Chapter 128: Lee Jae-won Protects the Tang Clan
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 128: Lee Jae-won Protects the Tang Clan
'Sigh, fuck.'
The man cursed inwardly and pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Husband, please listen to me!"
A noblewoman dressed in fine green silk spoke urgently.
"No, listen to me first!"
Another noblewoman, dressed in silk as white as snow, raised her voice as if refusing to back down.
"Look here, Madam Hwangbo. Can't you see I'm speaking to him right now?"
"Hmph. No doubt it's some trivial matter the Husband needn't concern himself with. Isn't that always your way, Madam Tang? Making a fuss over nothing as if it were a national crisis."
"Are you quite finished?"
"And if I'm not?!"
The two noblewomen began to raise their voices, even pointing fingers at each other.
'Ugh, fuck, my head hurts.'
The man with his hand on his forehead, Lee Jae-won, was currently gripped by a severe headache.
It was a monthly ritual that occurred around the end of every month, yet he could never get used to it.
These damn bitches made it a habit to come running at the end of the month, throwing fits and demanding this and that.
What they wanted was obvious.
In the case of the Third Madam, Tang Jin-seol, her maternal family, the Sichuan Tang Clan, had suffered catastrophic damage at the hands of the Demonic Cult.
He had heard that while they narrowly avoided total extinction, the damage was immense, with the majority of the direct bloodline losing their lives.
The situation was reportedly so dire that they were liquidating most of the businesses the clan operated, so she had likely come to beg for support.
The case of the Sixth Lady, Hwangbo Yu-yeon, was probably no different.
He had recently heard news that the Hwangbo Clan had dabbled in Western distribution and suffered massive losses.
Since it was a venture they had poured more than half of the clan's capital into, the losses must have been staggering.
She, too, had undoubtedly come to request aid.
"Hwangbo Yu-yeon! You must truly wish for death!"
"Tang Jin-seol, it is you who seems tired of living!"
The two women began to release their momentum.
Both Tang Jin-seol and Hwangbo Yu-yeon were women who had reached the lofty heights of the Super-Peak Realm.
Vroooooom—
Rattle, rattle—
As they unleashed their auras, the office began to shake.
"Enough."
As the situation grew serious, Lee Jae-won spat out a short command.
Though it was but a single word, it was enough.
Tang Jin-seol and Hwangbo Yu-yeon immediately suppressed their momentum.
'Sigh, fuck.'
Irritation surged within Lee Jae-won.
Back when he was younger, he had secretly enjoyed his wives fighting over him, calling it a 'catfight.'
But now that they were older and possessed a more mature beauty, their bickering had become a custom he no longer wished to witness.
They were still beautiful.
However, seeing them rub those unnecessarily large tits together while engaging in a power struggle—their youthful freshness and zest of their twenties long gone—only made him feel disgusted.
'A woman should have moderate breasts, a slender waist, and a petite backside. Fuck.'
Lee Jae-won cursed his wives inwardly and opened his mouth.
"Jin-seol, you speak first. Calmly."
Lee Jae-won spoke while feigning an air of dignity.
"Husband, you are well aware that the Demonic Cult, which vanished twenty years ago, has resurfaced and invaded the Central Plains."
He knew.
The Cheonmu Alliance's secret agents were spread throughout the Central Plains, so gathering information on the Demonic Cult's resurgence was not difficult.
"The Sichuan Tang Clan noticed their resurgence early on and moved to stop them. Despite the fact that the very survival of the clan was at stake, they stepped forward first for the safety of the Murim to block the demonic hordes. How can the Cheonmu Alliance, which claims to protect the Murim, simply stand by and watch?"
Of course, the Tang Clan had simply been the first to become the Demonic Cult's prey, but Tang Jin-seol cleverly hid this fact, framing the Tang Clan as heroes who stood against the cult.
She likely judged that to receive aid from the Cheonmu Alliance, it was more advantageous to be portrayed as having suffered catastrophic damage while bravely fighting the cult rather than simply being ambushed.
"Hmph. They were just raided. What's all this about protecting the Murim?"
It was then.
Hwangbo Yu-yeon, who had been listening silently, snorted.
She was displeased by the way the other woman was cleverly dressing up the demonic ambush.
Tang Jin-seol glared at her with sharp eyes.
Glare—
Not to be outdone, Hwangbo Yu-yeon glared back with equally sharp eyes.
Their staring contest continued for a while.
"What would you have me do?"
Lee Jae-won cut straight to the conclusion.
He didn't want to watch a catfight between old hags any longer.
The Tang Clan was the first clan to suffer damage from the Demonic Cult.
If there wasn't proper compensation, everyone else would be reluctant to step forward.
"Husband."
Tang Jin-seol's eyes began to sparkle, pleased that he had taken her side.
"First, please send a martial unit to the Tang Clan for defense. And declare, in the name of the Cheonmu Alliance, that you will protect the Tang Clan."
It was a reasonable request in its own way.
What the Tang Clan needed now was manpower to replace the deceased direct-line members.
The reason they were liquidating all their businesses at once wasn't necessarily a lack of money to maintain them, but rather a vacuum of power to protect them.
If the Cheonmu Alliance provided a martial unit now, it would certainly give them room to breathe.
Currently, the Central Plains was teeming with those looking to swallow the attractive prey that was the Tang Clan.
Even if the Tang Clan had suffered catastrophic damage, it was merely a lack of martial power.
The Tang Clan was a goldmine, possessing irreplaceable and unique blacksmithing techniques, as well as superior herbalism and medicine.
If one could swallow them, it would be like obtaining the goose that laid the golden eggs.
If the Cheonmu Alliance provided a martial unit and officially declared its protection, no one would dare touch the Tang Clan recklessly.
Who would dare mistreat them when the World's Greatest Martial Artist himself promised protection?
"I shall do so."
Lee Jae-won replied dutifully.
From his perspective, it wasn't a difficult task, and since he was desperate to get rid of this noisy middle-aged woman, he made the decision without much thought.
"Next, Yu-yeon, you speak as well."
"Our Hwangbo Clan is..."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon began to tell him about the Hwangbo Clan's financial situation.
Unlike the Tang Clan, the Hwangbo Clan suffered from a lack of wealth rather than a lack of martial power.
They had poured too much money into their expansion into the West.
Even though she was technically an out-married member, the Hwangbo Clan was the power that backed her.
She couldn't let them collapse like this.
Lee Jae-won fell into thought at her words.
In the case of the Tang Clan, which lacked strength, he had readily agreed because he only needed to send a unit and promise protection. But the Hwangbo Clan was different.
Though he had no sense of economics, he felt that if he recklessly promised support, he would be bled dry.
"How much support do you want?"
"Approximately five hundred thousand Nyang in silver."
She spoke without hesitation.
'This bitch, seriously. Is five hundred thousand Nyang some neighborhood kid's name?'
Lee Jae-won cursed inwardly.
Was five hundred thousand Nyang the name of some common dog?
How could she spit it out so easily?
Of course, it wasn't an amount the Cheonmu Alliance couldn't afford.
As a massive power, the Cheonmu Alliance had businesses spread across the entire Central Plains.
However, it wasn't a private organization that could just hand out money without a just cause.
"As you know, Yu-yeon, a just cause is needed for the Cheonmu Alliance to provide official support. In the case of the Tang Clan, the damage from the Demonic Cult was severe, so I promised aid. But in the case of the Hwangbo Clan, which failed in business, there is no justification. I can promise support from my personal funds, but official support from the Cheonmu Alliance will be difficult."
Lee Jae-won began to spin a story to brush her off.
It wasn't a lie, either.
The Cheonmu Alliance wasn't a charity; why would they give money to a place that failed in business?
Hwangbo Yu-yeon's face darkened at his words.
The situation of the Hwangbo Clan was currently critical.
If they didn't receive support here, the clan's influence would shrink rapidly.
Her husband, Lee Jae-won, had promised personal financial support, but it would likely be a few tens of thousands of Nyang at most.
That wouldn't be enough to cover the losses from the business failure.
Seeing this, Tang Jin-seol wore a smirk.
Perhaps because they only focused on brute strength, the people of the Hwangbo Clan were incredibly hot-headed and impulsive.
They must have rushed into the Western distribution business, blinded by the prospect of big money, without weighing the risks.
'Tsk tsk, fools.'
If the Hwangbo Clan went bankrupt, Hwangbo Yu-yeon's standing within the Cheonmu Alliance would also diminish.
This would naturally affect the succession struggle as well.
"Then I shall consider this discussion concluded. I will personally announce my decision regarding this matter in front of everyone, so please wait until then."
Lee Jae-won naturally issued an expulsion order to Tang Jin-seol and Hwangbo Yu-yeon.
Leaving them here would only deepen the rift.
The best course of action was to get them out of his sight as quickly as possible.
"I understand."
"I understand."
Tang Jin-seol and Hwangbo Yu-yeon gave Lee Jae-won a short bow and left.
"Sigh, fuck."
Only then did Lee Jae-won catch his breath.
He had finally kicked those annoying bitches out.
Lee Jae-won put his legs up on the office desk and leaned back in his chair.
He was feeling extreme fatigue due to the series of events occurring one after another.
He needed to find and kill the Yin-Yang Demon and the vanished Jang Sam, but now even the Demonic Cult had resurfaced.
His head throbbed.
The fact that the Demonic Cult had resurfaced despite his existence was evidence that they had recovered their strength to a level comparable to twenty years ago.
"Fuck, don't tell me that Heavenly Demon bastard has been resurrected?"
Seon-ong had said that the Heavenly Demon was a being close to immortal.
Therefore, he had said that every trace of him had to be destroyed without leaving a single speck of dust.
Lee Jae-won felt a sense of unease.
If the Heavenly Demon had been resurrected, it would be a very troublesome situation.
Dealing with the Yin-Yang Demon was annoying enough, but the Heavenly Demon?
Lee Jae-won soon shook his head.
It was an absurd imagination.
Hadn't the Heavenly Demon's entire body been obliterated, leaving nothing but a pool of blood?
There was no way such a man could have been resurrected.
Lee Jae-won cleared his mind.
It seemed he was mentally exhausted from being buried in work lately.
He felt the need to kidnap a few young girls for fatigue recovery.
He shouldn't feel this way, but lately, his eyes kept wandering toward the daughters he had fathered.
Perhaps because they had inherited the blood of their peerless beauty mothers, there wasn't a single one who wasn't pretty.
Especially in the case of Joo So-yang's daughter, Lee Ye-seol.
If she weren't his daughter, she was a girl so perfectly his type that he would have pinned her down long ago.
'She's a virgin, right?'
Lee Jae-won gripped his phallus while imagining his daughter, Lee Ye-seol.
It seemed he needed to blow off some steam.
*
Central Training Ground of the Cheonmu Alliance Headquarters.
Numerous martial artists of the Cheonmu Alliance were standing there in formation.
Their expressions were solemn, and a sense of tension was palpable.
It was then.
Step, step—
The sound of footsteps coming from somewhere drew their attention.
Turning their gaze toward the sound, they saw the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won.
With a dignified expression, he was ascending the platform.
Soon, Lee Jae-won, having reached the top of the platform, looked over them and began to speak.
[Proud martial artists of the Cheonmu Alliance, I believe you all suspect the reason I have gathered you here today.
Indeed.
The hordes of the Demonic Cult, who trampled upon the Murim twenty years ago, have once again set foot on the land of the Central Plains.
About a month ago, the Sichuan Tang Clan—our ally and those who protected the Central Plains more fiercely than anyone else against the Demonic Cult in the past—encountered the demonic hordes.
The heroes of Sichuan fought more fiercely than anyone else even now, twenty years later, and were ultimately able to repel the demonic hordes, but they suffered damage close to annihilation.
I could not contain my rage after learning of this fact.
What kind of family is the Sichuan Tang Clan?
Were they not the heroes of the Great War of Righteousness and Demons, who were more devoted than anyone else, providing all weapons and medical services free of charge during the war?
Furthermore, the head of the Tang Clan, Poison King Tang Jin-cheol, was a hero among heroes who single-handedly annihilated the Black Armored Cavalry that had plunged the Murim into terror at the time.
I firmly believe that the Demonic Cult committed such an act out of a grudge against the Tang Clan's heroic deeds.
Moreover, they inflicted damage close to annihilation upon the Tang Clan, who are known to be incredibly powerful.
What does this signify?
In the worst-case scenario, the demonic hordes may have recovered their strength to at least the level of twenty years ago, if not more.
One cannot guarantee that the numerous sects and clans of the Central Plains will not suffer the same fate as the Tang Clan.
Therefore, I have viewed this situation with gravity and decided to take appropriate measures.
First, I intend to deploy all strike forces of the Cheonmu Alliance to major sects in each region.
Furthermore, we will make thorough preparations to ensure that no other clan follows in the footsteps of the Tang Clan.
We will uproot the foul hordes of evil.
Additionally, we will deploy the Blue Dragon Hall, the finest unit of the Cheonmu Alliance, to the Tang Clan, who fought bravely against the Demonic Cult.
And in the name of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, I declare that I will protect the Tang Clan.
To touch the Tang Clan shall be considered as making an enemy of the Cheonmu Alliance and me, the Absolute Martial God Lee Jae-won.
Those who step forward most bravely against the Demonic Cult will, like the Tang Clan, gain the protection of me, the Absolute Martial God Lee Jae-won, and those who flee in fear will incur my wrath.
Martial artists!
Will you hand over this proud land of the Central Plains to the demonic hordes?
Will you let this place, where our souls dwell, be trampled upon?
Proud martial artists of the Cheonmu Alliance!
Rise up bravely!
Glory shall be with you!]
"Waaaaaaaah!"
"Let's crush those Demonic Cult bastards!!"
"Long live the Cheonmu Alliance Leader! Long live the Absolute Martial God!"
As Lee Jae-won finished his speech, thunderous cheers and shouts erupted.
Everyone seemed moved by Lee Jae-won's speech.
Lee Jae-won smirked inwardly at their reaction.
It was endlessly amusing to him how these martial artists would rush in like moths to a flame as long as he spoke of justice and a grand cause, no matter what he actually said.
'Isn't there some horny bitch around?'
Lee Jae-won stood on the platform and looked down at the martial artists of the Cheonmu Alliance for a long time.
He intended to scout for his next prey.
Whether they knew Lee Jae-won's thoughts or not, only the sound of cheering echoed throughout the Cheonmu Alliance headquarters.