Monopolizing Fortunes (208)
Monopolizing Fortunes (208)
Do Tong-dal knew Ju Seo-in's talent well. If Ju Seo-in, who possessed such rare talent, had received Hwangmi Dal's guidance and even undergone closed-door training, it was only natural that she would have made tremendous progress.
Hwangmi Dal, also worried about Do Tong-dal, added a word.
"Your Highness, hold back in your strikes. Keep in mind that your opponent is Do Tong-dal."
"I won't kill my husband."
The aura Ju Seo-in raised after finishing those words was sharp enough to seem like it would kill Do Tong-dal. Do Tong-dal, receiving that aura head-on, was strangely composed.
It was impossible to tell whether it was faith that Ju Seo-in would not harm him, or confidence in his own martial arts.
Ju Seo-in lowered her stance slightly and spoke.
"Be careful. A sword has no eyes."
"I have two eyes, so I'll dodge well."
Ju Seo-in hurled herself toward Do Tong-dal. A chilling coldness that raised goosebumps clung to the sword swung horizontally.
Do Tong-dal, having blocked the attack, was startled. The strength that had been Ju Seo-in's weakness had become incomparably greater than before.
Her incoming attacks had also changed a great deal from before. When she had learned the assassin's martial arts, sharpness had been everything, but now strength and variation had been added, making her far more powerful.
Do Tong-dal was surprised, but Ju Seo-in's surprise was far greater. Do Tong-dal was receiving her attacks without retreating a single step from his spot.
'Was Tong-dal's martial arts always this good? He did do closed-door training for over three years.'
Ju Seo-in raised her power by another level. Yet she still could not make Do Tong-dal retreat. Do Tong-dal deflected her attacks as if he could see straight through her martial arts.
She had thought she had become strong enough by now, and Hwangmi Dal had said the same. He had said there would not be many people in the martial world who could defeat Ju Seo-in.
Yet she could not make the thug Do Tong-dal retreat even one step. Ju Seo-in, biting down on her molars, raised her power to its full extent.
Ju Seo-in, attacking without rest, even seemed to show killing intent. Of course, she had no intention of killing him. The Do Tong-dal she was clashing with now was not an opponent she could kill just because she wanted to.
The Ju Seo-in who was fighting knew that best. Her sword felt as though it were striking an enormous wall.
It was an iron wall so solid that it seemed not even a scratch would appear. But then that Do Tong-dal retreated.
With a practiced motion, he pushed Ju Seo-in back and stepped backward at exactly the right moment, bringing the fight to a natural stop.
"You really aren't planning to kill me, right?"
Ju Seo-in, who had been looking at Do Tong-dal, sheathed her sword and spoke.
"It doesn't seem like I could kill you even if I wanted to."
"Anyway, this much is a pass. But I don't know whether His Majesty will permit it."
"His Majesty just doesn't need to know."
Do Tong-dal shook his head.
"That won't do. If something goes wrong, my head will roll."
Ju Seo-in let out a soft laugh.
"Even if ten of me died, His Majesty wouldn't let a single finger of yours be hurt."
"That's not true. Once His Majesty's permission is granted, I'll send you to the battlefield."
"Keep that promise."
"Of course."
Ju Seo-in, who had been about to turn away, spoke.
"Oh! And let's get our wedding done quickly."
"What? A w-wedding?"
"It'll be simple. I need to get married quickly so that no troublesome things happen because of it. It's just a formality, so don't feel burdened."
"How can I not feel burdened! It's a marriage!"
"It's fine if you meet other women, and I won't be jealous. I promise that to Strategist Ha here too. We don't have to live together. What I need is the title of a married woman."
Ju Seo-in, having said only what she wanted to say, left briskly.
"W-wait—! Hah—!"
He let out a long sigh and turned around to see Ha Su-ran and Hwangmi Dal looking shocked. Of course, their reasons for being shocked were each different.
"Are you going to marry Her Highness?"
"No. I have absolutely no intention of doing that."
"If you become Prince Consort, it becomes impossible to marry another woman."
"I said I'm not doing it."
"But the national law can't be changed...."
"You're not listening to me."
Suddenly Hwangmi Dal shouted angrily.
"Tong-dal, you bastard—!"
"What's wrong with you, old man?"
"Why did you hide your martial arts!"
"When did I?"
"You didn't go all out when you fought me!"
"I never said I was going all out."
"You said you were attacking me?"
"I did attack you."
"Well, you did, but... it was pathetic! Seeing you spar with Her Highness just now... seeing... seeing... Anyway, you were incredibly strong!"
Even Hwangmi Dal could not gauge Do Tong-dal's strength. If Hwangmi Dal had received Ju Seo-in's attacks just now, could he have deflected them as comfortably as Do Tong-dal had?
The spar had been brief, but that alone was enough to tell that Do Tong-dal's martial arts rivaled Hwangmi Dal's. Of course, Hwangmi Dal absolutely did not entertain the thought that Do Tong-dal might surpass him.
"The only blade that can handle your martial arts is the Makya Blade, so that's why you wanted it. Right?"
"Wanting a good blade is a martial artist's instinct. Let's not nitpick too much."
"Fine. If you want to hide your martial arts, I won't speak of it further. But I do need to know one thing. How did you get so strong?"
"I trained hard."
"If hard work alone were enough, there wouldn't be a single martial artist in the world who isn't a master!"
"I trained harder."
"My mistake was expecting an honest answer from a swindler like you."
Just then, Ha Su-ran's muttering was heard.
"If Young Master Do marries the imperial princess, I'll have to live alone my whole life.... Mumble mumble...."
It seemed Ha Su-ran needed to be calmed down faster than Hwangmi Dal. Do Tong-dal grabbed Ha Su-ran's shoulders and shook her.
"Strategist Ha! Snap out of it!"
Eyes that were already brimming with tears looked at Do Tong-dal.
"There will be no marriage between me and the imperial princess."
"But Her Highness is so adamant—how can you defy an imperial command?"
"There's no way the emperor would give me such an order, and I have a way...."
Just then, a good idea occurred to Do Tong-dal.
"I can just get married first."
"To Her Highness?"
Do Tong-dal shook Ha Su-ran roughly.
"Snap out of it!"
Just as carelessly piled gravel settles into order when shaken, when Do Tong-dal shook her, Ha Su-ran's eyes properly came back into focus.
"If I marry another woman, I become a married man. There's no way the imperial princess would marry a married man."
"Oh? That's right? There was such a good method! Then I'll look for a woman for you to marry!"
'She still hasn't come back to her senses.'
Do Tong-dal let out a thin sigh and spoke.
"Why look for a woman? She's right in front of me."
Ha Su-ran, belatedly realizing that the woman was herself, flushed red up to her forehead. Covered by her silk veil, her whole face was probably like a perfectly ripened persimmon.
"A-are you p-pro... proposing... r-right... n-now?"
"Well, you could say that."
Just then, Hwangmi Dal shouted angrily.
"No! I can't marry you off to a good-for-nothing swindler like this!"
The look Ha Su-ran gave Hwangmi Dal turned fierce, like a wild beast.
"Mister."
Not even Alliance Leader.
"Uh... yeah?"
"Would you stay still for a moment?"
"Okay."
Ha Su-ran, having simply suppressed Hwangmi Dal's rebellion(?), took a deep breath and calmed herself.
"I'll accept the proposal. Playing hard to get here would just be a waste of time. But the first woman Young Master Do should marry is not me."
"What?"
"Even cold water has a top and a bottom, and even shit-water has waves—how could I be the first to marry Young Master Do?"
'Even shit-water has waves? No matter how much a couple comes to resemble each other....'
Ha Su-ran continued.
"The person who marries Young Master Do should be Sis Ja-yeon or Seol-rin."
Ha Su-ran's heart was as lovely as her face. And Ha Su-ran's words were also right.
"I'll discuss this matter with Sis Ja-yeon and Seol-rin and let you know. So please focus on what you're doing now, Young Master Do. But what's going on with your martial arts?"
Since she had seen the martial arts before her mind had gone out for a stroll, Ha Su-ran was naturally puzzled too.
"Well... it does seem like my martial arts have gotten stronger, but I don't really know how much stronger either."
Hwangmi Dal jumped in abruptly.
"Then let's have a match! Properly this time!"
"No."
"Why?"
"If Alliance Leader loses to me, you'll go into closed-door training, and then Strategist Ha will have to handle the work and be the face of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance, which would be harder for her."
It was an answer that left Hwangmi Dal no choice but to explode.
"Me, lose to you! What kind of ridiculous bullshit is that!"
"You don't think I can beat you?"
"Of course not!"
"Then why insist on sparring with someone weaker than you?"
"Because I'm still curious about your martial arts."
"Forget it."
"Don't be like that, let's fight once."
Hwangmi Dal followed him around pestering him, but in the end he didn't get what he wanted. Instead, he had to hand over the Makya Blade with trembling hands.
"You absolutely must not scratch it. Buy a proper safe and keep it carefully inside.... Hey! Don't just pull it out carelessly like that!"
Listening to Hwangmi Dal, it was impossible to tell whether what Do Tong-dal was holding was a blade or a newborn baby.
"I'll use it well."
"I said don't use it, just keep it safe!"
Ha Su-ran chuckled, and Hwangmi Dal, who had been red in the neck with anger, ended up laughing too.
"From what I hear, the northern barbarians are restless. War won't break out, will it?"
No matter how separate a world the martial community lived in, war was a wave they could not avoid either.
"It might."
Hwangmi Dal and Ha Su-ran's expressions darkened.
"Is it that serious?"
"I'll do my best to prevent it, but some things are beyond even my control."
Ha Su-ran asked.
"Is there anything we can do?"
"If war breaks out, public order will be very unstable. A considerable number of government troops will go to the battlefield. I would like the martial world to look after the people's safety in place of the authorities."
Hwangmi Dal spoke.
"That goes without saying. We may be of the unorthodox faction, but how could we stand by and watch innocent people get hurt? Unlike those orthodox-faction good-for-nothings, we show it with actions, not words."
Although they were classified as unorthodox because the martial arts they practiced were domineering and showed no mercy in their strikes, Do Tong-dal knew better than anyone that Hwangmi Dal was no villain.
"And it seems there is another hidden force like the Revenge Society in the martial world."
"Huh? What do you mean? Hidden forces aren't sweet potato vines—they don't just come up one after another."
Do Tong-dal told them about what the Righteous Chivalry Sect had gone through. The person the Righteous Chivalry Sect had sent had never made it to the Northern Unorthodox Alliance, so they had been completely unaware of it.
"They targeted Young Master Do? Then could it be the Revenge Society's young leader?"
"It's impossible to build such a force in three years, and it's a much older organization. There's also the possibility that the emperor's poisoning was carried out by the same organization."
Hwangmi Dal had also heard about the emperor's poisoning from Ha Su-ran, who had been to Beijing.
"Perhaps that poison was made by the Sichuan Tang Clan."
"The Sichuan Tang Clan? You're saying those sneaky bastards are a hidden force?"
"No. The Sichuan Tang Clan also seems to be a pawn."
That was shocking. Even though they were on the periphery, the Sichuan Tang Clan was proudly one of the Five Great Clans.
Given their military strength and their sky-piercing pride, the Sichuan Tang Clan was not the sort to become another force's pawn.
"Is that certain?"
"For now, that's how it has to be seen."
"So the bastards who acted like there was no one in the world but themselves have been licking other people's assholes all this time?"
"Old man, that phrasing is a bit crude...."
"That's how people who use poison and hidden weapons are."
Ha Su-ran, who was answering, seemed completely unfazed. Ha Su-ran spoke.
"I should contact the Beggars' Sect leader. We'll need to keep watch on the Sichuan Tang Clan from now on."
"Do we really need to concern ourselves with it? It's a Five Great Clans matter, so the orthodox faction will handle it."
Ha Su-ran spoke in a growl.
"They targeted Young Master Do. Is that someone else's business?"
"Hah—! They say raising a daughter is useless, and now I'm learning the truth of that saying firsthand. Do as you like."
He spoke as if displeased, but if Ha Su-ran hadn't done it, Hwangmi Dal would have.
"You'll have to go to the imperial palace and catch the culprit who tried to poison the emperor."
"I'll have to."
"Was the poison that poisoned the emperor the same as the poison I was once poisoned with?"
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