Monopolizing Fortunes (176)
Monopolizing Fortunes (176)
The Twelve Zodiac Shadows roamed the martial world performing chivalrous deeds, yet they were also recluses.
Had Daoist Wonhae not also been pursuing the same evildoers, he would never have encountered the Twelve Zodiac Shadows even by chance.
Naturally, he had never even imagined that they might belong to some organization.
"Is it really true that the Twelve Zodiac Shadows have joined the Righteous Chivalry Sect?"
"The Righteous Chivalry Sect's purpose aligns with that of the Twelve Zodiac Shadows, and there are people there whom we can all respect, so we decided to join them."
Jo Seong-un recited exactly as Do Tong-dal had instructed him.
'So that's why the Beggars' Sect leader went around spreading word of the Righteous Chivalry Sect! If the Twelve Zodiac Shadows are there, and there are even people they respect, then it's absolutely not some newly founded minor sect!'
The news Daoist Wonhae had received spread far and wide in an instant. The Righteous Chivalry Sect, which had drawn ridicule because its Sect Leader was a mere child, was now seen in a completely different light thanks to the name of the Twelve Zodiac Shadows.
"Heh heh! The Twelve Zodiac Shadows are astonishing enough, but I hear there are also a host of masters whose names are unknown?"
"So they say. From what I've heard, there are four or five masters who could even be compared to Jayeong, the first of the Twelve Zodiac Shadows."
"I've also heard there are masters superior to Jayeong. Do you happen to know who they are?"
Within the small confines of the Righteous Chivalry Sect, rumors circulated that quickly. The renowned martial elders who had attended out of consideration for Beggars' Sect leader Baek So-gu revised their thinking: 'If I hadn't attended, I would have been in serious trouble.'
Even if one tried belatedly to establish ties with the Righteous Chivalry Sect, the moment they said, "Weren't you absent from the sect-founding ceremony?" there would be no good answer.
It was much like the reproach, "We live in the same neighborhood, and you didn't come to my wedding?"
Because of the name Twelve Zodiac Shadows, most people were on their guard, but not everyone was.
The Jangye Fist Sect, which had established itself in the same Luoyang, was not pleased.
"What is there to eat in this cramped Luoyang that they'd found a new sect here?"
Like business, when it came to martial sects, the fewer competitors the better.
Although he was from a collateral line, he came from the prestigious Hebei Peng Clan and had considerable confidence in his martial arts. But unlike Sect Leader Gang Seon-do's self-assurance, the Jangye Fist Sect had not grown into a very large sect.
That was because Gang Seon-do lacked both personal virtue and business acumen. The only person in Luoyang who didn't know that was Gang Seon-do himself.
For that reason, there was no way the Righteous Chivalry Sect, teeming with renowned martial elders, could look good in his eyes.
What put him in an even fouler mood was the attitude of the other minor sects.
"It seems we really must avoid falling out of favor with the Righteous Chivalry Sect."
"Indeed. With renowned elders of the orthodox sects showing such interest, and the Twelve Zodiac Shadows on top of that, they're bound to be called a prestigious sect the moment they're founded."
"It looks like Luoyang will finally have a renowned orthodox sect."
Gang Seon-do, who had been doing nothing but drinking in his foul mood, slammed the table. With a dull thud, two bowls tipped over and spilled their contents.
"Luoyang already has our Jangye Fist Sect!"
Seo Bong-su, who ran a small sect in Eonsa County neighboring Luoyang, gave an awkward smile.
"Heh heh heh! Indeed. It slipped my mind."
"How do you forget something that exists!"
At gatherings like this, there was always someone who couldn't rest until they'd spoken the blunt truth.
"Isn't calling the Jangye Fist Sect a renowned orthodox sect lacking—no, lacking by a great deal?"
Two of the six people present nodded. Gang Seon-do flared up.
"What did you just say!"
"I'm only speaking the truth. Even in Luoyang itself, there must be plenty of people who've never heard of the Jangye Fist Sect. How can such a sect be called renowned? Isn't that right?"
"And how famous are you, then!"
"I am Bae Chil-su, the Precise Blade Swordsman from Shandong!"
"A fellow I've never seen or heard of anywhere!"
"Even so, in Shandong Province I'm more famous than the Jangye Fist Sect!"
"Let's see just how great that famous skill of yours is! Come out here!"
The people around them made a show of trying to stop it, but oddly enough, they also fanned the flames. They say the two most entertaining things in the world are watching a fight and watching a fire, and for martial artists, watching a fight was something they'd leap out of bed for.
So they didn't do the foolish thing(?) of actively intervening and throwing away such a fine opportunity.
Outside the temporary reception tent, there was a small clearing. After trading a few curses, the two men really did fight.
In most cases, even when a quarrel broke out at such a gathering, it ended with a few shouts. But this time, Gang Seon-do's rage was too great.
Gang Seon-do attacked, and Bae Chil-su couldn't just stand there with his hands still.
"Oh dear! Someone ought to stop that...... No, why are you attacking his face! You should be going for his legs! The legs! Goodness, someone ought to stop them...... Tsk! They really are fighting frustratingly."
The onlookers all said someone should stop it, yet each cheered for their own side. The fight ended in victory for Gang Seon-do, who had boldly started it.
It couldn't have been otherwise: Gang Seon-do practiced fist and kick techniques, while Bae Chil-su used a sword as his weapon. But since weapons couldn't be drawn in a fight like this, if their martial arts were roughly equal, it was only natural that Gang Seon-do would win.
Having broken Bae Chil-su's nose, Gang Seon-do shouted triumphantly.
"Is there anyone else here who dares look down on the Jangye Fist Sect!"
Just then, a young voice spoke up.
"That's enough now."
When they turned their heads, they saw a callow youth in his early twenties with soft, downy fuzz on his face.
"And who are you!"
"I am Go Sam-mun, a junior martial officer of the Red Tiger Hall under the Righteous Chivalry Sect. Fighting at someone else's celebration is hardly proper etiquette."
"Ha! Does a green little junior martial officer dare lecture the Sect Leader of the Jangye Fist Sect?"
"If you are a Sect Leader, then you ought to act like one."
It might have seemed insolent, but for Go Sam-mun, this was him exercising great restraint. Had it not been for Do Tong-dal's stern warning that they must not be rude to the guests, he would have kicked the man's backside a dozen times over.
Gang Seon-do, thoroughly worked up from his one victory, was not about to let a young punk lecture him and simply let it pass.
"A brat whose ink on the family register hasn't even dried yet dares to lecture me! Lecture me! Is that what your little child of a Sect Leader, that wench, taught you!"
With alcohol in him, words that should never be spoken came out without hesitation. Go Sam-mun's eyebrows shot up sharply.
"I cannot tolerate an insult to our Sect Leader."
What Do Tong-dal had also instilled in them was loyalty to Jang Yeon-seon. In the Revenge Society, that loyalty had been forcibly crammed into them without condition, but Do Tong-dal had laid out a rosy future before their eyes.
Loyalty with sweet fruit in sight could not help but outstrip loyalty shrouded in darkness.
"A sect that props up a mere ten-year-old as its Sect Leader could never be a proper sect! Am I right, everyone!"
No one voiced agreement, but a few showed similar gestures.
Go Sam-mun's voice turned cold.
"Leave at once. This is my final warning."
"And what if I don't? Does the Righteous Chivalry Sect treat guests who came to congratulate its founding ceremony like this? You little brat, how dare you glare at me with those eyes!"
Gang Seon-do slapped Go Sam-mun across the cheek. The sound was astonishingly loud, and Go Sam-mun's face flushed red.
"I've taken one hit, so it seems I've done my duty by the guest."
"You son of a bitch!"
Gang Seon-do swung his hand again, but it only sliced through empty air. Go Sam-mun, who had nimbly stepped back, kicked Gang Seon-do in the stomach.
His center broken, Gang Seon-do took the blow squarely and tumbled backward. Grimacing, Gang Seon-do scrambled to his feet.
"I'll kill you, and then I'll hold that little child of a Sect Leader accountable for failing to discipline her disciples!"
But Gang Seon-do did not have the ability to kill Go Sam-mun. The fist techniques that had looked so formidable when he fought Bae Chil-su now sliced through nothing but empty air.
Go Sam-mun's fists and feet, on the other hand, did not miss even once. Anyone watching could see that Gang Seon-do was no match for Go Sam-mun.
"No matter how humble a sect the Jangye Fist Sect is, a mere junior martial officer is toying with its Sect Leader."
"Indeed. And on top of that, his fist and kick techniques aren't even his specialty, yet he's that skilled."
Gang Seon-do was, quite literally, beaten until the dust flew on a rainy day, and then he sprawled out flat like the character for 'big.'
The Twelve Zodiac Shadows were astonishing enough, but if even a junior martial officer possessed martial arts of that level, then no matter how large a sect might be, it could not afford to disregard the Righteous Chivalry Sect.
The small disturbance came to an end when Seo In-myeong, the second shadow of the Twelve Zodiac Shadows, arrived.
After hearing what had happened, Seo In-myeong did not blame Go Sam-mun. Gang Seon-do, who had not only come to someone else's founding ceremony and fought but had even insulted the Sect Leader, had become someone who deserved every blow he got.
Despite the small disturbance, the founding ceremony proceeded smoothly. Firecrackers burst on schedule, and the performances by the hired entertainers continued.
Not only was there an abundance of rare delicacies that were normally hard to come by, but famed wine was served as well, making it an excellent founding ceremony for a minor sect.
Just as the founding ceremony was reaching its peak, a commotion arose at the main gate.
"That woman......!"
"Oh! Isn't that Ha Su-ran, the strategist of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance?"
"Her appearance certainly matches the description!"
"Is that really the flawless Ha Su-ran?"
"The only woman in the martial world dressed like that is Strategist Ha Su-ran."
Ha Su-ran walked through the murmuring crowd. The silk veil stirred faintly, but the face beneath her eyes was never revealed.
Even so, exclamations burst from people's lips, because her exposed eyes alone were enough to show the features of a peerless beauty.
Although the Northern Unorthodox Alliance belonged to the unorthodox faction, that was due to the martial arts they practiced, not because they committed evil deeds, so their relations with the orthodox faction were not bad.
Ha Su-ran exchanged greetings with orthodox figures, including those from Shaolin, Mount Hua, Wudang, and the Namgung Clan.
While they were making small talk, Jang Yeon-seon, who had been meeting other guests elsewhere, arrived.
Since they had already made arrangements, they did not pretend to know each other.
"I am truly delighted that Strategist Ha, whose fame precedes her, has graced us with her presence."
"To ascend to the position of Sect Leader at such a young age—how remarkable. There is much I could learn from you. I've heard your talent in martial arts is second to none."
"I am simply grateful that you think so highly of me."
The two exchanged pleasantries as they went inside, and the atmosphere remained warm and amiable throughout.
With even the second-in-command of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance offering congratulations, there was no longer anyone who doubted the Righteous Chivalry Sect's standing.
They were merely curious as to how it had built up such formidable connections and strength.
The banquet, which lasted all day, did not wind down until late at night. Since the founding ceremony ended in a single day, the guests each dispersed in their own directions.
The elder from the Mount Hua Sect was almost the last to leave. It was because he had wanted to learn as much as possible about the Righteous Chivalry Sect, but all he had confirmed was a level of prosperity that exceeded his expectations.
Now that things had reached this point, the Mount Hua Sect would not be able to provoke them easily. The Revenge Society might wish for a swift clash with Mount Hua, but Do Tong-dal was in no hurry.
Though there had been a small disturbance, the founding ceremony ended by firmly imprinting the existence of the Righteous Chivalry Sect upon the martial world.
"I received an invitation from the Sect Leader of the Jongnam Sect."
Before the people gathered late at night, Jang Yeon-seon held out an envelope. Ha Su-ran, who had remained instead of returning, was also present.
"It's for the Sect Leader's birthday. What should we do?"
Won Dae-yeon spoke.
"It's probably just a formality."
"Or they might have coordinated with the Mount Hua Sect."
Everyone looked at Do Tong-dal, who had spoken.
"Since I didn't know much about it, I looked into the past dealings of the two sects, and after the Won Merchant Company was wiped out, they suddenly grew much closer. Once you share a secret, you either kill each other or become close—it's one or the other—and those two sects chose the latter. Clever bastards, aren't they."
Ha Su-ran asked.
"Just because the Mount Hua Sect was embarrassed, you think they'd drag the Jongnam Sect into it?"
Namgung Seol-rin also chimed in to support Ha Su-ran, as if to say, 'Isn't that going a bit too far?'
"Of course, it's only my assumption. But what if my assumption is true?"
Ha Su-ran said.
"Then we'd have to regard the Mount Hua Sect and the Jongnam Sect as moving as one."
"That's exactly what I wanted to say. There's no need to deal with the two of them separately. Our work becomes simpler, and we save time. It's a good thing."
Jang Yeon-seon asked.
"It's the same as the enemy becoming twice as strong, and you call that a good thing?"
"Whether it's twice or three times, it doesn't matter. The ones doing the fighting will be the Revenge Society."
"But we can't just sit back and do nothing, can we? Would the Revenge Society tolerate that?"
'She even knows the word "tolerate"? As expected of my clever disciple,' he thought, and he didn't forget to pat her head in praise.
"The Revenge Society took a serious blow from the imperial palace. They're probably still operating in secret all across the Central Plains, but it'll take time for them to recover their former strength. They thought they'd come so close to revenge, and then it slipped away like a mirage—how frantic they must be. We should use that desperation."
"How?"
"Now is the time for us to pick a fight with the Mount Hua Sect and the Jongnam Sect. Since the Jongnam Sect has invited us, the stage is perfectly set."
* * *