The Hunting Dog of the Prestigious Family Has Returned Chapter 27

“We’ve arrived.”

Along with a heavy sound, the automatic car door carrying me closed.

The place I’d arrived at was a high-rise building owned by the Pungyang Jo clan, located in the upper layers.

Countless office signs lined the building’s exterior walls, but seeing them, I inwardly sneered.

Because I knew that wasn’t this building’s true purpose.

‘Of course. Keeping his “toys” on the top floor… even as the Pungyang Jo clan’s only son, that would be too burdensome.’

The elevator carrying my body rose upward.

The building easily exceeded 120 floors, yet the elevator had only two buttons.

The entrance on the first floor and the VIP room at the very top.

That didn’t mean the entire building consisted of just these two floors—the middle floors must be accessed from elsewhere.

Through very secretive places not revealed to guests like me.

Vrrrrmm—

By the time I finished thinking, the elevator doors opened, revealing the luxurious VIP room interior.

Throughout the interior decorated in Joseon style, cutting-edge optical detection cameras were embedded, and pressure sensors were attached to every single floor tile.

‘Reporters… no, prepared against intruders from other families.’

There was no way media reporters could touch nobles.

As I entered the room with that thought, various sounds assaulted my ears from deep within.

Moans, laughter, voices.

I then walked toward the room located inside, where the one who’d summoned me waited.

“You called for me, Young Mas— Hah.”

The first thing that escaped my mouth upon entering the room was a sigh.

The Pungyang Jo clan’s heir, Jo Seonghwan.

The guy was in the middle of rolling around on the bed in the room’s center with four naked women.

“Oh hey, you came?”

Only then seeming to notice me, Jo Seonghwan waved his hand, signaling the women lying with him.

“Huh, what? Young Master’s guest?”

“Are we doing it together today?”

“As if. He’s here for business, so all of you go out.”

“Okaaay~”

At Jo Seonghwan’s gentle words, the women passed by me and walked to the adjacent room.

‘Seeing their faces full of smiles, not slaves but… courtesans, I suppose.’

In the meantime, seeing them send me knowing glances while looking at my clothes confirmed it.

To be working even while leaving—these friends sure are diligent workers.

As I pushed away the business cards they subtly slipped me and sent them off, Jo Seonghwan who’d watched spoke as if surprised.

“For such a young guy, you’re pretty familiar with this? Usually people’s faces go red and they can’t even make eye contact.”

Jo Seonghwan rising in his naked state.

A female secretary who approached from the side draped an outer robe used as informal attire over him.

Women here, women there…

I might not know other things, but this guy certainly has clear tastes.

“You’re Andong Kim even if illegitimate. Wasn’t your family against this kind of thing?”

“Even if Andong Kim, I’m just illegitimate trash. The family doesn’t treat me as human, so there are no family-imposed restrictions either.”

“Ah, so that’s how it was?”

While answering like that, I simultaneously bowed my head toward him who’d approached right before me.

“Thank you for the invitation, Young Master Jo Seonghwan. I’m Kim Changwoon.”

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. We’ll be seeing each other often from now on, so let’s not be so stiff.”

Seeing each other often from now on.

Hearing those words, I put on a puzzled expression and slightly raised my gaze.

“Seeing each other often, you say?”

“Why, curious?”

No. Not curious at all.

Because I already know everything.

But whether he knew my thoughts or not, he approached me and extended his arm to put it around my shoulders.

“Our family’s informants said so, you know? That you’re the one who caught and killed Dokgo Seong.”

“…”

“And you went straight to the Andong Kim main house right after killing Dokgo Seong. Lord Kim Jungheon was out for an East Sea inspection, so only Kim Hyunwoo would’ve been there.”

So they’re monitoring in real-time who’s where and what they’re doing.

Even while thinking that, the hand of Jo Seonghwan gripping my shoulder gradually gained strength.

“So you met that brother of yours who you’re not even close with… what exactly did you say? Hm?”

The atmosphere grew increasingly heavy to match.

Following that, a phrase from Jo Seonghwan who’d wiped away his smile headed toward me.

“I’m asking. What did you fucking say in that bastard Kim Hyunwoo’s ear? Huh?”

Phase power creeping up along with a voice dripping with killing intent.

It was a scene that might shock anyone who normally saw Jo Seonghwan.

The Jo Seonghwan known to the public devoted himself to relieving the poor, operated charitable welfare foundations, and personally enlisted in the royal guard to set an example as an aristocrat… in other words, the epitome of a good noble.

Seeing even Kim Hyunwoo himself think that way meant he was that familiar and skilled at living with a mask on.

‘But seeing him take off the mask so readily, as expected, a kid is still a kid.’

You might have succeeded in threatening me, but it’s plain to see how desperate you are.

“You’d better answer properly. Otherwise, I’ll snap your neck right here…”

“That Dokgo Seong and his subordinate Sword Pact were conducting human trafficking. And I reported the fact that you, Young Master, were behind it.”

Jo Seonghwan’s voice, which had been continuing his razor-sharp threat, stopped midway.

Maybe he hadn’t thought I’d answer so honestly?

“But…”

While he stared at me blankly, I clicked my tongue roughly and shrugged my shoulders.

“No matter how much I babbled, he wouldn’t believe me. He said something like, ‘A lowborn illegitimate bastard dares insult a noble without evidence.'”

“…What?”

I mixed a voice that sounded resigned with a self-abandoning expression of ‘whatever happens, happens,’ and added beneath it the disillusionment toward the family I’d harbored all along.

“Thanks to that, I was on my way back after wasting my efforts. The Pungyang Jo clan came looking for me right around that time.”

Acting requires emotion, and lies require a single thread of truth.

After confirming my appearance, Jo Seonghwan just looked at me with an unreadable expression.

‘He must be quite confused. He expected me to either make excuses saying nothing happened, or threaten him saying Kim Hyunwoo noticed his misconduct… but I presented a completely unexpected fact right before his eyes.’

Jo Seonghwan narrowing his eyes as if trying to gauge my intentions.

But even in the midst of that, when I showed no particular reaction, the one who spoke first was him.

“You reported me. But he didn’t believe it?”

“Yes.”

Got him.

Not killing me immediately and asking back meant he’d become interested.

And becoming interested meant he’d believe about 40 percent of what I’d spouted.

Turning 40 percent into 50 percent was simple.

‘And adding 1 percent to that is even simpler.’

I opened my mouth without hesitation.

“Even if my information were true, he said he didn’t want to dig up such pathetic matters with his own hands. Moreover…”

Here, a slight stimulus to touch his emotions.

“He said if the great Jo Seonghwan was such a lowly person, he wasn’t worth considering a competitor in the first place or something… Krgh?!”

Not worth considering a competitor.

Those words seemed to touch Jo Seonghwan’s feelings, as phase power entered the hand gripping my shoulder.

“…Right. That bastard was always like that. Acting like someone like me never even caught his eye in the first place.”

Operation successful.

Son of a bitch. Fucking hurts.

While gritting my teeth like that, Jo Seonghwan who’d been holding me slowly released the strength from his grip.

What mattered now wasn’t his inferiority complex toward Kim Hyunwoo, but the fact that his misconduct hadn’t been discovered.

In the end, what arose on his face was a thread of relief.

“Those words just now, they’re definitely true, right?”

“If not, Royal Investigative Bureau agents would be standing here instead of me. Isn’t that right?”

“…Well, that’s also true.”

Only after hearing those words did Jo Seonghwan release his suspicion of me.

And at that moment, this guy had essentially entered the trap.

It was natural.

Everything I’d said to this guy from one to ten was all lies.

And he failed to see through this.

“Alright. I’ll believe you.”

‘Idiot.’

While answering like that in my head, Jo Seonghwan gestured to the female secretary waiting beside him.

“You probably figured it out vaguely while killing Dokgo Seong, right? What kind of work I’m doing.”

“Are you talking about human trafficking?”

“Eh, what’s with calling it human trafficking? So ominous. If anything… right. Let’s use the term environmental beautification. It’s work clearing out the trash from Hanseong’s lowest levels. Right?”

Environmental beautification.

I wonder what the lowest level residents would think if they heard this.

While thinking that, the female secretary who’d received Jo Seonghwan’s instructions handed me something in a respectful posture.

What she handed over was a small voice communicator.

Having searched through Dokgo Seong’s corpse, I could recognize without difficulty what this was.

“A two-way communicator? Why are you giving this to me?”

“Dokgo Seong. You need to fill that guy’s vacant position.”

The main point that popped out without preamble.

I paused briefly, then asked him back.

“…What reason do I have to do that?”

“You completely blew away the guy who was supplying me with ‘products’ and his entire organization. Thanks to you, our side’s losses are no joke, you know?”

The losses that guy suffered had become the reason I should clean up after him.

Logic wasn’t necessary.

If the esteemed young master wants it, that’s naturally how it should be.

A thoroughly self-centered way of thinking.

In present-day Joseon, those called nobles were generally all such people.

“The compensation will be generous. I heard you’re putting together a business down below—this kind of side job should be fine, right?”

“…Hah.”

I should give our casino marketing department a bonus.

The place hasn’t even opened yet, but why do so many people know about it?

But one couldn’t refuse a request from a noble, especially the Pungyang Jo clan.

I frowned and fell into contemplation.

No, more precisely, I ‘pretended’ to fall into it.

‘A situation where I can do something resembling negotiation with the second-in-command of the nobles. A bit early, but… should I try digging into this opportunity?’

Though my thinking time was short, I soon made my decision.

“Alright.”

I accepted Jo Seonghwan’s request.

“Excellent. Then I’ll contact you later…”

“However, in exchange.”

Cutting off Jo Seonghwan’s delighted words, I continued.

“There’s one thing I’m curious about.”

“Curious about?”

“The ‘environmental beautification’ you mentioned. Why do you need so many ‘products’?”

In Joseon, Dokgo Seong wasn’t the only one buying and selling people.

There were those who caught orphans or unidentified people without citizenship and sold their organs.

Extracting and selling people’s arms and legs wasn’t even illegal.

Joseon was that kind of nation.

But even among such ‘dealers’ who bought and sold people, Jo Seonghwan was quite a unique type of customer.

1. Humans in intact condition.
2. Alive.

If those two conditions were met, he’d buy any number regardless of gender or age.

‘And every single human he bought disappeared without a trace.’

Where was he using all those people?

Was he turning them into playthings and reselling them like in Dokgo Seong’s memory data?

Some would be that.

In my past life, Mooyoung’s little sister met her end that way.

But even subhumans who use people as playthings have their own tastes.

And ‘products’ that satisfy the needs of those subhumans with picky tastes… aren’t as easy to obtain as you’d think.

In other words, even if you caught and resold kids on a large scale like Jo Seonghwan here, the cost-performance didn’t work out.

Upon receiving my question, Jo Seonghwan’s smile gradually deepened.

“Want to know?”

Actually, I already know what work he’s doing.

But what I know is just information.

I need to see and analyze it with my own eyes to plan the next move.

“Young Master.”

Just as the conversation was progressing step by step, one of the guards interrupted.

“That facility—the family head specifically ordered strict security. Carelessly showing it to outsiders…”

“Hey.”

Was he displeased that his words were cut off?

Jo Seonghwan’s voice, which had been playful all along, lowered.

“If you mention that old fart to me one more time, I’ll kill you. Got it?”

“Y-yes, yes… I apologize.”

The guard immediately bowed his head.

Soon Jo Seonghwan guided me to a corner of the VIP room.

“Open it.”

As his voice was detected, the wall where nothing existed slowly opened.

What was located where the wall opened was an elevator.

Unlike the one I’d taken when entering this building, this elevator was connected to numerous floors.

Vrrrrooom—

The elevator descended with heavy mechanical sounds.

Soon, through the window in the elevator wall, the true appearance of this massive high-rise building revealed itself.

“…Hah.”

The second-in-command of the nobles, the status of being the Pungyang Jo clan’s heir.

Using that status as a shield, Jo Seonghwan had committed numerous misconducts and heinous acts that would enrage heaven and man.

But the Pungyang Jo main house, which should have supervised this, merely stood by and watched the heir’s misconduct.

They neither stopped it nor tried to prevent it.

Why?

Even though the family’s heir who must shoulder the family’s future was buying and selling people and conducting all sorts of dirty acts.

Why does the Pungyang Jo clan condone it?

This was the reason.

This guy’s hobby.

The real business of the Pungyang Jo clan being conducted under that pretext.

And the real reason I call Jo Seonghwan and his family insane.

Crunch. Crunch.

Along with the sound of crushing human skulls, black carapaces slowly revealed themselves.

“How about it. Amazing, right?”

“…Yes. It’s amazing.”

One per floor, or one pair.

Inside bulkheads, dripping slime and carapaces while baring their teeth.

And with those twisted teeth, greedily devouring people.

“Grrrrrrrrr…”

Humanity’s greatest enemy—’monsters.’