Chapter 74 : An Extraordinary Thief

Chapter 74: An Extraordinary Thief

Wongi-sang, the branch master of the Yichang Prosperity Association at Wuhanzhuang Bank.

Like the skilled and seasoned merchant he was, he stepped forward to mend the greatest crisis of his lifetime.

“Heroes. It seems both of you are mistaken, so why don’t you come inside instead…”

“Shut your mouth.”

At Sima Hwi’s sharp rebuke, Wongi-sang closed his mouth and stepped back.

‘This crazy, ill-mannered brat…’

Of course, such thoughts he quietly buried inside.

With a restless look, Wongi-sang kept his distance and watched the two men.

For a while, Sima Hwi and Jin Seong-un stared at one another in silence. Both seemed to feel nothing but intense distaste toward the other.

‘Impressive.’

Jin Seong-un felt genuine amazement.

He had lived most of his life as a powerless inn waiter. Truly, he had dealt with all sorts of troublemakers and ruffians. Yet never had he met a man as purely insufferable and irritating as the one before him.

Even Seomun Ak, who bore the infamous reputation of being the greatest scoundrel of his age, seemed like nothing compared to this man’s unbearable arrogance.

His delicate yet hypersensitive features, his clothes, his expression, his atmosphere, his aura—everything about him radiated pretentiousness and sheer annoyance.

Jin Seong-un realized anew just how powerful the Sima Clan must be.

For such a man to still be alive without being stabbed somewhere along the way meant that the clan’s backing was truly formidable.

“What are you staring at?”

Sima Hwi asked.

It was absurd for him to say that while glaring at Jin Seong-un himself, but Sima Hwi was never one to mind such hypocrisy.

Of course, Jin Seong-un was not much different.

“I was just thinking you’re insufferable.”

The martial artists of the Sima Clan looked at him as though he were completely insane.

Sima Hwi’s expression was even more remarkable. His face flushed red in an instant, as if he had never once heard such words spoken to his face before.

Losing his composure, he raised his voice.

“Do you even know what your words mean?”

“You mean when I said you’re insufferable?”

“…Not that. I’m talking about your earlier words—that a thief infiltrated this bank and just escaped moments ago.”

“I merely stated the plain truth.”

“What you mean, then, is that you claim the Sima Clan’s formation was toyed with by a mere thief. Can you take responsibility for such words?”

Textbook.

Twisting words into exaggeration, then pressing down with the name and authority of the clan.

But Jin Seong-un, who had once endured the likes of Seomun Ak, was hardly swayed by such tactics.

“The thief fled that way. If you have a way to confirm it, go ahead.”

He didn’t really understand the principles of formations.

But if these men were truly skilled formation experts, surely they could detect something unusual in that direction.

With that thought, Jin Seong-un turned and began walking away. He had many guests to serve today, and wasting more time with such a scoundrel was out of the question.

“Where do you think you’re going!”

Sima Hwi’s shrill voice rang from behind.

Jin Seong-un glanced back once, then shook his head with disdain.

Demands for wagers of life, shouts to reveal his name—threats poured out endlessly.

Of course, Jin Seong-un didn’t listen to a word.

Once Jin Seong-un disappeared, a martial artist approached the still-fuming Sima Hwi.

This man, a formation expert of the Sima Clan, glanced nervously around before speaking hesitantly.

Sima Hwi’s long eyebrows twitched.

“What is it now?”

“Well… there is something I must report…”

The man glanced about again, then leaned close to whisper in a tiny voice.

“…It surely wasn’t a thief, of course, but there are traces of someone leaving through the wall instead of the front gate.”

Sima Hwi glared at him. How could someone who left by the wall not be a thief?

Shame and humiliation burned on his face.

He turned to glare furiously in the direction Jin Seong-un had gone.

Meanwhile, Wongi-sang silently prayed Jin Seong-un wouldn’t shift his inn elsewhere.

‘…I suppose I should send a gift to the inn.’

With that thought, he stared at the back of Sima Hwi’s head.

Did martial artists truly have eyes on the back of their heads?

Sima Hwi suddenly turned around, and Wongi-sang quickly bowed with a forced grin.

‘Son of a bitch.’

When Jin Seong-un returned to the Seong-un Inn, he went straight to find the Martial Gods. To be precise, he sought Divine Thief, the man hailed as the greatest thief in history.

“I saw that thief today.”

At those words, the Martial Gods all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at him.

After a short silence, it was surprisingly Blood Demon who spoke first.

“Did you kill him?”

“I lost him.”

An even heavier silence followed, their expressions turning grave.

Divine Thief’s reaction was the most striking of all.

In a voice filled with disbelief, he asked,

“You lost him? You? Was there more than one thief? Back in my day, sometimes scoundrels worked in pairs.”

“There was only one.”

“Then why’d you lose him?”

Jin Seong-un carefully explained everything that had happened at Wuhanzhuang Bank. As he spoke, Divine Thief’s expression grew brighter and brighter.

“Ahh, so it was because of those damn Sima Clan bastards’ formations! Ha! That makes sense.”

It was as though he feared his reputation as the greatest thief might be stolen.

Jin Seong-un nodded and added,

“It was indeed the formation, but even aside from that, his level was very high. At first, I almost didn’t sense him at all. And once I lost him, I couldn’t find him again.”

“Bah!”

Divine Thief suddenly barked sharply.

Startled, Jin Seong-un looked at him blankly, only for the older man to continue.

“Whose disciple are you?”

“Elder Merchant King, Elder Blood Demon, Elder Noble Enchantress, Elder Divine Thief…”

“That’s right. And remember—I was the first to take you as my disciple. Never forget it.”

“As the disciple of Divine Thief Without Shadows, how can you spout such weak words! Training begins now. A thief always obsesses over the one thing he failed to steal. He will come back. Surely, you won’t let the Sima Clan bastards steal the credit, will you?”

Jin Seong-un fell silent.

He had no real intention of chasing the thief himself. Whoever caught him, Sima Clan or anyone else, it wouldn’t matter.

But sensing this thought from his expression, Divine Thief’s face grew fierce. Still, it was gentler than Blood Demon’s smile.

“The way to catch a thief is to become an even greater thief. Exchanging Two Forms is a technique for facing martial artists—it’s unsuitable for a thief.”

“I don’t intend to become a thief…”

“Bah!”

Another sharp rebuke.

Then Divine Thief’s special training began.

Even Sword Immortal, Merchant King, Noble Enchantress, and Blood Demon looked slightly weary of him in that state.

After training with Divine Thief, Jin Seong-un returned to the inn. A strange confidence swelled within him, as if he could now steal anything—and it made him feel unpleasant.

Crossing the inn, he returned greetings from Han Seong-chun and Seo Yu-gyeom, then suddenly froze.

In his hand was the Heaven-Slaying Dagger.

He had stolen it without even realizing—pure habit.

“Chef, you dropped this.”

Jin Seong-un handed the Heaven-Slaying Dagger to Seo Yu-gyeom.

Seo Yu-gyeom thanked him, while Jin Seong-un felt a faint wave of self-reproach.

He felt as if he had truly become an extraordinary thief against his will. He resolved to watch his hands carefully for a while and stepped outside.

Though still early, a long line already stretched before the inn.

They were people gathering to drink Yangha Daegu, awaiting the opening half an hour later.

Glancing around, Jin Seong-un called into the inn.

“Has Seomun not arrived yet?”

It was strange—Seomun Ak was always the earliest to show up for work.

Soon, Han Seong-chun’s answer returned.

“The Clan Leader of the Seomun Clan came to Yichang, so he went to pay his respects.”

“Ah, so the Clan Leader has arrived.”

Jin Seong-un nodded.

They had said that all sorts of martial artists would swarm in because of the thief, and it seemed the Seomun Clan had also stepped forward.

If even the Clan Leader of the Seomun Clan had come personally, then that thief must have caused far more trouble than expected.

‘Perhaps I really should have caught him earlier.’

Jin Seong-un smacked his lips in regret.

Just then, a familiar face appeared.

Shin Mok, together with Hwa-un Trading Company’s new Chief Manager, Mun Hyo-sang.

The two seemed to have grown close, chatting cheerfully at a distance with nearby merchants joining in their talk.

Then Shin Mok stretched out his hand, pointing to a shop.

A small bookstore right next to Seong-un Inn.

“From here.”

With his sharpened hearing, Jin Seong-un caught every word of their conversation.

Shin Mok slowly moved his hand sideways.

From the bookstore, to the butcher shop, the forge, the pottery shop, the pharmacy, and even the grain store…

“To here.”

At those words, Mun Hyo-sang’s face went pale, while the shop owners he pointed at cheered with joy.

Unable to hold back his curiosity, Jin Seong-un approached and asked,

“What are you talking about?”

Instead of the weary Mun Hyo-sang, Shin Mok replied.

“The shops I pointed at. I bought them all. No, rather, the Hwa-un Trading Company bought them all.”

“…Excuse me?”

“I plan to tear them all down and expand Seong-un Inn. I even thought about buying up everything on the other side too, but that fellow No Sang-won refuses to sell even if it kills him.”

Jin Seong-un then realized why Mun Hyo-sang’s face had gone so pale.

He sent Mun Hyo-sang a telepathic message.

– I’ll contribute a good share of the money, so don’t worry.

Startled, Mun Hyo-sang exclaimed,

“What? Th-that won’t do! Compared to the grace you’ve shown our company, what’s a few shops? It’s nothing!”

“But your expression looked terrible.”

“It’s not because of the money…”

At that moment, Shin Mok cut in with a hearty laugh.

“For those shops I just bought, I paid three times the price. If you’re going to take someone’s livelihood, you should at least give proper compensation, don’t you think?”

Mun Hyo-sang’s face crumpled again.

Jin Seong-un finally understood. What tormented him was not just spending a large sum, but being forced to pay an outrageous price.

After all, Mun Hyo-sang was still a merchant. To pay three times the actual value felt like having flesh and bone carved from him.

“Ahem… Regardless, I understand Elder Shin Mok’s point well. Indeed, they’ve all run their shops here for years, so compensation is only right… yes…”

His voice trembled by the end.

Then, bowing deeply, Mun Hyo-sang tried to leave.

But Shin Mok stopped him.

“Leaving just like that would be discourteous.”

“…Sir?”

By now, Mun Hyo-sang felt afraid of Shin Mok.

What shocking words would he utter next?

Soon, Shin Mok spoke again.

“Since you’re spending so much, I should meet your Trading Company Master in person to express my thanks. While I’m at it, I’ll spruce up the company’s pavilions as well.”

Mun Hyo-sang’s eyes went wide. Color returned to his pale face.

Jin Seong-un thought the Chief Manager was like clear water—transparent to the core.

Revitalized, Mun Hyo-sang bowed deeply with renewed energy.

“It is an honor, Elder!”

Shin Mok’s works were priceless.

Not even high officials, powerful martial artists, or even members of the royal family could obtain them easily.

And now he offered to engrave such works for the Hwa-un Trading Company.

Mun Hyo-sang’s lips curled so high they nearly reached his ears, proud of achieving such a great accomplishment right after becoming Chief Manager.

After their conversation ended, Jin Seong-un returned to the inn.

The people lined up gazed at him with eyes full of expectation.

Preparations for business were already complete.

As he reached for the sign at the entrance—

“You’re selling Yangha Daegu in a shabby inn like this?”

A familiar, sharp voice rang out.

Jin Seong-un turned his head.

There stood Sima Hwi, the man he had met at the bank earlier, looking incredulous.

Around him were martial artists of similar age. From their qi alone, they were clearly orthodox sect prodigies.

‘Who is that?’

Jin Seong-un’s gaze naturally fell upon a young woman among them.

It wasn’t because of her stunning beauty.

Aside from Seo Yu-gyeom, he had never seen someone so young radiate such qi.

Then, someone from the line recognized them and shouted.

“Skillful Dragon, Sima Hwi!”

Jin Seong-un turned to look at him.

Sima Hwi wore a lofty expression, as if this were all natural.

With the alias Skillful Dragon, he was clearly outstanding in formations. Even if he had failed to catch the thief.

As he basked in the crowd’s attention, someone else muttered quietly,

“Sword Phoenix? Has the Namgung Clan also decided to act in earnest this time?”

Jin Seong-un realized then that she was a daughter of the Namgung Clan. From the qi she radiated, the alias of Phoenix was no exaggeration.

Led by Sima Hwi, the group strode up to the inn’s entrance.

But Jin Seong-un, ever the professional inn waiter, spoke calmly.

“As you can see, the line is over here.”

Sima Hwi glanced at the long line and snorted.

“You expect me to stand under the scorching sun with that rabble?”

Jin Seong-un felt amazed once again.

Truly, this man’s arrogance was in a class of its own.

Sima Hwi’s haughty voice continued.

“So, the man who boasted so much turned out to be just a mere inn waiter?”

“So it seems.”

“Haha! Before I even taste the wine, I should correct your manners first. That will do you good. With martial artists flocking here from now on, who knows when a fool like you will get cut down by a stray blade?”

Jin Seong-un simply stared at him.

Sima Hwi began to draw upon his qi.

The young woman called Sword Phoenix frowned slightly when—

“Hey…!”

A desperate cry rang out from the distance.

Everyone, including Jin Seong-un and Sima Hwi, turned toward the sound.

There stood Seomun Ak, his eye swollen black and blue. He had gone to meet his Clan Leader, but it seemed he had received some discipline instead.

With the most urgent expression and voice in the world, he ran forward shouting,

“Hey, you’re going to die!”