Chapter 143: Luring Him Out
Before explaining, I asked the question first.
"Ilhong, do you rember the Man Geum Trading Post?"
"Rember it? I know where it is."
Hm, wrong way to ask.
"Then, do you rember the Goat-bearded rchant?"
"Of course I do, that bastard."
Yes, that’s the way to ask.
Ilhong huffed angrily, just thinking about it pissed her off.
"That bastard openly looked down on beggars, and our people had a hard ti because of him."
"That goat beard is the rchant from the Man Geum Trading Post you were just asking about."
"Oh, really?"
I already knew the full story from Yangjo and Yangwi.
Even Ilhong didn’t seem to know every rchant under their wing.
"But why bring up the Man Geum Trading Post all of a sudden?"
"Because our current target is hiding deep inside it."
A runaway black sheep. That guy ca back and tead up with the Eunseong Trading Company’s enemies, constantly vexing his blood sister.
She said she couldn’t concentrate on anything because of the stress.
"So what, we either sneak in quietly or lure him out, right? That target, I an."
"Exactly. That’s the biggest issue."
To do that, we first needed information.
After all, a trading post in the Central Plains is where vast sums of money are stored, and desperate debtors co to get high-interest loans.
Naturally, the security was bound to be like an iron fortress. It was obvious that it would be crawling with elite martial artists whose nas carried weight.
"But Mujin, who exactly is this target?"
What kind of guy holes up in a place like the Man Geum Trading Post? Jo Harang seed to be asking with that look.
"Have you heard of Eun Yanggon? He’s the disowned older brother of the client..."
Jo Harang shook her head like she didn’t know, but Ilhong’s eyes widened in recognition.
"I know him. He’s that infamous punk from the Eunseong Trading Company. The previous Trading Lord, Eun Jincheong, kicked him out because he couldn’t take it anymore."
Infamous punk. Yeah, that’s a pretty accurate description.
"Wait a second. I heard Eunseong recently had a conflict with the Man Geum Trading Post. But to bring in another direct heir there ans..."
"Yeah, you’re thinking it right. Just imagine what our Trading Lord must be going through."
It was obvious he was planning sothing sneaky.
She was on edge and fidgeting even in front of
because she felt sothing was going to happen if she didn’t act.
"If you're going to get hit, better to strike first."
This was what you’d call a preemptive strike.
"I get the intention, but the Man Geum Trading Post is basically an impenetrable fortress."
What do the rich fear most in the murim world? A single top-tier expert breaking in and stealing all their accumulated wealth.
That’s why all those running trading posts in the Imperial Capital were thoroughly prepared for such threats.
"Which ans we need to find a way."
A way to quietly extract one person from inside.
This kind of job was all about intelligence warfare.
Soone inside susceptible to bribes, soone with dirt to use for blackmail, or just a simple security gap.
If we found one, we could lure him out.
And where could we dig up such behind-the-scenes information?
"Don’t tell
you’re going back to the Mysterious Pavilion Master?"
Exactly. Co out, all-purpose Shrouded Pavilion Master.
As long as she was around, there was no information in the Imperial Capital that we couldn’t uncover.
"She said not to co around lately—too many eyes watching and she’s too busy."
"Like I care. If she didn’t want the heat, she shouldn’t have ssed around with parasites and gotten caught."
"...Well, that’s true."
It was, in many ways, self-inflicted karma.
And with that, we nodded and decided to visit the accursed Honghwa Brothel once again.
Borrow the Wind to Sail the Boat.
Money Can Command Spirits.
Such phrases were boldly displayed in a certain Trading Lord’s office. The lavish decorations and grand atmosphere made it clear this place was no ordinary pawnshop.
"Eun Jincheong, Eun Hwaran..."
The Trading Lord Geum Hwangdo, his jowls sagging, clenched a gold ingot tightly enough to leave a handprint, as he bitterly chewed over the humiliation of the past.
"Like father, like daughter. Disgusting, both of them."
He had once dread of a golden future.
Swallowing both trading companies and escort agencies, accumulating not just wealth but dominating the logistics and influence across Beijing.
With connections to the Third Prince, he planned to rise as the richest man in the capital.
But then so no-na brat began interfering, causing things to derail. In the end, his entire sche was ruined by Eun Jincheong’s daughter, Eun Hwaran.
Thanks to that, the Third Prince expressed deep disappointnt and reprimanded him. Just thinking about it made him grind his teeth.
And so, to get revenge, Geum Hwangdo moved relentlessly.
He could never live with being wronged. That was the one principle he lived by. In the end, he secured a weakness of the Eunseong family.
Bang.
A man stepped through the door, looking much more haggard than before, as if he’d had a rough ti.
Anxious eyes, slouched shoulders, shattered pride.
A pitiful man, utterly out of place in this dazzling setting.
And he looked overwheld, unable to pull himself together in the room glittering with golden brilliance.
"Well, look who it is. Been ages. Co in, co in, Young Master Eun Yanggon."
Geum Hwangdo laughed heartily, slapping the gloomy man’s back like welcoming an old friend.
Eun Yanggon, bewildered by the unexpected warm welco, took a seat.
His eyes widened at the aroma of luxurious delicacies spread before him.
"Th-thank you. I didn’t expect to be treated like this..."
He must’ve been quite hungry. He imdiately buried his face in the food, wolfing it down.
Looking completely unsure of how to handle such unexpected hospitality.
"Heh heh, no need to thank . I’m the one who should be grateful—you ca just because I asked."
"Y-you’ve always treated
well, Trading Lord. Yes..."
"You bet I have. That nasty old Eun Jincheong, always picking on you. I felt bad, you know? A man has every right to enjoy life’s pleasures."
"Y-yeah... that’s right."
In truth, it was Geum Hwangdo who, long ago, lured him into gambling and brothels to get back at Eun Jincheong after repeated clashes with the man’s rigid, upright nature.
He exploited how Jincheong favored and protected his daughter, Eun Hwaran, to drive a wedge between them.
Thus, this pitiful man beca Jincheong’s greatest sha.
"I heard a rough idea, but... what are you planning to do?"
"What else? As you know, that bitch Eun Hwaran has already gobbled up the entire trading company. Even with you—the rightful heir—watching."
He looked like a toad, but Geum Hwangdo flicked his tongue like a snake.
"B-but... I an, she kind of deserved it..."
"Hey now! Get it together. That timid attitude is why you’ve had nothing and wandered around living like a beggar."
Such a weakling. Timid, spineless.
Still, if he sat on the Trading Lord’s seat, he’d be easy to control—handing over big business without hesitation.
"Yeah... I’ve really had it tough..."
Eun Yanggon began to tear up, clearly feeling sorry for himself.
"Exactly. And whose fault is that? Who kicked you out?"
Alcohol can stir the mood and relax people, but too much over a long ti dulls the mind and makes one foolish.
At Geum Hwangdo’s obvious leading question, Eun Yanggon trembled and pointed toward the Eunseong headquarters.
"That’s it. That’s the spirit. I’ll help you reclaim everything you’ve lost. You’ve got nothing to lose now, right? Trust in , Geum Hwangdo."
"I-I do? But how...?"
"It’s simple. If that annoying Eun Hwaran were to disappear... then the only direct blood relative left in the Eunseong family is you, isn’t it?"
The late Eun Jincheong’s legacy would, by the iron law of the Imperial Capital, pass to the remaining bloodline.
If Eun Hwaran disappeared, the Eunseong Trading Company and Escort Agency would fall into chaos. That’s when this guy would move in and quietly swallow up the golden businesses.
Of course, he looked like a ss now, so they’d need to clean him up and dress him properly to make him passable.
Reviews
All reviews (0)