Return of the Mount Hua Sect [EN]: Chapter 1205

Cold sweat covered the man. Big drops ran down his sides and back.

He was so scared, he felt nothing else. Even a cut on his skin would feel like nothing now.

The reason for this fear was very simple.

Pain was small compared to his fear. If a tiger had its mouth around your head, would you feel a tiny scratch on your hand?

Moreover, the one the man faced now was far more dangerous than any tiger.

“Hmm,” Jang Il-So hummed softly. The man jumped.

“The tea… you don’t like it?”

“Ah! No, Sect Leader! It’s… it’s perfect!” The Branch Leader lied quickly.

“Is anyone there?” Jang Il-So called.

Attendants came in right away.

“New tea. Hot.” Jang Il-So ordered.

The attendants took the cups and left quietly. The Branch Leader bit his lip, worried he had made a mistake.

Then, Jang Il-So smiled. His eyes curved like a thin moon. It looked like a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

The Branch Leader saw it and felt even colder.

“There is no need to be so tense, Branch Leader.”

“I-I apologize. I simply…”

“No, no. I understand,” Jang Il-So’s voice was soft and warm.

“But you don’t need to be so afraid.”

“Yes! Of course…”

“If I wanted to hurt you,” Jang Il-So continued, his voice still gentle, “would I need to use tricks?”

The meaning behind those words seemed good. And his face looked kind. But the one who spoke them was Hegemon Jang Il-So himself. Even simple words sounded scary when he said them.

“…That is so.”

The one called Branch Leader nodded quickly. Seeing this, Jang Il-So smiled again, a small smile.

“I know people think I am a monster,” Jang Il-So said. “But I am not as cruel as they say. Especially to people who are important to me. I can be very gentle.”

The man didn’t know what to say, so he stayed quiet. Jang Il-So’s eyes narrowed.

“Do you find it hard to believe?”

“N-no, how could that be, Sect Leader! I-I believe you!”

“Hahaha!”

Jang Il-So laughed loudly, then stopped suddenly. He smiled again, a strange, shiny smile that didn’t feel real. He rested his chin on his hand and watched the man closely.

“I asked you here because I need your help, Branch Leader.”

“…How can I help someone like you, Sect Leader? I’m just a merchant.”

As he spoke, the man glanced at Jang Il-So. Jang Il-So just stared back at him, saying nothing. Realizing he had said the wrong thing, the man quickly changed his words.

“B-but… if I can help you in any small way, Sect Leader, I will do anything! I will give my life to serve you!” His voice shook as he spoke.

It was a very strong promise of loyalty. But Jang Il-So’s face didn’t change.

After looking at the man silently for a long time, Jang Il-So spoke slowly.

“Loyalty, you say…”

What was the feeling in his voice?

“A merchant’s words are always smooth,” Jang Il-So continued, his eyes moving over the man like a cold snake.

“But they can also be empty and dangerous.” The Branch Leader felt like ice was spreading through his veins. Each word was soft but sounded like thunder in his ears. Knowing that many people could die if he made this man angry, he bowed down low.

“P-punish me for speaking foolishly…”

“A merchant wants profit most of all.”

“…”

“Isn’t that right?”

Sweat dripped down the man’s face.

Jang Il-So began slowly.

“I know the merchants in Jiangnan have suffered because of what happened at the Yangtze River. As the Sect Leader of the Four Evil Blades, I… apologize.” The word “apologize” made the Branch Leader’s face go white.

“H-how could it be your place to apologize, Sect Leader? Everyone knows it was a necessary step to make things stable!”

“A necessary step…” Jang Il-So laughed, a strange, cold sound. “Hahahaha.”

“I am happy that you think so. I don’t want you to lose your profits or hurt yourselves for me. I want us to… help each other.”

“…Help each other, you say?”

“It’s simple.” Jang Il-So lifted his teacup very slowly. He took a small sip, taking his time, as if the Branch Leader’s worry meant nothing to him.

“Branch Leader.”

“Yes, yes! Sect Leader!”

“If a merchant needs profit, our Four Evil Blades need stability.”

“…Stability, you say?”

“A strong building needs a strong base. Stability is most important for that.”

These words were true. But the Branch Leader was still confused. ‘Stability?’ he thought. ‘From Jang Il-So? This man is known for being wild and dangerous, not stable!’ Words like “crazy” and “extreme” fit him better than “stable.”

“That is true, but…”

“The people in Jiangnan are not very stable right now,” Jang Il-So said, sighing softly. The man looked at him again, even more surprised.

‘Is this really Jang Il-So?’ he thought again. Of course, it was. Who else would wear such bright, strange clothes? And who else could make those scary leaders outside obey him with just a look?

Seeing that the man could not hide his surprise, Jang Il-So gave a strange smile.

“Why? Do you think it’s odd for me to say these things?”

“N-not at all, but…”

“Haha. There is nothing odd about it. It’s true, I am the leader of a wild group. And I have killed many people.”

“…”

“But,” Jang Il-So continued, “that doesn’t mean I want to hurt normal people for no reason. I want Jiangnan to be stable and orderly.”

The man opened his mouth to speak several times, then closed it again. He couldn’t guess what Jang Il-So really wanted. He didn’t know what to say to avoid making him angry.

“Therefore, I am making a request. A merchant is one who chases profit. And so, they sometimes forget that profit exists because there are those who will buy their goods.”

Just as the man was thinking that he could not understand his intentions at all, Jang Il-So spoke again, his voice still casual.

“I know that since the Four Evil Blades took Jiangnan, the merchants of Jiangnan have been secretly hiding grain and goods.”

Shim Yi-gyeong spoke hesitantly, using the title, “Ryeonju…”

“Yes, I hear you.”

Jang Il-so waved a hand covered in rings and bracelets, as if to say, “Don’t interrupt me.”

“Please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not blaming you. When times are chaotic, it’s smart to stay quiet and hidden.”

“…Thank you for understanding.” Shim Yi-gyeong felt a wave of relief, but it was quickly replaced by fear. He felt so nervous, he almost wished Jang Il-so would just order his death quickly.

Then, Jang Il-so’s eyes, which seemed shiny and slick, narrowed a little.

“But even making money has limits. Keeping food locked away when people are starving is just wrong. Don’t you think?”

“…”

“I know you are a very powerful person in the Jiangnan merchant world. People say Shim Yi-gyeong, from the Nanjing Merchant Group, is the most important merchant in Jiangnan.”

“…You are too kind.”

“So, tell them to open up all the grain warehouses now. And bring all the other things you’ve collected to the Four Seas Alliance. We need them to rebuild Hangzhou.”

Shim Yi-gyeong started shaking. He had been dreading these words, and now Jang Il-so was saying them. His eyes went blurry with fear. He was so scared, he almost wanted to scream for Jang Il-so to just kill him. Then, he heard something completely surprising.

“And send us the bill. We will pay you within a month.”

“…Sorry, what?”

Shim Yi-gyeong was so confused he asked again without thinking, his voice weak.

“I said we will pay you. Why are you so shocked? Did you think I was just going to steal from you?”

“N-no…! How could I ever think that, Ryeonju-nim!”

“Hahahaha!” Jang Il-so laughed loudly, clearly enjoying Shim Yi-gyeong’s reaction.

“Good, good. But… don’t charge us too much. I like people who want to succeed, but I hate people who are too greedy. Do you understand?”

“Of course, I understand completely! How could I be greedy when it’s about helping people!”

“Hmm.” Jang Il-so made a sound in his nose. Shim Yi-gyeong tried to guess what Jang Il-so was thinking.

“S-so, if I just tell them what you said…”

“And.”

“Yes, yes! Ryeonju-nim!”

“I will open the Yangtze River for you, so resume trade with the North.”

At those words, Shim Yi-gyeong’s eyes widened.

“There is one condition.”

“…And what might that be?”

“Make sure the food and goods from the warehouses get to everyone, not just the big cities, but also the small villages where poor people live.”

“…”

“Let trade flow through Jiangnan again, like blood flowing through someone’s body. The same for goods traded to the North.”

“If we can do that, we would be very happy. Merchants make money by moving goods around, right?” Shim Yi-gyeong continued, drops of cold sweat running down his face.

“But… it’s impossible to move goods in Jiangnan right now. If anything valuable shows up on the roads…”

“It will be stolen?”

“Yes…”

“Just deal with it.”

“Huh?” Shim Yi-gyeong asked, surprised. Jang Il-so chuckled quietly.

“It only needs to happen once or twice. After that, no one will even think about stealing. Once they see what happens to the first people who try to take the goods – being ripped apart slowly, bit by bit, for a whole month.”

Shim Yi-gyeong felt a shiver go down his back.

“So, Danju-nim, quickly get the merchants to release food and goods everywhere, and send what you have saved up to the North to make money. If you do this, make sure everyone in Jiangnan benefits. That’s what the Four Seas Alliance wants from the merchants. If you agree, merchants will be allowed to trade freely in Jiangnan.”

“Th-thank you, Ryeonju-nim!”

“Don’t mention it.” Jang Il-so smiled softly. But Shim Yi-gyeong started to feel a little unsure when he saw that smile.

“…But…”

“Hmm?”

Maybe it was courage that made Shim Yi-gyeong ask. Or maybe, more honestly, it was just confusion. Jang Il-so was supposed to be a terrible villain, the most hated leader of a dangerous group. But the first thing he did after taking over the Four Seas Alliance was to spend his own money to help the starving people of Jiangnan. It just didn’t make sense.

So, Shim Yi-gyeong asked, trying to ignore his fear.

“Why are you being so… good?”

“Does that seem strange?”

“…”

“Or should I not be good?”

“N-no, it’s not that!”

“What do you really think?” Jang Il-so asked, smiling deeply.

“I, Jang Il-so, am not as evil as you believe, am I?”

“A b-bad person? Never! I-I would never even think that for a second!”

Jang Il-so, who had been laughing happily, slowly looked down and smiled again, but this time it was different.

“That’s good, very good. Even though everyone else in the world misunderstands me, it’s a gift that at least you, Danju-nim, see me clearly.”

“…”

“You want to make money, and I want things to be calm and stable. So, we can work well together. I’m looking forward to working with you.”

“Yes! Ryeonju-nim! I will do my best!” Shim Yi-gyeong’s face, which had been white with fear, now showed a little excitement.

He felt like he had aged ten years in just this meeting. But now, he could sell all the goods he had saved up. And he could get his trade routes working again. He wouldn’t make much money right away, but just being able to trade again was a good thing. And now that he saw Jang Il-so was more reasonable than he expected, he knew he could quickly find a way to make a lot of money…

“Oh, yes. One more thing.”

“Yes?” Shim Yi-gyeong jumped and looked up. And then he saw it. A cold, scary light in Jang Il-so’s eyes, which were smiling and curved like a pretty moon.

“I’m just saying this in case… please tell all the merchants clearly. Jang Il-so likes to show people what happens when they cross him.”

“…”

“Humans are different from animals because they know how to be thankful, right? People who are thankful will be treated kindly. But if anyone doesn’t understand my kindness as just kindness…” Jang Il-so licked his lips quickly.

“You will see, Danju-nim, that I am not really the person everyone thinks I am.”

Shim Yi-gyeong felt all his strength leave him.

“Please, drink the tea. It’s a gift from me, after all! Hahahaha!” Jang Il-so stood up, laughing loudly. A servant came and put a cup of tea in front of Shim Yi-gyeong.

That day, Shim Yi-gyeong couldn’t even finish one cup of tea for a very long time.