Monopolizing Fortunes (155)
Monopolizing Fortunes (155)
"Let's stop the fighting here! If you kill them, won't you be in trouble too?"
"What trouble would I be in?"
"Do you intend to make an enemy of the Revenge Society?"
"I already told you. We're already enemies."
"Th-that . . . that was Protector Bae's misunderstanding. I have never once considered Protector Bae an enemy."
"You probably thought of me as a bug not even worth being an enemy."
Struck right on the mark, he was momentarily at a loss for words. But right now was the time to lay the flattery on thick.
"That is an outrageous thing to say."
Another groan burst out, and this time it was the Lightning Sword. The Blood Spirit Three Swords' hands and feet were thrown into disarray, and Won Dae-yeon's attacks were still fast enough to be invisible to the eye.
"Spare them! If you tell me to kneel, I will kneel!"
Jeon Ho-jin was a wise(?) man who was strong against the weak and weak against the strong.
Do Tong-dal hesitated for a moment as he watched Jeon Ho-jin, who looked ready to drop to his knees at any second.
'Should I make him kneel, or not.'
Making that bastard kneel didn't seem like it would feel particularly good.
"Sir Seo, how about sparing these pitiful fellows?"
The voice was not very loud. But the man addressed as Sir Seo stopped moving as if by magic.
"Huff! Huff!"
The Blood Spirit Three Swords, who had been breathing raggedly, shuffled backward and then slumped to the floor.
The injuries alone were bad enough, but they were also utterly exhausted, as if they had run a hundred li without rest. Won Dae-yeon, on the other hand, was only breathing a little roughly and showed no sign of fatigue.
"Company Head, please call for a physician."
Startled by Do Tong-dal's words, Jang Bu-ok ordered someone to summon a physician. Namgung Seol-rin spat out in a cold voice.
"The martial world I've returned to after so long has gone very soft. Sparing enemies, and now even treating them."
Jang Yu-seom picked up Namgung Seol-rin's words.
"Exactly. The ones who pointed their swords at us ought to be slaughtered to the last and thrown to the dogs."
Her acting had improved a lot. When they first told her to try it, she had stuttered like an eight-year-old reading a book.
Do Tong-dal raised his thumb where only Jang Yu-seom could see. Having received the praise, Jang Yu-seom put on a proud expression.
As Won Dae-yeon sheathed his dagger and approached, Namgung Seol-rin asked him.
"Big brother, are you all right?"
"As you can see. If I'd had just half a ke more, I could have cut all their throats."
Do Tong-dal spoke.
"There will be plenty of chances to fight, so let's leave it at that for today."
"He gives me fights and even pays me money, so I ought to listen to such a good man."
"But . . ."
Namgung Seol-rin drew out her words as she turned her gaze toward Jeon Ho-jin.
"What are those bastards? I thought we just had to act as protectors for the Hwangdae Merchant Company or whatever it is?"
Do Tong-dal answered with deliberate politeness.
"Since a protector is a position that protects, you did your job properly today."
"Then are those bastards enemies?"
Namgung Seol-rin's acting was flawless, so both her tone and expression were vicious.
"That depends on what they do. I'll wrap things up here, so the three of you needn't concern yourselves."
Jang Yu-seom spoke.
"It's not just protecting—attacking is fine too. Just say the word and we'll sweep them all away."
Do Tong-dal gave Jang Yu-seom another thumbs-up, then turned back to Jeon Ho-jin.
"I can roughly guess how things are going right now, but we're not going to the Revenge Society."
"What?"
"Of course, it's the Company Head's decision, but we're not stupid enough to jump into an enemy's jaws."
"Enemy? We are one family."
"Oh-ho! So these days, family means people who kill you if you don't listen?"
"Th-that was just meant to scare you . . ."
"Family protects each other; it doesn't scare each other."
Jeon Ho-jin could find nothing to say in reply. Because he had reflexively used the word "family," he had lost even the room to make excuses.
"Protector Bae."
Jang Bu-ok called to Do Tong-dal as he approached.
"How about introducing those three first?"
His attitude was as deferential as if he were dealing with his master.
"Ah! These three are the Three Beyond the World, whom I specially recruited on this journey."
"The Three Beyond the World?"
"It's only natural that the Central Plains martial world doesn't know them. As you can tell from the name, they've been beyond the world until now."
"I see."
"Do you happen to know of the Three Killers of Shandong?"
A great merchant like Jang Bu-ok knew most martial artists by heart, even if they weren't affiliated with the Revenge Society.
"Their base is in Shandong, but their evil deeds were so atrocious that they're quite famous. Ah! I heard they died some time ago—surely . . ."
"Yes. These three are responsible."
"Oh! What remarkable heroes they are!"
Namgung Seol-rin said indifferently.
"Heroes, my foot. They bumped my shoulder and didn't apologize, so I sliced them up."
Jang Bu-ok swallowed dryly. If these were people who killed over a bumped shoulder, they might kill him for splashing soup while eating.
"Hey, no need to be that scared. From the look of it, you're the Company Head, and we don't kill people who pay us that easily."
That meant they didn't kill them easily—but they did kill them.
"I-I see. Thank you."
"I brought these three here to recruit them as protectors of the Hwangdae Merchant Company. Would that be acceptable?"
At Do Tong-dal's words, Jang Bu-ok broke into a broad smile.
"Of course! If they are shields as reliable as these three, I would go to any lengths to bring them aboard!"
It seemed he would have to give them money and even serve them as masters, but if he could preserve his life, what couldn't he do?
Listening to their conversation, Jeon Ho-jin's lips went completely dry. When he had left the Revenge Society, he had thought bringing the Hwangdae Merchant Company along would be no trouble at all.
Jeon Ho-jin had only been annoyed by the tedium of the journey back and forth, but now he found himself in a position where he had to worry about his life.
Far from bringing the Hwangdae Merchant Company back, if he returned driven off like a dog beaten with a club, he would never be safe.
"Company Head Jang, do you truly not intend to go to the Revenge Society?"
"Why? Are you going to kill me?"
The words that he would never be safe if he did not heed the Revenge Society rose to the tip of his tongue. But he had already been beaten with a club and yelped, so such a threat could not possibly work.
"First, let me apologize for my earlier rudeness. I was in a hurry and made a mistake."
Jang Bu-ok stared quietly at Jeon Ho-jin with an expression that said to continue.
"But please do not think that my attitude matches the Revenge Society's regard for you, Company Head Jang. The Revenge Society needs you far more than you think. For you, Company Head Jang, that is both a good thing and a bad thing."
Do Tong-dal stepped in.
"So you'll be treated well in the Revenge Society, but if they can't keep you in their grasp, they'll eliminate you."
"Is that not the natural way of things? You know the Revenge Society's power, Company Head Jang. Destroying one Hwangdae Merchant Company is nothing to the Revenge Society."
"Will they have the leisure for that with the First Prince assassination incident?"
"The matter with the imperial palace is not one that requires force."
Indeed, they wouldn't do something insane like waging all-out war against the imperial palace.
Jeon Ho-jin looked at Do Tong-dal and the Three Beyond the World as he continued.
"Of course, with four such formidable masters present, it would not be easy. But the Revenge Society is not one to fail just because something is difficult."
Do Tong-dal also took a step back.
"The Hwangdae Merchant Company doesn't want to become enemies with the Revenge Society either. Isn't that right, Company Head?"
"W-well, yes. How could we wish to become enemies?"
"Instead of doing this out here, let's move inside."
Only Do Tong-dal, Jang Bu-ok, and Jeon Ho-jin took seats in the reception room. On the way to the reception room, Jang Bu-ok asked, "Have the Three Beyond the World completely become people of the Hwangdae Merchant Company?" and Do Tong-dal confidently answered, "Yes."
"To recruit such remarkable figures as the Three Beyond the World. Protector Bae, you are far more capable than I had heard."
Jeon Ho-jin laid the flattery on thick for Do Tong-dal.
'They were just recruited, so the Revenge Society should be able to snatch them away.'
Do Tong-dal spoke.
"You seem to think the Revenge Society can recruit the Three Beyond the World. Go ahead and try."
At Jeon Ho-jin's caught-off-guard expression, Jang Bu-ok was reminded anew of Do Tong-dal's abilities.
'The more I experience him, the more remarkable a man he is.'
Jeon Ho-jin laughed awkwardly.
"Ha ha ha! How could I entertain such disloyal thoughts?"
After thinking for a moment, Do Tong-dal asked Jang Bu-ok.
"What are your thoughts on going to the Revenge Society, Company Head?"
He desperately wanted to leave the Revenge Society, but if he chose that path, he would have to pass through a thorny road of hardship.
It was too frightening a path to rely solely on Do Tong-dal's abilities.
"In truth, although the Revenge Society has treated our Hwangdae Merchant Company with contempt, I have never once forgotten that I belong to the Revenge Society."
Jeon Ho-jin quickly bowed his head.
"Allow me to apologize once more for that."
"Then you wish to go to the Revenge Society, Company Head."
"What do you think, Protector Bae?"
"I merely follow the orders of my employer, the Company Head."
"Ha ha! How could I think of you so lightly, Protector Bae? You are my daughter's master, after all."
Do Tong-dal said to Jeon Ho-jin.
"I have one condition."
"What is it?"
"Let me meet the Society Leader."
Even Jang Bu-ok had never once seen the Society Leader.
"That is something I find difficult to promise . . ."
"The Hwangdae Merchant Company wants clear authority within the Revenge Society. You can't decide that yourself, can you?"
There was no way a mere Hall Master had such authority.
"I will do my utmost."
Do Tong-dal backed off at that point.
"Then we'll depart tomorrow."
* * *
"What did you just say?"
"What? Say what?"
"It says Yeonghwan Daehwan Pill, written here on the bottom of the box."
Won Dae-yeon and Namgung Seol-rin checked again and again in case it was some other characters.
"Is this real?"
"It was in the Imperial Palace Secret Archive, so it must be real."
Jang Yeon-seon, unable to hold back any longer, asked.
"What is the Yeonghwan Daehwan Pill?"
Namgung Seol-rin answered.
"It's a miraculous elixir made sixty years ago by a divine physician called Gwon Wang-seok, who was known in the martial world as the Divine Doctor. He made it at the request of the Wudang Sect Leader, who was his dearest friend at the time, but the ingredients were so rare that he could only make exactly two. One was taken by the Sect Leader, and the other is said to be kept at Wudang, so I don't know why it was in the Imperial Palace Secret Archive."
Won Dae-yeon spoke.
"What matters is that the Yeonghwan Daehwan Pill is here."
"The Divine Doctor picked well for us. Won Dae-yeon, I'll need you to put in some effort. Since we're going to feed it to Yeon-seon, please take special care."
Everyone was surprised. Naturally, they had assumed Do Tong-dal had brought it to take himself.
"What? You're giving this precious thing to me?"
"When I trained in martial arts, I found that there's a big difference between having Internal Energy and not having it. If you start learning martial arts while already possessing Internal Energy, you'll be able to reach the level you want much faster."
Won Dae-yeon nodded.
"It won't be as good as the Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King you took, but it should give you two gapja of Internal Energy. Of course, it will take some time to climb to that point."
"Can I really eat something this precious?"
"I can't stand the sight of my disciple going around getting beaten."
"But I . . . I haven't done anything for you, Master . . ."
"Why do you say you haven't? You chose me as your master."
"I'm already grateful for that alone, and if you give me such an elixir on top of it . . ."
Jang Yeon-seon was so moved that she looked ready to cry at any moment. So Do Tong-dal quickly spoke.
"It's an investment, an investment. How much easier would my life be if you became the Revenge Society Leader?"
The three of them were startled.
"Yeon-seon is going to become the Revenge Society Leader?"
"That's the plan for now. Anyway, Yeon-seon, you need to get stronger fast. Won Dae-yeon, please help Yeon-seon take the Yeonghwan Daehwan Pill."
"Understood."
That day, Jang Yeon-seon finally set one foot into the world of Internal Energy. And Won Dae-yeon readily permitted Jang Yeon-seon to learn his Wonhyeong Musang Art.
"Everything of mine is yours."
If not for Do Tong-dal, she would already have become beast feed as an opium addict, so nothing he gave felt like a waste.
The next day, they set out for the Revenge Society's main headquarters.
* * *
The shabby tea house in Sodong County, Henan Province, seemed about to collapse under Baek So-gu's sighs.
Normally he wouldn't even cross the threshold, saying a tea house didn't suit a beggar, but because of his promise with Ha Su-ran, he had no choice but to drink tea without even tasting it.
"What to do . . . what to do . . ."
He was jiggling his leg restlessly when Ha Su-ran, whom he had been waiting for, arrived. It wasn't that she was late; Baek So-gu had simply come far too early.
* * *