Chapter 191: Chapter 191

“…….”

“Hmm…….”

Returning to the clan early in the morning after finishing their work, Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak stared at what was before their eyes with somewhat troubled expressions.

Even though it was morning, a quite energetic Dan So-mi was running and playing in the yard with a snow-white cat.

Giggle-!

The sound of her laughter sounded quite joyful.

However, that was not the problem.

The place those two liked most in this clan was none other than the pavilion.

In front of it stood a large pine tree, and a pond was laid out around it.

Also, in that pond, there was a flat rock larger than a person, and occasionally sitting down there to look at the pond while having a drink of alcohol was their pleasure.

However, right now, a large tiger was sitting on it.

Receiving the warm sunlight, whether something made it so weary, it was taking a nap while making purring sounds.

Its entire body was covered in wounds, but traces of treatment could be seen, and the injured tiger did not seem to care about the wounds anymore either.

“S-See? It’s real, right? I was right, wasn’t I?”

Namgung So-hye, who had run in a hurry to Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon, pointed at the white tiger while her lips trembled.

Having never seen such a huge tiger before, and not expecting to face one in a place that wasn’t even deep in the mountains, she had a rather startled expression.

“This is quite…….”

Namgung Cheon scratched his head, then cast a glance toward Dan So-mi.

After running around the yard for a long time, the child followed the snow-white cat and approached the front of the white tiger.

She then opened her arms wide and hugged the white tiger, and at that moment, the faces of everyone watching turned pale.

“Ahaha!”

Growl-

The sleeping white tiger slowly opened its eyes. Having its sleep disturbed, it cast an annoyed gaze.

Those golden eyes looked as if they would chew off Dan So-mi’s head right away.

Namgung Cheon and Sa Do-hak clenched their fists.

The moment it opened its mouth, a strike would fly.

However, the white tiger did not care about the momentum at all, turned its head again with a weary expression, and tried to sleep. It ignored Dan So-mi and the cat rolling around using its large, snow-white body as if it were a blanket.

“Ugh…… I really don’t know what on earth is going on.”

“What happened last night?”

Not to mention Namgung Cheon, even Sa Do-hak looked at Namgung So-hye and Gwon Mu-jin with an expression of disbelief. However, the two of them did not know anything either.

Because they were quite tired yesterday, everyone had fallen asleep early.

“One is a white cat, the other is a white tiger.”

Just then, Dan Woo-hyun, who had been watching the situation from a distance, muttered as he approached.

At that single word, everyone’s gaze shifted to him.

Sa Do-hak frowned.

“White cat? White tiger? Did you even give names to those kittens?”

“So-mi said she wanted to raise them.”

“Where in the world is there a person who raises a tiger just because they want to raise it!”

Namgung Cheon shouted and let out a sigh.

The white cat must refer to that small cat. Although its body was small, judging by the energy felt from it, it was no ordinary fellow.

One could tell at a glance that it was a spiritual beast.

Of course, the tiger next to it was the same.

With a bulk larger than the mountain lord, its snow-white fur symbolized the guardian beasts of the four directions.

Even the momentum felt from it was no ordinary thing, to the point that among the members of this clan, excluding Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon, it might be the most powerful existence.

Namgung Cheon held his throbbing head.

“It’s a very dangerous fellow.”

“All the more worth the effort to tame it.”

Dan Woo-hyun let out a chuckle and looked at the white tiger. The sleeping white tiger opened its eyes and met that gaze.

Flinch-!

The white tiger, praised as a divine beast, trembled and turned its head away.

An existence it could not defeat.

Just looking at Dan Woo-hyun was already enough, but with two more humans like him around, its momentum shrank unconsciously and it averted its eyes.

Snort-!

However, whether it was its last bit of pride, it let out a loud snort.

“Kahaha! You’ve got quite the guard! Now there’s no need to worry about guards.”

Sa Do-hak burst into laughter.

The small white cat next to Dan So-mi was definitely a new moon cat.

Its power could not be said to be that strong, but it was a fellow that could easily deal with ordinary peak masters. And that white tiger with such a giant bulk had spiritual energy flowing through its entire body to the extent that it was clear it was a spiritual beast that had lived for a very long time.

Whether he was somewhat covetous of that inner elixir, Sa Do-hak smacked his lips.

“Do not think about eating it.”

“O-Of course! I’d never think of such a thing! At my age……”

“…….”

“…….”

Namgung Cheon and Dan Woo-hyun looked at Sa Do-hak with strange gazes. His flustered behavior made him look like someone whose true feelings had been hit right on target. As the eyes of the two gradually narrowed, Sa Do-hak averted his gaze.

“I’m serious, you know?”

“I will believe you.”

“Ah, but still, if that fellow dies of old age or gets beaten to death by someone outside, then……?”

“It seems such a thing will not happen.”

“Hey, you can’t assert that there isn’t……”

“There isn’t.”

“I see.”

At Dan Woo-hyun’s sharp gaze, Sa Do-hak accepted it and nodded. As expected, the method of secretly beating it to death outside did not seem likely to work.

Even so, if he waited for it to die of old age, Sa Do-hak himself would probably pass away first.

He could only smack his lips.

“How did the business you went for go?”

“Do not worry. Haha, he was a young man with whom words flowed very well.”

At those words, Sa Do-hak looked at Namgung Cheon.

If he were to speak about the situation that unfolded inside, even two hours would not be enough. In Sa Do-hak’s life, it was the first time someone looked so pitiful.

Even so, Namgung Cheon did not hold a single shred of guilt.

He carefully speculated whether that fellow might be a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“They tried to use the Black Slayer Gate to kill those trading with us. Of course, they failed, but……”

“They use rough methods.”

“Since they tightened their own leash, after all. There probably weren’t many strategies they could use.”

Due to Zhuge Un, the Hunan Merchant Group was completely destroyed. Originally, that was not what the Choo Clan had wished for, so it was a huge mistake.

As Dan Woo-hyun nodded, a voice was heard from one side.

“Under the current circumstances, the only place the Choo Clan can lean on is the Myriad Gold Merchant Group. However, that Myriad Gold Merchant Group cannot move right away.”

It was Zhuge Un.

Whether he had heard the story from afar, he approached and bowed briefly to the three of them.

Holding a faint smile at the corners of his mouth, he looked at Dan Woo-hyun who was casting a glance at him and spoke.

“Because Man Hu-ryang is not there.”

“Mmh……”

Namgung Cheon swallowed a groan.

Ever since the incident of Murong Hyeok-mun occurred, Man Hu-ryang had been missing and had not shown himself. If he had died somewhere, stories about it should have naturally come out, but no such rumors were heard anywhere.

A perfect disappearance.

From the standpoint of the Myriad Gold Merchant Group, which had left all decisions to Man Hu-ryang, it was a highly embarrassing matter.

“Perhaps they won’t be able to move easily. Unless they fully grasp our combat power……”

Zhuge Un voiced his thoughts.

He was someone who knew Choo Moon-won’s character better than anyone else. A cautious and snake-like cunning man.

Knowing that he was someone who only fought battles he could definitely win, he believed he would watch the situation a bit longer.

However, Dan Woo-hyun chuckled.

“It would be so…… but, they won’t be able to just sit down either.”

At those words spoken with a laugh, Zhuge Un tilted his head.

Just then, a bird appeared in the sky. It did not simply fly past the clan, but circled in the air before gently landing on Dan Woo-hyun’s shoulder.

“A carrier pigeon?”

“Oho? A letter for you, that’s unusual.”

Not a little surprise was heard here and there. They did not expect that none other than the great Dan Woo-hyun would exchange letters with someone.

Who on earth was it?

The gazes of the three turned toward Dan Woo-hyun.

At those burdensome stares, he frowned.

Soon, after slowly opening the letter, he let out a smile.

Dan Woo-hyun, who had finished reading the letter, slowly folded it and pointed at Namgung So-hye and Gwon Mu-jin who had stepped aside.

“Bring those two here. Something for them to do has come up.”

At that single word, Sa Do-hak and Namgung Cheon looked at each other.

Expressing doubt, they tilted their heads. Since the oldest people in this manor were those two, with expressions of ‘surely not,’ they naturally turned their gazes toward Zhuge Un.

Zhuge Un, who broke out in a cold sweat at that look, hurriedly bowed his head.

Zhuge Un, who had obtained status and honor in his own right, had been reduced to the status of an errand boy.

“……Y-Yes!”

* * *

“What did you say?”

“That…… is to say……”

Choo Moon-won frowned as he looked at his subordinate’s face. When even the sound of grinding teeth was heard along with such an expression, the subordinate held his breath and broke out in a cold sweat.

“Say it once more.”

“D-Du Ak-chil has disappeared, and the Black Slayer Gate shows no trace at all.”

Choo Moon-won’s lips twitched.

Even hearing it twice, the same story came out. That meant that everything he heard with his two ears was not a mistake.

Thud!

He slammed the desk violently and shouted.

“How can that be!?”

“I-I am sorry!”

Choo Moon-won’s anger did not easily subside.

The guy sent to hire the Black Slayer Gate went missing, and the Black Slayer Gate did not even show its shadow?

There was no way those fellows killed Du Ak-chil and ran away with the diamonds.

If so, there was only one thing he could think of.

“That fellow Du Ak-chil lied to me!”

“There is a high probability of that.”

Choo Moon-won held his throbbing brow.

He should have looked into it since the story of the Black Slayer Gate first came up. When he insisted on paying a high price to use them even though there was no need to mobilize assassins, there must have been a reason for it.

It was Choo Moon-won’s own fault for not piercing through that.

“Send a pursuit team! Right now!”

“However……”

“What is it again!”

“There are no traces at all. It is as if they vanished into the ground.”

“Sigh……”

“And another piece of urgent information has come in.”

“Is there something else to startle me?”

Choo Moon-won’s sharp voice pierced the ears. The subordinate trembled, but he could not choose not to report it.

“Th-The information is that Zhuge Un is at the Hunan Dan Family.”

“W-What?!”

Why was the man called the greatest brain in the Central Plains at the Dan Family?

He glared at the subordinate with a look asking if it was false information, but the subordinate remained silent, meaning all of this was true.

Only then did he seem to understand the reason why the Hunan Merchant Group had collapsed, so Choo Moon-won’s eyes turned even sharper.

It was a look asking why he was only telling him this now. Choo Moon-won, barely calming his mind, controlled his breathing.

“With Zhuge Un being at the Hunan Dan Family, the events so far make sense. Trying to obtain business rights using Hoyeon Ji…… the downfall of the Hunan Merchant Group…… all of it must have come from that fellow’s head.”

Choo Moon-won narrowed his eyes.

It was a relief to know even now. Because there was a huge difference between knowing Zhuge Un was there and not knowing.

“That fellow Zhuge Un intends to swallow me?”

When Zhuge Un was in the position of Chief Administrator of the Martial Alliance, he had seen him several times, and had also given him plenty of hospitality.

Zhuge Un’s taste for alcohol was a relationship that could not be separated from the Choo Clan.

‘And yet that fellow dares to stab me in the back?’

The more he thought about it, the more outrageous it felt.

‘I must kill them…… as quickly as possible!’

Zhuge Un’s mind was extraordinary. There was no one who did not know why he was the best in the Central Plains. Giving time to such a person was an act identical to putting a leash on oneself and tightening it.

If so, the conclusion was one.

It was to kill them all.

Thud!

Just then, a great commotion arose outside.

It sounded like someone violently kicking a door. Choo Moon-won, frowning, raised his voice.

“What is going on!”

“Chief, you must come outside quickly!”

At the suddenly heard voice, Choo Moon-won let out a sigh. What on earth was happening that they were looking for him in such an urgent voice.

He quickly stood up from his seat and went outside.

And he was lost for words at the sight unfolding before his eyes.

They were constables.

A considerably large number of constables surrounded Choo Moon-won’s entire merchant group.

Standing at the center of them was Hong Won-chang.

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