Chapter 163 : You’ve Crossed the Line?

Ha Joo-yeon, who had instinctively hidden his body, suddenly scrunched up his face.Why should he, the third son of Myriad Gold Manor, feel such emotions toward a mere innkeeper?

With that thought, Ha Joo-yeon straightened his posture once more and looked down at Seong-un Inn.

“……”

But Jin Seong-un had already entered the inn. Ha Joo-yeon’s gaze sank low.

Ha Joo-yeon immediately left Geumun Inn.

Although the Chief Strategist had earnestly warned him not to cross the line, Ha Joo-yeon felt no reason to listen to such a command.

His destination was Dangyang County, situated in the northwest of Yichang. It was a city with a fairly large tributary connected to the main stream of the Yangtze River.

Dangyang County Government Office.

The county magistrate, Lim Tae-ho, who appeared to be around thirty, was sweating profusely—something rare for an official of such a small city that had neither crisis nor achievements to speak of.

“You… you’re saying we should open the floodgates?”

The magistrate glanced outside at the river.

Due to four days of continuous rain, the water level had risen considerably.

When the son of Myriad Gold Manor suddenly arrived, he had hurriedly received him. But never in his dreams did he think such nonsense would be uttered.

Looking into Ha Joo-yeon’s eyes, filled with conviction, the magistrate hesitated before speaking.

“That would be a little dangerous. With the rains, the water level is already high. If we open the floodgates further, it will be difficult to control the Yangtze River’s currents flowing through Yichang and Jingzhou. And if, by chance, the embankments downstream collapse…”

The magistrate tightly shut his eyes, as if unwilling to imagine it. If the downstream embankments burst and lives were lost, the head responsible for the floodgates upstream—his head—would be the first to roll.

Ha Joo-yeon smiled lightly.

“I heard that after the flood more than ten years ago, the embankments were reinforced. The chance of another overflow should be extremely low. At most, the currents will only quicken a little.”

“…When it comes to safety, one must always act conservatively. And a faster current is no small matter. Aren’t there escort agencies conducting transports along the Yangtze? Their losses would be immense.”

If the river’s currents quickened drastically, escort transports relying on it would suffer a direct blow.

And if those escort agencies or their associates demanded accountability from him, it would be a real nuisance.

“Is that so?”

Ha Joo-yeon instead smiled.

That was precisely what he wanted. After all, in war, cutting off an enemy’s supply lines was the natural course.

All the food, wine, and those damned bamboo-shadow mushrooms flowing into Seong-un Inn were being carried along the Yangtze by the Red Cliff Escort Agency.

He intended to cripple Seong-un Inn’s lifeline just before the cooking competition.

Ha Joo-yeon continued.

“On my way, I saw that the waters of Dangyang River had also swelled. Leaving it be would be worrisome, wouldn’t it? As the parental official of Dangyang, the people rely solely on you. Shouldn’t you place their safety above all?”

He reminded the magistrate that there was at least some justification.

Ha Joo-yeon’s words weren’t entirely wrong.

Ultimately, the floodgates’ management fell under the magistrate’s authority. It was a matter that constantly plagued him with headaches.

Open them too little, and Dangyang risked flooding. Open them too much, and the Yangtze currents would accelerate dangerously.

Between harm and harm, risk and risk, he had to always make the perfect choice.

“Even so…”

“To be direct, will you spend your life merely opening and closing watergates? Shouldn’t one who entered officialdom at least aim to sit beneath the signboard of Jingzhou Prefecture?”

In that instant, greed flickered in the magistrate’s eyes.

Not the magistrate of some small county like Dangyang, but a high-ranking official of Jingzhou Prefecture.

“Of course, I cannot force you.”

As Ha Joo-yeon feigned indifference, the magistrate’s mind spun faster.

That was human nature. When opportunity came right to your face, then seemed to slip away, urgency bloomed in the heart.

‘The danger of flooding downstream is minimal.’

Just as the third son of Myriad Gold Manor had said, the embankments had been repaired over ten years ago.

County magistrates of Dangyang had often lost their positions—or their lives—over floodgate failures.

But with Myriad Gold Manor backing him, it was a different story. Even if he were later investigated for negligence, at most it would be middle- to low-level officials of Jingzhou Prefecture handling it.

And Myriad Gold Manor dealt with the central government’s highest-ranking officials.

‘And if they break their promise?’

That risk was low.

If he were caught, exposing Myriad Gold Manor’s corruption would hurt them as well, giving them every reason to protect him.

Little risk, great reward.

At last, conviction filled the magistrate’s eyes. Seeing this, Ha Joo-yeon laughed heartily and extended his hand.

Seong-un Inn was taking a short rest after the lunch rush.

Jin Seong-un, along with Seomun Ak, Jang Gwang, Han Seong-chun, and as usual, Won Hu-hyeok of the Shui Stronghold who came by to hang out, were all seated together, enjoying the sound of the rain.

While the others relaxed, only Seo Yu-gyeom busied himself in the kitchen with something.

Seomun Ak, yawning lazily, called toward the kitchen.

“Won’t you embarrass yourself? They say the other side has three chefs from the Imperial Kitchen.”

No reply came. Only the clattering sounds from the kitchen turned slightly more irritable.

Seomun Ak chuckled smugly, pleased that he had gotten under Seo Yu-gyeom’s skin.

Then Won Hu-hyeok, seated nearby, spoke.

“Why do you and Young Master Seo fight every day?”

“You misunderstand. Fights require equals. How could I, the second son of the Seomun Clan, fight with such a lowly fellow?”

Just then, Seo Yu-gyeom emerged carrying a dish. He set it down irritably in front of Seomun Ak and said,

“Try it, you inn waiter.”

“……”

Seomun Ak stared at the food.

Recently, Seo Yu-gyeom had been experimenting with variations of Cheongtang Bamboo Stew.

Taking a taste, Seomun Ak’s eyes widened briefly before he quickly composed himself.

“Hmm, not bad.”

“Really?”

Seo Yu-gyeom grinned.

For Seomun Ak, the default reaction to Seo Yu-gyeom’s cooking was, ‘Tch, and you call this food?’

Precisely for that reason, Seo Yu-gyeom often sought his critique. If Seomun Ak spoke like this, it meant the dish was truly excellent.

Meanwhile, crowds had been flooding into Yichang. The greatest cooking competition in the world was about to be held.

As word spread, people pointed fingers at Myriad Gold Manor.

The largest trading company in the Central Plains had opened a shop directly across from a single inn, just to crush it.

Jin Seong-un, who had been listening to the rain with his eyes closed, finally spoke.

“If we win this competition, Chef Seo’s cooking will be known nationwide.”

The chefs Myriad Gold Manor had hired from the Imperial Kitchen were paid immense sums.

If a mere inn’s chef defeated them under the eyes of the whole world, the impact would be enormous.

Seo Yu-gyeom grinned.

“We’ll definitely win, so don’t worry. I even asked Uncle Bang Man-bok to select the very best mushrooms for the contest.”

Just then.

A horse came to a hurried stop in front of the inn.

The man who dismounted was none other than Bang Man-bok.

Everyone, including Jin Seong-un, looked puzzled. Normally, Bang Man-bok visited by carriage.

But now, he arrived drenched in rain, clearly in a rush.

Jin Seong-un rose to greet him.

“Has something happened?”

“For now, escort transport is impossible. Perhaps due to the rain, the Yangtze’s currents have grown far too rapid.”

Seo Yu-gyeom’s face twisted in frustration.

“How much rain could it have been?”

“…That’s what I said. But perhaps it rained heavily in Sichuan.”

The Yangtze flowed from Sichuan into Hubei. Even if Hubei hadn’t had much rain, if Sichuan saw heavy downpours, the river would swell throughout its length.

For once, Seo Yu-gyeom, who rarely lost composure, sighed heavily.

“That’s a big problem.”

Never mind the competition—in recent days, the surge of customers had nearly emptied their supplies of food and wine.

The fresh ingredients supplied by the Red Cliff Escort Agency were one of Seong-un Inn’s greatest strengths.

Seo Yu-gyeom continued.

“Can’t we use the mountain paths?”

“Maybe for the bamboo-shadow mushrooms. But bringing all the other goods by mountain road would take far too long.”

“Even if we went ourselves?”

By “we,” Seo Yu-gyeom meant himself, Jin Seong-un, Seomun Ak, and Jang Gwang—in other words, the martial artists.

They were asking about directly carrying the goods themselves using martial arts.

Bang Man-bok showed a troubled expression.

“As I said before, perhaps the mushrooms are possible. Though it’s difficult to approach the bamboo groves when the waters rise, with your martial arts it might be manageable. But bringing along all the other minor goods? That’s impossible.”

It wasn’t as if Bang Man-bok hadn’t considered various plans.

But having found no solution, he had come personally to Seong-un Inn.

Seo Yu-gyeom and Jin Seong-un both let out sighs.

If they couldn’t receive wine and ingredients on time, business would have to pause once again. More than that, they wouldn’t be able to use the best ingredients for the competition.

As the inn’s atmosphere sank heavy, suddenly, sly laughter was heard.

“U-hu-hu…”

“Heh-heh…”

Seo Yu-gyeom instinctively looked toward Seomun Ak with a face that said, “Who dares laugh in this situation?”

But Seomun Ak wore an aggrieved expression.

Seo Yu-gyeom then turned further to look at Jang Gwang and Won Hu-hyeok sitting beside him. The two men were grinning endlessly with strange, sly faces.

“What’s so funny?”

Seo Yu-gyeom asked curtly.

While his feet were practically to the fire, those Shui bandit bastards were—

“Wait.”

Bandits?

A sudden flash passed through Seo Yu-gyeom’s eyes.

“Looks like you have some kind of solution?”

At least when it came to rivers, no one in the world was more knowledgeable and capable than river bandits. At Seo Yu-gyeom’s question, Won Hu-hyeok’s grin widened.

“Huhu, at last the day has come to repay my debt of gratitude to Big Brother. With hundreds of river men at our side, what are you worrying about?”

Won Hu-hyeok spoke with confidence.

Bang Man-bok, however, furrowed his brow.

“No matter who you are, how do you intend to deal with such currents?”

He sounded slightly offended.

After all, the Red Cliff Escort Agency too had spent decades navigating the Yangtze River.

With a light movement, Won Hu-hyeok stood from his seat, then let out a chuckle toward Bang Man-bok.

“Escort transports—let’s use our boats. Watch and you’ll see for yourself who the true masters of the river are.”

Saying this, Won Hu-hyeok turned to Jin Seong-un, speaking confidently.

“You needn’t worry about the transport. We’ll risk our lives to see it through. In the meantime, Big Brother, you can focus on other matters.”

Won Hu-hyeok was well-versed in the river’s conditions.

Furthermore, the Yangtze River Stronghold spread far, even into Sichuan.

Thus, he knew for certain that no rain had fallen in Sichuan recently.

And the rain in Hubei had not been heavy enough to swell the downstream so greatly.

That left only one answer.

It seemed almost unbelievable, but hadn’t Myriad Gold Manor bribed even the officials of Jingzhou Prefecture and set up a branch in Yichang?

Floodgate officials were, after all, merely minor county magistrates.

Moreover, there were many precedents of tributary floodgates being abnormally opened for the benefit of local landlords.

As the Shui Stronghold too was directly affected by floodgate operations, they knew this well. Concluding, Won Hu-hyeok spoke to Jin Seong-un.

“Myriad Gold Manor has crossed the line.”

Jin Seong-un immediately understood the meaning.

He turned his gaze toward Geumun Inn across the way.

Swaaah—!

The lamplight from Geumun Inn flickered and broke apart against the pounding rain.

Jin Seong-un looked at it quietly for a while before letting out a sigh.

Then, he set his steps toward Geumun Inn.

“Welcome—!”

The inn waiter of Geumun Inn cried out joyfully at seeing a rare guest, but upon realizing Jin Seong-un’s face, pursed his lips shut.

Jin Seong-un stared at him and asked,

“Where is Ha Joo-yeon?”

“H-he should be in his office. But, why…”

“Tell him to come down.”

The inn waiter stayed silent.

If he went up and told Ha Joo-yeon, “Guest Dragon is asking you to come down,” he would get slapped for sure.

Sensing the tension, the guards of Geumun Inn exchanged glances.

One by one, they began moving, surrounding Jin Seong-un in a subtle encirclement.

Inside the inn, there wasn’t a single customer.

Jin Seong-un swept his eyes across the interior once, then looked up toward a certain spot on the ceiling.

“Or I’ll go up myself.”

The guards of Geumun Inn tightened their formation.

But their steps lacked conviction. Though they belonged to Myriad Gold Manor, they were only half immersed in the martial world.

And in the martial world, the name Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes carried enormous weight.

For they were destined to be the pillars supporting the entire orthodox Murim.

Jin Seong-un simply stood still, gazing at the martial artists, before sighing.

Through his senses, he could clearly feel Ha Joo-yeon upstairs, holding his breath and closely observing the situation. Yet it seemed he had no intention of stepping out, no matter what became of his guards.

“A true villain.”

He hadn’t held the sword long enough to know everything about Murim.

But he had long realized that anyone who drove his subordinates into death while feigning ignorance was invariably a villain.

Jin Seong-un lightly stamped his foot.

Whish—!

New Form vanished into the floor.

As the guards looked around in confusion—

Thud—!

One of the larger guards collapsed heavily to the ground.

That was the beginning.

“S-stop him!”

Someone shouted in panic.

The guards drew their swords, striking all at once toward Jin Seong-un.

But of course, not a single blade touched him.

Thud, thud, thud…

With each step Jin Seong-un took, another man crumpled to the floor. Some had their acupoints struck, others were knocked unconscious with a blow to the neck.

As one after another fell, the guards’ fighting spirit extinguished like candles before a storm.

It didn’t take long before every guard of Geumun Inn lay on the wooden floor.

“……”

The inn waiter blinked at Jin Seong-un.

In his eyes flickered something beyond mere fear and shock.

‘That man was once an inn waiter?’

Jin Seong-un glanced at the waiter briefly, then moved on, stepping up the stairs.

.

.

.

Step, step, step.

The sound of someone climbing the stairs rang clear in Ha Joo-yeon’s ears.

He wished it were one of his guards who had subdued Guest Dragon, but he knew better.

The steps stopped at his door.

The antique door of Geumun Inn opened smoothly, without a sound.

Jin Seong-un paused at the doorway, his gaze falling on the desk inside the office.

“Come out.”

Ha Joo-yeon, his face somewhat pale, slowly rose from behind the desk.

He could not say a word. For the first time in his life, he felt true fear before raw violence.

Jin Seong-un walked toward him.

Ha Joo-yeon’s eyes began to tremble like the leaves of an aspen tree.

“Wh-why are you doing th—uwaaah!”

When Jin Seong-un casually raised his hand, Ha Joo-yeon screamed at the top of his lungs.

Even a light slap to the cheek would be enough to kill him instantly.

Jin Seong-un grabbed Ha Joo-yeon’s shoulder firmly.

“Was it you who ordered the floodgates opened?”

“Uwaah! Just… l-let go first…”

Though the grip wasn’t even that strong, Ha Joo-yeon screamed as if his shoulder were already broken.

Regardless, Jin Seong-un looked at him with calm eyes.

“I asked you. Was it you?”

He should have said no, should have denied all knowledge.

But staring into Jin Seong-un’s eyes at such close range, Ha Joo-yeon’s mind went completely blank.

Even veteran masters stiffened up when facing Jin Seong-un. How much more so for Ha Joo-yeon, who knew nothing of martial arts?