Chapter 572: Making a Decision
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 572: Making a Decision
'Ugh... that son of a bitch, seriously...'
Lee Jae-won felt a murderous urge rising to the very top of his head.
Heo Sam-gwan’s sly, smirking face overlapped with memories from his past.
Among the group that had bullied Lee Jae-won in the past, the most annoying one wasn't the strongest or the smartest. It was the type who acted like they weren't doing anything wrong while subtly screwing someone over, just like this.
He wasn't a top-tier delinquent.
He wasn't exceptionally strong, either.
He was just the type who exhausted all his natural playfulness on tormenting others.
The type who, if it looked like he was about to get caught, would slyly laugh it off as a joke.
The type who would ruin someone’s mood and then mock them for being a killjoy if they got serious, claiming it was just a joke.
Heo Sam-gwan was exactly that type.
Lee Jae-won felt his anger soaring.
'Haa... damn it... endure... just endure...'
However, Lee Jae-won soon began to put the brakes on his rising murderous intent.
Not now.
He was filled with the urge to reach out right now and crush the skull of this man—who wouldn't even be a decent warm-up—but he had to hold back for now.
It was all for the realization of his perfect plan.
"Hahahaha... Do not worry about that. If I, as the Alliance Leader, stake my honor and proclaim fairness, the people will surely understand."
"But there may be those who are not convinced."
"Is that 'unconvinced group' perhaps referring to you, Hall Master Heo?"
"Of course not. I am a man filled with trust in the Alliance Leader."
"Then there is no problem. If the fastidious Hall Master Heo is convinced, who would dare voice an objection?"
Lee Jae-won continued, forcing a smile.
"Might there not be someone even more stubborn than I?"
Facing that smile, Heo Sam-gwan also began to let a grin slip.
"Do not worry. I have never seen anyone more stubborn than you."
"It seems the Alliance Leader’s perspective is narrower than I thought."
"I believe this level of perspective is quite sufficient."
"I beg to differ. I believe there is no such thing as 'sufficient' when it comes to one's perspective. One must continue to broaden it."
"I am satisfied. I have led the Alliance excellently with just this much. Do you perhaps think I have failed to lead the Alliance properly due to a lack of perspective?"
"Of course not."
The two began a battle of wills, both wearing broad smiles.
Their mouths were laughing, but their eyes remained cold and frozen.
"In any case, I shall stake my honor on this contest. I believe that if my honor is on the line, at least no one will doubt the fairness of the proceedings."
Lee Jae-won spoke as if making a declaration, his eyes full of conviction.
He was certain.
If his honor was at stake, no one would doubt the fairness.
Although he was currently at odds with the leadership of the Cheonmu Alliance, he was still an Alliance Leader respected by the general members.
Furthermore, to many martial artists, he was a hero and a benefactor who had saved the Murim.
When such a man staked his honor, who could possibly doubt the fairness?
".............I agree."
Heo Sam-gwan looked like he wanted to say something more, but he reluctantly conceded.
He desperately wanted to argue, but he realized that doubting the Alliance Leader’s honor here would be a poor move.
Generally, when one wanted to challenge something, they needed persuasiveness.
A persuasiveness that the public could accept.
If one lacked that, it was better not to challenge it at all.
Even if he was suspected of being the true culprit behind the murder case, publicly, he was an Alliance Leader respected more than anyone else.
Doubting the honor of such a man would be a foolish act that would only invite the resentment of others.
Seeing Heo Sam-gwan concede, Lee Jae-won wore a satisfied expression.
He felt he had managed to convince him somehow.
"Very well. Then, it is decided that I shall personally conduct the contest to verify their martial prowess."
Lee Jae-won continued in a calm tone.
"Does anyone have any objections?"
He then scanned the assembly as he spoke.
"............."
"............"
Despite Lee Jae-won’s question, not a single person raised an objection.
It seemed they felt they couldn't dare harbor doubts about Lee Jae-won’s honor.
'Fucking bastards, finally acting right.'
Seeing this, Lee Jae-won felt a surge of satisfaction.
The leadership had been a constant source of annoyance with every single thing they did.
But seeing them shut up and agree finally brought him satisfaction.
"Then, I shall assume there are no objections and move on."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Lee Jae-won tapped the gavel beside him a few times.
He was announcing that the proposal for the contest had been passed.
'Hehehehe...'
After striking the gavel, Lee Jae-won laughed inwardly.
He felt that this decision could no longer be overturned.
'Everything is going according to plan!'
Lee Jae-won’s eyes began to sparkle more brilliantly than ever before.
*
After the meeting ended.
A public notice was posted throughout the Cheonmu Alliance.
It was a notice containing the details of the contest for the succession.
The candidates staying in the Alliance were shocked upon reading it.
It contained the bewildering news that the Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won, would personally evaluate the martial arts of the candidates' factions.
Who was Lee Jae-won?
Was he not the supreme ruler of the Cheonmu Alliance and the absolute master who reigned as the World's Greatest Martial Artist?
Such a man was going to exchange blows with over a hundred people and evaluate them personally.
How could they not be bewildered?
And that bewilderment soon began to turn into excitement.
It was seen as an opportunity to receive guidance from and showcase their martial arts to the World's Greatest Martial Artist.
Lee Jae-won was a transcendent master who had reached the Profound Realm, often referred to as a Half-Immortal.
Just crossing hands with such a man would be an incredibly valuable experience.
Numerous succession candidates began to count down the days until the contest.
They looked forward to the day they would trade blows with the hero who saved the Murim.
"What? Lee Jae-won himself?"
Sun-woo spoke, his voice tinged with slight surprise.
His face was full of doubt.
"Yes, that's what was written on the notice. That Lee Jae-won would personally evaluate the candidates' martial arts."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon continued in a calm tone after hearing him.
"No, that guy is something else. He hasn't even caught the culprit who massacred the Gu Clan yet, and he's restarting the contest?"
Sun-woo spoke with an incredulous expression.
The Gu Clan Massacre had not been properly resolved yet.
Seeing him restart the contest and announce the details in such a state felt absurd.
Wasn't Gu Ja-yeop strictly one of the leaders?
How could he treat a man who met a tragic end along with his family so coldly?
It made no sense at all.
"........I... also find it... quite unsettling.."
Hearing Sun-woo’s words, Hwangbo Yu-yeon fidgeted with her fingers as she spoke.
She also couldn't understand the actions of the leadership, including Lee Jae-won.
It was the death of Gu Ja-yeop, who had been a pillar of the leadership.
And a suspicious death at that.
Seeing them move past such a death so easily was both disappointing and incomprehensible.
"I feel the same way. It's very unsettling. They should be cleaning up the mess, but they're just moving on like this?"
Sun-woo spoke with a look of incomprehension.
He believed that ignoring the Gu Clan Massacre and restarting the succession contest was a poor judgment.
It might look like they were just letting it slide for now, but they were providing a pretext that would inevitably be used against them later.
In the long run, it was bound to be an absolute loss.
That was why he was curious.
As to why such a decision had been made.
"Could it be an intention to just let it fade away?"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon spoke with a fairly serious expression.
"That's probably not it. The matter is too big to just let it fade away."
Hearing that, Sun-woo slowly shook his head.
The issue was too large to ignore.
An entire clan had been massacred.
And right under the nose of the Cheonmu Alliance, no less.
It was an incident far too massive to simply overlook.
"There will definitely be a significant backlash....... yet he's pushing through like this...."
Sun-woo fell into thought, stroking his chin.
He intended to figure out Lee Jae-won’s intentions.
However, no matter how much he thought about it, grasping his intent was not easy.
"I still don't know."
Eventually, Sun-woo spoke with a resigned expression.
He had given up.
On trying to figure out the man's intentions.
"....What should we do?"
Hearing that, Hwangbo Yu-yeon asked back with a worried look.
"What else? We just leave it be."
Sun-woo continued with a calm expression.
"As long as we don't know their intentions, we can't afford to move recklessly."
".......Nothing bad will happen, right?"
"There won't be anything harmful. Right now, Lee Jae-won’s enemies aren't me, but the leadership."
Sun-woo spoke in a somewhat relaxed voice.
The person Lee Jae-won had to keep in check right now wasn't him.
It was the leadership who suspected him.
Therefore, there wasn't much to worry about.
At the very least, there wouldn't be anything harmful to them.
"Then... that's a relief."
Hearing Sun-woo’s words, Hwangbo Yu-yeon spoke with a look of relief.
She had been worried that Sun-woo might get caught up in Lee Jae-won’s madness, but hearing Sun-woo say there would be no harm put her at ease.
"Were you worried?"
Sun-woo spoke, looking at her as if she were adorable.
".....Yes.... I thought... you might... get hurt.."
She continued, her index fingers fidgeting together.
It was a very cute sight, unbefitting her age.
Chuckles.
Watching her, Sun-woo eventually let out a small laugh.
"Come here."
Sun-woo reached out toward Hwangbo Yu-yeon and beckoned her.
"......Yes.."
At his words, Hwangbo Yu-yeon approached Sun-woo without any hesitation.
Grab.
As she drew near, Sun-woo pulled her into a sudden hug.
Snug.
Her slender body fit perfectly into Sun-woo’s embrace.
"Who told you to be this cute?"
Sun-woo asked mischievously, looking down at Hwangbo Yu-yeon in his arms.
"Cu.... Cute... An old lady... like me... what are you..."
Hearing Sun-woo’s words, Hwangbo Yu-yeon denied it, her face turning bright red.
Cute? What on earth was he talking about?
It was a word she hadn't heard once since passing her twenties.
"You ran here as soon as you saw the notice because you were worried about me, right?"
Sun-woo asked, looking at the blushing Hwangbo Yu-yeon.
"......I.... I thought... it would be... more helpful... if you knew in advance."
At Sun-woo’s question, Hwangbo Yu-yeon stammered shyly.
"Yu-yeon, you really are kind."
Stroke, stroke, stroke.
Hearing that, Sun-woo raised his hand and began to stroke her soft hair with an affectionate touch.
"....Uuu... uuu.."
Was it because of his touch?
Hwangbo Yu-yeon’s face grew even redder.
"Not only are you kind, but you're also this cute and beautiful?"
Sun-woo continued in a playful voice.
"Uuu... please... don't tease me."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon spoke, gently shaking her head from side to side.
"I'm not teasing."
Sun-woo spoke, looking at Hwangbo Yu-yeon with an incredibly serious gaze.
Knead, knead.
Then, he lowered his hand and began to gently knead her perfectly swollen, large breasts.
"Ngh... ah... ngh.."
"And your breasts are so big, too."
".....Lord Sun-woo... I'm embarrassed.."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon spoke in a voice as tiny as a crawling ant, overcome with shame.
"Don't be embarrassed.... Having breasts this large means you can produce a lot of breast milk."
".....Is... is that so?"
Hwangbo Yu-yeon spoke with a puzzled expression.
"Of course. Don't tell me you don't believe me?"
When she asked back, Sun-woo questioned her with a disappointed look on his face.
"N-no... I believe whatever you say, Lord Sun-woo."
Facing Sun-woo’s disappointed expression, Hwangbo Yu-yeon hurriedly shook her head and spoke.
"No, no matter how I think about it, it seems you don't believe me."
Sun-woo spoke, shaking his head from side to side.
"I really... do..."
Hwangbo Yu-yeon spoke with an aggrieved expression.
"I'll have to prove that my words are true."
Sun-woo spoke with a firm expression.
"Proof?"
Hearing Sun-woo’s words, Hwangbo Yu-yeon tilted her head and asked.
Prove that she would produce a lot of breast milk? What on earth did that mean?
'Ah!'
At that moment, a realization flashed through her mind.
Flush.
Immediately, her face began to turn as red as a ripe apple.
She realized what the "proof" Sun-woo was talking about meant.
Grab.
"Kyaa!"
Sun-woo suddenly lifted her up.
And then, he began to move toward the bed.
His gait was incredibly leisurely.
Lifted by him, Hwangbo Yu-yeon lowered her head, her face flushed deep red.
It was because a wave of embarrassment was washing over her.
Before long, the two spent a night of ecstasy.
All under the single-minded determination to prove that large breasts meant plenty of breast milk.