cheonnyeon Payangcho.
I paid willingly and bought them all. With three cycles of internal energy already, I wasn’t sure how much more I could absorb.
If I could fill just one more cycle, it would be a great success. Could I manage it? If the Heavenly Demon’s intuition was right and my martial skills had improved, I might absorb a bit more.
“There’s one more thing I want to buy.”
“What is it?”
“It might be the most expensive item here.”
The man was taken aback.
“Could it be?”
“I’m here to buy the Black Dragon Divine Armor.”
The last time I was here, it was too expensive even to consider. The Black Dragon Divine Armor was the best protective gear in the martial world, offering unparalleled comfort and protection against any attack below the level of the Sword of the Righteous.
Nine hundred and forty thousand nyang.
It was a purchase that nearly reached a million nyang.
I never thought I’d see the day when I’d spend money on something with such a poor cost-to-performance ratio.
But I had no choice. To face them, I needed to be as prepared as possible.
The man nodded and said, “Like many in the trade, I believe every treasure has its rightful owner. It’s been unsold for years, and now it’s finally found a buyer. Very well, I’ll throw in the Thousand-Year Candle as a bonus.”
“Thank you.”
It was the most money I’d ever spent on a single purchase in my life.
＊ ＊ ＊
That afternoon, I returned to the meeting place.
Today’s location was the same as yesterday’s. The bodies and debris had been cleared away, and the buildings stood as if nothing had happened. It was as if the place was saying:
See how quickly we restored this overnight? Are you ready for us?
Of course. I was fully prepared.
I wore the Black Dragon Armor, with the Heart Protector of the Black Wolf Lord over it. My wrists were shielded by bracers made of Everlasting Cold Iron, and I carried a dagger.
Most importantly, my inner strength had reached the fourth level. The elixirs I took yesterday had fortunately boosted my power by one level.
With the fourth level of inner strength and immunity to all poisons, I was ready.
Let’s see if you can kill me now.
“They really contacted you, just like you said.”
“I told you they would.”
“Brazen, aren’t they?”
“You can’t make big money without a little audacity.”
“Haha, true enough.”
“There they come.”
In the distance, a group approached. They were beautiful women, their striking figures drawing attention even from afar. Swords in hand, they walked in a line toward us.
“Starting with a challenge, I see.”
“Why?”
“They sent beauties to a womanizer.”
“In battle, there’s no man or woman.”
On the battlefield, there are only allies and enemies.
“If they wanted to be treated like women, they shouldn’t have shown up today.”
“Haha, I like it. I really do. You’re just my type these days.”
I walked toward them slowly, intending to manage my inner strength carefully during the fight.
The women charged at me, their scent a mix of powerful aphrodisiacs and paralyzing agents meant to cloud the mind.
How many had they killed with this scent?
Unfortunately for them, it had no effect on me.
Their captivating beauty and the intoxicating scent that had always worked before were useless against me, reducing them to mere ordinary foes.
They tried everything—seduction, hidden weapons, appeals for sympathy—but nothing changed the outcome of the battle.
In less than half an hour, they were all dead.
I looked past their fallen bodies, signaling that the real fight was just beginning.
“Next.”