The immortals on Geom Mugeuk's left tensed simultaneously.
The remark that there were no paintings on this wall—did that not mean he would unleash sword qi here as well?
Moreover, Geom Mugeuk's bearing had grown even colder. He had elevated the terror to the next level by cutting down twenty people in a single move.
"Stop!"
Yeomje stepped forward and stopped him. Still, he harbored a doubt.
'Could he possibly have the internal energy to unleash such a devastating sword qi again?'
It seemed unlikely, but what if he did? The subordinates on the left would be swept away as well. He didn't care about their lives.
He thought about the money they brought him. No matter how he calculated it, it was a loss. The money they currently earned was one thing, but the cost of raising or acquiring such experts couldn't be ignored either.
Trying to save three million taels would mean losing far more money in the long run.
But he also didn't want to hand over three million taels obediently.
'First, I need to buy time.'
Yeomje's gaze turned to the Ten Immortals standing before him. From first rank to tenth rank.
It would have been nice if one or two of them stepped forward voluntarily to check. But no one did. Well, after seeing that sword qi earlier, it wouldn't be easy to step up.
Yeomje sent a voice transmission to Il Seon.
—Il Seon.
—Yes, Hall Master.
—Have him expend more of his internal energy.
—Understood.
Il Seon sent a voice transmission to Yuk Seon. One who leads by example and steps forward himself, or one who possesses sincere loyalty to the Hall Master.
There was no such person here. They all knew that well. He hadn't expected it from the start. They were people who moved only for desire and profit.
Since they were such a group, Il Seon's choice was naturally based on emotion. Yuk Seon was the person he liked least among the Ten Immortals.
—Yuk Seon, gauge that man's strength and make him expend his internal energy.
Yuk Seon didn't want to step forward.
'Damn it!'
The sword qi his opponent had shown moments ago was a technique he had never seen in his life. The image of lines being drawn with a sharp crack like shattering mirrors, and bodies being sliced apart, surfaced in his mind.
But if he defied Il Seon's order, he would be the first to be made an example. Yeomje and Il Seon were more than capable of that.
Yuk Seon didn't step into the swamp alone. As he stepped forward, he sent a voice transmission to Sip Il Seon.
—Help me, and I'll get you into the Ten Immortals.
For Sip Il Seon, entering the Ten Immortals was a fervent wish that could overcome even the fear of death. He knew it was possible if Yuk Seon helped him.
Moreover, if he distinguished himself in this situation? Perhaps he could even take a position above Yuk Seon.
Sip Il Seon also stepped forward with Yuk Seon.
As the two stepped forward, Geom Mugeuk first asked Yuk Seon,
"Who are you?"
"I am Yuk Seon."
Geom Mugeuk took out some documents from his bosom and read them again.
"So you are Yuk Seon."
As he read about Yuk Seon for a moment, Geom Mugeuk's expression furrowed.
"Just how many people have you killed?"
This time, Geom Mugeuk asked Sip Il Seon,
"Who are you?"
"Sip Il Seon."
This time, he frowned even more.
"Your ranks don't seem to be determined by who killed more people."
Rather, Sip Il Seon was the one who had committed more slaughter. But Geom Mugeuk's frown wasn't solely due to the large number of people killed.
"You even killed children."
Sip Il Seon neither confirmed nor denied it, but his eyes acknowledged the fact. So? What about it? That was the look in his eyes. He had originally been treated as a madman even within Baekseon Hall.
Yuk Seon asked Geom Mugeuk,
"Just who in the world are you?"
Instead of answering, Geom Mugeuk slowly walked toward Sip Il Seon.
As he walked toward him, Sip Il Seon tensed up and prepared to draw his sword at any moment. Yuk Seon also prepared for the worst.
If you draw, we draw too. With the two of us?
He had clearly been this confident.
Shk! Shik! Shk!
Thud! Thud! Thwack!
Geom Mugeuk's sword consecutively pierced Sip Il Seon's stomach, chest, and neck.
It was so fast that Sip Il Seon had no time to dodge or block, let alone counterattack.
The moment Yuk Seon beside him instinctively tried to counterattack, his eyes met Geom Mugeuk's. Geom Mugeuk, who had already stabbed Sip Il Seon three times, was looking at him.
'So fast!'
He had tried to face someone like this with two people? What kind of confidence had that been?
As Sip Il Seon toppled backward, having perished on his feet, only then did Geom Mugeuk ask,
"Ah, what was it you asked a moment ago?"
His courtesy made it all the more horrifying.
Yuk Seon only poured internal strength into his sword-wielding hand, saying nothing. His opponent had already answered his question by killing Sip Il Seon with that sword.
That he was a grim reaper who had come to kill them.
That was Yuk Seon's only thought.
'Only the first strike is the path to survival.'
When they reached striking distance, Yuk Seon's sword flew first, and Geom Mugeuk's sword followed.
But the sword that flew later arrived first.
Srrk!
Blood sprayed in all directions from Yuk Seon's severed neck. With the deaths of two people, the bloody stench in the hall grew even thicker.
Everyone's gaze was focused on Geom Mugeuk.
Villains were villains. Even as their comrades died one after another, none of them felt the slightest regret over their deaths.
Then the one who jumped out was Sam Seon.
"Stop talking about money and fight me!"
He was the one who loved fighting the most among the immortals of Baekseon Hall. Like a moth leaping into flames, he couldn't suppress his killing intent that surged at the thick scent of blood. If Sip Il Seon was a madman, this Sam Seon was an even bigger madman.
"Isn't this a world overflowing with things I want to kill?"
Without hesitation, Sam Seon unleashed sword qi.
Shwaaaaak!
Rough sword qi flew forth to tear Geom Mugeuk apart.
As Geom Mugeuk dodged the sword qi, it swept toward the immortals behind him.
Two of the immortals standing in the back were swept away before they could dodge.
Shwaaaaaak!
Even though a comrade had died, Sam Seon unleashed sword qi again. This time, it was even rougher and more powerful.
Geom Mugeuk could have nullified it by unleashing his own sword qi, but he let it be. More immortals in the back were swept away by his sword qi. Curses erupted from all directions.
But Sam Seon unleashed sword qi like a madman. He didn't care if his comrades died or not.
Shwak! Shwaaak!
Kwaang! Kwong!
Sword qi was unleashed to block sword qi. Then more sword qi flew to block that sword qi.
The place instantly became a scene of carnage. Geom Mugeuk moved this way and that, exquisitely dodging the flying sword qi.
Puwuk!
Sam Seon's figure stopped.
The sword piercing through his heart belonged to Yeomje.
"You insane bastard."
As he spat out the cold curse and pulled out his sword, Sam Seon sprayed blood and collapsed on the spot, perishing. With his death, the commotion in the hall finally ceased. In this mad onslaught, over ten people had died by the hands of their own side.
Yeomje said to Geom Mugeuk,
"I lost. I'll pay the money."
He couldn't endure any longer.
'To kill this bastard, I have to bet everything I have.'
That everything included his own life. Charging at an opponent who had shown such divine might with a life-or-death attack was tantamount to asking everyone to die together. Even if he won, it would be a losing trade.
'I have to send him away first. Revenge can be considered later.'
Hiding his anger, Yeomje spoke calmly,
"With our numbers reduced to this extent, even if I pay, the main hall can be maintained."
Geom Mugeuk smiled.
"That's a relief."
"But to give such a large sum as three million taels, I need time. I have to settle my affairs. Take that over there first and give me some time."
The place Yeomje looked at was the table where they had been settling accounts. Promissory notes were piled there.
Of course, there was no way it would work on Geom Mugeuk.
"Isn't the money in the safe?"
"I don't have that much money. How could I keep such a large sum in a safe?"
Yeomje shot back.
Geom Mugeuk stared at him and said,
"What if I open it and it's there?"
Yeomje flinched.
"May I take it all?"
Geom Mugeuk saw it. Though he put on a troubled expression, a glimmer of joy flashed in Yeomje's eyes.
"Fine, I promise."
Yeomje was confident there wasn't three million taels in the safe.
"The main hall's safe is right here in the great hall, where I spend the most time."
Yeomje rose from his seat and walked to the back wall.
He manipulated the ornaments attached to the back wall. Since he blocked them with his body, no one could see what or how he was touching them.
"If you try to force the door open, mechanisms will activate and kill the intruder."
Rumble.
Shortly after, a secret wall opened, revealing the safe.
"Now, come and look."
Geom Mugeuk walked up to it.
The remaining Ten Immortals followed together and stood around Yeomje, guarding him.
Yeomje took out the promissory notes and gold ingots from the safe.
"There are a little over two million five hundred thousand taels in promissory notes. Even if I sell all the gold pieces, it's far short of three million taels. Do you still think I deceived you?"
Yeomje was brazen, as if he hadn't lied.
"Bring the money that was being settled over there."
At that, the immortals brought the promissory notes from the table. Those who hadn't settled their accounts yet also put money there.
Gathering all the money like that, it came to three million taels.
"Fortunately, this is enough to pay you. Take it and go. Today was also my fault for not repaying the debt, so I shall forget about this cleanly."
"Truly! You are a magnanimous man."
Of course, as if that could be true.
He was planning his revenge starting now. He would kill not only this bastard, but his family, friends, and neighbors too. He didn't plan to let Geumryongse off either. He would kill ten times as many as had died today to show the martial world what kind of place Baekseon Hall was. Even if he had to buy every assassin in the martial world.
It would have been truly nice if he took the money and left.
"Ah, I forgot. Sorry, but there's more money I'm owed."
Geom Mugeuk took out a sheet of paper from his bosom and held it out.
It was a paper densely packed with numerous names and amounts. It was a record of the money Baekseon Hall had extorted from each merchant guild.
"I've been asked to collect this money as well."
Yeomje's eyes widened to slits.
'These bastards!'
Killing intent surged within Yeomje. Hand over all the money he had extorted until now? It was an amount he absolutely couldn't repay, even if it killed him. Suppressing his boiling anger, Yeomje said,
"As you can see, the safe is empty. Come back next time to collect."
Then, words that pushed Yeomje to the edge of a cliff flowed out.
"Doesn't our Hall Master have a private safe?"
Only now could Yeomje know for certain.
'He came fully prepared.'
If he had known this, he wouldn't have opened this safe either. No, it didn't matter. Even if it killed him, he didn't plan to hand over this money now either.
Yeomje glared at Geom Mugeuk with cold eyes.
"You came to take all my money."
"There are two things wrong with that statement. First, it's not the Hall Master's money. Second, I won't be taking it all either. Since you've borrowed that money without paying interest, it must have grown greatly by now."
He was right. Because he had built all sorts of businesses using that money.
"Pay back what you borrowed and conduct your business honorably from now on."
Of course, Geom Mugeuk was certain Yeomje wouldn't do that. If he were someone capable of that, he wouldn't have engaged in such matters in the first place.
For a brief moment, Yeomje deliberated.
'Should I just hand it all over and aim for another day?'
But he didn't make that decision.
It wasn't merely because he had to pay back borrowed money. Once this young bastard saw inside the safe, he would surely be greedy and take everything. Because Yeomje himself would definitely do the same.
In the end, this final choice was fitting of his life.
"To whoever kills him, I shall give the position of First Immortal and those three million taels!"
The immortals simultaneously revealed their killing intent. Even having seen the opponent's strength, the reward of becoming First Immortal and three million taels made them fearless of death. And anyway, this was not a situation where one could defy the Hall Master's orders.
"You borrow money with a smile, and when it's time to pay, you draw your sword. Isn't this too much?"
Ignoring Geom Mugeuk's words, Yeomje shouted,
"Kill him!"
The immortals rushed in from all directions. The momentum was tremendous as sixty experts charged simultaneously. The thought that as long as they didn't die, they'd be fine dominated them. They only thought that if they survived by luck, they could take the three million taels.
For some reason, Geom Mugeuk was pushed back by them. At that sight, Yeomje shouted,
"His internal energy is depleted! Kill him!"
Even so, he did not step forward. To him, only money and his own life mattered.
Thus, Geom Mugeuk was driven to one wall, and all the remaining immortals gathered before him. If it was truly the case that his opponent's internal energy had been depleted?
The one who killed him first would become the owner of three million taels.
Il Seon stepped forward to protect his position, and the rest stepped forward to seize both money and position.
Gathered like a pack of hyenas, they only watched for an opportunity before Geom Mugeuk.
For someone cornered, his eyes were far too clear and deep, making Il Seon, who stood in the front row, want to step back. An ominous premonition rose in that instant!
'Don't tell me? Did he gather us in one place on purpose?'
Geom Mugeuk calmly spoke to those filled with greed.
"I hope you have no next life."
The moment those words ended.
The most terrifying evil ghost appeared before Geom Mugeuk.
At that horrifying sight, those at the forefront screamed. They had never seen such a terrifying evil ghost.
And that terrifying evil ghost split into twelve.
Through recent blood-soaked training, the number had increased from ten to twelve—none other than the Great Annihilation Form of the Nine Transformations Demonic Art.
The moment they faced the evil ghosts, their entire bodies froze.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwakwak!
The evil ghosts showed neither mercy nor hesitation. They swept away everything blocking their path and surged forward. No technique, no protective astral qi was of any use. They were all torn to pieces and annihilated.
Thus, over sixty villains left only pools of blood.
Yeomje, left alone, opened his eyes wide in terror. Overcome with fear, he trembled like an aspen leaf. He had never seen such a fearsome martial art. That evil ghost seemed like something he could never forget even after death.
"J-just who are you?"
His fear-filled voice trembled.
Splash. Splash.
"You know, don't you? I'm just a man who came to collect a debt."
Geom Mugeuk walked over the pools of blood and spoke politely.
"Pay your debts."
Absolute Regression, Episode 476.