I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 62

“Don’t you know? That bastard has stirred up a hornet’s nest. If the Xi’an incident [likely a reference to a specific event or conflict] comes to light, that old fogey Mo Yong-hui will jump at the chance to tear us apart.”

“That’s why I told you that appeasement would be better than subjugation.”

As irritation laced Zhuge Mo-geon’s voice, Namgung Hyo-shin’s voice grew louder.

“Are you trying to rehash the past now? Shouldn’t we be trying to resolve what has already happened? Besides, there’s something you’ll never understand. Sometimes, these guys need to be suppressed with force.”

‘These guys,’ huh…

For some reason, Zhuge Mo-geon found every single word grating on his nerves today.

“If the Azure Dragon Clan says they don’t want the Righteous Alliance to be divided and just want to quietly bury this incident, then the Alliance Leader will lose his justification. Did you convey that our Namgung Clan would actively support them if they said that?”

“Of course. But they were unwavering.”

Zhuge Mo-geon gauged Namgung Hyo-shin’s mood.

“So, what I’m saying is…”

“What is it? Do you have a clever plan?”

“How about meeting him in person?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Namgung Hyo-shin’s face instantly contorted.

“Why should I personally meet some ambiguous kid who’s not even sure if he’s a merchant or a martial artist? Sounds like you’re admitting your incompetence.”

Zhuge Mo-geon felt a surge of anger inside, but he didn’t lose his composure.

“It seems I haven’t been trustworthy enough. They see me not as an agent of the Namgung Clan, but as a strategist of the Martial Alliance. They seem to have taken the call for a quiet resolution as the opinion of the entire Martial Alliance.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. They probably think you’re acting all fair and just in public but ignoring small and medium-sized clans behind their backs.”

“Then what should I say when I meet him?”

“It’s simple. You need to be blunt now. Tell him to switch his allegiance from the Mo Yong Clan to the Namgung Clan.”

“Hey, stop talking nonsense. We resorted to intimidation because he wouldn’t switch his allegiance. If he had understood through words, why would we have had to get our hands dirty?”

“Didn’t you say it yourself? There are times when you need to suppress with force. Now that we’ve suppressed him with force, it’s time to offer a carrot. No matter how strong-willed he is, he’s just a merchant. He’ll have learned the fear of power, so he’ll eagerly take the bait if the carrot is tempting enough.”

Namgung Hyo-shin paused for a moment, lost in thought, before speaking.

“What kind of carrot should we give him?”

“In your capacity as the Alliance Leader, offer to help his business ventures advance anywhere in the Central Plains [a common setting in wuxia, referring to the heartland of Chinese civilization].”

At the word ‘Alliance Leader,’ Namgung Hyo-shin flared his nostrils.

“Even though Jo Gwang-yun wears the guise of a disciple of the Quick Sword Sect, he’s still just a businessman. There’s no way he’d dislike it if we helped him make money.”

“If it goes well, it’ll be killing two birds with one stone.”

“Exactly. The real enemy is out there, but we can attack Mo Yong-hui for stirring up trouble internally under the guise of being the Alliance Leader.”

Namgung Hyo-shin’s face, which had been constantly frowning, finally brightened.

“But I’m still uneasy about him expanding his business all over the Central Plains.”

“No, we need to actively help him.”

“Why is that?”

“You’d be hard-pressed to find someone with better business acumen than him, even if you searched the entire Central Plains. We just need to help him until he becomes the wealthiest merchant in the Central Plains, and then we can get rid of him. The Namgung Clan can devour the entire Jo Clan.”

If they could seize both the Martial Alliance and the Jo Clan, it would be a success that even an emperor would envy.

Namgung Hyo-shin clenched his fist and said,

“I’ll meet that bastard tomorrow.”

Patting Zhuge Mo-geon’s shoulder, Namgung Hyo-shin burst into a satisfied laugh.

“You’re truly our Zhuge strategist [allusion to Zhuge Liang, a famous strategist in Chinese history]. There’s no stopping you. Hahaha.”

Zhuge Mo-geon also smiled.

He was curious to see how Jo Gwang-yun would handle such a big shot like Namgung.

If his culinary skills were good, he would join hands with him; if not, he could just watch this situation unfold. If the Namgung Clan, the Mo Yong Clan, and Jo Gwang-yun started fighting among themselves, his value as a strategist would only increase. There was nothing to lose.

* * *

While Namgung and Zhuge were huddled together, two old men were also whispering to each other.

“Isn’t that bastard crazy today? How dare he come here…”

“Wouldn’t you say this opportunity came thanks to that crazy bastard?”

Even though Mo Yong-hui tried to hide his smile, the corners of his mouth wouldn’t come down.

“But do you really think the Namgung bastards did it?”

Peng Dong-ho asked again, seemingly anxious.

“That’s right. Namgung Hyo-shin was unhappy that Im Bon-jae was following me. And now that we’re planning to establish a branch of the Azure Dragon Clan in Anhui Province, the Namgung Clan’s base, how do you think he felt?”

“Even if it’s a branch, it’s just a gatekeeper for the Jo Clan…”

“That’s why he’s even more upset. If it were a large-scale operation, he could officially protest, but there are only about twenty disciples huddled together, so there’s no justification.”

“Then why didn’t he just crush the Anhui Province branch instead of going all the way to Xi’an…? Ah… Would that be too obvious?”

“Exactly. Since Shaanxi only has Mount Hua [a famous Taoist mountain] and the Chongnan Sect, they probably thought that even if something happened, it would be attributed to external forces rather than the Righteous Sect.”

Peng Dong-ho tilted his head again.

“Zhuge strategist is always by Namgung’s side, so why would he do something so foolish?”

“Would he listen? He’s the type to draw his sword against me if he gets angry.”

Mo Yong-hui glanced at Peng Dong-ho.

“Our in-law should also try to control his temper. Both Namgung and our in-law will face trouble because of that hot-headedness.”

“Hey, hey. Why are you including me all of a sudden?”

“Look, look. You’re getting angry again. Haha.”

Peng Dong-ho, his face flushed at Mo Yong-hui’s laughter, brought up Jo Gwang-yun again.

“That bastard seemed to know something, or he wouldn’t have so openly blamed it on internal forces, would he?”

“Jo Gwang-yun, you mean?”

“Yes.”

“That bastard would have blamed it on internal forces even if he had nothing. He’s no pushover.”

“Could it be…?”

“If the culprit were from the Demonic or Black Faction, the Azure Dragon Clan would have only lost the lives of three disciples. There’s nothing to gain. No, even if the Martial Alliance moves to take revenge, the Azure Dragon Clan would have to bear all the costs. It’s a loss that’s bigger than the gain.”

Peng Dong-ho was so dumbfounded that he couldn’t help but sigh.

“Ha! Brother! How can you say that as a martial artist? Are you saying you’d avenge your brothers while calculating profits and losses?”

“Hey, man. I’m not saying that, that’s what that bastard is like! Isn’t he a merchant?”

Peng Dong-ho closed his mouth at Mo Yong-hui’s shout.

“That bastard proposed a deal to me. He said he’d provide an opportunity to corner the Namgung Clan, so he asked what the Martial Alliance would give the Azure Dragon Clan in return.”

“Is there anything to give?”

“If we bring down Namgung with this opportunity, the Azure Dragon Clan will naturally gain a lot. Even if they establish branches all over the Central Plains, we’ll all have to just watch.”

“Damn it. The Azure Dragon Clan will grow into a massive clan thanks to one smart patron.”

Peng Dong-ho just pouted.

Everyone dreams of expanding throughout the Central Plains, but they can’t because they don’t have that damn money.

Since the Azure Dragon Clan has the strong financial backing of the Jo Clan, their growth will blaze like fire as long as they don’t have to worry about anyone’s disapproval.

“But could it be… that bastard is colluding with Namgung?”

Mo Yong-hui shook his head.

“That can never happen. Im Bon-jae will stop it.”

“Well, if the Namgung Clan takes over the Martial Alliance, it’s the small and medium-sized clans that will suffer…”

Namgung Hyo-shin openly boasted that if the Namgung Clan took the position of Alliance Leader, they would unify the martial world.

The old Mo Yong-hui only thought about his own safety and maintaining the current power structure, but he claimed he was different.

Currently, the power of the Righteous Sect is more than enough to wipe out the Demonic and Black Factions. He argued that the condensed power must be unleashed to prevent it from festering, and the best way to unleash it is to eliminate the evil forces.

“Would the Azure Dragon Clan act as cannon fodder at the forefront of the Righteous-Demonic War? They have no choice but to rely on us.”

The two old men firmly believed that Jo Gwang-yun was on the same boat and that the Azure Dragon Clan would always be content in the shadow of the Mo Yong Clan.

* * *

“No, Clan Leader Jo. Are we really leaving like this?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Is it right for us to just slip away after turning the Martial Alliance into such a mess?”

“The mess will catch fire. If we linger nearby, the sparks will fly our way. So, we need to disappear before it burns down, and then come back to sow seeds when the land becomes fertile.”

Jo Gwang-yun reassured Im Bon-jae, who looked uneasy, and packed his bags.

Before sunrise, they had to throw a spark into the devastated Martial Alliance and disappear.

The outcome of the Five Great Clans’ choices was clear.

The Zhuge Clan would abandon the Namgung Clan, and starting with that, the other clans would turn their backs one by one.

As a result, the Namgung Clan’s influence would be reduced to exactly one-fifth of what it is now, or even less.

If Zhuge Mo-geon couldn’t seize the Martial Alliance even in that situation…? Then the name of Zhuge would be nothing more than a hollow reputation.

Thanks to a well-placed ancestor, the good times that everyone praised were running out. Of course, if he succeeded, his name would shine even brighter.

* * *

The next morning, both clans received a gift from Jo Gwang-yun.

“What? He’s gone?”

“Yes. They all left last night.”

“Where to?”

“I don’t know that much…”

Namgung Hyo-shin roughly tore off the clothes he had dressed up in.

“Those sons of bitches!”

His plan to quietly meet Jo Gwang-yun and offer him a suitable carrot had been completely derailed.

“Bring Zhuge strategist here. Quickly!”

While Namgung Hyo-shin was fuming and stomping his feet, Alliance Leader Mo Yong-hui received a letter.

“Who delivered it?”

“They said it was from the Azure Dragon Clan.”

“Are you sure?”

“Of course.”

The letter delivered by the inn’s waiter passed through several hands before reaching the Alliance Leader’s hands.

The Alliance Leader hurriedly tore open the sealed letter and quickly read through it.

A smile spread across his face. After reading the letter, the Alliance Leader quickly summoned someone.

“Go quickly and bring the Chief Inspector of the Beggar Clan here. Discreetly.”

“Yes, Alliance Leader.”

Mo Yong-hui looked at the letter again and muttered,

“Namgung Yeop. If we squeeze this bastard, other names will come tumbling out.”

Namgung Yeop, belonging to the Daejeonggak [likely a division or branch within the Namgung Clan], was Namgung Hyo-shin’s nephew. It was unnatural for this guy to know about a shabby inn in Xi’an.

“Did you call for me, Alliance Leader?”

Chief Inspector Chwi-gae knew that the Alliance Leader’s early morning summons meant something unusual, so he looked nervous.

“Welcome. Would you like to see this first?”

The Chief Inspector took the letter that the Alliance Leader offered.

When he put down the letter after reading it carefully, his expression was hardened.

“What do you think?”

“Did the Azure Dragon Clan give this to you?”

“That’s right.”

Chief Inspector Chwi-gae remained silent for a long time. It was too important an issue to offer an opinion hastily.

“We can’t conclude that Namgung Yeop committed this crime based on this alone.”

“I think so too. With his martial arts, he could instantly deal with three Azure Dragon Clan martial artists? It would take a hundred years of training to do that.”

“I’m not saying there’s an accomplice. Knowing about a shabby inn in Xi’an, visiting a few days before the incident, it’s unreasonable to conclude that the Namgung Clan is the culprit based on these things alone.”

“Of course.”

The Alliance Leader fully agreed with the Chief Inspector’s opinion.

“And this is just the Azure Dragon Clan’s claim. What was that thing Namgung Yeop said…?”

The Chief Inspector picked up the letter and read a part of it.

“I recently passed by here and discovered an inn nearby with excellent Baijiu (white liquor) [a type of Chinese distilled spirit]. Let’s stop by for a quick bite.”

“Right. But what if Namgung Yeop flatly denies saying that? If we reveal this letter, it will only look like the Azure Dragon Clan is framing the Namgung Clan.”

“Why are you asking when you know the answer…?”

“The Daejeonggak guys have already left for Xi’an, right? So, the culprit is going to the scene of the crime. We need to prepare for any unforeseen events.”

The Chief Inspector understood the Alliance Leader’s words.

“I’ll send a carrier pigeon to move the inn owner to a safe place.”

As expected of a beggar, he’s quick-witted.

End