The Tangled Web (2)
A dozen masked men descended into the courtyard of Baek Seong-won’s house. They were the henchmen of the notorious Dark Merchant.
Their leader issued a low command.
“Leave no one alive! Make sure even the infants are dead.”
“Yes, sir!”
The masked men drew their swords and silently infiltrated the house.
Moments later, they emerged, reporting an unexpected situation to their waiting leader.
“There’s no one inside.”
“Impossible!”
“It seems they got wind of us and fled.”
“Damn it! Let’s retreat for now.”
Just as they were about to leave, masked figures appeared from all directions, surrounding them.
The leader’s expression hardened.
“Damn it! It’s a trap.”
If their opponents had been ordinary warriors, they wouldn’t have been so tense, regardless of the numbers. They were seasoned fighters, after all, with countless battles under their belts.
But these opponents were formidable, likely more skilled than themselves, and there were dozens of them.
The man who appeared to be their leader looked especially strong.
It was no surprise. That man was Baek Pyo, and the warriors surrounding them were the elite Black Panther Squad.
“Attack!”
At Baek Pyo’s command, the Black Panther Squad launched their assault. Baek Pyo charged directly at the enemy leader. In battles like these, the key was to eliminate the opposing leader first.
Swish! Swish!
Their swords clashed with blinding speed.
The speed was almost identical.
But at the moment their swords crossed, the balance shifted. Baek Pyo’s sword suddenly accelerated.
Swoosh!
Thud!
Baek Pyo’s sword pierced the enemy leader’s heart with precision. It was a flawless strike, without a hint of excess.
Baek Pyo’s skill was far beyond what the man had anticipated. He had assumed the first move would be a probing attack, as was usually the case.
But Baek Pyo had caught him off guard, determined to eliminate him in a single stroke.
The initial strike was a feint, and the sudden acceleration was the real attack. It was a masterful move that combined both in one.
After dispatching the enemy leader, Baek Pyo surveyed the scene.
The Black Panther Squad overwhelmed their foes both in skill and numbers.
The Black Panther Squad was an elite force created solely for combat. They weren’t bound by the honor of warriors, so they attacked in groups of two or three to minimize casualties.
Outnumbered and demoralized, the enemies soon lay dead.
Nearby, other Black Panther warriors appeared, escorting Gal Sa-ryang, Gong Su-chan, and Seong Wang-bo.
The Byuk Ri-dan had brought them all to ensure the complete recovery of the Dark Merchant’s assets.
Seong Wang-bo asked with a fearful expression, “Where is he?”
A voice answered from the air.
“I’m right here.”
Seong Wang-bo looked up in surprise. Byuk Ri-dan hovered in the air, silhouetted against the moonlight. He had flown straight here after rescuing Gyu Tae-bo from the Seo Hwa Pyo-guk.
Seong Wang-bo looked up at him and asked, “Why did you bring me here?”
Byuk Ri-dan, still floating, replied, “To keep my promise. To make you the highest mountain after toppling the others.”
Seong Wang-bo’s eyes filled with emotion. It was a promise to eradicate the entire Dark World.
“For that, I need your help.”
Byuk Ri-dan flew off somewhere, leaving the Black Panther warriors in awe of his incredible flight.
Baek Pyo approached Seong Wang-bo and said, “Let’s go. Tonight marks the beginning of history.”
The Dark Merchant was drinking in a butcher’s shop. Moonlight streaming through the window added to the atmosphere.
“They’re late.”
A voice answered from behind a wall.
“Shall I check on them?”
“No need. It’s not a difficult task, is it?”
“Of course not, but…”
“Is something bothering you?”
“We can’t trace the movements of that mysterious man who visited the Pyo-guk.”
The Dark Merchant paused, his hand holding the cup.
“He hasn’t left?”
“No one saw him leave.”
“We didn’t know when he arrived, either.”
The Dark Merchant emptied his cup.
“Don’t worry too much. I’ve always been lucky. Very lucky. Without that luck, I wouldn’t be where I am today. Don’t you agree?”
There was no response.
“Hey, Il-gwon.”
Still, no answer came.
“Il-gwon!”
The Dark Merchant’s expression hardened.
He slowly rose and called out to the other side.
“Jeong-pung. Jeong-pung!”
But there was no response from that side either.
“Deok-sung! Jung-yeol!”
He called out more names, but no one answered.
Just then, the door opened, and someone walked in.
The Dark Merchant’s eyes widened.
The man was genuinely shocked by my appearance.
The burly man trembled all over. He had been through many battles, but this was the first time he felt death so close.
But don’t worry. I’m not here to kill you just yet.
“What happened to my men?”
“They’re all dead.”
The man asked politely, and I answered just as politely.
“I see.”
He tried to remain calm, but his voice trembled. He pretended to be composed, but his heart must have been pounding with fear.
He spoke with forced calmness.
“Then you must have heard what I said. I’m a very lucky man. I’ve survived every situation. In the end, all who opposed me died. You should release me before you end up the same.”
“There’s a limit to what luck can do against skill.”
“Martial skill is just a small part of it. Care for a drink?”
“Sure.”
I drank the cup he offered.
The drink was poisoned. He had skillfully added poison while pouring.
“The drink is good.”
Seeing me unaffected after emptying the cup, the man’s expression hardened.
I drank it on purpose, having seen him poison it, to instill fear. He couldn’t imagine what I had in store for him.
“Are you going to kill me too?”
“I’m considering it.”
I answered ambiguously on purpose. I needed to instill fear but not completely crush his hope of survival. That hope would help me achieve my goal.
“I hear you have a lot of money?”
When I mentioned money, his eyes lit up again. He must have thought he could buy his way out.
“Which of the ten wealthy men are you?”
“The ninth. They call me the Dark Merchant.”
Snap, snap.
In an instant, I struck, sealing his energy center. He couldn’t use his internal energy. Not that he could threaten me even if he could.
But there was another reason to subdue him. For the safety of the person entering the room now.
“That’s a lie! He’s the second, the Dark Merchant.”
The person who entered was Seong Wang-bo.
The Dark Merchant shouted in anger.
“You!”
His expression turned vicious and cold.
Seong Wang-bo flinched. Despite everything, he was scared and trembling. He knew well how vast and formidable the Dark World was.
Sensing his fear, the Dark Merchant began to exploit it.
“You know what happens to traitors, don’t you?”
“Of course.”
“You’ll beg for death, but we won’t grant it. You’ll live in agony for the rest of your life.”
“Indeed.”
“Why are you doing this, knowing all that? Do you really trust this young man? Do you really believe he can defeat us?”
Seong Wang-bo glanced at me.
“I’m not sure.”
“It’s not too late. Kill him and free me.”
“How?”
“You must have a plan. Surely you’re not following him without one? Use your trump card now! Kill him and save me! I’ll make sure the organization spares you.”
The Dark Merchant was desperate.
In contrast, Seong Wang-bo was calm. He looked at me and said, “You’ve really come this far.”
I smiled at him and said, “Let’s get to work.”
The mention of “work” startled the Dark Merchant.
“Work? You don’t mean…”
“Why so surprised? You were conducting operations in ten places across the land.”
“How do you know?”
The Dark Merchant’s voice cracked with fear. He had no composure left.
“Seize all his assets.”
At my command, the Dark Merchant’s face turned pale, then twisted like a demon.
“Do you think that’s possible?”
“Absolutely.”
“Hmph! Try it, then.”
At that moment, two more people appeared. They were Gal Sa-ryang and Gong Su-chan.
“We’ve found the secret vault hidden in the butcher’s shop.”
Of course, that was just the beginning.
I spoke coldly to the Dark Merchant.
“A tower built over a lifetime can crumble in an instant.”
The operation to seize the Dark Merchant’s assets began in earnest.
I had no intention of simply killing the Dark Merchant. I planned to strip him of all his wealth before ending his life.
Not just him, but everyone in the Dark World would be dealt with the same way.
The profit I would gain was one thing, but it would also be the ultimate punishment for them.
Losing their wealth would be a fate worse than death for them.
At least, it was for the Dark Merchant.
“I’ll kill you all. The Dark Lord will tear your souls apart. Even as a ghost, I won’t forget this grudge.”
He hurled threats and curses every time his assets were seized or sold off.
The Dark Lord was not someone to be trifled with. But this time, he had met his match.
The key player was Seong Wangbo, who had once overseen their entire operation. He knew exactly how the fake organizations of the Dark Syndicate were created and dissolved, and where the money flowed.
My role was to apply physical pressure.
“Aaaargh!”
The Dark Lord screamed in agony as his veins twisted in pain.
The torture continued until it was time for a break.
With his head hanging low, he spoke with difficulty.
”…Torturing someone over money? Is that all you’re capable of?”
“Over money? You betrayed your master for money, poisoned a young girl, and even tried to kill her. You even attempted to murder an infant. You’re a monster. That’s why I’m dealing with you personally.”
I meant it. A creature like him was too dangerous for ordinary people to handle.
“Alright, break’s over. Shall we continue?”
“The Dark Lord will come to rescue me!”
“By all means, let him try. Please.”
I resumed the torture, increasing its intensity.
He writhed in pain, his massive body shaking.
I didn’t see him as human. Anyone who would annihilate an innocent family, including a baby and a young girl, was not human in my eyes.
“Is that all you’ve got? You’re right. Compared to you, my malice is lacking. I need to try harder.”
I pressed down on his pressure points even more forcefully.
“Aaaaah!”
A scream of madness erupted. I had pressed his jaw’s pressure point just enough to prevent him from biting his tongue and ending it all.
But even without that, he wouldn’t have taken his own life. He had too much wealth left to lose.
Once again, he surrendered. Despite having learned some martial arts, he was a merchant, not a warrior. He couldn’t endure the physical torment.
“I’ll talk. Just please, stop!”
I brought in Seong Wangbo and Gong Suchan from the other room.
He confessed to them how to recover the hidden assets.
In just two days, the amount recovered approached a billion nyang.
He offered up that much just to get a brief respite from the torture, hoping his organization might rescue him.
The real fortune he had hidden was yet to be revealed, and if we uncovered all the assets scattered across the land, the sum would be astronomical.
The more he revealed, the longer the breaks he got. If he tried to be clever, the treatment became harsher.
I wasn’t in a hurry.
This was the secret to dealing with true villains. The more evil the enemy, the less you should rush. Facing evil can make you lose your cool and your reason.
They always exploit those human emotions. So, stay calm.
The Dark Lord glared at me with eyes full of hatred.
I smiled, fanning the flames of his hatred.
Yes, keep it up. Hate me more! This is just the beginning.
That thirst for revenge will eventually make you spill everything—your entire fortune, your comrades, and even the Dark Lord himself.