I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 89

< Post-War Negotiations 1 >

The two coachmen driving the carriage to Gyeyang were martial artists from the Hanahoe [a private military organization]. Besides them, about ten other martial artists escorted them on horseback.

“Hey. Did they really sleep separately last night?”

“I’m telling you, they did. They talked for a long time and then went to separate rooms to sleep.”

The two coachmen whispered to each other, careful not to be heard inside the carriage.

“Is that even possible?”

“That’s what I’m saying. How can he not even glance at a woman like that? She’s going to be the head of household’s woman anyway…”

“It’s not like the head of household shies away from women. He goes to the brothel often.”

“That’s why it’s strange. Anyway, I don’t know what he’s thinking, but it’s a great act of patience. Don’t you think?”

“If I were him, I’d hold her once even if I died tomorrow. Where else would you meet a woman like that in your life?”

“You were guarding the door for days. Why didn’t you just risk your life and pounce on her?”

“I’m just saying. Wield my lower body once and then lose my head? I barely made it back alive from the Namgung family? Hehe.”

While the coachmen were fantasizing about what they couldn’t have, Jo Gwangyun was maintaining his distance from what he could have inside the carriage.

“Master. Since it’s just you here, can I take off this veil?”

Yang Ryeocheong kept pursing her lips and blowing air, as if the thick veil covering her face was uncomfortable.

“No. You need to get used to it. Wear it at all times except when eating and sleeping.”

“Yes.”

Looking sullen, she cautiously spoke, watching Jo Gwangyun, who was silently gazing outside.

“Master. Could you at least tell me a little about what kind of education I’ll be receiving?”

“It’s not the kind of education that pleases men in bed, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

“I know that. You said it’s something that requires using my head.”

Jo Gwangyun chuckled as he saw her sparkling eyes through the veil.

*This girl knows instinctively. That a man incomparable to that old man Namgung Hyeon is next in line.*

“First, you will learn what women born into noble families naturally acquire. When you have completely erased the habits of a courtesan and no one doubts that you are a woman from a powerful family, you will learn the second thing.”

Her eyes sparkled even more.

“The second thing will be the laws and etiquette of the imperial family.”

The moment she heard the words ‘imperial family,’ her sparkling big eyes widened.

Having gone through countless men and entering the Namgung family as a concubine, she had no great dissatisfaction and was even satisfied.

Her husband was an old man over seventy, but his virility was no less than that of a young man, leaving no regrets.

What she liked most was that, as a martial arts master, he would massage her body every night, opening up her energy channels and expelling waste from her body through urine. Thanks to this, her skin became softer and even had a subtle glow.

It seemed like she was climbing another step after that old man died.

A young man instead of an old man, a wealthy merchant instead of a martial artist. It was clear that she was moving up in the world.

If Jo Gwangyun had started sharing a room with her, she might have thought there was nowhere else to climb.

But this man is trying to send her to an even higher place.

None other than the imperial family. This was clearly an opportunity for a woman to reach the pinnacle.

For Yang Ryeocheong, it was a moment to be grateful to the father who had sold her off for three measures of barley.

If her parents had taken her in until the end, she would now be toiling in the fields as the wife of a farmer with three or four children. Life is full of twists and turns, and a fine horse has come into her arms. And it’s a horse from the imperial family.

Yang Ryeocheong jumped up in the carriage and gave a deep bow to Jo Gwangyun.

“I will not fail to meet your expectations, even if my body is crushed to pieces.”

Jo Gwangyun burst into laughter at her sudden bow.

*The imperial family is not a certainty. It’s only possible if luck is on their side, very good luck.*

She was counting her chickens before they hatched, but Jo Gwangyun didn’t say anything.

If you have a big goal, your determination and actions will change. She has a reason to work hard, so there’s no need to discourage her.

* * *

The one who welcomed Jo Gwangyun’s group the most upon arriving in Gyeyang was Bang Yeongyeong, the head of the brothel.

“Master, why have you been so scarce? I’ve been eagerly waiting for you. There are so many things I need to tell you.”

“I get monthly reports. What more is there to tell?”

Bang Yeongyeong’s exaggerated words and actions were amusing.

“It’s something really important. There was a manor I had my eye on, and they’ve finally agreed to sell it. You must see it, Master.”

“A manor?”

“Yes. The land is spacious, and the garden is very well maintained. Moreover, it’s in the perfect location that you requested.”

“You mean a place about this far by carriage from where the court officials live?”

“That’s right. It would be hard to find a better place in this capital.”

Jo Gwangyun, led by her confident demeanor, went to check out the property.

Bang Yeongyeong’s words were not wrong.

What he liked most was the beautiful garden. It had a dignity that revealed the time and care that had been put into it for a long time.

Moreover, there were pavilions and detached houses in scenic spots, making it perfect for hosting important guests.

The only downside was that there was no building to use as the main building, but since the manor was so large, building a new one didn’t seem like a problem.

Jo Gwangyun left the manor and checked the distance to the busiest commercial district and the residential area of high-ranking officials. Finally, when he checked the distance to the imperial palace, Bang Yeongyeong tilted her head and asked.

“Master. Why the imperial palace…? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of hosting even the Emperor?”

“The Emperor wouldn’t be hanging around a brothel. However, if court officials are having a drinking party in broad daylight and the Emperor calls, they’ll have to rush over, right? That’s why I’m checking.”

“Ah…”

“It’ll work. Let’s buy it.”

Bang Yeongyeong’s face brightened. She was finally going to be part of the best brothel in the capital. And with a very wealthy patron backing her.

“While the main building is being built, you need to perfectly prepare the courtesans, kitchen staff, and servers. If I see even the slightest deficiency, the club will be off, and I’ll use this manor as my private residence.”

“Don’t worry, Master. How many years have I been in this business? Would I do it sloppily?”

“Save the boasting for after the preparations are done. And I have something important to entrust to you.”

“Anything, just tell me.”

“Take care of a child and educate her.”

“By child, do you mean…?”

Bang Yeongyeong looked at Jo Gwangyun with a suggestive gaze and smiled.

“What else would it be but a woman? She’s a woman of beauty unlike any you’ve ever seen, so I plan to use her very carefully. Find and send a teacher who can teach her poetry and calligraphy and thoroughly instill her with dignity and grace. You just need to manage her so that she doesn’t get exposed to the outside world.”

“Just how pretty is she that our Master is acting like this?”

“Just wait and see if you’re not surprised.”

Jo Gwangyun was very curious to see how Bang Yeongyeong, who had seen countless beauties, would react.

* * *

It is said that a woman’s enemy is another woman, but Yang Ryeocheong’s overwhelming beauty made even that saying meaningless.

Bang Yeongyeong couldn’t close her mouth for a while after seeing Yang Ryeocheong, and after a long time, she finally spoke.

“Wow! Our Master… I thought you were only good at business, but you have a great eye for women too. Where did you find such a treasure?”

“What do you think? Is this the first time you’ve seen someone like this?”

“Long eyes, thin nose, small and plump lips, big breasts and a slender waist. She is truly a woman worthy of the title ‘national beauty.’ The men of Gyeyang will flock to her.”

“Hey! Didn’t I already say? She’s a woman I’m going to use carefully. Don’t even think about turning her over to this man and that man.”

“I wonder what you’re going to use her for. You might as well keep her safely in your room, Master. You might regret it later.”

“Everyone has a place where they belong. This woman doesn’t belong in a merchant’s room. A merchant should take care of all the women in the brothel.”

Jo Gwangyun lowered his voice and said.

“And find a former palace maid who left the palace in her old age and have her teach her the etiquette and laws of the imperial palace.”

There is already one such palace maid in the Gyeyang brothel. Since it is the capital, even men who are the dregs of the imperial family are customers. It was necessary to have her to educate the courtesans so that they could show at least minimal courtesy to them.

Bang Yeongyeong, who had vaguely guessed Jo Gwangyun’s thoughts from the words ‘imperial palace,’ bowed her head without saying anything.

“I understand. I will prepare thoroughly.”

Jo Gwangyun received a pledge from Yang Ryeocheong.

“If you don’t show results that exceed what I’m investing in you, I will abandon you at any time. Within a year at the latest, you must be reborn as a completely different woman from the current Yang Ryeocheong.”

Yang Ryeocheong bent her knees and imitated a noble lady.

“I will do my best to ensure that there is not even an inch of deviation from your expectations.”

* * *

While the Changryong Gate and the Namgung family clashed and shed blood, the Murim Alliance [a league of martial arts families] was guarded only by Mo Yonghwi, Paeng Dongho, and Chwi Gae, the chief inspector of the Beggars’ Union.

“The Namgung family is destroyed. The Changryong Gate suffered great losses. It’s over. In just one day…”

Chwi Gae summarized the long day in a few short words, and the two men sighed.

“But the Demonic Sect also intervened.”

It was something everyone had expected. In a situation where the leader of a region could change, there was no way the Demonic Sect would stand idly by.

“To what extent?”

“They entered as if they had been waiting for the Changryong Gate to withdraw.”

Mo Yonghwi frowned.

“Could it be the opposite?”

“Yes?”

“I’m saying, could it be that the Changryong Gate withdrew as if they had been waiting for the Demonic Sect to enter?”

Chwi Gae reopened the report in his hand and checked the contents again.

“There may be a possibility of that. The main force, the Hongmun, is at the level of destruction, and all the experts dispatched from the Sado Alliance [a group of martial arts factions associated with unorthodox or evil practices] are said to have died.”

“If it’s Jo Gwangyun, with his cunning, he’s more than capable of doing that. This is a big problem.”

Paeng Dongho only watched, unsure of the true meaning behind Mo Yonghwi’s words.

“The Demonic Sect guys are all dead too, right? Tak [倬]ga, that guy, wouldn’t back down after shedding blood and gaining nothing.”

Paeng Dongho also knew who Mo Yonghwi was talking about. It was Tak Ryujin (倬瀏臻), the leader of the Sado Alliance, the Nine Dragon Sword (九龍劍).

“This is a big problem. If the Sado Alliance swarms into Anhui Province, which has become a no-man’s-land, we’ll have to give it up as it is, won’t we?”

“I’d be more comfortable if we just gave up Anhui Province. What I’m worried about now is not that. It’s that someone among us will covet Anhui Province and clash with the Sado Alliance.”

“Among us?”

Chwi Gae looked back and forth between Mo Yonghwi and Paeng Dongho, and Mo Yonghwi shook his head.

“I’m talking about the noble families. There are more than one or two families who are burning with desire to increase their power, aren’t there? They’re just watching for now, but listen to the sound of the Sado Alliance coming in. They’ll have a reason to go to Anhui Province with dignity, so they won’t just be watching.”

Chwi Gae’s expression hardened.

A clash between the Murim families and the Sado Alliance is likely to turn into a major conflict.

A minor clash becomes a battle of pride, and then it becomes a fight that is incomparable to the clash between the Changryong Gate and the Namgung family. It is the worst-case scenario, the Great Righteous-Demonic War.

Mo Yonghwi’s judgment and decision were faster.

“Inspector General.”

“Yes.”

“Summon all the martial families of the Murim Alliance. The Sichuan Tang Clan, the Jinju Eon Family, the Hwangbo Family, the Baekri Family, etc. All of them. I want to meet them quickly.”

“What are you planning to do?”

“I have to stop them all. If the martial families covet Anhui Province, they will clash with the Sado Alliance this time. Then it will really be the end.”

“Yes. I’ll move immediately.”

Mo Yonghwi called back Chwi Gae, who was about to leave in a hurry.

“You’re still following Jo Gwangyun, aren’t you?”

“Yes. We’re just watching from a distance.”

“Call him too. We have to stop him from causing any more trouble. If he claims a stake in Anhui Province, another Namgung family might emerge.”

Mo Yonghwi, who believed that protecting peace rather than winning a fight was the duty of the alliance leader, was anxious.

< End of Post-War Negotiations 1 >