Chapter 707: Isn't Making Fakes Our Specialty?
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 707: Isn't Making Fakes Our Specialty?
"What utter nonsense is this!"
Lee Jae-won shouted, his face twisted in disbelief. He couldn't wrap his head around the report that Jang Sam had appeared in multiple places at the same time.
"It... it is the truth, sir. Reports have been coming in one after another from the provincial branches..."
Cha Do-jin stammered, barely managing to continue. He was just as flabbergasted. There was only one Jang Sam, so how could he appear in several locations simultaneously? Had he mastered some kind of cloning technique?
"How could that...!"
Lee Jae-won found himself at a loss for words. He was so stunned that his voice simply failed him. After a long, heavy silence, Cha Do-jin spoke again, his expression grim.
"They are fakes!"
He continued firmly. "Every single Jang Sam who appeared simultaneously is a fake wearing a human skin mask!"
It had to be. There was no other way for him to show up in different regions at the exact same time.
"Who on earth would do such a thing...?" Lee Jae-won asked, looking utterly perplexed. He couldn't understand who would go to such lengths to impersonate a public enemy of the Murim like Jang Sam, or for what purpose.
"It seems to be the work of the faction hostile to the Cheonmu Alliance," Cha Do-jin replied, his voice heavy.
"A faction hostile to us?"
"I mean the true culprit who posted those initial large-character posters."
"Ah!"
Lee Jae-won let out a gasp of realization. Because he had been so convinced that Jang Sam was the culprit, he had completely forgotten about the original perpetrator who had put up the posters.
"You're saying those bastards have made their move!?"
"Indeed. It seems they are dissatisfied with how we handled the situation." Cha Do-jin’s expression turned cold. "To think they would use their heads like this."
Before long, rumors of the fake Jang Sams would spread across the land. The public would soon realize that the Jang Sams appearing now were imposters. And the moment they realized that, doubt would begin to fester. They would start to wonder if the Jang Sam who appeared in Jinan was also a fake.
This is a headache.
Lee Jae-won felt a throbbing pain in his temples. He hadn't expected them to undermine the Cheonmu Alliance's credibility in such a manner.
"What exactly is their intention!" Lee Jae-won raised his voice, his frustration boiling over. Why were they interfering at every single turn?
"It seems they intend to sow seeds of doubt regarding the Cheonmu Alliance."
"What!?"
"By having multiple Jang Sams appear, they are planting the suspicion that the Alliance can fabricate a culprit whenever it suits them."
"Those godforsaken bastards!"
Lee Jae-won roared in fury. He was incensed by the hostile faction's blatant attempt to drag the Cheonmu Alliance through the mud.
Everything had been perfect—everything surrounding him. By using Jang Sam, he had managed to suppress all the malicious rumors. He had successfully flipped public opinion. He had gone from being a depraved criminal to a pitiful victim framed by a treacherous disciple.
He had regained the people's trust. Instead of petitions demanding the truth, donations had begun to pour in. Everything had returned to its rightful place.
But now, everything was being warped in an instant because of these simultaneous appearances. He couldn't help but be enraged.
"Alliance Leader, please, calm yourself for a moment."
Cha Do-jin tried to soothe the agitated Lee Jae-won.
"Do I look like I can stay calm right now? Everything I barely managed to fix is about to go down the drain!" Lee Jae-won screamed.
"It hasn't all gone down the drain yet," Cha Do-jin said, his voice remarkably calm. "Even if suspicions have been raised, the malicious public opinion against you has already died down to some extent. In a way, the situation might actually have improved."
The vitriol against Lee Jae-won had indeed subsided. The narrative that everything was Jang Sam's doing had already taken root once. In this state, even if people had doubts, few would openly question Lee Jae-won again. The public would likely shift their focus from a past scandal to the new, sensational topic of the multiple fake Jang Sams.
"But we can't just sit back and relax! If those fake Jang Sams keep generating new rumors, the old ones will eventually resurface!" Lee Jae-won argued, his voice laced with anxiety.
Even if things were quiet now, if the fakes continued to spread malice, the scandals surrounding him could be brought back into the spotlight at any time. He was carrying a permanent risk.
"We just need to take action before that happens." Cha Do-jin’s eyes glinted with a cold light.
"Do you have a plan!?" Lee Jae-won asked, his face brightening. It seemed his strategist had something up his sleeve.
"We just have to catch one."
"Catch one?"
"Yes. We catch someone impersonating Jang Sam and force a confession out of them. We make them say that the mastermind behind everything was the public enemy, Jang Sam." Cha Do-jin wore a chilling smile.
"But... won't that take too long?" Lee Jae-won frowned. The hostile forces had been elusive so far. While catching them would be ideal, there was no guarantee when that would happen. How could they rely on a confession they didn't even have yet?
"We don't need to catch a real one, Alliance Leader." Cha Do-jin’s expression remained icy.
"What do you mean by that!?" Lee Jae-won asked, confused. They didn't need to catch a real one?
"Isn't making fakes our specialty?"
Cha Do-jin let out a thick, malicious smile. Lee Jae-won tilted his head in confusion.
*
Thump, thump, thump.
Hwang Sam, an ordinary martial artist of the Cheonmu Alliance, felt his heart racing wildly. The thought of the "great undertaking" he was about to perform made his emotions impossible to control.
Should I... run away now?
Hwang Sam seriously considered it. He genuinely thought about bolting.
No... I can't do that...!
But he soon shook his head, hardening his resolve. If he successfully completed this task, he would receive a staggering amount of money—an amount so large he could never save it in a lifetime on his meager salary as an ordinary martial artist.
With that money... I can send Seo-ah to a seodang... I can feed him until he's full...
Hwang Sam steeled himself. He felt there was nothing he wouldn't do for his only son. Unlike his ignorant self, his son was bright. If he could just send him to school, he was sure the boy would become a great man.
Just once... let's suffer through this just once!
Hwang Sam’s eyes sparkled. He immediately began running toward the center of the commercial district, utilizing his movement technique to move at an incredible speed.
Step, step, step, step.
Naturally, he began to draw people's attention.
"Jang Sam!?"
"It's Jang Sam!"
"Jang Sam has appeared!"
People began to scream left and right. Jang Sam’s face was already well-known through wanted posters. Seeing him appear in the flesh, the crowd couldn't help but cry out in horror.
Step.
Reaching the center of the commercial district, he pulled a sheet of paper from his robes. It was a poster filled with malicious accusations against Lee Jae-won. He proceeded to paste it onto a building in the middle of the district for everyone to see. Then, he immediately turned around, intending to make a show of fleeing.
"Halt, Jang Sam!"
At that moment, a voice like thunder echoed through the air. Hwang Sam stole a glance back. He saw Jin-gang, the Black Tortoise Hall Master, looking absolutely livid.
Everything is going according to plan.
Hwang Sam cheered inwardly. He had been worried that a bounty hunter or some other martial artist might interfere, but fortunately, Jin-gang had appeared exactly as scheduled. It was a good start.
Step, step, step, step.
Hwang Sam began to run without hesitation, as if he were truly escaping.
"Where do you think you're going!"
Seeing this, Jin-gang immediately lunged forward, determined not to let him escape.
Grab!
Before long, Jin-gang caught up and seized Hwang Sam.
Whoosh!
Crash!
He then slammed Hwang Sam into the ground with brutal force.
"Aaaaaagh!"
A horrific scream tore from Hwang Sam’s throat. The pain was far more intense than anything an ordinary martial artist like him could endure.
This... this isn't what we agreed on...!?
Hwang Sam was bewildered. He had been told that the Hall Master would control his strength and suppress him gently—just making it look spectacular for the audience. But in reality, the suppression was violent and agonizing.
I'll... I'll have to complain about this later...
Hwang Sam barely managed to endure the pain. He wanted to point a finger and protest that this wasn't the deal, but doing so would ruin everything. He had to hold it in.
Whoosh.
Suddenly, Hwang Sam’s body was hoisted into the air. Jin-gang had grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
"Who are you?" Jin-gang asked, glaring at him.
"Are you blind? I'm Jang Sam, Black Tortoise Hall Master," Hwang Sam replied, putting his all into his acting despite the pain.
"No, you are not Jang Sam. Jang Sam does not possess such clumsy martial arts."
Jin-gang glared at him with a suspicious expression. Even if he had become a public enemy, Jang Sam was a man once hailed as a genius. He wouldn't possess such pathetic martial prowess.
Grip.
Jin-gang grabbed Hwang Sam’s face.
Riiiiiip!
He immediately tore the mask away, revealing Hwang Sam’s true face to the world.
"What!"
"How can this be!?"
"No way!?"
The onlookers' eyes widened in shock. They were stunned to see that the "Jang Sam" captured by Jin-gang was an imposter.
"Why did you impersonate Jang Sam?" Jin-gang asked bluntly.
"Heh... do you really think I'll tell you?" Hwang Sam played hard to get, following the script. Cha Do-jin had advised that spilling everything immediately would make the confession less credible.
"It seems words won't be enough for the likes of you," Jin-gang said calmly. He hadn't expected the man to talk easily anyway.
Crack.
He ruthlessly snapped Hwang Sam’s wrist.
"AAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!"
Hwang Sam screamed in agony. The excruciating pain of his broken wrist surged through his entire body.
You said you'd just pretend! Just pretend!
Hwang Sam’s face was filled with a sense of betrayal. He had been told that the Hall Master would only mimic the Bone-Dislocating Technique. So why did he actually break his wrist?
"Speak... why did you impersonate Jang Sam?"
"............"
Hwang Sam kept his mouth shut. The script said he should confess after the Bone-Dislocating Technique was applied. He had to follow it.
"So you think you can handle a broken wrist? Interesting."
Seeing his silence, Jin-gang’s expression turned cold.
Thud, thud, thud.
He began to strike Hwang Sam’s body with rapid, precise blows.
Crunch, crack.
The sound of bones twisting throughout his body began to echo. Jin-gang’s specialty, the Bone-Dislocating Technique, had begun in earnest.
"ARGH!"
Hwang Sam shrieked. The sensation of his bones being separated from his flesh flooded his senses. It was painful—unbearably painful.
THIS ISN'T WHAT WE AGREED OOOOOON!!!!!!
He screamed inwardly in fury. This was far beyond the plan. Hadn't they said he would only pretend? So why was he actually performing the Bone-Dislocating Technique?
"AAAAAGH!! I'll talk!!!! I'll tell you everything!!!!!!"
Hwang Sam began to plead desperately, his voice high-pitched with terror. He was afraid he might actually die if this continued.
Tap, tap, tap.
Seeing this, Jin-gang immediately released the technique.
"Speak. Why did you impersonate Jang Sam?" He glared at Hwang Sam with icy eyes.
"........I... I made a deal with Jang Sam..." he stammered, his voice trembling.
"A deal with Jang Sam?"
"Y-yes........ He said if I impersonated him and put up those posters..... he would give me..... the Alliance Leader's martial arts..."
He stuttered through the lines from the script. The cover story was that he was a foolish martial artist who had been tempted by the Alliance Leader's secret techniques into making a deal with a public enemy.
"What proof do you have that you're telling the truth?"
"H-here... I have a manual containing the beginning stages of the Great Void One-Qi Art."
Hwang Sam pulled a shabby-looking manual from his robes. Jin-gang took it from him.
Flip, flip.
He quickly scanned through it. While he couldn't be certain of its authenticity, the contents were written convincingly enough.
"To think you would use your master's techniques to lure the greedy! Jang Sam!"
Jin-gang’s rage toward Jang Sam flared. Even if he had been expelled, it was the sect that was his very foundation. The thought of Jang Sam ruthlessly betraying his own sect for his desires filled Jin-gang with fury.
"What is your name?" Jin-gang asked, looking down at Hwang Sam.
"I am... Hwang Sam."
"Those who collude with a public enemy of the Murim are subject to summary execution. Are you aware of this?"
"Oh, please! I was wrong.... Hall Master...... Please forgive me just this once..... I was blinded by the prospect of learning a divine art..... that's why I did it."
Hwang Sam began to beg desperately. Of course, this too was in the script. Now, Jin-gang was supposed to take him away and lock him in a dungeon. Then, once inside, he would be released with a large sum of money. Everyone would reach a happy ending.
"In your next life, try to live without such greed."
"Wait, what!?"
Crunch.
Hwang Sam’s head was instantly crushed. Jin-gang had swung his arm and struck him with lethal force.
Thud.
Hwang Sam’s headless body slumped to the ground. He had met a miserable end.
Watching this, Jin-gang turned away without a hint of regret. In the center of the commercial district, only the corpse of the man once known as Hwang Sam remained.