Chapter 191
Chapter 191
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: Black Dragon Gate (2)
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Meanwhile, Gongson Jeoksan, who was in the middle of conducting the funeral, felt something was off when he noticed the number of unorthodox warriors had visibly dwindled.
There was no way this could happen unless something was wrong.
He ordered his subordinates to investigate the situation and soon heard the most absurd news.
“Is that true?”
“Yes, sir. They say half the entertainment district has already been taken over.”
“Haaah…”
Sighing, Gongson Jeoksan squeezed his eyes shut.
Today, of all days, a declaration of war had been made.
And the attack had begun right in the middle of a funeral.
“Lord of the War King Gate…!”
There was no way this was a coincidence.
“Tell Fortress Lord Hyeong-o and the Lord of the Blade Sword Gate that I wish to see them.”
“Yes, sir.”
Gongson Jeoksan summoned Fortress Lord Hyeong-o and the Lord of the Blade Sword Gate to begin their discussion.
“Unidentified men have appeared and launched an attack.”
“Hmph!”
“Dammit!”
The two men grunted, seemingly sharing Gongson Jeoksan’s thoughts.
“It seems I must ask you two to step forward. I can only act after I’ve concluded the funeral rites.”
“Step forward…?”
“I will move up the schedule and declare the founding of the Hanzhong Martial Alliance. I would like you both to take the position of elder and lead the alliance.”
At the words ‘Hanzhong Martial Alliance,’ both men’s faces lit up.
The prize Gongson Jeoksan had promised was none other than the position of elder in the Hanzhong Martial Alliance, which would soon rule over Hanzhong.
In a way, it was no different from placing themselves under Gongson Jeoksan, but the two men nodded.
He was the one with a connection to Nine Dragons Fortress, and he held the strongest ties to the Righteous Path Alliance.
He had even spent a vast personal fortune to invite masters, so they had no reason to complain.
Fortress Lord Hyeong-o and the Lord of the Blade Sword Gate nodded.
“Very well.”
“We will do our best.”
And so, in the middle of the funeral, Gongson Jeoksan’s speech echoed.
“That vile Lord of the War King Gate is trying to seize control of the Hanzhong martial world while we are here consoling the tormented souls of the dead! Therefore, I, Gongson Jeoksan…”
* * *
“Oh… already?”
“It seems they’ve moved up the date since over seventy percent of the entertainment district has been taken over.”
As I listened to the report on last night’s series of events, I pictured the situation in my mind and quickly reached a conclusion.
“The Hanzhong Martial Alliance… A grandiose name for a gathering of rabble.”
“My thoughts exactly.”
This was a very good start.
“But I’m not sure if the Black Killing Gate will be okay.”
“Why not?”
“Although I grew up in the inner fortress, from my time in the Outer Hall, I recall that a protection fee of one silver coin per establishment is a business that operates at a significant loss.”
“That’s true.”
Of course, it was a losing business.
So much so that they wouldn't even be able to pay their subordinates’ monthly wages.
But our Black Killing Fist Demon, Bukgung Chang, had a plan.
‘It matters not, for we will reap great profits in the future. Consider this an investment for that purpose.’
He would attract members by taking a loss, then pursue profit later.
A cash-burning strategy you’d expect to see in the modern IT industry.
I had no idea how a man from medieval China knew of such a concept, but Bukgung Chang had a perfect grasp of this principle.
According to Myo Hyang, he even had sufficient capital for it.
Thanks to that, Myo Hyang, who had gone out to provide financial support, had to return without being of any help.
Of course, that didn’t mean Myo Hyang had nothing to do.
“Tell my sister to begin.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Yuhwa Merchant Guild, Iseong Merchant Guild, Cheonho Merchant Guild, and Jihu Merchant Guild.
She was tasked with expelling these guilds, all of which were closely tied to the Hanzhong martial world, from the Guild Federation.
At the same time, the plan was to persuade them to transfer the work they entrusted to the Hanzhong martial world to the Black Killing Gate.
Of course, there would be opposition. The Guild Federation might even be torn in half.
That was how formidable the four guilds were within the federation.
In particular, the Yuhwa Merchant Guild, the family of that Gongson whatever-his-name-is, had grown into Hanzhong’s top merchant guild with the Baekcheong Association backing it.
‘Well, even so.’
But the sharp-witted merchants would realize it.
This was a fight the other side could never win.
Yu So-pyeong knew this as well, which was why he hadn't offered any objections.
All that was left was to win as quietly and completely as possible.
* * *
The next day.
Fights between the Black Killing Gate and the Hanzhong Martial Alliance broke out in the back alleys all over Hanzhong.
However, one thing was different from the previous day.
“There they are!”
“Get them!”
*Crack. Thwack!*
Wherever they fought, the War King Gate always showed up.
“Damn it! Why are you only attacking us?!”
“Isn’t it obvious? You aren’t citizens of Hanzhong, but they are tax-paying citizens.”
We joined forces with the Black Killing Gate and beat down ‘only’ the members of the Hanzhong Martial Alliance before dragging them away.
“Kugh…”
Naturally, the men from the Hanzhong Martial Alliance couldn’t say a word. To deny being a citizen of Hanzhong meant forfeiting any and all protection.
Thanks to that, we were able to overwhelm the Martial Alliance with great ease and comfort.
“Fuhuhu.”
As I was watching this scene with satisfaction from the top of Wolha Pavilion, the tallest building in Hanzhong.
“Are you satisfied?”
A beautiful voice reached my ears.
“Ah, Pavilion Master.”
It was Yang Ryeong, the Hanzhong branch manager of the Hao Gate and the master of Wolha Pavilion.
In truth, the Hao Gate’s contribution to this operation was immense.
They had informed us in real-time where fights were breaking out and the strength of the enemy’s forces.
Thanks to them, we were able to achieve swift and quiet victories every time.
However.
“Just… a small discount…”
The problem was that the commission fee was a staggering five gold coins.
“My, my, how can the ruler of Hanzhong sound so weak?”
“I’m really broke. My monthly allowance is only one silver coin.”
“Shall I reveal to the entire world just how much is in the vault beneath the Gate Lord’s quarters?”
“…You know too much about me.”
The old saying to be wary of beautiful women was true after all.
After all, even Android 18, who now has a lovely family with Krillin, the strongest man on Earth, first appeared as a villain.
“The market is in an uproar, you know. I heard you’re expelling the four merchant guilds?”
“Looks like they’ve already started.”
“General Manager Myo’s drive is incredible, isn’t it? She’s already mobilized the Guild Federation’s warriors and seized all the assets of the four guilds. The expelled guild masters have started gathering the merchants affiliated with the federation.”
“…”
“That’s right. The quick-witted ones refused the summons. Even those who attended the meeting must have realized something was terribly wrong.”
Yang Ryeong continued, a smile playing on her lips.
“Congratulations. Hanzhong will now fall completely into your hands, my lord. Was this your plan from the start?”
Plan, my ass.
Things just happened to work out well.
But a mastermind always looks cooler than a guy who just got lucky.
I let out a relaxed laugh and delivered a meaningful line.
“To be so quick on the uptake… They say a sharp-witted wife is bound to be neglected by her husband. When you get married, you should learn to play dumb sometimes.”
“…”
Yang Ryeong, who had been quiet for a moment, asked slyly.
“What do you plan to do with the merchant guilds?”
“I plan to acquire them at the right time.”
After all, there was no source of income more lucrative than acquiring bankrupt companies for a pittance and reviving them.
“By any chance, could we also establish a merchant guild?”
“…You?”
“I’m thinking of expanding the scale of our branch.”
“You have Wolha Pavilion, don’t you?”
“Maintaining an intelligence organization costs more money than you’d think.”
True, if you want to employ a lot of people, you need to grow your business.
“Hmm… scale…”
It wasn’t a bad idea.
Although I had the Red Dragon Hall, intelligence was crucial.
Moreover, the Hao Gate had been a trustworthy business partner for a long time.
“Write up a guild establishment application and take it to my sister. I’ll put in a word for you.”
Yang Ryeong shook her head.
“I’d like to move forward a bit more quickly.”
“Hm?”
“I intend to acquire the guilds that will soon be going bankrupt.”
“…I think my sister would dislike that.”
“That’s why I came to seek your permission, my lord. You are the true master of the Guild Federation, are you not?”
“Impossible. I left matters concerning the Guild Federation entirely to my sister long ago.”
“Hmph… You’re not an easy one, I see. Very well. But if I get General Manager Myo’s permission, that would be fine, right?”
“As I said, the Guild Federation is my sister’s responsibility.”
“I understand. I’ll find a way to win General Manager Myo’s favor.”
“Ah, Branch Manager Yang.”
I called out to Yang Ryeong as she was about to leave.
“Five gold coins.”
“Pardon?”
“You just gave me information about the Guild Federation. So, give me five gold coins.”
“…”
I taught Yang Ryeong that there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
* * *
“This can’t be…”
Gongson Jeoksan collapsed in despair.
The Hanzhong Martial Alliance had fallen in less than two days.
It was because they couldn’t fend off the unexpected enemy offensive.
At first, they thought it was just another run-of-the-mill group of unorthodox warriors hired by the War King Gate, but the Hanzhong Martial Alliance soon realized.
Their opponents were stronger than they could have ever imagined.
They didn’t use some patchwork martial arts from who-knows-where like other unorthodox practitioners; they used high-level techniques.
Some had even reached the peak realm, their hands coated in black energy, which they wielded like iron fists.
Moreover, their leader was a master so skilled that even Gongson Jeoksan himself couldn’t guarantee victory if he were to step forward.
Even when Fortress Lord Hyeong-o and the Lord of the Blade Sword Gate attacked together, they couldn’t win.
Yes, even with such heavy losses, they could have endured this far.
But the true enemy of the Hanzhong Martial Alliance was the War King Gate.
Under the pretext of stabilizing public order, they rushed to every scene of a fight.
In the end, the battles could only fizzle out into nothing.
And then.
News arrived that Fortress Lord Hyeong-o, the Lord of the Blade Sword Gate, the Yuhwa Merchant Guild—the main family of the Baekcheong Association’s leader and his in-laws—the Iseong Merchant Guild, the Cheonho Merchant Guild, and the Jihu Merchant Guild had all been expelled from the Guild Federation.
It was a decision that could have split the federation, but the merchants were quick-witted.
Sensing the impending doom of the Hanzhong Martial Alliance, they all sided with the Guild Federation.
Once things progressed to this point, internal strife began within the alliance.
No, it wasn’t even strife.
Everyone except the Baekcheong Association had surrendered.
Recalling the events of the past two days, Gongson Jeoksan downed his drink.
“Keuk.”
The burning sensation in his stomach seemed to perfectly express his feelings.
His family was finished now.
There was no way that utterly ruthless Lord of the War King Gate would leave the Baekcheong Association and the Yuhwa Merchant Guild alone.
All of this was because of his own greed.
*Clang.*
Gongson Jeoksan threw the bottle and rose from his seat.
“I can’t just die quietly.”
Even if he was going to die, he would at least make some noise.
*Thud, thud.*
As he walked slowly, a deep voice sounded from behind him.
“You’re finally going to do it?”
“Please, help me.”
“Of course. I received a thousand gold, so I must help. But… this fight seems much more disadvantageous than when we made the contract.”
*Grind.*
Gritting his teeth, Gongson Jeoksan pointed to the pavilion he had just exited.
“If you break open the safe, you’ll find a gold ingot. It’s the last of the gold I possess.”
“My thanks.”
*Tuk.*
The old man, who had vanished in an instant, returned in less than three seconds holding a yellowish gold ingot.
Seeing this, Gongson Jeoksan nodded.
Blood Gold Hegemon, Yeom Han-baek.
A transcendent master who would do anything for money.
Even if he was the lowest-ranked of the Seven Hegemons, a Hegemon was a Hegemon.
He should be more than capable of killing Jin Mujeon.
“I’m not confident about taking on Yuk Hak, though.”
“I will buy you time, somehow. In that time, I ask that you kill Jin Mujeon, my lord.”
“Alright. But if the situation proves unfavorable…”
“I will not resent you even if you flee.”
Yeom Han-baek smiled broadly and tucked the gold ingot into his robes.
“Let’s go.”