Chapter 785: These Days, It’s the Era of Self-Promotion
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 785: These Days, It’s the Era of Self-Promotion
"Is there any reason I shouldn't go? It’s a place where people live, just like anywhere else."
Sun-woo spoke in a calm, steady tone.
"There are plenty of reasons why you shouldn't," Lee Se-jin replied, his eyes cold as he stared at Sun-woo.
"Nanchang is the most wretched place in all of Jiangxi Province. The soil is barren, the climate is sweltering, and you can’t even farm properly. Every year during the monsoon season, the rivers and lakes overflow, causing massive floods that sweep everything away!"
Lee Se-jin’s face flushed red as his voice began to rise.
In the Central Plains, Jiangxi was considered the most underdeveloped province. And within Jiangxi, Nanchang was the poorest region of all.
Due to the poor soil and oppressive heat, the people of Nanchang could not maintain proper crops. When the floods came, even the meager harvests they managed to scrape together were washed away by the surging waters.
Since they couldn't farm, the locals were naturally destitute, and taxes went uncollected. How could people pay taxes when they didn't even have enough to eat for the day?
Ultimately, Nanchang became infamous as the poorest region in the Central Plains.
To establish a base in such a place was no different from dragging the prestige of the Uicheon Alliance through the mud. How could anyone possibly agree to it? It was preposterous.
"While the soil is indeed barren and unsuitable for farming, it is flat and firm, making it ideal for construction. Furthermore, if we build levees to fortify the area, we can prevent flood damage."
"I think it’s a waste. Why spend all that money on levees when we could just go somewhere better?"
"I believe it is an investment worth making."
"I don't understand. Why are you so obsessed with Nanchang!?" Lee Jae-sun asked, his expression one of pure bewilderment.
"Because, in terms of conditions, there is no place more perfect."
"But the reputation of Nanchang itself is so wretched that it outweighs any 'perfect conditions' you might find."
Lee Se-jin’s eyes flashed sharply.
Public perception of Nanchang was the absolute worst. It was a city of the lower classes, a cluster of brothels and slums. A gathering place for those at the end of their ropes—a place even the Hao Clan avoided. A forsaken land that even the government troops ignored.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call its reputation catastrophic.
Establishing the Uicheon Alliance—which had just launched and needed to spread its wings—in such a place was akin to tearing those wings off.
Martial artists tended to value honor more than life itself. They were more conscious of others' perceptions than anyone else; they loved being treated with respect and believed that elevating their personal honor was the same as elevating their family's name.
To such men, Nanchang was a place worse than the filth in a sewer. It was a city of the underclass, where poverty congregated, development was non-existent, and not a single decent sect resided.
Building the Uicheon Alliance there? They would be the laughingstock of the world. Not only that, but proud martial artists wouldn't hesitate to desert the alliance. They would refuse to set foot in a gutter.
That was why the opposition was so fierce. The infamy of Nanchang was so toxic that it overshadowed even the best strategic advantages.
"If you launch the Uicheon Alliance there, your plan to absorb the Cheonmu Alliance will fall to pieces. Please, reconsider."
Lee Se-jin continued in a somber tone. He had to reconsider. He absolutely had to.
"No matter how many times I reconsider, the result will be the same. My belief that Nanchang is the most suitable location will not change."
Sun-woo spoke with a resolute expression.
"I cannot accept this."
"Then I shall make it so that you can."
"Go ahead, then."
Lee Se-jin stared at Sun-woo with burning eyes. His gaze held a firm resolve that he would not compromise.
Seeing this, a soft smile played on Sun-woo’s lips. He finally understood why Ha Su-ryeon had been so confident. She must have anticipated this fierce backlash from the elders.
She really is clever.
Sun-woo’s smile deepened. He didn't dislike competent people. In fact, he preferred them. Having someone capable by his side meant they could fill in his own shortcomings.
That’s why I’m going to make you mine, Ha Su-ryeon.
Sun-woo slowly looked up and met the heated glare of Lee Se-jin. Now, it was time for persuasion.
*
"Elder, what does 'Chivalry' mean to you?"
Sun-woo spoke with a remarkably serious expression.
"Where is this coming from all of a sudden?" Lee Se-jin asked, looking perplexed.
Sun-woo had said he would make him understand, and then he suddenly brought up such an abstract question.
"It is a question related to the establishment of the Uicheon Alliance. I would appreciate an answer."
Sun-woo continued calmly.
"…Fine. I don't see the connection, but if it pertains to the alliance, I suppose I can answer."
Lee Se-jin spoke as if he had no choice. He couldn't see the intent, but he felt he could at least answer a question regarding the foundation of the Uicheon Alliance.
"To me, Chivalry means the duty of a hero: to rescue the marginalized, to resolve the grievances of the wronged, to suppress the strong for the sake of justice, and to help the weak."
To Lee Se-jin, Chivalry was a matter of duty—the duty a righteous martial artist must naturally uphold to save the suffering and the neglected.
"Do you truly believe that?"
Sun-woo looked him straight in the eye and asked again. Do you truly believe that?
"It is the Path of Chivalry I have pursued for sixty years. How could I be mistaken?"
Lee Se-jin spoke with conviction. Because it was the value system he had followed his entire life, he could speak of his version of Chivalry with absolute confidence.
"That is very strange."
Sun-woo spoke with a look of feigned confusion.
"What is?"
"Isn't that a contradiction?"
"A contradiction?"
"Elder, didn't you just say that Chivalry is about rescuing the marginalized?"
"I did."
"Then why are you so displeased with the idea of rescuing the marginalized people of Nanchang?" Sun-woo asked, acting as if he genuinely didn't understand.
"What are you talking about? Rescuing the marginalized? Isn't building the Uicheon Alliance in Nanchang just your own personal ambition!?"
At Sun-woo’s words, Lee Se-jin flared up, his voice rising. Establishing the alliance in Nanchang was nothing more than Jang Sun-woo’s greed. How dare he bring up the marginalized?
"Of course, wanting to build the Uicheon Alliance in Nanchang is my ambition. However, it is also an opportunity to rescue those who have been cast aside."
Sun-woo’s eyes sparkled like starlight as he continued.
"…I’m going to need more of an explanation."
Lee Se-jin asked, his expression filled with doubt. He wondered what Sun-woo’s true intention was behind those words.
"Who do you think stands to gain the most if the Uicheon Alliance is established in Nanchang?" Sun-woo asked, looking at Lee Se-jin.
"Isn't it the Tang Clan?" Lee Se-jin replied as if it were obvious.
The Tang Clan had secured exclusive speculation rights in exchange for their massive investment. They stood to make a far greater profit than anyone else.
"You are wrong."
Sun-woo shook his head.
"The ones who will benefit the most from the Uicheon Alliance entering Nanchang are the local residents."
Sun-woo spoke with absolute certainty.
"I don't follow. How can you say the residents of Nanchang will benefit more than the Tang Clan, who holds the speculation rights?"
Lee Se-jin asked again. He simply couldn't understand how the penniless residents of Nanchang could gain more than the Tang Clan, who had invested millions of nyang.
"Because from the perspective of the Nanchang locals, there is nothing to lose."
"Nothing to lose?"
"Correct."
Sun-woo nodded and continued.
"If we establish the Uicheon Alliance in Nanchang, the Tang Clan’s recovery of their investment becomes uncertain. As you said, if members who cannot accept the location leave the alliance, it will obviously have a negative impact on land speculation."
Sun-woo spoke with a calm face.
"But the situation for the Nanchang residents is different. They have nothing to lose. Those who own land will be able to sell it at a high price, and laborers will be able to find work. Building the Uicheon Alliance will require a massive amount of manpower. For the locals, it’s a structure where they only stand to gain. There is absolutely no downside for them."
It was a structure where the people of Nanchang couldn't help but profit. Employment would increase, and the overall standard of living was bound to rise.
"So how can you say this isn't poverty relief? By establishing the Uicheon Alliance, we will be realizing the very Chivalry you have been shouting about."
"................."
Lee Se-jin fell into a heavy silence, his mouth pressed into a thin line. He realized Sun-woo wasn't wrong. Moving the Uicheon Alliance would undoubtedly breathe life into Nanchang. The job market would flourish, the economy would be revitalized, and countless people would flock there.
The problem, however, was that there was no benefit for the Uicheon Alliance itself. While it was an unparalleled opportunity for Nanchang, for the newly launched alliance, it was like grabbing onto a rotten rope.
"Listen, Alliance Leader. I agree with helping the marginalized. But even so, I don't believe it’s right to gamble the fate of the Uicheon Alliance just to help them."
Lee Se-jin eventually spoke in a calmer tone.
"If one is alone, they can act on Chivalry at any time and even sacrifice their life for it. But the Uicheon Alliance is not a single person, is it? Is it not a community of destiny that has built strong ties with numerous powers, including the Tang Clan? How can you take such a risk? Please, reconsider."
Lee Se-jin pleaded earnestly. He knew it was an opportunity to practice Chivalry. He knew it was a chance to save the marginalized. But the Uicheon Alliance could not afford to do so. It was an organization, not an individual.
There were hundreds, thousands of people looking only to the Uicheon Alliance. And there were millions of nyang borrowed in its name. How could such a rash decision be made? It was unthinkable.
"It is not a risk."
Sun-woo shook his head.
"It is a conviction. A conviction that we can achieve explosive growth in Nanchang."
Sun-woo met Lee Se-jin’s gaze with eyes full of certainty.
"What on earth is the basis for that?"
"A Just Cause."
"A Just Cause!?"
"The grand justification that we have personally settled in Nanchang to practice Chivalry."
Sun-woo’s cold eyes glittered.
"A grand… justification?"
"Exactly. Think about it. Nanchang’s current infamy is so bad that even you elders, who have lived for Chivalry your whole lives, are repulsed by it. If we announce that we are establishing the Uicheon Alliance in such a place, how do you think the world will react?"
"…They’ll say we’re mad."
Lee Se-jin thought it over and quickly reached a conclusion. The people of the world would surely call them crazy for choosing to step into a shithole.
"Yes, you’re right. They will certainly call us mad. No normal group would ever make such a choice."
Sun-woo nodded in agreement. He truly believed that. The Uicheon Alliance was a new organization about to launch. Therefore, at the beginning, there should be no noise, no flaws. That was the only way to attract people's interest.
To step into a sewer like Nanchang by choice? People would have no choice but to call them insane.
"But after they think we’re mad, they will become curious. They will wonder why the Uicheon Alliance chose to settle in Nanchang."
Sun-woo’s starlit eyes sparkled.
"And when that curiosity reaches its peak, we build the levees."
"The levees!?"
"Yes. Under the banner of public welfare."
Sun-woo spoke with a gentle smile.
"And then, we let a rumor slip."
"What… what kind of rumor?"
"A heartwarming story about how the Uicheon Alliance chose to settle in Nanchang, accepting the losses, specifically to rescue the marginalized residents of the region."
"Are you suggesting we manipulate rumors!?"
Lee Se-jin was startled and recoiled at Sun-woo’s words. Chivalry was something that shouldn't be flaunted, and one shouldn't expect rewards for it. But to spread rumors? How could he do something so tawdry?
"It’s not manipulation. We are simply letting the facts be known. It’s not like we’re saying anything that isn't true, is it?"
Sun-woo spoke as if it were no big deal. If it wasn't a lie, what did it matter?
"These days, it’s the era of self-promotion. It’s a world where you don't get treated right unless you show off properly. So don't worry too much."
Sun-woo continued with a soft smile.
"The justification of 'public welfare' will be the springboard that helps the Uicheon Alliance spread its wings."
Sun-woo’s eyes were now brimming with absolute confidence.