Chapter 152:

Chapter 152:

Black Market

After obtaining the necessary information from the heads of the North Wind Escort Agency and Geumwang Village, Mu-jin gathered the bandits of Black Bear Village.

“Now, everyone take your share.”

“What do you mean by ‘take your share’?”

The bandits wore puzzled expressions at Mu-jin’s sudden remark.

“Many people have died, and we’ve caused quite a commotion. It looks like pursuit will come soon, so I’m telling you to divide the spoils we’ve collected until now.”

“Ah...”

A brief exclamation escaped their lips, and a deep glint of greed appeared in the eyes of the bandits.

Mu-jin was fully aware of this but paid no attention to it.

While the bandits were busy squabbling over the goods they had looted from North Wind Escort Agency and the treasures they had previously gathered...

“Are you really going to just let them go like that?”

Mu-gyeong asked Mu-jin with a puzzled look.

Not only were they letting the bandits go, but they were also giving them a heap of gifts.

“Ah, perhaps you want them to settle down and turn over a new leaf, and that’s why you’re giving them a substantial amount of money?”

When Mu-gyeong shared his guess, Mu-gung, Cheongsu Dojang, and Mu-yul looked impressed.

“You are indeed a Buddhist.”

“Haha, as expected of Comrade Choi Kang-hyuk.”

“Wow! So smart!”

At their reactions, Mu-jin wore a look that seemed to say, “What nonsense are you talking about?”

“Turn over a new leaf? Those guys?”

There was no way the Beggar Sect would stop begging, and such a thing was simply not going to happen.

“...Then why are you giving them gifts?”

“They’re not gifts. They’re bait.”

“Bait?”

“We raided the Shinchun Escort Agency, and there’s no way they’ll stay quiet.”

“Ah! So you want them to chase these people instead of us?”

“Exactly. Most of the things there are not money but items, so to convert them into money, they’ll have to sell them at the black market or somewhere. In that process, they’ll leave traces everywhere, giving our pursuers plenty to follow.”

Killing all the bandits here and leaving was also an option, but doing so would increase the chance of being tracked.

Even if they tried to erase their traces as they moved, if all traces pointed in one direction, they would inevitably be caught someday.

But if countless traces were scattered in all directions?

Even Shinchun would take a considerable amount of time to find them.

‘Since we raided the Dragon Scale Thread, we need some insurance.’

Especially since they had stolen the belongings of the Wolf King, there was a risk that he would pursue them.

Realistically, to Mu-jin and his group, a master of the Wolf King’s level was no different from the Grim Reaper.

‘So, take as much as you can.’

Mu-jin smiled grimly at the bandits who were fighting to take as much treasure as possible.

They wouldn’t know. The treasure they were so fiercely gathering would become a talisman summoning the Grim Reaper.

* * *

After dealing with both the bandits of Geumwang Village and the fake escorts from the agency with the bandits of Black Bear Village, the bandits cheerfully bid farewell to Mu-jin’s group, each carrying a substantial amount of travel money, and scattered in all directions.

Confirming their departure, Mu-jin’s group lightly packed and left the mountains.

After two days of travel using lightness techniques along the mountain paths, they reached their destination, Gyerim.

A place renowned for its natural beauty in Guangxi Province.

Mu-jin, having identified the exact location where the black market would be held through Geumwang Village, secured a lodging nearby.

“Let’s take a day off and enjoy the scenery of Gyerim.”

Since they had about a day’s grace period until the black market opened, Mu-jin’s group unpacked at the inn and went sightseeing.

Among the most famous places in Gyerim was the Li River.

‘Wow. I never thought I’d see this place in person, having only seen it on YouTube and TV.’

Along the broad and long Li River, lush green foliage and towering rock formations created a unique landscape.

And along the river, unique wooden boats that could only accommodate one or two people floated.

“No, there’s a separate organization that manages this, called Amcheonhoe.”

“Amcheonhoe!?”

“The Amcheonhoe of the Seven Demons?”

“Keep your voice down.”

“Oops!”

Although it was a well-known secret, there was no need to attract attention, so Mu-jin cautioned them.

Black markets and underground markets were held all over the Central Plains, but the black markets managed by Amcheonhoe were mostly in the territory of the unorthodox factions.

However, these guys, who lived in the mountains and were clueless about the world, had forgotten that this place was managed by Amcheonhoe and were now deeply immersed in the night market scene.

“Let’s try that too.”

“Oh, I’ve never seen that food before.”

Having completely lost their aversion to eating meat, they looked at the food on the stalls with bright eyes.

“It seems like they sell everything here.”

They were fascinated by the various weapons, clothes, and treasures displayed at the stalls.

Even though they were dressed conspicuously like bandits, they didn’t care about the snickers from the stall owners and others on the street.

“Where do they get all these goods?”

At their naive question, Mu-jin answered with a sly smile.

“Where else? They are all stolen goods. Things obtained by theft or murder. Illegal goods that can only be sold in an underground market.”

“......”

Only then did they start to realize that this was not a night market, but an underground market.

For the group’s benefit, Mu-jin explained a few more things.

“That herb they’re selling there is probably either poison or a drug.”

“And that black powder being sold secretly over there. It’s probably gunpowder that only the royal family is allowed to use. If caught with it, you’ll be charged with treason.”

As Mu-jin provided explanations, the group’s excited expressions turned tense.

However, Mu-jin’s purpose was not just to show them the horrors of the underground market.

His main goal was to disrupt the plans and growth of the shadowy forces of Shinchun.

And this Gyerim black market was also connected to Shinchun.

To be precise, the head of this Gyerim black market was a subordinate of Shinchun.

Though Hyeok Jin-gang of the Demonic Alliance was associated with Shinchun, not all unorthodox factions were the same.

After all, the Demonic Alliance was just a ‘temporary’ alliance formed to oppose the orthodox factions.

Meanwhile, Hyeok Jin-gang sought to control all unorthodox factions, and the person who ensured Amcheonhoe’s absolute support for Hyeok Jin-gang was the head of Amcheonhoe’s Gyerim branch.

This head of Amcheonhoe’s Gyerim branch had, in just a few years, managed to make the Gyerim black market the second largest among the hundreds managed by Amcheonhoe, earning him the position of vice president.

Using this influence, he had supported Amcheonhoe’s absolute backing of Hyeok Jin-gang.

Mu-jin’s group moved deep into the black market to find out the secret behind how this head had expanded the market so significantly.

Soon, the most horrendous scene unfolded before their eyes.

“Ah! Please, spare me.”

“Heh heh heh. Crazy bitch, do you think I would kill you? Do you know how much money I can make by selling you?”

A middle-aged man dragging a woman shackled at her limbs.

“Mommy!”

“Hic.”

Children crying out for their parents, not understanding anything.

“......”

Someone who had lost all will to live, their eyes devoid of hope.

“A piece of gold. Any more is impossible.”

And people buying and selling these individuals.

A slave market.

A hellish scene of humans buying and selling other humans was laid out before their eyes.

The Gyerim black market.

This place was an evil den that would grow to boast the largest slave market in the Central Plains within a few years.