Absolute Regression Chapter 473

473
Geum A-rin experienced it for the first time.

That there could be such a calm murderous intent.

“Are you trying to kill us all?”

Now I know.

Why did Geommu-geuk accept his father’s request and ask for half? Why did he tell the other merchants and sects to accept the money?

“You must know that I wouldn’t readily give away such a large sum of money, let alone a small sum.”

Then the sword dance said.

“In this case, the problem isn’t getting the money, but what happens after you get it.”

“What does that mean?”

“Didn’t you say that they are people who seek revenge by killing their own families? How can they come out if they are robbed of such a large sum of money?”

“I will definitely get revenge.”

Geommugeuk nodded calmly.

“It’s not me who kills them. It’s the way they live that’s killing them.”

She could tell that her hunch was correct. Now the question was this:

‘how?’

Could it be that this person is strong enough to destroy Baekseonbang on his own?

The sword dance spoke to her.

“Now, go and get as many as you can. It’s up to you to convince them. Think of it as a process to become the successor.”

Geommugeuk handed Geum Arin a piece of paper with the names of the top and the sect written on it and made her go outside.

“Let’s leave right now. Go from where the amount is the largest.”

“No, don’t push. Let’s talk some more.”

“I have a lot to do. I’m a busy person at night.”

So she was pushed out of the room.

Outside the closed door, she raised her voice.

“I am your leader. I give orders.”

Have you ever been chased by a two million nyang henchman?

Then, a reply from inside was heard.

“If you just sit there and order around like a chief, it’s not very appealing. Now, chief, go.”

* * *

Geum A-rin diligently went back and forth between each of the upper ranks and sects for several days.

I really did as the Sword Master instructed and secretly went around to the upper class and the sect to get their permission.

“I plan to get the money back from Baekseonbang. I’ll get it back with you then, so give us half of it as compensation.”

If she had to leave a contract, they wouldn’t have accepted it. They would have been worried about Baek Seon-bang’s retaliation. But she didn’t ask for a contract. She only checked the loan receipt to see how much she had lent.

It was easy to make a verbal promise. They could just deny it later and deny it. They could just insist that the Golden Dragon Family had dragged them in to make up an excuse.

If someone else had come and said this to me, I would never have made a verbal promise.

But what if it was the Golden Dragon Family? What if the richest man in Shaanxi and one of the top five, no, three, members of the Golden Dragon Family came and made a promise in person? Everyone had high expectations. Didn’t they step forward because they thought it would work?

In this way, Geum A-rin received permission from places that had been swindled of large sums of money. Among them, there were places whose families had been swindled by them continuously. They had pinned their hopes on her promise.

Geum A-rin returned and handed over a piece of paper with the amount of money each group and sect had lent written on it.

“So, what do you plan to do now?”

Geommugeuk stood up and said.

“I’ll be back soon.”

Geum A-rin blocked his way.

This guy is really going to go and fight a hundred masters all by himself, and to a den full of villains.

“You’ll go even if I tell you not to, right?”

She also wanted to go with me. But how could she not know that going together would be a burden?

“Making money is this difficult.”

After saying those words, Geommugeuk left.

I couldn’t say anything to him. I should have said, ‘Be careful,’ but I couldn’t say it because the words kept coming to my mind.

‘I’d rather run away this way.’

Surprisingly, I wanted to say this.

If he did that, he would never be able to become the successor and would be branded as someone who was scammed out of two million nyang for the rest of his life.

But why did you want to say something like that?

Yes, this guy. At least I thought he was someone who shouldn’t be killed by the villains of Baekseonbang. I thought that bright, smiling face shouldn’t be torn to pieces by those villains.

Geum A-rin sighed and looked out the window.

I had a feeling that the wait for him to return would be a really long one. I wish I had said something like that.

‘You don’t have to take the money, just come back safely.’

* * *

“A person from the Golden Dragon Kingdom came to see me.”

Upon hearing his subordinate’s report, Baekseonbang’s Bangju Yeomje raised his head.

With his long beard and white robe, he looked like a true immortal.

But even his dignified white beard and pure white clothes could not hide the cold and cunning look in his eyes.

If he had truly had a heart like a god, he would not have been able to have the evildoers in this great hall under his command.

Besides, if you were to be stabbed to death by one of them, you would have died several times. This was hell, a place where no one who was not a demon could survive.

“Who came?”

“He was a young man with fresh skin, but his face was something I had never seen before.”

The salt merchant tilted his head slightly. He sent someone he had never seen before from the Golden Dragon Segae?

“Why did you say you came?”

“I said I would meet you in person and tell you.”

“Make some excuse and send him back.”

“yes.”

The salt king was in a bad mood. Even if Segaju came in person, he would not be able to meet him. Why did he send a greenhorn whose face he did not even know? Regardless of the reason for coming, he was in a bad mood.

“It seems like the Golden Dragon Kingdom needs to establish some discipline.”

Then, Ilseon, who was under the Grand Master, accepted his words.

“I will ask you to come in once a day.”

Nine immortals were lined up next to the front line. They were the ten immortals who always guarded the Emperor of Flame. They were ranked from the first to the tenth in the Baekseonbang hierarchy.

They were not the only ones here today. The large hall was filled with the immortals of Baekseonbang.

“The Seventeen Line Settlement has been completed!”

Today is the settlement day at the end of the month, the day when each person reports the money they have earned and presents it to the salt merchant. After the settlement, everyone drinks together and holds a banquet.

The salt king deliberately created this kind of situation to make them compete with each other.

Baekseonbang was an organization with a strict hierarchy.

Below the ark are the ten lines, and below them are the eleventh to ninety-ninth lines in a set order.

The salt merchant established this hierarchy. This hierarchy was the greatest force that protected Baekseonbang and the source of increasing profits.

The desire to rise above.

Since the higher the rank, the more profit they received, they tried to climb up by any means necessary. So the rank changed once a year.

It was at that very moment that the first words that would change the fate of everyone there rang out.

“You have a lot of money.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to the unfamiliar voice echoing through the main hall.

It was something a young man said while looking at the stacks of receipts in the checkout area.

“You have so much money, why don’t you pay off your debt?”

The nearby god was surprised and asked.

“Who are you?”

No one recognized them until the first person they saw came in next to them. Of course, it was a hectic settlement day, but it was impossible when you look at their martial arts skills. No matter what, at least one out of a hundred people should have seen it.

The young man walked toward the center, receiving everyone’s attention.

Then he looked at Emperor Yan, who was sitting on the throne, and greeted him respectfully.

“Your Majesty, I greet you. My name is Geomyeon from the Geumryongsega clan.”

Everyone relaxed at the mention of the Golden Dragon. People said, “Oh my, you surprised me!” here and there.

Because it was the moment when it was confirmed that the opponent was a mysterious master of unknown identity and a mere unmanned person sent by the Geumryong Sega.

However, the owner of the room, Yan Emperor, did not relax. No matter how bustling the atmosphere was, he was concerned that he had not even recognized himself until that guy came in.

‘What if that guy could survive?’

Doesn’t that mean there might have been an ambush?

After raising his hand to stop Ilseon from coming forward, Yeomje asked Geommu-geuk directly. Since he was at the age of Geumryongse, he should have dealt with him directly.

“I haven’t seen your face before.”

“I recently got connected with the Geumryongse family.”

The Emperor was inwardly puzzled. He sent someone to himself, and he sent someone who had recently arrived? This was something that had never happened before.

“What brings you here?”

Everyone’s eyes were focused on Geommugeuk. And the words that came out of Geommugeuk’s mouth were something none of them had expected.

“I came to collect the money you lent me.”

Flowing stillness.

Are you crazy? Did I hear that wrong?

In the midst of these two thoughts, someone burst into laughter. The laughter was contagious and caused laughter here and there.

It’s been a long time since someone came to them and said they came to collect their money. Could there really be such an unlucky person? To come on the day of settlement when they were all gathered, and not on any other day.

“There are three million nyang that have not been repaid so far. I should receive interest as well, but I would like to receive only the principal.”

Once again laughter broke out all around.

The salt king even had this thought.

Did you send me to kill you?

Could it be that the Golden Dragon Sega sent it because he didn’t want to get blood on his hands? Otherwise, he wouldn’t have done something so reckless. What on earth is he doing?

“Who are you?”

“It’s a black smoke. It’s not a fateful relationship, it’s a smoke relationship. When a relationship ends, it should disappear like smoke, but sometimes, there are times when regrets remain. Like the drunkenness of that person who likes to drink, there are times when you want to stay around. But today, it seems like it will disappear quickly without any regrets.”

What the hell are you talking about?

Everyone turned their heads and exchanged glances. There were many emotions in those eyes, but the most common one was this.

The crazy guy is here!

So their eyes were filled with interest. How should we play with this thing?

Although it seemed like nothing serious, the emperor felt a strange sense of unease.

It’s strange. Why on earth would something like this happen on the day of the settlement when everyone is gathered?

“Do you know where this is?”

“Isn’t this where the 100 freshmen hang out?”

Geommugeuk lowered his voice slightly.

“But just between us, don’t you think it’s a bit odd for someone who isn’t a god to call themselves a god? I heard you’ve done a lot of bad things.”

Seeing you say such mean things, it seems like you were right to be sent to kill me.

The salt king winked at one person.

He was the last in the line, the ninety-ninth. When something like this happened, Emperor Yan gave orders strictly according to the line.

“Why does this guy have so much to say?”

The ninety-nine-year-old strode forward. It was a golden opportunity to show off to Bang-ju. A chance to escape the youngest status.

Of course, things didn’t go his way. The swordmaster asked for his name.

“What is our lord’s name?”

“Why are you asking my name?”

“I have something to check.”

Geommugeuk took out a voucher from his bosom. It was a voucher worth one hundred thousand nyang.

“If you answer, I’ll give you this.”

If I tell you my name, you’ll give me a hundred thousand nyang? There’s no way I could naively believe that.

“You’re going to taunt me with a fake receipt?”

Ninety-nine’s hand naturally went up to the sword hilt.

“A real receipt. Isn’t it better to lose than to gain? If it’s a real receipt, you can tell me your name and get a hundred thousand nyang, and if it’s a fake receipt, you can get an excuse to scold me.”

The ninety-nine-year-old looked back and forth between the sword dance and the slip in his hand, and finally looked back at the Emperor. He nodded and told the Emperor to do as he said.

“I am Jo Gung.”

Then Geommugeuk took out a piece of paper from his bosom and checked on him.

“Jo-gung, Jo-gung. Ah, here he is. He borrowed money from a friend in his hometown, did not pay it back, instead killed the friend and ran away. He lived as a ronin until he was killed by a ronin master. After that, he worked as a Black Jeong Sam-ho, killed two brothers, and ran away. Our immortal is someone who is good at stabbing the back of the heads of people close to him.”

The gaze of the archer sank coldly. The opponent had accurately grasped his information.

“What do you want to do now?”

A murderous glint rose in Jo Gung’s eyes.

“Is this what’s written here? I believe this information, but I think I should have at least one representative check it. That way, I can feel at ease.”

Then one of the ten good men standing behind said:

“You were wrong. You didn’t just kill your brother, you killed his entire family to get rid of the trouble.”

The palace was not ashamed at all. Everyone here was like that. In fact, the more evil and vile you were, the easier it was to live.

Jo-gung drew his sword and strode towards Geommu-geuk.

“You spoke carelessly, so your tongue and the hundred thousand nyang are mine.”

Jo-gung opened his sword and stabbed Geommu-geuk in the mouth, as if he was really going to cut off his tongue.

However, the tongue of the swordsman was not something that could be cut by the sword of the archer.

Geommugeuk lightly counterattacked while avoiding the flying sword.

Jo Gung, whose heart was pierced by a single sword, fell to the ground dead.

The smell of blood rose and silence fell over the place.

The move that Geommu-geuk had just shown was extremely ordinary. He didn’t use any special skills to kill anyone, but simply dodged the incoming attack and stabbed them with his sword.

So, depending on each person’s skill, the reaction was half and half.

I got attacked by that guy!

Killing Jo-gung with such a common attack?

Of course, that didn’t scare anyone here. After all, it was only the ninety-ninth person at the end of the line who died, and there were ninety-nine people here with him.

Geommu-geuk said to the salt king while giving him a prize.

“I’m sorry, as you can see I had no choice.”

The salt merchant spoke with sunken eyes.

“It’s okay. When you’re with people who have knives, you end up seeing blood and such.”

“You are a generous person. If you just give me back the money I borrowed, I will go back just like this.”

However, Emperor Yan was not the kind of person to pay three million nyang for the death of one of his subordinates.

“I was going to pay you back, but I kept putting it off because things weren’t going well at home. Go back and tell your family. I’ll pay you back soon.”

Of course, I had no intention of doing that. I was going to kill this guy somehow, and the Golden Dragon Family was going to have to pay for today’s incident with money. They were going to have to be prepared to pay much more than they had paid so far.

It would have been nice if he had just said that and turned around and left.

Geommugeuk turned his head and looked at the stacked vouchers.

“There’s a lot of money there. Let’s see, if this much money came in every month, there must be a lot piled up in the safe.”

The salt emperor’s face twitched at the mention of the safe.

“Are you going to pay me back?”

The order to ‘tear that guy to pieces’ rose to the tip of his tongue, but he held it back. His instincts were telling him not to do that. He was telling him to kill him later. No matter how he looked at it, he seemed strange.

The Emperor smiled and looked around at his subordinates.

“As you can see, I have a lot of mouths to feed.”

The gods looked at the sword dance with their mouths full of laughter and sly smiles.

The swordplay that had been watching them suggested a solution.

“That can be easily solved.”

Geommugeuk slowly drew his sword and said.

“Let’s keep our mouths shut.”

Absolute Return Episode 474