Monopolizing Fortunes (40)
Monopolizing Fortunes (40)
"They say the Red Tiger Society's leader has changed?"
Yang Su-pan might not look like he did any work, but he knew everything he needed to know.
"He's one of the two gentlemen who came with me last time. Wang Chil."
"I don't need to know that, but there must have been quite a few bodies."
Even if the authorities didn't get involved in fights between martial artists, when it came to the underworld they at least had to put on a show of investigating.
"They won't find them."
"They'd better not. But why didn't you become the leader instead of Wang Chil?"
"Because it's a hassle."
"If you said you were going to become the emperor of the night, isn't the Underworld leadership a mandatory stepping stone?"
Do Tong-dal grinned.
"I'll get to it. Time's the one thing I've got plenty of."
"Hmph! Even if you're not the leader, the money coming to me should be pretty sweet, right?"
Do Tong-dal's face crumpled.
"Why is it that everyone around me is obsessed with money!"
"Obsessed with money?"
"Come by my place tonight."
"Why your place?"
"You should see the new house."
"Why would I go look at your house?"
"There's other stuff to see, so just come."
Do Tong-dal walked out without even waiting for Yang Su-pan's answer.
"That rude bastard. But what's he trying to show me?"
* * *
No particular presence could be felt beyond the wall. He had accepted the Red Tiger Society's invitation, but he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling.
Since he'd promised to come, turning back now would be ridiculous. Baek Ju-il opened the gate, thinking, 'What is there to fear from some Underworld gang?'
Four people stood in the neatly grassed yard. All of them were faces Baek Ju-il had never seen before.
Jang Seo-un, who had been following right behind him, whispered.
"That young one over there is Do Tong-dal, and the masked one is Do Tong-dal's guard. Behind them, the one with the scruffy beard is Wang Chil, the Red Tiger Society's new leader."
Jang Seo-un might have lacked manners, but he did his work well. Baek Ju-il pointed with his chin at a man in his mid-thirties. It was odd how he was sunk into a plush chair.
"Who's that?"
"I don't know."
He took back the part about doing his work well. Aside from those four, no one else was visible.
It didn't seem like a trap, but he couldn't guess what the business was. Wang Chil pointed to a spot in the yard.
"Please take your places over there."
Baek Ju-il and the other five moved to where Wang Chil indicated.
Wang Chil spoke.
"Are you indeed the Hall Master of the Black River Blade Sect's Haryong Hall?"
"I am."
"I am Wang Chil, the new leader of the Red Tiger Society. And this friend here is Coordinator Do Tong-dal......"
"What? Coordinator?"
"Why?"
"Why am I the coordinator? I asked for a position with no work and a big salary."
"I've been serving as coordinator, and a coordinator with nothing to do just lazes around all day. I'll pay you plenty, so stop grumbling."
"Looks like there'll be a fucking lot of work to do."
"Some people are just born with a workload. What can you do?"
"Ahem! Ahem!"
Baek Ju-il cleared his throat to draw attention.
"Ah! That covers Tong-dal, and this person is......"
Wang Chil didn't know how to introduce Namgung Seol-rin.
"Just call her a guard."
"Right, just a guard. And that person over there is......"
At last his hand moved toward the only man whose identity he didn't know. Both hands, in fact. Wang Chil's waist bent as well.
"This is Magistrate Yang Su-pan, the head of the Hangzhou government office."
Baek Ju-il's group thought it was one of Wang Chil's bad jokes. Why would someone as high-ranking as a magistrate come to an event involving the martial world and the underworld?
Yang Su-pan quietly lowered the hand he had raised.
"Doesn't seem like much of a welcoming atmosphere."
"Just say you came to watch."
"What kind of prank is this......"
Creeeak—! Baek Ju-il's words were cut off by the sound of a door opening.
"Am I late?"
The person stepping inside was Jang Yu-seom. Do Tong-dal greeted Jang Yu-seom.
"You're right on time."
Jang Seo-un, who had thoroughly investigated the Red Tiger Society, told Baek Ju-il who Jang Yu-seom was. One more enemy didn't change anything.
Wang Chil asked Baek Ju-il.
"Is there anyone else coming?"
"We're all here."
"Now that everyone's gathered, it seems my role ends here."
Wang Chil stepped back. Baek Ju-il didn't like the feeling of being toyed with by the enemy's games.
"What business did you call us for?"
"I believe I should be the one to explain that."
The person who stepped forward was Do Tong-dal.
"What the Black River Blade Sect is after is the Red Tiger Society, isn't it?"
"We're merely responding to the Red Wind Sword Sect's provocations."
"If you were simply responding to the Red Wind Sword Sect's provocations, there'd be no need to come all the way to Hangzhou, would there?"
"That's for us to judge, not your concern."
"Since you're picking a fight with the Red Tiger Society, I can't help but make it my concern."
"So? Is the Red Tiger Society saying it will fight our Black River Blade Sect?"
"If it came to fighting, we could."
He hadn't meant to, but a sneer escaped him. The Black River Blade Sect was a place that even a hundred Underworld gangs like the Red Tiger Society couldn't do anything against.
"Judging by your expression, you're looking down on our Red Tiger Society quite a bit."
"The Underworld is always doing things that deserve to be looked down on."
"That's not something someone from the unorthodox path should say."
"Are you picking a fight?"
"If our Red Tiger Society looks that laughable to you, how about settling it right here?"
"Settling it?"
"We'll have two people spar at a time, and the loser withdraws."
Do Tong-dal pointed at Wang Chil.
"Our leader came in person to guarantee that."
Wang Chil raised his hand and spoke.
"As leader, I promise that Coordinator Do Tong-dal's word will be honored."
Wang Chil put particular emphasis on the title "Coordinator."
"That won't happen, but if we lose we withdraw. What happens if we win?"
"The Red Tiger Society will support the Black River Blade Sect with all its strength. Honestly, even for appearances' sake, martial artists can't run an underworld organization, can they? We'll run it and hand over all income after operating expenses to the Black River Blade Sect."
That was exactly the picture the Black River Blade Sect had drawn when they came to Hangzhou.
"You can really keep that promise?"
"Our leader didn't come here for nothing."
"I have no idea what you're thinking."
"Shall I give you time to think? Tomorrow I'll be making the same offer to the Red Wind Sword Sect."
"If we win today, the Red Wind Sword Sect's ties to the Red Tiger Society are severed?"
"The Black River Blade Sect's enemies will become the Red Tiger Society's enemies."
A duel was purely a matter of skill, so there was no reason to refuse.
"Fine, I accept the offer."
Clap clap clap!
Yang Su-pan clapped with a beaming smile.
"Good, very good. Watching fires and watching fights really are the best. Now, let's get started."
"As I said earlier, that gentleman is the Hangzhou magistrate."
"You're joking, right?"
"Magistrate, don't you have an identity token or something?"
"In Hangzhou my face is my identity. Why would I carry around something like that?"
"These people aren't from Hangzhou."
"Tell them to drop it if they don't believe it. Anyway, all I need is to watch the fight."
"You should serve as a witness too."
"Witness?"
"Yes. A witness to today's promise."
"You really are a pain. Fine. Whichever side breaks the promise gets a beating under my authority as magistrate. Good enough?"
Do Tong-dal gave a thumbs-up.
"The leader made the promise and the magistrate is the witness, so there's no promise more solid than this, is there?"
If they could summon even a magistrate to a place like this, Do Tong-dal couldn't be taken lightly.
"Hall Master, I have a bad feeling about this."
"We should trust in skill, not feelings."
They had already decided to accept the offer, so there was no backing out now.
"To make it certain, you and I should step up."
"I'll take the vanguard."
Jang Seo-un stepped forward.
"Who's it going to be on your side?"
It was between Jang Yu-seom and the masked one, and neither of them budged. Do Tong-dal spoke to the two of them.
"One of you, step forward. Quickly."
Even with Do Tong-dal's urging, the two remained motionless. A sneer tugged at Jang Seo-un's lips.
"Scared now that you actually have to fight, are you?"
Shing—!
Jang Seo-un drew his blade and continued.
"They say a blade has no eyes, but I'll still try not to kill you."
The masked one spoke.
"Jang Yu-seom, you fight first."
"You first."
"Jang Yu-seom first."
"You first."
"Jang Yu-seom."
"You."
Unable to take it anymore, Do Tong-dal shouted.
"What is wrong with you two!"
Jang Yu-seom answered.
"We want to fight the stronger one. Obviously whoever goes first will be the weaker one."
Jang Seo-un's face crumpled.
"You...... you bastards!"
"My Arm!"
"Yes."
"You fight first!"
It was an order, so there was no helping it.
"Tomorrow I'll let you fight second. Jang Yu-seom, no objections, right?"
Jang Yu-seom grinned and nodded.
"People obsessed with martial arts really are all weird."
Namgung Seol-rin drew her sword. Her sword always gave off a distinct chill. Because of that, no one could take her lightly once she showed her blade.
Even Jang Seo-un, who had been huffing, was the same. He had been sharpening his edge, ready to send a head flying with a single stroke the moment they fought, but Namgung Seol-rin's sword cooled his anger.
Namgung Seol-rin raised her sword to the center of her body and asked Do Tong-dal.
"May I kill him?"
"Let's not make any more enemies."
The two faced each other at a distance of three jang. Baek Ju-il considered telling Jang Seo-un not to let his guard down, then stopped. Even without him saying it, Jang Seo-un was already extremely tense.
There was no need for anyone to signal the start. The two exchanged glances and almost simultaneously launched themselves at each other.
The distance of three jang vanished in an instant.
Clang—!
The sound of sword meeting blade rang out, followed by the grinding screech of metal scraping metal.
Namgung Seol-rin's sword coiled around Jang Seo-un's blade like a snake. Then, the moment his wrist was flicked, the blade flew into the air.
Namgung Seol-rin's sword tip was already touching the frozen Jang Seo-un's throat.
Baek Ju-il was so startled it felt as if his heart were tumbling through his stomach. When the masked figure drew the sword, he had recognized that the opponent was no ordinary fighter.
Still, this was just the underworld. The Black River Blade Sect was one of the two great pillars of Zhejiang Province's unorthodox martial world, and a deputy hall master of such a sect was by no means a weakling.
Jang Seo-un, who easily ranked among the second-rate even if he didn't reach the first-rate, had been defeated the instant they clashed. And in the most humiliating way possible for a warrior—losing his blade.
"The match seems decided."
At Do Tong-dal's words, Baek Ju-il snapped back to his senses. Belatedly, Jang Seo-un's groan-like voice came out: "I lost."
Namgung Seol-rin sheathed her sword and returned to her place, and Jang Yu-seom stepped forward.
'They said that one was just a pleasure-house guard.'
According to the information Jang Seo-un had gathered, the man's martial arts were said to be quite formidable, but he was definitely a pleasure-house guard.
But judging by how those two had been bickering earlier, he seemed to be on par with the masked one.
'Why are masters like that in the Underworld?'
Jang Yu-seom's voice cut into the question that seemed impossible to resolve.
"Are you not going to fight?"
Baek Ju-il snapped to attention and gripped his blade.
"Let's see how strong you are."
Baek Ju-il couldn't even see it properly. The moment the fight began, the blade flying at his face was like lightning. Blocking that single strike alone deserved praise.
It might have been the second, or perhaps the third. With a deafening clang, excruciating pain shot through his grip.
His torn palm could no longer hold the blade. The blade left his hand and embedded itself deep in the ground near the wall.
This was absurd. For the hall master and deputy hall master of the Black River Blade Sect to suffer such hollow defeats at the hands of mere Underworld members!
Baek Ju-il despaired, and Yang Su-pan was disappointed.
"What? It's over already?"
* * *
Yang Su-pan was summoned again the next day. He tried to refuse, but one mention of Sagiju sent him scurrying over.
"Couldn't you fight a little longer today?"
Do Tong-dal glanced at Jang Yu-seom and Namgung Seol-rin.
"Probably not."
And indeed, it didn't happen. Bohyeon Hall's Hall Master Ha Chae-eun and Deputy Hall Master Seong Un-su were defeated just as quickly as Baek Ju-il and Jang Seo-un had been.
Do Tong-dal spoke to Ha Chae-eun, who stood there with a dazed expression.
"Take your revenge on the Black River Blade Sect. Somewhere other than Hangzhou. As promised."
Ha Chae-eun didn't even consider breaking the promise. The magistrate serving as witness was a problem, but if the Red Tiger Society attached itself to the Black River Blade Sect, it would become a fight they could never win.
'No, they probably won't even fight the Black River Blade Sect.'
With the prey that was the Red Tiger Society gone, a few harsh words would be exchanged and then it would fizzle out.
The two sects known as the twin pillars of Zhejiang Province's black-blade world had come to Hangzhou and withdrawn empty-handed.
With that, the storm that had raged against the Red Tiger Society vanished completely.
* * *