I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 69

Jo Gwangyun gave Gu Seung a secret order.

“Send a carrier pigeon to the Changryong Gate branch. Tell the Hanahoe [a secret society or organization] to gather here without missing a single member. Secretly.”

“Yes, Head of the House.”

Gu Seung, who answered energetically, carefully spoke to Jo Gwangyun.

“Um, Head of the House. Is it a war with the Namgung Family…?”

“Yes. Are you scared?”

“Ah, no. It’s just that this is my first real fight as a martial artist… And the first opponent is the Namgung Family… I was just surprised.”

Changryong Gate had fought countless times in Gaebong, but the targets were all at the level of gangsters like the Oryun Clan or Nokhyul Gate. On the other hand, the Namgung Family is a place that has established its current status through numerous bloody battles.

It’s not strange for Gu Seung, who has gone through hell since he was a child, to say that he is afraid.

“Gu Seung. Until now, I have attracted others to my side to increase my power and influence. I was going to do that this time too. I wanted to keep the Murim Alliance [a coalition of martial arts clans] by my side, but I was short-sighted. I had to have power comparable to the Murim Alliance directly.”

The structure in which a company expands with alliance strategies in the early stages of business and then switches to acquisition strategies after exceeding a certain size is the same here.

Gu Seung interpreted Jo Gwangyun’s words in his own way.

Living comfortably in Jo Gwangyun’s shadow reminded him of something he had forgotten. This is Gangho [the martial arts world]. A place built upon piles of swords and nourished by a river of blood. It is the Murim. You can’t achieve anything by just avoiding conflict. You have to fight when you have to fight.

However, it would be a lie to say that he wasn’t afraid, especially with such a clear disadvantage looming.

Jo Gwangyun smiled slyly at Gu Seung’s attempt to hide his fear.

“Think back to when you were young.”

“Yes? When I was young? Are you talking about when I was running errands for the Oryun Clan?”

“Yes.”

It was a time of desperately enduring with poison for the sake of survival in a desperate environment.

“Does that mean we can win if we fight to the death?”

“You have to think about *how* you fought, not just your mindset at that time.”

Gu Seung still had difficulty understanding the meaning.

“It was a children’s fight, but you wouldn’t have just used your fists. If you could grab something, you would have picked up a stone, and if you saw a wooden stick, you would have picked it up too. You even held a knife, right?”

“Yes. I even bit them. Hehe.”

“Yes. Fighting to the death means there are no rules. You use everything you can. But what about the Namgung Family?”

“Ah…! Those guys have rules.”

“Yes. They will fight to the death, but they can never escape their own rules of only competing with martial arts. That’s how they learned, and that’s how they grew up.”

Jo Gwangyun was going to fight to the death by mobilizing everything he had.

The first was money.

Jo Gwangyun gave Gu Seung a few more secret instructions.

The second was to receive compensation for the money he had been paying.

Jo Gwangyun called Da-gyeom.

Even though he knew that no one would recognize him in Gyunhyeon, the holy land of the Orthodox Murim [the traditional martial arts world], he couldn’t relax when he was near the Murim Alliance.

Da-gyeom swallowed hard at the sight of Jo Gwangyun’s serious expression. He was worried that his identity might have been revealed.

“I avoided writing because I didn’t want this to leak out. You must convey my words without missing a single word.”

“Tell me. I will memorize it exactly.”

“The Namgung Family is aiming for the Jo Family Manor.”

“Yes? The Namgung Family?”

Da-gyeom’s eyes widened.

“Don’t be surprised and just listen to the end.”

“Ah, yes. I’m sorry.”

“Their purpose is to eliminate me and plunder all the assets of the Jo Family Manor. The justification they put forward is that I paid money to the Mukdo Association [a potentially heretical or unorthodox martial arts group], which is something that cannot happen in the Orthodox Murim, so it is unavoidable.”

Da-gyeom couldn’t close his mouth, thinking that if the war with the Namgung Family could not be avoided, the downfall of the Jo Family Manor and Changryong Gate was a foregone conclusion.

“I can’t avoid the fight that the Namgung Family has started, so I’m going to make the first move. I need the help of the Mukdo Association to avoid losing the fight.”

“Of course! The money they’ve been taking… Ah, I’m sorry.”

At Jo Gwangyun’s gesture, Da-gyeom quickly covered his mouth.

“I want a master who can compete with the Namgung Family. I don’t need useless people who just fill the numbers, and I don’t need anyone who won’t follow my instructions, even if they are masters. If you are worried about friction between the Murim Alliance and the Mukdo Association, trust me and send them. I will make sure that the Murim Alliance never knows that the Mukdo Association intervened.”

“I understand. I will tell them immediately.”

“Tell this to my brother. Then he will take care of it.”

“Yes.”

“How many do you think are possible?”

“Even if I take a lot, it won’t be more than thirty.”

He expected at least fifty, but only thirty? Is this all the Mukdo Association is capable of? Da-gyeom said quickly when he saw Jo Gwangyun’s disappointed expression.

“There are many masters, but there are not many masters who will follow the Head of the House’s instructions. The martial artists there are just self-centered people who can’t even be compared to the Murim Alliance.”

Even if he is comparable to Sword Saint Mo Yong-hwi, he is useless if he does not follow his instructions. Even if he destroys the Namgung Family, a bigger aftermath will come.

“I can’t help it. Now is the time when even small hands are needed. Depart. And go to Huangshan in Anhui Province with the Mukdo Association masters and wait.”

Huangshan is where the main house of the Namgung Family is located.

Da-gyeom bowed and left for the Mukdo Association with even more tension.

* * *

The last person Jo Gwangyun met was none other than the Head of the Imbonjae [likely a specific group or individual within the Murim Alliance].

Im Bon-jae, who rushed to the Murim Alliance’s call, turned pale when he heard all the circumstances from Jo Gwangyun.

“Are you saying they dug up things from that long ago?”

“That’s right. Aren’t they the kind of guys who would do even more to avoid suspicion and find justification?”

“What did the Alliance Leader say?”

“Now that the name of the Mukdo Association has come out, the Alliance Leader has no choice but to stand by. If he defends us here, the Mo Yong Family will also be in danger.”

Jo Gwangyun examined Im Bon-jae’s expression.

His miserable feelings were revealed as he thought about Changryong Gate, which was like a lamp in the wind.

“Head of the House. As you may have guessed, we cannot avoid the battle between us and the Namgung Family.”

“No, what do you mean a battle? Is that even possible? It’s something that can be resolved with misunderstandings, so why shed blood?”

“The Namgung Family is determined to attack. Do you think the misunderstanding will be resolved?”

“Head Jo. This is a situation where we are pointing swords at each other, so how about we put down our swords together?”

Jo Gwangyun was reminded once again that money is truly scary.

When he only had a dozen young martial artists with him, he was trying not to be humble. He was the one who fearlessly stood at the forefront and wielded his sword when attacking Nokhyul Gate.

It has been a few years since he represented nearly a thousand martial artists and lived luxuriously with Jo Gwangyun’s money, and now he is abandoning his face, justification, and revenge for his brothers, and is starting to talk about compromising appropriately.

“The moment we bend, I become a front man for the Mukdo Association, and Changryong Gate becomes a spy for the Mukdo Association that has infiltrated the Murim Alliance. Don’t you understand?”

Jo Gwangyun urged Im Bon-jae, who was silently sighing.

“Perhaps, does the Head of the House have a way to avoid the Namgung Family’s plan to tear us apart?”

“Even if we fight the Namgung Family, it doesn’t completely remove the suspicion that we are related to the Mukdo Association, does it? Even in Gangho, where truth is judged by force, the suspicion still remains.”

The suspicion still remains!

These were the words Jo Gwangyun had been waiting for. It was to tell him how to completely get rid of the suspicion.

“No. We can’t avoid the battle, but we can completely get rid of the suspicion.”

For a moment, Im Bon-jae’s expression brightened.

“Changryong Gate will prove its innocence, and the innocent Changryong Gate will walk the path of destruction by the Namgung Family.”

Im Bon-jae read his thoughts from Jo Gwangyun’s eyes staring at him.

“Perhaps the way to prove innocence… is me?”

“That’s right.”

Im Bon-jae’s face turned pale at Jo Gwangyun’s calm answer.

Proving innocence by dying has been a method used for a long time.

“Are you telling me to take my own life?”

“The Head of the House’s death will be the cornerstone for Changryong Gate’s eternal prosperity.”

“My death will weaken the forces that will sympathize with the Namgung Family. It will also be another justification for the battle.”

After spending a few years as the head of a large sect, he seems to have developed an eye for reading schemes.

“What do you intend to do if I refuse?”

“If you refuse, you will lose everything. Changryong Gate, reputation, money, and even family.”

“What? Family?”

Im Bon-jae’s anger surged at the threatening words.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I’m going to do anything. If the Head of the House refuses my offer, I will withdraw. Since the Namgung Family will not spare Changryong Gate anyway, it means that the Head of the House will lose everything.”

Im Bon-jae stared straight into Jo Gwangyun’s eyes and then drooped his shoulders. The moment Jo Gwangyun withdraws, the result will be as he said. Even if it is his threat, it is the same result.

“In the end… you used me. And you’re trying to use even my death in the end.”

Jo Gwangyun raised his eyes at the words that were hard to distinguish whether it was resignation or anger.

“How many years have you lived in a luxurious manor, not wearing silk, not putting anything in your mouth unless it’s greasy food, and not putting alcohol on your tongue unless it has a sweet scent? And… use? Me using you? A deal is a more appropriate word.”

Im Bon-jae’s face turned red. Seeing that, Jo Gwangyun said words that would no longer provoke him.

“Head of the House, think about it too. Let’s say that only Changryong Gate existed without me. If a powerful group like the Namgung Family put an unfair charge on Changryong Gate to step on it, what would you have done?”

Im Bon-jae couldn’t answer. Even in that situation, he knew that the only way to save Changryong Gate was to commit suicide to prove his innocence.

Changryong Gate was everything to him. If there is no Changryong Gate in front of his name, he is just a man with nothing.

Even if his true nature is not a martial artist to the bone, he must at least be told that he is a martial artist to others.

Finally, Im Bon-jae slowly opened his mouth.

“There are many interpretations of suicide. An appeal of injustice, or guilt, fear. Shame, etc. The interpretation varies depending on how you die. I must remain a dignified martial artist.”

Jo Gwangyun said as if he had been waiting.

“The founding Head of the Changryong Gate will become a self-sacrificing person, a righteous person to prove innocence and truth. A thousand disciples will mourn, and this noble sacrifice will be talked about as comparable to the death of Cho Paewang (楚覇王) [Xiang Yu, a prominent figure in Chinese history known for his tragic defeat and suicide]. Also, the Head of the House’s family will enjoy the same wealth and glory as now, and the children will live the life they want. Whether it’s a martial artist or a literary person. Is there anything else you need?”

With this much, he did not make a poor deal with his life. Rather, it is generous.

Im Bon-jae showed a hollow smile.

“Head Jo is indeed a great merchant. He makes you not feel like you’re losing out. Hehe.”

Im Bon-jae did not think that Jo Gwangyun would break his promise. It’s not because he is a loyal person. If he doesn’t compensate for his death, a second Im Bon-jae will not come out.

“Do your best to ensure that Changryong Gate survives the battle with the Namgung Family.”

“The Namgung Family will be destroyed. Changryong Gate will stand tall as the best sect. Have I ever fought a battle that I couldn’t win?”

He is a guy who has never made a promise that he couldn’t keep and has never started a losing fight. Im Bon-jae turned around without regret.

As soon as Im Bon-jae left, Jo Gwangyun called Gu Seung.

“Monitor him thoroughly. There is still a lot of time left. People change their minds in the face of death.”

Now, dozens of eyes will be watching Im Bon-jae’s every move.

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