Light Novel: Volume 23 Episode 8
Manhwa: N/A
Rumble!
The buildings of the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group shook as if an earthquake had occurred.
Walls crumbled, roof tiles fell, and the workers of the merchant group were injured.
“What’s happening?”
Ju Jang-hwan, the current leader of the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group, widened his eyes and looked towards the main gate.
Bang!
A series of explosions erupted from the direction of the main gate, and a powerful qi wave stormed in like a tempest.
The qi wave was so powerful that it swept through to where they were even though they were far away.
Ju Jang-hwan turned to look at the person next to him.
“Mother! I don’t know who it is, but it seems a dangerous person has invaded. Staying here might invite trouble, so please evacuate first, Mother.”
The one he was speaking to was none other than his mother, Noh Tae-tae.
Noh Tae-tae put down her teacup and shook her head.
“That’s not possible, family head!”
“Mother!”
“If the senior most member of the merchant group flees in the face of danger, who would trust and follow us? I’m fine, so you should leave.”
“That’s not possible. I have to take responsibility for this place, so Mother, please return to Xielao Manor.”
Ju Jang-hwan regretted having brought Noh Tae-tae, who had been staying at Xielao Manor, to stay with him for a while. He had brought her here, in hopes of keeping her company since she was usually alone, but he hadn’t expected such an incident to occur at this moment.
Noh Tae-tae smiled at Ju Jang-hwan.
“I’ve always been proud of you, family head. I may have laid the foundation, but you’re the one who raised and grew it to this level.”
“Mother?”
“The merchant group needs you more than me. Therefore, prioritize your safety. Don’t worry about this old me whose days are not far off.”
Noh Tae-tae, with her eyes oozing pus, looked towards the main gate where a formidable qi wave was swirling.
Noh Tae-tae had left no stone unturned in raising the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group.
She had faced life-threatening situations at times and had come to the brink of the merchant group’s collapse due to someone’s extortion.
Yet, she never succumbed to any trial and overcame them to create the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group of today.
While her strong-willed personality played a role in laying the foundation of the merchant group, her sharply honed intuition could not be ignored.
Even though she had aged and everything about her had declined, her intuition had not faded in the slightest.
Her intuition was telling her.
Today’s misfortune was not something that could be avoided.
The qi waves she felt were not normal.
It was like having her skin being thinly sliced by a sharp dagger.
Noh Tae-tae shivered involuntarily.
It was then.
“Family head!”
A man in his early sixties approached Ju Jang-hwan.
The man was the head of the Shadow Strike Squad.
The Shadow Strike Squad was one of the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group’s forces.
As an organization operating in the shadows, responsible for the merchant group’s convoys and retrieving lost goods, it possessed significant martial power.
It was also the organization that had played a major role in driving out the Blood Ant Gang from Poyang Lake.
Ju Jang-hwan asked urgently.
“What happened? Who is it that invaded us?”
“The Wolf King has come.”
“The Wolf King? The Wolf King of the Eight Constellation?”
“That’s right.”
“Why did he come?”
“I don’t know the reason. Captain Ki is currently holding him off, but he won’t last long.”
“Hmm!”
“Please evacuate, family head!”
“That’s out of the question. As the owner of the merchant group, how could I think of fleeing and abandoning it? I am not such a person.”
Ju Jang-hwan shook his head.
Just like Noh Tae-tae, he had no intention of avoiding any danger.
The head of the Shadow Strike Squad looked at Noh Tae-tae.
His eyes held so much meaning.
Noh Tae-tae nodded and opened her mouth.
“If the opponent is truly the Wolf King, then it seems our merchant group will not be able to escape disaster today.”
“That’s right.”
“But the owner of the merchant group cannot show himself fleeing from danger.”
“Noh Tae-tae—”
“Have you raised your successor well?”
“Of course. Thanks to your consideration, I was able to raise him well.”
“Then there’s no worry about the successor?”
“Yes!”
The head of the Shadow Strike Squad answered with a smile.
Noh Tae-tae also smiled back, looking at him.
They were not merely an employer and subordinate relationship.
They were more like companions who had been through hardships together for many years. That’s why they could understand each other’s intentions with just a smile and a few words.
Noh Tae-tae said to the head of the Shadow Strike Squad.
“Ensure the family head is taken to a safe place.”
“Yes!”
The head of the Shadow Strike Squad bowed his head as he answered.
Sensing something was amiss, Ju Jang-hwan quickly looked at Noh Tae-tae.
“Mother?”
“I’m sorry, my son! But I believe you can rebuild the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group splendidly. I will take all the karma upon myself, so you must rebuild the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group.”
“I should be the one to stay. Mother!”
“What good is it for a parent to outlive their child? It’s natural for the old to go first, and it’s right to do so.”
“Mother! No–!”
It was when Ju Jang-hwan was crying out in despair.
A young martial artist appeared from behind him and touched his acupoint.
As Ju Jang-hwan lost consciousness and collapsed, the young martial artist lifted him up.
The head of the Shadow Strike Squad said to the young martial artist.
“Take the family head to a safe place.”
“Yes!”
“Please take care of the family head and the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group as well.”
“Don’t worry, master!”
The young martial artist was none other than the disciple of the head of the Shadow Strike Squad.
After giving a palm and fist salute to Noh Tae-tae and the head of the Shadow Strike Squad, he disappeared. The Shadow Strike Squad followed him.
The head of the Shadow Strike Squad then said to Noh Tae-tae.
“They will surely rebuild the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group magnificently.”
“I’m sure they will. But don’t you resent me?”
“Resent you? Why would I? It’s thanks to you that I’ve lived a life of luxury beyond my due.”
“Just when life became bearable, are you not about to enter the pits of hell with me?”
“I’ve served you up until now, so I shall serve you in hell too.”
“In your next life, don’t be bound by this old woman and live freely.”
“Why are you speaking so harshly? You were like a mother to me, Noh Tae-tae. With you rescuing and saving me back then, would a back alley pickpocket have lived to receive such treatment? Thanks to you, I’ve lived a good life, so I’ll follow you in the next life too.”
“Ah, what a person…”
It was when Noh Tae-tae shook her head as if admitting defeat—
Boom!
The main gate in front of the great hall shattered with an explosion. And someone was flung inside.
The one rolling in front of Noh Tae-tae and the head of the Shadow Strike Squad was Ki Hak-soo, who had become a bloody corpse.
Ki Hak-soo was already dead, his breathing undetectable.
“Heh!”
At that moment, Gu Jin-wang entered, chuckling.
His hands were drenched in blood.
Behind Gu Jin-wang, they could see the devastated sight of the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group was visible, as well as corpses scattered everywhere.
Noh Tae-tae squeezed her eyes shut.
Gu Jin-wang had killed not only Ki Hak-soo but all the martial artists who had stood in his way.
It was truly a cruel display of skill.
It was a scene that explained why Gu Jin-wang was called the bloodthirsty wolf in Jianghu.
Behind Gu Jin-wang, they could see the figure of Deung Chol-ung.
As soon as he saw Deung Chol-ung, the head of the Shadow Strike Squad realized what had happened.
“So he was the root of the trouble. He was the one who brought disaster upon our merchant group.”
The one who had attacked Blood Ant Gang was none other than the head of the Shadow Strike Squad and Ju Seolpung.
He had been uneasy about letting Deung Chol-ung escape, and now, that unease had led to this disaster.
“You bastard!”
“Eek!”
After the lion’s roar of the head of the Shadow Strike Squad, Deung Chol-ung turned pale with fear.
At that moment, Gu Jin-wang stepped forward, smirking,
“Heh! It seems like you’re quite a strong warrior. I’ll have more fun dealing with you than that guy.”
“Senior Gu!”
“Who are you calling senior? A being worse than a maggot—”
“Hoo!”
The head of the Shadow Strike Squad could not help but just sigh at Gu Jin-wang’s words.
The violent and tyrannical human in front of him didn’t consider others even as much as dirt under his nails.
He almost wanted to curse the heavens for granting such a man such great power.
At that moment, Noh Tae-tae stepped forward and spoke.
“With such a powerful martial art, how could you live so arbitrarily? If you had only conformed a little to the world, you could have made your name great.”
“Heh! I have no interest in being revered after death. After all, everything ends when a person dies. Why should I live, suppressing my desires like that?”
“Don’t you know that sometimes there are values more important than desires?”
“Hush, old woman! Don’t try to beguile me with your eloquent words.”
“Very well, Wolf King. What brings you to our merchant group?”
“I have received a report that there is a great sword in your possession. Hand over the sword, and I will leave quietly.”
“There are no great swords in our treasury that would interest the Wolf King, and even if there were, I cannot give them to you.”
“Even if it means death?”
“Sometimes there are things more precious than death. Sure, opening our warehouse for you might save my life, but it would tarnish the reputation of our merchant group. Even if I survive, I could never again earn the respect of others again.”
“So, you won’t open your warehouse because of your pride? Heh! Risking your life for such useless pride?”
“Whether it’s useless or not, time will tell.”
“Fine, if you won’t open it willingly, I will kill everyone and open it with my own strength.”
“You will never get what you want.”
Noh Tae-tae spoke with determined expression.
Ssshhh!
At that moment, about twenty martial artists appeared behind her back.
These were the martial artists who had not escaped with Ju Jang-hwan.
The young martial artists had all escaped with Ju Jang-hwan, leaving behind those who were older.
“You insolent fools! But no matter how many ants gather, they cannot stop a wolf!”
“Each ant has its own strength. Today, you will learn that some ants bite painfully.”
Noh Tae-tae narrowed her eyes, glaring at Gu Jin-wang.
Her firm resolve reached even to Gu Jin-wang, which he did not liked.
“I will kill you all.”
Swoosh!
He drew one of the swords he was carrying on his back.
It was the Golden Emperor he had recently acquired.
Seeing this, the head of the Shadow Strike Squad gave the command.
“Attack!”
Chaah!”
The martial artists attacked Gu Jin-wang all at once.
Their swords and blades seemed to hack at every part of Gu Jin-wang’s body.
At that moment, Gu Jin-wang swung the Golden Emperor.
Whoosh!
A terrifying sword energy extended out like a comb’s teeth.
The sword energy instantly cut through five of martial artists who were leading the charge.
Pwoosh!
“Argh!”
“Kuhk!”
A tremendous amount of blood sprayed in all directions, and the screams of the martial artists echoed through the manor.
It was Gu Jin-wang’s unique sword technique, the Heavenly Sword of the Bloody Wolf.
It had an astonishing power that could split the heavens, but its backlash was so severe that it would completely destroy the sword’s blade.
That’s why Gu Jin-wang coveted famous swords like Golden Emperor or Gongbu/
Its power was unmistakable.
Boom!
Even as he drew out tremendous sword energies like stretching candy, the blade of the Golden Emperor remained intact.
“Aack!”
“Keugh!”
The martial artists of the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group fell one after another.
“Kahaha!”
Gu Jin-wang burst into laughter as he slaughtered the martial artists.
“Haat!”
The head of the Shadow Strike Squad charged at him with all his might.
However, like a moth diving into a flame, his figure seemed perilously fragile.
Noh Tae-tae stared with wide eyes at the back of the head of the Shadow Strike Squad.
This was the last battle of a man who had followed her all his life.
She had the responsibility to witness his last moment.
Gu Jin-wang was the end of an era.
Because of him, the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group would fall today. But the Imperial Yuan Merchant Group would rise again.
The organization will use their deaths as fertilizer to grow bigger and more splendid.
That was why she did not leave this place.
‘Despite this, I truly lived a good life.’
LUNACAVE
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