CRD 07

Chapter  7

“Cough, cough!”

The coughing went on for over half a quarter of an hour.

She didn’t spit blood, but the nausea and the raw, scraped feeling in her throat were unbearably painful.

“Huh…! Huh…!”

Whenever she tried to steady her rough breathing, the scratchiness in her throat triggered another fit of coughing. In the end, Murong Xiujing had no choice but to regain her breath on her own.

After a while, she finally regained some composure.

‘Has the coughing gotten worse?’

Not really. Lately, she had been coughing less often, and she hardly ever coughed up blood.

It was only when her mind wavered that the coughing flared up.

‘I need more self-discipline. Keep your mind and heart strong, Xiujing.’

Murong Xiujing encouraged herself and sat back down.

At that moment,

“Assistant Master Gu, sir.”

“Come in.”

The door opened, and Shi Weng stepped inside.

“Why aren’t you asleep?”

“Something came up that kept me awake.”

“Don’t worry.”

“Assistant Master Gu, I am the chief steward of the main house. Naturally, I know the financial situation of the family better than anyone.”

A shadow fell across Shi Weng’s face.

“We can probably gather the money immediately… but the textile business we’ve been preparing for a year could collapse.”

Murong Xiujing shook her head.

“If the business would collapse over something like this, then you didn’t really prepare for it seriously, did you? You know that, right?”

“I know something about the Black Tiger Gang. Once they mark their prey, they never let it go.”

“Isn’t it enough to just repay the money?”

“That would be fortunate. But if it’s the Black Tiger Gang, they might demand even more money when we start a new business, using reputation as leverage.”

“…….”

“This is actually a tactic frequently used by notable debt collectors.”

Even if the Murong family’s prestige had declined, it was still a noble household.

If such a family borrowed from the Black Tiger Gang, any business partners would naturally question their reliability.

Shi Weng let out a sigh.

“This is different from the mischief the young master has caused before. If we handle this carelessly, it could become a serious disaster.”

“But we can’t just refuse to pay either.”

“Of course not.”

“Do you have a solution?”

Shi Weng hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“I’ve managed to save a little money. Perhaps it would be better to use it and settle this once and for all?”

For the first time, a faint tremor appeared in Murong Xiujing’s otherwise calm eyes.

‘The chief steward…’

She knew Shi Weng well. There was no way he had that much money. Even though he received his monthly allowance regularly, it was a modest sum.

Even if he had saved it, he would have quietly replenished any funds used for the main family.

It seemed likely that Shi Weng intended to borrow from someone else without her knowledge to resolve this matter.

“If we follow your plan and try to silence them with extra money, won’t they just be more watchful? The more we pay, the more they might come for us.”

A sharp analysis.

Shi Weng countered immediately.

“At the very least, it will allow us to succeed in business without them speaking out… at least temporarily.”

“That would be deceiving our business partners.”

“Assistant Master Gu.”

“I understand. Business cannot always be conducted cleanly,” Murong Xiujing said, allowing a rare smile.

“Don’t worry. It will work out.”

“……If you insist, then at least allow me one thing.”

“Yes?”

“When we repay the money tomorrow, I will go in person.”

“That is……”

“And I will transfer the debt to my name instead of yours.”

Murong Xiujing’s face immediately went cold.

“Absolutely not.”

“Be reasonable. If the Murong family’s bloodline becomes tied to the Black Tiger Gang, the family’s reputation could collapse completely.”

“Still, I won’t allow it.”

“Assistant Master Gu!”

“Sometimes, you have to endure even when you see the right thing, and sometimes you cannot avoid the hardships and trials ahead. This is clearly the latter case.”

“But it will further lower the family’s status.”

“Has the family any status left to lose?”

For a moment, Shi Weng felt his mouth go dry.

Murong Xiujing shook her head again with unwavering determination.

“Absolutely not. This is an order as Assistant Master Gu.”

“……Understood.”

A sigh and a mounting worry were all that came of it.

Murong Xiujing spoke, seeming slightly apologetic.

“You keep saying no, but honestly, I’m a little stumped too. If you can’t sleep, should we talk through how to handle this?”

Shi Weng forced a smile. It was a strained one, but still better than looking gloomy.

“I am the chief steward of the main house. Of course, we should.”

“And fortunately, the youngest lady went to watch the Huajian Sect’s mountain training earlier, so it’s better she doesn’t know about this.”

That was indeed a relief. Otherwise, her brother might have gone berserk.

“We should still send someone to keep an eye on the Huajian Sect, just in case.”

“Exactly.”

As the two discussed countermeasures against the Black Tiger Gang, a panicked voice came from outside the door.

“Assistant Master Gu! Something terrible has happened!”

Murong Xiujing sprang to her feet.

“What is it?”

“The young master… the young master has disappeared!”

“Phew, moving around at night is tiring enough without doing anything else.”

Gahang slumped into a chair covered with leopard fur, tossing his sword carelessly aside.

“You guys did well. Go get some rest. And don’t drink too much tonight.”

“Yes, sir!”

“And Janggu.”

“Yes!”

Gahang’s eyes twitched.

“Did Murong Bi really beat you up?”

“I-I’m sorry!”

“I asked if it was true, not if you were apologizing.”

“……It’s true.”

Gahang’s gaze sharpened.

“How could you be beaten by someone so frail?”

Though not a top-tier fighter, Gahang was a martial artist trained in internal skill. His rank in the Black Tiger Gang was quite high.

From his perspective, Murong Bi was delicate, practically breakable. He had seen him before, but now he seemed even thinner.

Janggu bowed to the floor, shouting,

“I still don’t understand! But it’s true!”

“Let’s assume your weak punches missed. Even then, is it believable that you nearly got killed by someone weaker than a girl?”

“Ugh! It’s unfair, sir!”

Gahang clicked his tongue.

Though he spoke harshly, he actually valued Janggu and Jang Sam. Despite the Murong family’s decline, he trusted them enough to assign them to Murong Bi.

“You two better prepare yourselves after this.”

“…Yes, sir.”

As the two cowered and left, Gahang rested his feet on the table.

‘Hmm, anyway…’

Gahang thought of Murong Xiujing.

‘Was she always that beautiful?’

He had seen her a few times on the street before, but never had the chance to talk to her. Still, being the eldest daughter of the Murong family, her beauty was expected.

Yet this time, her elegance was extraordinary. Her calm voice matched her beauty perfectly.

His mouth watered.

‘Too bad. If the son of the Hong Sword Sect hadn’t been interested…’

He might have tried to make a move.

‘Heard the youngest one is pretty too.’

Even though he had gone there for business, he secretly hoped to see the two sisters’ beauty.

He hadn’t seen the youngest, but he had definitely seen Murong Xiujing’s beauty. Part of him wished he hadn’t, to avoid leaving a lingering desire.

Gahang let out a long sigh.

‘Still, I couldn’t touch her easily.’

He had heard rumors that the Hong Sword Sect’s son wouldn’t touch someone others had tried before.

‘Fine. There are plenty of women in the world.’

Still, he felt uneasy.

He retrieved a hidden bottle of liquor. If he didn’t drink, he wouldn’t sleep.

After five quick drinks, his face flushed.

‘Maybe it’s really impossible…’

After ten drinks, his thoughts began to waver.

‘Should I try, just in case?’

He didn’t know her tastes, and he had never cared about respecting others’ preferences before.

After finishing the entire bottle, his eyelids felt unbearably heavy.

‘Stop imagining, just sleep. I have work tomorrow.’

Work had been relentless lately, especially tasks from the Hong Sword Sect, most of which he handled personally.

‘Damn my life.’

He lay flat on his back, snoring.

Some time later…

Sssrk.

“Huh?”

Gahang opened his eyes slightly, frowning.

‘What’s that annoying sound?’

“Ugh…”

Tired and drunk, he didn’t want to move.

He turned over and closed his eyes again.

Then—

Jerk!

Something touched his back, and Gahang’s eyes snapped open.

“Wh… what—!”

Before he could finish speaking, he swallowed air in shock.

He reflexively tried to sit up, but his upper body was stiff.

Not only that, but a creeping numbness spread from the lower back, as if ink were dropping into a clear pond.

“Ugh?!”

Then something touched his throat.

Gahang instinctively closed his mouth. His hair stood on end from the chill running through him.

“You, a lowly thug, have quite a good sword.”

The low voice carried an icy chill.

Gulang swallowed nervously.

“W-who are you?”

“Forgot already?”

The voice sounded familiar, but he couldn’t recall it amidst the paralysis and the sword at his throat.

Gahang slowly turned his eyes.

‘Gah!’

A pair of eyes glowed before him.

Blue energy swirled around them. Their gaze looked down on him with a terrifying intensity, as if he were staring at a ghost.

His heart tightened in fear, and he nearly wet himself.

Only one word came to mind when he saw those eyes: death.

“She seems delicate. Different from before,” the voice said.

“W-who…?”

“I didn’t want to see you in the daylight, so I came now. I thought it would be better for both of us.”

Only then did Gahang realize who it was.

“Murong Bi?!”

Murong Tian tightened his grip on the sword.

“Ready to pay up?”