I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 100

“Are you telling me to go into hiding now?”

“Absolutely not. Why would you have come all this way if that were the case? Of course, we need to make the Hyuk Si-mok Assembly Head disappear.”

“Is that even possible? For a perfectly fine person to vanish without a trace?”

Lee Hak-lin looked as if that was the best he could come up with.

“I heard the Assembly Head is a free-spirited person. He leaves everything to you and lives as he pleases.”

“Well, there’s some truth to that.”

“If he goes on a trip somewhere far away, wouldn’t two or three years pass by in a blink?”

“Still, disappearing forever is different.”

“It’s not. There’s no difference.”

Jo Gwang-yun said firmly.

“If even Chief Moryong Hwi were to be away for just a month, the Murim Alliance would be in chaos. Because he actually does work.”

Not many people see the leader of an organization every day.

The leader of the largest organization, the pinnacle of all organizations, is the emperor. Such an emperor calls himself ‘朕’ (朕, *zhèn*, imperial ‘we’) and wears a 冕旒冠 (*miǎn liú guān*, ceremonial coronet).

Here, 朕 (*zhèn*) means the bolt that locks a door, and like the 兆朕 (*zhào zhèn*, omen), it signifies something veiled and unclear. The emperor is a hazy figure, and looking at him directly is strictly forbidden.

The 冕旒冠 (*miǎn liú guān*) has the same meaning.

The 冕 (*miǎn*) refers to the wide plate on top, and the 旒 (*liú*) refers to the beaded strands hanging in front and back, concealing the face. This also serves the role of hiding the face.

The leader exists but cannot be seen by just anyone, and their existence is ambiguous.

An emperor who neglects state affairs and indulges in pleasure does not show himself from the depths of the palace. However, if someone else is working hard in the emperor’s place, it’s hard for anyone except a few to notice the emperor’s absence.

But if there is no one to work in his stead, everyone will become aware of the emperor’s absence as matters requiring decisions pile up.

This is not limited to the emperor alone.

In any organization, as long as there is someone working in place of the leader, no one will question the leader’s whereabouts.

“Lee Geon told me that the Assembly Head has no close aides except for his bodyguards. Is that correct?”

“Close aides…”

Lee Hak-lin thought he was the Assembly Head’s only close aide. But he was mistaken.

He was not a close aide but an object of vigilance.

“If you were to become the Assembly Head of the Silent Path, I would have to find another way, but if you remain as you are, there will be no problem even if the Assembly Head disappears.”

If Lee Hak-lin were to ascend as the Assembly Head, people would wonder about the whereabouts of the missing Assembly Head, but if not, the daily life of the Silent Path would remain unchanged.

“As time passes in that state, the subordinates will step forward. They will ask you not to dwell on the missing Assembly Head and implore you to take the Assembly Head’s seat. Then, you can accept it as if you couldn’t resist.”

“I have no desire for the position.”

“Aren’t we talking about the position right now? Isn’t it honestly a matter of pride?”

Fleeing into the deep mountains or dying at the Assembly Head’s hands would be embarrassing. As Jo Gwang-yun said, it was a matter of pride.

He had been working wholeheartedly for the Silent Path, but he felt betrayed by this outcome.

The Assembly Head said that humans forget favors. Lee Hak-lin wanted to add one thing to this statement: humans never forget betrayal.

“Then what’s the method to make him disappear?”

“Are you asking because you don’t know? You kill him and bury him deep.”

Lee Hak-lin began to regret keeping Jo Gwang-yun alive. The Hyuk Si-mok Assembly Head was not some neighborhood thug.

To kill and bury someone with such high martial arts skills… The core was missing.

“Tell me honestly. You haven’t thought about how to kill him yet, have you?”

“No. I need to start planning now.”

“You son of a bitch! How can you say that? What kind of plan is it to list everything else while leaving out the most difficult part?”

Jo Gwang-yun looked bewildered in front of the furiously angry Lee Hak-lin.

“Why are you getting angry?”

“What?”

“You just made up your mind. If you expected me to come up with a perfect plan in that short amount of time, you overestimate me.”

Lee Hak-lin’s face turned red.

He was flustered and anxious. He was not without fear. He was also bothered by the thought of turning against the person he had served.

He revealed these feelings too openly.

Jo Gwang-yun, unconcerned with Lee Hak-lin’s expression, asked a difficult question.

“Please tell me honestly. Can you handle it?”

It was a difficult question to answer.

It meant both whether he could handle killing the Hyuk Si-mok Assembly Head and becoming the de facto leader of the Silent Path, and whether he could face him in martial arts. Perhaps both.

Lee Hak-lin slowly opened his mouth.

“If we were to cross swords, it would be difficult to guarantee victory.”

Jo Gwang-yun sighed.

Saying it was difficult to guarantee victory was not a 50% chance of winning. It was a euphemistic expression used when the odds were lower.

If the odds were less than half, they had to avoid a head-on confrontation.

However, the fact that Lee Hak-lin mentioned victory or defeat meant that he would no longer hesitate. Now, all that was left was to come up with a more concrete and detailed plan to replace the leader of the Silent Path.

From now on, it was his responsibility.

Jo Gwang-yun smiled and said.

“Don’t worry. I will create conditions where we can guarantee victory for sure.”

Looking at Jo Gwang-yun’s smiling face, Lee Hak-lin wondered if Jo Gwang-yun was manipulating him rather than the other way around.

* * *

“Tell me what happened.”

A hint of worry crossed Moryong Hwi’s face. If Jo Gwang-yun was still connected to the Black Moon, he could already see the families of the Murim Alliance, who bore a grudge against Jo Gwang-yun, rising up like a swarm of bees.

“The Assembly Head of the Silent Path is trying to eliminate Lee Hak-lin, claiming he wants to take over the entire Jo family.”

“That friend of ours?”

“Yes. Although he is only second-in-command, he is powerful and the de facto leader, so he must be a thorn in his side.”

“So, what answer did you give?”

“Now and then, my goal is only one thing: safety. I think it’s better for Lee Hak-lin, who has a rational and upright character, to become the leader of the Silent Path rather than the unpredictable and eccentric Hyuk Si-mok Assembly Head.”

“Hmm…”

Moryong Hwi also nodded.

What he wanted was peace in Murim, and he thought there was no one better than Lee Hak-lin as the leader of the Black Moon.

“So? Do you have a plan?”

Jo Gwang-yun carefully opened his mouth, watching Moryong Hwi’s expression.

“Perhaps…”

“No!”

Before he could even finish his sentence, the old friend shook his head.

“I thought so.”

Jo Gwang-yun scratched his head.

“Of course. If a righteous person interferes in the internal affairs of the Black Moon… Lee Hak-lin would probably be the first to draw his sword and attack the Murim Alliance. And the important thing is… I don’t like it.”

Jo Gwang-yun clicked his tongue at the Chief’s firm words.

It was a place full of inefficient people.

If they approved of Lee Hak-lin becoming the leader of the Silent Path, Moryong Hwi could secretly kill Hyuk Si-mok without anyone knowing… But these people valued justification more than the goal.

“Then I will handle this matter. Instead, please keep it a secret from the Murim Alliance. If word gets out that I’m involved with the Black Moon again, someone will drive me into the Black Moon. Instead…”

Jo Gwang-yun’s eyes sparkled again.

“Why don’t you take this opportunity to establish your authority as the Chief? Discipline the families…”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“What I find suspicious is that a simple person like the Hyuk Si-mok Assembly Head mentioned the internal affairs of the Murim Alliance in an attempt to eliminate Lee Hak-lin. Even if the Silent Path destroys the Azure Dragon Gate, there will be no movement from the Murim Alliance. That’s what they said.”

“What?”

It was not something to be taken lightly. But he refrained from saying unnecessary things in front of Jo Gwang-yun.

“Are you trying to slander with reckless speculation? Have you already forgotten the bloodshed with the Namgung family because of that?”

“I’m just letting you know. It’s up to you to decide what to do.”

Jo Gwang-yun said casually, but Moryong Hwi did not let go of his suspicious gaze.

“I’ll say it again. Forget about this. Do you understand?”

“Oh, Chief. Calm down. Would I put my friend in a difficult position?”

The Silent Path comes first. This matter must be buried for a while.

Didn’t the prosecutor from South Korea say? A case should be aged like kimchi until it’s perfectly ripe.

* * *

“The Assembly Head won’t be moving alone, so how many bodyguards usually accompany him?”

“It varies from time to time. I’ve never paid attention, so I don’t know exactly. But at least a dozen will accompany him.”

“What is their level of martial arts?”

Lee Hak-lin pondered for a moment and chuckled.

“I see, I know almost nothing. I only know that they are quite skilled.”

“Then I will check the minor details myself. Please tell me just this one thing accurately.”

“Speak.”

Jo Gwang-yun hesitated and spoke with difficulty.

“It’s a cowardly thing, but I’m going to assassinate him.”

But Jo Gwang-yun’s caution was excessive.

“What? Of course, you have to assassinate him. Were you planning to hold a life-or-death duel? How many masters are there in the Central Plains who can match swords with the Hyuk Si-mok Assembly Head?”

“R, right?”

Lee Hak-lin was once again reminded that he was a member of the Black Moon.

If he had said that to Moryong Hwi, he would have frowned. Then, when he realized there was no other way, he would reluctantly acknowledge it, but he still wouldn’t like it.

But Lee Hak-lin nodded very naturally. He didn’t seem to think assassination was cowardly.

He considered assassination as just another method, an efficient human being from another perspective.

Jo Gwang-yun carefully spoke again.

“I was thinking of commissioning an external assassin organization, but secrecy is paramount in this matter. No matter how tight-lipped the assassin organization is, this is about turning a dead person into a living one.”

At this point, the quick-witted Lee Hak-lin would have understood.

“Are you telling me to earn my keep?”

“Let’s call it trust. You are more trustworthy than any assassin to not miss a single opportunity.”

“Hmm…”

He didn’t say he couldn’t do it.

After thinking for a long time, Lee Hak-lin shook his head.

“It’s impossible. No matter how well I know the Assembly Head’s residence, there are too many eyes watching. Besides…”

“Ah, you misunderstood. The place is not the Silent Path, but right here.”

“Huh? Here?”

“Yes. I plan to erase the Assembly Head’s traces here.”

Lee Hak-lin looked around and shook his head again.

“It’s a well-decorated place, but there’s nowhere to hide.”

“There’s a place you haven’t seen yet. It’s the most luxurious detached building in this manor. It’s just finishing up construction, so it’s perfectly usable.”

Lee Hak-lin immediately got up.

“Let’s go. I have to see it with my own eyes to say anything.”

Lee Hak-lin followed Jo Gwang-yun into a building that was too large to be called a detached building.

Lee Hak-lin, who confidently opened the door and entered, froze on the spot. He was also a top executive of the Silent Path. He had traveled around the Central Plains, seeing famous courtesan houses and inns, and had seen a lot of extravagance.

But today, the standard of extravagance had changed. The extravagance he had seen so far was at the level of a beggar’s hut.

“Is this a room for people to sleep in? Even the emperor’s bedroom wouldn’t be this extravagant. I’d be too afraid to sleep here in case I damaged something.”

“It’s a place to satisfy the vanity of the rich. No matter how extravagant it is, it’s not too much.”

“Is this the place you were talking about?”

“Yes. The Assembly Head will be staying here. If everything goes according to plan.”

Lee Hak-lin began to look around the room carefully. He meticulously examined everything from the gaps in the wooden floor to the location of the furniture and the sturdiness of the walls.

After a long time, his gaze turned to one place.

End