Geum Ah-jong simply could not understand the situation.
Fine, let's concede a hundred times over and say the man was a greater master than the Money Bugs.
But to make those fierce, crude, and arrogant bastards this obedient? How in the world?
The one over there clearing away the broken stones on the ground was a man who usually wouldn't even greet him.
He was a truly arrogant person who lived only for the moment, but today was the first time Geum Ah-jong learned he could make such an innocent face.
Just then, Geom Mugeuk walked up to the two of them.
At that moment, one of the Money Bugs nearby dropped a stone he was clearing.
When Geom Mugeuk picked it up and handed it to him, the Money Bug, thinking he was about to be struck, yelped in shock and fell on his rear.
Watching this, Geum Ah-jong was dumbfounded.
‘What nonsense, absolute nonsense.’
This was what he couldn't understand.
If the Money Bugs had their arms and legs cut off, he would have understood.
It would mean they had suffered a truly harsh fate.
They would have to crawl on the ground like insects, let alone clean.
But they were just beaten up a bit, and they’re this submissive? Those ill-tempered bastards? Just how did he beat them?
“This is my older brother.”
Geum Ah-rin introduced her brother to Geom Mugeuk.
“A pleasure. I am Geom Yeon.”
Geum Ah-jong’s gaze toward Geom Mugeuk could not be kind.
But with the Money Bugs cleaning up, he couldn't very well accuse him, saying, ‘I know you’re a fraud.’
“I heard about you from my sister.”
“And what did your sister say?”
Geom Mugeuk’s gaze naturally turned to Geum Ah-rin.
Her eyes, looking back at him, were filled with gratitude.
‘Thank you. For not running away, for not killing the Money Bugs.’
The fact that he didn't run away meant that he wasn't a fraud, as Geum Ah-jong claimed.
As selfish as Geum Ah-jong was, he was someone who cherished himself above all else.
Naturally, he was selective about when and where he threw his tantrums.
“That you are a person of extraordinary skill.”
“It is the way of a martial artist to risk his life for one who recognizes his worth.”
‘It’s for the money, you mean!’ Geum Ah-jong fought to hold back the words welling up inside him.
Was that the only thing he wanted to lash out about?
A lowly servant!
He was clearly a fraud.
How on earth did a mere servant manage to subdue the Money Bugs? Was it a trick? Was this man’s father a master?
Yes, that must be it.
The person inside that house must be the master.
Probably not even his father.
Someone he hired with money.
The one who solved his puzzle was Geum Ah-rin.
She did not hold back.
“Did the Western Path Sect truly produce the winner of the Young Dragon Tournament?”
It was a question she had to ask at some point, and she was prepared to accept any outcome, so she was able to ask calmly.
“It did.”
This was why Geom Mugeuk was using the Western Path Sect again.
Because it had such a history.
When judging someone, one can only look at their appearance and the facts at first.
The Western Path Sect produced a winner?
And Geom Yeon is that winner’s servant?
One couldn't help but focus on such facts.
But facts are merely a shell.
The truth that Geom Yeon was Geom Mugeuk would only be visible after peeling back all these layers and looking inside.
But it wouldn't be easy.
The prejudice of him being a servant enveloped their attention.
The more sensational the surrounding facts, the stronger a shield they become, obscuring the truth.
“I heard the winner’s name is Seo Ryong.”
“That is correct. He is my older brother.”
“Your older brother? There was talk that you were Seo Ryong’s servant.”
An answer she had not expected came from Geom Mugeuk’s lips.
“The Martial Alliance Leader’s granddaughter took a liking to me, so I had no choice but to pose as a servant.”
Since Jin Ha-ryeong had taken him to the Alliance Leader before, it would seem plausible.
“Ah! The greatness of a love that transcends even status!”
Geum Ah-jong and the nearby Money Bugs, who had been listening, wore expressions of disbelief.
One of the Money Bugs, in particular, blurted out, “Crazy!” without thinking.
Then he flinched.
Realizing his careless words, he froze, and the Money Bugs next to him pulled him back.
Watching from the side, Geum Ah-jong found the reaction of these Money Bugs even more ridiculous.
They were practically fawning over Geom Mugeuk.
To think he was paying such expensive monthly wages to these kinds of people!
Geum Ah-rin asked Geom Mugeuk.
“Is that true?”
The Martial Alliance Leader’s granddaughter liked this man? Well, she must have, if she took him to the Martial Alliance Leader.
The fact that had swayed her was now changing.
From ‘Geom Yeon is a servant’ to ‘The Martial Alliance Leader’s granddaughter liked him.’
“I’ll introduce you to Miss Jin next time. We’ve been friends ever since that day.”
A flicker of doubt crossed her mind, but then her gaze shifted to the Money Bugs.
Yes, if it was this man.
Geum Ah-rin decided to believe.
She had already bet her fate on this man, so she would believe.
On the other hand, Geum Ah-jong’s thoughts were different.
‘He’s definitely a fraud.’
Isn’t it the way of con artists to boast of their connections to famous people?
The reason the Martial Alliance Leader’s granddaughter took this man to the Alliance Leader must have been an act of rebellion.
If not, why wasn't he marrying the Alliance Leader’s granddaughter instead of extorting two million nyang here? With such incredible skill, no less.
That's why he was a fraud.
He might have even swindled money from the Alliance Leader's granddaughter.
While Geum Ah-jong was lost in all sorts of delusions, Geom Mugeuk called over the Money Bugs.
“Alright, if you’re all done cleaning, gather around.”
The Money Bugs then assembled there.
They must have been ordered to look meek.
They were all trying their best to put on innocent expressions.
Watching them up close, Geum Ah-jong was even more astounded.
That Money Bug over there has a forearm as thick as this Geom Yeon’s waist.
Have you no shame?
Could it be? Were they all poisoned or something? Otherwise, he couldn't believe they had been bested by this young man.
Seeing those who had acted so arrogantly now so intimidated, Geum Ah-rin felt a sense of satisfaction.
It was alright to feel satisfied.
Geom Yeon was her man now.
Geom Mugeuk spoke to the Money Bugs.
“Alright, you’ve all worked hard. You may go now.”
The Money Bugs bowed deeply and left.
Geum Ah-jong glared at them.
‘He tells them to go, and they really go?’
But they truly left without a single glance back.
It was probably because their pride was wounded, but because of that, Geum Ah-jong's pride was wounded too.
Even if they followed his father, he was still his father's flesh and blood.
Geom Mugeuk spoke to the two siblings.
“Come to think of it, you both sent people to kill me. It seems your bloodline is fated to not leave me alone. How many siblings do you have? Surely not nine, I hope?”
At Geom Mugeuk’s joke, Geum Ah-rin’s face turned slightly red.
Geum Ah-jong maintained a brazen expression, as if he hadn't been the one to send the Money Bugs.
“When will we depart? We are all ready to leave.”
At Geom Mugeuk’s question, Geum Ah-rin answered.
“Then let’s leave immediately. I’ll be back here in an hour.”
“Let’s do that. If you lead the way, I shall have my carriage follow yours.”
“See you later then.”
Geum Ah-rin, who had been about to turn after saying her goodbyes, turned back and said.
“Thank you.”
She didn't say what she was thankful for, but Geom Mugeuk smiled at her with eyes that seemed to know everything.
In that moment, Geum Ah-rin truly realized.
‘So that was it.’
Now she knew for sure why she was drawn to Geom Mugeuk.
It was because of that composure.
The reason she invested two million nyang and even bet her own fate was because of that relaxed smile.
Because of that man's composure, which made it seem like he knew everything.
And so, Geum Ah-rin and Geum Ah-jong left the place.
Geum Ah-jong muttered.
“That bastard is a fraud.”
After a short pause, Geum Ah-rin asked.
“And you aren’t, brother?”
The rebuke that flew at the flinching Geum Ah-jong was sharp.
“You act like you’re doing this for me or the clan, but you’re not, are you? If you were truly concerned for me, you would have discussed it with me before sending the Money Bugs. You were convinced I made a mistake, and you wanted to correct it to score points with Father, didn’t you?”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
Struck where it hurt, Geum Ah-jong flatly denied it.
If things had gone as he predicted, he would have retorted with, ‘Serves you right, you’re completely out of Father’s favor now.’
“I’ll see you at the main house. Oh, and if you get the chance, be sure to thank the servant. If you had lost all the Money Bugs, you would have been the one to fall out of Father’s favor.”
Geum Ah-rin left first.
Staring at her retreating back, Geum Ah-jong glanced at the estate behind him.
Through the half-open gate, he could see Geom Mugeuk.
Geom Mugeuk was looking up at the sky, and unfittingly, he seemed lonely.
Then, Geom Mugeuk sensed Geum Ah-jong's gaze, looked his way, and waved.
Geum Ah-jong pretended not to see, spun around, and quickened his pace.
His older brother had once told him that not only was he greedy, but he also had the makings of a con artist.
Fine, he admitted it.
It takes a con artist to know a con artist.
That man was definitely hiding something.
‘I’ll be the one to expose your true identity.’
And to do that, he had a subordinate more skilled than anyone else.
“Lee Chu!”
A masked man appeared.
“Find me proof that he’s a fraud as quickly as possible!”
“Understood.”
Lee Chu was an individual specialized in digging into people’s pasts and gathering information, the most expensive of all his subordinates.
“Do not fail! One failure today is more than enough.”
The carriages headed towards Shaanxi, where the main headquarters of the Golden Dragon Clan was located.
The two carriages traveled at a distance.
Geum Ah-rin told her driver, Im Hyeok, not to worry even if Geom Mugeuk's carriage didn't follow closely behind.
Inside the carriage, Geom Mugeuk was reporting what he knew about the Golden Dragon Clan to his father.
Although his father was likely receiving all the information from the Heaven-Reaching Pavilion, this was information received from Silver Moon.
“The Golden Dragon Clan has three children in total. Geum Ah-jong and Geum Ah-rin, whom we met earlier, are the second and third, respectively. The First Young Master, Geum Ah-hyuk, is currently the most likely Successor. To put it in numbers, my analysis gives Geum Ah-hyuk a sixty percent chance, Geum Ah-jong thirty, and Geum Ah-rin ten.”
Geom Mugeuk had accurately grasped Geum Ah-rin's intentions.
“The ultimate reason Geum Ah-rin brought us into this is likely to use us in her succession battle. It's a losing fight anyway, so she's dreaming of a final reversal.”
Geom Woojin listened silently to Geom Mugeuk's report.
“Once we arrive at the Golden Dragon Clan, I plan to investigate the Clan Leader first. I believe he is connected to the hidden forces.”
“Your reason?”
The reason was Geum Ah-rin.
“The money earned by the secret organization flowed to the hidden forces. But since the leader of this secret organization is the daughter of the Golden Dragon Clan's Clan Leader, it must have been the Clan Leader who sent the money.”
If the leader had been someone else, there might have been a slim chance that someone in the upper ranks had orchestrated things without the Clan Leader's knowledge, but since it was Geum Ah-rin, the Clan Leader of the Golden Dragon Clan was clearly involved.
“The problem is how they are connected. Are they completely their subordinates, or collaborators, or perhaps they are being threatened. They could also be deceived.”
He also had a concrete plan for that.
“However, because they gave us two million nyang this time, their payments have been disrupted. This creates a big problem for them at a time when they need to pay up. I intend to focus on that point. From the Clan Leader's reaction, we can deduce his relationship with them.”
A glint appeared in Geom Woojin's eyes.
“Did you think that far ahead when you took the money?”
The sparkle in Geom Mugeuk's eyes already answered yes.
Then, Geom Woojin said.
“Is there really a need for me to go?”
He was asking if his help was truly necessary when his son saw through the situation so clearly.
“We need to show them once.”
“Show them what?”
Geom Mugeuk then said calmly.
“That my father exists in this Martial World.”
Geom Woojin stared silently at his son before turning his head to look out the window of the moving carriage.
To his father, he added one more thing.
“Of course, I know you would prefer to make that known in a different way.”
That night, they stayed at an inn.
In the dead of night, when everyone was asleep, a masked man quietly appeared.
He was Lee Chu, the man sent by Geum Ah-jong.
He slipped not into the occupied guest rooms, but into the stable.
His footsteps made no sound, and the carriage door opened without a creak.
One would believe him if he were a thief, and believe him if he were an assassin.
Lee Chu did not rashly enter the guest room where they slept.
He checked the carriage first.
After carefully examining the interior of the carriage, he then inspected the driver's seat.
The luggage had been moved to the guest rooms, so there was nothing out of the ordinary.
From this unremarkable carriage, Lee Chu felt an unidentifiable sense of unease.
‘Something’s strange.’
After looking around for a moment, he figured out the source of his unease.
‘The carriage is too old for the horses.’
The horses were truly magnificent steeds, but the carriage was too worn.
Lee Chu slowly inspected the carriage.
He examined it from all angles, knocking on it, and as a result, he discovered that the exterior of the carriage had been covered with a thin layer of plywood.
It had been intentionally made to look like an old carriage.
Lee Chu used his dagger to scrape the edge of the plywood, prying it open slightly.
Peeking through the gap, he could see that there was a painting on the carriage.
Looking closely, he saw a shape like a crescent moon.
“A crescent moon?”
He whispered to himself.
Was there a sect in the martial world that used a crescent moon?
He felt he might be able to recognize it if he tore off a bit more.
But if he did that, he would leave traces of having removed the plywood.
He decided he would need to get materials to reattach the plywood and then come back to remove it completely.
Before that, he tried to confirm the drawing one more time, peering through the gap.
Then.
Lee Chu was startled.
It wasn't because of the drawing.
Someone had silently come to his side and was looking through the gap with him.
It was Geom Mugeuk.
“Looks more like a horn than a crescent moon, doesn't it?”