Chapter 295 - Can You Handle My Interest?

Those were the words Ju Yang hated hearing most.

Nothing but a Hell King Debt loan shark.

That was what people usually said when they looked down on his kind. But even if everyone else in the world could say it, there was one person who had no right to: the very person who had come to borrow Hell King Debt.

"I told you, if you have a demonic martial artist, bring them here."

Geom Mugeuk provoked him once more.

At that moment, Geom Mugeuk read Ju Yang's emotions. His eyes and expression said it all.

If I could have my way, I'd just...!

He definitely had someone in the Demonic Cult to rely on. The Jiangxi branch leader? Or some other demonic martial artist? Tell me! Who are you counting on?

But Ju Yang, who had spent years dealing with every kind of debtor, was no pushover. He had firm convictions about tormenting people.

The Demonic Cult's young lord? What good would it do to bring swordsmen and beat up a fool who spouted such absurd lies? Violence and threats weren't what plunged slippery bastards like this into hell. It was giving them a suffocating reality in which they had to work their entire lives to repay their debts—had no choice but to work.

"With the Demonic Cult leader for a father, I suppose you can afford to be this bold."

It was sarcasm, but Geom Mugeuk took it at face value.

"You people were even bolder, going to see my father."

"So you're going to insist to the bitter end that you're the Demonic Cult leader's son?"

"That's right. I'm the Demonic Cult's young lord. I've told you clearly, so don't come out with excuses later. How could you have believed me? Would I have believed it in your place? Let me make this clear: I would have. My life is precious to me."

Of course, Ju Yang didn't believe him. He had come today after receiving word from the investigator sent there. This bastard was shameless beyond belief, falsely claiming the Demonic Cult leader as his father.

"Very well, my young lord."

"Finally, you believe me."

"Starting tomorrow, I'll send someone to collect interest every day."

"Every day? Wasn't it supposed to be once a month?"

"The rules have changed."

Starting tomorrow, this obnoxious bastard's life would go from shameless to joyless.

"Can you really change them however you please?"

"It's written in the promissory note. We can change the method of collecting interest at our discretion."

Geom Mugeuk checked the minuscule clause in the promissory note and shook his head.

"Did you lend the money to an ant? This really is going too far."

"We're following the established rules. You should have read it carefully before signing."

The predatory clauses were concealed with astonishing skill. This was how these people bled the poor dry.

"You're the young lord, after all. Surely you could repay this little sum in no time if you put your mind to it?"

"Can you really handle my interest?"

Ju Yang smiled as though wondering what that meant and replied with a question.

"Have you ever met anyone who doesn't like money?"

* * *

The following day, Geom Mugeuk was eating at the inn when a fierce-looking man strode up and thrust out his hand without preamble.

"I'm here for the interest."

Looking up, he saw the very man who had taken Pyeon Jung's money before. The bastard who had beaten Pyeon Jung in front of his wife and children and even held a dagger to his child's throat.

Several diners nearby put down their chopsticks, quietly paid, and left. Those who remained averted their eyes, avoiding his gaze. That alone showed how this bastard usually behaved.

"My nickname's Mad Dog. That should tell you how to behave from now on. When you see me coming from a distance, have the interest ready. Understood?"

This Mad Dog, who knew how to torment people and enjoyed doing it, was the ordeal Ju Yang had sent him.

Geom Mugeuk looked up at him and asked, "But aren't you afraid, facing a martial artist wearing a sword like this?"

Mad Dog wore a blade, but he wasn't a martial artist with internal energy.

"Why? You think being a martial artist makes you somebody? Going to draw that sword and kill me? Go ahead! You and your family will be finished that very day. Think our organization will let you live? We start by tearing your family limb from limb."

His attempt at intimidation fell flat as Geom Mugeuk replied with a smile.

"Then you won't even be able to get started."

Mad Dog's face twisted into a deep scowl. He really did look like a vicious dog.

"They said you were delusional, thinking you're the Demonic Cult's young lord. Looks like they were right."

Mad Dog hurled Geom Mugeuk's food bowl onto the floor, shattering it. A dangerous tension filled the room, as though a fight might break out at any moment.

The inn's proprietor and serving boys watched with pity on their faces. They knew better than anyone that no matter how kind and hardworking someone was, once they became entangled with the Money Exchange, they could never return to their old life.

And of all people, Mad Dog had been assigned to him. The bastard caused so much trouble that there was scarcely anyone in the village he hadn't beaten.

"Young lord, what are you going to do now?"

"What else? You broke the young lord's bowl, so you must be punished. Once I give the signal, the Demon Supremes will appear right outside."

At the words "Demon Supremes," not only Mad Dog but everyone in the inn flinched. The title inspired a primal fear.

"Not there. Look over there."

Mad Dog followed Geom Mugeuk's gaze. The inn's customers looked that way too.

"One, two..."

Geom Mugeuk counted, preparing to give his signal. Mad Dog tensed for a moment. Surely they wouldn't really appear?

Just as the tension made it seem someone was about to appear—

"Three!"

But no one appeared. All eyes turned to Geom Mugeuk.

"You believed that? Would the exalted Demon Supremes come to deal with scum like you?"

With the tension broken, Mad Dog was dumbfounded. The fact that he had been nervous even for a moment made him furious. Just as he was about to unleash a torrent of curses, Geom Mugeuk took money from inside his robe.

"Here you are! Your interest!"

His courteous manner deflated Mad Dog's impending outburst. Yet somehow, he felt as though he was being played.

'You little shit. I've got my eye on you now.'

"You should've done that from the start. Little bastard doesn't know to fear money."

Geom Mugeuk dropped a coin onto his palm.

It seemed to fall lightly at first.

WHOOOOSH.

BOOM!

The moment it landed on his palm, it was too heavy to bear. The coin crushed his hand down and slammed into the floor.

"Aaaagh!"

The impact shattered the bones in Mad Dog's hand.

He strained to lift the coin away with his other hand, but it wouldn't budge.

"It hurts! It hurts! Someone get this off me! Aaaagh!"

His hand hurt terribly. The weight kept increasing, until he felt it might actually punch a hole through his palm.

"There's more interest left. Give me your other hand."

Sprawled on the floor, Mad Dog looked up at Geom Mugeuk. At that moment, he understood. No coin could weigh this much. Geom Mugeuk had done something to it.

In a trembling voice, he said, "Please spare me."

The vicious dog of a moment ago had become a puppy that looked ready to burst into tears.

"No! They said they'd go see my father if I didn't pay the interest. Take it."

Mad Dog tried to flee, but the hand holding the coin kept his body pinned in place.

An unknown force thrust his other hand forward against his will.

"Uuugh! Please spare me!"

"What are you talking about? I'm telling you to take the interest."

He lightly placed a coin on the other hand.

WHOOOOSH!

BOOM!

Once again, the hand slammed into the floor, unable to bear the coin's weight. An even louder scream burst from Mad Dog's mouth.

With both palms pinned to the floor, Mad Dog lay flattened as though prostrating himself. The onlookers exchanged glances. Unconcealable delight flickered across their faces. The bastard truly had terrorized them far too much.

"Uuugh. It hurts so much."

Geom Mugeuk tipped back his wine cup, savoring the screams as an accompaniment.

"That's right. You should know to fear money."

* * *

Upon hearing the news, Ju Yang rushed to the inn with his swordsmen.

He had expected Geom Mugeuk wouldn't hand over the money meekly, but he hadn't imagined trouble would start with the very first interest payment.

"If this many of you come to collect two coins, aren't you operating at a loss?"

Pretending not to hear Geom Mugeuk, Ju Yang first nudged the unconscious Mad Dog with his foot to wake him.

"What are you doing?"

When he came to, the coins on his palms had become light again.

"Uuugh. My hands hurt so much."

Ju Yang examined them. The bones in both hands were crushed; he would never lead a normal life again.

"Please get my hands treated first."

"It's hopeless. You'll be crippled for life."

Mad Dog let out a wild scream.

Ju Yang slapped him mercilessly across the face.

"Get a grip! What happened? Did he smash them with a rock? Or stomp on them?"

"The coins were too heavy. I couldn't lift them."

"What are you talking about? Were you dreaming?"

A beating he could understand, but he couldn't make any sense of coins becoming heavy.

Ju Yang glared at Geom Mugeuk.

"What trick did you pull?"

"A trick? He came to collect interest, so I paid him. Then he started rolling around on the floor all by himself, making a huge fuss about how much it hurt."

Geom Mugeuk took it a step further.

"Do you people run extortion scams too? Trying to squeeze money out of me with this? How much are you raising the hundred taels to this time?"

Ju Yang calmly asked the inn's proprietor and a serving boy what had happened. They repeated exactly what Geom Mugeuk had said.

"He gave him the coins, and then he rolled around on the floor saying it hurt."

More than just one or two people had witnessed it.

Ju Yang could tell Geom Mugeuk had done something to the coins. He had never in his life heard of coins becoming so heavy that they pinned someone in place.

"Do you know who we are, acting like this?"

When Ju Yang lowered his voice, Geom Mugeuk imitated him.

"And do you know who I am?"

Then he immediately resumed his playful tone.

"Oh, right. You do, don't you? The Demonic Cult's young lord."

Ju Yang's expression hardened. He had thought this was a delusional lunatic.

'So this bastard has some skill up his sleeve?'

As the swordsmen were about to carry Mad Dog away, Geom Mugeuk picked something up from the floor.

"You have to take the interest."

He held out the two coins Mad Dog had dropped.

After what he had heard, Ju Yang didn't dare extend his hand.

"It's the interest you love so much. Aren't you going to take it?"

Too many people were watching. Leaving now would badly damage the Money Exchange's prestige. Its head, in particular, believed that this business was finished the moment debtors stopped taking them seriously. Ju Yang would undoubtedly bear the brunt of his wrath.

Ju Yang signaled a swordsman beside him with his eyes. The chosen man stepped forward reluctantly.

"Here comes your interest!"

At the very moment Geom Mugeuk dropped the coin—

WHOOOOSH!

BOOM!

His hand slammed into the floor too. Once again, the coin's weight was too much to bear.

"Aaaaaagh!"

The swordsman screamed at the pain of his shattered bones. Another swordsman rushed over and tried to lift the coin, but it wouldn't budge.

Seeing it firsthand, Ju Yang recoiled in shock. He had never witnessed anything like it in his life. This was no simple trick.

'He's a master!'

The swordsmen all drew their swords. It wasn't to avenge their comrade; fear had made them draw reflexively.

Ju Yang raised a hand to stop them. Against a master like this, mere Money Exchange swordsmen stood no chance.

Geom Mugeuk held the remaining coin out to him.

"If you came to collect interest, you should take the money. Why are you drawing swords?"

Ju Yang asked in a trembling voice, "What was your purpose in approaching us?"

A master like this couldn't possibly have borrowed from them because he lacked ten taels.

"My purpose? I only borrowed because I needed money. You're the one who increased it to a hundred taels, and you're the one who decided to collect interest every day. If you hadn't changed the rules, we wouldn't even have met today."

Ju Yang couldn't argue. He had certainly created this situation himself.

"Here. Take your interest."

Geom Mugeuk held out the remaining coin.

The swordsman who had accepted the first coin was screaming that he was dying, his hand still pinned to the floor. No one dared step forward to take the money.

Ju Yang looked back at his swordsmen, but none moved. They all avoided his eyes.

In the end, he shifted the burden onto the swordsman lying there screaming.

"That man agreed to take it. Give it to him."

"Let's do that."

Geom Mugeuk strode over.

"Aaaagh! Please! No!"

The coin fell, crushing his other hand as well. Still screaming, he fainted on the spot. The unhesitating ruthlessness frightened everyone.

"How would you know, carrying swords around just to extort money? Money earned through labor is this heavy."

Ju Yang sensed that things had gone wrong—terribly wrong.

But it wasn't over. Geom Mugeuk picked up the coin resting on the swordsman's palm.

"You said nobody dislikes money. Why won't any of you take it?"

Geom Mugeuk held the coin out to Ju Yang once more.

"You have to collect your interest."

The moment their eyes met, goosebumps rose all over Ju Yang's body. He had dealt with every kind of bastard, but never had he been this frightened.

"Hold out your hand."

Geom Mugeuk's demeanor had changed completely.

Ju Yang didn't dare disobey. He was consumed by the terror that refusing would mean death.

The hand he extended trembled violently.

The coin dropped into it. Ju Yang squeezed his eyes shut, but fortunately, this time it wasn't heavy.

Opening his eyes, Ju Yang hurriedly said, "We won't collect the interest or the principal. Let's consider it all repaid."

As he hastily turned to leave, Geom Mugeuk spoke coldly behind him.

"Who said you could decide that?"

When Ju Yang turned back, Geom Mugeuk placed two fresh coins on the table.

"Come collect your interest tomorrow too. If you don't, I'll come find you."