Chapter 92
Chapter 92
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: The King's Protection
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“Khahahaha! So much?”
The middle-aged giant, seated on a tiger-skin-draped armchair, grinned from ear to ear.
The chest was wide open.
Inside, gold ingots were piled high, shimmering brilliantly.
“A small token of my sincerity.”
“Small? What do you mean, small?!”
Seeing the merchant bowing deeply, the giant leaped down in a single stride, took his hands, and helped him up.
“Here, stand up. Quickly.”
The merchant beamed at the giant's unexpected reaction.
How could he not?
The man with the imposing physique holding the merchant's hands was none other than the King of the Green Forest, Jong Ri-gang.
One of the leaders of the Unorthodox Faction, a man who treated all the mountains of the Central Plains as his domain.
To merchants, he reigned as an absolute evil.
Yet, he was an evil they could never ignore, their relationship being far too close.
And his martial arts? How formidable were they?
He was one of the Central Plains' foremost masters of energy projection, and when it came to the pole arts, he was the strongest, someone even Shaolin would yield to.
“Steward!”
“Yes, Chief!”
“Bring it! I will deliver it myself!”
“Yes!”
As Jong Ri-gang boomed, a man beside him brought over a long wooden box.
“Open it.”
“Yes!”
*Click.*
Inside the opened box were a simple, almost shabby-looking flag and a wooden plaque.
“This is…?”
“Hahaha, how could I simply accept your sincerity and do nothing in return?”
“Pardon?”
“It is the token of the King of the Green Forest.”
“The Green Forest… pardon?”
“Fly that flag, and no one will harm you or your merchant guild.”
“...!”
At those words, the merchant's face lit up brighter than ever, his eyes shimmering with emotion.
“This… this precious thing…”
How long had he yearned for this?
The token of the King of the Green Forest. The ultimate pass for safe passage through all the mountains of the Central Plains.
Others had advised him to bribe government troops or seek help from the great sects, but that was all nonsense.
Government troops? Had they ever truly managed to subjugate the Green Forest?
Even if they had, they only ever managed to take down petty thugs who barely deserved the Green Forest name.
He had complained numerous times after being robbed, but the only response he ever received was to wait because they were busy.
The prestigious great sects? They were no different.
Even they were often wary of the King of the Green Forest.
While no one was harmed, a hefty passage fee was negotiated as a concession, and that loss fell entirely on the merchant guild.
So he decided to meet him in person.
After three long years of effort, he had finally made a connection.
His guild's finances had teetered from bribing every bandit he met on every mountain, and he had fallen into massive debt to secure the money for the King of the Green Forest, but he didn't regret a single bit of it.
He considered it an investment in the future.
And now, that investment was finally paying off.
The merchant accepted the wooden box with trembling hands.
A flag and a wooden plaque. With these, he would no longer have to worry about bandits.
In the mountains they controlled, he would be treated as an honored guest, with even the wild beasts cleared from his path, allowing him to drastically reduce his escort force.
In other words, all that was left was to make money.
He was confident he could turn a profit anytime.
Ah, how much had he suffered until now?
Suddenly remembering the hard times, the merchant began to shed tears, and Jong Ri-gang patted his shoulder sympathetically.
“Why are you crying…”
“I'm s-sorry. *Sob*, I'm just so happy to have formed a bond with you, King of the Green Forest… *sob*.”
“What a character.”
While consoling the merchant, Jong Ri-gang seemed to ponder for a moment before making a decision and calling his steward.
“Hey, Steward.”
“Yes?”
“Go and bring me a brush, ink, and paper.”
“What do you need them for?”
“Just bring them when I tell you to. Why so many questions?”
“...”
As Jong Ri-gang showed his displeasure, the steward, Tak-chu, tilted his head in confusion.
A brush, ink, and paper? But he’s illiterate. Jong Ri-gang was illiterate. He could speak, but he couldn't read or write.
“Hey! What are you doing? Bring them quickly!”
“...Yes.”
Annoyed by the repeated nagging, Tak-chu, though puzzled, brought the writing materials.
“Take this down.”
“...Ah.”
Of course, he wasn't going to write it himself.
“What should I write?”
“Start with... 'My dear Cheong-ju.'”
“Cheong... ju?”
“Yes.”
“If you mean Cheong-ju, isn't that the Grand Chief of the Yangtze River?”
“Of course. Is there another Cheong-ju that you and I both know?”
Tak-chu nodded at Jong Ri-gang's words.
The Grand Chief of the Yangtze River Water Fortress, Mak Cheong-ju.
He was an idol to the river pirates and, along with Jong Ri-gang, a figure renowned throughout the Central Plains as a great bandit.
Isn't it natural for thieves to have a certain understanding?
Their territories were different, but they worked in the same profession, so he and Jong Ri-gang were close friends.
Tak-chu realized Jong Ri-gang intended to send a letter and diligently wrote down what he said.
“I have recently formed a good relationship with a group called the Cheonseong Merchant Guild, and I wish to introduce them to you.”
“...!”
At those words, the merchant's tears stopped, and his eyes widened.
“K-King of the Green Forest! Surely you don't mean…?”
“Hahaha, keep listening. You need to know the contents of the letter as well.”
“...”
Jong Ri-gang patted the merchant's shoulder and continued dictating the letter.
“If they pass through your territory, please, for my sake, grant them some convenience. However, since you also have your pride to maintain, you need not waive the entire fee—a reduction of about half should suffice. From your friend, Jong Ri-gang.”
“...!”
As Jong Ri-gang finished dictating the letter so decisively, the merchant gulped.
Was he dreaming?
Not just the King of the Green Forest, but the Yangtze River Water Fortress too?
Half is fifty percent.
It was easy to say, but where in the world was there a merchant ship crossing the Yangtze that received such a benefit?
He had only shed a few tears over his past hardships, and now it was like striking gold… no, this was a blessing for the ages.
“*Sob*! King of the Green Forest! How can I ever repay this kindness?”
Overcome with emotion, the merchant prostrated himself on the floor.
“Hahaha, honestly. Why so many tears? Get up now. Should you really be spending such a fine day crying?”
“*Sob, sob, sob*.”
“Now, I can't let this mood pass just like that. I'll have a banquet prepared, so go rest outside for a while.”
“Yes, yes, King of the Green Forest.”
As the merchant, his legs trembling with emotion, was helped out of the hall by the bandits, Jong Ri-gang couldn't hide a pleased smile.
“Heh heh, what a character. Making such a fuss over nothing, right, Steward?”
“...”
At Jong Ri-gang's words, Tak-chu scowled and asked.
“What on earth are you thinking, Brother?”
“Hm?”
Was it because the merchant had left?
Tak-chu, who had exuded a scholarly air until now, suddenly changed his demeanor and slumped into a chair.
“You rascal, what do you mean? What am I thinking? Didn't you see everything?”
“I saw, of course. But this isn't the way the Green Forest has always done things, is it?”
“The way the Green Forest has done things?”
“Yes.”
“Explain it so I can understand.”
“What is our Green Forest? We call ourselves the heroes of the mountains, a group that fills its belly by emptying the pockets of those who pass through our territory. That is the way of our Green Forest.”
“And?”
“What you're doing now isn't the way of the Green Forest. It's forming direct ties with merchant guilds, just like the other sects do, isn't it?”
“You see correctly.”
“So, what on earth are you thinking?”
Jong Ri-gang let out a dry laugh at Tak-chu's words.
“Tsk, tsk. I made you steward because you were the only one among the brothers who could read, but your insight into the world is pathetic.”
“What?”
“Tak-chu, think about it.”
“...?”
“In your opinion, do you think we of the Green Forest or the river pirates are rich?”
“Well… to some extent? None of us are starving to death, are we?”
“Not starving? Hah! You have the ambition of a thimble.”
“Hey, that's harsh!”
“Harsh? What's harsh about it? Who among our brothers doesn't know you're as petty as they come?”
“...Tch.”
Seeing Tak-chu pout and turn his head away, Jong Ri-gang chuckled and spoke in a suggestive tone.
“Tak-chu. Yes, you're right, we're not starving. But isn't it true that our Green Forest's income is small compared to other factions?”
“That's true.”
“Ever since I became chief, I've thought about it for a long time. Why, no matter how much we steal, are we always short on money?”
“...?”
“Why do you think that is?”
“Well… because there are many days we come up empty.”
“Exactly. Even when we go out for 'business,' we often come back empty-handed. And that's not all. We have to give discounts on passage fees to those connected with the Orthodox Faction. And the Unorthodox Faction are our brothers, so we have to give them discounts too.”
“...”
“Whenever some new official gets appointed, they start cracking down on bandits for 'public safety' or whatever, don't they? And the brats from the Orthodox Faction search the mountains with fire in their eyes, trying to build their own reputations. How many of our boys have died because of that, and how much business have we lost?”
“Hmm… that's true.”
“So I thought, if this is how it's going to be, we might as well get paid in advance.”
“In advance?”
“Yes. Instead of taking it from them, we make them offer it up willingly.”
“What do you mean?”
“You saw that guy from the Cheonseong Merchant Guild just now, right?”
“...”
“Wasn't he so moved he didn't know what to do with himself?”
“Y-yes, he was.”
“Look at the money in that chest. No matter how diligently the Cheonseong Merchant Guild travels, they probably won't make more than ten trips a year.”
“Hmm, really? If they tried a little harder…”
“It's a hypothetical, you fool. Stop arguing and listen to the end.”
“Yes…”
“Our Green Forest has a fearsome reputation, so merchants are always worried. Now, imagine that guy from the Cheonseong Guild goes out and spreads the word.”
“Huh? Could it be…?”
“You rascal, you finally get it?”
“Yes!”
At Tak-chu's reply, Jong Ri-gang gave a satisfied smile.
They offer it up willingly, without being robbed.
The Cheonseong Merchant Guild would be the cornerstone of this plan.
That was why he'd deliberately sent a letter to the Water Fortress.
Once word got out, merchants would flock to the Green Forest headquarters, one after another, with bags of money.
To obtain the token of the King of the Green Forest.
Bandits and river pirates. What would happen without their threat?
The vast sums of money they used to offer to various sects to ensure safe passage would now flow to the Green Forest and the Water Fortress.
History was about to change.
The money collected would be transformed into high-quality weapons and profound secret manuals, and the strength of the Green Forest, once a gathering of riffraff and thieves, would improve by leaps and bounds within years.
The Green Forest, once considered a mere means for the brats of the Orthodox Faction to build their reputations, would grow powerful. So powerful that no one would dare to challenge them.
“Khuhuhuhu…”
Jong Ri-gang chuckled, thinking what a brilliant plan it was.
“Brother! You truly are amazing!”
Tak-chu was genuinely impressed.
His martial arts were one thing, but when it came to money, he was truly relentless. To think he could come up with such a brilliant idea.
“Alright, you rascal! Hurry up and prepare the flags and plaques.”
“Understood. A hundred! No, I'll prepare about two hundred.”
“Of course! You must! Absolutely! Hurry and spread the news to the brothers. No, summon all the brothers from the eighteen strongholds immediately. I will tell them of my future plans myself.”
It felt as though a rosy future was unfolding brilliantly before them.
From now on, the path of the Green Forest would be a smooth one.
“Khahahat, khahahahahat!”
“Wahahahaha!”
In that moment, as Jong Ri-gang and Tak-chu, the two brothers, laughed as if in competition—
“Chieeeef!”
“...?”
A messenger came running in haste, carrying news that would pour cold water on their laughter.
“Urgent news! The Mount Cheonghwa gang has been defeated!”
“...?”
Jong Ri-gang's face, which had been beaming with visions of a bright future just moments before, hardened like stone.
Huh? Who was defeated?
Mount Cheonghwa… that's where Jeon Il-seok, my sworn brother, is….
“Damn it! What goddamn bastard laid a hand on my brother!?”