WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME NOVELS

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Former Supreme ◈

Chapter 24: When the Enemy Reaches Out (1)

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"Cheon Yangho is dead."

Im Chung and Beon Saeng blinked at Baek Socheon's words. At first, they thought they had misheard.

"Who's dead?"

"Viper Cheon."

Hearing it in two parts made them miss their chance to be properly shocked. Beon Saeng still looked dazed as he asked, "How?"

"I killed him."

A brief silence followed. Then, as they pieced together what had happened...

"You killed Cheon Yangho...!"

Beon Saeng clamped a hand over his mouth before he could cry out in surprise.

"Why did you kill him?"

"He came to kill me last night. Apparently, Wang Gon paid him to do it."

"Good heavens!"

It was hard to believe. They knew Cheon Yangho was a corrupt martial artist, but they had never imagined he would accept money to kill a fellow martial artist. He was still a Unit Commander of the Murim Alliance.

Beon Saeng lowered his voice.

"What did you do with the body?"

"Under your feet."

"Gah!"

Both men looked down at the ground.

"He's buried beside Black Hand."

It did not feel real at all. Cheon Yangho, who seemed ready to appear at any moment and annoy everyone, was now a corpse buried beneath their feet.

"What are you going to do now?"

"What else? Wait. Cheon Yangho is dead, so there'll be another move soon. They'll either try to kill me again or come to win me over. Either way, all I have to do is wait."

"What should we do?"

"Keep doing your work and wait. You two will have things to do soon enough."

Come to think of it, Wang Gon's side would not be the only ones coming.

Once Cheon Yangho's disappearance came to light, the Zhejiang Division would be thrown into chaos. One of its most influential figures had suddenly vanished.

Someone from the division would come down to investigate. Handling that person would be Im Chung's role.

As Im Chung stared at the ground beneath his feet, a question suddenly came to mind.

'Will another corpse be buried here?'

* * *

"What? Cheon Yangho has disappeared?"

Hearing another report of someone vanishing, Wang Gon was startled.

"He hasn't shown up at the Alliance, and he isn't at his residence either."

Wang U's report made Wang Gon's expression go rigid. He had sent Cheon Yangho to kill Baek Socheon, and now the man had vanished. There was only one answer.

"That bastard got him."

Black Hand had disappeared in much the same way, so the conclusion was easy to reach.

"Could he have run off with the ten thousand nyang?"

"Ten thousand nyang is a large sum, but not enough for Cheon Yangho to abandon everything he has. That bastard definitely got him!"

"Cheon Yangho must have gone well prepared."

"That only means Baek Socheon is a formidable opponent."

Looking back, they had invested the enormous sum of twenty thousand nyang to kill him. Had there ever been another target like that?

"Shouldn't we inform headquarters now?"

Wang Gon frowned. His son did not understand the seriousness of their situation.

They had lost Black Hand, as well as Cheon Yangho, whom they had spent years buying off with steady bribes.

The ten thousand nyang given to Cheon Yangho had come from Wang Gon's personal funds, but the bribes paid to him before that had been Mythic Gang funds. Black Hand had also been an expert assigned to him by the Mythic Gang.

In a very short time, he had lost two of the gang's assets. Then he had further damaged its reputation by being arrested by the Murim Alliance branch.

The gang would surely hold him responsible.

Would he lose his position as Hall Leader?

It was possible, though not certain.

The only thing he could hope for was the ironworks project underway in Wencheng. Replacing the person in charge would delay the schedule. Still, he could not be sure it would protect him.

Even if he managed to keep his position as Hall Leader, this incident would seriously hinder his future advancement.

'This won't do!'

He had to turn this disadvantage around somehow.

Then Wang U thought of one possible method.

"What if we ask them..."

"Quiet."

Wang Gon frowned.

"Don't mention them carelessly!"

"My apologies."

The people they meant were the Seven Sword Society.

"And even if we wanted to commission them, we can't."

"Even if the commission fee is expensive, can't we afford it?"

"It's not about money."

"Then what is it about?"

"The Seven Sword Society only accepts assassination commissions from the Mythic Gang through Master Jong."

Master Jong's real name was unknown. He was an expert of the Mythic Gang who had earned the Mythic Gang Leader's complete trust.

He handled various matters for the gang, including all assassination commissions involving the Seven Sword Society.

"Does the Seven Sword Society not trust headquarters?"

"The opposite."

"What?"

"The Mythic Gang Leader doesn't trust the martial artists in the society. The Mythic Gang Leader must have made an agreement with the Seven Sword Society Master. Any assassination commission involving the Mythic Gang would only be accepted through Master Jong. If an assassination commission related to the Mythic Gang came through anyone else, the society was to report it to the Mythic Gang Leader. That way, at least the Mythic Gang Leader would not be killed by one of the Seven Sword Society's assassins."

"Ah!"

Wang U realized anew just how cautious the Mythic Gang Leader was. The Mythic Gang Leader was clever as well. At the very least, Zhejiang Province's greatest assassin organization would never be the one to kill the Mythic Gang Leader.

"If we can't ask for their help either... what do we do now?"

The only experts they knew were men below Black Hand's level. Mobilizing them for no reason would only produce more corpses and make the situation worse.

"I'll meet Baek Socheon myself."

"You can't, Father. It's too dangerous. He killed Black Hand and Cheon Yangho."

"I still have to meet him. A tiger is roaming inside the gate. Do you think hiding in a room and gripping the door handle will keep you safe?"

"What will you do when you meet him?"

"I'll win him over and make him our man."

Wang U looked blank for a moment at those unexpected words.

"He killed Black Hand and even Cheon Yangho, and you want to make him our man?"

"There are no eternal enemies or eternal allies in this world."

"How will you recruit him?"

"With money."

It was the method Wang Gon knew best and had the most confidence in.

"Will he accept it?"

"There's only one reason money doesn't work. The amount is insufficient."

Wang Gon could be so confident because he had wealth to rely on. Even before joining the Mythic Gang, he had been born into a rich family.

"I don't like this."

Wang U spoke politely, but protests were erupting in his heart.

'Father! No! You can't spend that money! It's the money you're supposed to leave me!'

Wang U had to protect his father's money at all costs. His father was planning to give this precious money to some nobody they had never even heard of?

His father said that as long as they had power, they could earn money whenever they wanted. But what if they lost their power too? They would end up as destitute beggars.

"Father! Why not inform the Mythic Gang Leader instead?"

"Then I'll be driven out of my position as Hall Leader."

"Even if you're driven out, wouldn't it be better to seek a chance to recover? I'm worried you'll spend all that money and gain nothing."

"You foolish fool! Do you think I'll have another chance if I'm pushed out of the Hall Leader's position? The Mythic Gang Leader will investigate everything about me and find out whether I've pocketed even a single nyang. Do you think there won't be any dirt to find?"

Considering how he had lived in Wencheng, the dust kicked up by that investigation would be enough to blind anyone.

"You don't know the Mythic Gang Leader yet. You don't know how cold and ruthless the Mythic Gang Leader is. I also know too many of the Mythic Gang's secrets. The moment I'm driven out as Hall Leader or demoted, both you and I will die."

Only after realizing that his father truly believed it did Wang U understand how grave the situation was.

"If I can recruit Baek Socheon instead, I can make up for every mistake so far. I'll say that the losses we suffered were unavoidable sacrifices made to gain an expert capable of killing Black Hand and Cheon Yangho."

"Will the Mythic Gang Leader accept that?"

Half certain and half hopeful, Wang Gon answered, "The Mythic Gang Leader looks only at ability. The Mythic Gang Leader will accept it."

* * *

Baek Socheon was drinking at an inn in the market.

Just as he was finishing a bottle of liquor, someone wearing a bamboo hat approached him.

"May I sit?"

It was Wang Gon.

"You have some nerve. What if you get beaten up again, coming to see me like this?"

Wang Gon looked around. "If you beat me in a place this crowded, you won't get away unharmed either."

"That's true. A tavern is for drinking."

Baek Socheon poured him a drink. Wang Gon drank it.

"I have some news for you. We've decided not to report you for excessive use of force."

"You're shameless. Of all people, you have no right to say that to me. Do you truly believe you were subjected to excessive force?"

"No. It was only something that came to mind. Forget I said it. So, I heard you distinguished yourself in the Iron Sword Corps?"

"I did."

"That's truly impressive. Isn't it every martial artist's dream to enter the Iron Sword Corps?"

"Don't set martial artists' dreams so low."

Wang Gon emptied another cup.

'Picky bastard. He can't let a single remark pass. Still, no matter how high and mighty you act, I'll prove that you're no different from me.'

Concealing his displeasure, Wang Gon casually tested Baek Socheon.

"Martial Artist Baek, I heard that Unit Commander Cheon, who came down from the division, has disappeared. It's a very unfortunate matter."

As he spoke, he watched Baek Socheon's reaction.

"Who is to say it's unfortunate? Perhaps he came into a large sum of money and went traveling far away."

"A large sum of money?"

"It seems Unit Commander Cheon had quite a bit of additional income beyond his Murim Alliance salary."

Wang Gon became certain.

'This man definitely dealt with him.'

He was not even trying to hide it. The way he brought up money made that clear enough.

"Well, there are many places worth visiting throughout the Central Plains. What do you think? Wouldn't you like to see such places too?"

"I'm not suited to that sort of idle life."

"You create your own fate."

Wang Gon took out a thick envelope and handed it to him.

"What is this?"

"Your new fate."

Baek Socheon checked what was inside.

There were fifty banknotes worth one thousand nyang each.

Fifty thousand nyang.

It was enough money for an ordinary Unit Commander to earn only after working for more than forty years. That was not all.

"If you become my man, I'll pay you three thousand nyang every year. If you work with me, there'll be plenty of other opportunities for additional income besides that."

"Hm."

When Baek Socheon hesitated, Wang Gon made his final move.

"Take this as well."

Wang Gon held out the box he had brought.

Baek Socheon opened it and found the Hundred-Year Fleeceflower Root inside. It was the same one he had considered giving Im Chung earlier.

"Let's forget the past and work well together from now on."

Baek Socheon nodded.

"Fine."

"Excellent! You're decisive. Good, let's have a drink."

Wang Gon raised his cup, and Baek Socheon clinked it.

"Just in case, if you break this agreement, you'll have to face the entire Mythic Gang."

"That won't happen. Taking bribes is a serious crime in the Murim Alliance. With an amount like this, you'd be locked in a martial prison for the rest of your life... Don't start saying something else yourself. Don't promise me three thousand nyang, then whine that you only have two thousand."

"Would I ever do such a thing? Hahaha."

As things went well, Wang Gon laughed happily.

"I'm very pleased to have someone as dependable as you working with me."

He wore a broad smile, but his true thoughts were different.

'Once I get through this crisis, I'll get rid of you first.'

He had no intention of working with Baek Socheon for long. At that moment, he was also savoring the power of money.

'No matter how highly you thought of yourself, you couldn't turn down fifty thousand nyang, could you? It's more money than you've ever seen in your life, you beggar bastard.'

But Wang Gon was gravely mistaken.

If he knew Baek Socheon's rank at the Central Plains' Three Great Banking Houses, he would have been shocked.

Baek Socheon held the Wealth and Honor Rank, the highest rank granted only to those who had deposited over one hundred thousand nyang. He held that rank at all three banking houses.

The money Baek Socheon had accumulated over the past twenty years was beyond imagination.

He had counted it precisely up to five hundred thousand nyang, but stopped counting after that, so even he did not know the exact amount. It was made up of his salary from the Murim Alliance, danger pay, and reward money. In particular, he had received enormous rewards for killing important experts of the Black Heaven Alliance.

"Now that you're my subordinate, let me ask you one thing."

"Go ahead."

"What happened to Cheon Yangho?"

"You hired me, not my past. If you need me for something, contact me quietly."

Baek Socheon rose from his seat and walked away.

Naturally, Wang Gon's gaze toward him was far from kind.

'Insolent bastard!'

He wanted to tear Baek Socheon to pieces, but the man had just swallowed fifty thousand nyang of his hard-earned money. If he cut him open now, all he would find was shit. He would use him as much as possible, then dispose of him. It would be even better if he could recover that bastard's money afterward.

In any case, he had succeeded in drawing Baek Socheon in.

All that remained was persuading the Mythic Gang.

He intended to convince them that gaining a subordinate far more capable than Black Hand and Cheon Yangho was something he should be rewarded for.

His concern now was the person the Mythic Gang would send down because of this incident.

'I hope they send someone easy to handle.'

Footnotes:

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