Chapter 161: Lee Jae-won, Riding the Poison King Coin
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 161: Lee Jae-won, Riding the Poison King Coin
Hwangbo Yu-yeon, who had been clinging to Lee Jae-won and weeping, spun around.
"Tang. Jin. Seol!"
She began to radiate a terrifying murderous aura toward Tang Jin-seol.
"Hasn't the full story already been revealed? Your Hwangbo Clan launched the attack first and even detonated Thunderbolt Bombs, didn't they? With what face do you dare demand revenge?"
Tang Jin-seol spoke with a sneer as she looked at Hwangbo Yu-yeon.
The circumstantial evidence was already undeniable. Her brother, Tang Jin-cheol, had testified, and the Hwangbo Clan had admitted to it. Furthermore, there were countless witnesses who saw the Hwangbo Clan inviting the Poison King, who had been staying at an inn, into their estate.
Under such circumstances, what revenge was there to speak of?
"Don't make me laugh! The Hwangbo Clan would never do such a thing! It's all fabricated!"
"We have already secured witnesses. Why are you, Madam Hwangbo, the only one clinging to this when the Hwangbo Clan itself has officially admitted the facts?"
Tang Jin-seol shook her head from side to side as if she couldn't understand. What did Yu-yeon think would change by being so stubborn? Public opinion had already tilted heavily in favor of the Tang Clan.
"You dog-like bitch!"
Left with no retort, Hwangbo Yu-yeon spat out an insult. Her heart screamed that all of this was a setup, but she had no logical counterargument. As Tang Jin-seol said, the Hwangbo Clan had admitted the facts, and numerous people had witnessed the Poison King being invited.
The circumstantial evidence was ironclad. No matter how much she claimed it was a fabrication, no one would listen.
"A dog-like bitch? How utterly unrefined. Then again, you were born with the ignorant blood of the Hwangbo, so I suppose it’s to be expected."
Watching Hwangbo Yu-yeon hurl insults, Tang Jin-seol began to mock her relentlessly. Usually, people resort to profanity when they run out of things to say. This seemed to be the case for Hwangbo Yu-yeon as well; instead of refuting Tang Jin-seol’s points, she could only bark curses.
The sight was so pathetic it made Tang Jin-seol want to laugh. She looked like a terrified cat with its tail standing straight up.
Crackle, crackle.
It was then. Lightning Qi began to flicker around Hwangbo Yu-yeon. She had begun to circulate the Ten Thousand Strength Heavenly Thunder Divine Art. Seeing this, Tang Jin-seol did not back down and activated her Poison Arts.
Swoooosh!
Green poisonous qi began to swirl around her.
"I will crush your skull and avenge the grudge of the Hwangbo Clan!"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s face twisted into a demonic expression as she directed her murderous aura at Tang Jin-seol.
"You’re the one who’s going to join your brother this time," Tang Jin-seol replied, her own murderous aura flaring as she spoke those chilling words.
Just then—
BAM!
"Enough!"
Lee Jae-won slammed his hand onto the desk and roared. A violent wave of energy swept through the room, instantly dissipating Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s Lightning Qi and Tang Jin-seol’s poisonous qi.
"Ugh..."
"Kh..."
Exposed to Lee Jae-won’s overwhelming pressure, both women let out groans of pain.
"What do you think you are doing!" Lee Jae-won bellowed, glaring at them.
You crazy bitches, if you’re going to fight, do it outside.
Hiding his true thoughts, Lee Jae-won maintained a grave expression and continued.
"Though you are not related by blood, you are both part of one family serving me as your husband! How dare you radiate murderous aura toward family!"
Hearing his words, the faces of Tang Jin-seol and Hwangbo Yu-yeon turned pale. In their emotional heat, they seemed to have forgotten they were in Lee Jae-won’s presence.
"But..."
"Still..."
They both opened their mouths to offer hurried excuses.
"I don't want to hear it!"
Lee Jae-won cut them off immediately. Giving them the floor would only lead to another pointless, long-winded argument. They say you should seize an opportunity when it arises, and this was that moment.
"There will be no punishment for the Poison King! It was the Poison King who entered the Hwangbo Clan’s estate alone upon their invitation. Was it not the Hwangbo Clan who then ambushed him and tried to bury him alive by detonating Thunderbolt Bombs? The Hwangbo Clan is entirely at fault, so why do you demand the Poison King be punished?"
Lee Jae-won shouted at them, his voice booming.
"But my Lord, all of this was fabri—"
"Do you take the Cheonmu Alliance for fools? On the very day the Hwangbo Clan entered sect seclusion, the Alliance was the first to obtain information and secure witnesses regarding this incident. Furthermore, did even the Hwangbo Clan not admit to it? How can you speak of fabrication! Do you not realize that such a statement insults the Cheonmu Alliance and me, its Leader?"
"..........."
Faced with Lee Jae-won’s fiery reaction, Hwangbo Yu-yeon lowered her head in silence. It was true. The details regarding the Hwangbo Clan had already been reviewed multiple times by the Alliance’s intelligence bureau, the Biseon Pavilion. To insist that those facts were fabricated was an act of deception against the Alliance Leader, who headed the intelligence network.
Lee Jae-won had pointed this out precisely, leaving Hwangbo Yu-yeon with nothing to do but hang her head.
Glisten.
Tears began to well up in Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s eyes again. In truth, she knew. She knew her claims were unreasonable. But she felt like she would go insane if she didn't act this way. She had lost her brother, who had always been her reliable support, and the place where she had lived for decades had been reduced to ruins. It would be stranger if she were still in her right mind.
"I will hear no more dissent regarding the Hwangbo Clan! Everyone, get out!"
Lee Jae-won issued a firm expulsion order. The facts were clear; what else was there to do? He had no desire to waste any more mental energy on this. He figured thinking about how to bed the girl from the Phoenix Hall would be a much more productive activity.
"Sob, sob, sob..."
At Lee Jae-won’s command, Hwangbo Yu-yeon ran out of the office in tears. Tang Jin-seol also gave a short bow and followed her out.
"Fuck, finally I can breathe."
Once he confirmed their presence was completely gone, Lee Jae-won propped his legs up on the desk and spat out a curse. He had predicted something like this might happen after hearing the full story of the Hwangbo Clan’s seclusion. But experiencing it in person, Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s reaction was more annoying than he had imagined. Not only did she make unreasonable claims, but she also didn't hesitate to use her tears to play the victim.
Lee Jae-won shook his head. To him, the only ones allowed to squeeze out tears were cute, fresh, twenty-something virgins. Seeing an old hag like her cry only made her look more repulsive.
"Sigh."
Lee Jae-won let out a deep sigh. It was irritating that the Orthodox Faction was bickering and forcing sects into seclusion when they should be uniting. Three months had already passed since the Demonic Cult had risen and attacked the Tang Clan. While there were no major signs of trouble yet, they couldn't afford to be careless.
Moreover, hadn't Lee Jae-won lost his right hand, the Sword Emperor? And through this incident, he had even lost a Transcendent Realm master like the Heavenly King Divine Fist. It would be strange if he wasn't annoyed.
Well, at least the Poison King is still around, so maybe it’ll be okay?
Fortunately, a brilliant talent like the Poison King remained. Rumor had it he had reached the Profound Realm; if that were true, he would be far more useful than the Sword Emperor or the Heavenly King Divine Fist.
Yeah, fuck it. The trend is the Poison King Coin. I’m going all-in.
Having made his decision, Lee Jae-won summoned the Biseon Pavilion agents and ordered them to shape public opinion in favor of the Poison King. Before long, a rumor began to circulate through the Murim. It was the story of a hero of the Great War of Righteousness and Demons who had stood tall against the despicable Hwangbo Clan, who had only worn the mask of the Orthodox Faction.
Sichuan Tang Clan
As rumors spread that the Poison King had single-handedly forced the Hwangbo Clan into seclusion, the Tang Clan was enjoying an unexpected boom.
"Lady! A letter has arrived from Daeyong Bank!"
"Lady! Someone from Yakbangmun is..."
"Lady! From the Jang Family Ironworks..."
"Wait a moment. Please, speak one at a time."
Tang Seo-yoon spoke while clutching her throbbing head. Everyone was rushing in at once, shouting their own business, and she didn't know where to start.
"Daeyong Bank has sent a request. They want to entrust the Tang Clan with their cash transport operations."
Geum Jeok-hwa spoke, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Tang Seo-yoon.
"Daeyong Bank? Isn't that a mid-sized bank based in Shandong Province? Why would they specifically seek out the Tang Clan?" Tang Seo-yoon asked, puzzled.
If it was Daeyong Bank, they were well-established in Shandong. Why on earth would they send a request all the way to the Tang Clan in Sichuan?
"They likely intend to use this request as an excuse to establish a connection with us."
Geum Jeok-hwa offered her own insight in response to Tang Seo-yoon’s question.
"Do we have enough personnel?"
"If we attach disciples from the Qingcheng and Emei sects, it should be sufficient."
"Submit the request form first. I’ll review it and then authorize it."
"Understood, Lady."
Hearing her answer, Geum Jeok-hwa bowed slightly and stepped back.
"Lady, Yakbangmun has sent a representative."
As soon as Geum Jeok-hwa finished, Madam Tang spoke up.
"Yakbangmun?"
"Yes. They arrived with a mountain of gifts, expressing their desire to resume trade with us."
"Good grief. They were the ones who cut ties so abruptly, and now they have the nerve to ask for trade again?"
Tang Seo-yoon spoke in disbelief. Yakbangmun was the very place that had unilaterally notified them of a trade suspension just a few months ago. With what face did they come back now?
"What should we do?"
"Send them back. The Tang Clan does not do business with those who betray our trust."
Tang Seo-yoon expressed her firm refusal. In any case, there were more than enough places eager to trade with the Tang Clan now. There was no need to renew a contract with a group like Yakbangmun that had stabbed them in the back.
"Lady, a letter has arrived from the Jang Family Ironworks."
Once Madam Tang was finished, Tang Gam, an outer hall martial artist, stepped forward and handed over a letter. Tang Seo-yoon took the letter and began to read it carefully. It was filled with all sorts of flowery language, but the summary was simple: they wanted to resume trade.
Tang Seo-yoon crumpled the letter and tossed it behind her. It wasn't even worth considering. They had cut ties unilaterally after hurling insults, and now they were acting all friendly and flattering?
"There will be no trade with the ironworks or pharmacies that unilaterally notified the Tang Clan of a suspension. If they send people, turn them away. If they send letters, express our refusal!"
Tang Seo-yoon spoke to everyone in the office.
"But won't the losses be significant?" Geum Jeok-hwa asked tentatively.
"It doesn't matter. They are the ones who will ruin themselves without the Tang Clan. There is no need to lend a hand to fools who mistook the wealth they built through the Tang Clan for their own ability."
Tang Seo-yoon’s voice was resolute. And she was right. The Tang Clan wasn't a place you could trade with just by offering money. They only traded with blacksmiths and physicians who possessed a certain level of skill, even if they weren't quite at the Tang Clan’s level. Therefore, trading with the Tang Clan was equivalent to having one's skills certified.
Yakbangmun and the Jang Family Ironworks had expanded their influence based on that trust. If they could no longer sell Tang Clan-certified weapons and medicinal ingredients, they would lose that trust and slowly wither away.
"Understood."
"We hear you."
"Understood, Lady."
The people in the office replied in unison, having confirmed her unwavering resolve. They began to leave the office one by one to carry out her instructions.
"Phew."
Once everyone had left, Tang Seo-yoon let out a long sigh. It seemed things were finally settling down. She began to slowly look through the stack of documents piled in front of her. They were all letters expressing a desire to trade or formal requests for work.
They say life is like a spinning wheel. Just a few months ago, they had so many idle workers because there was no work, but now they were in a position where they had to hire more people because they were short-staffed. It was something she couldn't have imagined just a few days ago.
But as the Poison King’s reputation soared, this unimaginable reality had come to pass. Numerous clients who had requested trade suspensions were now sending apology gifts and begging to resume business, while countless merchant guilds and banks were sending in various requests. It seemed there was always a way out. Thanks to this, the Tang Clan was enjoying an unexpected era of prosperity.
Jang Sun-woo, just what on earth are you doing out there!
She furrowed her elegant brows as she thought of Sun-woo. Her plan to quietly recover their strength had been unexpectedly overturned. The scale of the incident—forcing the Hwangbo Clan into seclusion—was simply too large. While it resulted in prosperity, she couldn't deny that it had also brought a massive crisis.
Please, just come back to the clan quietly.
She prayed and prayed that Sun-woo would return to the Tang Clan without further incident. They were sailing on a favorable wind now; if things were to be upended again, she felt like she would lose all her hair from the stress.
"Sigh."
She sighed again and began to check the request forms. she intended to reject any escort or transport missions that were long-distance and low-paying.
"Huh?"
Not long after, she discovered a transport request with a very attractive proposal. Although the distance was far, the terms included a substantial down payment and even provided room and board. Furthermore, it was a request from a quite reliable merchant guild, so she didn't have to think long.
Thump.
Soon, the authorization stamp was pressed onto the request form. On the document, the words "North Sea" were written in small letters.