Episode 24. The Law of Exchange
Is there some kind of exchange law in this world that no one told me about?
As soon as a good person like Yeon Ja-seong walks into my life, the universe apparently feels the need to balance things out by sending me trash.
Two men in matching outfits blocked the road. The younger one stepped forward and asked,
“Are you Ruju Lee Jaha?”
“No,” I said. “I’m the inn boy.”
He sighed faintly.
“…I am Hyeok Ryeon-hong, a messenger of Black Cat Hall. I’m here to convey my superior’s words.”
“Black Cat again?”
While we talked, I checked their qi. One of them was carrying a large bundle. Which meant it was either a strange weapon, some exotic hidden tools… or a head.
Hyeok Ryeon-hong spoke in a stiff tone.
“Lord of Golden Phoenix Pavilion wishes to see you.”
“Who’s that? Tell him I don’t want to. Just from the name alone he sounds like some greasy middle-aged man who stinks of money.”
He didn’t react to the insult.
I already knew who the Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord was.
Pan Sa-ung.
I’d never seen him, but I’d heard the name often enough.
He was the one who secretly siphoned off Black Cat Hall’s funds and got caught by internal inspectors, before being torn apart limb from limb.
In short: money-obsessed trash.
Golden Phoenix wasn’t a combat unit. It was the wing that handled Black Cat Hall’s business interests. Which made Pan Sa-ung a mid-level executive whose rank came from money, not martial skill. He’d climbed quickly because he paid so much tribute upward.
The damage Ilyang would eventually suffer came mostly from his orders. He squeezed his subordinates, and they, in turn, squeezed the powerless.
If a man is making money in the underworld, that usually means he’s doing very bad things. On top of that, Pan Sa-ung had earned extra coin doing assassinations on the side, completely off the books.
In other words, he did every filthy thing there was to do.
In the black path, men like that are common enough that it barely surprises you anymore.
Hyeok Ryeon-hong tried a different angle.
“My Lord invited you instead of sending killers. It would be unwise to refuse. If I return now, the next ones who come will likely be assassins, Ruju Lee Jaha.”
He used honorifics, and even he seemed amused by it, chuckling mid-sentence.
“Checkmate, in other words.”
“Yes.”
“When does he want to meet?”
“He is out hunting at a nearby mountain. The sooner, the better. No later than this evening.”
I glanced at the bundle.
“And that? Looks like you brought something you want to show me.”
“Ah. Yes.”
He jerked his chin at the man holding it. The man stepped up, lifted the cloth, and showed me what was inside.
I hadn’t expected those faces.
Jeon Poong and Han Go-uk.
My recent drinking buddies, reduced to severed heads.
“Killing my drinking friends without permission now, are we.”
Hyeok Ryeon-hong explained,
“They knew what happened in Ilyang and hid it. Because of that, our grasp of the situation was delayed. A grave offense. While interrogating them, we heard the story. It was… astonishing. They said you did nothing more than make them drink. Is that true?”
“It is.”
He smiled.
“That is what saved you. Lord Golden Phoenix found that amusing. That’s why he didn’t send assassins first—he’s curious about you.”
I debated whether to kill them both on the spot or let them go.
Before I even moved, the bundle-carrier suddenly grabbed Hyeok Ryeon-hong’s shoulder and leapt backward using light footwork.
Tap, tap, tap, tap—
The urgency in his steps said enough.
From a safer distance, Hyeok spoke again.
“Sect Leader…? We’re only here to deliver a message. Your killing intent is intense.”
“You bastards…”
I let my eyes sweep over them.
“You butchered Jeon Poong and Han Go-uk, then call me out and expect me to come running? I have no desire to walk into a slaughterhouse.”
Hyeok scratched his head.
“If you feel fear, you can run. Many have run rather than tangle with Black Cat Hall. That way, there’ll be no pointless massacres in Ilyang either. Good for everyone.”
Meaning: if I wanted to keep playing boss of Ilyang, I had to bow my head to Black Cat. Or I could flee, never return, and they’d spare me.
“Run, huh.”
He grinned.
“Yes.”
“A man can’t do that.”
He asked,
“Shall I give you until evening? Or shall we depart immediately?”
Black Cat Hall had done this a lot. Their negotiation style gave you no obvious escape route.
When I said nothing, he added,
“For the record, we will not drink with you, Sect Leader.”
“Tragic.”
From now on, anyone associated with Black Cat would probably avoid sharing a cup with me like it was poison.
But Black Cat or not, it left me with only one real option.
I had to go.
I spread my arms wide, like I was showing off my clothes.
“Can’t exactly show up like this, can I? Let me at least dress properly. It’d be rude to meet one of Black Cat’s big shots looking like some random inn boy.”
Hyeok nodded.
“True enough. You do look like an inn boy.”
“…”
“Lead the way, we’ll follow.”
I walked toward Maehwa House with the two of them trailing behind like tails.
After changing into neat clothes, I told Cha Seong-tae where I was headed.
“I’m going to meet the Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord of Black Cat Hall.”
“Golden Phoenix? That money-grubbing butcher?”
His eyes widened.
“Jeon Poong and Han Go-uk are already dead,” I said. “Beheaded.”
“And you’re still going?”
“I’m not being dragged. I’m choosing to go.”
Cha bristled.
“There’s no reason to go alone. I’ll gather everyone. Let’s go to war.”
I sighed.
So naïve.
If the townsfolk died or got injured, then yes, it would be annoying. But more than that, who would sell me noodles? Who would serve me liquor? Who’d forge my weapons? Who’d be left to rob clothes from?
I already spent half my life surrounded by corpses. If these people disappeared too, I might as well tattoo “Mad Demon” on my forehead and be done with it.
“Stay put. I’m going alone.”
“Are you insane? You’ll die nine times out of ten.”
Then he suddenly put on a noble, tragic face.
“At least let me come with you.”
“You mean that?”
He stared at the floor for a moment and answered honestly,
“…Honestly, no.”
I smacked him on the back of the head.
“That mouth of yours.”
“Ow.”
“Anyway, I’ll be back. Keep rehabilitating people while I’m gone.”
Cha suddenly stripped off his outer robe and draped it over me.
He’d apparently learned from experience; this time he offered the clothes before I could ask.
“Another robe you like?” I asked. “You’ve got a lot of favorite outfits.”
“Of course I like it.”
“It might get torn.”
“You can turn it into rags if you want.”
I clapped his shoulder and turned to go.
“I’ll be back.”
He gave a cupped-fist salute.
“Rehabilitation.”
The word sounded like a slogan.
Cha had to turn three old brothels into red houses that sold art instead of bodies.
Yeon Ja-seong had to sweat over beams and foundations to build the new Jahak Inn.
Geum Cheol-yong was probably still stressing about how to forge the weapon Gwangin for me.
Jang Deok-su was cooking soup somewhere so people could live another day.
While they all did what they were good at…
I once again became the one-man head of the Kill Division.
Everyone should stick to what they do best.
Hyeok Ryeon-hong looked me up and down in the new clothes.
“So you were handsome under there. Let’s go.”
“Lead on, worms of the underworld.”
“…Pardon?”
“I said, let’s go.”
He almost said something, then swallowed it.
His job was to escort me in, not to ruin things because he was offended.
We walked in silence for a long time.
After about half a stick of incense, I finally spoke.
“We heading to Mount Jeongho?”
“Yes. If the Hall Master summons you, we go to the main compound, but we’re only meeting the Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord, so we’re going to a mountain lodge near the hunting grounds. The main hall doesn’t admit people of uncertain identity.”
“Because of the Twelve Divine Generals?”
Hyeok stopped walking and stared at me.
“Yes. There is one among the Twelve who is an expert in disguise and infiltration. You really do know your way around the martial world, young Ruju.”
We started walking uphill again.
“You hear a lot running an inn,” I said.
He snorted.
“An inn boy wouldn’t know about the Twelve Divine Generals. Be serious.”
“So Black Cat members can have private mountain lodges now?”
“Why not? He owned them before he joined. He likes hunting, so he keeps lodges here and there.”
“So he was rich to start with.”
“Very. It makes our lives easier. When he wants a day of rest, he gathers us and grills meat at his lodge.”
“The Hall Master must be thrilled.”
Since the Golden Phoenix Pavilion Lord would someday be ripped apart by that same Hall Master, I couldn’t resist the jab.
Hyeok let out a small laugh.
“Best not say that in front of him. He has a fiery temper…”
A fiery temper, huh.
This time I was the one who snorted.
The lodge would be multipurpose, of course.
As Hyeok said, a vacation spot. Also a place to drag people to be quietly buried or burned. And likely a vault where he stashed all the money he’d extorted.
Ordinary people might find that hard to grasp, but this was the black path. There was nothing strange about a Black Cat officer doing horrible things.
After about an hour of fast walking, we reached the entrance to the mountain lodge.
A tall iron gate stood in the center. The wall trailing from it was half-hidden behind vines and creepers. With the cliff at its back, it felt less like a lodge and more like a small fortress. All you had to do was curtain the gate with greenery and it became a private stronghold.
It stank of “bad things happen here.”
Standing at the gate, Hyeok called out,
“Hyeok Ryeon-hong, returned. I’ve brought Ruju Lee Jaha.”
No response from inside—just the iron gate creaking open.
We stepped in, and the feel of the place changed instantly.
More people than expected were moving about. In the central courtyard, a bonfire crackled.
Beside that fire sat a broad-shouldered man in a chair.
One look at him, and it was obvious: this was someone who didn’t know the meaning of mercy.