Monopolizing Fortunes (104)
Monopolizing Fortunes (104)
"What about the Third Prince? From what I've seen, his character is unusually good for a prince, and his abilities seem decent enough. And as for ability, wouldn't the ministers be there to support him?"
"Who doesn't know that? But the third is still the third. Since ancient times, if the firstborn doesn't inherit the imperial throne, bloodshed is certain to follow."
It was a fact proven by history.
"Compared to the blood that will be spilled if the First Prince or the Second Prince becomes emperor, the blood being spilled now is no more than a drop in a bucket."
"Don't go saying things like that anywhere else."
Yang Su-pan let out a long sigh.
"Who else would I say such things to if not you, sir?"
"I understand how you feel, but right now we first need to find out who will become emperor. No matter how noble the cause, if you can't seize power, it's worth less than manure in a field."
Justice without power is nothing but an empty echo.
"Ah!"
"Did you think of something good?"
Yang Su-pan's face became the most serious it had been since he first met Jeon Su-bang.
"Do you know why I backed you when you were demoted to the provinces?"
"Because you believed I wasn't the sort of man to simply rot away out in the provinces. Didn't you say so yourself?"
Yang Su-pan got down from his chair and dropped to his knees on the floor.
"I apologize. It was all a lie."
"What?"
"In truth, I acted on one person's advice. And the initial funds I gave you were only lent under my name—they weren't sent by me at all."
"What do you mean? Someone other than you sent me money?"
Yang Su-pan confessed everything about his entanglement with Do Tong-dal. From now on, in order to convince Jeon Su-bang, he had to reveal who Do Tong-dal was.
After hearing the whole story, Jeon Su-bang wore a dumbfounded expression.
"So you're saying all of this came from the head of some mere Underworld thug?"
"That's right."
"I can't believe it. He simply looked at my face and knew I would return to Beijing?"
"As you said, sir—how could a mere thug have foretold your future?"
Jeon Su-bang looked down at Yang Su-pan with an interested face.
"And you gambled on that thug's word?"
"The man called Do Tong-dal is far too extraordinary in talent to be dismissed as a mere thug."
Yang Su-pan related several stories about Do Tong-dal, and Jeon Su-bang's face filled with disbelief.
"You're telling me he accomplished all of that at only nineteen years of age?"
"When you deal with him, you forget that Do Tong-dal is nineteen. It feels like facing a wily old veteran who has been through every hardship imaginable."
"I thought the reason you were particularly fond of this Do Tong-dal fellow was simply because of the bribes you'd received. That wasn't it."
"If it had only been about bribes, I would have ended the relationship when I came to Beijing. The Do Tong-dal I know is by no means lacking when it comes to discussing great affairs."
"Discussing great affairs?"
"How about summoning Do Tong-dal and having him determine which of the First Prince or the Second Prince will become emperor?"
Jeon Su-bang pointed to the chair Yang Su-pan had originally been sitting in.
"Sit down first."
It was a signal that he would overlook the lie Yang Su-pan had told him.
"Thank you."
After a moment of thoughtful expression, Jeon Su-bang asked.
"Can Do Tong-dal get it right?"
"The imperial throne is a seat bestowed by heaven. If Do Tong-dal could tell just from your face that you would return to Beijing, wouldn't it be easy for him to identify the one who will ascend to the throne?"
For someone who had mastered the Four Books and Three Classics, the Thousand Character Classic was child's play.
"Right now is a time when we must do something."
"That's true. When we're at the point of needing to seek out a skilled fortune-teller, there's no reason to refuse a proven physiognomist."
At the very least it would serve as reference material, so there was nothing to lose.
"Summon Do Tong-dal to Beijing."
* * *
Having already experienced it once, it wasn't surprising. The moment Do Tong-dal's party set foot in Yuhang, they were received by an Underworld society called the Hwangjeong Society.
There wasn't an Underworld society in Zhejiang Province that hadn't heard of the Red Tiger Society's fearsome reputation. On top of that, they had smashed the Sangmun Society of Fuyang so thoroughly that it would have been stranger if anyone wanted to fight.
"This old gentleman here serves as an advisor to the Red Tiger Society."
Do Tong-dal introduced Hwangmi Dal that way to Bae Dol-seok, the head of the Hwangjeong Society.
"Why am I an advisor to the Red Tiger Society?! Who are you trying to turn into some Underworld thug!"
"Would those people believe you if you said you were the Alliance Leader of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance? Why? Do you want to wreck this restaurant too?"
No one would believe that the Alliance Leader of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance was traveling with an Underworld thug.
"No, it's not that, but......"
"Then just keep quiet."
At a loss for words, Hwangmi Dal grumbled, "I'm holding back because I'm eating here," and diligently stuffed food into his mouth.
"However, there is one obstacle to our Yuhang Underworld societies coming under the Red Tiger Society."
"An obstacle?"
"An Underworld society called the One Dragon Society has declared its refusal. On top of that, that lunatic said that if the Red Tiger Society bastards come, he'll crack their skulls...... Of course, those aren't my words—they were spoken by the society head, Wang Du-sik."
"Didn't you say the Hwangjeong Society is the largest Underworld society in Yuhang?"
"Of course we're the largest in scale. But in terms of sheer force...... haah—! We cannot defeat the One Dragon Society. Because that Wang Du-sik is too strong...... It's embarrassing."
Do Tong-dal, arms crossed, stared quietly at Bae Dol-seok.
"Borrowing a knife to kill."
"Pardon?"
"You believe this Wang Du-sik can handle us?"
Bae Dol-seok waved both hands with a horrified expression.
"No! Absolutely not!"
"If Wang Du-sik fights us, he won't come out unscathed either, so you intend to deal with Wang Du-sik in the process."
"No, that's......"
Do Tong-dal raised a hand to cut Bae Dol-seok off.
"It doesn't matter. In a situation like this, I'd have made the same plan myself. You must have heard the rumors about the Red Tiger Society, yet you still think Wang Du-sik will win. Do you believe the rumors were exaggerated?"
Bae Dol-seok, who had been opening and closing his mouth, soon let out a long sigh.
"It's not that. It's that this Wang Du-sik is strong—too strong. We once invited a martial artist from Hubei Province who was renowned as a master, and his face was smashed in and he died from a single blow."
"He killed a master with a single blow?"
"Yes. That bastard is like some legendary diamond-hard body. Even when struck by a blade, he's perfectly fine without a scratch."
Hwangmi Dal let out a scoffing laugh.
"A diamond-hard thug. How ridiculous."
"Then why did you laugh?"
"It was a sneer."
"A sneer is still a laugh."
"Why are you picking a fight over something like that!"
After briefly teasing Hwangmi Dal, Do Tong-dal asked Bae Dol-seok.
"If Wang Du-sik is that strong, he could have taken over Yuhang ten times over by now. Why is the Hwangjeong Society still the largest organization?"
"That bastard has little interest in expanding his power. After taking the northwest road, the prime spot in Yuhang, he's simply been living in comfort. He doesn't even have ten subordinates."
"An unusual fellow."
"We've tried every means imaginable to bring down the One Dragon Society, but truly, nothing has worked. And in the midst of that, you esteemed guests arrived."
"The Red Tiger Society is going to take Yuhang, so we're hardly esteemed guests."
Bae Dol-seok, his inner thoughts already exposed, could only swallow hard.
"Still, at least it won't be boring. Shall we go meet Wang Du-sik?"
Hwangmi Dal grumbled again.
"What fun is there in taking out a single thug?"
"Then you can stay here and finish the leftovers, old man."
"I'm full."
Hwangmi Dal stood up before Do Tong-dal. The northwest road controlled by Wang Du-sik was about two ke away at a slow walk.
Bae Dol-seok, who was guiding them, stopped in front of a pleasure house that was a full four stories tall.
"This is the One Dragon Society headquarters."
"A pleasure house?"
The pleasure house, so large and splendid it would be hard to find even in Hangzhou, was called the One Dragon Pleasure House. Since it was still broad daylight, the One Dragon Pleasure House was wrapped in a silence like the dead of night.
"He lives on the very top floor like an emperor."
"He must still be asleep."
It was Do Tong-dal's muttering to himself, but Bae Dol-seok answered.
"When it comes to a fight, that bastard would come running even if he were in the middle of fucking."
"Then call him out."
Bae Dol-seok, apparently quite terrified of Wang Du-sik, sent a subordinate. A moment later, a booming thud-thud-thud! sounded from inside the pleasure house, and then the main gate was smashed to pieces.
The side gate was open, so he could have simply come out through there, but the man chose to smash the main gate entirely.
"You came from the Hangzhou Red Tiger Society! You're here to fight, right? Right?"
Wang Du-sik was a giant. Do Tong-dal was by no means short, but Wang Du-sik stood a full head taller. With his large, glaring eyes and stiff bristling beard, he looked like the very incarnation of Zhang Fei.
Wang Du-sik glanced around, and his gaze stopped on Do Tong-dal's party.
"Are you the Red Tiger Society bastards?"
Hwangmi Dal flared up.
"Bastards? Ba—stards? That son of a bitch is dying to get himself killed!"
Won Dae-yeon held back Hwangmi Dal, who was about to charge out.
"Good heavens, you're old enough to know better, so show some dignity."
"I was called a bastard to my face, and you're telling me to endure it?"
"Then go crack an Underworld thug's skull. You'll make a fine new name for yourself in the martial world."
Hwangmi Dal's hands trembled, and he let out a long breath.
"Fine. I'm an educated man, so I'll endure it."
Do Tong-dal thought, "When it comes to ignorance, this old fellow is one notch above Brother Wang Chil," and stepped forward.
"From the look of it, words won't settle this."
At Do Tong-dal's words, Wang Du-sik pounded his own chest with his fist.
"Of course not! Arguing is for women—men use their fists!"
This time Namgung Seol-rin bristled, and Jang Yu-seom held her back. The way he provoked one person with every sentence was a talent in its own right.
"If I win, do you come under me?"
At Do Tong-dal's question, Wang Du-sik bellowed.
"What bullshit is that! A real man fights to the death! Every fight has to be life or death!"
The many scars visible on his cheeks and neck showed how many fights he had been through.
Do Tong-dal said.
"Then let's do this. If you kill me, you take the Red Tiger Society."
"No."
"Huh?"
"Why would I bother going all the way to Hangzhou? If I kill you, I just kill you. Since there'll be a whole line behind you, I can keep having exciting fights. Heh heh heh......"
"That's your thinking, but you should also keep in mind the case where you lose."
"I'm never going to lose, so why would I think about that?"
"Unless you're the greatest martial artist under heaven, there are people stronger than you......"
"There aren't! Stronger or weaker than me, they all die to me!"
What kind of bizarre logic is that?
"Anyway, you should hear my proposal......"
He was cut off again.
"Are you a girl? If you came to fight, then fight!"
"No, but you should still listen......"
"I said fight already! Are you going to fight with your mouth?"
By this point, even the patient Do Tong-dal felt his temper rising.
"Fine, do whatever you want."
At that moment, Hwangmi Dal muttered into the air as if talking to himself.
"With the Makya Blade, I could cut that fellow's neck clean in one stroke."
Bae Dol-seok had said Wang Du-sik was like a diamond-hard body, but there was absolutely no way that was true, so it was a fight that could be ended with a single swing of the Makya Blade.
But Do Tong-dal didn't want to end it that simply. Wang Du-sik needed to be beaten, beaten again, and beaten until he came to his senses.
So Do Tong-dal untied the Makya Blade and handed it to Namgung Seol-rin.
"Hold this for me."
"Why are you leaving it with the Namgung girl! If you die, I'm the owner again!"
"Then hold a ritual prayer that I die to a bastard like that!"
"If ritual prayers actually worked......"
Hwangmi Dal stopped mid-sentence and turned his head toward Wang Du-sik. Do Tong-dal, who turned his gaze along with Hwangmi Dal, could see Wang Du-sik growing larger in an instant.
Wang Du-sik closed the distance at the fastest speed his massive frame could produce and swung his fist.
Humm—!
The force of the fist was far from ordinary, so Do Tong-dal brought both arms together to block his face.
Boom—!
A sound like a wind-filled leather sack bursting rang out, and Do Tong-dal went flying. He flew a good five jang, then tumbled another ten jang after that.
"That little shit talks way too fucking much."
Wang Du-sik muttered and looked around.
"Sent one off. Who's next?"
* * *