Monopolizing Fortunes (170)
Monopolizing Fortunes (170)
"Of course. You took in an orphan like me, fed me, clothed me, and even taught me martial arts."
Respect for the Society Leader seeped through Ice Sword's voice. The first step was to crack that respect.
"He sounds like a good man. What were your parents like?"
"I don't remember."
"Why not?"
"Because they abandoned me when I was too young."
"How do you know they abandoned you?"
"The Society Leader told me so."
"So the Society Leader's word is everything."
"Are you doubting the Society Leader's word?"
"I'm someone who looks at all facts objectively and based on evidence. What the Society Leader said might be true, but if it can't be proven, doubting it is only natural. Of course, I'm not telling you to doubt him. I'm just stating how things are."
"The Society Leader is like a father to me. I cannot tolerate anyone doubting him."
"Like a father? How many brushes with death have you survived so far?"
The lack of an answer meant there were too many to easily count.
"Besides the Blood Spirit Three Swords, there must have been other children training with you."
"There were about a hundred and twenty."
"They must all have thought of the Society Leader as a father."
"Of course."
"How many of them survived?"
The answer came after a brief pause.
"Six."
"Six out of a hundred and twenty means only one in twenty survived. Letting his children die like that—what a heartless father."
"Because the martial world is a place where only the strong survive! If they didn't die there, they would have died in the martial world anyway!"
"Ordinary parents try to keep their children alive as long as possible. They don't kill them early just because everyone dies eventually. People don't kill newborn babies just because everyone dies someday. Isn't that right?"
"W-we were in a special situation."
"You were all orphans abandoned by your parents, right?"
"Yes."
"Among those hundred and twenty, was there any child who remembered their parents?"
The silence meant no.
"That's strange. Out of a hundred and twenty children, not one remembers their parents."
"Being abandoned right after birth is common."
He could feel Ice Sword's voice wavering. The seed of doubt had been planted. After that, Do Tong-dal talked with Ice Sword for close to one shichen.
Most of that time was spent shaking Ice Sword's feelings about the Revenge Society. Of course, one shichen was nowhere near enough to get what he wanted.
But Ice Sword would have to stay alone in this cramped space. With nothing to do all day, he would keep chewing over his conversation with Do Tong-dal.
That was how the seed of doubt would germinate and sprout. Do Tong-dal's job was to water and fertilize that sprout for one shichen each day.
After spending three shichen like that with the Blood Spirit Three Swords, he was as exhausted as if he had trained himself half to death.
Reading a person's psychology and saying the right thing at the right moment was far harder than he had expected.
"Master!"
Jang Yeon-seon called out to Do Tong-dal as he came shuffling out.
"Hm?"
"When are you going to look at my martial arts?"
With Won Dae-yeon away, it naturally fell to Do Tong-dal.
"Shall we see how much my disciple's martial arts have improved after all this time?"
Do Tong-dal forced energy into his voice. He tried to drive away his current fatigue with the thought, "This is all an investment in the future!"
When Jang Yeon-seon went to the rear garden, she was holding a real sword.
"Not a wooden sword?"
"Uncle Won said I could use a real sword now."
A sword is a dangerous object even when training alone. Considering Jang Yeon-seon's age, the weight alone would be a burden.
Yet the fact that Won Dae-yeon had let her hold a real sword meant Jang Yeon-seon's martial arts had improved that much.
'Let's see how far she's come.'
Half a ke was enough to surprise Do Tong-dal. The Three Severings Blade Art that Jang Yeon-seon displayed was flawless.
No matter how extraordinary the White Stone Divine Eye Constitution was, this was absurdly fast progress. The fact that he could feel a robust power in the sword's movements meant his Internal Energy had also reached a certain level.
'Protector Won has poured an enormous amount of care into her.'
Without Won Dae-yeon's efforts, Jang Yeon-seon could never have developed to that degree.
After demonstrating about two ke's worth of the Three Severings Blade Art, Jang Yeon-seon sheathed her sword. She was out of breath, but her breathing was steady. That meant her internal energy cultivation method was solid as well.
"Master, how was it?"
"How was it? In three years, you'll surpass me."
"Come on, that's not true."
"Of course it shouldn't be true. If I don't want to become a master weaker than his disciple, I'll have to put in some effort too. Still, one thing is certain."
"What is it?"
Do Tong-dal ruffled Jang Yeon-seon's hair as he spoke.
"That I really chose my disciple well. I'm truly grateful that a kid as outstanding as you became my disciple."
"I'm the grateful one, since I became the disciple of the best master in the world."
Won Dae-yeon's voice cut into the warm atmosphere between master and disciple.
"You two get along so well it's making me feel left out."
"Uncle!"
Jang Yeon-seon ran over and threw herself into Won Dae-yeon's arms.
"You're back a day earlier than expected."
"Things went well. The guests are waiting—shall we go meet them?"
"We should. But who are they?"
"Have you heard of the Twelve Zodiac Shadows?"
Although the Revenge Society had made him take an interest in the martial world, Do Tong-dal was still close to an outsider.
"I don't think I've heard of them."
"People call me the greatest hero under heaven, but they are the true greatest heroes under heaven."
"They must be famous in the martial world."
"In this house, you're the only one who doesn't know them."
Just then, Namgung Seol-rin came out of her room, spotted Won Dae-yeon, and greeted him warmly.
"The Twelve Zodiac Shadows?"
Namgung Seol-rin was startled by the name. Their origins and sects were all hidden behind a veil.
Twenty years ago, one of them had emerged into the martial world under the name Yeonyeong. The first place he made a name for himself was Shaanxi Province.
At the time, he single-handedly wiped out fifty men of the Jeokpungdae, a bandit gang notorious in Shaanxi.
After that, villains who had terrorized Shaanxi died at Yeonyeong's hands almost every day.
That was the beginning of the Twelve Zodiac Shadows. Two years later, one shadow had become two, and then three.
"That fellow gathered people of pitiful circumstances who had talent and ambition, one by one, and taught them martial arts."
Namgung Seol-rin nodded.
"So that's how it happened. I didn't know Jayeong, the first of them, was Won Dae-yeon's junior brother."
"It's largely my fault. I never acknowledged him as my junior brother."
"He must have resented you, yet he still followed you here."
"I brought him here, but making him stay is Coordinator Do's ability."
Do Tong-dal, who had been walking along playing with Jang Yeon-seon, flinched in surprise.
"What? My ability?"
"These are people who wandered the martial world doing chivalrous deeds for as little as four years and as long as twenty. Do you think they lived like that because they had nowhere to go? For reference, my junior brother is stronger than you."
"How much stronger?"
"Much."
His mouth watered. Hearing that, the man might be stronger than Jang Yu-seom or Namgung Seol-rin.
"First, we'll have to see whether they're people who fit in with us. No matter how good the Makya Sword is, what a cook needs is a good kitchen knife."
Jang Yu-seom joined them along the way. He had also come out after hearing that Won Dae-yeon had returned.
After hearing about the Twelve Zodiac Shadows, Jang Yu-seom immediately asked.
"May I have a spar with them?"
Namgung Seol-rin spoke with an "Oh no!" expression.
"I'm first!"
"I brought it up first."
"But I met Won Dae-yeon first."
The two bickered over who would get to spar first. These martial-arts-crazed lunatics!
The Twelve Zodiac Shadows were waiting for them in the annex connected to the rear garden. Only three people, including Jo Seong-un, were seated, while the other nine stood around in relaxed postures.
Jo Seong-un, arms crossed, swept his gaze over them as they entered. And the person his gaze settled on was Jang Yu-seom.
"Is it you?"
Jang Yu-seom answered immediately.
"It is."
Everyone looked at Jang Yu-seom with "Huh?" expressions.
"Why? Wasn't this about sparring?"
Do Tong-dal sighed and took a seat in front of Jo Seong-un. From the moment he entered the room, Do Tong-dal had sensed that this would not be easy.
Their postures and even their expressions were shields that were hard to pierce. Do Tong-dal set his mind at ease with the thought, "If it works, great; if not, so be it."
"So you're Do Tong-dal, the man who stole my senior brother's heart."
Out of consideration for Won Dae-yeon's face, he at least used polite speech. Do Tong-dal asked.
"Can you become gangsters?"
"Excuse me?"
"Gangsters who sell people and opium, and fatten themselves by sucking the blood of merchants."
Jo Seong-un stared at Do Tong-dal with a dumbfounded look.
"You must have heard about us."
"Of course I have. The greatest heroes under heaven, right?"
"That is my senior brother's title, but it is clear that we walk the path of chivalry. Do you think people like us would do such things?"
"Then what about killing? Could you kill someone I've decided is my enemy, not someone you've judged to be a villain?"
"Never."
Do Tong-dal stood up.
"Then we're done talking. I'll give you travel expenses for your return. I apologize for making you come all this way for nothing."
With that, Do Tong-dal walked out. The Twelve Zodiac Shadows looked utterly baffled by the situation, while Won Dae-yeon, Namgung Seol-rin, and Jang Yu-seom chuckled.
"Well...... so it turned out like this."
Jo Seong-un asked Won Dae-yeon, who had spoken.
"Did you know it would turn out like this?"
"No. Who could predict Coordinator Do's actions? I only believe that whatever he does, he has a reason for it."
Namgung Seol-rin spoke.
"I was hoping we could share a roof with the Twelve Zodiac Shadows, whose fame resounds through the martial world. What a shame."
"And who is the young lady who speaks like that?"
"I'm late introducing myself. I'm Namgung Seol-rin."
Jo Seong-un studied her for a moment, then started in surprise.
"Don't tell me you're Lady Namgung, the daughter of the Namgung Clan?"
"It seems Won Dae-yeon didn't tell you."
Under Jo Seong-un's gaze, Won Dae-yeon said.
"I thought I would need her permission."
"Why is the daughter of the Namgung Clan in such a small sect?"
"I was in the Underworld too."
"What? The Un...... You were in the Underworld?"
"It was a place called the Red Tiger Society in Hangzhou. It wasn't bad."
He had known that Do Tong-dal came from the Underworld, but he could hardly believe that Namgung Seol-rin had been there with him.
"If the Namgung Clan Head knew this, he would not stand still."
"He knows."
"He knows, and yet you're here...... Were you cast out?"
"Pfft! Hohoho!"
Namgung Seol-rin burst into a refreshing laugh and said.
"If I go back to the clan, they'll chase me out and tell me to come back here."
Jo Seong-un, who knew all too well the Namgung Clan's standing in the martial world, could not believe Namgung Seol-rin's words.
"If you truly don't believe me, stay here for a few days as a guest. You'll come to understand naturally."
"We're not that idle......."
"No one here is idle. Tong-dal especially so. The safety of the martial world rests on Tong-dal's shoulders."
"Safety?"
Jo Seong-un had only heard peripheral details related to Mount Hua from Won Dae-yeon. Won Dae-yeon had not revealed everything because he could not judge whether it was permissible to disclose all these secrets involving the imperial palace, the Revenge Society, Mount Hua Sect, and Jongnam Sect.
He was a cautious man, and so he had decided to leave the judgment to Do Tong-dal.
"You could call it the greatest secret in the current martial world, and the only person who can decide whether to reveal it is Tong-dal."
"Are you planning to pique my curiosity so I'll stay?"
"The Righteous Chivalry Sect does need the Twelve Zodiac Shadows, but we're not desperate. Even without you, we're strong enough."
He knew that Namgung Seol-rin's martial arts rivaled the top among the rising young women.
But that was only among the rising young women. If you lined up the masters of the martial world, she would be nowhere in sight.
What made Namgung Seol-rin remarkable was less her own martial arts than her background as a member of the Namgung Clan. But from the look of it, that background seemed to have been removed here.
If Namgung Seol-rin was an important figure, it was hard to believe that the Righteous Chivalry Sect was strong enough.
"It doesn't seem sufficient if you exclude my senior brother."
Jo Seong-un had never once held back from saying what he wanted to say, wherever he was.
"Would you like to confirm it?"
The moment Namgung Seol-rin finished speaking, Jang Yu-seom stepped forward.
"Protector Namgung. Wait your turn."
"The decision seems to be Jo Seong-un's to make here."
Jang Yu-seom and Namgung Seol-rin stared intently at Jo Seong-un. Jo Seong-un could not understand why the two of them were looking at him with such burning eyes.
* * *