Tomb Raider King Chapter 73: The Man who left to search for the Herb of Eternal Youth 2

That was indeed the case.

The homeless man was none other than Edward.

It was the same middleman who commissioned Ju-Heon to swipe the map-type artifact and ended up falling for Ju-Heon's scheme and selling a fake artifact!

“Crazy, Old man Edward, why are you here?!”

Actually, Edward's current appearance was the most shocking. Edward was quite rich as he was a well-off weapons merchant.

He always wore an expensive and fancy white suit and he owned so much real estate that Yoo Jaeha didn't know how much he actually owned, but the ones he knew about were already worth close to one hundred million dollars.

But why was that old man sitting here as a beggar?!

However, he recognized who they were and immediately grabbed Ju-Heon by the collar.

“Hey, you damn bastard! Because of you, I, I had to suffer…………!”

The angry Edward then started to cry. It must have been quite difficult.

The person who made him this way might have felt a bit sorry for it, or maybe he found it funny, as he started to laugh. Of course, he had planned on putting Edward in a predicament to train him, but…

'This is beyond what I expected.'

“I guess Keira must have bothered you quite a bit for you to end up like this?”
“Does this look like she just bothered me?! Huh?”

Edward started to swear looking as if he was going to throw the bottle in his hand.

“Fck! You motherfcking bastard! Because of you… Because of you! I was ruined because of the item you sold me! Keira ordered the CIA to do this to me!”

Ju-Heon started to laugh as if that was expected.

“I guess Keira pointed her blade at you?”
“That's right, you bastard! She got on my case for all the illegal things she had been closing her eyes about until now! All my wealth and artifacts were confiscated, and I'm still being chased! I'm on the Interpol's wanted list and the FBI bastards are chasing me as well! Do you know what I'm going through?!”

'Aigoo, looks like that's quite terrible.'

“Well, it's still your fault. It's true that you illegally sold weapons. Your network is what kept you alive until now.”
“What did you say?!”

'Who do you think made me this way?!'

"Damn it, my plan to work with the US has gone down the drain now. I thought I could finally get a sponsor to start a new business but it's all ruined!"

Ju-Heon decided it was the right time after seeing his anger and threw the bait.

“Then should I give you a way to live?”

Edward scoffed at that question.

“Fool me once maybe but you really think you can fool me twice? Why would I work with you again knowing it'll just lead to my ending up a bloody mess?”

Ju-Heon coolly turned around after hearing Edward say that he would have blasted Ju-Heon's head off if he had a gun on him.

"Then do as you please. Let's see, I know I have a CIA agent's number somewhere……”

Edward grabbed Ju-Heon's pants leg at that moment.

“Aigoo! I'm sorry! What do you need me to do?!”

This old man was really quick to change his attitude.

However, Edward clenched his eyes shut as if he was still angry as he said that. He was upset that he was reduced to someone who had to act like this.

'How did he know I was here?'

It was funny that the future Monarch of Wealth ended up like this, but Ju-Heon got down to business.

“It's simple. I just need some information.”
“Information?”
“Virgin boys and girls, it's an artifact that gathers young boys and girls. Do you know about it?”
“!”

Edward's expression quickly changed.

Ju-Heon who noticed that like a hawk started to smile.

“I guess something does come to mind.”

'This bastard knows about Xu Fu's artifact.'

That was the truth.

Chairman Kwon who originally had the Herb of Eternal Youth had said that Edward gave him Xu Fu's artifact in the past.

"Where is that artifact?”

However, Edward feigned ignorance.

“An artifact of virgin boys and girls? What are you talking about? I don't know what you are talking about.”

Ju-Heon scoffed as if he found it ridiculous.

“Where is that CIA phone number…”
“Keira, it's Keira! I sold it to that motherf*cking woman! Damn it!”

Ju-Heon was shocked after hearing that. The list of artifacts Vivian told him about did not include Xu Fu's artifact.

'Something is weird. There's no way I wouldn't have realized Xu Fu's artifact was there.'

Ju-Heon started to frown as he responded.

"Don't lie to me. That woman should not have that artifact on her.”
“Don't trust me if you don't want to! Maybe she sold it to someone else!”
"Do you know who she sold it to?”
“How would I know?! You idiot!”

Edward feigned ignorance but Ju-Heon could tell the truth.

'This bastard, he definitely knows.'

He had been close to this old man while working for Chairman Kwon, so how would he not be able to read this old fart's expressions?

'I guess it's about time that the whip stops working.'

Ju-Heon whose goal was to train Edward to use him for his business started to pour out the treats.

“I'll let you make so much money you won't need to worry about the damn US if you help me.”
“!”

Ju-Heon smiled in satisfaction after seeing Edward's gaze change.

“I have a great medicine.”
“……Great medicine?”
“Yes, it is a medicine that is one of a kind in the world. I'm going to have large quantities of it from here on. You know what I mean, right?”

Ju-Heon was smiling.

He could continue to regrow the Herb of Eternal Youth and sell it. Its effects would not compare to any other medicine on the market.

'Continuing to grow and selling the Herb of Eternal Youth will become a great source of income.'

Of course, he was not planning on using the vaccine to threaten people like the monopolizer bastards of the past. Honestly speaking, this was a method to prevent power from gathering to the monopolizers, a foundational piece to prevent the same future as the past.

The ones he grew for vaccination would be sold at a price that anybody could easily purchase while the ones he grew as luxury goods would make him a ton of money.

'Then those people won't be harmed either.'

Ju-Heon started to think about his family.

However, Edward gulped as he had that thought.

'Is this a scam? Or can I trust him?'

He was thorough, as he was a veteran who had lasted in this field for a long time. However, he soon shook his head. He was the one who had smelled money on Ju-Heon and approached him in the first place.

'This bastard is definitely someone who is going to do something big in the future.'

That wasn't the only thing. He didn't know whether it would be beneficial or harmful, but either way, it would still be better than his current situation.

“It sounds like you have a healing artifact, but you are certain about its efficiency, right?”
“Of course. Just boiling it down and drinking it would be enough to make it the greatest sexual enhancer. It could even make an old man like you have the stamina of a twenty year old.

Edward's gaze had changed and he seemed to be quite focused.

“Really? Is that possible?”
"Why? I guess you need it too?”
“Ahem!”

The smiling Ju-Heon started to smile as if he was a talented trainer.

“That's not all. Refining that artifact would allow us to create various medicines that would let us sit on cushions of money on royalty alone.”
“You really have something like that?”
“Yes, but there is an artifact I need to awaken it. That's what I'm looking for.”
“I guess it is the Virgin Boys and Girls Artifact you mentioned earlier.”

Edward debated for a moment before responding this way.

“I know where Keira is using that artifact.”
“Where is it?”
“Africa.”
"Africa?”

Ju-Heon was shocked to hear an unexpected location.

Why would the US be involved over there?

Edward, who decided to latch onto Ju-Heon for now, coolly started to explain.

“I think Keira is using that to do something in an African tomb. However…”
“However?”
“The suspicious part is that she seemed to be doing this on her own without the US President knowing about it. The most suspicious part is that she is not using the TSOF in anything related to that tomb…”

Ju-Heon who was sharp and realized what Edward was saying started to smile.

“Basically. She's doing something that would be terrible if the world found out about it.”
“Exactly that.”

Of course, they had no idea what kind of illegal thing she was doing with Xu Fu's artifact that would gather young boys and girls.

Ju-Heon calmly smiled.

Keira was someone who kept getting in his way but he had no way to drag her down because of her societal position.

However, he had a good feeling about this.

He smelled something as sweet as honey thinking this was an easy way to send one of the Four Emperors spiraling down.

'I can get the Monarch of War out of the game in advance if this goes well.'

Ju-Heon's smile looked quite evil.

In the country of Ghana on the continent of Africa.

Ju-Heon who flew here right away looked toward a shop 50m in front of him.

That shop was unexpectedly a casino.

Of course, this was not somewhere with good public order, so this casino was probably shady as well.
However, there was a reason they were looking at this place.

'The bastards using Xu Fu's artifact are supposedly here.'

He didn't know the reason, but these were the bastards with whom Keira secretly left the artifact behind.

Ju-Heon started to move as he spoke to the people who came with him.

“The two of you stay out here for now. It won't be pretty in there.”
“Ah……”

Next to him were Irene and a female guard protecting her. She had let Ju-Heon borrow her private plane and came with him because she wanted to somehow help him even a little bit to get Xu Fu's artifact.

Irene started to speak to Ju-Heon who was about to walk into a dangerous place.

“Umm, Mr. Ju-Heon. Please be careful!"

Ju-Heon then chuckled. Maybe he found her admirable for trying to do her best even while feeling upset and concerned about her parents' condition, but Ju-Heon nonchalantly caressed her head.

“Please stay hidden.”
“!”

Irene instantly felt her heart starting to beat wildly, but she didn't know if Ju-Heon realized that or not as Ju-Heon and Yoo Jaeha walked into the loud casino.

They saw roulette, blackjack and many other typical casino games. The area wasn't very wide and the inside was shabby as it was in a countryside neighborhood.

Ju-Heon was looking for someone in there.

After searching around for a while…

'Those bastards must be the ones who have Xu Fu's artifact.'

It was a group of about 20 people. There were both black and white men and the smell of artifacts was pouring out of these bastards playing poker in the corner.

'They definitely don't look like good people.'

They were even firing their guns at their opponents and beating them to a pulp. It was quite the atmosphere that suited this lawless area.

“Haha! Hand over your entire fortune since you lost!”
“Take this bastard's wallet and then all his organs!”

Yoo Jaeha who had been ready to negotiate started to shake.

'Crazy, we're trying to negotiate with those scary bastards?'

“Captain-nim, do you think it will be easy to negotiate with them?”

He was concerned even though he brought a lot of money as Ju-Heon ordered.

It happened at that moment.

Ju-Heon suddenly walked over to them without any fear. Yoo Jaeha was shocked.

“Hol..! Captain-nim!”

It happened as the thugs were about to put their hands on the bloodied victim's wallet.

“Aaaaah!”

The black man trying to steal the wallet started to scream. Ju-Heon had suddenly twisted his finger and broke it as he tried to take the wallet.

The others shouted in shock after seeing their friend's finger being broken.

“What the, who the hell is this bastard?!”

Ju-Heon just nonchalantly walked over to them and started to speak.

“I'm here for one reason.”
“What?”
“Hand over the artifact.”

Ju-Heon shamelessly chuckled.

It was obvious he had no plans on negotiating from the beginning.

Chapter end