Chapter 171: Desire is Like Clothes
Chapter 171: Desire is Like Clothes
I left the situation entirely in Seo Dae-ryong’s hands.
Looking toward the silk curtain, Seo Dae-ryong spoke in a voice that didn't sound intimidated in the least.
“I want to make a lot of money and gain fame. And I want the path to get there to be easy. I want to walk a road where I don’t have to limp or bleed. I’ll do whatever it takes to walk that path.”
Prostrate behind him with my head bowed, a faint smile played on my lips. What Seo Dae-ryong just said was the exact opposite of what he had told me earlier. He was showing his wit even in a high-pressure situation like this.
The reaction from behind the curtain wasn't bad.
“Honest, I see.”
Seo Dae-ryong had successfully navigated the first question. Now, the gaze from behind the curtain turned toward me.
“And you want to make that servant your right-hand man?”
“He’s quick-witted and has a distinguished appearance, so I’m sure he’ll be useful for something.”
Jo Yi-baek addressed me directly.
“What would you do if your master’s orders and my orders conflicted?”
“I only follow my Young Master’s will. That fact would not change even if the Murim Alliance Leader himself stood before me.”
“A man of great loyalty, indeed.”
He said the words, but Jo Yi-baek was clearly scoffing behind the curtain. I could tell he was a man who didn't believe in human loyalty—or rather, didn't believe in people at all. To him, even Seo Dae-ryong was likely a joke, let alone a mere servant. His interest in me ended there.
Jo Yi-baek turned his attention back to Seo Dae-ryong.
“Would you kill someone if I asked you to?”
Startled, Seo Dae-ryong answered cautiously.
“That would depend on who it is. If they deserve to die, I can kill them.”
“What if I told you to kill someone you didn't even know?”
Seo Dae-ryong hesitated for a moment before answering firmly.
“I will do it! Just leave it to me!”
A brief silence followed.
Soon after, Jo Yi-baek’s loud laughter drifted from behind the curtain.
“It was a joke, a joke! My good man, do you think we are the Demonic Cult? Why would we commit such evil deeds?”
Seo Dae-ryong struggled to hide his fluster, his face caught in an awkward expression between a sob and a smile.
“I... I knew you were joking as well. Would the master of Jinryong Manor truly commit such a terrible act?”
“That’s right. I was also joking.”
Seo Dae-ryong answered awkwardly and wiped away a bead of cold sweat. He was acting well. To anyone watching, he looked like a greenhorn from the countryside who was obsessed with success. Bringing a servant to a place like this and claiming he’d make him his right hand made him look like a truly simple-minded rustic.
“Desire is like clothes. If you try to wear something that doesn't fit your body, the fabric will tear, or you’ll simply look unsightly.”
It sounded like an admonition to have ambitions that suited his station. At that, Seo Dae-ryong raised his head and asked abruptly.
“Then what kind of clothes are you wearing, Elder?”
It was a bold, even insolent question—essentially asking, 'What is your ambition?'
Well done, Dae-ryong. To find out what kind of person someone is, you have to keep shaking them up.
“If you aren't going to assign me such wicked tasks, then what do you gain by helping me? I may be a country bumpkin, but I know one thing: the world never shows kindness without a reason.”
Behind the curtain, Jo Yi-baek did not show any discomfort. Instead, pleasant laughter drifted out, suggesting he actually liked Seo Dae-ryong’s attitude. He likely felt that this type of person was easier to exploit.
Though my head was bowed, I was emitting Qi to sense Jo Yi-baek’s emotions. While Seo Dae-ryong was the one facing him at the front, I was the one fighting the real battle.
“I am investing in the future. To become a great tree, one must start as a sapling, must they not?”
“Ah! I failed to realize your grand vision, Elder. My apologies.”
Dae-ryong, there’s no need to apologize. Most of the villains I’ve encountered don't make long-term investments in those weaker than themselves. They use and discard, use and discard. To them, subordinates are always nothing more than consumables.
If they invest in saplings, it’s so they can use those trees as a windbreak to become a great tree themselves.
The reason for investing in Seo Dae-ryong was the same. It was because they had something for him to do. Whether it was killing someone or stealing secrets from the Murim Alliance, they would expect to take back as much as they gave. No, they’d try to take back even more. That is how villains do business.
This was exactly what I needed to confirm.
Are you the Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Society? Or have you also been recruited?
Jo Yi-baek spoke to Seo Dae-ryong.
“I like your honesty. Grow into a great tree that will support the Orthodox Murim in the future.”
“Thank you.”
With the conversation over, we left the room.
As we walked toward the main gate, Seo Dae-ryong spoke to So Ok in a dejected voice.
“I think I made a mistake with my answer.”
With a self-reproachful expression, Seo Dae-ryong asked her, “Did you receive that question too, Team Leader So? The one about whether you could kill a stranger.”
“I did.”
“How did you answer?”
“I said I couldn't.”
“Ah! I should have answered that way too. I must have been blinded by my desire to make a good impression.”
I casually joined the conversation and asked So Ok, “Do they really not make you do things like that?”
So Ok stopped in her tracks and glared at me.
Since we met, she hadn't shown the slightest interest in me. Usually, when a woman sees me, she shows some level of romantic interest, but So Ok showed none at all.
I know what kind of people these women are. They are those who run only toward their goals. Seeing how she treated Seo Dae-ryong so well while being so indifferent to me showed just how great her ambition was. She was trying to wear clothes that were far too large for her.
“Of course they don't. What are you talking about?”
Her cold reaction seemed at first like anger that a mere servant would dare ask such a question, but I could feel it. That sharp, defensive reaction was a different kind of guilt.
She’s done it.
She had undoubtedly killed someone on Jo Yi-baek’s orders.
“I’m sorry, I was just suddenly curious.”
I quickly bowed my head and stepped back.
Seo Dae-ryong stepped in to scold me.
“Don't speak out of turn!”
“Yes, sir.”
And so, we parted ways with her at the main gate of the manor.
“Thank you so much for introducing me to the Elder. I will surely repay this debt.”
“Don't mention it. We should stick together.”
So Ok gave Seo Dae-ryong a bright smile. Then, she shot a cold glare at me behind him before walking away.
Once she disappeared, Seo Dae-ryong said to me, “I wish all the women in the world treated me and you, Pavilion Master, the way she does.”
“Isn't that a bit harsh to say to me?”
“That’s how I’ve been living my whole life.”
Seo Dae-ryong hung his head and walked on.
“Is this acting too?”
“This is my reality.”
“Since the person you are has changed, your reality will change too.”
Seo Dae-ryong stopped and looked back at me. I couldn't bring myself to look at that face full of hope and say, 'Even so, women will still like handsome men,' so I simply nodded vigorously.
With a much brighter face, Seo Dae-ryong asked, “Did you find out anything from this meeting?”
First of all, uncovering the fact that Jo Yi-baek, Jo Sin’s father, was behind this was a major achievement.
Seo Dae-ryong had noticed something as well.
“Team Leader So... she’s doing something bad under that man, isn't she?”
When I nodded, Seo Dae-ryong vented his frustration. It was anger directed at both So Ok and Jo Yi-baek.
“Dammit! How much success do they want, to go that far? Exploiting desperate people with no money! Pavilion Master, we can't leave these people be.”
Seo Dae-ryong wasn't the only one who was angry. I was only holding back to pull them out by the roots. If not for that, the Jinryong Manor Lord would not have made it out of that manor alive.
“However, So Ok will have to pay the price in the process.”
“Of course she should.”
Seo Dae-ryong let out a regretful sigh. Perhaps he felt a sense of kinship with her. He likely thought that he, who had jumped into the Cult with no money or background, and she, who had jumped into the Murim Alliance, ultimately shared the same heart.
“I’m going to send a missive to Tongcheon Pavilion, so you go back first.”
“Are you going to call the Demon Lords?”
“I’m just going to report on how things are going.”
I had permission to receive more help from them, but this was still a successor’s test. It was best to handle it with my own hands if possible. I missed the Demon Lords, but I had to endure.
“I intend to handle this matter with the Murim Alliance Leader.”
Establishing a deep connection with him was essential, even for the future.
After sending Seo Dae-ryong ahead, I spoke into the air.
“You must have heard the voice of the person behind the curtain.”
The hidden martial artist might not have seen past the curtain directly, but he certainly would have heard Jo Yi-baek’s voice.
“There’s no need to agonize over whether it’s him or not. It is exactly who you think it is. This is an emergency, so let me see the Alliance Leader immediately.”
*
A single carriage was parked in an alleyway.
When I climbed inside, Murim Alliance Leader Jin Pae-cheon was waiting.
“You’ve probably received a report from your subordinate. That we met with the person trying to recruit the winner of the Young Dragon Tournament.”
“I heard.”
From this point on, I spoke using Voice Transmission.
— You’ve likely heard the gist from your subordinate, so I’ll get straight to the point. It was the Jinryong Manor Lord.
— Jinryong Manor has been a prestigious clan among those representing the Orthodox Murim for generations. There is no way they would be recruited by people like the Heavenly Mandate Society.
— I confirmed it myself.
— I heard there was a curtain?
— I was able to see through that curtain. It was him, without a doubt.
The Alliance Leader still gave me a suspicious look. Since it was a place he had even considered for a marriage alliance with Jin Ha-ryeong, it would be even harder to believe. He would rather suspect me than the Jinryong Manor Lord.
— That’s not all. There is a possibility that his son, Jo Sin, has also been recruited by the Heavenly Mandate Society. And he is unaware that his father is in league with them.
The Alliance Leader’s shock grew even greater.
— Are you saying the Heavenly Mandate Society recruited them separately?
— I believe so. Or, the father might have recruited his son without revealing his own identity.
If that were true, the Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Society was truly a formidable person—someone who would recruit a father and son separately and use them independently.
Even if Jo Yi-baek himself was the Leader of the Heavenly Mandate Society, it was the same. He would have recruited his own child while deceiving him about his identity.
— Because the opponent is such a madman, you must not trust anyone until this matter is completely resolved.
The Murim Alliance Leader’s expression hardened. Hearing such words from the Second Young Master of the Demonic Cult must have felt truly stifling.
— If it were anyone else, I would have handled it secretly. But since it’s someone you were discussing a marriage alliance with, I am telling you this.
— Why are you showing such goodwill?
— I won't lie and say it’s because I respect you. It’s not for Miss Jin, either. It’s for the Cult. If trouble breaks out in the Murim Alliance, it will eventually affect the Cult as well. I do not wish for my father to use a crisis in the Murim Alliance as an opportunity for the Unification of the Murim.
When I mentioned my father, Jin Pae-cheon’s eyes grew intense. Moreover, the provocative phrase 'Unification of the Murim' had been uttered.
— I am not a man bold enough to lie while daring to invoke my father’s name. So please, believe my words.
I did not avoid the Alliance Leader’s eyes, which were pouncing on me like a tiger’s. Having been through all sorts of hardships, I believed he had the insight to see the truth in my words.
— Fine. Let’s assume it is the Jinryong Manor Lord as you say. Why do you think he is doing this?
— Proceeding with a marriage alliance with you and recruiting Murim Alliance warriors... wouldn't there be only one reason?
Jin Pae-cheon knew the answer as well.
— My position?
— It could be a preliminary move to place Jo Sin in the position of Murim Alliance Leader in the future. It’s impious of me to say, but it could also be to assassinate you. We’d have to hear it from their own mouths to know their exact intentions, but whatever it is, it won't be something you’ll enjoy hearing.
Jin Pae-cheon was not a gentlemanly Alliance Leader with a benevolent personality. He was more dominating than any previous leader, a man with a fiery temperament. He was only being as cautious as possible because his granddaughter was involved; once the seal was broken, he was a man no one could handle.
— I understand. From now on, I will confirm it myself.
He looked ready to seize the Jinryong Manor Lord immediately to uncover the truth.
— You mustn't do that. As of now, he has committed no overt crimes. Sponsoring Murim Alliance warriors is something that merchant groups and Murim clans closely related to the Alliance do publicly. We must find direct evidence that he is connected to the Heavenly Mandate Society.
I made a proposal to him.
— Let’s resolve this between the two of us without informing anyone else. If you trust me, I have a way.
— Do not look down on this Alliance. If you have a way, we have a way as well.
— I’m not saying this because I look down on the Murim Alliance.
— Then why?
— Do you remember? The moment I first revealed my identity at the risk of my life.
I reminded him that it was because I had informed him of all these facts that this case could even be investigated. Jin Pae-cheon could not deny that fact. He was a man of honor, and a true martial artist.
Nevertheless, I understood the Alliance Leader. It was only natural that he wouldn't feel like leaving this matter in my hands in such a situation. So, I made him an extraordinary offer.
— I will resolve this within five days. If I exceed that limit, you can handle it yourself.
Jin Pae-cheon was startled by my words.
“Can you really resolve this within five days?”
“In exchange, you must actively assist me.”
“What do you intend to do?”
“They tried to plot something using your own flesh and blood. We should return the favor in kind.”
Jin Pae-cheon gave a cold laugh.
“I like that much, at least.”
After a moment of deliberation, Jin Pae-cheon made his decision.
The words that signaled the start of a joint operation between the Murim Alliance Leader and the Second Young Master of the Demonic Cult—something that had never happened in the history of the Murim—flowed from Jin Pae-cheon’s lips.
“Proceed!”