Chapter 20
The space that appeared when the door opened was a small cubbyhole with one desk and a few chairs.
In that empty room, I sat down in a familiar manner.
“Elder Brother, is it all right to sit...?”
“Ah, it’s fine. Sit down. Someone will be here soon.”
I reassured the Youngest, whose eyes were filled with anxiety, and had him sit. After that, time passed.
*Ah, damn it, why aren’t they coming?*
Even I, who had told the Youngest it was fine, felt anxious as a considerable amount of time passed.
Could it be that the Sichuan Branch Leader had changed? It had been a year and a half since I was last here, so it was certainly possible.
*If the person in charge changed, I’m completely screwed...*
Just as I was slowly losing confidence...
*Creak-.*
“...!”
I felt the door open behind me.
When I turned around, what I faced was...
“Damn it, what took you so long? I thought you’d been fired.”
“Hahaha, as if! What can I do? I was held up by some business. My apologies.”
...It was the face of a genial-looking middle-aged man.
When I saw him and laughed with relief, he also laughed and spread his arms wide.
“Welcome to Haomun (Haomun), my friend.”
The place I had come to was Haomun. More precisely, it was the Haomun Sichuan Branch.
And the middle-aged man who had come to greet me was Munseok, the Haomun Sichuan Branch Leader.
Haomun (Haomun).
Its name literally meant the “Sect of the Low (Low) and Dirty (Dirty)”, and its name perfectly matched the organization’s nature.
This was because those affiliated with Haomun were the marginalized of the martial world: attendants, courtesans, butchers, blacksmiths, assassins, low-ranking martial artists, and so on.
Nevertheless, among Martial Artists, not many dared to disregard Haomun.
The fearsome power of Haomun came from the sheer number of its members. Not only did Haomun itself not know the exact number of its members, but most of those marginalized in the martial world were affiliated with Haomun, making its scale enormous.
In this world, it’s practically the largest and strongest Unorthodox Faction.
While individual members might be weak, their collective power was immense, making them formidable. Moreover, since they were originally people who handled dirty work, they were experts at illegal activities.
And those illegal activities included handling stolen goods.
That’s right.
I intended to sell the Shanxi Yu Clan’s items to Haomun.
A successful negotiation was crucial to get the best possible price from them, so I began my probing, sipping the tea he offered.
Preliminary probing usually begins with casual conversation or exchanging updates.
But then...
“The last time I saw you... was about a year and a half ago, wasn’t it? Back then, you looked like a complete beggar, but now you’re looking much better!”
“Ah... that was a really tough time. Well, Mister, your complexion certainly looks better too.”
“Haha! Is that so? Even if it’s just empty words, I appreciate it! So, Muyeon. What brings you here after a year and a half?”
“Oh, just for a few things, you know... Wait a minute...”
Sensing something strange in the conversation, I spat out the tea I was drinking.
“The name Muyeon... How did you know it...?”
“...”
I had never leaked any information about my name to these Haomun bastards.
But how did this bastard know to mention Muyeon?
When I asked, flustered, the smile completely vanished from Munseok’s face.
“Do you think there’s any information Haomun doesn’t know?”
“...”
Munseok, speaking like that, resembled the shadowy mastermind in a horror movie revealing himself as the culprit.
Overwhelmed by his aura, I hesitated for a moment, but...
“...Pfft.”
“...?”
“Hahahaha! So you’re capable of getting nervous too, my friend! Hahahaha!”
Perhaps my stiff face was amusing, as Munseok suddenly burst into laughter.
“...What the hell, you bastard.”
When I failed to grasp the situation, my reaction seemed to amuse him even more, and he started laughing louder.
“Hahahaha! Did you fall off a persimmon tree sometime in the last year and a half? The sharpness in your eyes is completely gone! Hahahaha!”
...Shut up and tell me how you knew the name Muyeon.”
“Now, quite a few people in the world know your name, I imagine? Just wait a moment. I have something to show you.”
Munseok told us to wait, then left through the door with a beaming smile, only to return quickly.
In his hand was a piece of paper.
He handed the paper to me and the Youngest to look at, and on that paper was...
“This... what is this?”
“It looks like your face, Elder Brother...?”
My Wanted Poster was drawn on it. Moreover, below it was...
“Name: Muyeon. Bring him in alive... 10 Gold Gwan?”
...An outrageous bounty of 10 Gold Gwan was placed on my head.
Naturally, I was utterly dumbfounded.
“Damn it, who the hell is it? Who’s trying to catch me, revealing my name and face?”
“Haomun doesn’t know the reason. However, we do know who issued this order.”
“Who is it?! I’ll go right now and chew them to pieces.”
When I, agitated, asked, Munseok smiled faintly and answered.
“The Shanxi Yu Clan.”
“What...?”
“To be precise, Yoo Somyung, the esteemed daughter of the Shanxi Yu Clan.”
“She, she... put a bounty on me?”
“Yes.”
Only then could I recall what had happened at the Shanxi Yu Clan.
“Then... your... name... please... I wish to know my Benefactor”s name...’
*“...Muyeon.”*
Ah.
Normally, I would never have done that.
Back then, I had been seduced by Yoo Somyung’s pleading eyes and ended up telling her my name.
I regretted it later, but I thought nothing would come of it. This damn bitch...
“That wretched woman... is repaying kindness with enmity.”
“Hoo... so the Shanxi Yu Clan stabbed you in the back?”
When Munseok subtly questioned me, I nodded weakly.
I never thought Somyung would do such a thing... My head felt numb with betrayal.
Munseok observed my reaction, then asked again.
“Then, your reason for coming all this way must also be related to the Shanxi Yu Clan, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“What exactly is it? Tell me.”
At this point, preliminary probing was meaningless anyway, so I decided to lay all my cards on the table. I gestured to the Youngest, and we placed all our items on the table.
“I stole several items from the Shanxi Yu Clan, and I want to sell them to Haomun.”
“...These... are you talking about secret manuals and elixirs? They all... they all look like treasures of the Shanxi Yu Clan. You stole all of this...?”
“Yep.”
When I answered confidently, it was Munseok who looked dumbfounded.
“No, you were just acting all wronged earlier! You said the Shanxi Yu Clan stabbed you in the back, that they repaid kindness with enmity! Isn’t this just the Shanxi Yu Clan taking justified revenge?”
*If it were me, I’d have put a bounty on you too!*
Munseok seemed to be saying that. However, from my perspective, I felt truly wronged.
“No, I saved their Clan from ruin, saved their lives. I did all that for them, and I can’t even get this much?”
“Haha, your shamelessness hasn’t changed a bit, then or now. Well, the details of the incident don’t really concern me. What’s important to us right now is...”
Suddenly, the air grew heavy.
“How much are these Shanxi Yu Clan items worth, isn’t it?”
“...”
This was the beginning of the true negotiation.
Munseok, the Haomun Sichuan Branch Leader, a man of considerable experience, spoke first.
“50 Gold Gwan.”
“Shut up.”
“60 Gold Gwan.”
“Don’t be ridiculous.”
But this man. He was being quite stingy. Was 60 Gold Gwan even reasonable for the value of these items?
I expressed my firm refusal, but Munseok was just as unyielding. He continued, smiling as if I were laughable.
“My apologies. Haomun is a bit short on funds these days. I don’t think we can offer more than 60 Gold Gwan.”
“It’s not like you’ve only been pretending to be poor for a day or two, is it? Do you think I don’t know that all the Inns, Taverns, and Courtesan Houses here in Sichuan belong to Haomun? Where do you get off spouting nonsense about being short on funds?”
“Hmm... as expected, you don’t leave any openings when you speak.”
“If you think that, then just add more to the price without complaint...”
“Even so, Haomun cannot offer a higher price.”
“...”
Munseok’s words, sharp as a blade, cut me off.
Since he wasn’t joking and spoke with sincerity, I also released my Aura to convey my sincerity to him.
“...”
“...”
It was a certain level of threat, but Munseok didn’t even bat an eye. However, it felt a bit much to unleash Killing Intent, so it was I who backed down first.
“Haa... Hey, Munseok Ajae. Do you know how hard I worked to steal those? If I had been going to get only 60 Gold Gwan, I wouldn’t have done such a dangerous thing.”
“I understand your frustration. However, Haomun’s stance is that we cannot offer a higher price. Still, since you and I have a connection, I can personally offer up to 65 Gold Gwan.”
“No, 60 Gold Gwan or 65 Gold Gwan, damn it...”
“Then shall we just settle for 60 Gold Gwan? Why not just take the 65 Gold Gwan when it’s offered? After all, you...
Munseok took a sip of tea and delivered his final blow.
“If not for Haomun, there’s no one else who would buy these, is there?”
“...”
Only Haomun could buy the Shanxi Yu Clan’s items.
This was the core of the negotiation and Haomun’s ultimate trump card.
Munseok probably thought that I had no choice but to sell the items for 65 Gold Gwan.
...And, in fact, he was right.
Ah, damn it. These Haomun bastards are really tight-fisted... They’re slashing the price without even negotiating.
To be honest, I had already anticipated that these Haomun fellows would be this stubborn before I even arrived. So, I was prepared for the negotiation to be difficult.
...Until I entered this room.
However, the moment I stepped into this room, I knew I could be the winner of this negotiation.
*Thump.*
I deliberately placed my hand on the table with a loud sound, then smiled.
“Haa... your capacity is too small, Munseok Ajae, I can’t talk to you. Can’t I talk to someone else?”
“Haha, I apologize for my small capacity, but please understand that I’m the only one you can talk to.”
“What are you talking about? There’s someone else here besides you, Mister.”
“...What?”
Munseok’s face showed a flustered expression at my words. The Youngest next to me was also surprised.
“Are you perhaps talking about me, Elder Brother?”
“Let’s step aside when we need to, Youngest.”
“Hmph.”
After pushing aside the Youngest, who wasn’t of the caliber to be involved in this matter, I looked back at Munseok. My face was already filled with confidence.
That was because I had just subtly landed a blow on them.
From the start, these arrogant Haomun bastards, perhaps thinking I wouldn’t know, revealed their weakness when they greeted me.
So, I had no choice but to seize the opportunity and attack the opponent’s weakness right in front of me.
“If it’s someone higher than the Sichuan Branch Leader... is it the Haomun Leader?”
“...What exactly do you mean by that?”
Munseok’s voice had long since turned cold. I told him clearly, without missing a single word.
“I want to speak directly with the Haomun Leader who’s secretly listening in here like a rat... That’s what I meant.”
“...”
This Mister
He was capable of such an intense gaze.
I had suppressed my Killing Intent, but Munseok did not.
The Killing Intent he emitted alone made the room feel as if its temperature had dropped a notch.