Love Ballad of the Tyrant King

Chapter 42: Jaseung, Makes Big Money

This was the move Lee Jaseung had prepared.

“They’ll definitely make a dual commission.”

At the mention of a dual commission, Dalguk’s expression turned cold.

A dual commission meant that after the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan hired the Hidden Death Valley for a job, they would also secretly commission someone else to eliminate the Hidden Death Valley in order to erase the evidence.

“To whom?”

They were one of the top ten assassin associations in the Central Plains. Who could possibly be commissioned to eliminate them?

The clans of the Orthodox Faction wouldn’t move so easily. Unless they killed all the assassins at once, they’d have to live in constant fear of revenge for the rest of their lives.

Then, Lee Jaseung calmly replied.

“We’re right here, aren’t we?”

Dalguk’s chest tightened instantly.

“You’re saying you’d actually accept such an outrageous commission?”

“That’s the kind of thing you say after pledging your loyalty.”

There was no room for argument.

Lee Jaseung continued in a composed tone.

“And if they offer something like twenty million silver coins, there’s no reason not to accept. I’m certain they’ll commission us.”

“That’s absurd.”

“What is?”

“They’re a prestigious family, aren’t they? To collude with the Black Way Alliance…”

“They used us to wipe out an assassin organization. They simply said they used filth to wipe out the filth. Sure, they’ll be criticized. But you know as well as I do, don’t you? That’s all that would happen, and only if it gets exposed that is.”

Again, Dalguk said nothing.

Lee Jaseung drove the wedge in further.

“There’s a much bigger sum behind this job. They’re more than capable of doing it.”

Dalguk knew he was right. Otherwise, they would never have commissioned the hit on the Wind and Cloud Merchant Union.

A chill ran through Dalguk’s eyes. Of course, the target of that coldness was the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan.

‘Those worm-like bastards dared to treat us like a rusty blade to be used once and discarded.’

It hadn’t even happened yet, but Dalguk already felt betrayed.

To create this kind of setup wasn’t something just anyone could do. That’s why Lee Jaseung had come in person, even revealing his identity.

Dalguk, filled with rage, asked Lee Jaseung,

“What do you want us to do?”

“First, hand over the commission records and the name of the client.”

Dalguk flinched in shock.

“We can give you the records, but we don’t know who the client is.”

Lee Jaseung’s eyes instantly radiated killing intent. As he released it fully, Dalguk, the one who had spent his life in the assassin association, went pale.

“If you lie one more time, I’ll kill you on the spot.”

Dalguk bowed his head in silence. He couldn’t tell if Lee Jaseung was bluffing or if he really knew. One thing was certain. He had already lost the power struggle.

Lee Jaseung pressed on without mercy.

“Do you want me to take all the intel you’ve gathered so far?”

That was enough. Information on clients was more important than Dalguk’s own life.

In the end, Dalguk raised both hands in surrender.

“I’ll give you the information we have on the client for this job.”

Whenever the Hidden Death Valley receives a commission, they would always investigate the client.

But that was absolutely forbidden. If word got out, it would create a scandal just as bad as leaking a client’s identity.

Actually, worse. Revealing a client might ruin the organization. But exposing that they investigated the client’s background would lead to total extermination.

Anyone who had ever commissioned them would turn against them. There would be no way to survive in the world with that many enemies, especially not as an assassin association.

Handing over that data to Lee Jaseung was admitting they had done background checks.

But they had no other choice.

This opponent wasn’t someone who could be stalled with tricks. Trying to hold out would only lead to losing both the information and their lives.

What mattered most was that Lee Jaseung had come in person. If the Leader of the Black Way Alliance made a deal himself, there was no room for deception.

Dalguk pulled a small envelope from his chest. It contained everything Lee Jaseung had asked for.

Inside was also the five million silver coins advance payment for the job. Typically, half was paid upfront, and the rest upon completion.

‘What a waste.’

Lee Jaseung checked the contents and tucked it into his robe.

Dalguk, who had hoped he might at least be allowed to keep a million silver coins, looked disappointed. That disappointment quickly reignited his fury at the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan.

“We can’t just let them get away with this.”

His eyes brimmed with killing intent.

Lee Jaseung gave a meaningful smile and said lightly,

“You’ve already been commissioned, haven’t you?”

Dalguk’s eyes sparkled in an instant.

‘A reverse commission!’

That meant Lee Jaseung wouldn’t interfere if they took revenge on the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan.

But Lee Jaseung made one thing clear.

“If anything about what happened today leaks, I won’t bother with the dual commission. I’ll come to tear you apart myself.”

* * *

When Hae Cheon-in opened his eyes, it was pitch black.

Thirst gripped him, and he sat up, grabbing a pitcher and gulped down cold tea.

Then, he froze on the spot.

His pupils shifted sideways. Someone was standing by the wall. It was a man in a mask, and it made Hae Cheon-in’s heart pound loudly.

Sleeping through an intruder in his room was extremely shocking for him. If the man had come to kill him, he’d already be dead.

But given his martial arts, such a thing should’ve been impossible. And more than that, where were the guards?

This wasn’t the main house of the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan, but even so, the men guarding him were elite warriors.

‘Yet he still managed to get in?’

That meant the intruder’s skill was monstrous.

“You must be terribly thirsty. Please, drink the rest.”

The polite voice came from Lee Jaseung. He wore a mask that only revealed his eyes.

Hae Cheon-in put down the pitcher and forced a calm voice.

“I’m fine.”

He quietly tried to draw up his inner Qi.

But he was shocked right afterwards. He couldn’t feel a drop of Qi in his body.

‘Qi-Dissolving Poison!’

It was a poison that temporarily suppressed inner Qi. It only affected Qi, not the body.

As if he noticed the attempt of drawing his Qi, Lee Jaseung spoke.

“I just used a little trick because I didn’t come here to fight. I hope you’ll understand.”

Hae Cheon-in clenched his teeth.

‘How dare he use that poison on me!’

He wanted nothing more than to smash this man’s skull. But the reality was the opposite. In his current state, the one whose skull would be smashed was him.

“I just put your guards to sleep. They looked quite tired.”

“Is that so? Hahaha. They are very loyal men after all.”

He forced a laugh, but his voice trembled with rage.

‘Damn it! He poisoned them too.’

He vowed never to forgive this man. But fear crept in. They were the guards of the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan, the direct bodyguards of Hae Cheon-in.

Poison shouldn’t have worked on them. There weren’t just one or two, but dozens. That meant the intruder was no ordinary man.

“But where are you from?”

“I’ve come to collect money.”

“Money?”

“The betting payout from the tournament.”

Hae Cheon-in’s cheek started to shiver.

‘Damn it! It went wrong. Mo Gweon, that useless retard! What did he do for things to turn out this way?’

He looked at Lee Jaseung with suspicion.

“No need for that look. I’ve come from the Wind and Cloud Merchant Union to collect one hundred and twenty million silver coins.”

After hearing the exact amount, it erased all doubts from Hae Cheon-in’s mind.  

“Haha, so you’re from the merchant association.”

But he was puzzled.

‘They have someone this powerful? I underestimated them.’

He cursed Mo Gweon again. Blaming others came naturally to him.

“But why come in the dead of night? I heard there was a problem with the vault and the payment would be delayed. Hahaha, you youngsters can be really impatient, you know.”

Hae Cheon-in spoke with the hope for a small laugh between the two, but Lee Jaseung replied with no change in his expression.

“There doesn’t seem to be any problem with the vault.”

“That’s not…”

Right as he was about to give an excuse, the door opened and two people came in.

It was Mujin and Mo Gweon. Mujin wore a mask too.

Because another masked man brought in Mo Gweon, Hae Cheon-in fell into a bigger shock. Two intruders were flying around as if his home belonged to them.

Lee Jaseung spoke in a calm tone.

“Do you know this man?”

“Of course.”

“He commissioned the assassination of the Wind and Cloud Merchant Union.”

“What?”

He should have reacted with greater shock, but realizing they had been found left Hae Cheon-in momentarily speechless.

After blinking for a moment, Hae Cheon-in realized late and shouted.

“You bastard! Is that true?”

Mo Gweon, having long known his master’s cowardice, simply nodded.

“I’m sorry. I’ve committed a grave sin.”

“You! Why did you do it?”

When Mo Gweon said nothing, Lee Jaseung answered instead.

“Probably to pocket the money.”

Lee Jaseung knew Hae Cheon-in had ordered it. But he pretended not to. It was part of his strategy.

“You filthy traitor!”

Suddenly Hae Cheon-in struck him. His palm slammed into Mo Gweon’s forehead. Neither Lee Jaseung nor Mujin stopped him.

Thud!

It would’ve normally crushed his skull.

‘Ah!’

But Hae Cheon-in had completely forgotten he was poisoned.

Mo Gweon, though restrained, still had his Qi. It hurt, but it wasn’t enough to kill him.

His eyes turned cold for an instant. He wasn’t stupid. He knew his master had just tried to kill him. He always knew Hae Cheon-in was petty, he didn’t think he’d abandon him this easily.

The mood turned frigid.

Hae Cheon-in snapped in anger.

“What are you glaring at like that?”

Their relationship was now beyond repair.

It was just as Lee Jaseung had planned.

He pulled out a document and spoke.

“This is proof of your commission.”

Seeing the evidence, Hae Cheon-in panicked.

“It was his doing, not the clan’s.”

“Do you think people will believe that?”

Hae Cheon-in grew desperate. If this went public, the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan would be ruined.

“Let’s settle the money first.”

“Of course.”

Right on cue, Mujin pulled Mo Gweon to his feet.

“Where’s the money?”

“It’s in the secret vault.”

With that answer, he looked at the wall behind Hae Cheon-in.

“Only the Lord is able to open it.”

Hae Cheon-in clenched his teeth. He had hoped to stall by pretending to pay. But Mo Gweon had already revealed the vault’s location.

“Open it.”

Hae Cheon-in had no choice but to open it.

Inside, the vault was filled with certificates. All were valid vouchers from the Central Plains’ three major banks which were essentially cash.

Mujin smirked as he walked over.

“You said the vault was blocked. That was clearly a lie.”

He stuffed everything into a large sack.

Not only the money, but also Hae Cheon-in’s secret ledgers, filled with illicit transactions.

“That’s…!”

As Hae Cheon-in tried to stop him, Mujin turned with icy eyes which was completely different from his grin earlier. It was far more terrifying than before. Hae Cheon-in fell silent.

Mujin emptied the vault completely.

Lee Jaseung stood.

“Well then, we’ll be going now.”

Hae Cheon-in looked relieved.

‘Fine, as long as I survive…!’

He could recover the money later. Once he recovers his Qi, he’d hunt them down and destroy them all including even the Wind and Cloud Merchant Union.

‘I’ll make sure you regret this. You are dead wrong if you think I’m going to back down like this.’

Lee Jaseung and Mujin left the room.

Soon after, the sounds of fighting came from inside. Hae Cheon-in without his Qi was fighting Mo Gweon, who still had his. But Hae Cheon-in’s skills were superior, so he would likely win even without his Qi.

But their real disaster had only just begun.

From the end of the corridor, other masked men appeared. They were the Hidden Death Valley assassins. In the center stood Dalguk.

They parted to both sides and bowed their heads.

Lee Jaseung and Mujin walked silently between them. The assassins couldn’t even dare make eye contact with them.

The only ones they were permitted to kill were Hae Cheon-in and Mo Gweon because it was a crime the two of them conspired to commit together. They had made it clear that no one was to harm their families or other martial artists. Of course, that much was more than enough for Dalguk.

‘How dare they toy with us!’

With fierce expressions, the assassins walked in the room the two were fighting in.

Hae Cheon-in’s sudden death would spark a succession struggle within the Righteous Chivalrous Sword Clan. That too was what Lee Jaseung wanted.

After coming outside to the courtyard, Mujin grinned.

“You made a fortune today. How about buying me a drink?”

They earned enough to not buy just one bottle, but enough to buy all of Heaven's Gate. This money would play a key role in helping the Black Way Alliance unify the world.

Lee Jaseung was in a good mood. The money was nice and all, but he was moving forward, step by step which is what made him truly happy.

Striding ahead, he replied.

“Let’s go. I’ll buy you every drink in Heaven's Gate.”