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The Blood Merchant (5)

Upon returning to the safe house, I immediately summoned Gong Suchan.

“Do you need more money by any chance?”

“Haha, no. The last payment was more than enough. In fact, I have some left over.”

I hadn’t returned the money to Gong Suchan; instead, I kept it in a separate account for emergencies. Given the current volatile situation, there might come a time when I needed funds urgently. I couldn’t always rely on finding Gong Suchan, so I decided to keep it myself.

But that wasn’t why I called him today.

“From now on, I need you to sell something for me, Chief Gong.”

“Just say the word.”

I looked at Gong Suchan with a meaningful smile.

“Sell the Continental Trading Company.”

Gong Suchan blinked in disbelief, too stunned to speak.

“Surely you don’t mean the Continental Trading Company, one of the three major trading companies in the Central Plains?”

“Why not?”

“But the Continental Trading Company isn’t ours.”

“As of today, it is.”

“My goodness!”

Gong Suchan’s jaw dropped. He knew I wasn’t one to joke about such matters, so he was genuinely shocked.

After taking a moment to collect himself, Gong Suchan spoke calmly.

“When you first approached me, I never imagined I’d be involved in something like this.”

“Neither did I.”

“Hahaha.”

Gong Suchan shook his head, letting out a hearty laugh.

I explained to him about my dealings with Seong Wangbo.

“So, the Continental Trading Company is essentially a gift from him, a token of his allegiance.”

Gong Suchan, quick-witted as ever, immediately grasped the significance of the acquisition.

“Exactly.”

We could have chosen to run the Continental Trading Company from the shadows, using a third party. Normally, that would have been the preferred method, allowing us to inherit its history and standing in the trade world.

But this situation was unique. With the Dark Merchant lurking in the background and Seong Wangbo being a potential traitor, the best course of action was to dismantle and sell it off quickly.

“In that case, it needs to be handled discreetly.”

“Seong Wangbo will actively assist us.”

Without his cooperation, it would be impossible. Essentially, Seong Wangbo would be selling it under Gong Suchan’s supervision. To protect his own life, Seong Wangbo would ensure the process remained a secret.

“Understood. I’ll take care of it. But I have a request.”

“What is it?”

“I need the support of a covert force, one that’s not publicly known.”

I understood why Gong Suchan made this request. The Continental Trading Company was entangled with various interests. Even with Seong Wangbo’s help, there would be complications. To resolve them swiftly and efficiently, Gong Suchan needed backing.

The Taeseong Trading Company had the Taeseong Sword Unit led by Gwangdu. They were skilled enough, but they were a known entity. This operation required secrecy.

I called for Baekpyo.

“Have the Black Panther Unit support Chief Gong.”

“Understood. I was planning to deploy the second Black Panther Unit for field experience. I’ll personally lead the first unit to assist Chief Gong and leave the second unit to guard you.”

“Good, let’s do that.”

I thought it was a good opportunity to give them practical experience while keeping them active.

“And don’t worry about funds. Continue training the third and fourth Black Panther Units.”

“Yes!”

The Black Panther Unit was the core of our organization’s strength, no matter what anyone said.

Gong Suchan and Baekpyo left the safe house to handle the task.

Next, I called for Galsaryang.

When I detailed my meeting with Seong Wangbo and the results, Galsaryang was elated.

“The acquisition of the Continental Trading Company is an unexpected triumph.”

How much would it be worth in monetary terms? The amount was unimaginable.

“Seong Wangbo offered it as a desperate measure. But he’s likely still harboring ulterior motives.”

“We should leverage that. Not only his life but also the hope of filling the Dark Merchant’s void once this is over.”

Galsaryang was adept at handling people. Working with him was a pleasure because he understood everything with just a word.

“By the way, Galsaryang, have you ever heard of the Blood Merchant?”

Galsaryang shook his head.

“I’ve never heard of such a person.”

Even Galsaryang was unfamiliar with the name.

“She’s a woman who uses blood magic and has been sent to confront me.”

“If that’s the case, she won’t be an easy opponent.”

“Indeed.”

“I’ll contact the Heavenly Network to see if they know anything.”

“Please do.”

After Galsaryang left, I turned to Cheonma.

[Can I have a word with you?]

[Of course.]

Using the Heavenly Illusion Technique, I perfectly recreated my room in the safe house. I had mastered the technique to the point of using it freely.

[Do you know anything about the Blood Merchant?]

[No, that’s a new name to me.]

I thought Cheonma might know, but it seemed to be a name known only in the underground world.

[But I do know a bit about blood magic.]

[What kind of martial art is it?]

[It’s not martial arts that come to mind, but a person.]

[Who?]

[The Blood Empress.]

[The Blood Empress!]

The name Ju Hee-so, the Blood Empress, was familiar, though I didn’t know much about her.

[She’s from a previous generation, right?]

[Two generations ago.]

Despite being from two generations ago, her name was known because she had once plunged the martial world into a sea of blood.

She led thousands of followers in a bid to unify the demonic sects but was ultimately killed by the righteous sects.

[The Blood Empress used blood magic.]

[What made you think of her?]

[I heard she once challenged our sect. That crazy woman thought she could match us just because we both had ‘blood’ in our names.]

[Hahaha.]

[Don’t laugh!]

[In any case, the Blood Merchant could be a descendant of the Blood Empress.]

Seong Wangbo mentioned the Blood Merchant was a woman. This increased the likelihood that she was a descendant of the Blood Empress.

Cheonma spoke in an unusually serious tone.

[If that’s the case, it’s no trivial matter.]

[Why?]

[The Blood Empress’s abilities were said to be extraordinary. Her blood magic was beyond imagination.]

I could tell Cheonma knew more about her martial arts but wasn’t sharing everything, likely due to related secrets.

[Indeed, she must have been confident to challenge even the Demonic Cult.]

Typically, demonic arts were superior to unorthodox arts. In terms of martial arts compatibility, demonic arts had the upper hand.

The fact that Cheonma remained silent suggested that the expert sent by the Blood Heaven Sect failed to kill the Blood Empress.

In historical records, it was the righteous sects, not the Blood Heaven Sect, that defeated her.

There must have been some circumstances.

I refrained from asking further, knowing it might hurt Cheonma’s pride and cause him to react angrily.

Cheonma’s unusual concern lent credibility to my suspicions.

[If the Blood Merchant is indeed a descendant of the Blood Empress, she’ll be a formidable foe.]

Given Cheonma’s usual disregard for others, his caution indicated that this opponent warranted serious attention.

[Is there any way to learn more about the Blood Empress?]

[No one who knew her could still be alive.]

Then, an idea struck me.

[Ah, she might be in there.]

[Where?]

[The Secret Archives of the Justice Pavilion.]

[What are you waiting for? Go!]

[It’s not easy to get in there.]

[So? Are you saying you can’t do it? Or are you not skilled enough?]

[It’s the highest security location of the Martial Alliance’s intelligence agency. It’s not easy to access. Any ideas?]

[You fool! Why are you asking me about infiltrating your own Martial Alliance?]

[Haha. You’re the expert. I’m asking for guidance.]

[You idiot! No way!]

I knew Cheonma had a remarkable stealth technique among his martial arts.

I planned to learn it this time. While I could infiltrate with my skills, there was no need to take the hard route when an easier one was available.

[I won’t see you for a while.]

[Why?]

[I need to study infiltration methods. So, don’t get too lonely and hang in there.]

As I was about to exit the Heavenly Illusion, Cheonma urgently called out.

[Wait, you fool!]

[What?]

[How long will it take?]

[I don’t know. A month? Two? Maybe longer. Anyway, see you later.]

After a brief pause, Cheonma shouted.

[Damn it! Damn it! I’m being bled dry! You devil!]

[Haha, what are you talking about?]

[Shut up! Pretending not to know when you do! The martial art I’m about to teach you is… damn it!]

[Hahaha.]

＊ ＊ ＊

That night, I managed to enter the Secret Archives of the Justice Pavilion.

Thanks to Galsaryang, who had recently served as the chief strategist of the Justice Pavilion, I knew how to access the archives. Plus, I had learned a martial art. Cheonma had taught me the Stealth Step, a technique from his Blood Heaven Sovereign Steps, perfect for infiltration.

With Galsaryang’s information and the Stealth Step, I easily made my way inside.

The archives contained a wealth of information from various eras. Fortunately, the records related to the Blood Empress weren’t classified as top-secret.

If they had been, I would have needed to pass through another level of security within the archives, and even with the Stealth Step, it wouldn’t have been easy.

To infiltrate Jeonguigak, one needed to know its ever-changing secret codes. Simply sneaking in was not an option. In other words, while one could break in with force, stealth was out of the question.

“Here it is.”

From a shelf filled with records of the great blood sects, I found documents related to the Blood Empress.

They detailed her life extensively—where and when she was born, the havoc she wreaked, and even her martial arts techniques.

[Does she have any family?]

[It says she had a daughter.]

[Did the daughter die with her?]

[There’s no information about the daughter’s death.]

[Then she might have survived.]

I nodded and turned my attention to the section on the Blood Empress’s martial arts.

Blood Sect’s Secret Arts.

It was her unique martial art, capable of wielding numerous dark sorceries, just as the Heavenly Demon had said.

Many of her techniques involved blood. From controlling an opponent’s body with their own blood to taking a life with a single drop, her methods were bizarre.

One particular sorcery caught my eye. Unusually named the Great Soul Technique, it claimed that with the blood of the deceased, one could reveal the true face of their killer. The notes added that it could even see through disguises and masks.

My heart skipped a beat.

Could she have used this technique to uncover my true identity? If I were her, I certainly would have.

And if she did?

＊ ＊ ＊

The Blood Merchant knelt before a statue of a goddess, deep in prayer. She wore a nearly transparent, thin garment that left little to the imagination, her sensuality strangely complementing the statue’s ominous presence.

At that moment, a man with ashen eyes entered the room.

“We’ve identified him!”

The woman’s eyes snapped open at the man’s report.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Byeok Lidan from the Byeok family sword clan in Shandong.”

“The Byeok family sword clan?”

The Blood Merchant tilted her head, surprised by the unexpected name.

“He joined Jeonguigak as a new recruit and quickly rose to the rank of chief officer.”

“He was under Galsaryang? We were blind to what was right under our noses.”

“He’s a clever one. Who would have thought he’d hide under his own subordinate?”

The Blood Merchant stood, her voluptuous figure fully revealed.

The man draped a crimson robe over her shoulders.

“Who remains in Shandong?”

“His parents and his betrothed live there.”

“Betrothed?”

“Yes, a woman he’s promised to marry.”

“Parents and a fiancée. He dared to oppose us while burdened with such ties?”

“Moreover, she’s said to be the most beautiful woman in Shandong.”

The Blood Merchant smiled with satisfaction.

“Men are all the same. The more beautiful the woman, the harder she is to give up. This works in our favor.”

She strode forward with determination.

“Let’s go to Shandong.”