Chapter 791: People Call Me the Sword God.
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 791: People Call Me the Sword God.
Joo So-yang was well aware of the situation.
She knew that Sun-woo had a primary wife.
She knew he had several other wives who were, for all intents and purposes, married to him in everything but name.
And she knew that among all those wives, she was the latest to join.
Because of that, she had never even dreamed of claiming the position of the primary wife.
She felt that, as the youngest in terms of order, it would be presumptuous and beyond her station to covet such a place.
‘But if it’s the publicly recognized primary wife...’
She thought that perhaps there was hope if it was the role of the wife presented to the world.
Sun-woo was a man with so many women that he couldn't possibly reveal his true circumstances to the public.
If it was the position of his public-facing primary wife, she felt a small spark of greed—a sense that it might be a goal worth pursuing.
Joo So-yang looked at Gye Sang-deuk with eyes full of anticipation. She was curious to see how he intended to bridge the gap between her and Sun-woo.
"If you leave it to me, I will personally push for the marriage. This old man will persuade him himself."
Gye Sang-deuk spoke with a face full of confidence.
"......How do you intend to persuade him?"
Joo So-yang asked back, her expression filled with curiosity. She wondered what kind of scheme he had that made him so self-assured.
"I will offer the absolute support of the Elders as a condition," Gye Sang-deuk said, his eyes gleaming.
"Absolute support?"
"Indeed. Currently, the Uicheon Alliance Leader has no real base of support. Aside from the Elders, there is no faction that truly backs him. In such a situation, we will promise him the absolute support of the Elders—on the condition of his marriage to you, My Lady."
Gye Sang-deuk continued, his expression brimming with certainty.
He was confident. He was sure that Jang Sun-woo would accept his proposal.
While the Uicheon Alliance Leader, Jang Sun-woo, possessed immense martial power and the reputation of a hero, those alone were not enough to properly fulfill the duties of an Alliance Leader. To truly lead, one needed political backing—an absolute support group that would agree with his decisions and fight his battles for him.
Unfortunately, Jang Sun-woo lacked such political foundations. He had no prominent family to speak of, and his sect, the Tang Clan, was far removed from the world of politics.
He was, in essence, a lone wolf.
Jang Sun-woo surely knew this himself. Therefore, he would have no choice but to accept the proposal.
"................"
Hearing Gye Sang-deuk’s words, Joo So-yang put on a thoughtful expression.
It was certainly a persuasive argument. Marrying to secure a base of support was a common practice in the Central Plains. It was a perfectly justifiable reason.
‘But... what if he gets offended?’
However, she felt a twinge of fear. She worried that Sun-woo might take offense. If they pressured him into marriage by using political support as a bargaining chip, he might feel like they were trying to control him, which could lead to resentment.
Joo So-yang was worried about that possibility.
"..........I can't do that."
Joo So-yang eventually shook her head.
"Pardon?"
Gye Sang-deuk asked back, looking surprised. He was bewildered because Joo So-yang, who had seemed quite positive just a moment ago, had suddenly rejected the idea.
"That kind of pressure will only backfire...... Isn't it basically blackmail?" Joo So-yang said, her expression grave.
"Blackmail? I was simply offering a better proposal."
"To the person hearing it, it could easily sound like that, Elder Gye," Joo So-yang continued in a calm tone.
"If he is a man, he will be more pleased than offended! A golden opportunity to become the husband of the most noble and beautiful woman in the Central Plains has arrived—how could he possibly be angry!?" Gye Sang-deuk shouted with a proud expression.
In his eyes, Joo So-yang was the most noble and beautiful woman in the Central Plains. How could any man refuse the chance to marry such a woman? It was unthinkable.
".........Elder, I'm not that great."
"Nonsense! If there is a man who would reject you, My Lady, he must surely be blind, a eunuch, or gay!"
"............."
Joo So-yang felt a wave of embarrassment wash over her. Hearing Gye Sang-deuk’s unabashed praise made her feel quite awkward.
"He will surely be delighted! It is an opportunity to have both a peerless beauty like yourself and the support of the Council of Elders in the palm of his hand!"
Gye Sang-deuk spoke with absolute conviction. He believed that no man with a brain would ever refuse his offer.
"........I don't want to do it that way."
Joo So-yang shook her head slightly as she spoke.
"Fate isn't something that goes my way just because I want it to, is it? Moreover, if you try to force it with conditions, even a destined connection will surely wither away."
Joo So-yang continued with a serious expression.
"So, I would prefer it if you didn't set such conditions."
She looked straight at Gye Sang-deuk and continued.
"Just become his support base. Without any conditions."
"But My Lady...... Being his support base is the biggest card we hold........ To throw away such a card without any conditions!?"
Gye Sang-deuk spoke with an expression that said he couldn't understand her reasoning.
"To establish justice in the Murim........ To protect the peace of the Murim..... we need him. We need the Sword God, the greatest martial artist in the world and a great hero. So please, help him so that he does not fall...... for the sake of the eternal peace of the Murim."
Joo So-yang continued, her expression solemn.
"................"
Gye Sang-deuk began to stare at her in silence, his expression quite serious.
"I beg of you, Elder Gye... no, Uncle Gye...... please grant this girl's request."
When he remained silent, Joo So-yang began to plead more earnestly.
"I am sorry, My Lady."
Suddenly, Elder Gye bowed his head deeply and apologized to her.
"Uncle Gye!?"
Joo So-yang’s eyes widened in surprise. She was flustered by his sudden change in behavior.
"I was so blinded by greed that I almost forgot the greater cause."
He spoke with a look of shame.
What was the reason he had helped found the Uicheon Alliance in the first place? Was it not to completely erase the traces of the wicked Cheonmu Alliance and establish an organization of justice for the peace and security of the Murim?
Yet, he had completely forgotten that fact. He had tried to manipulate the Uicheon Alliance Leader based on his personal greed.
He was ashamed.
As a renowned elder of the Orthodox Faction, he was ashamed that he had let greed cloud his judgment of the greater good, and that he had disappointed the lady he held so dear.
"I sincerely thank you for waking me from my foolishness."
Gye Sang-deuk bowed even deeper. If it hadn't been for Joo So-yang, he wouldn't have realized he was blinded by greed. He was grateful for her presence and for the lesson she had taught him.
Gye Sang-deuk slowly straightened his back.
"I promise you here and now: the absolute support for the Uicheon Alliance Leader."
He looked at Joo So-yang with a steady gaze.
"And the other Elders will surely join me in this."
"Thank you. I'll be counting on you then, Uncle Gye."
"Leave it to me, My Lady."
Gye Sang-deuk replied, his eyes full of strength.
Meeting that gaze, Joo So-yang smiled brightly. Although she had failed to secure the position of the public primary wife, she felt she had done something worthy of praise.
‘Sun-woo... will praise me, right?’
If he found out she had secured the absolute support of the Elders, he would surely give her a great reward.
‘I hope... it’s something lewd.’
The smile on Joo So-yang’s lips began to deepen.
The speech grounds behind the Cheonmu Alliance, where a series of explosions had previously caused numerous casualties.
People of various backgrounds began to take their places one by one.
Laborers in shabby clothes.
Martial artists with sturdy builds.
Wealthy merchants.
Dignified high-ranking officials.
People from a wide variety of professions gathered in the speech grounds.
After some time, the vast area began to fill up completely. A literal cloud of people had gathered.
Every single person there turned their gaze toward the front of the stage, their expressions filled with intense tension.
"What on earth are they going to announce?"
Ga Ju-gyeom, an ordinary martial artist of the Cheonmu Alliance, spoke with a nervous look.
".....Could it be.... the dissolution of the Cheonmu Alliance?"
His colleague, Jang Geol, who was standing next to him, spoke in a trembling voice.
"Don't say such unlucky things!"
Ga Ju-gyeom raised his voice in irritation. Why would the Cheonmu Alliance be dissolved?
"Why would it be dissolved!? Do you know what kind of organization the Cheonmu Alliance is? It will never be dissolved!"
Ga Ju-gyeom spoke with absolute certainty. The Cheonmu Alliance was a massive power that boasted a scale equivalent to several great sects combined. Furthermore, it was a place that wielded such immense influence that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it led the Murim. Why would such a place be dissolved? It was utter nonsense.
"But..... think about it...... After that incident... they only treated the injured... and didn't state any official position for two months before finally making this announcement, right? Maybe they were contemplating dissolution?"
Jang Geol continued in an anxious voice.
During that time, the Cheonmu Alliance had not released any official statement. They had only provided treatment and compensation for the casualties caused by the Thunderbolt Bombs; there had been no excuses or apologies.
And now, they had gathered people to make an announcement. How could one not suspect dissolution?
"Stop talking nonsense! Do you want to lose your job?"
Ga Ju-gyeom glared at Jang Geol with annoyed eyes.
"I-it's not that, but..."
It wasn't that he wanted to lose his job. The Cheonmu Alliance was the best workplace, one that guaranteed employment until retirement the moment you joined.
"Then shut up! Don't ruin the mood!"
"......But.."
"Listen, there are over several thousand martial artists who earn their living from the Cheonmu Alliance. Do you think the Alliance would make thousands of martial artists unemployed in an instant? There's no way..... They'll just apologize, appoint a new representative, and that'll be it... No, it has to be that way!"
Ga Ju-gyeom glared at him with burning eyes.
The Cheonmu Alliance must not be dissolved. It had to remain, no matter what—for the sake of his guaranteed retirement.
".....I guess so? It won't be dissolved, right?"
Hearing his confident words, Jang Geol asked back in a trembling voice.
"Of course! Think about it! If the Cheonmu Alliance is dissolved, who do you think will rise up in protest?"
".....The martial artists of the Alliance?"
"They'll rise up too. But the first ones to protest will be the officials and local influential figures of Jinan."
"Why?"
"Thanks to the Cheonmu Alliance, they've been able to develop for free and sit on piles of money. If the Alliance disappears, what happens? They won't be sitting on piles of money anymore; they'll be sitting in the dirt. Do you think they'll just stay quiet?"
".......That's true."
"So just relax and wait, man. Even if they announce dissolution, the local figures and officials will band together and pressure them until they have no choice but to reverse the decision."
".....Whew...... Hearing you say that makes me feel relieved."
Jang Geol spoke with a faint smile. It was a bit complicated, but he understood to some extent. The leadership couldn't easily decide to dissolve the Cheonmu Alliance because the vested interests who had benefited from it would surely protest violently using their wealth and power.
"Yeah, man. So just wait calmly and stop talking crap."
"Got it."
Jang Geol nodded at Ga Ju-gyeom’s words. Then, he slowly began to watch the stage, waiting for the speaker to appear.
After waiting for a while...
Step, step, step.
Finally, a person began to emerge from behind the podium.
A handsome, masculine face.
A tall stature reaching six feet.
Solid muscles that were clearly visible even from a distance.
Tremble.
Ga Ju-gyeom’s eyes began to shake uncontrollably. He was bewildered by the appearance of a completely unexpected individual.
‘Why is he here!?’
Ga Ju-gyeom turned his head slightly. There, he saw Jang Geol, who was also trembling incessantly just like him. It seemed he, too, had not expected this person to appear.
"Nice to meet you."
At that moment, a crystal-clear voice began to resonate in his ears. It was so clear that it felt as if the person were whispering right next to him.
Ga Ju-gyeom quickly looked toward the podium. There, the man who had taken his place on the stage came into view.
"My name is Jang Sun-woo," the man, Sun-woo, said as he looked around the grounds.
"People call me the Sword God."
Sun-woo’s eyes began to shine with a sharp light.