I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 48

< Beyond Gaebong (2) >

“Lee Hak-lin from the Murim Academy, I greet you.”

As Lee Hak-lin bowed respectfully, Kwon Jung-won smiled and said,

“Do you know who I am?”

“Please forgive my ignorance.”

“This is Great Master Kwon Jung-won, the Swift Sword Master.”

Jo Gwang-yun subtly stepped forward.

Upon hearing the title Swift Sword Master, Lee Hak-lin bowed even deeper.

“That’s enough courtesy. You can stop now.”

Lee Hak-lin straightened up and, carefully watching the Swift Sword Master, said,

“I didn’t come to Gaebong with any particular intention. I just have some business with this one here, so please don’t misunderstand.”

“Business? What business?”

“Well, that is…”

Instead of answering, Lee Hak-lin’s face turned red, and he stammered.

Seeing this, the Swift Sword Master laughed heartily.

“You’ve come to collect, haven’t you? Hahaha.”

“No, I haven’t.”

Lee Hak-lin’s face turned even redder.

“The rumors that you possess the spirit of a true man, despite being in the Black Faction, were false? How could you do such a thing?”

“Great Master Kwon, I told you, that’s not it. Please stop.”

His face was still red, but the way he gritted his teeth suggested he was starting to get angry.

“Are you going to get upset? Are you going to draw your sword?”

“If you allow it, I would gladly…”

Lee Hak-lin lowered his head slightly, but his gaze did not leave the Swift Sword Master’s eyes.

“I have no intention of accepting. Go do your business. You said you didn’t come to collect, right? Then what business do you have with this one?”

No answer came. As Lee Hak-lin hesitated, Jo Gwang-yun stepped forward.

“Grand Master, this Great Master has something to tell me in private. There’s nothing to worry about, so please leave it to me.”

Perhaps it was because of the title Grand Master, but Lee Hak-lin’s eyes changed.

“Today, we will be checking your training progress, so finish quickly and come home.”

The Swift Sword Master glared at Lee Hak-lin once, then stopped as he opened the door.

“By the way, have you been drinking again today?”

“I apologize, Grand Master. There was an important gathering today…”

“Yes, yes. It must be because of that again. Tsk!”

As the Swift Sword Master left, Lee Hak-lin quietly said,

“You refused my teachings… Why? Does that man’s martial arts seem stronger?”

“No, it was just a matter of timing.”

“Timing?”

“Yes. When you made the offer, I didn’t have the time, but now I have some to spare. Well, it’s only about an hour, though.”

Barely an hour when he should be focusing on training all day? Lee Hak-lin felt deflated, thinking it was just an old master’s way of passing the time.

“That one hour has given you a strong shield. The Swift Sword Master’s only disciple in his old age. With that title, no one in the Jianghu [the martial arts world] will dare to touch you.”

With these words, Lee Hak-lin stood up.

“I’ll tell Lee Geon what you need, so just follow his instructions.”

“Is there anything else you wish to command?”

“You have in your hands what every Jianghu person desires. Don’t take it lightly and give it your all. This isn’t about the Black Faction or the Orthodox Sect. It’s about continuing the lineage of a martial art that contains a warrior’s entire life, one that might disappear.”

Jo Gwang-yun did not smile as he looked at Lee Hak-lin speaking solemnly.

Everyone has different standards of what they consider important, so it should be respected.

“I will keep that in mind. Thank you for your teachings.”

* * *

Lee Hak-lin left without staying even for a night, and Lee Geon couldn’t hide his joy.

“Brother Jo, finally, my path is clear. Haha.”

“Are you going up to the main branch?”

“It’s all thanks to you, Brother Jo. I’m truly grateful.”

The money Lee Geon spent to build connections with the higher-ups of the Mookdo Association was several times more than the regular tribute.

Jo Gwang-yun had given him the money without any suspicion, so Lee Geon’s gratitude was genuine.

“Did Great Master Lee Hak-lin come just to deliver those words?”

“That’s the reason on the surface, but it seems he also came to check on you, Brother Jo.”

“I don’t know why that man is so eager to eat me up.”

Jo Gwang-yun frowned, and Lee Geon shook his head.

“I think differently. Great Master Lee has never shown interest in anyone. And it’s definitely not hostile interest.”

“If he harbored hostility, he would have already… in the Black Faction’s style?”

Jo Gwang-yun raised his hand and made a cutting motion, and Lee Geon smiled and said,

“Yes. Brother Jo wouldn’t be among the living.”

Since they were from the same background, Lee Geon’s thoughts were likely more accurate. Jo Gwang-yun dismissed his thoughts about Lee Hak-lin and said,

“Then who will be in charge here now?”

“You, Brother Jo.”

Lee Geon pointed to himself, but it was hard to understand what he meant.

“Until now, we’ve kept people here to resolve difficult matters with force, but now you’ve practically taken control of Gaebong, haven’t you, Brother Jo? Great Master Lee Hak-lin said there’s no need to station anyone here anymore.”

Entrusting Gaebong to him? It seemed Lee Hak-lin was indeed favorably inclined towards Jo Gwang-yun.

“As long as I send the money on time, you won’t interfere anymore?”

“That’s the idea.”

“Then what about the guys stationed at the Gyeong-an Bureau? Are you taking them all with you, Lee Hyung [term of respect for an older brother or male friend]?”

“Since you’re the person in charge, Brother Jo, it’s up to you to decide. What should we do?”

Jo Gwang-yun thought for a while, then his eyes sparkled.

“Someone trustworthy enough to be my right-hand man, and skilled in martial arts. How many would fit that criteria?”

This time, Lee Geon was lost in thought.

“The ones who stay should also get along well with each other, right? That way, they can work in perfect order…”

“No. Just select based on the two criteria I mentioned. I don’t care if they fight among themselves.”

“Is this a survival of the fittest approach?”

“I’m not putting too much meaning into it. Just pick out a few suitable ones.”

“I understand. Anyway, we should have a proper drink before I leave Gaebong, right?”

“Is that even a question? Of course, we should. Our relationship won’t end like this, will it?”

“Of course not. If you try to shake me off, I’ll grab onto your pants. Hahaha.”

* * *

On the day Lee Geon left for the Mookdo Association, he brought one man with him.

“This is the only one who meets the qualifications you mentioned, Brother Jo.”

“One person…?”

As Jo Gwang-yun made a dumbfounded expression, the man who came with him said,

“Would ten hunting dogs be able to defeat one tiger?”

Jo Gwang-yun said to him, who had a confident expression,

“Ten obedient hunting dogs are better than one disobedient tiger.”

“I may have the courage of a tiger, but my loyalty is greater than that of a hunting dog.”

Jo Gwang-yun couldn’t tell if this man was just running his mouth or if he had great eloquence, so he turned to Lee Geon, who nodded.

“If you keep him by your side and don’t like him, contact me. I will personally cut off his head.”

Lee Geon was a man who always kept his word. With a recommendation like that, he must be skilled.

“What’s your name?”

“Da-gyeom (觰蒹).”

As the man bowed again, Lee Geon said to him,

“Now your life depends on Jo Jang-ju’s [title, roughly ‘head of the household’] tongue. Do you understand what I mean? You must entrust your life to this man.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

Lee Geon left, taking everyone else with him, leaving only the man named Da-gyeom behind.

There might have been someone in the bureau monitoring Jo Gwang-yun’s every move. Lee Geon might have emptied Gaebong to avoid this risk and allow Jo Gwang-yun to move freely.

* * *

Untangling a tangled thread is a very annoying task. But the more you untangle it, the easier it becomes. As the saying goes, it unravels smoothly.

That was the case with Jo Gwang-yun now.

The bureau chief, along with those in Gaebong who had some influence, had won over the magistrate, and thanks to that, they had created a base where they could exclusively sell daily necessities.

That was the supermarket, Chosi (超市) [a modern-style supermarket in a historical setting].

Jo’s Chosi sold goods at least 20% more expensive than the existing market, but it was always crowded.

This was because of the clean, dust-free floor, the young men and women in uniform who greeted customers kindly, the fixed prices without haggling, Jo’s war bonds and receipts, and finally, the free gifts.

Daily necessities were usually bought by servants. The master always suspected that they might be pocketing some of the money, but they had to turn a blind eye because the price changed with the shopkeeper’s haggling.

However, with the issuance of receipts, pocketing was impossible.

And these servants also had to have some fun. That’s why they provided free gifts.

They gave a few more pounds of pork to servants who came often, and sometimes gave them useful accessories.

Now, it was no exaggeration to say that the commercial district of Gaebong was in Jo Gwang-yun’s grasp.

Also, the Changryong Sect had finally become a member of the Murim Alliance. Of course, it was only at the bottom of the Murim Alliance, but the signboard of the Murim Alliance alone attracted those who wanted to join.

They might feel pride in becoming Murim people as members of the Changryong Sect, but in reality, they were guards or security personnel protecting Jo Gwang-yun’s business, and few knew that they would be the first to face the sword in the event of a clash.

Even a smoothly unraveling thread has an end. And then you have to untangle another tangled thread.

Work is a series of tangled threads that must be untangled.

This time, the problem was the magistrate.

At the secret meeting, Magistrate Jin Woo-sang, who had been sighing and drinking alone, greeted Jo Gwang-yun.

“What’s going on? Drinking alone at this hour… Why didn’t you call some courtesans to serve you?”

“I’m not in the mood to drink with women. Sit down. Sit down and have a drink with me.”

The magistrate’s hand trembled as he poured the alcohol, indicating that something was wrong.

“Is something unpleasant happening?”

“Rather than unpleasant, it’s more like I feel empty. Hehe.”

He looked much older today.

“An imperial order (勅命) [cheokmyeong – an order directly from the Emperor] has been issued to transfer (赴任) [bumin – to take up a new post] me to Kunming (昆明) [a city in Yunnan province].”

Kunming? It sounded familiar, but he couldn’t suddenly remember. Where was that?

As Jo Gwang-yun tilted his head, the magistrate sighed even deeper.

“It’s in Yunnan Province. A place that couldn’t be more barren.”

Yunnan? If it was Yunnan, wasn’t that Nanzhong (南蠻) [Nanman – ancient term for the southern barbarians], the stage for Zhuge Liang’s Seven Captures [a famous story from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms]?”

It was worth drinking alone with a long sigh as a side dish.

Magistrate Jin Woo-sang’s career was over here.

Most of the appointees have difficulty adapting to the barren highlands and abandon their posts, feigning illness and returning to their hometowns.

Jo Gwang-yun quickly filled the magistrate’s glass and calculated.

He had extracted enough for the investment. Magistrate Jin Woo-sang had nothing more to do in Gaebong.

Jo Gwang-yun guessed what it meant that the magistrate had called him, not even his family, to tell him about the personnel appointment.

He had called to ask for a generous retirement package.

“Yunnan is famous for its southern specialties, isn’t it? There are more than a few tributes to the Emperor, so it’s a very important position.”

“That’s enough. I didn’t call you to be comforted.”

“Just say the word. What can’t I do for you, sir?”

The magistrate’s expression, which had been sighing, brightened up.

“Really? Do you really think so?”

“Of course. How can I forget the grace you have shown me, sir?”

People’s minds are fickle because they quickly forget what they have received and vividly remember what they have given for a long time.

Jo Gwang-yun was the same.

‘How much money have you taken so far… How much more do you want?’

Jo Gwang-yun only stared at the magistrate’s mouth.

“Then, I’ll be shameless, but I have a favor to ask of you.”

“Don’t feel burdened and just tell me.”

“I’m thinking of resigning about two months after taking office in Kunming. Of course, I don’t have the slightest desire to take office, but I can’t disobey the imperial order.”

“Then are you thinking of returning to your hometown?”

The magistrate nodded.

“Entering the court is now a pipe dream, and wandering around the provinces is tiring. I want to build a manor in a place with good water and scenery and spend my time with books.”

The emphasis in this statement is not on books but on the manor.

“But since I’ve been in office, I don’t really have any assets to speak of. It’s also daunting to think about my dependents.”

He was asking for a fancy mansion and retirement funds.

‘You son of a bitch. You’ve already taken enough money to live comfortably for three generations. Where are you trying to sell your lies?’