Laying the Bait
“From what I hear, there’s a group that converted a courtesan house in Taihu into a gambling den. Haven’t you heard anything about it, Your Excellency?”
Nam Cha-seong had come to see An Hyeong-tae, the provincial inspector, after learning from Odal that a new gambling operation had opened in Taihu.
“I have heard of it. I once scolded some of my subordinates for going there to gamble.”
“Isn’t running a gambling den illegal? Are you simply going to allow it?”
“Of course not. When I looked into it, I discovered the provincial governor himself is involved…”
“The governor? You’re saying the governor is operating a gambling den?”
Nam Cha-seong asked, visibly startled.
“That’s not exactly the case. The state does prohibit gambling dens, but there are exceptions. For sites designated as tourist attractions, the governor has the authority to permit them. It seems Sinfungjang learned of this and made a formal proposal to the governor.”
“Sinfungjang?”
Nam Cha-seong tilted his head at the unfamiliar name.
“It’s a family that recently entered Jiangsu Province. They appear to be a merchant clan intending to put down roots in the province and establish their own trading company.”
The news that another merchant group had appeared made his brows furrow on their own.
“Then you’re saying that gambling den isn’t illegal?”
“For the time being, no. However, whether it remains legal or becomes illegal will depend on what decision the governor makes later.”
Nam Cha-seong’s thoughts turned to Hongze Lake.
Hongze Lake was also one of Jiangsu’s well-known tourist destinations, drawing even more visitors than Taihu.
“I understand Sinfungjang has opened a gambling den in Hongze Lake as well.”
At the mention of Hongze Lake, Nam Cha-seong’s expression changed subtly.
“In Hongze Lake too?”
“Yes. That is what the governor reported.”
“Even so, allowing Sinfungjang to monopolize gambling rights at tourist sites is…”
“I raised the same objection, but the governor told me not to inquire further. It seems they’ve reached some sort of private arrangement.”
An Hyeong-tae suspected the governor, Man Jeong-do, had accepted a massive bribe from Sinfungjang in exchange for the permits.
‘If they’ve paid him a fortune, even meeting the governor myself won’t reverse the decision. That means I’ll either have to seize their operating rights or buy them out…’
Buying them out would require enormous capital, so intimidation seemed the easier path.
‘To run a gambling den they’ll need gangsters, but they’ll probably have several martial artists as well.’
Anyone bold enough to open a gambling operation in a new region would have thoroughly investigated Jiangsu Province beforehand.
“I understand. So for now, we cannot take any measures against the gambling dens they’re operating.”
“Correct, Lord Nam. I will ensure your merchant group suffers no losses because of them, so please be understanding this time.”
“Not at all. This might actually work in our favor. Even with the governor’s permission, there’s no guarantee Sinfungjang will keep operating the dens indefinitely. Their real aim might be to sell the rights at a high price. If we watch the situation and manage to purchase the operating rights, couldn’t we then run the gambling dens legally ourselves?”
From Nam Cha-seong’s words, An Hyeong-tae could roughly guess what the man intended to do next.
“Haha, indeed. The future is uncertain—anything could happen.”
Nam Cha-seong smiled with satisfaction at the answer.
‘The inspector is far more cooperative than the governor. It would be better to win this man over completely, blind the governor’s eyes, and steer everything in the direction I want.’
Nam Cha-seong quickly devised a plan. He reached into his robe, pulled out a small item, and offered it to An Hyeong-tae.
“Though it is but a small token, I hope it proves helpful in the affairs of state.”
An Hyeong-tae smiled broadly when he saw what was offered. He accepted it and checked the contents inside.
“You really didn’t have to.”
“I know that serving the country brings many inconveniences. If you need anything at all, please tell me. I will help in any way I can.”
“Thank you.”
“The bait has been cast. It won’t be long before they bite.”
“Shall we step forward and finish them off?”
In the most secluded room on the third floor of the Taihu gambling den operated by Sinfungjang, three people sat talking: Cheonhwa, Nam Sa-ik the leader of the New Wind Squad, and Hyeok Cheon-gwang the leader of the Black Wind Squad.
One might have expected friction between an orthodox warrior and a demonic one, but the two men got along surprisingly well, exchanging words with natural ease.
“No, let’s wait a little longer. Don’t think only of destroying them. We need to make maximum use of those fellows. The businesses we’re running right now are all legal, so we can’t deliver a serious blow to the Gangso Merchant Group’s illegal operations.”
“That’s true for now, but given time they will begin to feel the pressure.”
“The question is how much time it will take. It can’t drag on too long. We must crush the Gangso Merchant Group within five years at the latest and establish the Haedong Merchant Group as the foremost trading company in Jiangsu. Only then can we compete with the other Ten Great Merchant Groups. If we fail, the Haedong Merchant Group will never rise. The other companies will keep us in check.”
“I understand. We can resolve it within that timeframe.”
Nam Sa-ik spoke with confidence.
“All right. I’ll trust your word and wait. Uncle Cheon-gwang, select a few of your most skilled squad members and travel to Guangdong Province.”
“Guangdong Province, my lord?”
“Yes. There’s a place there called Danyang.”
“I know it. A small city on the route into Guangxi Province.”
“It seems the human trafficking ring the Gangso Merchant Group runs illegally abducts people from the Haedong Kingdom, Hainan Island, and even as far as Japan and the Western Regions, then trades them there.”
“Ah, I understand.”
“Since they deal in human trafficking, they’ll be rough customers, and some will have decent martial skills. You must be careful.”
Even among human traffickers, the strongest were merely second-rate martial artists. There were occasional hidden cultivators who assisted with trafficking after causing trouble elsewhere, but finding anyone above first-rate among them was difficult.
The reason was simple: no matter how wicked a martial artist might be, they still possessed their own pride and self-respect.
“Understood.”
“And once you rescue the captives, take them to the military encampment of the Guangdong Eight Routes Water Army and hand them over.”
“To the Eight Routes Water Army?”
“Yes. That’s the only way to move the Prince of Ying.”
“But is it necessary to involve the Prince of Ying? You’ve already succeeded in winning over the governor of Jiangsu.”
“Of course it is. I’ve heard the military consumes enormous quantities of supplies. If we want the Haedong Merchant Group to handle even a portion of that trade, we need to build a closer relationship with the prince.”
“Becoming acquainted with the Prince of Ying will be a tremendous help to the merchant group.”
“Exactly. Later, once we’re close enough, we can use that connection to bind the governor’s hands and feet. Establishing ties with the Prince of Ying is essential. That’s why the Hao Clan is currently working to discover what the prince needs most.”
Both men nodded.
“For now, we must strike the Gangso Merchant Group’s illegal businesses as hard as possible and cut off the money flowing into them.”
“Understood.”
“They’ve already suffered losses from smuggling several times, so they’ll be cautious. Be careful. Don’t charge in recklessly.”
“I will keep it in mind.”
“Then please continue your hard work. My uncle is returning late today, so I should be going. Uncle Cheon-gwang, come with me.”
When Cheonhwa rose from his seat, Nam Sa-ik and Hyeok Cheon-gwang stood as well. Nam Sa-ik saw the pair off, made a quick inspection of the gambling den, then returned to his office.
“To pressure the Gangso Merchant Group, we’ll need to expand several businesses. With the money coming in here, I should secure contracts for a few more shops and broaden our control over the market.”
It was late in the evening when Yi Ja-saeng returned from his trade caravan. Previous journeys had been plagued by large and small disturbances that often resulted in losses, but this time, with the Sword Crazy Baek Do-san accompanying them, everything had been resolved with surprising ease.
Fortunately, they completed the journey without suffering any damage and turned a rather handsome profit.
As soon as Baek Do-san arrived at the Haedong Merchant Group, he sought out Cheonhwa. The two now stood facing each other in the underground training hall beneath Cheonhwa’s quarters.
Both men held their swords drawn, staring at one another. They had already clashed once; Baek Do-san’s breathing was noticeably rougher than usual.
“Do you feel it yet?”
“It’s hard to say. I can’t describe it clearly. That doesn’t mean I feel nothing at all.”
“Then that’s enough for now. You must continue seeking and refining that sensation. The One that arose from primordial chaos could not exist alone, so it divided into Yin and Yang.”
“Is this the theory of Yin and Yang?”
“No. I’m speaking of the Taiji. When the Yin and Yang that separated from the One reunite, they should return to the One, yet instead they formed the Taiji.”
“Hmm…”
“Before my father met my mother, he believed he could perfect the demonic path and attain the demonic dao, but he never succeeded. My mother was the same. Before meeting my father, she intended to achieve the righteous path, yet she never attained it.”
“What does that mean?”
“What do you think would happen if the world contained only evil?”
“It would fall into chaos.”
Cheonhwa shook his head.
“If the world held only evil, no one would know what good was. Not knowing good, they wouldn’t realize they themselves were evil. Conversely, if the world held only good? The same—they wouldn’t know they were good. Only when opposing forces exist can things be properly defined. Only then can one clearly understand what they pursue and strive to practice it or realize its principles.”
Baek Do-san found himself unable to respond.
In one sense it was an exceedingly simple truth, yet he felt flustered that he had never recognized it and ashamed of his own foolishness for never having considered it before.
“When I first met you, I told you, didn’t I? Where there is freedom, there is restraint. Where there is restraint, there is bondage. Where there is bondage, there is control. And just as escaping these leads to true freedom, for your martial arts to become freer, you must first experience restraint.”
“Yes. You did say that.”
“I believe you already know this as well. Freedom that knows nothing of restraint, bondage, or control is not freedom—it is merely license.”
“Hmm…”
“The reason you couldn’t give me a clear answer earlier is because you have not yet realized these things.”
“Me?”
He looked at Cheonhwa with an expression that suggested he understood at least that much, but Cheonhwa shook his head.
“Yes. Not what the mouth or the head knows, but what the heart knows and the body knows.”
Baek Do-san pondered Cheonhwa’s words for a long moment before asking.
“Then what if I seal my own acupoints and block my martial arts?”
“That would be pointless.”
“Why?”
“There is a vast difference between doing something by force and doing it by one’s own will. Besides, if you cannot use your martial arts, you won’t be able to help our maternal family. Why would I bother helping you then?”
At Cheonhwa’s cold reply, Baek Do-san’s face showed a trace of hurt, but Cheonhwa continued without concern.
“To gain one thing, you must give up another. It’s one of the simplest principles in life.”
“I see.”
“Shall we stop here for today?”
“Yes. Let’s do that. Thank you for the teaching.”
“Not at all. As much as you are helping the maternal family, it is only natural that I help you attain a freer form of martial arts. However, the knowledge I possess has its limits, so you will need to put forth considerable effort on your own.”