Monopolizing Fortunes (34)
Monopolizing Fortunes (34)
Jo Gwang-un asked as he crossed the threshold of Cheonsangru.
"Why did you pick this pleasure house? Compared with the places I've been to, it's a little shabby."
"The Sagiju here is excellent. And......."
Wang Chil lowered his voice.
"Because here, you must drink quietly and do nothing else."
"If I'm treated properly, of course I'll drink quietly. But what happens if I don't drink quietly?"
"The one who guards Cheonsangru is the finest master in Hangzhou."
"The finest master in Hangzhou?"
"He might even rank among the best in all of Zhejiang Province. So today, just think of it as resting and enjoy your wine in comfort."
Wang Chil had to endure Do Tong-dal's grueling(?) instruction in order to give this answer.
"One of Zhejiang Province's top masters is guarding a mere pleasure house? What a master with nothing better to do."
"I have told you clearly."
Since he had said this much, no matter what happened later, Jo Gwang-un would not be able to blame Wang Chil.
They went through the same routine as any other guests at a pleasure house: entered a room, placed their order, and waited for an entertainer and a courtesan to come in.
Just as the mood was ripening with the entertainer's music, Jo Gwang-un's shout burst out.
"What? You won't give us wine?"
The server who had come to take the order flinched and bowed.
"Sagiju is limited to one bottle per three guests. Was this not explained when you first entered?"
"You little shit! If a guest asks, you give it to them—why all the talk!"
Before Wang Chil could stop him, Jo Gwang-un hurled his wine cup, and it struck the bowing server's head and shattered with a crack.
Jo Gwang-un shouted at the server, who was bleeding from the head.
"This tiny-ass pleasure house has no fucking respect for its guests!"
"Boss, calm down."
Jo Gwang-un shoved Wang Chil's head as he tried to intervene, knocking him roughly to the floor.
"You little shit, stay down! Bringing me to a dump like this!"
Matching Jo Gwang-un's rhythm, the two men who had come with him flipped the table and threw the chairs.
As the startled courtesans screamed and fled, the door opened and someone entered.
"J-Jang Yu-seom."
Jang Yu-seom, who had entered the room, nodded toward Wang Chil as he scrambled to his feet, then looked at Jo Gwang-un.
"If you pay for the wine and settle the damages now, you can leave unharmed."
Jo Gwang-un picked up a broken table leg and approached Jang Yu-seom.
"Oh-ho, so you're the master Wang Chil mentioned?"
Jang Yu-seom simply stared blankly at Jo Gwang-un as he approached.
"You little shit, the floor's going to cave in. Stop throwing your weight around."
Jo Gwang-un was just about to swing the table leg.
"Boss! Wait a moment!"
One of the two men who had come with Jo Gwang-un shouted. He was a man in his thirties with drooping eyebrows that made him look comical at first glance.
"Excuse me, didn't you once serve as a martial instructor for the Zhejiang Province Hoeun military unit?"
"For about five years."
"Oh my, so it really was Officer Jang Yu-seom. Heh-heh! I'm Go Byeong-cheol, and I trained under Officer Jang."
Go Byeong-cheol bowed respectfully toward Jang Yu-seom. Jo Gwang-un asked him.
"You know him?"
"Yes, boss. I think it'd be best if we just left today."
"What?"
"Officer Jang moves in different waters from us. I don't know why he's here, but he's not someone we can handle at our level."
"He's that strong?"
"Just think of him as a martial master. He's probably stronger than Old Man Do, who taught you martial arts in prison."
"Th-that strong?"
"If you want to experience it firsthand, I won't stop you any further, but I'm bowing out."
Seeing Go Byeong-cheol, who was every bit as much of a mad dog as Jo Gwang-un, tuck his tail made it clear that Jang Yu-seom was an untouchable master.
"Still, I can at least fight him once, can't I?"
He had already flipped the table; backing down now would be a laughable sight, far too laughable.
Wang Chil stepped in.
"Boss, if you cause trouble here at Cheonsangru, Jang Yu-seom over there will punish you."
"What's that?"
"He cuts the muscle at the back of your heel. That way you can never cause a disturbance again."
If the heel muscle was cut, a man had to live out his life as a cripple. That was too high a price to pay just to avoid looking ridiculous.
"Hmph! There's always another chance."
Jo Gwang-un was a mad dog who knew how to tuck his tail before a tiger.
* * *
Wang Chil slumped into a chair in the tea house.
"That took ten years off my life."
"Jang Yu-seom let you go, so it worked out well."
"Jang Yu-seom seemed to hold back a lot too. They say that any other time, he would have shown up the moment the ruckus started and settled it with his staff."
It was thanks to Do Tong-dal having gone to speak with him beforehand. Jang Yu-seom's single act of patience had painted the picture exactly as Do Tong-dal wanted.
Wang Chil asked.
"So what happens now?"
"Jo Gwang-un will keep causing trouble at shops protected by the Red Tiger Society, and Jo Chi-un will eventually come looking for me."
Within the Red Tiger Society, Do Tong-dal was the only one who could deal with Jo Gwang-un. Of course, in his previous life, Jo Chi-un had solved the problem by paying a full three hundred nyang of silver to hire a master from the unorthodox path.
But since there was a way to resolve it without spending money, the stingy Jo Chi-un would come looking for Do Tong-dal.
"What are you going to do?"
"Make some money. These days, you need money to win people's goodwill."
Being the head of an underworld society was not a position one could hold through strength alone. The loyalty of subordinates, the trust of merchants, and relationships with officials and influential figures all had to accompany it before one could maintain the position of Society Leader.
Jo Chi-un was not especially well liked, but traditions handed down from earlier generations made up for what he lacked. When you got down to it, the underworld was a world where tradition mattered just as much as in the martial world.
That was why Do Tong-dal had told Wang Chil to strengthen his relationships with the people at headquarters.
When the time came for the Society Leader's authority to waver and be replaced, those friendly toward Wang Chil would become a great force.
After parting from Wang Chil, Do Tong-dal went to the Seo-ung Branch. In any case, he had to show his face at least once a day.
Entering the branch, Do Tong-dal was startled. Seven of his subordinates were crawling on the floor.
"What happened?"
"Uh...... someone came looking for the Deputy Branch Chief...... oh dear......!"
Just hearing that much was enough to guess the situation. Since the visitor had said he was Do Tong-dal's guest, there was no way Branch Chief Seo Cheol-bang's reception had been courteous.
And this was someone capable of punishing Seo Cheol-bang's discourtesy.
'Who is it?'
Do Tong-dal climbed the stairs to the second floor. On the second floor, too, he saw a fallen subordinate. He also saw Seo Cheol-bang collapsed. Whoever it was, he would have to thank them.
But when Do Tong-dal saw the visitor, the thought of thanking them vanished entirely.
"It's me."
It was Namgung Cheol-hyeon. Namgung Cheol-hyeon had not even managed an ordinary greeting like "It's been a while" or "Have you been well?"
A greeting of "It's been a while" would seem to require gladness, and asking "Have you been well?" would only be mockery.
Greeting Do Tong-dal was harder than taking down a dozen thugs.
"What is it?"
"I have something to give you."
He didn't know what it was, but with so many eyes watching, nothing good could come of it.
"Come in."
Do Tong-dal entered the Branch Chief's office. There was no need to ask permission from its original owner, Seo Cheol-bang.
"What brings you......?"
Before he could even turn around and finish asking, Namgung Cheol-hyeon abruptly held out two books.
"A footwork art and a leg art."
"Martial arts manuals?"
"They're not from the Namgung Clan, but they're martial arts that are quite well regarded in the martial world."
The reason Namgung Cheol-hyeon was giving Do Tong-dal a footwork art and a leg art was clear.
"Afraid a cripple with useless arms might get beaten up somewhere?"
Namgung Cheol-hyeon glanced at Namgung Seol-rin, who was standing with her head bowed.
"There's no way that would happen, but I thought it might help if you learned them."
As Do Tong-dal simply stared blankly at the secret manuals, Namgung Cheol-hyeon finally realized with an "Ah!" Do Tong-dal could not even accept the books he was holding out.
Namgung Cheol-hyeon hastily set the manuals on the desk and stepped backward.
"My business is done, so I'll be going."
Namgung Cheol-hyeon's steps halted as he passed by Namgung Seol-rin.
"Are you...... well?"
"Yes."
It was a short exchange. The siblings, who had cherished each other more than anyone, had become the kind of pair for whom even a single word of conversation was difficult.
As Namgung Cheol-hyeon was opening the door to leave, Do Tong-dal spoke.
"Win the Yongbong Tournament."
Namgung Cheol-hyeon had stopped by on his way to the Orthodox Faction Tournament that would soon be held.
"Yeah. Thanks."
Only long after Namgung Cheol-hyeon had left did Do Tong-dal turn around with a soft sigh. He simply walked out of the office, and Namgung Seol-rin gathered up the manuals.
'A bond, or a curse.'
* * *
"Are you really going to ask that bastard Do Tong-dal for help?"
At Hwang Seon-jung's question, Jo Chi-un answered irritably.
"He's the only one who can deal with my brother!"
"I told you we could bring in a master from the martial world. I know someone......."
"And you said we'd have to pay three hundred nyang?"
"To be certain, we'd have to put that much in his hand......"
Once again, Hwang Seon-jung's words were cut off.
"If we can resolve it for free, why spend money?"
"Wouldn't you have to bow your head to Do Tong-dal, Society Leader?"
"You're the one who'll bow."
"Pardon?"
"You go and talk to him. Get that Jang Yu-seom or whatever from Cheonsangru moving and have him deal with my brother."
"But......"
"You need to be useful for something! How much money do you take home every month? You go around stiff-necked as the Red Tiger Society's finest master, but when it actually comes to fighting, you get smashed every single time!"
It was true, so he could not even argue.
"Anyway, you take responsibility and resolve this."
Jo Chi-un was always like this. Anything even slightly unpleasant, he shoved onto his subordinates, and Jo Chi-un was the kind of leader who only sucked up the sweet parts.
'Should I just switch sides at this chance?'
There were actually those who had already gone over to Jo Gwang-un. Old-timers who had been trusted by the previous Society Leader but cast aside by Jo Chi-un.
Even if they were old-timers, they had spent years in the Red Tiger Society, so there were quite a few who followed them.
There was no sign of them moving from below yet, but if Jo Gwang-un ran wild any further, the Red Tiger Society could split in two.
"Sigh—! Still, a cheapskate is better than a mad dog."
Hwang Seon-jung limped his way toward the Seo-ung Branch. He was the Red Tiger Society's finest master and even held the position of Protector, yet walking down the road in this state made him feel wretched.
"Being powerless is the crime."
He walked a full half shichen to reach the Seo-ung Branch. He arrived drenched in sweat, but Do Tong-dal was not there.
Since a Protector from headquarters had come looking for him, the subordinates all rushed out to find Do Tong-dal.
Only after waiting another half shichen was he able to meet Do Tong-dal. He had heard the news, but behind Do Tong-dal, a masked figure clung like a shadow.
"I have something to discuss in private."
The only place in the Seo-ung Branch to talk privately was the Branch Chief's office.
Hwang Seon-jung entered the office without even asking Seo Cheol-bang's permission. Hwang Seon-jung looked at Namgung Seol-rin and said.
"I said in private."
"She's my arm, so don't mind her."
Seated in the chair, Hwang Seon-jung could not easily bring himself to speak. Fortunately, Do Tong-dal opened the topic first.
"Things have been noisy lately because of Jo Gwang-un."
"In fact, I came to see you because of that matter. You're family in the Red Tiger Society too, so don't you have an obligation to resolve the Society's crisis?"
"Of course I do."
Hwang Seon-jung's mood improved at Do Tong-dal's ready answer.
"I should have come to you sooner. When do you plan to step in?"
"Step in? What do you mean?"
"Jo Gwang-un, I mean."
"What could I possibly do about Jo Gwang-un? As you can see, my arm is in this state."
"I'm sorry about your arms, but you have Jang Yu-seom at Cheonsangru, don't you?"
"As I've said before, Jang Yu-seom is not my subordinate, much less a member of the Red Tiger Society."
"Still, if you asked him, wouldn't he step in?"
"He might. But why would I do that?"
"As a member of the Red Tiger Society, your obligation......"
"Of course I should step in myself. But asking someone else is a different matter."
He was talking in circles, but in the end, he simply did not want to do it.
"Are you saying you'll just watch Jo Gwang-un like this? Think about that mad dog becoming Society Leader."
Do Tong-dal wore a thoughtful expression for a moment, then answered.
"Would I be worse off than I am now?"
* * *