Chapter 29: Chapter 29

Chapter 29: Questioning the Crime

Cloud Shadow's scream from losing his arm echoed through the warehouse.

People imprisoned beyond the bars shouted in jubilation.

Jeong Yangtak, who nearly died to Cloud Shadow's sword, sat slumped on the floor having wet himself.

His face was dumbfounded at the fact that Cloud Shadow whom he'd trusted had tried to kill him.

"Captain Jeong, seems your bodyguard warrior wasn't on your side either."

Only after hearing my words did anger flare up on Jeong Yangtak's face—whoosh.

"Cloud Shadow, you bastard? I picked you up when you were about to die and kept you by my side for over ten years—how dare you do this to me?"

Staggering up with loosened legs, he shouted at Cloud Shadow.

After stanching the bleeding near his lost arm, Cloud Shadow groaned without retort.

I thrust my sword toward Cloud Shadow's neck.

"I'm curious too. Until pushed back at the end, you showed no sign of harming Captain Jeong. Why suddenly?"

Cloud Shadow kept trying not to speak, but as the sword gradually penetrated his neck, he finally opened his mouth.

"...What other reason? Just because it paid money."

A reason so simple it was deflating.

At his words, Jeong Yangtak's angry question burst out.

"What? I gave you enough money, yet what more money?"

Having opened his mouth once, Cloud Shadow countered Jeong Yangtak's words.

"Enough... It was a lot of money, but I also did that much work. Isn't that right?"

"What? Don't you count that I picked you up when you were about to lose your life?"

Cloud Shadow looked at Jeong Yangtak as if utterly pathetic.

"Captain Jeong, no—Jeong Yangtak."

"Let's be honest. Was your saving me done out of sympathy or compassion?"

I also looked at Jeong Yangtak. A face distorted with injustice and anger.

However, that face wasn't a proper answer to Cloud Shadow's words.

"Right, at first I too had only learned martial arts so stupidly believed talk of grace. Thought I should repay. Didn't I work myself to the bone?"

"But you see. I've already watched you by your side for over ten years. More than enough time to know what kind of person you are."

Jeong Yangtak's character.

After knowing what kind of human he was, he'd looked back on his own life-saving.

"Right. To you, aren't people just goods anyway? The key is whether profit margins remain or not. In the end, saving me was also judged to be more profitable. You just tried to buy and use me with grace. Think I still don't know that?"

"On that topic, how much credit have you taken? Was there a day you didn't mention the grace of saving that bastard's life? Every time you brought it up, having to say I'd repay with my life was endlessly tiresome too."

"This bastard... then why didn't you leave?"

"I stayed only because working beside you could earn money without danger. And I tried to kill you only because offered big money."

Jeong Yangtak said it himself. He didn't understand why you can't see people as goods.

Watching such Jeong Yangtak, Cloud Shadow also came to view his own life-saving from a different perspective.

Furthermore, reached the point of viewing Jeong Yangtak as goods.

"A wonderful master-servant relationship."

The two people glaring at each other looked at me.

"Let's adjust the relationship between you two later. Then Cloud Shadow, who was the person who gave you money to kill Captain Jeong? Is another person connected to human trafficking?"

I couldn't wait for further conversation between the two.

Since my purpose was stopping this human trafficking.

Cloud Shadow hesitated again, but Jeong Yangtak opened his mouth.

"Probably Captain Guyang?"

"Captain Kwak. Hmph, that's probably also Captain Guyang's instruction."

Several captains were mentioned from their mouths.

Jeong Yangtak closed his mouth with a dark face.

"Next is the middle finger? Thumb?"

I pointed at his hand with my sword.

Where the finger disappeared still wasn't even stanched.

Jeong Yangtak couldn't endure.

Unlike when imposing from a position of strength, as soon as pain was implied, he opened his mouth.

The story that flowed out was noteworthy from my standpoint.

"Guyang Je of Banyang Trading. All those doing such backroom business in Luoyang are connected to him."

Jeong Yangtak himself also said he'd jumped into human trafficking at Captain Guyang's recommendation.

"Really? Could you testify if going to the government?"

"Would be useless. He's extremely cautious so there's no evidence. He doesn't do things that expose his weaknesses."

Was there such a person in Luoyang?

Looking back before regression, the name isn't familiar.

Someone conducting this level of activity should have had their name heard sometime normally.

Suddenly, memory of encountering some alias a few days ago came to mind.

I'd found the Young Manor Lord's letter at Master Dongpae's estate. Then I saw the alias Black Path King.

"Guyang Je—is he certainly the backer?"

"Certain. Captain Kwak who instigated killing me also probably received Captain Guyang's instructions."

"Not the Black Path King?"

Instantly Jeong Yangtak, who thought he'd been pushed to the limit, made a choking sound.

"Wh-wh-what? How do you know about that person—"

To hide information even in this situation.

"No! Can't, I also don't know well! Only know the alias Black Path King—always behind curtains so know nothing. Guyang Je might know, but not me!"

There's someone called Black Path King who puts Guyang Je forward.

Like Guyang Je, I'd never heard that alias. So even seeing the alias in the letter, I took no separate action.

But looking now, he'd been conducting various activities in Luoyang's shadows.

Does this person succeed in remaining behind the scenes for the next ten years?

Even after the Demonic Cult rampage?

I'll need to trace back starting from Guyang Je.

"Understood. Let's stop here."

However, now was time to wrap up.

Kwak Daebang, who'd organized warriors inside the warehouse, approached. From outside, shouts and screams began to be heard.

"Ink Sword Hero, seems Beggar's Gang beggars and Outer Hall friends assaulted."

"Seems so. Brother Kwak, could you smash the prisons?"

I moved my head toward Cloud Shadow and Jeong Yangtak.

In a way I'd requested troublesome work, but Kwak Daebang didn't decline.

Kwaaang, kwaang—sounds of prisons breaking began to be heard.

I took one step toward Cloud Shadow.

"Black Path extermination."

The sword flew once and Cloud Shadow's head fell.

Waaah—people coming out from prisons burst into cheers.

"Good! Snake-like bastard!"

"Same bastard stuck right beside the Captain!"

"No, that bastard was worse!"

People inside the prison seemed not to have heard Cloud Shadow and Jeong Yangtak's conversation.

Since it was noisy with Kwak Daebang organizing warriors, that could happen.

Cloud Shadow was hearing from imprisoned people that he was the same bastard, or a worse bastard.

"I don't know how it started with Captain Jeong. But to stick around because money could be easily earned even while such acts were committed. Already Black Path."

Separate from how their relationship was.

To imprisoned commoners, the two people were no different at all.

Then White Path's sword should rightfully seek them.

Watching the head rolling on the floor, Jeong Yangtak slumped down again. Truly well-loosened legs.

"I-I-I'm not a martial artist! Don't know things like martial arts! So I must receive an investigation from the government!"

"Even going to the government, with this level of crime you'd be beheaded."

"Still, I'll receive an investigation from the government!"

Probably planning to lavishly spend back money. Thinking to save his life by generously spreading the trading company's money.

"Ink Sword Hero! I heard your story. Heard you don't violate procedures!"

From far away, Kwak Daebang who'd been listening this way burst into keuhehe laughter.

Since he already knew about my policy change.

However, Jeong Yangtak didn't.

"Procedurally not so. You can't cut me here since I'm not a martial artist. Look. Look at my hands."

He crawled toward me.

What would be different looking at hands?

"They're smooth. Hands that don't know martial arts."

That can be known without showing hands.

However, Jeong Yangtak seemed to think he could only live by doing this. He even stripped off his outer garment.

"Look. No muscles! Just a trading captain's body." Newest update provıded by noⅴelfire.net

Captain Zhu Hochong had rough hands and firm body.

Cold sweat added to Jeong Yangtak's grease-filled body.

Extremely unpleasantly glistening.

Inside the dim warehouse.

People from prisons coming out one by one surrounded us.

Jeong Yangtak's naked body was exposed before everyone.

"Disgusting. Truly worthless-looking goods."

An honest impression of that body.

Despite receiving such an impression, Jeong Yangtak's face was rather bright.

"Right. My body is a disgusting body. So I mustn't receive martial artist punishment. Send me to the government."

Having come this far, I had no thought of following procedures.

But I couldn't snatch him from people who could rightfully question Jeong Yangtak's crimes.

"Right. A martial artist shouldn't be punished."

Then people who'd approached the surroundings shouted.

"No! Ink Sword Hero! You must execute him!"

"How many crimes did he commit! Can't send him ."

"He'll definitely spend the money back. Mustn't send him!"

People also saw through Jeong Yangtak's scheme.

They shouted execution at me.

"Really won't execute? Then even I—"

Kwak Daebang approached.

"Seems fighting still continues outside."

Warriors hired with money fled all at once when masters attacked.

"Eh... we have winning momentum..."

"Let's go out to help and return."

"People who were in prison might get caught up in fighting, so please wait here. We'll organize outside and return."

Then I glanced toward the door.

Then Jeong Yangtak extended his hand to me. A hopelessly trembling hand as if intuiting the future.

Not only Jeong Yangtak understood the meaning.

After Kwak Daebang and I leave this place, what remains is Jeong Yangtak and people who came out from prison.

Excluding physicians who came with us.

Though bodies tired from prison life, dragging feet, no one pulled back.

Approached like death messengers risen from hell.

Jeong Yangtak's body became dyed further with sweat.

Thoroughly exposed like a sinner fallen to hell.

Right now, this place was hell to just one person.

"N-no! Ink Sword Hero! Save me! You're not such a person!"

Still, he asked me to save his life.

"The Ink Sword Hero you know is a different person from me now. Me now."

I declared looking straight into his eyes.

"Am precisely such a person."

The same person while simultaneously a different person.

"Let's go, Brother Kwak."

Shaking off Jeong Yangtak's hand trying to grab my pant leg.

We went outside and closed the warehouse door.

Now, Jeong Yangtak was left among people with rightful qualification to question his crimes.

What verdict would he receive?

The answer came soon.

Through the firmly closed warehouse door, screams leaked out.

Unending long screams.

Hearing that, I told Kwak Daebang.

"I should go straight to the branch."

Why don't they know about such matters?

I answered Kwak Daebang's question with a slight laugh.