Monopolizing Fortunes (136)
Monopolizing Fortunes (136)
Namgung Seol-rin glanced at Do Tong-dal and Jang Yeon-seon as they came into the tea house. They were exactly as they had been when they attacked the Hwangdae Merchant Company.
"You're here."
At her low voice, Won Dae-yeon and Jang Yu-seom, who had been chatting, fell silent.
Do Tong-dal glanced at them, then sat in the seat behind Namgung Seol-rin, where there was a low partition.
Jang Yu-seom whispered so quietly that even the two of them could barely hear.
"Can we talk now?"
When Won Dae-yeon nodded, Jang Yu-seom spoke.
"We've scouted their strength, so I think we can move to arrest them."
"They didn't seem like much. How many soldiers did you say are coming from Beijing?"
Namgung Seol-rin answered.
"I heard it was three hundred."
"That should be enough. We'll have to arrest every last one of them. We're seizing the people who murdered His Highness the First Prince, so we absolutely cannot fail."
After that, they went on at length about cooperation with the local authorities. By the time they had run out of things to say, Do Tong-dal stood up together with Jang Yeon-seon.
As he left the tea house, Do Tong-dal quietly raised his thumb.
"Looks like we did well."
Once outside the tea house, Do Tong-dal headed straight for the Hwangdae Merchant Company.
"You heard everything, right?"
"Yes. We won't need to get our stories straight separately."
The moment they arrived at the Hwangdae Merchant Company, the person Do Tong-dal went looking for was Won Chi-myeong.
Won Chi-myeong greeted Do Tong-dal with a delighted face.
"Well, well, the hero's come calling. I heard you went into town with the young lady to buy her a trinket."
It was clear that the members of the Hwangdae Merchant Company were watching Do Tong-dal's every move.
"I went into town and stopped by a tea house, and I saw the people who attacked the company yesterday."
"What? Those bastards dare to still be here?"
"They were sitting there calmly drinking tea."
"Where is this tea house? I'll go right now and seize those scum!"
Do Tong-dal stopped Won Chi-myeong, who looked ready to charge out at any moment.
"They might be people from the imperial palace."
"The imperial palace? What does the imperial palace have to do with this?"
"I don't know that either, but I secretly overheard their conversation. They said three hundred soldiers are coming down from Beijing to attack the Hwangdae Merchant Company."
Won Chi-myeong couldn't make sense of Do Tong-dal's words.
"What connection could our Hwangdae Merchant Company possibly have to the imperial palace? Are you certain you heard that right?"
"It wasn't just me. The young lady heard the same thing. Does the Hwangdae Merchant Company really have no ties to the imperial palace?"
"As far as I know...... Let's go see the Company Head."
"Me too?"
"You're the one who heard it, so of course you have to come along."
Do Tong-dal and Won Chi-myeong practically ran to the Company Head's residence. Jang Yeon-seon was already there.
Judging by Jang Bu-ok's expression, he had already heard the story from Jang Yeon-seon. So the moment he saw Do Tong-dal, a question came flying.
"Is what Yeon-seon said true? Are the people who attacked our Hwangdae Merchant Company really figures from the imperial palace?"
Do Tong-dal glanced at Jang Yeon-seon and answered.
"I don't think they had any reason to be spouting nonsense there."
"She said the murder of the First Prince came up. I can't make any sense of it. Our Hwangdae Merchant Company was never involved in the First Prince's death."
"How would I know the inside story when I only overheard them?"
Jang Bu-ok made an "Ah!" face and shouted toward the outside.
"Tell the Three Saints of Hwangdae to come here at once!"
Considering what Jang Yeon-seon had told him, it was highly likely that the Three Saints of Hwangdae were people dispatched from the Revenge Society.
A short while later, Seo In-sik brought the Three Saints of Hwangdae. The Three Saints frowned when they saw Do Tong-dal and Jang Yeon-seon in the room.
They may have already been in a bad mood because Jang Bu-ok had summoned them like underlings.
"What business do you have with us?"
"Have you ever done work for the Society involving the imperial palace?"
Muk Seong's face twisted and a roar burst out.
"You dare mention the Society in front of outsiders! Have you lost your mind?"
"First tell me whether or not you've done work involving the imperial palace!"
Jang Bu-ok had never once gotten angry at the Three Saints of Hwangdae before. So this furious sharpness was deeply unfamiliar.
Cheong Seong spoke.
"As far as we know, there has been no work involving the imperial palace."
"Then why is the imperial palace coming to strike our Hwangdae Merchant Company?"
"I don't know what you mean. Explain in detail."
"The people who attacked our Hwangdae Merchant Company last night were figures from the imperial palace. My daughter here and the warrior Bae Cheong-dong overheard them talking."
The Three Saints' gazes turned to Do Tong-dal and Jang Yeon-seon.
"Is what the Company Head says true?"
Do Tong-dal recounted exactly what he had heard at the tea house in town.
"That can't be. Why would the Society assassinate the First Prince?"
Hong Seong chimed in on Cheong Seong's muttering.
"It's absurd. Our enemy is the orthodox sects, not the imperial palace. There's no way we would do such a thing."
"First we need to determine whether the information they brought is accurate."
At Muk Seong's words, Cheong Seong and Hong Seong nodded.
"Couldn't we easily verify it using our connections in the authorities? Company Head."
Mu Seong, who had caught Jang Bu-ok's eye, continued.
"Let's send word to the authorities."
Jang Bu-ok had no reason to refuse either.
"Let's do that. If soldiers are being dispatched from the imperial palace, cooperation from the authorities is essential, so we should be able to learn news through them. But do you truly know nothing about the First Prince's murder?"
"We don't know everything about the Society, so we will look into it. But there is clearly some mistake."
Jang Bu-ok immediately sent Seo In-sik to the government office. For a merchant company of Hwangdae's size, scattering bribes here and there was only natural, and the place that received the most bribes could only be the authorities.
After sending Do Tong-dal and Jang Yeon-seon away, Jang Bu-ok anxiously waited for Seo In-sik to return.
Time passed in a way that made the saying "a single moment feels like three autumns" feel real. Seo In-sik returned after nearly one shichen and delivered news he did not want to hear.
"He said they received word that soldiers are coming from Beijing and to provide them every possible convenience."
The moment he heard that, his mind went blank. For a great merchant doing business, enemies are always numerous.
He had had countless enemies like that, but he had overcome them all and had not been afraid.
But the imperial palace was different. With the entire country effectively his enemy, how could he not fear it?
The Three Saints of Hwangdae also had no choice but to accept the imperial palace's attack as reality.
"The imperial palace is clearly misunderstanding something."
Jang Bu-ok's voice as he answered Cheong Seong was icy.
"Can you resolve that misunderstanding?"
If it were the authorities, the Hwangdae Merchant Company's power could somehow arrange a meeting.
But the imperial palace was an opponent with whom words did not work. They were the sort of people who would first carry out the execution, leave everything in ruins, and only then end it with, "Sorry if it was a misunderstanding."
Jang Bu-ok spoke.
"For now, I think the first step is to get ourselves to safety."
The Three Saints of Hwangdae agreed.
"Let's do that. I will stop by the Society and find out the full inside story."
And so the evacuation was decided.
"Haah—! For the company to collapse so absurdly."
Since they had to leave immediately, preserving the company intact was impossible.
"You three, go to the Society at once and learn the inside story."
"Where do you intend to go, Company Head?"
"I'll have to go to nearby Hubei."
Henan was their home base, but they had branches throughout the Central Plains, and the largest of them was the Hubei Branch.
Muk Seong objected.
"If it's there, the imperial palace will already have seen through it. You should go somewhere as unconnected to the Hwangdae Merchant Company as possible."
"Then the only place I can go is the Revenge Society, isn't it?"
"You are a valuable talent to us, Company Head. To rebuild the Hwangdae Merchant Company after resolving this matter with the imperial palace, we absolutely need you. So shouldn't you preserve yourself intact?"
It was a reasonable point, so Jang Bu-ok could not object. In his heart he wanted to sever ties with the Revenge Society, but he owed them a debt, and if he tried to break away, he would not be able to keep his life.
"Understood. Then where should I go?"
"There is a secret branch of the Revenge Society in Xianyang, Shaanxi Province. It will not be uncomfortable to stay there, so remain there for now."
"But who should I take with me? If I leave them here, the Hwangdae Merchant Company people will come to harm."
"We must move covertly, so you cannot take many people. Bring only your family, the steward, and a few of the hall masters."
"I will also take the warrior Bae Cheong-dong."
"He cannot be trusted yet."
"If not for him, we would have been attacked by the imperial palace without ever knowing why. Right now, the person I trust most is the warrior Bae Cheong-dong."
Jang Bu-ok barely swallowed the words "More than you lot!" Since Jang Bu-ok insisted stubbornly, the Three Saints of Hwangdae could no longer object.
"Very well. Do as you wish, Company Head."
While they prepared to evacuate, Do Tong-dal and Jang Yeon-seon were passing the time leisurely.
There was nothing to be anxious or urgent about, and the key point was just one thing: whether Do Tong-dal would be taken along on the escape route.
"Don't worry about that. I'll bring you along somehow. But why do you want to destroy the Revenge Society, mister?"
"Because they left a scar on my chest."
"What? They left a scar on your chest?"
"We'd promised to go our separate ways, since becoming enemies would do neither of us any good. But the bastard who attacked me suddenly slashed me across the chest. Of course, he wasn't trying to kill me, but either way, it left a big scar."
"You're going to fight the Revenge Society over a mere scar?"
Do Tong-dal shook his head.
"The important thing is that he broke his promise with me. Though I can't say the chest wound had no effect at all."
Jang Yeon-seon nodded.
"So you're someone whose grudges are absolutely enormous, mister."
Do Tong-dal thought for a moment, then admitted it.
"You could say that. Once I bear a grudge, I always repay it."
"You really hate people who lie, don't you, mister?"
"It's fine. Lies don't work on me."
"Really?"
"Want to try lying to me?"
Jang Yeon-seon, who had been staring at Do Tong-dal, waved her hands.
"I won't lie to you, mister."
"Why?"
"Because we're blood-sworn. Blood-sworn people don't lie to each other. So you can't lie to me either, mister."
"I'll try."
"There's something I've been curious about."
"What?"
"What's your job, mister? Being a martial artist isn't a job, right?"
"A thug."
"A...... thug?"
"Yeah."
"The kind of thug who beats up decent people, steals money from merchants, and...... casually does human trafficking and murder without batting an eye?"
It was a stark look at how people perceived thugs. And it wasn't actually that far off.
"I don't think I'm that rotten a thug, but well, a thug is a thug either way."
"Whoa—! I've never seen a thug before! But are thugs originally that strong?"
"I'm probably the strongest thug in the Central Plains."
"Then by now, the nights of the Central Plains must belong to you, right?"
"If I set my mind to it, sure. That was my goal too."
"I'm jealous. That you can achieve whatever you want."
But Do Tong-dal didn't actually feel Jang Yeon-seon's envy reach his heart.
Why was it that, even though he had the ability to achieve any dream at any time, it didn't make him happy?
"There's nothing to be jealous of. If anything, it puts me in a bad mood."
"Why?"
"Things that are too easy don't give you any sense of accomplishment."
That was probably why he had veered off onto the side path of making the Third Prince emperor and fighting the Revenge Society.
If his thoughts wandered just a little further, he might end up feeling like a lost child.
"Then just pick a difficult goal."
"A difficult goal?"
"How about being the coolest thug in the world?"
"What kind of thug is that?"
"It's your dream, mister, so you have to think of it yourself."
'The coolest thug, huh.......'
The coolest thug Do Tong-dal knew was Wang Chil. Although he was completely illiterate and rough-tempered, Wang Chil was a thug with compassion and loyalty.
But Wang Chil wasn't the only thug like that. No matter how filthy and cruel that world was, there were always thugs like Wang Chil everywhere.
"He's the strongest in the world and people respect him, but he's a thug. Isn't that pretty cool?"
"That's a bit...... a weird thug, isn't it?"
"How about it? If just becoming the emperor of the night is too boring, becoming an emperor of the night who goes down in Central Plains history wouldn't be bad either."
It was a little childish, but Jang Yeon-seon's words struck something deep in Do Tong-dal's chest.
'An emperor of the night so great that he goes down in history.......'
* * *