I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 119

< Master and Disciple? 3 >

Jo Gwang-yun boarded the carriage leaving Sichuan.

He had secured several witnesses to expose the dark secrets of the Tang family, and he had received reports that a member of the Ink Alliance had met with the Tang family’s son to communicate a suitable compromise.

But above all, the greatest achievement was establishing a close relationship with the magistrate of Chengdu in Sichuan. He had secured a monopoly on the transportation of specialty products from Sichuan to the Imperial Court and a monopoly on the supply of goods needed in Sichuan.

He hadn’t intended to use the writing teachers in this way, so the results were beyond his expectations.

“Thanks to my teachers, I have gained so much. I don’t know how to thank you enough.”

Jo Gwang-yun bowed deeply in the carriage heading to Kaifeng.

“Not at all. We only helped you familiarize yourself with the faces; what you gained is due to your ability, Head Jo. It’s alright.”

Seeing the writing teachers’ pleased expressions, Jo Gwang-yun brought up a matter he had been saving.

“Teachers, have you ever considered becoming my *true* mentors?”

The old men were puzzled, unable to understand why he added the word ‘true’ when they had already formed a master-disciple relationship.

“I believe that a true disciple should chop wood, cook rice, and fetch water for their master.”

At Jo Gwang-yun’s words, the old men burst into laughter.

“My friend, when are you talking about? Do martial artists still treat their disciples that way? Haha.”

“Even if that were the case, how could someone as busy as you do such chores? If that was a joke, it was a success. You made this old man laugh. Hehe.”

However, when Jo Gwang-yun didn’t laugh, the teachers’ expressions changed.

“Are you… serious?”

“Yes, I am.”

When the teachers showed unbelievable expressions, Jo Gwang-yun finally smiled.

“However, as you said, I am too busy to cook, chop wood, and fetch water. Instead, I will prepare a spacious estate where you can comfortably reside and provide plenty of servants to take care of all the household chores. I believe this is enough to fulfill my duty as a disciple.”

The old men couldn’t close their gaping mouths.

Although they had risen to officialdom and held high positions, their tenure was not long, and they were not descendants of prestigious families.

They were typical self-made scholars who had studied hard and gained a reputation among the literati before finally entering public service.

Having retired and returned to their hometowns, they did not live lavishly.

But now, a great merchant, citing a minor connection, claimed to be their disciple and promised them a comfortable retirement. It was too tempting to refuse outright.

However, accepting such great favor without hesitation pricked their conscience.

“Head Jo, we only read a martial arts manual and gave you our opinions. We appreciate your kindness, but we don’t deserve such treatment.”

“Is there an end to learning?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“I will continue to seek your teachings in the future. That teaching may be a martial arts manual or other wisdom. Moreover, just by meeting your friends, I, as a disciple, gain more than I could ask for.”

As former officials, they were quick-witted.

They knew what Jo Gwang-yun was planning by calling them his teachers.

“Then… do you think the more teachers, the better?”

Jo Gwang-yun smiled slyly. As expected, his teachers were quick to catch on. They had accurately identified what he wanted.

“Learning is endless, but shouldn’t its scope also be broad?”

“Oh dear, oh dear, you want to become the Lord Mengchang [a historical figure known for having numerous retainers] under the guise of learning. Haha.”

Lord Mengchang, along with Lord Chunshen of Chu, Lord Pingyuan of Zhao, and Lord Xinling of Wei, was one of the Four Lords of the Warring States period.

The Four Lords of the Warring States were famous for having thousands of retainers, but Lord Mengchang, in particular, gathered not only scholars but also thieves, storytellers, and people with strange talents, making him the representative of the Four Lords.

“Oh, no, no.”

Jo Gwang-yun waved his hand.

“I don’t have the means to feed three thousand people. And retainers are single individuals without families, but I plan to take care of both my teachers and their wives, so there’s a big difference.”

Having already seen the luxurious carriage, they could easily imagine the estate Jo Gwang-yun mentioned. The thought of living comfortably in such a place, attended by servants, made their smiles disappear.

The best part was living with like-minded scholars within the same fence. The time spent gathering to discuss academics and drinking tea together would be neither boring nor lonely.

The scholar and the doctor looked at each other and nodded.

Jo Gwang-yun realized that they were simply holding back to maintain their dignity.

“Please return home and think it over carefully. You also need to discuss it with your wives.”

With this, he solved the last problem that had been on his mind.

Even if the Huashan’s martial arts were leaked, he had essentially confined them all in one place, so even if the fiery old men of Huashan found out, they would turn a blind eye. Moreover, weren’t these old men so old that their bones ached just from sitting and standing?

He believed that Huashan was not so narrow-minded as to behead even these old men.

* * *

“Lord Jo, what should we do with them?”

As soon as they arrived in Kaifeng, Gu Seung asked about the fate of the six men he had brought from Sichuan.

“Where are they now?”

“I’ve locked them in the training room for now. I’ve sealed their blood points [acupressure points used to immobilize or incapacitate] in case they try to commit suicide.”

Jo Gwang-yun wanted to use them most effectively.

In fact, the Tang family was just a means to solve the Ink Alliance’s internal problems.

He had no intention of engaging in a full-scale war with them like the Namgung family. He hadn’t even fully recovered his strength, and starting another large-scale conflict would be reckless.

However, he had no intention of being lenient enough to turn a blind eye.

Jo Gwang-yun snapped his fingers.

He realized that he didn’t need to think of the most effective method himself. Wasn’t it basic to entrust the task to the person who could do it best?

“Gu Seung.”

“Yes.”

“You’ll have to visit the Murim Alliance.”

“The Murim Alliance?”

The Murim Alliance out of the blue? Gu Seung blinked.

“Take those guys and throw them at the Alliance Leader. I’ll write a letter to deliver as well.”

Gu Seung nodded.

There was no need to ask why. Hadn’t the results of his unpredictable instructions always been ingenious?

Gu Seung, along with several martial artists, dragged the six members of the Sichuan underworld to the Murim Alliance.

Everyone’s eyes were on them as they entered the Murim Alliance, dragging the six men tied up like heinous criminals.

The Alliance Leader, having been informed at the entrance, couldn’t contain his curiosity and was pacing outside.

Gu Seung spotted Mo Yong-hwi and rushed over to bow respectfully.

“Greetings, Alliance Leader.”

“Forget the greetings. What is that? What has Jo Gwang-yun done this time after being quiet for a while?”

Without a word, Gu Seung took out a letter from his pocket.

“The Lord has instructed me to deliver it directly to you, Alliance Leader.”

Mo Yong-hwi quickly accepted the letter.

“This, this is…”

Mo Yong-hwi’s face contorted after reading the letter.

“Alliance Leader, what should we do with these men?”

Gu Seung asked cautiously, and Mo Yong-hwi scanned the dragged men.

“That’s enough. You may return. I will take care of it.”

“Do you have any message for the Lord?”

“Just tell him this: he has given me a lump of worry, not a gift. Tell him that the debt has not yet been settled.”

Gu Seung bowed his head.

“I will be sure to deliver it.”

As Gu Seung retreated, Mo Yong-hwi gestured to the martial artist guarding the residence.

“Lock those men in the prison and prohibit them from contacting anyone else.”

“Understood!”

Mo Yong-hwi immediately returned to his office and summoned the two most trusted people in the Murim Alliance.

* * *

“Chwi-gae, do you know what happened in Sichuan?”

“Sichuan, you say?”

Chwi-gae’s expression changed slightly.

“Are you hiding something from me?”

“Absolutely not. Hiding? There’s nothing special.”

“Wasn’t Jo Gwang-yun’s visit to the Tang family special?”

This time, his expression changed completely.

“How, how did you know that?”

“How would I know? Jo Gwang-yun told me!”

Mo Yong-hwi didn’t show him the letter. He wanted to hear more information from the Beggars’ Sect.

“You said it wasn’t special, but let’s hear it. What happened in Sichuan?”

Chwi-gae scratched his head slightly.

“Jo Gwang-yun’s activities were not that special. He met with merchants in Sichuan, seemingly handling merchant affairs, and visited the Tang family on his way back. Since they are both righteous martial sects, I thought it was natural for him to pay his respects.”

“And then?”

“There was a conflict between the Sichuan underworld forces. After confirming, it turned out that the Ink Alliance had come to take over the Sichuan underworld. I was briefly nervous, but the Ink Alliance didn’t escalate the matter further. They stopped at suppressing the minor underworld forces in Sichuan, so I didn’t report it to you, Alliance Leader.”

“So, there were two separate issues, and neither was particularly special?”

“That’s right.”

Pang Dong-ho of the Pang family in Hebei, who had been listening quietly, tried to appease Mo Yong-hwi, who seemed too sensitive.

“Brother, why are you being like this when there’s nothing particularly strange? Did something happen?”

“Take a look at this. Is this ordinary?”

Mo Yong-hwi threw Jo Gwang-yun’s letter to the two men.

Chwi-gae hurriedly read the letter, and Pang Dong-ho also glanced at it.

The fiery Pang Dong-ho shouted first.

“Have you ever seen such crazy bastards? How did the Tang family get to this point!”

Chwi-gae’s expression was equally miserable.

“Where are those guys now…?”

“I’ve locked them in prison for now. What do you think? Do you want to investigate further?”

Chwi-gae thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.

“We should hear their testimonies together. That way, even if they change their story later, we’ll have multiple witnesses.”

“Does that mean you want to make an issue out of this?”

“Don’t you?”

When Chwi-gae asked again, Mo Yong-hwi couldn’t answer easily.

“It’s hard to judge. If the Murim Alliance makes an issue out of this, then the Tang family must be held accountable. How will we hold the Tang family accountable? Expel them from the Murim Alliance? Or… should we cut off that old man Tang Neng’s head as punishment?”

Faced with the practical difficulties, Chwi-gae also held back his words.

If the Tang family’s misdeeds were revealed, the reputation of the righteous sects would also plummet. The righteous sects could be collectively criticized by the world because of the Tang family alone.

Moreover, among the Five Great Families, the Namgung family was annihilated, and the Zhuge family left the Murim Alliance and suspended external activities. If even the Sichuan Tang family closed its doors, the name of the Five Great Families would be erased from the Jianghu [the martial world].

With only the Mo Yong and Pang families remaining, they couldn’t even be called the Two Great Families.

Of course, there were many martial families eager to fill the void. However, the Beggars’ Sect’s position was somewhat different.

The Beggars’ Sect leaned more towards the traditional Nine Sects than the aristocratic families. Unless there were personal feelings involved, the Beggars’ Sect’s choice was not necessarily the right one.

“But the matter is too serious to ignore. No matter how much I try to understand, prostitution? This is just the level of third-rate thugs in the back alleys! I’m so ashamed that my face is burning.”

Pang Dong-ho burst into anger.

Mo Yong-hwi sighed deeply and cautiously opened his mouth.

“Shall we send someone secretly?”

“What message will you send?”

When Chwi-gae’s eyes sparkled, Mo Yong-hwi asked for his opinion.

“Shall we tell them to close their doors for three or four years (封門) [a period of seclusion and reflection]?”

< Master and Disciple? 3 > End