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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: cyno
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Jin Gwang-woo’s heart was pounding.
He muttered to himself that there was nothing to worry about, that he had already taken care of everything that could be used against him.
But it was because he had taken so much under the table over the years.
‘Stay calm.’
He hadn’t been careless enough to leave behind any evidence.
The money he had secretly received was stored separately in various locations.
The money he shouldn’t have taken was put under someone else’s name.
Treasures and elixirs were stored in a separate treasure vault in Jiangxi.
There was no way he could be caught.
“Do you know what a financial audit is?”
‘But what is that?’
His eyes were glued to the paper Jin Gayeong confidently held up.
A financial audit? Wasn’t that something done every three months to check if anyone had embezzled from the Taiyuan Jin Family’s assets or if there were any payroll errors?
No matter how much he loved money, he had never touched the family’s finances.
Since he wasn’t someone who received a government salary, even if he was caught taking bribes, the worst that would happen was a demotion.
But if he had touched the family’s assets? According to martial family rules, he would face the punishment of having his tendons severed.
He might even lose his head.
‘Could it be Ye-ryeong?’
When he glanced to the side, he saw Jin Ye-ryeong, who also looked completely clueless.
‘Phew, of course. Even she wouldn’t be crazy enough to touch the family’s assets.’
He sighed in relief internally and turned his attention back to the paper Jin Gayeong was holding.
Thinking about it, this was even more unsettling.
Neither of them had anything to hide, so why was Jin Gayeong so confidently holding up that paper?
“This is a ledger. The Taiyuan Jin Family’s ledger. It includes transactions with the Jinyang Merchant Guild and all contract payments with the Cheolyang Merchant Guild. You can all see it, right?”
Jin Gayeong straightened the paper and turned it around to show everyone.
“But if you look here, there’s something that’s been purchased every month since last July. To be precise, it started when I left the Taiyuan Jin Family to help another guild.”
Jin Gayeong’s finger pointed to a specific part of the paper.
Everyone’s eyes followed.
“…A hundred swords purchased every month. For training purposes.”
“Yes, it’s a transaction with the Wangsa Faction, a black market group. But.”
Jin Gayeong’s finger stopped at the numbers written there.
When everyone’s eyes landed on it, cracks began to form in Jin Gwang-woo’s expression.
“The amount that should have been paid to the Wangsa Faction each month is one thousand nyang, but the ledger shows two thousand nyang being spent?”
“……!”
“The person responsible for contacting the Wangsa Faction for the transaction was… Jin Gwang-woo, my uncle.”
Bang!
Jin Gwang-woo slammed the table and stood up.
His face was filled with rage.
“Family Head! What are you saying right now!”
“Sit down. We’re in the middle of a meeting, how dare you…!”
“Tsk……!”
Finally, Jin Gwang-woo realized Jin Gayeong’s ploy.
That ledger was fake.
It was true that he had made monthly transactions with the Wangsa Faction.
And according to his memory, the amount paid each month was ‘two thousand nyang.’
“Family Head, don’t try to frame me. The transaction was clearly for two thousand nyang. In exchange, we received weapons for our family’s martial artists to use for a month.”
“Is that so? The ledger clearly states ‘one thousand nyang’ here.”
“We can check the contract…!”
His teeth ground together naturally.
“I anticipated that, so I brought the contract too.”
Jin Gayeong pulled out another piece of paper from her pocket.
“Here, take a look. Read out loud what’s written on it.”
Flap-.
As he took the paper, he felt the rough texture of aged paper.
This contract was real.
But why…….
“Ugh……!”
It stated that the payment to the Wangsa Faction was ‘one thousand nyang’?
Could this also be forged?
“T-This is fake!”
“Hmm?”
“I swear on my honor as Jin Cheon-geom! This is all fake!”
His indignant shout caused a ripple of murmurs among the council members.
The problem was that he had only focused on covering up the corrupt parts, not expecting that even the legitimate parts would be forged and used against him.
“Can you take responsibility for that statement?”
“You, Family Head, are the one who should take responsibility for these forged documents! I’ll dig into why you’re doing this!”
“You won’t have the time for that. I anticipated you’d say that, so I prepared a witness.”
“……What?”
“Come in.”
Clap clap-.
Jin Gayeong clapped her hands, just as Jin Gwang-woo had done earlier.
At the sound, a rough-looking man entered the meeting room.
“……!”
“……!”
It was a man Jin Gwang-woo had met a few times before.
“Mr. Wang…?”
Out of courtesy, he called him “Mr. Wang,” but in reality, he was the leader of a black market gang.
Wang Sabang.
“I… I don’t know anything… I was just told to come here and tell the truth, and I’d be paid…….”
Wang Sabang was acting uncharacteristically submissive, playing the part of a petty thug.
“Mr. Wang, why are you here…….”
“Jin… Jin Great Hero, isn’t it……! I… I don’t know if someone like me should be in such a prestigious place…….”
His act was so convincing that anyone who hadn’t met Wang Sabang before would think he was always this submissive.
Seeing this, Jin Gayeong smiled and began her interrogation.
“This is Mr. Wang Sabang, the leader of the Wangsa Faction, who has been collaborating with our family on military supplies.”
“Ahem….”
“Hmm…….”
Perhaps because a black market figure had entered the space of a righteous faction, some of the older members showed displeasure.
If this weren’t a financial audit, they might have said something to him.
“You can all guess why he’s here, right? It’s to testify about the contract between our family and the Wangsa Faction.”
“Y-Yes. I was told to just tell the truth…….”
“Mr. Wang, let me ask you something. Do you remember the weapon transactions you’ve been conducting with our family since last July?”
“Yes, yes. I’ve been working with Jin Great Hero here.”
Wang Sabang’s finger pointed at Jin Gwang-woo.
As expected, Jin Gwang-woo’s expression darkened.
“Do you remember the terms of the contract?”
“Yes, yes. I may look like this, but my memory is sharp. I got to where I am because of my memory.”
“Good, then let me ask you. How much did the family pay the Wangsa Faction each month?”
“O-One thousand nyang……. I may not remember much, but when it comes to money, I remember clearly…….”
“I see, did you all hear that? Uncl……”
“Wait!”
“……What is it?”
The conversation between Jin Gayeong and Wang Sabang was interrupted by someone’s shout.
“Is that man really Wang Sabang? He looks so weak.”
– You fool! Stop!
Jin Gwang-woo sent a sound transmission to the man who had interrupted.
Because he was questioning whether Wang Sabang’s identity was real.
“I’ve heard rumors that the leader of the Wangsa Faction is as fierce as a beast, as brave as a tiger. But does that man really look like Wang Sabang?”
– You fool! Didn’t I tell you to stop! He really is Wang Sabang!
“…Then, how should I prove it to you?”
“Use sword energy! Wang Sabang is one of the few peak experts in Shaanxi, so if he’s really Wang Sabang, he should be able to use sword energy, right?”
– You idiot!!
But the man didn’t stop.
Because he was someone Jin Gayeong had planted in advance.
He was just following the script Jin Gayeong had given him, faithfully playing his part.
“S-Sword energy, you say?”
“Yes, if you’re really Wang Sabang, it shouldn’t be a problem.”
“Hmm…… That is…….”
Wang Sabang hesitated.
Jin Gwang-woo couldn’t guess the reason, but that too was part of Jin Gayeong’s script.
To make the council members believe that this situation was real, not staged.
“Why can’t you do it? Are you really a fake set up by that Geomhwa?”
“N-No! I’ll do it!”
Wang Sabang took the sword thrown at him and began to circulate his internal energy.
Whoosh-.
Sword energy, proof that he was the leader of the Wangsa Faction, Wang Sabang, began to rise in colorful waves.
“Ugh……!”
The more this happened, the more Jin Gwang-woo realized he was trapped like a fish in a net.
Jin Ye-ryeong’s face turned pale as if she had seen a ghost.
“D-Do you want me to do more……?”
“Ahem! N-No. That’s enough proof.”
As the man pretending to be Jin Gwang-woo’s ally sat down and Wang Sabang’s sword energy dissipated, a cold atmosphere filled the meeting room.
Though everyone’s thoughts were different, the essence was the same.
‘Who has the upper hand?’
Until now, siding with Jin Gwang-woo had been far more advantageous than siding with Jin Gayeong.
Regardless of anything else, the difference in power was just too great.
But now, power was practically meaningless.
Because a crime that didn’t exist had been created.
“So, what do you say, Uncle?”
“Family Head……!”
“Yes, Uncle. If you have anything to say, say it now.”
“Ugh……!”
Unable to say anything, he let out a groan of anger as Jin Gayeong’s voice reached him through sound transmission.
– You’ve worked hard to cover up your crimes, haven’t you?
– Jin Gayeong, you wench! Do you think you’ll get away with this?
– Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you for crimes you didn’t even commit.
Thud.
With those words, Jin Gwang-woo felt something in his mind snap, and he burst out.
“Aaaah!!!”
He even drew the sword he had hidden in his pants.
“It’s do or die now!”
Clang!
Of course, his sword didn’t reach Jin Gayeong.
“B-Baek Do-gaek……! Move aside……!”
His sword was blocked by another sword, unmovable.
—
Jin Gwang-woo had lost his mind.
That’s why he drew his sword in front of so many witnesses.
By the way, no matter how well he hid it, bringing a sword into the meeting room shows just how much the family had fallen into his hands.
– Baek Do-gaek! Please move aside! You promised to help me!
As my sword blocked his, Jin Gwang-woo desperately shouted.
Of course, I had no intention of moving.
– At this point, I’ll give you whatever you want! Money? The position of deputy family head? Just name it! I’ll give you anything!
Since when was there a position like deputy family head?
– I-I’ll even let you have Gayeong! So move aside! Our family is a martial family, so if we settle this with force, there’s still a chance to rebuild……!
“Disgusting.”
– B-Baek Do-gaek……!
How could he say such things about his own niece?
Unable to bear listening to such vile words any longer, I pressed on Jin Gwang-woo’s pressure point.
“……! ……!”
His entire body stiffened, and he desperately looked around for help, but no one came to his aid.
“Uncle, you did well. I almost got hurt. Bringing a weapon to a meeting room, are you out of your mind? Should I add another charge against you?”
“…! ……!”
Frozen in a ridiculous pose, Jin Gwang-woo glared in frustration.
All eyes were on him, but one gaze was fixed solely on me.
Wang Sabang’s gaze.
“Then I’ll take my leave now, Geomhwa.”
“Yes, thank you for bravely testifying.”
“I look forward to a smooth relationship between the Wangsa Faction and the Taiyuan Jin Family.”
“Of course, we’ll work well together in the future.”
When I turned to look, he quickly averted his gaze, bowed to Jin Gayeong, and left the meeting room.
His last appearance reminded me of what I had seen at the Hangshan Sword Sect.
……Is this how martial artists are these days?
In my time, we would’ve just drawn our swords without hesitation.
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