Chapter 47 (1/2)
Chapter 47: There Is No Next Time(2)
Translator: hwarang
Editor: Klaurem
Rumors started spreading across San Dong.
Everyone was nervous after hearing the rumors that Ma Jung Soo was making a deal with the San Dong Merchant Guild.
If building a martial arts school wasn't enough, joining hands with a merchant guild would give them that much more influence.
After hearing the rumors, father and mother were both worried.
”I am really unsure what their plans are.”
”That is what I am saying, I am afraid that they might want to take over San Dong for themselves.”
I was calm since I was in control of everything.
”Don't worry too much. Is our San Dong a place that can be taken over so easily?”
I couldn't tell my parent that I had everything under control, since it wasn't going to be the convenient.
After meeting with my parents I went to meet Kong Soo Chang.
”I have something I must ask you”
He was pretty quick in guessing what it was about.
”Is it about the San Dong Merchant Guild?”
”Yes, can you tell me everything you know about the San Dong Merchant Guild?”
”Since the rumors started going around saying that the San Dong Merchant Guild made a pact with Ma Jung Soo, the Northeastern Merchant Guild has been under pressure.”
I think it was because of the pressure that the name Heavenly Dao Gate carried.
Kong Soo Chan told me everything that had to do with San Dong Merchant Guild. It seems that the situation was worse than I expected.
”What do you believe San Dong Merchant's biggest weakness is?”
He quickly answered my sudden inquiry.
”Being too blunt”
Aside from that he told me another flaw that they had.
”He had an ambition to raise the San Dong Merchant into the Central Plain. This was the reason why many of his business transactions were forceful. Due to that he made many enemies and got into huge debt. A long time ago he might have been someone who could have achieved such a dream. However, as time went on, things changed. Everything got younger, faster, and newer but he stayed the same. He was stuck in the past.”
Kong Soo Chan brought another important thing.
”Ah, also there is a rumor going around saying the San Dong Merchants Guild paid Ma Jung Soo a hundred thousand nyang for making a pact.”
”One hundred thousand nyang?”
This was a huge sum of money.
”If San Dong Merchant Guild's position isn't well, where did they get the money from?”
”I don't think I can look further into it.”
”Then?”
”But I believe they got if off the Dark Guild.”
Dark Guild! This was also a group that I knew of. They were an organization that really knew how to move money in secret.
”I heard that they were a very dangerous organization.”
”Yes, it is best if you don't make any deals with them. However, it seems San Dong's only option was to borrow from them.”
”You have been a great help, thank you.”
”No need to thank me.”
I could have asked Kong Soo Chan to look more into Ma Jung Soo, San Dong Merchant, and Dark Guild.But I didn't need to task him with such a difficult task since I gained someone who was more experienced at this sort of work.
I sent Jung Yeo a message. I told him to look into what sort of position San Dong Merchants were in. If they were borrowing money from the Dark Guild, I tasked him to look into everything from when, where and how they were borrowing money. I told him to find out no matter the cost.
The answers came back three days later.
Two days later, Ma Jung Soo came to see me. Even though it was an unexpected visit I already
knew that he was coming as Jung Yeo reported his movements beforehand.
”Hahaha, brother, have you been well?”
I don't recall making a brotherhood pact with him, but he is calling me brother regardless.
”Have you been well?”
”I am fine”
It seems like he was in a good mood. It was probably because he was promised a hundred thousand nyang from the San Dong Merchants.
”Then why are you here?”
”I just came to visit on my way back.”
”You have visited at a great time. Please come in.”
”Rather than that, let's go outside.”
”What?”
”Didn't you promise before? That you will show your fiancé. She must be healed by now. This brother of yours wants to see how the number one beauty in San Dong looks like.”
He should be busy worrying about Old Man Flower Fan but he still hadn't forgotten about Song Hwa Rin.
I knew that this wasn't an ordinary meeting. If it was, he would have went to Song Hwa Rin directly. However, since he wants me to tag along, he wants to steal her from me. It seems that he wants to enjoy taking her from me. Since there were talks about divorce he believed it would be easier.
”Now now, let's go. If you go with me I am sure she is going to like it.”
Now he was dragging me by the s.h.i.+rt.
”But, to visit this suddenly is…”
Seeing me resist, Si Gon who was beside him gave me a cold stare. I pretended to be pressure by him.
”Alright, Let's go together.”
As we were leaving the house, a messenger ran toward Si Gon and gave him a letter. His expression darkened as he read the letter. Then he quickly got to Ma Jung Soo's side and he whispered something in his ear.
”We just received an emergency letter from the San Dong Merchants”
”What is it?”
Si Gon stared at me and coldly said, ”Can young master Byuk go back in?”
”Alright”
I closed the door and came back in. Due to my keen senses however, even if they whispered from outside I could hear every word that gets out of their mouth.
”San Dong Merchants couldn't deliver the promised hundred thousand nyang.”
”What? Why?”
”It seems that they were robbed by someone yesterday”
”What blasphemy are you saying?!” Ma Jung Soo raised his voice.
Raising his voice at Si Gon wasn't going to fix anything but couldn't hold back his anger.
”What were they doing?!”
”I don't know the full details but it seems like there is an alert on San Dong Merchants side.”
I grinned in satisfaction inside my house. That hundred thousand nyang was now in my possession.
When their financial advisor and their guards were coming back from the Dark Guild I made my move. Of course, I was wearing face-altering mask, and didn't kill any of them. I was just pressuring them without gravely injuring them. Even though they were the best in San Dong Merchant Guild, they were no match for me. Since the situation called for urgency they didn't sent too many men which made my job easier.
All this was possible due to proper information. Jung Yeo said he spent almost twenty thousand nyang buying this information. This was a huge price given that it was just a small amount of information. But it was worth it.
One hundred thousand nyang and a traceless bank note at that.
In other words this was money that I could freely use. But I will not use it right now. I will use it after taking care of this Ma Jung Soo and his men, when I believe it is safe to use.