Chapter 536: Resentment Doesn't Suit People Like Us

TL: FoodieMonster007

That powerful temptation did not work.

This was because Seo Danmyeong had answered in a low voice, "You can't wipe them out."

Geom Mugeuk was curious. Just who was the client that would make him say such a thing?

In any case, he had pushed him hard, so now it was time to gently pull him back in.

"That's right. I suppose you can't solve every problem with force."

Geom Mugeuk persuaded him with a gentle gaze.

"Justification is good, and principles are good, but shouldn't you live first? The Webspinner. I quite like that name. I hope you'll continue to weave your wonderful webs in the future. And when you have the time, help us with our work, too."

The alternative was death, so how could Seo Danmyeong's heart not be swayed?

Jaein, who had been listening, stepped in to support Geom Mugeuk.

"How can we believe you'll let us live?"

This was the very question Seo Danmyeong most wanted to ask.

"Because it's the promise of the Young Cult Leader."

Seo Danmyeong looked at Geom Mugeuk. He knew better than anyone that nothing was more foolish than trusting a demonic practitioner. However, if he did not accept after the Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult had gone this far, he would be killed by the Demonic Cult's hands first.

Jaein also looked at Seo Danmyeong with a desperate gaze. His eyes seemed to ask, shouldn't we live first?

When Seo Danmyeong still said nothing.

"Then just die."

Leaving behind that one low remark, Geom Mugeuk was about to open the carriage door and leave.

Finally, a name escaped Seo Danmyeong's lips.

"The Hundred Prosperities Trading Company."

The moment he heard that, Jaein tilted his head. He had expected a much grander name, but it was just a Trading Company? Then why had he said the Demonic Cult could not wipe them out?

"Who are they that you would say such a thing?"

Geom Mugeuk answered his question for him.

"Because the Evil Alliance is behind them."

Geom Mugeuk was also familiar with the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company. He had learned of them when he first left the cult with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. They were the ones who had advanced into Guizhou with the full support of the Evil Alliance.

Come to think of it, the place where he first met Bi Sayin was also the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company.

Afterward, when he told Bi Sayin what he wanted, they, who had been making money in the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's territory, had withdrawn from Guizhou.

That same Hundred Prosperities Trading Company had now reappeared.

"That's right. I knew full well that the Evil Alliance was behind the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company, so I couldn't refuse their request."

At Seo Danmyeong's words, Jaein asked with a surprised face.

"Does that mean the Evil Alliance orchestrated this incident?"

Seo Danmyeong did not answer, but it was clearly a silence of affirmation.

Now it was clear why Seo Danmyeong had pushed himself so hard to carry out this job. It was also clear why he had hesitated to reveal the client until the very end.

He could also guess the reason for mobilizing the Evil Eccentric, one of the Seven Evil Masters, at the end. He must have thought they were on the same side.

"Who came from the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company? Did Director So Jongtae come himself?"

Seo Danmyeong shook his head at Geom Mugeuk's question.

"The Vice Director came. He and I are acquaintances."

Seo Danmyeong said to Geom Mugeuk with a tense look in his eyes.

"This is all I know. Will you keep your promise to spare me?"

Geom Mugeuk nodded.

"Of course."

The moment the tension drained from Seo Danmyeong's face.

A question was heard from outside.

"Is it done?"

Seo Danmyeong's eyes widened, wondering what was happening. Jaein flinched, as he recognized the voice.

"It is."

The moment Geom Mugeuk's answer finished.

A sharp sound of wind slicing through the air.

PUK!

The Blood Calamity Finger pierced through the carriage wall, punching a hole in Seo Danmyeong's face.

SHWIK! SHWIK! SHWIK!

A continuous barrage of finger qi bullets struck his body one after another.

PUK! PUK! PUK! PUK!

The Blood Calamity Finger continued to fly and embed itself in the already dead body, displaying the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's fury.

When the finger qi bullets stopped, the carriage was riddled with holes. Through those holes, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon could be seen standing with his back turned.

Jaein, who had been clutching his head thinking he was next, looked up. His face was filled with fear and anger.

"You promised to let him live, didn't you?"

"I did, but…"

The moment he sent the Ghost Killer Squad to the Thousand Flower Palace, his fate was sealed. There was no way the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon would ever spare the man who tried to kill the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman.

Jaein looked at Geom Mugeuk, terrified.

"Are you going to kill me, too?"

Through the holes, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon remained standing with his back turned, looking up at the sky.

"Do you want to die?"

Jaein answered in a trembling voice.

"No. I want to live."

"Then live."

Geom Mugeuk opened the carriage door and stepped outside. It was Jaein who was surprised.

"Why are you letting me live?"

His life could be ended with the flick of a finger.

Geom Mugeuk turned to look at him and said.

"Didn't I say I'd let you live if you helped me?"

If the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon would not have been satisfied until he was dead too, there would have been nothing to be done, but the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon ended his retribution with killing Seo Danmyeong.

"Besides, you said you're still learning, right?"

Geom Mugeuk's gaze shifted to Seo Danmyeong's corpse.

"If you live like that man, you'll end up like him someday. Learn how to weave a web from the world itself. That's the only way you'll weave your own."

Jaein could feel it. The Young Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult was giving him a chance.

Just then, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon, who was standing some distance away, turned toward them. The moment his eyes met the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon's, Jaein ducked his head low. His heart pounded as if it would burst.

How much time had passed?

When Jaein raised his head again, the two men had vanished.

Jaein let out a long sigh of relief, thinking he had survived. He felt as if he had finally been freed from the other's web, but then a thought occurred to him.

The chance the Young Cult Leader had given him might itself be part of an even larger web.

When Geom Mugeuk and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon returned, the Thousand Flower Palace was operating normally.

The Faceless Warriors, except for a few who were monitoring the surroundings, were resting in the guest quarters in the rear garden and did not show themselves.

"The Hundred Prosperities Trading Company was the client?"

Yeo Jong looked surprised, as if this was unexpected for her too.

As the one who ran Secret Flower, she was well-informed about various matters. Naturally, she also knew about the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company, which had been involved with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon.

"Something's strange."

On their way back, Geom Mugeuk and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon had discussed the situation, and Geom Mugeuk had told the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon that Yeo Jong, being a brilliant person, would surely see through it.

"At first glance, it seems like revenge for the losses the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company suffered when they withdrew from Guizhou, but something is off."

The part she was focusing on was this.

"If it were an ordinary martial family, it might be possible. There's probably no one who knows better than I how martial artists will risk their lives for their foolish pride. But the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company is made of merchants. The losses they incurred at the time were financial, and you're telling me they're willing to risk even greater losses for the sake of revenge over that?"

At that, Geom Mugeuk looked at the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon and said.

"As expected! You're the most brilliant sister-in-law."

At the word 'sister-in-law', Yeo Jong's face flushed slightly. It was a word she had never heard, even after becoming involved with the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. From whom would she hear it? The relationship itself was a secret. Honestly, she felt good.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon was also slightly flustered. However, he knew well what the Young Cult Leader meant by those words. The Young Cult Leader was constantly being considerate and thinking of her. In the end, how could he not know who this consideration was for?

Breaking the brief silence, Yeo Jong continued to speak.

"It's not that I'm brilliant, it's because I know a thing or two about the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company. The Captain of the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company is a man who considers making money the most important thing. They even joined hands with the Evil Alliance to maximize their own profits. It doesn't make sense that such people would spend this much money to settle an old grudge."

Yeo Jong smiled as she looked at the two men's expressions.

"You've already discussed this part, haven't you."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon looked at her and said with a smile.

"Don't forget who we're with."

He meant, how could they miss something like that when they were with the Young Cult Leader?

In truth, when the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon first heard the name the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company, he could not think straight due to feelings of guilt and anger.

However, talking with Geom Mugeuk helped him calm down, and he realized this incident was not so simple.

Geom Mugeuk agreed with her, citing a clear reason.

"That's right. If the murim is thrown into chaos, merchants will suffer losses."

And yet, they were plotting something at the Thousand Flower Palace that would throw the murim into chaos.

"It seems there's another hidden story to this incident."

Yeo Jong revealed her honest feelings.

"To be honest, I was very worried, wondering who could hold such a deep grudge against me."

At that, the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon opened his heavy lips.

"How could that be? Resentment is only fitting for people like us."

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon hoped that the ultimate target of this grudge was himself, and that the Thousand Flower Palace and Yeo Jong were just fleeting pawns in a grand conspiracy.

"First, we need to find that Vice Director of the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company. I'll contact the All-Knowing Hall and have them find out his whereabouts."

It was then. From outside, one of Yeo Jong's subordinates announced that a guest had arrived.

"A guest has arrived and wishes to see the Pavilion Master."

A guest at a time like this? Yeo Jong glanced once at Geom Mugeuk and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon before asking her subordinate.

"Who did he say he is?"

"He says he's the Vice Director of the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company."

The three of them were startled by the subordinate's report.

Yeo Jong asked the two men with her eyes what they should do.

Geom Mugeuk left the decision to the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon. This matter was, after all, about him protecting his woman.

The Extremely Evil Smiling Demon gave Yeo Jong a nod. The man they were looking for had come on his own two feet, and he was not one to shy away.

"Show him to the main hall."

The Hundred Prosperities Trading Company's Vice Director, Pyeong Wi, entered the main hall where the Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman was waiting.

The Thousand Flower Palace Chairwoman was seated up ahead, and his own seat was placed about twenty paces away from her.

He figured there must be martial artists hidden somewhere in between to protect her.

"You're very cautious."

Yeo Jong welcomed his somewhat blunt first words with a smile.

"Having to deal with drunkards as a woman has made me quite timid. I hope you'll understand."

Gazes sizing each other up were exchanged.

Yeo Jong knew the basics about the Vice Director of the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company.

He was known as the most trusted person of So Jongtae, the head of the Hundred Prosperities Trading Company, and possessed considerable martial arts skill. She also knew him to be a man whose pride was as strong as his martial arts skill.

Indeed, he was revealing a sharp gaze and a formidable aura.

"What brings such a distinguished guest here?"

Although she now knew that the man before her, Pyeong Wi, was the one who had hired the Webspinner to kill Cho Hwi, Yeo Jong showed no such emotion.

"I've come to make a proposal to the Thousand Flower Palace."

"Please, speak."

"A distinguished guest will be arriving early next month. We intend to rent out the entire Thousand Flower Palace to entertain him."

It was common for murim sects to entertain martial artists at a brothel. However, renting out an entire brothel as large as the Thousand Flower Palace was not common.

"It will cost a great deal of money to rent out the entire establishment."

Pyeong Wi's gaze intensified, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

"I have misspoken."

Yeo Jong politely bowed her head in apology. Only then did Pyeong Wi relax his gaze.

"Don't worry about the money."

"What kind of guest do you intend to entertain?"

"I cannot say."

It was a firm answer.

She could sense it intuitively. This was the incident that would throw the murim into chaos.

Yeo Jong spoke to him politely.

"I'm sorry, but as a matter of principle, we cannot rent out the entire establishment for a guest whose identity is unknown. If you truly wish to maintain secrecy, we can arrange for a special room."

For a moment, Pyeong Wi's expression twitched. He could have emitted killing intent to intimidate her, but he brought out something even more powerful than killing intent.

"I will give you ten times the Thousand Flower Palace's daily income."

Did he even know how much they earned to be offering ten times the amount?

In any case, it did not work on Yeo Jong.

"There are things more important than money."

Pyeong Wi's gaze darkened.

Yeo Jong could read his mind from his gaze. He was thinking, how dare someone who just runs a brothel talk about things more important than money?

"If the secret gets out, your life could be in danger. Do you still wish to hear it?"

Despite Pyeong Wi's threat, Yeo Jong silently nodded.

"Principles are principles."

Sensing that Yeo Jong would absolutely not back down, Pyeong Wi finally relented.

"Fine. In that case, I will tell you. But you must keep the secret."

"Don't worry. Didn't you come here in the first place trusting our establishment's credibility?"

After staring at her silently for a moment, a surprising name came from his lips.

"We will be hosting the Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance."

Yeo Jong was surprised. She did not hide her surprise. To Pyeong Wi, it looked as if she was surprised by the fact that the Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance was coming, but Yeo Jong's surprise was different.

So they planned to kill the Young Alliance Chairman of the Evil Alliance that day!

The murim would be thrown into chaos, and she would be forced to take the blame.

"Are you satisfied now?"

"No, I regret it. I should have refused to the end without asking for the name."

Pyeong Wi gave a faint smile. The burden was natural. Besides, the moment she heard the name, refusal became impossible.

"If you need anything, contact us."

"I will."

Pyeong Wi rose from his seat and left the main hall.

After he was completely gone, the secret door at the back finally opened, and Geom Mugeuk and the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon walked out.

"I wonder why that scary face has been on my mind so much lately."

Geom Mugeuk was speaking casually, but the Extremely Evil Smiling Demon and Yeo Jong could tell. His eyes had grown cold.

"I was planning to gather everyone anyway."

Geom Mugeuk smiled and said to Yeo Jong.

"Now, are you ready to turn the murim upside down?"