Kwak Bong was leaning against the smelly back alley. The only reason he was crouching in a place like this at night was because of Geom Woo-bin’s words.
“When is the toad coming?”
Chan-sik, who was looking over the corner of the alley, answered Kwak-bong’s question. “It will come in the corner.”
Kang Chansik, who became a bandit by climbing the mountain after trembling at the blood lion, eventually returned to Hangzhou. It wasn’t where it used to be. The Hongmunhoe he was running had been disbanded when Kang Chan-sik left, and another guy took the place.
Today’s Hangzhou was the era of the Warring States period in the black society. There was a black society with all kinds of miscellaneous things, such as those who managed gambling houses, usurers, and night traders who were trafficking. The black swordsman Zhayongmen, who managed the black society in Hangzhou and received administrative fees, was watching the situation. From the point of view of Jaryongmun, the more black societies that donated money, the better, and the place that Jaryongmun managed was not only Hangzhou, so he did not dare to go there.
“But are you really going to be okay alone?”
Although the Hangzhou ship sent it, according to the plan, Kwak Bong had to deal with all the black societies in Hangzhou alone. This was a difficult task, even for a first-class expert. However, there was no expression of concern on Kwak Bong’s face. He was just full of boredom with waiting for the toad long.
“How many children were you going to bring?”
Although Kwak Bong was 15 years young, Kang Chansik’s attitude was polite. “That’s Okay. It just annoys me if there are thorns.”
Just as Kang Chansik had promised, a toad appeared from the other side of the alley. The guy nicknamed Toad because his face was so entangled opened the door to an illegal gambling house and entered. As soon as the toad disappeared, Kwak Bong went round the corner of the alley. “We have eight casinos to play at tonight, so we move quickly. If an officer appears while watching outside, let me know. I’ll just leave the squirrels coming over there.”
“What if there are many?”
Tonight was indeed risky. However, Kwak Bong ignored such truths. “Tonight, the number of people who sleep well will increase.”
“All… … Are you going to kill me?”
“If you kill someone like this, you will get angry with him.”
Kwak Bong mentioned him occasionally, but Kang did not yet know who he was.
‘Who is he?’
He asked and the only answer was that he didn’t know yet. Kwak Bong entered the gambling room calmly like a gambler. And then, he could hear the sound of something breaking. Chan-sik was faithful to the mission and resisted going in to see. Soon, he saw ten people rushing from the other side of the alley.
Each of them was a gangster belonging to the Goryeonhoe with clubs and swords. ‘There are too many numbers, shouldn’t I tell them?’
With that, he immediately shook his head. Kwak Bong was a warrior who was alone but was sent by the Hangzhou Sai Ship. Did the ghost-like masters know how to send it? He looked out of the alley again, paying attention only to the officers coming.
The gangsters disappeared into the gambling hall. Only one hour passed…
Profit! The unglazed door swung open with a sharp sound, and the baton came out. It was as if he had come out of gambling. He wasn’t hurt or had blood on his clothes.
Kwak Bong, who was not even breathing heavily, said to Kang Chansik, who came out of hiding. “Let’s go next. And I have some of these.”
The heavy bag in Kwak Bong’s hand was full of money and slips. “How much?”
“I do not know. It was swept away as much as possible.”
A thousand pieces of silver would be enough if the money moved in a gambling room a day. “There is another gambling house on Guiju-ro. You go there.”
He was convinced that he didn’t need anyone to help Kwak Bong with his first raid on the gambling house. “After today’s raid on the gambling house is over, I bring back trustworthy people from my former subordinates. We have to organize a new black society.”
“All right. Then the Daehyup will become the chairman.”
“Eh?”
With that, Kwak Bong closed his eyes and said, “You are the owner.”
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you hear? I’m not interested in that. I’m just doing it right here. When the Hangzhou Black Society is settled, it will be gone.”
Kang Chansik, who had a bewildered expression on his face, immediately nodded his head. Guo Feng was a man of the Hangzhou shogunate, and if Guo Fong were to become the head of the black society, he would harm the Hangzhou’s reputation. So, it was clear that Hoeju intended to set it up as Kang Chansik being the leader, before manipulating it from behind.
That was not bad either. After all, even when he was the head of the Hongmun Council, he gave close to the portion of his income as a remuneration to the Jaryongmun. It would be better than then if the Hangzhou ship were not for the blatant hypocrites. When a gambling establishment was attacked, the rumors spread quickly.
However, that day, Kwak Bong and Kang Chansik’s attack was much faster than the rumors spread. It wasn’t until after that night that the news of the raid on the gambling venues came after all eight gambling establishments in Hangzhou had already been destroyed.
The reason that Hangzhou’s black society reception began at the gambling house was to raise money. Even if Kwak Bong could clean up the black society alone, it would still take the help of many people to manage it. There was no better means than money to move the thugs who have worked in the dark, and there was no place like gambling to make money.
At this, Kang Chansik pointed his finger at the map of Hangzhou spread out on the table. “First of all, it would be good to organize the eastern section from Bukhye-ro to Jeoso-ro. This is Hangzhou’s net worth, and there are quite a few useful ones.”
“It’s difficult if the criteria for those who can be useful are determined only by physical strength. Please select those who are not too bad rather than physical strength.”
It was indeed as difficult as finding a white crow to wish the thugs belonging to the Black Society to be good. “Yes? I’m not sure what you mean by not too bad.” “In the future, we will not operate illegal gambling establishments or commit crimes such as human trafficking. Of course, since it’s a black society, you can also get paid for protection and run a loan business. But we won’t go back to the group where people are pointing fingers like we used to.”
“Are you going to become a good black society?”
“The kindest black society in the midfield. That is the goal.” Kwak Bong smiled at the end of his words.
‘A good black society? Does that even make sense?’
“Are you a guest at Oseon Jangwon?”
“That’s right.”
“Hey, you told me earlier!”
The restaurant owner, who seemed like a sample of unkindness, immediately bent down. The owner went out to the outside of the restaurant and gave directions in a small way. “If you go straight on that main road, you will come to an intersection. If you turn right after passing the pommok shop, you will get out of the city….”
The owner was afraid that Sangnamjae would not be able to find the way, so he drew a map on the floor and informed him. When Sangnamjae grabbed the reins, Koh Shinji, who was riding on the horse, said: “Wu Seon Manor seems to be very kind in Hangzhou.”
Her belly was so full that it wouldn’t be strange if she was expecting a baby tomorrow. “Fortunately, it looks like that.”
It wasn’t an easy decision. However, Sangnamjae had to make one either way, and Koh Shinji silently followed Sangnamjae’s decision. The restaurant owner’s explanation was good, so it was easy to find the manor Oh. She said that Wushen Manor, located not far from the river, had an enormous scale. It seemed ten times wider than the manor they had vaguely imagined in their heads.
“Will they do our favor?”
“First, we need to check whether they are there or not.”
At this, Sangnamjae knocked on the door of the manor with a trembling heart. It was Go Seo-bang who opened the door without asking who it was. “How did you get here?”
He looked like a worker, but he was not polite like a man in a splendid manor. Of course, Sangnamjae’s waist also softened. “I came to see the Hangzhou Wu Line.”
“That’s right.”
Go Seo-bang quickly checked the whereabouts of the two of them. He, who had eaten knife rice in Moorim for over 30 years, recognized at a glance that Sangnamjae had mastered martial arts. He could tell just from his standing posture, his hands, his small movements, and his momentum.
The woman on her horse was really pregnant. No matter how horrific Moorim was, a full-term pregnant woman would not be a threat. “If you tell me what is going on, I will pass it on to Zhang.”
“You will remember them when you say they were a couple who were saved in the mountains a few months ago.”
It seemed that the Blood Lion did a good deed for some reason. ‘It must be thanks to Sabaek-nim.’
With that in mind, Go Seo-bang told them to wait for a while and went inside. Among the Blood Lions, the first person he met was Yeonjun Hong. It was nice that it was so peaceful these days, and that was the alchemy red that ended up being a bit annoying.
“Master Yeon! There are guests outside!”
Wouldn’t it be nice if someone came to visit us in our boring daily life, except for the generals?
“Who are you?”
“It is said that Sabaek-nim and his masters helped him in the mountains a few months ago, but a full-term woman came with him.”
With that, he immediately remembered the slaughter of the Seobaeksalmun. ‘How did they know they came here? Ah!’
Geom Woo-bin had left a bottle of fraudulent liquor and said that it was made by them. If one were to look in downtown Wuhan, they would have found it difficult to know that the sage-juu was made at the Wushen Manor.
“Okay. I didn’t know Seok-san was looking for you, so what happened to you?”
“You know I’m not a kid anymore. I will go.” When Yeon Jeong Hong appeared, an indescribable relief appeared on Sang Namjae and Ko Shinji’s faces.
He was relieved that he had come to the right place, fortunately. As soon as they saw Geum Hong, they bowed deeply. “I see you. Have you been free all this time?”
In terms of appearance alone, they looked younger than Ko Shinji, but their examples were not lacking. After looking at the two of them, Geum Hong sighed. “Looks like you’ve made up your mind.”
“Yes.”
He was able to roughly guess how things would go in the future. If those two were included here, Oh Seon Manor should be responsible for the other two people.
‘Are you going to be bothered?’
“Sister-in-law Yeon, did you say that you have a guest?”
When Geom Woo-bin’s voice was heard, Jeon Yeon-hong had no choice but to gesture towards the two of them.
“Come in.”
Geom Woo-bin, drenched in sweat, smiled broadly at the two of them. “It’s been a while, you two. and! Auntie must be very hungry!”
Geum Hong was annoying, but Geom Woo-bin seemed to be happy. He relieved the tension between the two of them by asking if they had a good time or whether the road was not difficult. Upon hearing that a guest had arrived, Jang Mandok, Seo Seok-san, another also appeared one after another.
The gazes of the three people looking at Sangnamjae and Ko Shinji were all similar to those of Yeon Jeong Hong. The Blood Lion took Geom Woo-bin, who guided the two of them to the waiting room, and went out.
“Death penalty, do you want them to stay here?”
“It’s only natural for a guest to come.”
“I don’t know if it’s other guests, but they are a little special.”
“What?”
“Did I tell you who that man was when I got back?”
At Seok-san’s words, Geom Woo-bin merely nodded.
“It was the life of a hundred-year-old man. Are you worried that that old man was able to live in the past?”
“I would rather not worry if I can live now. But you will live in the past, and you will still be chased by the last hundred years.”
“The priests aren’t afraid of him, so what are they worried about?”
At this, the four thought for a moment in silence. It was Seo Seok-san who opened his mouth in the end. “Sangnamjae will leave his wife with us and go to Seobaek Salmun.”
“Why?”
“The only way to end being chased by Seobaeksalmun is for those two to die or to kill the master of Seobaeksalmun. Sangnam Jae will leave her wife in a safe cage and go to Seobaek Salmun to kill Munju.”
“Is that the only way to get rid of the grudge?”
“There are often very few options in the world. They are like that.”
“Then we have to protect her aunt even more.” Do Pyeong-su said with a troubled expression.
“If you are just a woman, there is no problem. But are you a full-term pregnant woman?”
“Why?”
“It’s simply because a baby will be born soon…”
It was the first time that Geom Woo-bin saw a common expression appearing on the expression of the Blood Lion.