The Declaration of Supremacy
Under the cover of night, masked assailants broke into an illegal gambling den run by the Gangso Merchant Group. They slaughtered everyone operating the establishment and stole every coin before disappearing without a trace.
The incident left Nam Cha-seong, the head of the Gangso Merchant Group, in a towering rage. His brother-in-law, Oh Dal, who had been in charge of the gambling den, was among the dead. Not only the professional gamblers but even the customers who had come to play suffered heavy losses.
Nam Cha-seong mobilized every resource at his disposal to hunt down the attackers, but they had vanished like smoke. While he was still seething, an even greater disaster struck. A massive fire broke out at Yiwonjang, the headquarters of their illegal high-interest loan operation. The entire manor burned to the ground, and with it, every ledger, promissory note, and IOU they had accumulated over the years turned to ash.
The blaze had consumed the compound so completely that no one could even determine where it had started. In a single night, years of carefully hoarded wealth and power were wiped away.
“Just how the hell were you managing the place that a fire could break out and grow this large without anyone noticing?”
Nam Cha-seong roared at Nam Sang-deok, the manager of Yiwonjang. The man could only bow his head in shame. Even if he had ten mouths, he would have had no excuse.
“Do you even understand how much we’ve lost this time?”
The physical destruction of the manor was the least of their worries. The real catastrophe was the loss of every debt record. They could try to collect by force, but without the IOUs, they had no proof. And since the entire operation had been illegal, they couldn’t even report the fire to the authorities.
“I’m sorry, Brother.”
“Sorry?”
Nam Cha-seong’s hand itched to slap him across the face, but he held back. This was his own brother, and right now, no one was more devastated than Nam Sang-deok.
“Haa…”
After taking a long, deep breath, Nam Cha-seong continued.
“Our financial situation no longer allows us to continue pushing the loan business. Sell Yiwonjang and return to the main group.”
“Brother…”
“They say that extreme fortune invites disaster. We’ve enjoyed nothing but success until now. We built the group to this size, and naturally, people began to envy us. We’ve held on by competing with them, but the time has come to change our approach.”
Nam Cha-seong laid out the current state of the merchant group in detail.
“The group grew this large thanks to the money we earned from illegal gambling, loan sharking, and smuggling. But it seems we must pause those operations for now.”
“But to make up for the lost capital…”
“There are those watching us. If we keep running illegal businesses, they will eventually become chains around our ankles. Focus on legitimate operations for the time being. We can resume when the situation improves.”
Nam Sang-deok had no choice but to accept his brother’s decision.
“Once you and Sang-do return to the main house, I will put you in charge of northern trade routes and give Sang-do the southern routes.”
“Then what about you, Brother?”
“I intend to focus on civil engineering projects. In truth, that’s where the real money is. The time has come to repair the walls, fortifications, and roads of Jiangsu Province. That will be my priority.”
“Don’t worry. Sang-do and I will ensure the group runs without any setbacks.”
“Good. You may leave.”
The moment Nam Sang-deok left the room, Nam Cha-seong’s expression twisted into something ugly.
“Between the theft last time and this fire, just how much have we lost?”
The illegal ventures that had once brought in massive profits were now bleeding them dry.
“We were already short on funds.”
Merchants didn’t usually collapse because of one massive loss. They collapsed because they ran out of the small amounts of cash needed to keep things moving. When liquidity dried up, they borrowed from one place to cover another, then took on more debt to repay the first, until the interest became an avalanche that buried them completely.
Nam Cha-seong felt a growing sense of crisis. The recent string of incidents might very well bring the entire merchant group to ruin.
“Damn it all. If they’re going to take that much money, they should at least do their jobs properly.”
It had been nearly two months since he had asked the Wolyeongmun to seize the business rights to the gambling dens at Hongze Lake and Taihu, yet he had received no word. Not even the slightest movement.
“We need to obtain real martial power. Otherwise, we will always be dragged around by the murim.”
The great merchant groups were constantly struggling to protect themselves. Many tried to build their own military strength, but it was never as easy as it sounded. Martial power required more than just cultivation techniques and spiritual medicines. It required an actual organization and influence.
Most merchant groups operated escort agencies as a loophole, training their escorts in martial arts and using them to display strength. The Gangso Merchant Group had not yet reached that level. Instead, they had been paying enormous sums to the Wolyeongmun for protection. The problem was that the sect’s help never came when it was truly needed.
Asking another sect for help would only invite retaliation from the Wolyeongmun for perceived betrayal. So they could only endure in silence.
“Everything started going wrong the moment Sinfungjang entered Jiangsu Province.”
A tangled knot had to be undone at the source. Otherwise, it would only grow more complicated until it became impossible to fix.
“I’ll speak with the Wolyeongmun one more time. If they still refuse to act, I’ll have no choice but to ask Sang-o to handle it.”
* * *
“So you’re saying that the Hongze Lake stronghold has joined the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance, and since this was their territory, the alliance plans to rebuild the stronghold here?”
“That is correct. Therefore, any business operating around Hongze Lake will need to pay protection fees to the newly established Hongze Lake stronghold.”
The New Wind Squad had wiped out the water bandits of Hongze Lake and had been collecting protection fees from the businesses in the area while keeping them safe from outside interference. Now the Yangtze River Water Bandit Alliance was using that as an excuse to cause trouble.
Cheonhwa had been discussing matters with Nam Sa-ik at Sinfungjang when the water bandits arrived with their demand. Upon hearing their words, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“I’m not sure who is supposed to be protecting whom. Very well. So if we pay this protection fee, you will protect us from external threats?”
“Correct.”
“And how much is the fee?”
“One hundred taels per shop.”
“Perfect. To be honest, the Wolyeongmun has been eyeing our businesses and constantly poking at us. If you pay the fee, please go tell the Wolyeongmun to stop bothering us.”
The water bandits’ expressions changed instantly.
“The Wolyeongmun, you say?”
“Yes, the greatest unorthodox sect in Jiangsu. Please go speak to them nicely on our behalf.”
The bandits exchanged uneasy glances.
“Leader Nam, please prepare one hundred taels for each shop we operate and give it to them. Also, escort these gentlemen to the Wolyeongmun.”
“Understood.”
When Nam Sa-ik stood up, the water bandits flinched.
“Ah, and one more thing. I really hate people who try to steal my money. If you take my money and don’t do your job properly…!”
Cheonhwa raised his internal energy and pressed down on them with pure power.
“Ugh!”
The sudden overwhelming pressure made the bandits’ knees buckle.
Thud.
Their knees hit the ground. Their backs bent. From an outsider’s perspective, it looked as if they were bowing deeply to Cheonhwa. He looked down at them from above and spoke calmly.
“Next time, I will take your lives. Do not take this lightly. I assume you’ve looked into why the Hongze Lake stronghold was destroyed. You should have some idea of what I’m capable of.”
At Cheonhwa’s threat, the bandits began to tremble uncontrollably.
This is not a problem we can solve. Even if their supreme leader came, he would be helpless against Sinfungjang.
“This should be interesting. I wonder if your pathetic pride is worth your lives. Leader Nam, give them the protection fees.”
“Understood.”
“N-no! That’s not necessary!”
The bandits waved their hands frantically. The killing intent woven into Cheonhwa’s words was far too real to ignore. They had no choice but to submit.
“What do you mean it’s not necessary?”
“W-we cannot accept the protection fee…”
“Are you mocking me?”
The weight of his energy grew even heavier. It was now so intense that it felt as if their heads would be driven into the ground.
“P-please spare us! There has been a misunderstanding! It was only a misunderstanding. We never intended to deceive you!”
“A misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding?”
“That is… well…”
“Living as bandits must have made the world seem easy. You gather in groups, wave your swords, threaten merchants, and take their money. So you thought you could do the same thing anywhere and money would simply fall into your hands?”
“We are sorry! Please forgive us, Young Master!”
“I also want to live an easy life. Won’t you gentlemen make that possible for me?”
“Please spare us! We will never set foot in Jiangsu Province again!”
Cheonhwa looked down at the bandits with their heads bowed, took a deep breath, and finally spoke.
“Fine. I’ll let it go this once. Return and clearly convey my message to your supreme leader. Tell him that Hongze Lake and Taihu are under the management of Sinfungjang, so he should not covet them.”
“We will deliver the message exactly as you said.”
“Also, if I hear about today’s events from anyone else, tell him I will personally visit Dongting Lake. Keep that in mind. One word from you could cost hundreds of your fellow bandits their lives. Now get out.”
As suddenly as it had appeared, the crushing pressure vanished.
The bandits scrambled to their feet, bowed deeply to Cheonhwa, thanked him profusely, and fled Sinfungjang as if their lives depended on it.
“Are you really going to let them go? They could cause us trouble later.”
“I know.”
“Then why…?”
“Because it’s time for me to start moving toward my goal.”
“Your goal…?”
“To become the greatest under heaven!”
Nam Sa-ik blinked at the unexpected answer.
“I intend to accomplish what my parents could not.”
“It won’t be easy.”
“If it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth setting as a goal.”
Nam Sa-ik suddenly grew curious about something else.
“By the way, just how strong are you, my lord?”
“That’s difficult to answer since I have no one to compare myself to. Two years ago, I surpassed both my father and mother in martial arts. A year ago, although I couldn’t defeat them, I endured their combined assault. So I’m not exactly weak. After coming out into the murim and hearing about my parents’ reputations, it seems they were quite formidable in their prime.”
“You endured their combined assault?”
“Yes. I held out for roughly five hundred moves. After that, they refused to fight me anymore, so I’m not sure beyond that point.”
Both Cheonwoo and Yi Hwarin were renowned experts whose names had once appeared among the Wulin Hundred Great Experts. It was said their strength had been enough to place them among the top ten. The fact that the young man before him had endured five hundred moves against both of them combined made Nam Sa-ik wonder if Cheonhwa already possessed power on par with the current ten great experts.
“Does sending those bandits away have something to do with your goal of becoming the greatest under heaven?”
“Of course. They will spread some interesting rumors. People will come looking for me to verify them.”
“Who?”
“Dongjeong-eong. If I take one of his arms, it should be enough to draw the attention of the entire murim.”
“That is true.”
“After that, I will slowly expand my connections.”
“Connections rather than building a force?”
“Yes. At the very least, I need to be able to distinguish between enemies and allies, don’t I?”
Nam Sa-ik nodded in understanding.
“In the process, the Haedong Merchant Group will grow as well. We will gradually expand our influence with Jiangsu as our foundation.”
“It sounds like it will take a long time.”
“It may take even longer than I originally anticipated.”
“How long do you expect, my lord?”
“Twenty years!”
Nam Sa-ik thought twenty years sounded excessively long. Then he remembered how old Cheonhwa was this year and realized that for someone his age, twenty years was not actually that long at all.
The greatest under heaven at thirty-six…