I Will Start Doing Business In Jungwon From Today [EN]: Chapter 93

After loudly declaring his intentions to Jo Gwang-yun, the Guild Master, Mo Yong-hwi, was now tasked with securing confirmation from the influential families.

“Mark my words. If you refuse even this, the Martial Arts Alliance will crumble. Since the Namgung family incident, the way all the sects under our command look at us has changed. It’s as if they see us as mere officials collecting taxes.”

Officials.

It was a word that martial artists hated the most. Or perhaps, it was a word that all the people of the Central Plains despised.

Were they not like leeches, neglecting their duties while only seeking to benefit?

“Am I the only one who sees this situation as a crisis for the orthodox martial arts world?”

At the Guild Master’s words, which were both earnest and threatening, the influential families only glanced at each other, gauging the mood.

Even the Hebei Peng family, who were related by marriage, wore a reluctant expression, which was enough to understand the sentiments of the influential families.

At that moment, the Sichuan Tang Clan spoke up, offering a compromise.

“Guild Master, then please promise us just one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Prevent the Changryong Clan from establishing a branch in our territory. We absolutely cannot tolerate the Changryong Clan running rampant in our land.”

Mo Yong-hwi frowned, looking frustrated.

“That Jo Clan Head is a merchant. How can I stop a businessman from expanding his business?”

“I didn’t mention the Jo Clan Head. I said the Changryong Clan. I will overlook the Jo Clan’s pawnshop or whatever that department store of theirs is called taking root in Sichuan. Whether they fail or succeed is their business.”

It was not easy for the Jo Clan Head to advance throughout the Central Plains without the protection of the Changryong Clan. This was no different from tying the hands and feet of the Jo Clan Head.

Mo Yong-hwi tried to block the Sichuan Tang Clan’s request, but it was already too late. All the other influential families unanimously agreed.

He wanted to abandon his role as Guild Master and force those detestable influential families to kneel, but he couldn’t do that.

He could only let out long sighs, but Mo Yong-hwi had to continue his role as mediator.

“Chief Inspector, send a messenger pigeon to Gaebong. Include all of our opinions.”

As he watched the pigeon fly away, his lips dried, thinking about what kind of venomous reply from Jo Gwang-yun he would receive.

However, contrary to expectations, Jo Gwang-yun’s reply was filled with warm hospitality instead of venom.

「I am deeply grateful for the Martial Arts Alliance’s efforts for harmony and your special consideration for my Jo Clan. I and the Changryong Clan will entirely follow the Guild Master’s opinion.

From a friend.」

He would have preferred a reply full of venom. Even though the Changryong Clan’s hands and feet were tied, he was showing consideration for the Jo Clan?

Mo Yong-hwi kept looking at Jo Gwang-yun’s letter and could only sigh. His new young friend was a cunning fellow whose inner thoughts could not be read.

* * *

For at least a year, no one would cause trouble like the Namgung family for the purpose of restraint.

During this period, he had to start as many businesses as possible throughout the Central Plains. And a year later, the lower-level sects under the influential families would all plant the Changryong Clan’s flag, and the landscape of the orthodox martial arts world would be turned upside down once again with the birth of the largest sect ever.

But could the turbulent Jianghu [the martial arts world] be peaceful for a year?

From an unexpected place, someone began to interfere with the peace that Jo Gwang-yun wanted.

* * *

“Lord Vice Chief. The Guild Master is urgently looking for you.”

Lee Hak-lin, who was meditating in the training room, opened his eyes at the sound from outside.

“I understand. You may leave.”

When did the Guild Master, who said he would go to Dongting Lake to enjoy the scenery, return?

He had been holed up in the training room while the Guild Master was away, so he didn’t even know how many days had passed.

Lee Hak-lin left the training room and hurried to the Guild Master’s residence.

When Lee Hak-lin arrived at the Guild Master’s office, he heard the Guild Master’s voice.

“Come in.”

He quietly opened the door and entered. The Guild Master was tilting a bottle of alcohol, with his clothes slipping off one shoulder enough to reveal it.

“Sit down. Want a drink?”

Lee Hak-lin sat down in front of the Guild Master and took a glass.

“Are you drinking alone? Why don’t you call a woman to serve you…”

“No. I’m tired of women after holding them so much at Dongting Lake. I don’t even want to smell their scent.”

Mukdo Guild’s Guild Master, Paecheon Sword (覇天劍) [Overlord Sword] Hyuk Si-mok (革詩木), frowned and shook his head briefly.

“Were you holed up in the training room again while I was away?”

“What else would I be doing?”

“Play around. You have power and plenty of money, so why live like that?”

“It’s my nature… I feel most comfortable in the training room.”

Lee Hak-lin spoke as Guild Master Hyuk Si-mok clicked his tongue while looking at him.

“Did you have something special to say…?”

“Ah, I forgot. Did the money come in?”

“Yes? What money?”

Lee Hak-lin quickly searched his memory when he suddenly brought up money. Was there any place where money was supposed to come in?

“You know, the ten guys I lent out. They borrowed them to fight the Namgung bastards.”

“Ah, yes. They sent quite a bit of money. They didn’t forget to express their gratitude either.”

“Who was that guy again? The one with a lot of money?”

“It’s Jo Gwang-yun from the Changryong Clan.”

“Right, that guy. The more I think about it, the more I regret it. If I had known he would become this big, I shouldn’t have left him alone… I should have grabbed him by the neck and made him sit down…”

“Isn’t it because you left him alone that he grew this much? If you had put shackles on his hands and feet, he might have ended up as just a courier company. The money he sends us has been enormous since he rose to the ranks of a great merchant.”

The Guild Master, who was looking down at his glass, tilted his head.

“You seem to like that guy? You’re even taking his side, which you never do?”

A chill ran down his spine at that moment.

Did the Guild Master really want to capture Jo Gwang-yun and use him like a dog?

“I’m not taking his side. I apologize.”

“What’s there to apologize for? It’s okay. Oh! Is Namgung completely finished?”

“Yes. They’ve wiped out the entire lineage.”

“Geez. That guy is really a member of the Black Faction. The way of the Jianghu is to leave at least one person alive to take care of the grave.”

Lee Hak-lin carefully watched the Guild Master’s expression and cautiously spoke.

“Do you perhaps have something else in mind?”

“Why? Does it seem that way?”

His voice was strangely prickly, unlike before. Was he angry that he couldn’t immediately grasp his intentions and was beating around the bush?

“I’m sorry.”

The Guild Master waved his hand as Lee Hak-lin lowered his head.

“What are you sorry for…? It’s well-known that you’re not perceptive. That’s why I speak so comfortably to you.”

It didn’t sound like he was speaking comfortably. There were traces of him trying to hide his true feelings everywhere.

“If you’re thinking of capturing Jo Gwang-yun and making him work, you should be careful.”

“Why? Wasn’t he our servant from the beginning?”

“That’s how it was at first, but now he holds the Changryong Clan in his hands. The Changryong Clan is a member of the Martial Arts Alliance. If things go wrong, we could clash with the orthodox faction.”

“It seems like your senses have dulled a lot lately?”

“Yes?”

Even a smile could be seen on the Guild Master’s face.

“That guy wiped out Namgung completely. Don’t you think he’s made a big enemy of the Martial Arts Alliance? And I heard that most of the Changryong Clan members died in that fight. If we wipe out the remaining Changryong Clan members and capture Jo Gwang-yun, the Martial Arts Alliance will probably send us a gift to thank us, right?”

In the end, what the Guild Master wanted was Jo Gwang-yun.

He had calculated everything, including how the Martial Arts Alliance would react and how much power the remaining Changryong Clan had, before speaking.

“Are you really going to do that? No matter how much the Martial Arts Alliance hates Jo Gwang-yun, they have their pride, so they won’t just turn a blind eye. If we make a mistake, we could lose a reliable source of income.”

The Guild Master’s eyebrows twitched, but it quickly disappeared.

“Our Hak-lin really likes that guy a lot. And now he’s good at calculating things too. Is he becoming like that guy?”

Lee Hak-lin closed his mouth.

The Guild Master had already made up his mind. He was going to make Jo Gwang-yun’s Jo Clan the property of the Mukdo Guild. This time, he was trying to kidnap not just a person, but the entire business.

“Did it look like I was just playing around at Dongting Lake? No. I met some guys there, and they all said the same thing. The Tang Clan, Baekri, Eon family, Hwangbo, etc. They all said they were ready to grind Jo Gwang-yun into powder. Mo Yong-hwi, that old man, is just fretting about what kind of trouble will happen. No one will step up even if Jo Gwang-yun gets his head cut off.”

Who did he meet at Dongting Lake to be so confident? Lee Hak-lin thought of a few faces, but none of them seemed likely.

The Mukdo Guild’s headquarters is in Changsha, Hunan Province (湖南省) [a province in southern China], named because it is located below Dongting Lake.

It was unlikely that the Guild Master of the Mukdo Guild would have met orthodox people at such a close distance. There were countless Black Faction sects swarming around Dongting Lake. If he had met someone, it would have spread immediately. If the Guild Master met someone, it was definitely not at Dongting Lake.

Guild Master Hyuk Si-mok said to Lee Hak-lin, who was deep in thought.

“Check everything you need to check, organize your thoughts, and tell me. Get out.”

“Yes. Guild Master. Then…”

Lee Hak-lin left the Guild Master’s residence and immediately called his subordinates.

“How many of the Secret Pavilion (秘閣) [intelligence agency] guys are left here now?”

The Secret Pavilion was the Mukdo Guild’s intelligence agency. But collecting and analyzing information was not really suitable for the Black Faction.

They had given it a plausible name, but all they did was move according to the Guild Master’s instructions or solve problems when they arose.

“I’ll check.”

As one of his subordinates bowed his head and was about to leave, he called him back.

“I’m not trying to confirm the number. Call all the remaining guys. And call Lee Geon too.”

“Lee Geon? Ah… Are you talking about Lee Geon of the Inspection Unit?”

“Then? Is there anyone else?”

Lee Hak-lin snapped, and the subordinate quickly spoke before a fist flew at him.

“There are a few with the same name, but.”

“Lee Geon of the Inspection Unit is the right guy, right? The guy who was in Gaebong?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

“That’s the guy.”

The subordinate quickly ran out.

Lee Geon, whose whereabouts were clearer than the Secret Pavilion’s subordinates scattered here and there, arrived first.

“Did you call for me, Lord Vice Chief?”

Lee Geon couldn’t hide his nervous expression.

Lee Hak-lin’s mood was not good when he had dispatched ten martial artists at Jo Gwang-yun’s request last time. He said that the Mukdo Guild’s involvement in the orthodox faction’s fight was not right.

But hadn’t he strongly insisted and requested it? He barely persuaded him by using the excuse that a huge source of money would be cut off if Jo Gwang-yun collapsed.

The ten experts had safely returned, but was there something wrong?

“Have you heard any news from Gaebong lately?”

“Gaebong?”

“Yes. The Inspection Unit is supposed to monitor the Black Faction gangs in each region, right?”

“Yes. That’s the purpose, but in reality…”

Lee Geon’s voice died down.

“In reality, what?”

“If the money comes in regularly, we don’t really appreciate it. Because there are not many Inspection Unit personnel.”

“So there have been no problems in Gaebong so far?”

“Yes. They have never missed a date, and the money has never been short.”

Lee Hak-lin stared intently at Lee Geon for a moment without saying a word.

“L, Lord Vice Chief. Why are you doing this…?”

“You bastard. You’re taking money from Jo Gwang-yun, aren’t you?”

“Yes? No, I’m not.”

Lee Geon reflexively denied it, but it was no use.

He felt like he was going to wet himself because his legs were shaking from the momentum that Lee Hak-lin was emitting, so he immediately knelt down.

“P, please forgive me. I was wrong.”

Lee Hak-lin chuckled as he stared blankly at Lee Geon, who was banging his head on the floor.

“Get up and sit down.”

“Yes?”

Lee Geon cautiously raised his head and looked at Lee Hak-lin’s expression.

“I said sit down! Can’t you understand me?”

Lee Geon quickly got up, gathered his knees, and sat on the edge of the chair.

“I’m not trying to say anything about you using his allowance. From now on, you have to answer my questions truthfully. Do you understand?”

“Yes, yes.”

Lee Hak-lin squinted and smiled as he spoke.

“You’re close to Jo Gwang-yun, aren’t you?”

End