Volume 2 Chapter 1 – Omen

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Translated by Rain

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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Right now was the time when Golden Spider wrapped up her day, and it was the time she considered the most important in her routine.

It was none other than a bath.

Today, too, she was immersing her body deeply in the granite bathtub specially made just for her.

Since it was the historic day she had obtained the Sword Family Bronze Plaque, the bath time to wrap up today was bound to be even more pleasant.

Furthermore, she was even happier since she had dealt a blow to Crescent Moon Pavilion, which had felt like an eyesore to her.

However, she was feeling a certain discomfort in a corner of her mind.

‘That Swordless One bastard……’

The Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family, Yeon So-hyeon.

Meeting him today was something she had not predicted at all.

Thanks to that, her plan to firmly warn the Crescent Moon Pavilion Master only achieved half its results.

If it were only that, it would not have weighed on her mind so much.

As a person who did ‘business,’ she knew very well that plans went awry from the very moment they were established.

Nevertheless, there was something that hung on her mind.

It was none other than the fact that in the information of the Luoyang Sword Family she had received in the morning, the Eldest Young Master had no plans to go out at all.

Of course, there was absolutely no reason for them to give her information on Yeon So-hyeon, who held the status of the Eldest Young Master.

However.

The person who had handed her the information along with the Sword Family Bronze Plaque knew that Golden Spider would visit Crescent Moon Pavilion today.

Was that not what they had induced?

Even so, why did they not give her the information about the Eldest Young Master going out?

She bit her fingernails.

Could it be that the Second Young Master’s side also did not have the authority to access information on the Eldest Young Master’s outing plans?

But such a possibility was slim.

If so,

“……In the first place, no one knew the Eldest Young Master’s plans?”

“What are you speaking of?”

The goat-bearded Chief Manager who was waiting by her side asked, but she did not answer.

Come to think of it, that Eldest Young Master she met today was too different from the Swordless One she had heard of in rumors until now.

—What are you doing? Give that to me.

She recalled the way he had calmly held out his palm toward her, asking for the Sword Family Bronze Plaque.

‘That bastard’s attitude was strangely confident.’

No matter how great an expert he had escorting him, could one be so calm in a space filled with armed men?

Could there be some secret the Eldest Young Master had that she did not know……?

‘No. That is thinking too much.’

Golden Spider, who had been gradually expanding the scope of her imagination, shook her head.

That calm attitude must have been because he was the Eldest Young Master of the Sword Family.

Knowing full well that there was no one in Luoyang who could touch him, why would he be afraid?

Besides, since rumors were originally bound to be exaggerated, it was right to take into account that the rumors about the Swordless One also had some exaggeration in them.

‘Besides, even when I poured insults at him in front of his face, in the end, he could not do anything because he had no power, right?’

Having sorted out her thoughts to that point, her mind became much lighter.

“……Chief Manager, the water has cooled.”

At those words, the Chief Manager’s face instantly stiffened.

The maids waiting around the bathtub to attend to Golden Spider also did their best to hide their expressions.

Swallowing a curse internally, the Chief Manager shouted toward the outside.

“The young lady says the water has cooled!”

At that, the door opened, and Golden Spider’s direct subordinates carried in girls whose entire bodies were bound.

The mouths of the girls, none of whom seemed to be older than twelve or thirteen, were gagged, and their eyes were filled with fear.

“Uup, uup!”

The subordinates laid the girls down in a line so that their upper bodies hung over the bathtub.

The girls, sensing their destiny and trying to resist, were roughly pressed down from behind by the subordinates.

“Humm, the freshness seems a bit low……?”

At Golden Spider’s words as she examined the girls, the Chief Manager hid his displeasure and replied.

“……I will instruct them to select more properly.”

As Golden Spider’s hand flashed, the necks of the girls were split open all at once.

The subordinates held the girls by their hair and stepped back so their severed heads would not fall into the bathtub.

“Sigh, lately I have been worried about my wrinkles increasing……”

As fresh blood poured in, warming the bathtub once more, Golden Spider touched her skin and complained.

‘Crazy bitch……’

The goat-beard cursed Golden Spider internally.

He too had lived in the back alleys seeing all kinds of filthy sights until this day, but he had never seen a villain worse than his boss.

This woman named Golden Spider was, without a doubt, a villainess among villainesses.

“Not at all. How could that be? Lady Golden Spider’s skin texture is smoother than silk.”

Of course, the words that came out of his mouth were completely different.

Whether Golden Spider was a villainess or a witch , it was a matter that had nothing to do with him.

Besides, had he himself not been committing acts bad enough that it would make him feel sorry to curse her in the first place?

If not for that, how could he have eaten and lived so well in this godforsaken world?

It was just that as he grew older, he was becoming sentimental lately.

Just then, the door burst open, and a subordinate tumbled in.

“Urgent news !”

The Chief Manager’s complexion stiffened.

“What is it?”

“One of the meat factories was attacked! It was completely destroyed!”

“What?!”

Golden Spider suddenly sat up.

“I do not know the details. The suppliers found a few kids who were half-dead.”

“Who did they say did it?!”

At Golden Spider’s sharp voice, the subordinate shrank his neck and replied.

“Everyone was out of their minds and died shortly after, so……”

The Chief Manager urged him.

“Still, they must have said something, did they not?!”

The subordinate mumbled and replied.

“They said they saw some evil spirit , or that a specter did it, or called it a monster……”

The Chief Manager’s eyebrows arched.

“An evil spirit? A specter? A monster?”

“Yes, yes. There was also a story that they saw a white mask.”

At the incoherent words, Golden Spider asked back.

“A white mask?”

“Yes, but because everyone died so quickly, a proper story is……”

She scowled.

Standing for a moment to gather her thoughts, she immersed herself in the bathtub again.

It was not yet the stage to think seriously.

“It seems they got into a fight with some expert.”

The Chief Manager chimed in.

“Come to think of it, last year, we accidentally touched a vagrant martial artist expert and a whole branch was wiped out.”

In the first place, those born with the talent to manipulate qi were limited.

And among them, those who learned proper martial arts and became martial artists were even rarer.

Also, among those martial artists, those who crossed the wall to become experts were merely a tiny minority.

“……Operating a business in this area, I feel that we meet such rarely existing experts too often.”

“Yes, indeed. There is definitely such a tendency.”

Golden Spider sighed and leaned her head against the bathtub.

“Tell the boys not to cause any noisy trouble for the time being. If they just shut up and lie low, that guy will vent his anger here and there, get tired on his own, and go on his way.”

“Once it is day, I will also conduct an additional investigation.”

As the subordinate closed the door and left, Golden Spider threw a tantrum.

“Which bastard with nothing to do is acting up again? Anyway, you should not raise kids by blowing weird ideas like chivalrous heroes into them since childhood.”

Feeling her mood rapidly worsen, the Chief Manager hurriedly gestured to the maids.

At that, the maids served wine and cups, lit incense, and bustled about.

“To rush in and act up over something that does not even make money. One should know how to live life smoothly and adapt to the ways of the world.”

“Yes, yes. Your words are absolutely correct.”

The Chief Manager diligently flattered her.

Just then, Golden Spider’s guard who was sitting on one side murmured.

“A specter, they say……?”

Hearing that, Golden Spider asked the guard.

“What? Have you heard something?”

“Ah, that is……”

Frowning at the guard who trailed off, Golden Spider scowled.

“Why are you hesitating and acting up too?!”

At that, the guard quickly spoke to the Chief Manager.

“Chief Manager, did the outsourcing guys whom we tasked with the gambling house job a few days ago not go missing?”

The Chief Manager nodded.

“They vanished suddenly. But since those outsourced guys disappear like that all the time, did we not just let it slide?”

“That is true, but……”

As the guard continued to hesitate, Golden Spider, getting frustrated, urged him.

“But what?!”

“Ah, no. It is just that, I am a regular of that gambling house. And I recalled a rumor I heard there……”

“A rumor?”

“Yes, yes. According to the rumor, there were so many people who saw a ghost that day. There were also many who called it a specter.”

The guard scratched his chin.

“Actually, I do not believe in such things either, but since there were so many who saw it, it is hard to just ignore it……”

Golden Spider suddenly flew into a rage.

“What does that have to do with the current story?! Just because half-dead bastards talk nonsense, are you spouting that kind of story too?!”

“I-I am sorry.”

“As people doing business, we should talk about something productive! Productive!”

Feeling embarrassed, the guard returned to his position.

‘Surely not……’

However, despite her rage, anxiety was sprouting in Golden Spider’s heart.

‘……Could there be another existence like Master?’

A chill ran down Golden Spider’s body as she recalled her master.

Was that bizarre old man, who had taught her martial arts of unknown origin , not a truly incomprehensible existence?

“T-Trouble!”

Just then, the subordinate who had left earlier burst through the door.

“What is it now?!”

“Another branch is said to have been destroyed!”

Golden Spider’s brow furrowed deeply.

“Is it the same guy?”

“Yes, they say it is that white mask.”

Golden Spider held her forehead.

“Sigh……”

Rubbing her throbbing temples, she murmured.

“……From the beginning, I expected to lose a few more places before his anger was spent.”

“That is true, but……”

Golden Spider waved her hand, dismissing the subordinate.

“Seeing the speed at which they are raided even when there are martial artists deployed at each establishment, that guy called the white mask must be an expert.”

“Indeed.”

The Chief Manager chimed in.

“If so, it is more profitable to just leave him be, as we first thought. Even if some boys die, they can be replenished quickly anyway, right?”

Behind the Luoyang streets that grew more luxurious day by day, there was an explosively increasing poor population.

The absolute majority of the children growing up there ended up begging in the back alleys.

And when those children grew up, they were always bound to join the underworld.

“……Because hiring vagrant experts or underworld experts is expensive.”

“That is true.”

Even as he spoke, the goat-beard’s complexion was not good.

Although he knew the ecology of this place all too well, sometimes he could not help but think that this place might be hell.

Having organized her thoughts, Golden Spider waved her hand and dismissed them.

“That is enough, so all of you beat it. And prepare a masseuse. I need to get a massage.”

“Yes, then……”

Just as the Chief Manager was about to withdraw.

“Trouble!”

The door burst open, and an urgent cry was heard.

“Surely not, again……?”

The situation was becoming far more serious than they thought.