Juyang ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) stopped in his tracks on the way back to Tongcheongak.

His heart kept pounding as if it might burst.

The gaze of Geom Mugeuk, who had looked at him earlier, flashed through his mind, and he couldn’t shake the image of the coin on the table piercing through his palm.

One of the swordsmen walking with him asked,

“Not coming?”

“Go ahead. Keep today’s matter absolutely secret.”

“Yes!”

Juyang sent the swordsmen on ahead and sat down briefly by the roadside. He had never experienced anything like this before, so he felt angry, humiliated, and scared all at once.

The Tongcheongak business was his calling.

He had felt a rush of exhilaration at the sight of people bowing their heads to him, begging for loans. There was no job more enjoyable than persuading them with kind words.

How entertaining it was to see those who couldn’t pay interest crying and begging! He even felt relief at others’ misfortune.

Controlling and manipulating someone’s life like this was pure happiness.

Yet for the first time, he felt a crisis shaking the arrogant life he had lived. More terrifying than the fear of his hand being pierced was the fear that he might lose this business.

“How do I deal with this?”

He needed to solve this before the Tongcheongak chief, Jeokpae (Red Wolf), heard about it. If Jeokpae found out... Juyang shook his head. Jeokpae was the kind of man who made sure to hold someone responsible for any losses.

Geom Mugeuk might pierce his hand, but Jeokpae would pierce his neck. That’s the kind of man he was.

At that moment, Juyang’s eyes met with some villagers passing by. They flinched, bowed their heads in greeting, and hurried along. Their hurried pace conveyed their fear of him.

Had the evil deeds of ruining others’ lives finally been punished?

But Juyang was no one to reflect like that. If he had been, he wouldn’t have been caught in such a situation in the first place. Instead, he thought,

“I have to get that interest one way or another.”

He thought of someone suitable for the job, sprang up, and moved forward, shooting sharper, more irritable looks at everyone he passed today.

The next day, Juyang did not come to collect the money.

“If he doesn’t come, I’ll go find him,”

Geom Mugeuk said, heading straight to Tongcheongak. Today, someone else was lending money where Juyang usually sat.

When he asked where Juyang was, he was told that Juyang was ill and didn’t come out.

Geom Mugeuk stepped outside the training ground and shouted,

“Juyang! I came to collect interest, so come out quickly! Juyang! Mr. Joo! Great Hero Joo!”

The swordsmen of Tongcheongak came out to see the commotion. Interest collection? A debtor who was always running away?

There had never been such a scene at Tongcheongak, so everyone watched curiously.

“Juyang! Come out quickly!”

Hearing this, Juyang hurriedly came out of the building.

“You!”

Unlike yesterday’s cold treatment, Geom Mugeuk smiled warmly as he looked at him.

“You said you were sick, but you look fine.”

“Where do you think this is to cause such a fuss?”

“You said if you didn’t come, I’d come find you.”

No matter what, Juyang never expected him to come and cause such a scene. Who else might be here? This place handled huge sums of money—was there not a single expert who could kill him?

That was the first thought that came to Juyang’s mind. How skilled was he, and what was his intention? Leaving all that aside,

“This guy’s crazy.”

Geom Mugeuk extended his hand.

“Here, take your interest.”

It couldn’t be otherwise.

The watching swordsmen murmured among themselves. Those who had been at the inn yesterday stood tensely one step back, while others giggled, enjoying the spectacle.

At that moment,

“Is that Juyang?”

A heavy voice announced as a man appeared.

He was dragging a bloodied man by one hand.

As he entered, the swordsmen all bowed their heads in greeting. This was Janhak (Cruel Crane), the true swordsman of this Tongcheongak.

Janhak was the man who stepped in when troubles arose with martial artists and was the first person Juyang went to meet after returning yesterday.

One fact alone explained what kind of man he was: everyone joked that his name was an abbreviation of “Cruel and Merciless” (Janhakmudo). Some even believed it to be true.

Janhak was indeed a brutal man. Everyone who exposed and opposed Tongcheongak’s misdeeds had died at Janhak’s hands.

“Yes, that’s me,”

Juyang answered, and Janhak threw the dragged man forward.

The man flopped weakly on the ground.

Geom Mugeuk approached and examined him. The man, battered all over, barely opened his eyes.

“...Kill me.”

That was his first word.

How much pain must he have been in to say that first, without even knowing who his opponent was?

Meanwhile, Janhak, the one who had done this to the man, remained calm.

“At first, that guy was as arrogant as you. He jumped over that wall as if he’d fly and landed in the middle of the yard. What a so-called hero.”

The watching swordsmen burst out laughing.

“He stood there giving a long speech about justice and alliance. Called us money bugs and trash. Didn’t even know who the real trash was.”

The man reacted to being called trash.

“...I’m trash, I’m trash.”

It was words forced into him by Janhak. The man was half out of his mind from brutal torture.

Geom Mugeuk examined his body.

His dantian was broken, and all his limbs and muscles were severed, so he would spend his life bedridden. Even if a healer came, his body could not recover; this was something no human should have done.

While Geom Mugeuk was examining him, Janhak silently approached. He had already heard what the opponent had done to Juyang with a coin yesterday. If the rumors were true, it meant he was a formidable expert.

He thought to subdue him by surprise and keep playing with that guy for a while.

While this dying trash was cared for, they would be defenseless.

“Idiot! What’s with all this loyalty and morality? I’ll fix that mindset of yours right now!”

Just as Janhak was about to strike a blow,

Sssiiing!

Thud.

Following the sound of wind and something piercing,

Bang!

Something hit the wall of the building behind.

Screeeech.

The impact was so great that cracks spread around like a spiderweb.

Juyang was shocked to see what was lodged in the wall.

It was a coin.

Blood dripped from the coin, running down the wall.

“Blood? Why blood? Could it be...?”

Juyang reflexively looked at Janhak.

Janhak was still standing right there, touching his forehead as if it itched. He seemed about to say something but mumbled incoherently.

Soon his body slowly collapsed.

Thunk!

Blood was flowing from his already lifeless forehead.

The coin had pierced Janhak’s forehead, passed through his skull, and lodged into the wall.

Everyone was horrified at his death.

How many times had they seen Janhak? How many martial artists had he killed and toyed with?

But to die with a coin piercing his forehead without even swinging a sword once? It felt unreal, like an act staged with that young man.

The tortured man had tears in his eyes. If he ever escaped, he swore to kill him, holding on to that single thought.

“You might want to repay with the same torture, but he’s not worth it. That would be treating him like a human.”

As always, Geom Mugeuk attached no value to the death of villains. That was how he could keep dealing with endless villains. Like moving a blocking stone aside and walking on.

But to this man, he gave meaning. Though he had never met him or even known his name, he understood him through his actions.

“No one crossed that wall for others. Neither Cheonma Sin Gyo, nor Satan Alliance, nor even the Righteous Alliance. Everyone either didn’t care, or colluded, or considered it a necessary evil.”

Geom Mugeuk firmly grasped the man’s hand.

“You lived a fine life. Because of you, many will be freed from suffering.”

A faint smile appeared on the man’s lips. With his eyes, he gave his last request to be killed, and Geom Mugeuk granted it. It was a sign of respect.

“Farewell, Great Hero.”

Geom Mugeuk placed his hand on the man’s crown.

There was no pain in that touch. The man breathed his last with a peaceful expression.

After laying him down, Geom Mugeuk stood up.

Those who had been giggling before held their breath silently.

They had expected him to rage like a storm and sweep everything away, but Geom Mugeuk was calm. That made Juyang even more afraid.

Geom Mugeuk held out the remaining coin to Juyang and said,

“One more left. Want me to give it? Come and take it.”

Juyang understood that the man meant another coin would be lodged in the wall.

“No, I will take it.”

Juyang ran forward and reached out his hand. His heart pounded and he felt dizzy.

In the tense atmosphere with everyone watching, Geom Mugeuk slowly placed the coin on his palm.

This time, his hand might really be shattered...

But the coin lightly settled on his palm again.

“...What do you want?”

As if saying it wasn’t something to tell a guy like him, Geom Mugeuk said while carrying the corpse of the man away in long strides,

“Make sure you come tomorrow to pay the interest.”

Juyang went straight to find Jeokpae, the chief.

If he wanted to keep his life, he had to report before a report was made about him. If he didn’t take the first beating, the later one would take his life.

Jeokpae did not stay at Tongcheongak. He did not consider that place safe with so many people coming and going every day.

He lived in a fortress-like manor in a remote location. Masters guarded him in layers, and deep inside was a harem of beauties. He was a man who knew how to spend his money.

Juyang took a deep breath and composed himself in front of Jeokpae’s residence. Having worked under Jeokpae for over ten years, he knew what kind of man he was. The most selfish person he knew. He treated others’ lives like a fly’s.

That was how he could make this business thrive.

The crazy guy claiming to be the Little Pill Master of the heretical sect turned out to be an expert.

If Juyang made this report, Jeokpae would throw anything within reach at him. If he were peeling an apple, a knife would fly; if painting, an inkstone would fly. He threw inkstones, not brushes.

Fortunately, Jeokpae was playing with an abacus and checking his accounts. Though he looked like a savage wolf, he became a fox when calculating money.

It was wise to keep silent when he was calculating.

The abacus beads suddenly stopped clicking.

“There was an incident involving a martial artist.”

Jeokpae didn’t react much. How many times had a martial artist interfered in Tongcheongak’s business? They had always resolved it somehow and overcome crises.

“A young guy borrowed ten nyang.”

“Ten nyang?”

Jeokpae looked up and gave Juyang a look. He wasn’t here for a mere ten nyang problem.

“Janhak died because of that.”

Shh. Thud!

An abacus flew and hit Juyang’s head hard. The corner of the abacus cut his forehead and blood streamed down.

“I told you to distinguish the problematic ones from the start.”

“Sorry.”

“You’ve been eating at Yeomwangchae so long, yet you can’t handle this one properly.”

Apologizing repeatedly, Juyang lowered his head.

“What kind of guy?”

“A crazy guy claiming to be the Little Pill Master of the heretical sect.”

Thud!

Something else flew and struck Juyang’s face.

“How could a crazy guy kill Janhak?”

Juyang apologized again, bowing deeply. But it wasn’t that the Little Pill Master had killed him, was it? He swallowed the words he wanted to say.

“How will you take responsibility?”

“I will accept the punishment willingly.”

“Are you sure it’s not a heretic?”

“The investigator reported he’s not. Even I think he’s not a demon.”

Jeokpae motioned him out disdainfully. Since Juyang had been running Tongcheongak without mistakes lately, this would probably end here.

Left alone, Jeokpae muttered softly,

“Find out and handle it yourself.”

From behind the wall came a short “Yes.”

Jeokpae took a new abacus from his desk drawer and began calculating again.

“Why does this not add up?”

Sometimes when keeping accounts, the calculations just won’t match up. Mistakes after mistakes. Today was such a day.

The next day, Juyang ran again to Jeokpae’s residence after being summoned.

Jeokpae stood in the middle of the courtyard, wearing a serious expression.

A corpse lay before him. It was the right hand whom Jeokpae had sent out by order just yesterday.

Juyang knew well how skilled he was. He was Jeokpae’s right hand, the subordinate whom he had spent a fortune to recruit, capable of easily handling even Janhak.

He also knew who had killed him.

Two coins were placed on the corpse’s forehead.

It was as if the coins were saying,

—Today’s interest has been paid.

Juyang’s heart sank. The fear he had felt until yesterday was not fear. He felt primal terror rising from the depths of his chest.

His gaze wouldn’t leave the coins.

“What are these coins?”

Two coins that had become the scariest things in the world.

“Today’s interest.”

Jeokpae glared at Juyang fiercely.

“You… just who did you lend money to?”

Juyang expected Jeokpae to react like this. He was always the one to look for someone to hold responsible when trouble arose.

You sent someone to kill me!

Swallowing the words, Juyang said,

“I’ll go and find out what he wants.”

“Don’t you get it even after seeing this? What he wants is our money. What business would such an expert have different from ours?”

Jeokpae was the kind of man who was certain that those who opposed him were only after his money. Surprisingly, this assumption was usually correct.

“You said he’s a demon?”

“He bragged about being the Little Pill Master of the heretical sect.”

“Are you sure he’s not?”

“Absolutely not.”

By this point, Juyang wondered if the investigator’s report might have been wrong.

But he answered with an ‘absolutely’ anyway. It had to be absolutely not.

Then Jeokpae’s solution was clear.

“The fake must be dealt with by the real one.”

He had spent that money for a day like today.

“We’ll show them how terrifying the real heretics are.”