There is no way, right? (5)
A manor large enough to rank among the very few of the countless estates in Jinan. In its innermost depths, a man dressed in blue silk robes gazed at the bonsai tree [분재(盆栽)] on the tea table, a small pair of hand shears in his hand.
“Hmm.”
The middle-aged man, whose short, broad beard left a strong impression, studied the tree with careful eyes, then cautiously trimmed the leaves that had grown too much.
Snip. Snip.
Unlike his large build and imposing presence, the man’s hands as he tended the tree seemed remarkably delicate.
After trimming the bonsai for quite some time, the man spoke without taking his eyes from it.
“So, you failed?”
The person who had been standing at his side while the man trimmed the tree flinched, then opened his mouth.
“Th-That is correct.”
“Failure, is it… Failure… You mean to say a task entrusted to the Soundless Manor [무음방(無音房)] failed.”
“That is…..”
“That can happen. Nothing in this world ever goes entirely as one wishes.”
Snip.
After carefully cutting off the tip of the bonsai tree, the man rubbed his chin and examined it from various angles. Seeming pleased with how it had been pruned, the man nodded and sat down.
“Tea.”
“Yes!”
The maidservant who had been holding her breath in the corner quickly scurried over and poured the tea she had prepared. The man took the teacup, opened its lid, and gulped the tea down.
“Next time, a little warmer.”
“I-I will bear it in mind.”
“Good.”
The man turned his head and looked at the person standing at attention.
“So… who was it that suggested entrusting the job to the Soundless Manor?”
“I, I was……”
“How much was the commission fee again?”
“Three hundred….. nyang.”
“Three hundred nyang, is it… Look here, Jahwan [자환(慈喚)].”
“Yes! B-Bangju.”
“Why are you trembling so? Mistakes can happen when one is handling some business. Come here and sit.”
“…”
“Come now. Bring another cup of tea here.”
“Yes. Bangju.”
The maidservant poured another cup of tea and set it down before the man called Jahwan. Jahwan lifted the teacup with a slightly trembling hand and carefully took a sip.
“See, Jahwan. As you know, three hundred nyang is not such a small sum. It is too much money to throw away on a single commission.”
“Th-That is true.”
“Then we ought to have produced results worthy of it… If things turn out like this, will it not become troublesome?”
“I apologize. It was all due to my negligence. I never imagined that a Second-tier [을(乙)급]* assassin from the Soundless Manor would fail to deal with a mere kid who had not even learned martial arts…“
“Mm. There is some sense in that.”
The man addressed as Bangju nodded as though in agreement.
“What was it again? The assassins who deal with ordinary people are Third-tier assassins, was it? And the commission fee is one hundred nyang.”
“That is correct. Second-tier assassins are those who target people of Gangho or those who have entered official posts, so the commission fee is three hundred nyang, but…“
Who could possibly have imagined that someone of that level would fail to get rid of a single brat? The Soundless Manor’s commissions operated on the principle of one attempt, one payment [일시일금(一試一金)]. One commission fee for one attempt. Even if they failed, the fee was not returned. And yet the reason people still chose to mingle with the Soundless Manor was because that one attempt guaranteed an exceedingly high chance of success, was it not?
“Tsk. I suppose one cannot call it your fault that such men failed. Especially when you even raised the rank of the commission.”
“I can only apologize, Bangju.”
“So? What should be done now?”
“…”
The man called Bangju asked with a sigh.
“As you know, the money that wretch swindled from us amounts to one thousand nyang. And now we have lost three hundred nyang on this commission, so that means we have lost as much as one thousand three hundred nyang because of that brazen little brat. This time, it must be certain. What do you think would be best?”
Jahwan swallowed dryly.
“May I dare to offer my opinion?”
“Speak freely.”
“In my opinion…. I believe it would be right to entrust the matter to the Soundless Manor again.”
“Hmm? Again? Why is that? Have they not already failed once?”
“That is precisely why. If a Second-tier assassin of the Soundless Manor failed twice to kill a mere kid who has not even learned martial arts, how would the world look upon the Soundless Manor?”
“I see. They would become a laughingstock. And the Soundless Manor would never want such an outcome.”
“Yes. Therefore, if we commission them again, the Soundless Manor will succeed in that commission by any means necessary.”
“Hmm….. But would that not cost us an additional commission fee of three hundred nyang?”
“I will take responsibility for that money.”
“Responsibility?”
“Yes!”
Jahwan nodded firmly. It could not be said that he bore no responsibility for this mistake. If additional funds from the organization were used to rectify it, he might lose the Bangju’s trust.
“My good man, do you think I am saying this because of money? I am asking whether there is any need to go that far. He is only a kid, after all.”
“It is because he is a kid.”
“Hmm?”
“No matter that we walk the Black Path, if we kill a child, we are bound to draw unfavorable eyes upon ourselves. Would that not interfere with the various businesses we currently have under way? We may even end up giving the authorities needless room to intervene.”
“……I suppose so.”
“What concerns me even more than that is the high likelihood that Lord Song, too, will think unfavorably of it.”
The face of the man called Bangju turned serious.
Lord Song was the patron supporting them from behind the scenes. There was no way displeasing such a person could be advantageous to the organization.
After gauging Bangju’s complexion, Jahwan spoke in a slightly more forceful tone.
“We can avoid losing Lord Song’s trust, and also avoid needlessly giving the authorities a pretext to intervene. Compared to that benefit, I believe three hundred nyang is by no means a large sum.”
“Hmm.”
“Bangju! Please trust me just once more. I will be certain to repay your faith. This matter can be settled smoothly.”
“Haha. There is nothing wrong in what you say. Nothing wrong at all.”
Bangju, who had been laughing heartily, looked at Jahwan with a pleased expression.
“See, Jahwan.”
“Yes.”
Bangju stretched one hand forward. Jahwan quickly clasped that hand in both of his own and bowed his head.
“You have become quite a seasoned man yourself. At this point, you could ably manage a merchant group or two.”
“You praise me too highly. It is all thanks to your teachings, Bangju.”
“Does that sound like praise to you?”
“Pardon?”
Thud.
At that moment, Bangju seized both of Jahwan’s wrists at once with that huge hand of his and slammed them down onto the tea table. Then he brought down the hand shears in his other hand, piercing both of Jahwan’s hands in one stroke and pinning them to the tea table.
“Aaagh! Kkuaaaaaaagh!”
“Shh. Do not make such a loud noise.”
“B-Bangju! Why…”
“Tsk, tsk. This is why those who have only their wits end up like this.”
Bangju of the Black Water Manor, Seo Gunhong [서군홍(徐群弘)], the Two-Faced Ghost Fiend [양면귀흉(兩面鬼凶) – yangmyeon-gwihyung], clicked his tongue.
“Problems will arise if we catch and kill a brat? Lord Song will not like it either?”
“Bangju, that is…….”
“You stupid bastard! Do you think anyone who fears a bad reputation could survive in this world?”
Seo Gunhong’s face, which had seemed so benevolent just moments ago, twisted like that of a vicious demon.
“That little bean-sized punk played us for fools. And you are telling me that, instead of flaying the wretch at once, I should hide behind assassins and cheer them on?”
An intense murderous aura surged from Seo Gunhong’s eyes as he glared at Jahwan.
“I held back once. And they failed spectacularly. Now you are telling me to hold back again?”
“B-But… Lord Song…”
“Lord Song! Lord Song! Looord Sooong!”
Thwack!
Seo Gunhong kicked Jahwan squarely in the side. Jahwan went flying together with the tea table his hands were pinned to, and smashed into the wall.
“Cough! Cough! Uweeek!”
Seo Gunhong cast a chilling look at Jahwan, who vomited up a handful of blood as though he had suffered internal injuries.
“You had better stop spewing such idiotic nonsense. Understand this clearly, you half-witted fool. Lord Song is not looking after us because we are easy to handle. He is looking after us because we are useful. A wolf that fears men is no wolf at all. It is nothing more than a dog. If Lord Song had needed something like a dog, do you think he would have come looking for us?!”
No answer could be heard from Jahwan. There was no way a man whose innards had already been shaken to a pulp and whose consciousness had half flown away could give any answer.
Seo Gunhong glared murderously at Jahwan as he groaned on the floor, then shouted.
“Take him away!”
“Yes, Bangju!”
Once the men who had been waiting by the door dragged Jahwan out, Seo Gunhong stood there huffing for some time before lowering his gaze. The bonsai tree, knocked to the floor after he struck the tea table, had been reduced to a complete mess.
“Tsk.”
Crunch.
Seo Gunhong irritably trampled the toppled tree underfoot and strode towards the door. Then he kicked the door open and looked at those waiting outside.
“I will not say this twice.”
“Yes, Bangju!”
“Bring him to me. His condition does not matter. Cut off his limbs, skin him alive, do whatever you wish. Just keep him breathing and drag him before me. If you cannot do that, I will cut off your limbs instead!”
“Yes! Bangju!”
“What are you standing around for! Get out there and bring him back at once!”
“Yes!”
As those waiting rushed out all at once, Seo Gunhong ground his teeth.
‘Damn that dog-like……..’
The thought of what the other Black Path bastards must be thinking of this made his teeth grind of their own. After fuming for a long while, he turned his head and looked at the man standing to his left.
“Chief Administrator Gam. Did you look into it?”
“Yes, Bangju.”
“Already?”
“Yes. When it is an order from you, how could I delay?”
Seo Gunhong’s twisted expression immediately softened.
“It seems the brat is currently staying at his own house.”
“Huh, he has some nerve. To dare go this far and then remain there.”
He certainly was a smart, audacious little wretch. Then again, wasn’t that why he had tried to draw him in and raise him, before being made a fool of?
“Then there should be no problem.”
“However, it seems several Taoists are staying in that house with him at the moment.”
“Taoists?”
“Yes. Young Taoist monks. At most, they seem just past their coming-of-age.”
Seo Gunhong narrowed his eyes.
“Could they perhaps…”
“They do not seem to be from Wudang or its affiliated sects.”
“Hmm. Then they are merely Taoists, is that it? It must be some trick that wicked brat has played.”
Taoists and monks were troublesome to touch carelessly. One wrong move, and one could become entangled with places beyond their ability to handle.
“But please do not worry. Given the brat’s personality, he will not be able to hold out for long. Before three days pass, I will have him brought before you, Bangju.”
“I trust you. If not Chief Administrator Gam, then whom would I trust?”
Seo Gunhong, wearing a gentle smile, slowly nodded.
“Then shall we go and buy a new bonsai tree in the meantime? It would be nice if they have something good in stock.”
“I will escort you.”
“Do that.”
Seo Gunhong, who had been about to stride off at a leisurely pace, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
“What is it? Bangju?”
“…You said they were not from Wudang, did you not?”
“Yes. I am certain.”
“…It is nothing. Let’s go.”
Seo Gunhong’s brow narrowed slightly.
For a moment, he recalled that there was a Taoist sect whose name had been making quite a stir lately. However.
‘There is no way, right?’
He might have been just overthinking.
‘It is not as if they have nothing else to do. There is no way they would have come all the way to distant Shandong.’
Even if those bastards really were from Hwasan, it did not matter. The Black Water Manor was not so trifling a place that it would fear fewer than ten young Taoist brats.
“Unless they are madmen seeking death, they will not interfere.”
Letting out a scoff, Seo Gunhong quickened his steps once more.
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*From ten heavenly stems, used for various purposes, one of them – ranking smth in order. 甲 (jiǎ, “first”), 乙 (yǐ, “second”), 丙 (bǐng, “third”) etc.
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S-Sure. That’s definitely not Hwasan.
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