Chapter 783: The Wager
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 783: The Wager
"If we extend the deadline just a little longer, we can secure land in other regions as well."
Ha Su-ryeon continued speaking in a calm tone.
The Central Plains was so vast it was called the center of the world. Securing a plot of land was not a particularly difficult task.
"We could secure it, sure. But it would take too long."
Sun-woo looked at her as he spoke.
"I believe it's an amount of time we can afford to endure... Jiangxi Province is... well, to put it bluntly, it's not exactly a desirable region..."
"No."
Sun-woo cut her off firmly.
"Why is that?" Ha Su-ryeon asked, clearly puzzled.
If they could just push the date back, they could secure a much better site. She couldn't understand why he was so insistent on such a short timeframe.
"If the schedule is dragged out, the plan itself will fall apart."
"Exactly... what plan are you referring to?"
"First, if the process takes too long, we will inevitably see defectors. The longer people have to dwell on it, the more they'll feel that their personal sense of justice has been tarnished by the ugly atrocities of the Cheonmu Alliance Leader, Lee Jae-won."
Sun-woo continued in a level voice.
"To preserve the Alliance's strength as much as possible, we must inform the members of the Uicheon Alliance's existence as a replacement and stop them from leaving immediately. But you want to delay that just to secure land? If we do that, not even half of them will remain."
"...Then couldn't we just announce the founding of the Uicheon Alliance first? We can take our time securing the land after that..."
"If we did that, the current vested interests wouldn't just sit idly by."
"The vested interests?"
"Yes. The speculators and the power players in Jinan who have profited from the Cheonmu Alliance all this time."
Sun-woo’s eyes flashed sharply.
In Jinan, a class of elites had emerged who had accumulated massive wealth thanks to the presence of the Cheonmu Alliance. There were speculators who bought up land in advance knowing the Alliance would be established, the authorities of Shandong Province who collected enormous taxes and saw regional development without lifting a finger, and numerous merchant guilds that had pre-emptively claimed the best spots.
Over the past twenty years, the establishment of the Cheonmu Alliance had cultivated a massive web of vested interests. To them, the relocation of the Uicheon Alliance was not welcome news. In fact, it was a disaster they had to prevent at all costs.
If the Uicheon Alliance moved, the financial empire they had built would crumble like a sandcastle.
"They will fight tooth and nail against the relocation. They’ll try to cling to us by any means necessary to keep the Uicheon Alliance anchored in Jinan. If that happens, things will get incredibly tedious."
Sun-woo looked at Ha Su-ryeon.
"Even if we force the move, if we haven't already secured the land, land speculation will run rampant. The wealth those vested interests possess is comparable to that of the Tang Clan."
"............"
Ha Su-ryeon fell silent. She realized his logic was sound. Those elites had indeed amassed staggering fortunes. Interfering with land prices to muddy the waters would be child's play for them.
"I know your opinion isn't wrong. I'm well aware that Jiangxi is quite underdeveloped compared to other regions. But there's nowhere else. No other place has the capacity to let us purchase millions of pyeong of land all at once."
The picture Sun-woo was painting in his mind was larger than anyone could imagine. To complete that picture, he needed millions of pyeong. A mere few tens of thousands wouldn't suffice.
That was why he had decided on Jiangxi Province. Since everyone else was ignoring it, the transactions could be completed faster there than anywhere else.
"Furthermore, Jiangxi is mostly flat plains. Although the soil quality is poor, making it worthless for farming, it's the perfect terrain for constructing buildings."
A thick smile played on Sun-woo’s lips.
"And don't worry too much about it being underdeveloped. The moment the Uicheon Alliance settles there, countless people will migrate to Jiangxi."
Sun-woo’s eyes began to sparkle like starlight, filled with absolute certainty.
If the Uicheon Alliance moved, others would have no choice but to follow. The Alliance's overwhelming martial power would translate into absolute security, and that security would be an irresistible draw for merchant guilds and those in power.
Where merchants and the powerful gathered, employment would naturally increase, which would then draw in laborers. Ultimately, the establishment of the Uicheon Alliance would drive the entire region's development—just as it had for the Cheonmu Alliance twenty years ago.
"....I'm sorry. My thinking was shallow."
Ha Su-ryeon apologized immediately. She felt foolish for offering unsolicited advice to a man who was looking several moves ahead.
"What's there to be sorry about? You were just curious."
Sun-woo brushed it off with an indifferent expression. He didn't see why she needed to apologize for asking a question.
".......Then, Lord Sun-woo, have you decided which specific area of Jiangxi we are going to?"
Ha Su-ryeon asked, her face full of curiosity. She wondered which spot in the vast province he had chosen.
"It's not set in stone yet... but I have a place in mind."
"Where is it?"
"Nanchang."
Sun-woo’s smile deepened.
"Nanchang will be the optimal place for the Uicheon Alliance to nest."
His eyes shone with conviction. Nanchang was a city of water, centered around the Kan River with various lakes clustered nearby. Utilizing its water transport would be a massive boon for regional development. Furthermore, trade would undoubtedly flourish.
The corners of Sun-woo’s mouth twitched upward. He couldn't help but feel good thinking about the astronomical wealth that would accumulate through the founding of the Uicheon Alliance.
"Will the... Elders understand?"
Ha Su-ryeon asked with a worried expression. The Elders were old-fashioned men who valued dignity above all else. It seemed unlikely they would agree to build the Alliance in an underdeveloped region like Nanchang.
"If they don't understand, I'll just have to make them understand."
Sun-woo gave a soft smile. He was confident he could persuade them.
"The Elders are all individuals with immense pride... I wonder if you can really force them to understand..."
Ha Su-ryeon looked concerned. She doubted whether he could truly convince those stubborn, prickly old men.
Grin.
Sun-woo let out a small smile as he looked at her. He found her concern for him rather endearing.
"Do you know something?" Sun-woo asked, his face still wearing that smile. "Pride can be bought, too."
"Pardon?"
Ha Su-ryeon looked bewildered.
"If you put the right amount of money in their hands, even those Elders will swallow their lofty pride."
"That's impossible!"
Ha Su-ryeon shook her head vigorously. The idea seemed absurd to her.
"The Elders are renowned masters of the Murim! They are people whose status demands they care about pride and prestige more than anyone. There's no way such men would bend their pride for mere money!"
As the leader of the Hao Clan—the very bottom of the social ladder, a sanctuary for the marginalized—Ha Su-ryeon held a vague admiration for the Orthodox Faction. Not for the fake chivalry of men like Lee Jae-won, but for the masters who supposedly prioritized benevolence, righteousness, and the chivalric code.
That was why she denied it so fiercely. She couldn't believe they would be like that.
"There is no one in this world who hates money," Sun-woo said firmly.
"The Elders are at an age where they've already transcended worldly affairs. They won't be swayed by gold!"
Many of the Elders were past sixty and approaching seventy. At an age where one is looking toward death, what did money matter? It wasn't an exaggeration to say they had transcended the world.
"Actually, the older you get, the greedier you become."
Sun-woo countered her. The idea that greed disappears with age was nothing more than propaganda. As one spends more time in the world and their knowledge grows, so does their greed.
"I cannot accept that."
Ha Su-ryeon spoke with a determined look.
"Want to bet?"
Amused by her intense reaction, Sun-woo made his move.
"......A bet?" she asked, blinking in surprise.
"Yeah. A bet on whether I can persuade the Elders or not. The loser has to grant the winner one wish."
"..............."
Ha Su-ryeon fell into deep thought. While she had denied it out loud, a part of her worried—what if he actually did win them over?
But on the other hand, she felt a surge of ambition. If she won the bet, she could bring immense benefits to the Hao Clan. With the power of the Uicheon Alliance Leader and the World's Greatest Martial Artist, he could accomplish anything.
'If... if I could just get a stake in the Uicheon Alliance's land...'
Her expression began to soften into a daze as a rosy future flashed through her mind.
'No, if I lose, I don't know what he'll demand!'
Shake, shake.
She quickly shook her head from side to side. The risk felt too great. Unless he was a villain, he wouldn't make an inhumane request, but it would surely be something quite burdensome.
Ha Su-ryeon’s dilemma deepened.
"If you're scared, we don't have to do it."
Sun-woo provoked her with a sly grin, acting as if it didn't matter to him either way. That look poked right at her pride.
".......Fine! Let's bet!"
Ha Su-ryeon spoke up with newfound bravado.
"That's the spirit."
Sun-woo smiled satisfactorily.
"But I have a condition."
"What is it?"
"You can't use your martial power to force it through. You have to persuade them so that everyone genuinely agrees."
Ha Su-ryeon set her terms. She was worried Sun-woo might opt for a dictatorship rather than persuasion.
"Fine, I promise. I'll make sure every single one of the Elders is convinced."
Sun-woo agreed readily. He hadn't intended to push it through by force anyway.
"You keep your promise too. You have to grant whatever wish I ask for, no matter what it is."
"The same goes for you. You must accept any condition I set."
Ha Su-ryeon looked at Sun-woo, her eyes full of competitive fire.
"That won't be hard."
Sun-woo spoke nonchalantly. He had no intention of losing.
Rattle.
Sun-woo pulled two sheets of paper from under the desk.
Thud.
He placed them firmly on the desk.
"Then let's put the terms of our bet in writing."
"In writing?"
"A verbal promise might just be brushed aside later, right?"
Sun-woo spoke with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
".......You are very thorough."
"A written contract is essential for any business."
"........Fine, let's do it."
Ha Su-ryeon nodded. If anything, she welcomed a written document. If she ended up demanding a stake later, he wouldn't be able to back out.
Sun-woo gave a gentle smile and began to write quickly.
Scratch, scratch.
After scribbling for a few moments, he pointed to the bottom of the page.
"There. Put your signature here."
Thud.
Ha Su-ryeon applied ink to her palm with a brush and pressed her handprint onto the paper without hesitation.
Thud.
Seeing that, Sun-woo pressed his own handprint onto the other contract. Now, both documents bore the marks of Ha Su-ryeon and Sun-woo.
"Here, you keep mine. I'll keep yours."
Sun-woo handed her the contract with his signature and tucked hers away.
"No backing out."
Ha Su-ryeon said as she took the document.
"We even signed a contract; how could I back out?"
"You never know with people."
"Just what are you planning to ask for that you're being so careful?" Sun-woo chuckled.
"A stake in the Uicheon Alliance's land."
Ha Su-ryeon’s eyes sparkled like stars.
".........The stakes are higher than I thought."
Sun-woo looked slightly surprised. He hadn't expected her to raise the ante of a playful bet that far.
"Are you scared, perhaps?"
Ha Su-ryeon asked with a soft smile. As she did, a massive amount of Seductive Qi, deep enough to be called a well, began to radiate from her.
"Not a chance. I can just raise my stakes too."
Sun-woo spoke with an amused expression. The higher the stakes, the more interesting the game became.
Sun-woo and Ha Su-ryeon locked eyes, their gazes burning with an intense desire to win.