WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME NOVELS

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Former Supreme ◈

Chapter 22: How Much Is My Life Worth? (2)

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Cheon Yangho was drinking at a tavern.

A man entered and sat across from him.

"What brings you here without even sending word?"

It was Gwak, Branch Chief of the Pojiang Branch of the Zhejiang Division. Cheon Yangho had come all the way to the branch to see him.

"I came to see an old friend. Since I was in the area, I thought I'd stop by."

"How many years has it been?"

"One or two years, I suppose."

"Time really flies."

The two had joined the Murim Alliance at the same time.

Truthfully, Gwak did not particularly like Cheon Yangho. He was the sort of person who readily used others for personal gain. His reputation among their peers was not very good, either.

Still, Gwak smiled before him for one miserable reason. Cheon Yangho was doing well. He was openly called one of the Zhejiang Division's power brokers. If Gwak rubbed him the wrong way, the Pojiang Branch would surely face nothing but trouble.

Among their peers, Cheon Yangho was like shit. They avoided him because he stank.

"You're not the type to come all this way without a reason. So, what is it?"

"I have something to ask you."

"Go ahead."

"When you were at headquarters, you served in the White Dragon Corps, didn't you?"

"I did."

Gwak had once been doing well at headquarters. Then he made a major mistake during an operation and was demoted here.

"You must know the Iron Sword Corps well, too."

"I know enough."

"Have you heard of Baek Socheon?"

Gwak flinched. The name erased even the thought, 'That bastard. Of course he didn't come just because he wanted to see me.'

"Why do you ask about him?"

"So you do know him."

"I'm asking why you want to know."

"You know about the incident at the Wencheng Branch this time, don't you?"

"The Liang Qiu incident? I heard some lunatic killed his entire family."

"That's right. When I went down to investigate it, Baek Socheon was there. He seemed unusual, so he caught my interest."

"He was doing well in the Iron Sword Corps. His skills were exceptional, too."

Gwak decided to say only that much.

In truth, Gwak knew Baek Socheon well. He knew that Baek Socheon had risen not only to Corps Commander of the Iron Sword Corps but also to head of the Secret Pavilion before being demoted.

But a gag order had been issued concerning Baek Socheon. Carelessly talking about anything related to the Secret Pavilion could bring serious trouble. Gwak still had not given up hope of returning to headquarters.

If Cheon Yangho had been closer to him, or even just a fellow classmate Gwak was happy to see, he might have revealed those facts and warned him never to repeat them. But Cheon Yangho would get no more than this.

"Then why did Baek Socheon come to the Wencheng Branch?"

"He was injured and can no longer use internal energy."

"He can't use internal energy?"

"That's right."

Cheon Yangho was puzzled. There was no way Black Hand could have been defeated by someone without internal energy.

"Was he really that strong in martial arts?"

"Yes, very strong. He was at least Squad Leader level."

Without going into specifics, Gwak had spoken in a way that was neither truth nor lie.

"Thank you. Let's meet again sometime."

Cheon Yangho rose and left.

Gwak watched him depart the moment he had heard what he wanted and found it absurd.

He was glad not to have told him everything. Cheon Yangho had even left without paying for the drinks. Wasn't it only natural to buy someone a drink after getting information from them?

'What a rude bastard.'

Gwak did not know why Cheon Yangho was looking into Baek Socheon.

'Still, I hope Martial Artist Baek gives you a proper beating!'

That was Gwak's honest feeling.

Of course, he did not know that Cheon Yangho was entangled with Baek Socheon far more deeply than he imagined.

Had he known, the price of those drinks would never have seemed regrettable.

* * *

Black Hand never appeared.

They searched even the back alleys, wondering if he had gotten senselessly drunk somewhere and was rolling around with a woman, but they could not find him.

Wang Gon thought it would be better if Black Hand had been unable to bear the humiliation and fled. At least then, there would be no powerful enemy who had killed him.

Yet that was unlikely, and what Wang Gon had feared was slowly becoming reality.

"Baek Socheon must have dealt with him."

When he heard that someone who had been a Squad Leader in the Iron Sword Corps had been sent all the way out here, he should have realized it. That bastard was the same kind of person as him. That was why he could kill without hesitation and cover it up afterward.

There were two ways to deal with him.

Win him over, or get rid of him.

If he dragged this out, the Mythic Gang Leader would learn of these matters. Before that happened, Wang Gon had to settle everything and show that all was under his control.

Just then, a subordinate came to report.

"Cheon Yangho requests an audience."

This meeting would decide which of the two methods Wang Gon chose.

* * *

A carriage stood in the forest near the Wencheng Branch.

It was the same carriage Wang U had ridden in before, but this time Wang Gon sat inside.

Cheon Yangho appeared cautiously after checking whether anyone was following him.

The moment he climbed into the carriage, Wang Gon skipped the greetings and got straight to the point.

"Did you find any trace of Black Hand in the branch?"

"No, I did not."

"It's highly likely that Baek Socheon did it."

"I looked into him separately."

Cheon Yangho relayed what he had heard from Gwak.

"He was doing very well in the Iron Sword Corps?"

"Yes. I heard he wasn't merely Squad Leader level. His skills were outstanding."

"Impressive for a young bastard."

"He's not young. He's thirty-eight."

"What?"

Wang Gon was startled.

Thirty-eight meant he had been through every kind of hardship.

"Damn it."

Now he understood the composure Baek Socheon had shown while beating him and Black Hand that day.

'I've provoked the wrong person.'

That was not the only problem.

'If this bastard investigates the incident with Im Chung, I'll be in serious trouble.'

Cheon Yangho noticed Wang Gon's grave expression and spoke cautiously.

"I'll look into him further. For the time being, it would be best not to meet with me, considering the attention it might draw."

Wang Gon thought Cheon Yangho was trying to pull out of the matter.

'You bastard, it won't be that easy.'

The moment Cheon Yangho accepted his first bribe, there had been no way out. No matter how much he struggled, the net wrapped around him would only tighten. Wang Gon had no intention of letting him go so easily.

"You need to get rid of him for me."

Cheon Yangho was startled. In truth, he had suggested avoiding contact to see how Wang Gon would react. He had not expected Wang Gon to so directly request Baek Socheon's death.

Between winning him over and eliminating him, Wang Gon had chosen elimination.

Leaving a troublesome enemy alive would bring grave consequences later. The pain in his injured face, along with the discomfort and irritation caused by Black Hand's absence, had also played a part in that decision.

"I can't do that."

"You can."

Wang Gon handed him an envelope he had prepared in advance.

Inside were ten banknotes worth one thousand nyang each, issued by the Central Plains Bank. It was an enormous sum compared to what Cheon Yangho usually received from him.

Ten thousand nyang.

A Unit Commander's annual salary was eleven hundred nyang. He could earn the amount that took nine full years of work by getting rid of one person.

Ten thousand nyang. It was not an amount that could be easily refused.

Cheon Yangho stared silently at the envelope as his mind raced.

'That miser is offering ten thousand nyang? Why is he in such a hurry?'

Was it because Baek Socheon had beaten him? Because he believed Black Hand had died at Baek Socheon's hands? Even so, there was no reason to spend such a huge sum.

Then one explanation came to him.

'As expected! They were behind the Liang Qiu incident.'

Wang U's reaction had already given him some idea, but he had still doubted it.

Cheon Yangho could never let Wang Gon notice that he had figured this out. If he did, Wang Gon would try to get rid of him, too.

"It's a large sum, but I serve the Murim Alliance. I can't kill a fellow member. Besides, he's the man who took down Black Hand."

Cheon Yangho had never fought Black Hand, but he was certain Black Hand's skills surpassed his own by at least one level.

"Still, if you put your mind to it, there must be a way."

"Well..."

Cheon Yangho trailed off, merely trying to gauge Wang Gon's reaction, when unexpected words came out.

"I'll give you another ten thousand nyang once the job is done."

"...!"

"Don't get greedy. I'm already angry enough as it is."

Cheon Yangho was not being greedy. Only one thought filled his mind.

'Twenty thousand nyang!'

It was nearly twenty years' worth of earnings. It was enough money to change his life.

"Figure out how to get rid of him yourself. But don't drag it out. Handle it as quickly as possible. Will you do it, or give up twenty thousand nyang?"

The scales in Cheon Yangho's heart had already tipped to one side. Nothing could outweigh twenty thousand nyang.

All that remained was deciding how to eliminate Baek Socheon.

"I'll do it."

"Good."

Wang Gon handed Cheon Yangho the envelope of money. As Cheon Yangho tucked it into his clothes, he said,

"When he dies, the division will investigate. It would be fortunate if the investigation is assigned to me, but if someone else handles it, they may suspect you, Hall Leader."

"That is possible."

"Use Black Hand's disappearance then."

"Pin it on him?"

"Wasn't he always extremely proud of his martial arts? Make it look as if he acted on his own and vanished afterward."

Cheon Yangho pretended to be looking out for Wang Gon while also preparing an escape route for himself.

"Good idea."

Even if Black Hand's corpse was discovered later, it would not matter. By then, everyone here would have already been replaced.

After Cheon Yangho left, Wang U climbed from the driver's seat into the back of the carriage.

"Father, isn't twenty thousand nyang too much?"

What made it worse was that this was not the Mythic Gang's public funds, but their personal wealth. To Wang U, it was an inheritance he would receive someday.

Wang U's dream was to inherit his father's position. He wanted nothing more. If he lived just like his father, he could live like a king here in Wencheng. For that to happen, his father's coffers could not be emptied.

"It is a lot. But it needs to be this much for that bastard to move."

"Even so, it's twenty thousand nyang."

"Don't regret it. Those twenty thousand nyang will become a shackle around his neck for the rest of his life. He'll become our dog."

Wang Gon had already tasted the sweetness of power. He would climb higher by any means for an even stronger taste. If necessary, he could pour out his entire fortune for that purpose.

"Power is money. As long as you hold power tightly, you can make money whenever you want. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Wang U's answer was reluctant. He had tasted the flavor of money before the flavor of power. Not some grand fortune, either, but this paltry sort of pleasure.

'...Even so, twenty thousand nyang is such a waste. With that money, I could eat, drink, and play at the Hundred Flowers House for a whole year...'

* * *

Cheon Yangho did not delay Baek Socheon's elimination.

Waiting until tomorrow would not create an opportunity that did not exist today, nor would it weaken his target.

Suppressing his presence, Cheon Yangho cautiously approached Baek Socheon's residence.

Twenty thousand nyang was a sum he could never refuse.

There were two more reasons he had made this decision.

First, he had learned that Baek Socheon possessed no internal energy. No matter how skilled someone was, without internal energy, they were only an empty shell.

The final reason was the small cylindrical hidden weapon in his hand.

Ten-Step Death Needle.

The poison coating its needle was lethally potent, and it was said to strike its target without fail within ten steps. Because of that deadly danger, despite being a single-use weapon, it was classified as a Prohibited Hidden Weapon by the Murim Alliance. Simply possessing one was a grave crime deserving imprisonment in the martial prison.

Cheon Yangho had acquired it by chance and kept it hidden ever since. He had always intended to use it at the moment that would change his fate.

That moment had come together with twenty thousand nyang!

He sensed a presence in the courtyard. Judging by the sounds, Baek Socheon appeared to be training in martial arts.

'Even better.'

When a person was focused on training, it was the perfect chance for a surprise attack. On the other hand, Baek Socheon had no internal energy, so he would not be able to detect Cheon Yangho's presence from more than ten steps away.

Baek Socheon was conditioning his body beneath the moonlight.

Today, he was doing one-finger handstand push-ups. After finishing a set, he switched fingers and started again.

It was training so intense that it was hard to believe anyone could do it without a shred of internal energy. Sweat poured from him like rain.

A man was demonstrating the endurance to withstand the utmost pain, but instead of applauding, Cheon Yangho took out his hidden weapon.

Unaware that his way of life had kept him from getting proper information from a fellow classmate, Cheon Yangho aimed the Ten-Step Death Needle at Baek Socheon from darkness as deep as his own heart.

Footnotes:

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