Monopolizing Fortunes (173)
Monopolizing Fortunes (173)
"M-my...... freedom?"
"Because freedom is something everyone should enjoy."
* * *
Wang Du-sik set his cup down on the table with a clatter and let loose the dissatisfaction he had been holding in.
"No, seriously, what's the point of coming to a pleasure house and not having any courtesan sit with us? It's the same as going to a restaurant, not ordering anything, and just taking up a table!"
Wang Du-sik had, for once, come up with an apt comparison. Namgung Seol-rin raised her hand.
"The little brat's got nothing but women on his mind. You'll rot to the bone, you punk!"
Wang Du-sik made a show of blocking the blow and protested.
"This is all because of you, Sis! Why did you have to follow us to a pleasure house?"
"The mistake is coming to a pleasure house to talk about important matters! Isn't that right, Brother?"
"Huh? Well, I mean......."
"Ugh—! Even my innocent brother is getting corrupted. This guy is the problem, I'm telling you."
"Cheol-hyeon leaves tomorrow, so we ought to have a farewell drink. Wang-sik, just bear with it a little. Once the important talk is done, I'll call over the prettiest girls. O-of course, not for me."
Do Tong-dal cursed inwardly—Damn it!—but smiled obsequiously on the outside.
Won Dae-yeon asked Do Tong-dal.
"By the way, what have you been doing with the people who came over from the Blood Spirit Three Swords and the Revenge Society these days?"
"Undoing their brainwashing, and then doing different brainwashing."
"Huh?"
"They're an important fighting force for us. But only half of one. Their affiliation changed from the Revenge Society to the Righteous Chivalry Sect, but if they became loyal to the Righteous Chivalry Sect overnight, that would be strange, wouldn't it?"
"There must be spies among them as well."
Do Tong-dal shook his head.
"They probably didn't even bother designating anyone as a spy. They did send them to us, but they'll assume there's no way those people would betray the Revenge Society."
"Can you make people like that come over to our side?"
Do Tong-dal let out a long sigh.
"That's exactly why I've been going through hell. I run my mouth for five shichen a day, so it's killing me."
"Running your mouth—you mean talking?"
"Torturing them would honestly be easier."
"They don't seem like the sort whose minds can be changed with words......."
"It depends on what you say and when. Sometimes there are things that have to be settled with the tongue rather than the sword."
Won Dae-yeon's face, as he said, "I'll trust you to handle it," carried a faint trace of doubt.
Namgung Cheol-hyeon changed the subject.
"I'd like to stay for the Righteous Chivalry Sect's founding ceremony, but it would draw too much attention for the Namgung Clan's Young Head to attend, so my uncle will be coming instead."
"The Sect Leader's younger brother seems like he'd draw plenty of attention too, though?"
"Be careful. If you ever need the Namgung Clan, contact me anytime. I'll come running with everyone in tow."
"If something like that happens, it means I've done my job wrong. I'm going through all this trouble precisely to settle things while spilling as little blood as possible."
"More than anyone else, make your own life your top priority."
"Obviously. A thug isn't some chivalrous hero. Taking care of my own hide comes first."
But no one in the room took Do Tong-dal's words at face value. Even Jo Seong-un, who had newly joined them, felt the same.
Jang Yu-seom asked.
"The founding is right around the corner—have you finished reorganizing the sect?"
"Yes. Fortunately, the Twelve Zodiac Shadows agreed to join us, so the troublesome matter of the Hall Masters has been resolved."
Jo Seong-un, who had been lifting his cup, looked at Do Tong-dal.
"Hall Masters?"
"Eleven of you will serve as Hall Masters and Deputy Hall Masters, and I'd like you, Jo Seong-un, to serve as Chief Hall Master."
Jo Seong-un waved his hand.
"We did not join the Righteous Chivalry Sect to wear official hats."
"Still, the work has to be done."
"That is true, but we are people who intend to leave once the Revenge Society matter is finished......."
"The Righteous Chivalry Sect only needs to exist until exactly then, so you needn't worry about that. I'll pay you a generous monthly salary, so don't fret. We're all doing this to make a living, so if we're at it, we might as well earn a lot."
People of the martial world rarely brought up money out of concern for face, but Do Tong-dal spoke of it smoothly, as if it were only natural.
"Then Do Tong-dal will be taking the position of Sect Leader?"
"What? Oh dear, how could someone like me. I'm just a Hall Master; my disciple will be the Sect Leader."
Jo Seong-un was startled.
"That child?"
Then his face shifted into an "Ah!" expression.
"You need a face to put out front. But it doesn't seem like you're simply using the child."
Jo Seong-un was someone who said what needed to be said even in this situation.
"Yeon-seon is a true Sect Leader. She'll grow into it and become an excellent one. She'll need help at first, but within a few years she'll prove herself admirably as Sect Leader."
Jo Seong-un couldn't understand.
"Why deliberately complicate things? You could just become Sect Leader yourself."
"I keep telling you, I'm not a martial artist, I'm a thug. Once this tiresome business is over, I won't even piss in the direction of the martial world!"
That man means it. He's going to throw away everything he's worked so hard to build and go back to being a thug? Is being a thug really that good?
Namgung Seol-rin draped an arm over Do Tong-dal's shoulder and said, "Right, let's finish this quickly. I miss the Underworld too," and Jang Yu-seom chimed in, "I'd like to go back to the back alleys as well."
What Won Dae-yeon had said was true. More than all the wealth and glory in the world, what they wanted was to be thugs! The thought came unbidden: 'Should I try being a thug too?'
"As soon as the brainwashing of the Revenge Society personnel is finished, I'll need to make a trip to Beijing. We'll hold the founding ceremony after that."
Namgung Seol-rin asked.
"Why Beijing?"
The edge in her question was because of Ju Seo-in.
"It's time to put an end to the imperial palace's attacks on the Revenge Society. If the Revenge Society gets any weaker, it'll be troublesome later when we fight Huashan and the Jongnam Sect. I also have to rescue the Alliance Leader old man."
"With the Alliance Leader gone, I wonder if the Northern Unorthodox Alliance is running smoothly these days."
"What work does that old man even have? It looked like Strategist Ha does everything."
Jo Seong-un belatedly realized that the Alliance Leader of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance whom Namgung Seol-rin had mentioned and the old man Do Tong-dal had spoken of were the same person.
"The old man Coordinator Do mentioned—is he the Alliance Leader of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance?"
Do Tong-dal answered.
"He's a strong old man with a lot of greed."
"Still, he does what you tell him well enough."
"If you handle him right, he's useful."
"Y-you're joking, right?"
"What joke?"
"That business about ordering around the Alliance Leader of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance like a servant."
"Hey, thug or not, I couldn't treat an elderly gentleman like a servant. I just have him do this and that, that's all."
"The Alliance Leader of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance does what Coordinator Do tells him to?"
"Why are you so surprised? What's so hard about putting that old man to work?"
Jo Seong-un was the only person there who didn't take that as a matter of course.
'Just what kind of place have I gotten myself into?'
At the mention that the Third Prince, who would become emperor, was trying to make Do Tong-dal his Prince Consort, Jo Seong-un had simply decided to keep his head down. Seeing how Namgung Seol-rin was carrying on, it clearly wasn't a lie.
He had thought that with the Twelve Zodiac Shadows, he could hold his head high anywhere, but in the Righteous Chivalry Sect, it wasn't such an impressive position after all.
'I'll do my duty as Hall Master, and once the Revenge Society matter is wrapped up, I'll quietly return to where I was.'
Jo Seong-un sipped his drink alone and made that resolution.
* * *
After eight days, the light faded from Fire Sword's eyes.
"I was nothing but a tool for the Revenge Society's revenge."
"The Revenge Society kidnapped and raised you for exactly that purpose, so from their standpoint, they were faithful to their goal."
Fire Sword lowered his head and clutched his hair.
"Then what am I supposed to do? My whole life, I thought what the Revenge Society told me to think and moved as they wanted. Can someone like me live an ordinary life like other people?"
"If you shake off the Revenge Society, it's entirely possible. Our Righteous Chivalry Sect will give you a new life, one that the Revenge Society used."
"Thank you for saying that."
"Take your time and settle your heart. I'll come again tomorrow."
The Fire Sword even bowed to Do Tong-dal as he left the room. It wasn't only the Fire Sword—the Lightning Sword and Ice Sword also fell in the end.
Unlike the Blood Spirit Three Swords, the one hundred fifteen warriors who had come from the Revenge Society spent one and a half shichen a day with Do Tong-dal in a large space created by walling off the main hall.
Do Tong-dal devoted most of that time to taking questions. And the end of every answer always worked in the message of how badly the Revenge Society had brainwashed them.
Because they had not been brainwashed as thoroughly as the Blood Spirit Three Swords, it was possible to deprogram all one hundred fifteen at once. Of course, he also didn't forget to brainwash them so that they would be loyal to the Righteous Chivalry Sect.
And then the long-awaited tenth day arrived. Do Tong-dal's calculated timing was exactly right.
The Blood Spirit Three Swords' clouded gazes regained their proper light.
"We will devote our loyalty to the Righteous Chivalry Sect."
"Be loyal for your own sake. And you may leave the Righteous Chivalry Sect whenever you wish."
"That will never happen."
And so the Blood Spirit Three Swords went from being the Revenge Society's loyal dogs to the Righteous Chivalry Sect's fine subordinates.
The one hundred fifteen warriors who had brief final interviews on the last day had also completely emerged from the Revenge Society's shadow. The vague future of comfortable living had taken clear shape for them.
Purpose was always the finest catalyst for changing a person.
With the time for the founding ceremony pressing, Do Tong-dal departed at once. He left the Righteous Chivalry Sect's organizational structure to Namgung Seol-rin and Jang Yu-seom.
They would establish the system by drawing on the strengths of both a martial clan and the military.
Since the reason for going to Beijing was to meet Gaksananjung, it would have been natural for Jang Bu-ok to go along, but with time pressing, they decided to give the Revenge Society a suitable excuse.
Moreover, since Jang Bu-ok still did not know Do Tong-dal's true identity, going together was premature.
As he was about to leave for Beijing, Jang Bu-ok came to see him. Jang Bu-ok's face was rigid, and he seemed angry.
"You're seating Yeon-seon as the Sect Leader of the Righteous Chivalry Sect?"
"Who did you hear that from?"
"Yeon-seon told me directly."
"Then you must have talked about a great deal."
At the words "a great deal," Jang Bu-ok let out a long sigh.
"I can't even remember the last time I had a proper conversation with that child. This time too, she just said what she had to say, like a notice, and left. What on earth are you thinking? Putting Yeon-seon on the front line of this dangerous fight?"
"Nothing dangerous will happen to Yeon-seon. Though it will be hard on her, of course."
"Even so......."
"How about being honest with Yeon-seon?"
"About what?"
"About her mother still being alive."
Jang Bu-ok was so startled his mouth fell open.
"H-how did you know that?"
"Whenever your wife came up, I sensed something off. Well, finding out wasn't very difficult. I just kept quiet because it didn't seem like my place to step in."
"There must be a reason you're bringing it up now."
"Because the Revenge Society can no longer threaten the Company Head's family."
Jang Bu-ok was no longer the head of the Hwangdae Merchant Company, tossed about by the Revenge Society. Though the business had shrunk since then, the Righteous Chivalry Sect now stood behind Jang Bu-ok.
Moreover, if Jang Yeon-seon was the Sect Leader of the Righteous Chivalry Sect, the Revenge Society would never do anything to make an enemy of Jang Bu-ok.
"Back then, that was the best option. I believed that saving the Hwangdae Merchant Company was protecting my family's happiness. Hiding from Yeon-seon that her mother was alive—that was largely her mother's will. Because Yeon-seon could have been put in danger too."
"Now bring your wife here. The other family members of the merchant company have been brought together, so you should do the same, Company Head."
"Is it really all right? Is it truly safe for Yeon-seon's mother to come back?"
"I will protect Company Head Jang's family no matter what happens."
Do Tong-dal's assurances inspired trust, as they always did. Jang Bu-ok said, "I'll think it over," and turned away for the moment, but his mind was made up.
Thanks to traveling alone and using his Lightness Art freely, it took him only a day to pass through Hebei Province and reach Beijing. It was all thanks to Internal Energy exceeding three gapja.
"Oh ho! Our Tong-dal is here? There are several people here in Beijing who've been lovesick waiting to see you. I'm the worst of them all."
Yang Su-pan greeted Do Tong-dal with a warm embrace, every single time without fail.
"There are several people here in Beijing I'd rather avoid. Censor Yang is first among them."
"Heh heh heh...... That sharp tongue of yours is your charm. Come along, quickly. His Highness the Third Prince heard you'd arrived and has been waiting with his neck craned."
"Can't I not meet him?"
Delivering the business to Yang Su-pan would have been enough.
"If you don't want to meet him, it can't be helped, but His Highness the Third Prince will be very disappointed."
"Ugh—! I can't go disappointing the future emperor."
* * *