Chapter 8. Reckless (3)
His heart pounded like crazy.
Because the blade was pressed right against his Adam’s apple, he couldn’t even swallow. One wrong move and it felt like the edge would slice right in.
‘How did this bastard…?!’
How did he find his residence?
Even within the Black Tiger Gang, the higher-ups all had separate quarters. In other words, their workplace and living space were different.
And yet this guy had appeared here like a ghost. It didn’t even seem like anyone had noticed him. If there had been any commotion, he would have heard it.
“What? Don’t want your money? Want to just write it off?”
Looking up at Moyong Cheon with trembling eyes, Ga Hang muttered in a low voice.
“How the hell did you get here…?”
Slash.
“Gah!”
Ga Hang panicked. The sharp dagger had cut into the skin of his neck.
The blood trickling down felt hot. If it had gone any deeper, his artery would’ve been cut, and he’d be dead before he could even count to five.
“Do you want the money or not?”
In other words: stop asking useless questions and answer properly.
Ga Hang squeezed his eyes shut. He didn’t know what was going on, but he was a man who had survived all kinds of hardships in the underworld.
“I-I don’t want it!”
At that moment, Ga Hang felt his vision spin.
Moyong Bi was grinning, his teeth gleaming white in the moonlight.
“You were banging on the main gate late at night to collect money, and now you don’t want it?”
“……”
“Hmm? Not answering?”
The blade pressed in again.
Ga Hang’s mouth opened reflexively.
“I-I’m sorry! I apologize for that!”
“Why apologize? You were just here to collect money. Right?”
“Well… that’s true, but…”
“But you still feel like you did something wrong, don’t you?”
You crazy bastard! What do you want?!
He wanted to shout that, but fear overwhelmed his anger.
“I was wro—”
“Well, I didn’t come here to argue about right and wrong, so let’s drop that.”
“……”
“It’s past midnight, so compound interest has increased again. So how much do I owe now?”
Ga Hang quickly replied,
“Interest doesn’t start at midnight but at the beginning of Mao hour. It’s still 1,080 nyang and 70 mun.”
“Mao hour… barely even dawn in summer. So if someone came to repay right before that, you’d turn them away because you’re asleep. Like you are now, right?”
That was obvious. Loan sharks always squeezed every bit of interest they could.
They’d deliberately avoid meeting debtors, let the interest grow, then come collect once it had piled up.
Even if the debtor protested, it wouldn’t matter.
These were people who lured the desperate with kind smiles, forced unfair contracts, then bled them dry.
People called them “Yama’s lenders” because borrowing from the King of Hell himself would be better.
“So what? Am I the same? When you say you won’t take the money, you mean not now, right? Planning to charge more interest?”
“No! I-I won’t take the money at all!”
“Sure about that?”
“Yes!”
“You said 1,080 nyang and 70 mun, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Good.”
Moyong Cheon sat down on the edge of the bed.
As the bed tilted slightly, Ga Hang’s heart pounded even harder, like it was rolling with it.
“We don’t need contracts between men, right? A man like you wouldn’t go back on his word. I’ll trust you.”
Even while trembling in fear, Ga Hang cheered internally.
Damn bastard! Just leave! I’ll gather everyone and grind you into paste!
“Then let’s drop the petty change. That means you owe me 8,920 nyang.”
“…?”
“Oh, but let’s round it up to 9,000 nyang. Cleaner that way.”
What kind of insane nonsense is this?!
Why would he owe money?
Even in this life-threatening situation, Ga Hang couldn’t hold back his confusion.
“W-why would I pay you?”
“Disturbance fee.”
“…?”
“You came in the middle of the night with your thugs and caused a scene at the main house.”
“What?!”
“What? Don’t want to pay 9,000 nyang?”
Moyong Cheon tapped his cheek with the blade.
“Is your life even worth 9,000?”
Ga Hang’s face turned red.
He had tolerated everything so far, but this was too absurd.
“You think that makes sense?!”
“Then does it make sense for 100 nyang to become 1,080 in less than ten days?”
“What?!”
“Oh right, plus 70 mun. You shameless bastards.”
“You—! That was clearly—!”
“Don’t bring up contracts. Anyone can see it’s nonsense. Even if I lost my mind and agreed, you shouldn’t have let it happen. You should’ve stopped me or taught me a lesson. Right?”
What kind of lunatic is this?!
“Don’t talk nonsense! You dare look down on the Black Tiger Gang? Pay your debt now or your entire household will be destroyed!”
That was where Ga Hang made his mistake.
Moyong Cheon’s cold eyes turned completely transparent.
It was similar, yet entirely different. That strange shift sent a chill down Ga Hang’s spine.
“I like your way of doing things.”
His voice was calm—too calm.
That made it even more terrifying.
“I’m used to it too. If I don’t get what I want, I just rip everything out by the roots. Not very elegant, but very effective.”
He grabbed Ga Hang’s wrist and pulled it closer.
“Nice thick fingers. Think each one’s worth a nyang?”
“You—!”
Slice.
“AAAAAGH!”
“Yeah, about a nyang each, I guess.”
Slice.
“W-wait!”
“This one’s greasy—barely even bleeding. Nice.”
Slice!
“Ugh…”
In an instant, three fingers—from thumb to middle—were severed.
The pain was nothing compared to the terror of loss.
“Three fingers, so three nyang? That makes 8,997 nyang.”
Moyong Cheon shrugged.
“Why count so precisely between men? Let’s just make it 9,000.”
“Ghk!”
Ga Hang foamed at the mouth.
Now he understood—he was completely trapped.
Forget how Moyong Bi got in, or how he immobilized him—none of that mattered.
This man had no intention of sparing him.
I’m going to die!
Even then, he felt rage—toward his useless subordinates who hadn’t come to help.
As if reading his mind, Moyong Cheon chuckled.
“If you’re waiting for help, don’t bother. I was going to knock them all out, but except for that guy Janggu, none were even there.”
“…?”
“Guess they went drinking after storming the main house.”
He casually pointed toward the door.
“By the way, Janggu’s passed out over there. He kindly told me where you live.”
You bastards!
“Anyway, that’s enough small talk.”
He placed the blade against Ga Hang’s wrist.
This time, not fingers—his wrist.
If it was cut, he’d bleed to death.
Ga Hang’s face turned pale.
“Will you pay 9,000 nyang?”
“I-I will!”
“Or should we make it 10,000? Round it up nicely.”
“I’ll pay! 10,000! Please spare me!”
“Good.”
Moyong Cheon lit a candle.
The blood soaking the bed became vividly visible.
Fear intensified.
“Where’s the money?”
“I-I’ll give it personally—”
“Want me to cut the price down instead?”
“No tricks worked on him.
“L-left drawer. There’s a hidden compartment with the money.”
“Hmm.”
Moyong Cheon smirked.
“Money’s in here?”
“Yes! But if opened wrong, oil will spill and ignite! The key is on me!”
“Really?”
“Yes! I swear!”
“Hmm… probably true.”
He glanced around.
“But I think there’s more valuable stuff here.”
“…!”
“I heard you’re fifth in rank in the Black Tiger Gang?”
That wasn’t surprising.
The problem was the madness in Moyong Cheon’s eyes.
“Someone as greedy as you wouldn’t just leave all your wealth here. Where’s the rest?”
Ga Hang’s teeth chattered.
“P-please spare me…”
“Who said I’d kill you? I just want to know.”
Impossible.
Once everything was taken, he’d be discarded.
“…Black Tiger Gang pays well, huh? If your leader hears, he’ll be thrilled.”
“…!”
“You skimmed money, didn’t you?”
If that was exposed, he’d be dead anyway.
He had no choice.
“W-will you really spare me?”
Moyong Cheon replied lazily,
“What would I gain from killing you?”
That’s right.
He wasn’t a killer.
He was just a mad demon known for slaughter.
