Translator: FenrirTL
Editor/Quality Checker: Saphartlantis
Murim Term Consultant: Kopke
========================
Chapter 295: Can You Handle My Interest?
That was the one thing Ju Yang hated hearing the most.
Especially from someone under the burden of "Underworld Debt."
It was the kind of thing people often said when they underestimated them.
However, no matter how many people in the world said that, there was one person who should never say it—the very person who came to borrow from them.
"If you've got a demon, call him over already, will you?"
Geom Mugeuk provoked him once more.
In that moment, Geom Mugeuk perfectly read Ju Yang's emotions. The feelings revealed in his eyes and expression were clear.
Honestly, if it were up to him, he would just...
There was certainly someone on the demonic side backing him. Was it the Jiangxi Branch Leader? Or another demon? Speak! Who is the person you're relying on?
But Ju Yang, having dealt with countless debtors for a long time, wasn't so easily shaken.
He held a firm belief when it came to tormenting his opponents.
A self-proclaimed Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult? What good would it do to beat a braggart like him senseless with hired thugs? No, the true way to make a slippery scoundrel like this suffer wasn't through violence or threats. It was to drown him in a frustrating reality where he had no choice but to work his entire life to repay his debt.
"So, because your father is the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, you think you can act all high and mighty?"
It was a sarcastic remark, but Geom Mugeuk took it earnestly.
"You've got more guts for going to see my father."
"Are you really going to keep claiming you're the Cult Leader's son?"
"That's right. I'm the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult. I'm telling you straight, so don't act surprised later. Would you believe it if you were me? Well, I'll tell you this much. If it were me, I'd believe it. My life is precious, after all." 2
Of course, Ju Yang didn’t believe him. He had already received a report from the investigators, and that’s why he was here today. This guy was one of the most shameless crooks ever, falsely claiming to be the Cult Leader's son.
"Alright then, our Young Cult Leader."
"Now you believe me?"
"I'll send someone to collect the interest every day starting tomorrow." 3
"Every day? Wasn't it originally once a month?"
"The rules have changed."
Starting tomorrow, this impudent brat's life would quickly shift from cockiness to misery.
"Hmmm, can you really change the rules so freely?"
"If you look at the contract, it’s written there. We can adjust the way we collect interest however we like."
Geom Mugeuk shook his head after confirming the minuscule clause buried deep in the contract. 3
"Did you loan money to ants? You're truly unbelievable."
"We just follow the law. You should've read it carefully before signing."
The vicious clauses were hidden perfectly. This was how they ruthlessly sucked the life out of those without money.
"A Young Cult Leader should be able to pay back this amount in no time, right?"
"Can you really handle my interest?"
Ju Yang smiled slyly, as if asking what he meant by that.
"Have you ever met someone who didn’t like money?"
* * *
The next day, while Geom Mugeuk was eating at an inn, a rough-looking man strode up to him and immediately held out his hand.
“I’m here to collect the interest.”
Looking up, Geom Mugeuk recognized the man as the one who had previously collected money from Pyeon-jung. He was the same thug who had beaten Pyeon-jung in front of his wife and children, even holding a dagger to his child’s throat.
Several of the other customers quietly set down their chopsticks, paid their bills, and left. Those who remained avoided eye contact and looked away. It was clear how this man usually conducted himself.
“They call me Mad Dog. So, I’m sure you know what that means. When you see me coming from a distance, you better have the interest ready. Got it?”
Mad Dog, a man who knew how to torment people and enjoyed doing so, was one of the trials Ju Yang had set upon Geom Mugeuk.
Looking up at him, Geom Mugeuk asked calmly, “Aren’t you afraid to mess with a swordsman like me?”
Mad Dog carried a blade, but he wasn’t an inner power user.
“Why? You think just because you’re a swordsman, you’ll draw your blade and kill me? Go ahead, kill me! Then you and your family will be done for by the end of the day. Do you really think our organization would let you live? We’ll start by tearing your family apart, piece by piece.”
Despite Mad Dog’s attempt to intimidate him, Geom Mugeuk just laughed.
“Then I guess you won’t even be able to get started.”
Mad Dog’s expression hardened, making his face look even more like that of a fierce, rabid dog.
“So, the rumors were true. A fool caught up in the delusion that he’s the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult.”
With that, Mad Dog grabbed Geom Mugeuk’s bowl and smashed it on the floor. The atmosphere in the inn instantly turned tense, as if a fight were about to break out. 4
The innkeeper and the servers watching the scene wore sympathetic expressions. They knew all too well that once someone got entangled with the Underworld Debt, no matter how kind or diligent they were, they would never return to their previous life.
And to make matters worse, Mad Dog was the one in charge? Nearly everyone in the village had been beaten by him at some point. He terrorized people wherever he went.
“So, Young Cult Leader. What are you going to do now?”
“What do you think? You broke the Young Cult Leader’s bowl, so you’ll have to be punished. Once I give the signal, the Demon Supremes will show up right outside.”
At the mention of the Demon Supremes, not only Mad Dog but everyone in the inn flinched. There was an instinctual fear associated with the term ‘Demon Supreme’.
“Not there. Look over there.”
Following Geom Mugeuk’s gaze, Mad Dog turned to look in the same direction. The inn’s patrons also turned their heads to follow his line of sight.
“One, two…”
Geom Mugeuk began counting as if he were about to signal someone. Mad Dog tensed up, wondering if someone would really show up.
At that moment, when the tension was so thick it felt like someone might actually appear...
"Three!"
But no one appeared. All eyes were on Geom Mugeuk.
"You really believe that? Do you think the noble Demon Supremes would bother dealing with the likes of you?" 5
The tension evaporated, and Mad Dog was left speechless. The fact that he had been even momentarily nervous made his blood boil with anger. Just as he was about to start cursing, Geom Mugeuk pulled some money from his pocket.
"Here, the interest is right here!"
His polite manner caused Mad Dog's anger to cool, though something still felt off—like he was being pulled into a trap.
You little bastard, you're on my list now.
"You should've done that from the start. Kids like you don’t know how scary money can be."
Geom Mugeuk dropped the coins into Mad Dog’s palm.
It seemed like the coins fell lightly into his hand, but—
Whoooosh!
Bang!
The moment the coin hit his palm, it was so heavy that Mad Dog couldn't hold it. The coin crushed his hand and slammed into the ground. 6
"Arghhhh!"
The impact shattered Mad Dog’s hand bones.
He tried to lift the coin with his other hand, but no matter how hard he tried, the coin wouldn’t budge.
"It hurts, it hurts! Someone get this off me! Aaaaagh!"
His hand throbbed in agony. The weight of the coin kept increasing, and he genuinely feared that his palm might have a hole drilled through it.
"I still have more interest left. Give me your other hand."
Mad Dog, now on his knees, looked up at Geom Mugeuk. In that moment, he realized the coin shouldn’t have been that heavy—Geom Mugeuk had done something to it.
Mad Dog’s voice trembled as he pleaded, “Please, spare me.”
The once-ferocious beast was now no more than a trembling puppy, on the verge of tears.
“No way! You said you’d go see my father if you didn’t get the interest. So, take it.”
Mad Dog tried to run, but with one hand pinned down by the coin, he couldn’t move.
An unseen force forced his other hand forward.
“Ughhh! Please, spare me!”
“What are you talking about? You’re here to collect interest, so do your job.”
Geom Mugeuk lightly placed another coin in Mad Dog's other hand.
Whoooosh!
Bang!
Once again, unable to bear the weight, Mad Dog’s hand slammed into the ground. This time, an even louder scream escaped his lips.
Mad Dog now lay flat on the floor, both hands pressed into the dirt as if he were bowing. The people watching exchanged glances. A hint of joy crossed their faces. This thug had been terrorizing them for far too long.
"Ughhh, it hurts so much."
Geom Mugeuk savored his drink, using Mad Dog’s screams as entertainment.
"Yeah, you should know by now how terrifying money can really be, and the weight of your sins."
* * *
Upon hearing the news, Ju Yang rushed to the inn with his enforcers.
He had expected Geom Mugeuk wouldn’t hand over the money easily, but he hadn’t anticipated there would be trouble over the very first interest payment.
"You bring all these men just to collect two coins? Aren’t you running at a loss?"
Ignoring Geom Mugeuk’s words, Ju Yang kicked the unconscious Mad Dog, trying to wake him up.
"What are you doing?"
By the time Mad Dog regained consciousness, the coins on his hands had become lighter.
"Ugh, my hands hurt so much."
Ju Yang examined Mad Dog’s hands. Both his hand bones had been completely shattered—there was no way he could live a normal life anymore.
"Please, fix my hands first."
"It’s too late. You’ll be crippled for life." 7
At that, Mad Dog let out a piercing scream.
Ju Yang ruthlessly slapped him across the face.
"Get a hold of yourself! What exactly happened? Did someone smash your hands with a rock? Or did they stomp on them?"
"The coins… they were too heavy to lift."
"What are you talking about? Were you dreaming?"
If Mad Dog had just been beaten up, that would have made sense. But this nonsense about the coins being too heavy? Ju Yang couldn’t make heads or tails of it.
Ju Yang glared at Geom Mugeuk.
"What kind of trickery are you up to?"
"Trickery? I was just paying the interest like you asked. Then this guy suddenly started rolling on the floor, screaming in pain."
Geom Mugeuk didn’t stop there. He added with mock sincerity, "Do you guys extort people with threats now? Trying to squeeze more money out with this act? How much are you going to raise the debt this time—from a hundred nyang to something more?" 8
Ju Yang calmly asked the innkeeper and the servers what had happened. Their story matched Geom Mugeuk’s exactly.
"When he gave him the coins, he started writhing on the floor, saying it hurt."
It wasn’t just one or two people who had seen it.
Ju Yang realized Geom Mugeuk had done something to the coins. He had never heard of coins becoming too heavy to lift. 9
"Do you even know who you’re messing with?"
Ju Yang’s voice dropped dangerously low, and Geom Mugeuk mimicked his tone, dropping his voice as well.
"And do you know who I am?"
Then, in a playful tone, Geom Mugeuk added, "Oh, that’s right. You do. I’m the Young Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
Ju Yang’s expression hardened. He had been completely certain Geom Mugeuk was just a delusional madman, but now he wasn’t so sure.
'This guy… he’s definitely got something up his sleeve.'
As the enforcers started dragging Mad Dog away without ceremony, Geom Mugeuk bent down and picked something up from the floor.
"You forgot the interest."
Geom Mugeuk handed back the two coins Mad Dog had dropped.
Ju Yang couldn’t bring himself to reach out for the coins, knowing full well what he had heard.
“Aren’t these the interest payments you love so much? Won’t you take them?”
There were too many eyes watching. If he left without taking the money, the reputation of the Underworld Debt would suffer a serious blow. Especially since the head of the organization believed that if a debtor looked down on them, the business would be over. It was clear that Ju Yang would face dire consequences if he failed here.
Ju Yang gave a signal with his eyes to one of the enforcers beside him. The chosen man stepped forward reluctantly, his face full of hesitation.
“Here, take your interest!” Geom Mugeuk theatrically declared as he dropped the coin.
Whoooosh!
Bang!
Just like before, the enforcer’s hand was crushed to the ground. He, too, couldn’t withstand the weight of the coin.
“Aaaaaaaagh!”
The agonizing pain of his shattered bones made the enforcer scream. Another enforcer rushed over to try to lift the coin, but it wouldn’t budge.
Seeing it happen right in front of him, Ju Yang was horrified. He had never witnessed anything like this before. This was no simple trick.
‘He’s a master!’
The enforcers, terrified, reflexively drew their swords. It wasn’t out of a desire for revenge, but only pure fear.
Ju Yang raised his hand to stop them. There was no way these mere enforcers could handle someone of Geom Mugeuk’s caliber.
Geom Mugeuk held out the remaining coin to him.
“If you’ve come to collect the interest, you should be taking the money, not drawing swords.”
Ju Yang asked, his voice trembling, “What’s your real reason for approaching us?”
There was no way a martial artist of this level would need to borrow money because he lacked a mere ten nyang.
“Reason? I simply needed money, so I borrowed it. You’re the one who raised the debt to a hundred nyang, and you’re also the one who decided to collect interest daily. If you hadn’t changed the rules, we wouldn’t even be meeting today.” 10
Ju Yang couldn’t argue. It was true—the situation had escalated because of his own decisions.
“Now, go ahead and take the damn interest.”
Geom Mugeuk extended the remaining coin toward them.
The enforcer who had received the first coin was still on the floor, clutching his hand and screaming in agony, so no one dared step forward to take the money.
Ju Yang glanced at the enforcers, but no one stepped forward. They all avoided his gaze.
In the end, Ju Yang passed the responsibility onto the enforcer who was lying on the floor, still screaming in pain.
“He’s the one who agreed to take it, so give it to him.”
“Let’s do that,” Geom Mugeuk replied, striding over.
“No! Please! Don’t!”, wailed the enforcer while trying to crawl faster away from the approaching demon.
The coin dropped mercilessly, and the other hand of the enforcer was shattered all the same. His screams filled the air before he passed out from the pain. The swift, ruthless display left everyone paralyzed with fear.
“You sword-wielding thugs wouldn’t understand, would you? Money earned from hard work is this heavy.”
Ju Yang now realized how horribly wrong everything had gone.
But it wasn’t over yet. Geom Mugeuk picked up the coin from the enforcer’s palm.
“You said nobody hates money. So why are none of you willing to take it?”
He stepped back toward Ju Yang, holding out the coin once again.
“Come on, take your interest.”
A chill ran down Ju Yang’s spine. He had dealt with countless people before, but never had he felt fear like this. The deep, cold eyes bore into his own, imperiously snatching his entire focus and not letting it go.
“Hold out your hand.”
Geom Mugeuk’s demeanor had shifted completely from before.
Ju Yang couldn’t resist. The overwhelming fear of death made him obey.
With his hand trembling, Ju Yang extended it toward Geom Mugeuk.
The coin dropped into Ju Yang’s hand. He clenched his eyes shut, but this time, the coin wasn’t heavy.
Relieved, Ju Yang opened his eyes and spoke hastily, “We won’t collect the interest or even the principal anymore. Let’s consider the debt paid in full.” 11
He turned to leave in a hurry, but Geom Mugeuk’s frigid voice stopped him dead in his tracks.
“Who gave you permission to decide that?”
When Ju Yang slowly turned back, he saw that Geom Mugeuk had placed two fresh coins on the table.
“Come collect the interest tomorrow. If you don’t, I’ll come find you.” 12
1 : Can’t say he didn’t offer him an exit door. Now that the rules of engagement have been followed, let’s make his life a living nightmare *snickers evilly*
2 : You fuckers are just so dead. *smh* Also, they don’t even care to *pretend* they are ‘fair’. That’s a bad business model, right here.
3 : Reminds me of a story where a young demon ends up hired into a fantasy circus, and his act was to read all the ‘ant prints at the bottom of the document’. All the insurance contracts are nullified in case of Apocalypse. So evil !!!!
4 : Our Demonic Path does not break things, and doesn't bother the civilians. In that sense, you dogs are worse than demons.
5 : If he had really tried that against those small fires, they would have teased him about it until the end of times XDXDXD
6 : You are UNWORTHY. Good old Thor’s hammer troll XDXDXD
7 : Karmaaa~~ ^^ “First, I’ll break the hands of those who hurt others. Then I will steal those who take the money of the innocents. Finally, those who have killed the sinless will drown in the blood they have shed.”
8 : Lol, insurance fraud on top ? Do they believe they are in GTA ? Well Grand Theft Murim really XDXDXD
9 : “Do you even lift, bro ?” *Buffsuki INTENSIFIES* (Internet has rotten me….)
10 : Make sure you can bear the consequences of your decisions. That’s like, first rule of the ‘Don’t become a third rate villain’ handbook.
11 : Think you can escape so easily ? How naively foolish. You should feel the same amount of despair as the debtors you tormented until now, and even more after that. Your organisation will collapse without fail now that Mugeuk laid his eyes on it.
12 : *DUN DUN DUN* Congratulations, you screwed yourself~~ ^^