Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: My Eldest Senior Brother Has Two Faces
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Yoo Geon had been holed up in his office for quite some time when his father, Yoo Jang-hae—the head of the Yoo Merchant Group—came to see him.
"Is it true?"
"True about what, Father?"
"That you couldn't buy even a single ship to sail on Dongting Lake."
"It's true. The old merchant snapped up every last vessel, down to the smallest fishing boats."
"And yet here you are, just sitting on your hands? Are you planning to give up on the whole venture after making such a mess of things?"
"Are you yelling at me right now?"
"What did you say?"
"You started the rumor that the Dongting Lake waterways were opening up. That's why the old merchant got the jump on us."
"I was trying to help you out! Do you think I would've done that if I knew he'd react like this?"
"I'll handle it myself, so stay out of it from now on."
"...!"
"You wanted to test my abilities, so just sit back and watch till the end."
"Do you even have a plan? That old merchant won't hand over a single ship."
"The Dongting Lake waterways are the first step in a plan we've prepared for years. You think we didn't anticipate something like this?"
"...!"
Yoo Jang-hae saw Yoo Geon in a new light. He was his own son, a child he'd once wanted to keep hidden away, but in this moment, he seemed like someone beyond his grasp.
Dongting Lake Waterway Stronghold.
Upon hearing that an elder from the White Sword Sect had arrived, Gwak Hyu—the head of the Black Line Warehouse—went out to greet him personally.
"This is shocking news. For the White Sword Sect to come calling on a bunch of lowly bandits like us. I'm Gwak, the stronghold chief. What brings you here?"
"I'm Hwa Il-yeon of the White Sword Sect."
An elderly man, gaunt as a giant tadpole.
He was one of the famed swordsmen of the White Sword Sect, a master of swift swordplay with a solid reputation.
Gwak Hyu of the Black Line Warehouse was spoken of in the same breath as the White Sword Sect leader. By all accounts, he held a slight edge over Hwa Il-yeon. Still, one could never judge high from low without crossing blades firsthand.
"We're not here to exchange pleasantries or courtesies, so let's get to the point."
"The sect leader sent me to ask if your stronghold might allow the White Sword Sect to use the Dongting Lake waterways."
"I figured as much."
"Money is no object."
"We're not enemies, you and the White Sword Sect—at least, not yet. We've always known you for the formidable swordsmen you are, even if our paths diverge. Watching you from afar all these years has bred a strange respect amid the rivalry. So here's my advice: drop any interest in the Dongting Lake waterways."
"Chief."
"Even if you drove us out—which you won't—you still couldn't claim them. Tell your sect leader exactly that."
Hwa Il-yeon furrowed his brow.
He knew the waterways had been opened not by money, but by force. In other words, there was some master or faction behind the Yoo Merchant Group who had subdued the Dongting Lake Waterway Stronghold's chief through sheer power.
'Just who could it be?'
As Hwa Il-yeon glanced at Gwak Hyu, wondering if he should press for details...
"Chief, the Sky-Spanning Gang leader is here."
Gwak Hyu knew exactly who the Sky-Spanning Gang leader was.
He dominated the underworld around the Jangsa region. But the Black Way was still the Black Way—they weren't fit to stand before him, nor did they have any reason to seek him out. The fact that he had come meant it was for the same reason as the White Sword Sect elder before him. Irritation bubbled up. Even this scum was eyeing the Dongting Lake waterways?
"Bring him in."
Gwak Hyu bellowed, his face flushed with anger.
His subordinate withdrew, and moments later, a palanquin borne by two burly men appeared. Atop it sat Man Gwa-hae, his legs wrapped tightly in pristine white cloth.
"Oh? Brother Hwa, you're here too!"
Man Gwa-hae spotted Hwa Il-yeon and acted friendly. Hwa Il-yeon just scowled without returning the gesture. After all, Man Gwa-hae had once served as the White Sword Sect's hidden hand and foot in the shadows.
"The White Sword Sect's after the waterways too, eh?"
Man Gwa-hae instantly grasped why Hwa Il-yeon was there. His instincts were sharp enough to call sly.
"You'd best keep that mouth shut."
Hwa Il-yeon said coldly. Man Gwa-hae just smirked, unperturbed.
"The White Sword Sect won't run the waterways themselves. Is it the Clear Dawn Escort Agency?"
"You courting death?"
As Hwa Il-yeon shouted, Man Gwa-hae turned to Gwak Hyu, the Dongting Lake Waterway Stronghold chief.
"Chief, I'm the hands and feet of Young Master Do."
"Young Master Do? From the Iron Lion Sect?"
"That's right."
Gwak Hyu, who had been holding back his temper to observe, frowned.
"Did Young Master Do send you?"
"Yes."
Man Gwa-hae confirmed it, and Gwak Hyu let out a long sigh.
"As long as you don't set down your spear, this was inevitable."
Gwak Hyu muttered softly.
Do Cheon had said they only needed to leave the Iron Lion Sect's ships alone, but the ways of the martial world were never that simple. Once you yielded, you had to follow through. Gwak Hyu made up his mind and turned to Hwa Il-yeon.
"Brother Hwa, you'd best not act rashly."
It was a warning.
Hwa Il-yeon said nothing, made no move. The moment the Iron Lion Sect was mentioned, his heart had sunk.
"So, what brings you here?"
Gwak Hyu asked Man Gwa-hae.
"Did you not explain to Brother Hwa?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
"I could explain. The White Sword Sect isn't on casual terms with Young Master Do either."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Man Gwa-hae grinned as he answered, and Gwak Hyu glanced back at Hwa Il-yeon.
"Young Master Do of the Iron Lion Sect is the one who opened the Dongting Lake waterways. If it's about that, go see the Iron Lion Sect directly—don't come to me."
"Ah, got it."
Hwa Il-yeon realized there was nothing the White Sword Sect could do. He turned away with a hollow expression. As Hwa Il-yeon slunk off dejectedly, Man Gwa-hae stated his business.
"There's this old merchant who's been flaunting his wealth around Jangsa. Word is, he heard about the waterways opening and bought up every ship in sight."
"Must be an old fool with balls of solid gold."
"Exactly. So Young Master Yoo Geon—Young Master Do's friend—sent me to you, Chief."
"And what does he want me to do? Torch every ship that old codger bought?"
Gwak Hyu was asking when...
"Brother Hwa, it's rude to eavesdrop on others' conversations like that!"
Man Gwa-hae called out, turning his head. Hwa Il-yeon, who had paused some distance away, cleared his throat awkwardly and quickened his pace out of sight.
"He heard everything. My mistake?"
Once Hwa Il-yeon was gone, Gwak Hyu asked. But Man Gwa-hae just chuckled.
"No harm done. What can he do even if he knows?"
White Sword Sect.
When Hwa Il-yeon returned, the Clear Dawn Escort Leader and the sect elders waited anxiously.
"How did it go?"
Clear Dawn Escort Leader Yeo Mun-rak couldn't contain his curiosity. But Hwa Il-yeon only scowled, reluctant to speak. The White Sword Sect had been thoroughly humiliated by Do Cheon of the Iron Lion Sect, and they'd kept it under wraps. Their leader was still recovering from the ordeal, and they'd told Yeo Mun-rak he was simply in secluded cultivation.
"Don't tell me the Dongting Lake Waterway Stronghold dismissed you?"
"How dare those bandits scorn our sect!"
"Then why the long face?"
Yeo Mun-rak pressed, frustration boiling over. Years of planning were on the line—no time for decorum.
"The old merchant bought up every ship on Dongting Lake."
Hwa Il-yeon ultimately held back from mentioning Do Cheon as the mastermind. If he did, the Clear Dawn Escort Agency might charge straight to the Iron Lion Sect, forcing Do Cheon to step in again and exposing the sect's defeat. It would come out eventually, but without the leader's approval, they needed to bury it as long as possible.
"Clever move! Money really does conquer all!"
Yeo Mun-rak let out a mix of admiration and lament.
Hwa Il-yeon watched with a wry smile before sighing.
"Money may conquer much, but it crumbles before raw power."
"What? What do you mean?"
"The bandits plan to burn every last ship."
"...!"
Yeo Mun-rak's expression shifted again.
The old merchant's ship-buying spree was a masterstroke that flipped the waterway struggle on its head. But having the bandits torch them all was an equally sharp counter.
Right and wrong meant nothing here. With fortunes at stake, the loser would suffer massively. Victory justified any means.
"Did you ask Gwak, the Dongting Lake chief, to sell us the waterways?"
"He said absolutely not."
"As expected."
Yeo Mun-rak nodded, as if he'd already guessed from Hwa Il-yeon's face upon return. He pondered briefly, then spoke firmly.
"If we can't play all three sides, we need a foot in one at least."
As Yeo Mun-rak opened his mouth with an idea, Hwa Il-yeon raised a hand to stop him.
"Enough. The sect can't get more involved. As I said, the leader is in seclusion—we can't act rashly."
"Brother Hwa! What are you saying? The Dongting Lake waterways could reshape the power balance in Hunan!"
"It won't come to that. The sect stays as it is, so you should hold back too, Escort Leader. With that, please see yourself out."
No one had expected Hwa Il-yeon's words. Yeo Mun-rak and the other elders stared in confusion. Hwa Il-yeon set his face firmly, hinting at deeper reasons. The long-time elders fell silent, none stepping forward.
Yeo Mun-rak sensed something was amiss but couldn't bring himself to ask, seeing Hwa Il-yeon's expression.
"I'll go see the old merchant. He may have money, but not the muscle to fend off bandit raids. I'll find common ground there. If you change your mind, contact me anytime."
Yeo Mun-rak glanced around at the elders. No one spoke. With no choice, he left the White Sword Sect to seek the old merchant.
Once Yeo Mun-rak was gone, the elders turned to Hwa Il-yeon. He let out a long sigh.
"The Dongting Lake waterways were opened by the Iron Lion Sect."
The elders' faces darkened gravely.
"I've figured out how the Iron Lion Sect and White Sword Sect came to blows."
Spear Freak Ga Gyeom-chang had been scurrying around Jangsa and returned with this.
Truthfully, Celestial Insight Maiden Byeon Ryeo-gun had no interest in such matters.
What intrigued her was what supreme technique Do Cheon had acquired and why he'd flaunt his presence to the world.
But from what Ga Gyeom-chang said, the clash with the White Sword Sect hadn't been Do Cheon's doing.
"Is that true?"
"It is. The Sky-Spanning Gang stirred things up first, and that's when the local sect's great disciple returned. He was already in a situation where he couldn't hide anymore."
"So my theory's wrong?"
"You mean that he deliberately revealed himself?"
"Yes."
"Hard to say. Coming back after three years to this mess, he might've weighed his options and decided to lean into it. Who knows what he was thinking."
"You agree with me too, don't you, Branch Leader?"
"He didn't need to go that hard on Ha Gun-pyo."
"Ha Gun-pyo picked the fight."
"If he knew Heaven-Rending Legion Kang Yi-wi was backing him, he should've held back."
"Does he think he can handle even the Heaven-Rending Legion?"
"Or maybe he doesn't know the martial world well enough to realize Ha Gun-pyo had that backup?"
Questions piled up endlessly. Neither could say for sure.
"Meeting his junior disciples didn't help much."
"What'd they say?"
Byeon Ryeo-gun relayed exactly what she'd heard from Little Sparrow, Iron Mountain, and Yi Yeol.
"Strange answers for talking about their senior brother."
"He's one of a kind."
"I asked around town—heard some interesting things."
"...?"
"In his teens, he beat up street thugs all by himself."
"Even in decline, it's still the Iron Lion Sect."
"True. But that's not the point."
"Then what?"
"Even while thrashing those thugs, he never once fought the Black Way gangs. You may not know, but those street punks always have Black Way crews lurking behind them. Get hit, and they come crying for help—inevitable clash. But he avoided it entirely."
"...!"
"Cunning from a young age. He either sidestepped before they could intervene or never escalated enough to draw them in."
At Ga Gyeom-chang's words, Byeon Ryeo-gun pictured Do Cheon's face. Nothing remarkable about it. No eyes sparkling with cunning or sly glint to outwit foes.
Just a bit manly, a bit resolute, a bit kind... a bit... confident...!
Byeon Ryeo-gun recalled Do Cheon again. His posture, speech, expressions—all in detail. One thing stood out starkly.
Amid the calm, confidence brimmed over. Cloaked in composure or indifference, but unmistakable self-assurance lurked within. If he'd been sly since youth, it rang even truer.
'What if... even that nonchalance is a facade meant for me to notice?'
That would be no small feat.
Suddenly, Little Sparrow's words resurfaced.
- Um, Eldest Senior Brother has two faces. Or maybe two personalities is more accurate.
Hypocrite. Split personality.
'Is he really that kind of man?'