I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 54

< Bribes 2 >

“They probably won’t even touch rice or meat soup, will they? They eat more precious and expensive things, right?”

Ok Gang-il also added a word.

“But if you can’t give them a night to remember, you’ll turn into corpses in the morning. Are you confident?”

He didn’t forget the warning. If they messed around and offended the eunuch, they could ruin everything.

“We’re already as good as dead. Whether it’s a castrated bastard or some royal, anyone who brings us back to life is our benefactor. Of course, we’ll knock their socks off. We’re confident.”

They had the skills and a great attitude.

There was only one thing these two women lacked.

“Chief Ok, take these kids to the best brothel in Gaebong and teach them some basic etiquette. And feed them well to put some meat on their bones. They need to wash off that grime.”

* * *

One month after sending the women to the brothel, Jo Gwang-yun called Gu Seung.

“We’re going to the capital. Prepare.”

“The capital? Are you talking about Gye-yang?”

“Yes. Gye-yang, where the Emperor lives.”

Gu Seung couldn’t hide his smile. To think he would get to see the most splendid and bustling place in the Central Plains!

“Prepare one carriage and bring the five most trustworthy members from Hana-hoe.”

“Is there anything else we need to prepare?”

“Meet with the Beggars’ Union [a large intelligence-gathering organization] and buy some information. I want to know about any martial arts organizations operating in Gye-yang, and how to contact them.”

Gu Seung tilted his head.

“Lord, Gye-yang is the Emperor’s city. Not to mention martial arts sects, even carrying a sword is forbidden, isn’t it? I doubt there would be any martial arts organizations there.”

“The biggest profits come from secretly trading forbidden things. Think about what Ok Gang-il does.”

“Even so…”

“Even though surveillance is strict because it’s where the Emperor lives, it’s still a place where people live. There are definitely people who need power and people who sell power. Find out how much the Beggars’ Union wants, no matter the cost.”

“Yes, Lord.”

Gu Seung didn’t argue further and left with the bundle of silver coins Jo Gwang-yun handed him.

Once preparations were complete, a carriage carrying the two women, a carriage for Jo Gwang-yun, and Gu Seung and five members of Hana-hoe on horseback set off.

Jo Gwang-yun enjoyed riding horses, so he had one prepared, but he had no choice but to ride in the carriage.

“What? You son of a…! You’re going to that good place alone? Are you treating me like some old geezer now? Weren’t you the one who promised to serve me with utmost devotion?”

“Grand Master, I’m not going for fun. I’m going for work.”

“So you go work! I can have fun on my own!”

Quick Sword Master Kwon Joong-won somehow found out they were going to the capital and caused a ruckus. Moreover…

“What? A horse? You brat! How old do you think I am to be riding a horse? My back aches just lying down, tossing and turning, and you want me to sit on a horse saddle?”

Furthermore, even though they offered him the carriage to use comfortably, he insisted he needed company and forced Jo Gwang-yun to sit with him. Jo Gwang-yun felt like he was dying of discomfort sharing a carriage with the Grand Master, but he had to endure it.

For the first day of the journey, the Grand Master mostly admired the scenery outside and barely spoke.

But from the second day onwards, he didn’t stop talking for a moment. He seemed determined to talk about martial arts.

At first, it was annoying, but as they continued to talk, Jo Gwang-yun also began to get drawn in.

“Gwang-yun, what do you think martial arts is?”

“I’ve never really thought about it deeply. Well… if I were to vaguely think about it… it’s something that makes things easier. Especially, the stronger one’s martial arts are, the easier things become. It’s similar to money. But also, martial arts are even more unfair than money.”

“You think everything is about money.”

The Grand Master wore a displeased expression.

“It’s not that. They really have a lot in common. They say there’s no end to martial arts training, right? Even the strongest person in the world, with no equal, still thinks they’re lacking, right? Like you, Grand Master. It’s the same with making money. No matter how much money you have, you feel like it’s not enough, and even billionaires will do anything to earn more.”

Kwon Joong-yang, who was called a supreme master, devoted himself to internal energy cultivation every day without fail, so he had nothing to say.

“Let’s say that’s true. But why do you say martial arts are unfair? Are you saying you don’t know about the unfairness between the rich and the poor?”

“Isn’t martial arts something that doesn’t allow even the smallest gap and takes lives?”

“What?”

“A person with a million gold and a person with a million gold plus one silver coin are both equally rich. But in martial arts, isn’t that difference of one silver coin like a river that can’t be crossed? How unfair is it that you lose your life because of that small difference?”

It was a thought he didn’t like, but it wasn’t wrong. The Grand Master asked another question without saying much.

“Then what is strength?”

“From a martial artist’s point of view? Or from my point of view?”

“Of course, your thoughts.”

Jo Gwang-yun immediately asked back.

“Can you kill the Emperor, Grand Master?”

“What? The Emperor?”

“Yes. With your martial arts, Grand Master, crossing the walls of the Imperial Palace would be a piece of cake, and making the Imperial Palace guards blind would be easy too, right? Entering the Emperor’s chambers and killing the sleeping Emperor would also be as easy as flipping your hand. You could kill him easily, right?”

“You brat! Are you trying to wipe out our entire clan? How dare you talk about the Emperor like that….”

“Right? Even a supreme master can’t kill the weak Emperor who has only shot a bow a few times for hunting.”

“Isn’t that obvious?”

“But the Emperor can kill anyone. With just a word. Right now, the strongest person in the Central Plains is the Emperor.”

He asked about strength, and the answer that came back was the Emperor.

The Grand Master pondered this meaning and slapped his knee.

“You think of strength in terms of power, not individual ability.”

“That’s right. And there’s one more thing. Authority! So, the one with great power and high authority is the true strongman.”

“Then you must think the strongest person in the current martial world is the leader of the Martial Arts Alliance.”

“The Ink Cloud Society is obviously out of the question. But I don’t know the size of the Evil Alliance (邪道聯) [a coalition of unorthodox martial factions].”

“I bet I’m right.”

Meaning the orthodox factions are larger than the evil factions.

“I see. Then the strongest person in the martial world right now is the head of the Murong Clan, Sword Star (劍星) Murong Hui (慕溶暉), the leader of the alliance.”

“The Sword Star is the strongest because of his individual martial arts, not power.”

Jo Gwang-yun saw jealousy in the Grand Master’s eyes and didn’t miss the words ‘not power’.

“It sounds like you’re saying the leader is just a figurehead.”

“Not a figurehead, but there’s someone else who actually controls the Martial Arts Alliance.”

“Who is it?”

“Isn’t the Azure Dragon Gate a member of the Martial Arts Alliance? You’ll find out eventually.”

These martial artists, especially the older masters, are the problem.

They could just say it, but they have to hide it. It’s like they’re trying to create an atmosphere of being mysterious Taoists who have mastered the ways of the world.

Well, I’ll find out eventually.

I should also tell Head Lim of the Azure Dragon Gate not to invest too much in Sword Star Murong Hui.

Jo Gwang-yun suddenly thought of something about martial arts and said.

“Oh, Grand Master. I’ve been doing the breathing technique you taught me every day without fail, but there’s hardly any change.”

“You brat. What do you expect from internal energy cultivation when you’re drinking every day? You might as well give up on building internal energy.”

“Then… does that mean I don’t have to train anymore?”

“Train! Where do you think you’re going to slack off…!”

“Grand Master. Either way, I have drinking parties every night. Why bother with something that has no effect….”

“It does. You just don’t realize it.”

“Huh?”

The Grand Master grabbed Jo Gwang-yun’s wrist. It wasn’t the first time this had happened, so Jo Gwang-yun had to shut his mouth and stay still.

The first time the Grand Master grabbed his wrist or put his palm on his back, he thought he was injecting energy like in the martial arts movies he had seen before, and he bowed deeply in gratitude each time.

After this happened a few times, the Grand Master said.

“What’s so special about taking a pulse? Stop it.”

Reality wasn’t a movie. Just a simple pulse reading….

Of course, it’s still just a simple pulse reading now.

“You’ve probably noticed it yourself to some extent, right? That your body is a bit unique?”

“Yes. It’s changed a lot since that incident I told you about before.”

“So don’t stop training. Someday, a big change will come. That change might be the one silver coin change you talked about.”

“Huh? One silver coin?”

“Yes. A silver coin like a river that can’t be crossed.”

The Grand Master is pretending to be a mysterious Taoist again.

What kind of change could it be?

The Quick Sword Master avoided Jo Gwang-yun’s gaze and turned his eyes outside the carriage. He even wore a mysterious smile.

* * *

After arriving in Gye-yang, Jo Gwang-yun didn’t rush and leisurely looked around Gye-yang as if he were sightseeing.

After a few days, Gu Seung and the five members of Hana-hoe appeared, completely exhausted.

“Did you have fun?”

“Oh, Gye-yang is indeed the Imperial Capital. I don’t know how there can be so many brothels….”

One of the men whined.

“You didn’t just drink and have fun, did you?”

“Of course not. Here it is.”

Gu Seung handed over a neatly folded piece of paper.

“This is the brothel that you mentioned the eunuch frequents the most. But Lord, shouldn’t eunuchs never leave the Imperial Palace? He’s wandering around here and there almost every night….”

“So you can see the extent of his power, right? He’s gained the Emperor’s trust to the point where he turns a blind eye even if he doesn’t fulfill his duties as a eunuch. Anyway, there won’t be any problems, right?”

“Yes. Who doesn’t like money? I’ve already finished talking with the owner there.”

“Alright. Let’s go. Prepare the women who came with us too.”

“Yes.”

Jo Gwang-yun and his group took the two women to the most luxurious brothel in Gye-yang.

A middle-aged woman in fancy clothes saw Jo Gwang-yun’s group and, without hesitating, made a fuss towards Jo Gwang-yun.

“Oh my! Goodness! In my ten years of running this place, I’ve never seen such a noble young master. Please, come inside.”

The men, including Gu Seung, wore dumbfounded expressions at the middle-aged woman’s reaction.

“Hey, lady! We’ve been spending money like water every day for the past few days, and you’re already treating us like we’re nothing?”

“I’m welcoming you like this because the owner of that money you’ve been spending like water has arrived. Isn’t that right?”

“What?”

“People who have spent money know how to spend it, and it was too obvious that our young masters weren’t the owners of the money. But this young master is dressed modestly, but a money ghost is stuck all over his body, isn’t it?”

“What? A ghost is attached? Haha.”

Jo Gwang-yun burst into a hearty laugh as if he was dumbfounded.

“Alright, alright, let’s talk in detail in front of the table.”

Even though it was broad daylight, a table was already prepared in the fancy room.

“I heard from the owner here. You want me to introduce these two women to the eunuch, right?”

“That’s right. What do you think? Is it possible?”

“Are you kidding me? The courtesans are under my jurisdiction, after all.”

The middle-aged woman glanced at the woman who was covering her face with a veil with curious eyes.

“I’ve heard the rumors too. The eunuch is so mischievous that even the courtesans are reluctant?”

“Well, you’ve probably investigated everything before coming here, right? That’s why you even prepared the women. Isn’t that right?”

“That’s right. The difference between these women and the courtesans you have is that these women like the eunuch’s mischievous pranks.”

“Really? Can I see their faces?”

When Jo Gwang-yun nodded, the two women removed the veils covering their faces.

The middle-aged woman, who had been observing them intently for a while, chuckled.

“It won’t be easy.”

Jo Gwang-yun also chuckled.

“Why?”

The middle-aged woman spoke to the two women, not Jo Gwang-yun.

“Your faces are very damaged from dealing with several men every day in a dark room. Even if you’ve been hastily taking tonics and nourishing your bodies, will that dirty grime come off so easily?”

Jo Gwang-yun felt like he knew why this middle-aged woman was in charge of the most luxurious brothel in the most splendid city in the Central Plains.

< Bribes 2 > End