Chapter 608: Taking the Initiative
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 608: Taking the Initiative
"Then we must send a letter at once!"
Lee Jae-won spoke with a brightened expression after hearing Tang Jin-seol’s words.
His eyes were filled with hope—the hope that he could finally kill his sworn enemy, Jang Sun-woo.
"No. We won't be sending a letter."
Tang Jin-seol shook her head slightly as she replied.
"And why not!?"
Lee Jae-won asked, his face contorted in confusion.
What on earth was she talking about? The very person who suggested cooperation was now saying they wouldn't even send a message?
"This is not a matter to be discussed through correspondence, Alliance Leader," Tang Jin-seol continued in a calm tone. "Currently, your every move is being watched by the entire Murim. If we send a letter carelessly, we cannot rule out the possibility of it being intercepted and censored along the way."
"What? Who would dare censor a letter from this Alliance Leader!"
Lee Jae-won shouted, his voice rising in anger.
Even though his arm had been severed by Jang Sun-woo and he had lost the title of the World’s Greatest Martial Artist, he was still an absolute master who had reached the sublime Profound Realm.
Who would dare touch his private mail?
"There are many who would. It could be factions seeking to oust you, intelligence organizations, or even agents of the Demonic Cult."
Tang Jin-seol maintained her composure.
Currently, Lee Jae-won was the center of attention in the Murim. He was the man who had publicly declared he would invade the Demonic Cult.
Therefore, caution was paramount. There were countless groups trying to track his every move.
"Then how do you expect me to seek the Poison King's cooperation?" Lee Jae-won asked, genuinely curious. He couldn't fathom how else to convey his intent.
"Since the matter is so grave, it would be better to visit my brother in person."
"Visit the Poison King directly?" Lee Jae-won repeated, looking at her with a puzzled expression.
"It will be the safest and most certain way."
Tang Jin-seol nodded slightly.
"You are right. I was being short-sighted."
Lee Jae-won agreed. They were planning to kill Jang Sun-woo, the man who had suddenly become the hottest topic in the Central Plains. They had to be extremely prudent.
"I must arrange a schedule to head to the Tang Clan as soon as possible."
Lee Jae-won’s eyes sparkled with renewed motivation.
"There is no need to rush so much, Alliance Leader. My brother isn't going to run away."
Tang Jin-seol let out a seductive smile.
"I simply wish to achieve my revenge as quickly as possible..." Lee Jae-won muttered.
"Haste makes waste, Alliance Leader."
Tang Jin-seol’s smile turned wicked.
"Before we cooperate with my brother, we must first finish our preparations."
"What preparations?"
"The preparation to sever all his limbs."
Tang Jin-seol’s eyes glinted with a venomous, snake-like intensity.
"Sever all his limbs?"
Lee Jae-won asked, still looking lost. Once again, he couldn't follow her train of thought.
Speak plainly, you bitch, Lee Jae-won grumbled inwardly.
He was getting annoyed. Tang Jin-seol had a habit of speaking in riddles instead of just saying things simply.
"Before we leave for the Tang Clan, I intend to isolate him. I want to ensure that even if he is killed, no one will stand up for him."
Tang Jin-seol’s cold, reptilian eyes shimmered.
"Ho-oh."
Lee Jae-won let out a sound of admiration. He couldn't help but be impressed by her scheme.
He had only thought about killing Jang Sun-woo by teaming up with the Poison King. He hadn't given a single thought to the aftermath—the situation following the kill or the public's reaction.
Yet, Tang Jin-seol was already preparing for the day after his death. How could he not be impressed?
Working with a meticulous bitch certainly makes things easier, Lee Jae-won thought.
He felt lucky to have Tang Jin-seol on his side. She had taken his vague thoughts of revenge and turned them into a concrete, structured plan. Without her, he would have likely wasted his days just dreaming of vengeance.
She’s looking quite pretty lately.
Lee Jae-won stole a few glances at Tang Jin-seol. Perhaps it was because her actions were so pleasing to him, but her beauty seemed to be at its peak.
Ugh.
But then, Lee Jae-won’s face twisted into a grimace. His gaze had landed on her massive breasts.
Damn, even my hard-on just died.
He quickly jerked his head away. He didn't want to look at those monstrous breasts for a second longer. It was impossible. No matter how he looked at it, he couldn't find that body attractive.
Unless he was dead drunk, getting it up for those tits would be a lifelong impossibility.
Right, let's just keep it professional. Just business... It's not like she seems to want sex anyway.
While Lee Jae-won was lost in these thoughts...
"Alliance Leader, are you listening to me?"
A voice pierced through his reverie.
"Ah, my apologies. I was momentarily lost in thought."
Lee Jae-won apologized with a sheepish expression. He didn't feel sorry at all, but he figured a bit of hypocrisy was necessary for a perfect business relationship.
"It's fine. I shall tell you again."
Tang Jin-seol continued with a calm face.
"I need your cooperation."
She looked directly at Lee Jae-won with a steady gaze.
"My cooperation?"
Lee Jae-won asked back, puzzled. Cooperation all of a sudden? What was this about now?
"Please summon the leadership."
"The leadership?"
"Yes. Rumors generally spread from the top down."
Tang Jin-seol flashed a captivating smile.
"Do you intend to leak what happened today to them?"
"Exactly. That would be the most natural way."
Tang Jin-seol nodded.
"Is that absolutely necessary?"
Lee Jae-won spoke with a reluctant expression. Although he had managed to sway the leadership to support the Great War of Righteousness and Demons by appealing to their emotions, the group was still full of people like Heo Sam-gwan who harbored ill will toward him.
He didn't want to parade his humiliating situation in front of them. How was he supposed to tell them that he went to apologize and got rejected?
It’ll ruin my reputation, dammit.
Lee Jae-won valued his honor above all else. If it became known that he, the Alliance Leader, had not only had his arm cut off by a mere junior but had also suffered such humiliation, he wouldn't be able to show his face anywhere.
"It must be done."
Whether she knew his inner thoughts or not, Tang Jin-seol spoke with a firm expression.
"......I don't understand. If I reveal such facts to the leadership, not only my honor but also my credibility as the Alliance Leader will hit rock bottom. Why are you urging me to do such a thing?"
"No, the opposite will happen."
"The opposite?"
"If you inform the leadership of this incident, you will be able to recover the trust you've lost."
She spoke with absolute certainty.
"......Is that... really true!?"
"Of course. I am not a woman who says two different things with one mouth."
Tang Jin-seol gave him a seductive smile.
"......Just how...?"
Lee Jae-won asked, his eyes filled with anticipation. Meeting his gaze, Tang Jin-seol’s eyes sparkled with a wicked light.
"Isn't this far too arrogant? Summoning us so suddenly!?"
Cha Do-jin, the Gyebang Hall Master, spoke with a disgruntled expression.
"Indeed. No matter if he is the Alliance Leader, does he not treat us too much like underlings?"
Consort Yoo, the Paewol Hall Master sitting beside him, agreed. It was basic etiquette to give at least a day's notice for a summons. Being called to assemble immediately on the same day was almost unheard of.
Naturally, they were irritated by the Alliance Leader's lack of basic courtesy.
"We should take this opportunity to give him a stern reprimand. We aren't his servants, for heaven's sake."
Gi Myeon-sik, the Soryong Hall Master, spoke with a serious face. Like the others, his frustration over the sudden summons was boiling over.
"Now, now. Surely the Alliance Leader has his reasons? Why jump straight to criticism?"
At that moment, Lee Dae-gon, the Hwalbindang Master and a pro-Alliance faction member, spoke up with a frown. He didn't like the way the anti-Alliance hall masters were stirring up a negative atmosphere.
"He's right! Why must you criticize the Alliance Leader so?"
"Why don't you just stay quiet instead of causing unnecessary friction?"
Other pro-Alliance hall masters began to back Lee Dae-gon.
"Are you saying this unscheduled summons is acceptable, then?"
Cha Do-jin, the Gyebang Hall Master, glared at Lee Dae-gon and raised his voice.
"He must have summoned us for a reason! Why do you have so little faith in the Alliance Leader?"
"One must be trustworthy to be trusted, don't you think?"
The Gyebang Hall Master let out a scoff.
"What did you say!"
Lee Dae-gon snapped, his voice rising in anger. The venerable Alliance Leader wasn't trustworthy? How could he utter such insolent words?
"Let's be honest, what has the Alliance Leader actually done?" the Gyebang Hall Master said bitingly. "For the past twenty years, hasn't he just sat there looking grave and nodding his head at every meeting?"
"That was merely the Alliance Leader showing empathy and agreeing with the points made!"
"I'm sure it was."
Cha Do-jin spoke with a smile full of mockery.
"Youuuuu!"
That smile pushed Lee Dae-gon over the edge. Beyond just being in the pro-Alliance faction, Lee Dae-gon genuinely admired and respected Lee Jae-won. To him, such biting criticism of the Alliance Leader felt like a personal insult to his own family.
"If you insult the Alliance Leader one more time, I will be forced to draw my sword!"
Lee Dae-gon glared at Cha Do-jin with murderous intent.
Thump!
"You think I won't draw mine if you tell me to?"
As soon as Lee Dae-gon finished speaking, Cha Do-jin stood up abruptly.
Shring.
He slowly drew the sword hanging at his hip.
Thump!
"You won't learn until you see your own coffin!"
Lee Dae-gon also stood up, refusing to back down, and gripped his hilt. He looked ready to strike at any moment.
"What are you doing... Calm down."
"How can you draw swords in the meeting hall? Sheathe them at once!"
The other hall masters nearby began to intervene, worried that blood might actually be spilled.
"Let go! Today, I intend to personally teach this man, who dared insult our respected Alliance Leader, the true meaning of the sword!"
Lee Dae-gon shook off the hands of the hall masters trying to stop him. He showed no sign of backing down.
"Doesn't your tongue hurt?"
Cha Do-jin watched him with a mocking smirk.
"My tongue is perfectly fine, so worry about your own neck! I might just take it!"
"How strange. You've been licking his boots so much, I'm surprised your tongue hasn't worn away."
Cha Do-jin continued his mockery.
Clang!
"Eeeek!"
Unable to take it anymore, Lee Dae-gon drew his sword. He intended to cut the man down right then and there.
Clang!
Cha Do-jin also drew his sword in response, shaking off the leadership members trying to hold him back.
In an instant, the meeting room turned into a powder keg—a dangerous situation where anyone could get hurt.
Bam!
"What do you think you are doing!"
Suddenly, the doors to the meeting room burst open, and Lee Jae-won, the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, stormed in with a thunderous roar.
Vrooooooom!
The interior of the meeting room began to vibrate incessantly. It seemed his shout was infused with a massive amount of internal energy.
"Ugh!"
"Gah!"
The people inside the room groaned in unison. An overwhelming pressure had enveloped their bodies, a force they couldn't possibly withstand.
"Did I not clearly state? If anyone draws a sword in this meeting hall again, I will personally punish them!"
Lee Jae-won shouted, his voice thick with rage. He glared at the two hall masters holding swords. He looked absolutely livid.
"There will be no more mercy!"
Lee Jae-won threw a rapid succession of punches into the air.
Whoosh!
Two blasts of Fist Wind shot toward the two hall masters. They moved so fast that the men couldn't even react.
Thwack!
Thwack!
Two dull impacts echoed through the room, and the two hall masters were sent flying.
Crash!
They slammed into the back wall, looking utterly pathetic.
The rest of the leadership watched him, their faces frozen in pure shock.