Chapter 745: For the Perfect Downfall of Lee Jae-won
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 745: For the Perfect Downfall of Lee Jae-won
"A Pursuit Order!?"
Heo Sam-gwan spoke in a tone of utter bewilderment after hearing Lee Jae-won's command.
"That is correct. From this moment on, the full strength of the Cheonmu Alliance will be dedicated solely to hunting down Jang Sam."
"But Alliance Leader, the war with the Demonic Cult is right before our eyes! we cannot afford to be distracted by the likes of Jang Sam!"
Heo Sam-gwan continued, his expression grim.
Currently, the Cheonmu Alliance was in the middle of preparing for war against the Demonic Cult. They were securing supplies, recruiting martial artists, and building up their military might. In such a situation, to pour all their strength into chasing Jang Sam? It was preposterous.
"Are you suggesting we just leave Jang Sam be!?"
Upon hearing those words, Lee Jae-won glared, raising his voice as if to reprimand him. He reacted as if he had heard something truly unthinkable.
"I am not saying we should leave him alone. I am simply saying there is no need to commit our entire force to it."
Heo Sam-gwan maintained a calm expression as he spoke.
"And why do you think that?"
"Because it is a waste of power."
"A waste of power?" Lee Jae-won echoed.
"Indeed. It has already been several days since the serial rape and murder case occurred. He would have fled Jinan long ago. Mobilizing thousands of men to catch a single man like that is a waste of our resources."
Heo Sam-gwan’s voice remained dry. The total strength of the Cheonmu Alliance was immense—enough to annihilate a major sect in a single day. To expend such massive power on Jang Sam, whose whereabouts were unknown, was nothing but a waste.
"It seems the Palbok Hall Master and I have different opinions."
Lee Jae-won replied in a level tone.
"I disagree. Mobilizing the Alliance's full strength to capture Jang Sam is not a waste of power."
"And what is your reasoning for that?"
Heo Sam-gwan asked back, his face showing he truly didn't understand. Lee Jae-won’s words made no sense to him. How could pouring everything into finding a man who could be anywhere not be a waste?
"Because I believe capturing Jang Sam is more important than the war with the Demonic Cult."
"What on earth are you talking about!?"
Heo Sam-gwan blurted out, looking dumbfounded. Capturing Jang Sam was more important than a war against the Demonic Cult—a war that would decide the very fate of the Murim? What kind of nonsense was this?
"The war with the Demonic Cult is a matter of life and death for the entire Murim! Yet you prioritize chasing a single criminal over that? That is absurd!"
Heo Sam-gwan raised his voice, shouting. He was venting his fury at a foolish Alliance Leader who couldn't even grasp basic priorities.
"It has been twenty years!"
Lee Jae-won shouted back, his voice rising in anger.
"For twenty years, the Cheonmu Alliance has been mocked by that rapist! And yet, even though the Alliance knows who the culprit is, we have been unable to catch or kill him! This is the Cheonmu Alliance, whose motto is to see not, hear not, and do not, unless it is Chivalry!"
Lee Jae-won’s face was flushed with agitation as he shouted.
"Jang Sam! My former disciple and a Public Enemy of the Murim! He is the Cheonmu Alliance's greatest mistake, a stain we have yet to wipe away! If we cannot even clean such a filthy stain, who will trust the Cheonmu Alliance? Who will fight alongside us? Who would dare call the Cheonmu Alliance righteous!?"
Lee Jae-won looked around at the gathered crowd and began to deliver a passionate speech.
"If we just let this matter slide, the trust in this Alliance will plummet to the ground! No one will step forward for us! In such a state, how can we possibly wage a war!?"
Lee Jae-won glared at Heo Sam-gwan with a menacing gaze.
Flinch.
Meeting that gaze, Heo Sam-gwan's body trembled. He felt an aura of spirit from the man's eyes that far exceeded his expectations.
"What I am trying to capture is not just Jang Sam! It is the people's faith in the Cheonmu Alliance! How can you not understand something so simple!?"
Lee Jae-won began to berate Heo Sam-gwan with a sharp, biting voice.
"B-but... we cannot delay... We have already secured the supplies. How can we postpone the war now?"
"Did I ever set a specific date for the war?"
"Pardon?"
"I asked if I ever publicly announced when we would invade!"
Lee Jae-won asked, looking as if he were genuinely curious.
"Well, no, but..."
Of course, he hadn't. Although war had been declared, no specific date had been set or announced. He had only said the war would begin the moment preparations were complete.
"Then what exactly is the problem?"
Lee Jae-won asked back, looking puzzled. Since no date had been set, why was there such a rush?
"A massive amount of supplies and a significant number of martial artists have already gathered at the Tang Clan. If the war is delayed under these circumstances, the burden on the Tang Clan will inevitably increase."
Currently, the Sichuan Tang Clan was directly managing the war supplies and the gathered martial artists. They were storing the goods in their warehouses and providing food and lodging for the warriors. If the war was delayed, the Tang Clan's burden would only grow. How could he delay the war just to catch Jang Sam? it was preposterous.
"The Tang Clan Head will surely understand the Alliance's situation."
Lee Jae-won continued with a nonchalant expression.
"He is a man of chivalry who practices the Chivalric Code, just as I do."
Lee Jae-won pushed his agenda forward, citing groundless faith. In the end, his intention was to dump the entire burden onto the Tang Clan.
"Good grief."
Heo Sam-gwan looked on in disbelief. Just moments ago, the man had spoken like the most righteous hero in the world, and now he was talking like a selfish ruffian from the unorthodox sects. How could he not be stunned?
"This is madness! There is no way he will accept this!"
Heo Sam-gwan protested vehemently. He agreed that the Poison King was a man of chivalry, but he didn't think the man would tolerate his family suffering such extreme damage. Before he was a hero, he was the head of a clan.
"Does the Palbok Hall Master happen to be close friends with the Tang Clan Head?"
"Well... no, but..."
"Then why do you speak as if you know him better than I do?"
Lee Jae-won spoke with heavy sarcasm.
"............"
Heo Sam-gwan fell silent, his mouth clamped shut. Since he couldn't claim a personal friendship, he had no way to refute the point.
"The Tang Clan Head I know possesses the magnanimity to fully understand the circumstances of the Cheonmu Alliance. Do not presume to disparage him when you do not even know him!"
Lee Jae-won continued to berate Heo Sam-gwan with a feigned look of anger.
"...........I apologize."
Heo Sam-gwan immediately apologized. As Lee Jae-won said, it was rude of him to argue about a man he had never met personally.
"Be more careful in the future."
Lee Jae-won glared at Heo Sam-gwan with cold eyes. He intended to completely break the man's spirit so he wouldn't interfere again.
".....Understood."
Heo Sam-gwan answered reluctantly.
"Ahem... Hmmm... The conversation has strayed. At any rate, I intend to postpone the war indefinitely until the pursuit of Jang Sam is complete. I believe this is the best course of action for everyone and for the Cheonmu Alliance."
Lee Jae-won cleared his throat a couple of times and continued.
"What do the Hall Masters think?"
He asked for the opinions of the other Hall Masters in the room, looking at them with eyes that carried a silent pressure. It was, in fact, a silent command to agree.
"............"
The Hall Masters remained silent at Lee Jae-won's question. They were debating what to say. After a moment of tension...
"I agree with the Alliance Leader's opinion!"
Thud.
Lee Dae-gon, the Hwalbindang Master who had been quiet until now, stood up and shouted.
"The Alliance Leader has truly opened my eyes. Without trust in the Alliance, the war cannot be fought properly! I actively support the Leader's opinion that we must restore trust first!"
He spoke with an expression of deep moved emotion.
"I agree as well! If we do not properly liquidate the Alliance's past mistakes, many will point fingers at us!"
"I agree too!"
"Me too..."
"And I..."
Soon, the majority of the Hall Masters in the room began to chime in with their support for Lee Jae-won. They figured that as long as the Tang Clan bore the burden of the war, it wouldn't be much of a problem for them.
"I thank you for accepting such a difficult request."
Lee Jae-won spoke in a very polite tone. He knew full well that it was an unreasonable demand.
Life is so damn easy. Fucking hell.
A satisfied smile began to spread across Lee Jae-won's lips. He was quite pleased with the behavior of these brainless cattle who supported him no matter what he said.
They've all gone mad... every single one of them...
On the other hand, Heo Sam-gwan, the only one who had opposed, thought to himself. He was certain they had all lost their minds. Otherwise, how could they so readily and without hesitation accept such a deranged, selfish demand? They had to be insane.
There is no future for this Alliance.
He thought. There was no longer any future for the Cheonmu Alliance.
*
Posters were put up all over Jinan. The posters detailed the schedule for an event: a speech by the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won.
The date was exactly three days away, and the location was the speech grounds behind the Cheonmu Alliance, built to accommodate thousands of people. There were no restrictions on who could attend. Martial artists, farmers, merchants—everyone was invited to watch the speech.
People who saw the posters said in unison that they would definitely go to the speech grounds that day. They were curious to hear what the Alliance Leader, known as the most mysterious man in the world, suddenly had to say.
The public's attention began to focus on Lee Jae-won's speech.
*
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in."
Sun-woo spoke in a calm tone.
Creeeeeak.
The door opened, and a dazzlingly beautiful woman appeared. It was Paeng Ga-ryeon, the Law Enforcement Hall Master.
"What is it?"
Sun-woo asked, looking at her. He wondered why she had come to see him.
"I have something to deliver to you," Paeng Ga-ryeon said with a very respectful attitude.
"Something to deliver?" Sun-woo asked back, curious.
Paeng Ga-ryeon took out a rolled-up piece of rice paper from her robe. She walked toward Sun-woo and politely handed it to him.
Sun-woo took the paper and slowly unfurled it. The rice paper, covered in dense writing, was fully revealed. Sun-woo began to read the words on the paper slowly, without saying a word.
After reading for a while, a deep smile formed on Sun-woo's lips. The date for the execution of their plan, which he had been waiting for, was finally set.
"Ga-ryeon."
Sun-woo looked at Paeng Ga-ryeon and spoke.
"Yes, please speak."
"How many copies have you printed?"
Sun-woo had previously ordered her to print copies of the Hao Clan Head's incident report so that everyone gathered at the speech grounds could see it.
"......Exactly eight hundred and fifty copies."
"How many more do you think you can print by three days from now?"
"........I think I can barely manage over twelve hundred."
"Is it impossible to print three thousand?"
"........Yes.... Unfortunately..... since there aren't many people working on it....."
She spoke with a dejected expression. Three thousand copies was impossible. Currently, only she and her daughter, Lee Gi-yeon, were involved in the printing. Since it was a top-secret task, they couldn't hire outside help.
"What if I give you about four more people?"
"Then I think we could print three thousand."
Paeng Ga-ryeon spoke with a face full of confidence. They had already printed eight hundred and fifty copies with just the two of them. If four more people were added, printing three thousand would be no trouble at all.
"Where is the workshop?"
"For now...... we are working in the secret chamber in the basement of the Law Enforcement Hall."
"Ah, the place where you had the affair with Kang Myeong?"
Sun-woo asked her, looking as if he had just remembered.
".............Yes."
Hearing that, Paeng Ga-ryeon's face turned bright red as she answered. She was overcome with an indescribable sense of embarrassment.
"Alright. Then I'll send some kids over there to help."
"........Kids?"
She asked back with a puzzled expression. Who on earth would he send for a task that required absolute secrecy?
"I can't have just you and So-yang working so hard, can I? The others should work too."
"Ah!"
Upon hearing Sun-woo's words, Paeng Ga-ryeon understood immediately. She knew the identity of the "kids" Sun-woo would send. They were the slaves—the slaves who looked only at Sun-woo and loved only him.
"Let's prepare thoroughly until the day of execution."
A deep smile played on Sun-woo's lips.
"For the perfect downfall of Lee Jae-won."
Sun-woo's eyes began to glint coldly.