Chapter 122: Why Is It So Peaceful?
The following evening, Song Jae-mun left his residence with a rather solemn heart.
A cool breeze of the early summer night suddenly swept in. Feeling the wind, some of his tension seemed to ease.
He walked along the marketplace for a while.
Here and there, merchants greeted him warmly.
Forcing a smile, Song Jae-mun greeted the merchants in return and quickened his pace.
How long had he walked like that?
‘As expected.’
There he was—Guest Dragon, devouring candied fruit.
It was no surprise. That man had clearly been keeping him under surveillance.
With a calm mind, Song Jae-mun exchanged greetings with Guest Dragon and then made his way toward an inn.
The street where the Merchant Festival was being held.
At the far end of that street stood a small inn.
This inn had been in business for decades in the same spot and was famous for its spicy, numbing noodles. Because the noodles made for excellent drinking food, the inn was even more crowded in the evening.
As soon as Song Jae-mun entered the inn, it was only natural that Guest Dragon was already there, wolfing down noodles.
Passing by several merchants who pretended to be friendly, Song Jae-mun sat down across from Jin Seong-un.
“Mind if I join you?”
“Of course not.”
Jin Seong-un replied casually.
Soon, the two sat facing each other, eating noodles.
As Song Jae-mun poured Jin Seong-un’s cup of wine, he asked,
“The Merchant Festival is finally nearing its end.”
“That’s right.”
What an arrogant brat.
Swallowing back his irritation, Song Jae-mun pressed on with another question.
“It seems this was your first time attending the festival. How was it?”
“It was fine. I met many good people, and there was plenty to see.”
“Haha, that’s good to hear. Thanks to this, I was able to build a closer relationship with you. On the final day, they’ll be setting off a great number of fireworks—you’ll surely enjoy watching them.”
“I see.”
Jin Seong-un responded dryly.
Normally, given Song Jae-mun’s personality, he would have either shut his mouth by now or moved to another table.
If the return was not worth the effort, there was no reason to waste his time.
But tonight, Song Jae-mun stubbornly continued the conversation. He didn’t care that all he got back were dry replies.
The reason was simple.
That night, his goal was to keep Jin Seong-un inside that inn for as long as possible.
While Song Jae-mun was struggling through one of the most difficult conversations of his life—
Song Jae-heon, the Chief Escort of Jo-yang Escort Agency and younger brother of Song Jae-mun, arrived at Mount Jingmen.
It was the exact midpoint between Jingzhou, where the Merchant Festival was being held, and Enshi, where the Southern Black Lotus’s main base was located.
After checking his surroundings several times as he climbed, Song Jae-heon was startled at the face of the man waiting atop the cliff.
‘The Southern Black Lotus Lord came in person?’
He had already conveyed the general matter through a letter. He had expected a response from the Southern Black Lotus, but never thought the Lord himself would appear.
Suppressing his shock, Song Jae-heon assumed the most respectful posture and gave a clasped-hands greeting.
“I greet the conqueror of Hubei Province.”
He used the words “Hubei Province” instead of “Hubei Black Path.”
Strictly speaking, it was inaccurate.
After all, Hubei Province was also home to the Wudang Sect, the Zhuge Clan, and a main branch of the Murim Alliance.
“As expected of a merchant—you begin with flattery.”
“Haha, how could that be.”
Chief Escort Song Jae-heon forced a laugh.
The Southern Black Lotus Lord stared at him with a flat, indifferent expression before speaking.
“So, Song Jae-mun himself did not come.”
A cold sweat ran down Song Jae-heon’s back.
Even though the Lord himself had come, it was only the Chief Escort standing here instead of the Escort Leader.
With a servile tone, Song Jae-heon replied,
“…The truth is, the Escort Leader is being watched.”
“By whom?”
“Guest Dragon.”
At that moment—
A wave of energy erupted from the body of the Southern Black Lotus Lord.
Song Jae-heon, not being particularly strong, felt his knees nearly buckle from that overwhelming presence.
Just thinking of Jin Seong-un filled the Southern Black Lotus Lord with boiling rage.
The incident in Yichang had long been investigated. But there was hardly anything to investigate—Guest Dragon’s name had been ringing far too loudly across the land recently.
The one who killed his son, the Leader of the Prosperity Association, was Guest Dragon.
The one who killed the Black Division Captain sent to investigate was also certainly Guest Dragon.
A man who merely ran an inn.
Naturally, he wanted nothing more than to tear that man’s limbs apart.
The problem was that the White Cloud Sword of the Wudang Sect, an Elder, was present in that inn.
Even for the Southern Black Lotus Lord, that was an opponent he could not be certain of defeating.
Not to mention, others such as the Poison Lord, the Five Great Clans, and members of the Nine Sects and One Gang often came and went.
It was an extremely troublesome situation.
This wasn’t merely about killing an innkeeper—he might have to face everyone around him as well.
Not even the Southern Black Lotus could afford to provoke both the Wudang Sect and the Tang Clan of Sichuan.
“So, why have you sought me out?”
“As I explained in my letter, I wish to present Guest Dragon as a gift to you, my Lord. During the Merchant Festival, martial artists are strictly forbidden entry. Surely, there will be no better opportunity than this.”
“A gift, you say. You ask me to kill the bothersome fellow watching your master, and you call that a gift?”
Chief Escort Song Jae-heon’s heart kept pounding.
With an opponent like this, even the slightest offense could mean death.
He spoke again with the most groveling tone he could muster.
“I understand what concerns you. I also understand why you have left that Guest Dragon alive until now. That is why we, Jo-yang Escort Agency, are willing to risk our lives to lure him in. The stage has already been set.”
The Southern Black Lotus Lord gave no reply.
Song Jae-heon hurriedly continued.
“Guest Dragon came to the festival alone. As the celebrations reach their climax, people’s attention will be scattered with all the festivities. It will be simple.”
Guest Dragon had been dogging Song Jae-mun relentlessly.
Using that, Song Jae-mun would lure him away from the festival into a quiet, isolated place.
There, Southern Black Lotus’s warriors would strike Guest Dragon down in an instant.
Then, they would disperse cleanly.
“Could anything be more straightforward?”
Having said that, Song Jae-heon waited for the Southern Black Lotus Lord’s response.
Still, the Lord said nothing. Song Jae-heon cursed silently in his heart. He knew full well what the man wanted.
“Ah, of course. The Escort Leader has promised that, once this matter is settled safely, thirty percent of the Red Cliff Escort Agency will be handed over to the Southern Black Lotus.”
Only then did the Southern Black Lotus Lord let out a faint laugh.
He was a man who calculated very quickly.
That was likely the reason why, even after losing both his son and his subordinates, he had not rushed blindly to Yichang out of emotion.
“So, during the process of swallowing the Red Cliff Escort Agency, if any conflict arises, you intend to borrow the hand of the Southern Black Lotus.”
It might have appeared as simple goodwill or a tribute, but beneath it lay the shrewd calculation of a merchant.
Song Jae-heon admitted without resistance.
“Yes, it is true. And yet, it will not be a loss for you, Lord. That is why I can risk my life to come here and say this.”
The Southern Black Lotus Lord slowly nodded.
The man’s words were not wrong.
If he could kill Jin Seong-un, who was like a thorn in his eye, and in return seize thirty percent of a vast trading agency like the Red Cliff Escort Agency, how could that not be profitable?
And if the Jo-yang Escort Agency later changed their tune or tried to play tricks…
‘That would be all the better.’
He could simply kill the Escort Agency Master and everyone else, then take everything for himself.
At last, the Southern Black Lotus Lord turned away and said,
“Send me the time and place.”
“Wait…”
Song Jae-heon hastily stopped him.
The Southern Black Lotus Lord fixed him with a cold, unblinking stare.
Song Jae-heon was torn by great conflict.
There was one thing the Escort Leader, Song Jae-mun, had ordered him to confirm. Yet, standing before the Southern Black Lotus Lord, he found it difficult to speak.
Finally, as if making up his mind, Song Jae-heon let out a deep sigh inwardly and said,
“Guest Dragon is truly strong. You know this… don’t you?”
The Lord’s expression hardened with coldness.
Song Jae-heon shrank his neck.
The Southern Black Lotus Lord, staring at him, replied in a voice brimming with displeasure.
“I will go myself. And I will bring with me all of the Hubei Thirteen Killers. Guest Dragon will surely die that day.”
Song Jae-heon’s face lit up.
The Hubei Thirteen Killers referred to the Elders of the Southern Black Lotus.
They were the strongest experts of the Hubei Black Path.
And now, the Southern Black Lotus Lord himself would also come.
Song Jae-heon bent his waist in a bow so deep that his forehead nearly touched the ground.
“I will engrave the Lord’s grace into my very bones.”
“Make sure you set the stage properly. If things go wrong, fourteen blades will turn against you.”
“O-of course!”
By the time Song Jae-heon raised his head again, the Southern Black Lotus Lord was already gone.
Song Jae-heon let out a long sigh, a mixture of relief and exhilaration.
The Merchant Festival had only three nights left.
Having made an agreement with the Southern Black Lotus, Song Jae-mun left his residence that night with the gravest determination.
‘Tonight, Guest Dragon will be dealt with. Tomorrow, I will meet with the Chief Escort Captain of the Red Cliff Escort Agency to coordinate the situation…’
The schedule was rather tight.
But it was not beyond reach.
Over the past ten years, he had accomplished far more pressing and difficult tasks to get this far.
Song Jae-mun kept checking himself, making sure his steps had not quickened or his breath had not grown short whenever his heart began to race.
The foundation of a merchant was to maintain composure.
Never letting it show that something was being plotted.
Reminding himself of that, he gradually moved farther away from the bustling streets of the Merchant Festival.
How much time had passed?
He slipped out of the streets and walked quietly along the riverside.
There was not a single passerby, only a few fierce stray dogs now and then.
The stray dogs, too, had been released by the Jo-yang Escort Agency beforehand, to prevent anyone from approaching.
Before long, Song Jae-mun stopped at the riverbank.
With his hands clasped behind his back, he quietly watched the flowing water.
Then, the sound of footsteps came across the gravel.
Song Jae-mun turned his head.
Naturally, it was Guest Dragon, Jin Seong-un. As always, he walked with a dry expression, unhurried and calm.
“Ah, Guest Dragon.”
Song Jae-mun’s demeanor was different now.
There was no longer any reason to force a smile.
The distance between the two shortened.
Moonlight fell lightly upon their shoulders.
“What are you doing here?”
“Nothing. Just felt stifled.”
“That happens.”
Jin Seong-un shrugged his shoulders.
Song Jae-mun nodded calmly.
So, this thorn in his eye would die tonight. He was so preoccupied with that thought that he failed to notice the sword scabbard hanging at Jin Seong-un’s waist—a detail that was unusual.
Song Jae-mun spoke.
“But, Guest Dragon—no, Jin Seong-un.”
“Yes.”
“Are you usually this meddlesome by nature?”
Jin Seong-un thought for a moment before replying.
“Normally, no.”
“Then what wind blew you to meddle so much this time? Did I ever wrong you somehow?”
It was a blunt, direct question.
Jin Seong-un simply shrugged again.
Instead of answering, he countered with his own question.
“The flag of Myriad Gold Manor that disappeared on the first day. Was it you who ordered that?”
There was no proof.
It was only a question born of intuition.
Yet, to his surprise, Song Jae-mun nodded readily.
“Yes, I ordered it. If that fool hadn’t failed to hold on to the stolen flag and let you snatch it back, I could have humiliated Oh Jeong-san and even forced him into debt.”
“I see.”
“Yes, you have a keen intuition. That must be why you’re pestering me like this, yes?”
“Yes, something like that.”
Song Jae-mun picked up a wide, flat stone from the ground and threw it obliquely across the river.
The stone skipped across the surface a few times before sinking.
Watching this, Song Jae-mun spoke.
“The reason you’ll die tonight is that intuition of yours—and your meddling. A young man should learn humility.”
And at that moment—
More than ten martial artists descended from all directions.
The atmosphere instantly shifted.
Their presence pressed down upon the entire area.
Song Jae-mun turned his head toward Jin Seong-un with a twisted grin.
And then, he felt a strange sense of puzzlement.
‘Why is this bastard so calm?’
Jin Seong-un showed not the slightest sign of surprise.
As always, his face was dry, indifferent, and unbothered as he looked at Song Jae-mun.