Chapter 23
Chapter 23
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: The True Heaven Palace's Three Great Powers
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"Are you alright?"
Jin Choyoung's question was directed at her, and Heukran slowly nodded.
"Yes, I'm fine."
"Well, um. Anyway, things have turned out this way. I hope we can get along well from now on."
"...Who exactly is that man?"
"You mean Jeok the Hero?"
"Who else would I be talking about?"
"Ah! True enough. Well, Jeok the Hero is..."
Jin Choyoung clamped her mouth shut and thought for a long while before finally exhaling the breath she'd been holding.
"Hoo! Sorry. Um, I don't know much myself, so it's hard to say."
"...I see."
Even without a proper answer, Heukran wore an expression as if she'd accepted it.
As Jin Choyoung looked at her curiously, Heukran spoke in a calm tone.
"My master once said that the most fearsome person in the murim is neither the Wudang Plum Blossom Sword Guard nor the Nangong family's Spear Heaven Sword King."
"Eh? Then who is the most fearsome?"
"Care to guess?"
"Th-the Heavenly Demon?"
Jin Choyoung blurted it out and then clapped her hands over her mouth in shock.
Whether fortunate or unfortunate, Heukran showed no particular reaction to the answer.
"It's a plausible guess, but wrong."
"Th-then...?"
"The passerby."
"A passerby?"
"That's right."
Heukran said.
"People whose sect and background are unknown, yet can be encountered anywhere in the jianghu. They encompass hidden masters and nameless experts. People who appear like the wind and vanish like lightning."
"......"
"Those are said to be the most fearsome beings in the murim."
"So, you're saying Jeok the Hero is one of them too?"
"The one to answer that isn't me. You've been by his side, Young Palace Lord and Senior Jin."
"S-Senior?"
Somehow, the word missed Heukran's intended point by a mile, but Jin Choyoung's ears perked up at it.
"I heard you've served the Young Palace Lord since her childhood. I've only been in the True Heaven Palace for a few years, so you're my senior."
"I-I see."
"Yes. So please speak comfortably."
"Mm. Alright, got it. I'll do that from now on, Junior."
Jin Choyoung's lips curved up to her ears, clearly not displeased.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
In one corner of the Yellow Crane Tower, Im Seohyuk began his explanation.
"Like all great dynasties, the True Heaven Palace had humble beginnings."
A merchant alliance formed around the capable merchant leader Neung Ju-won.
In its early days, the True Heaven Palace was little more than a collection of shops.
It wasn't even called the True Heaven Palace at first.
But leveraging Wuhan's geographic advantages, they amassed vast wealth, and everything began to change.
"The previous Palace Lord was ahead of his time. He was the first to recognize the value of transport and trade via waterways."
At Im Seohyuk's words, Jeok Muryong spoke up.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"This isn't a praise session for the Palace Lord, so skip to the next part."
"Ah, yes! Understood."
Im Seohyuk flinched and stammered on.
Where money gathers, parasites follow.
To exterminate parasites, powerful force is needed.
They first outsourced to nearby sects, but soon even those sects began eyeing the True Heaven Palace's wealth.
"Thus, subordinate organizations were born."
To protect goods, merchants, ships, and carriages, independent armed groups were hired.
As trade scaled up, they hired sailors, horsemen, and artisans to craft and repair goods and weapons.
With crowds came problems, so mediators—administrators—were created.
To bolster their forces, they established departments to acquire secret manuals and inner cores from the markets, along with their own training grounds and academies.
It resembled a miniature nation.
By the time this mere merchant alliance dared to call itself a palace...
No one in Wuhan could mock the name.
That was the True Heaven Palace.
The merchants' kingdom built by Great Merchant Neung Ju-won over a lifetime.
"The True Heaven Palace was a highly systematic organization. They classified subordinate groups by role and built a system for mid-level managers to rule efficiently."
"Among them, the three largest forces were called the Three Great Powers."
Neung So-hwa supplemented Im Seohyuk's explanation.
"Red Wall Hall, Yellow River Society, and Akju Hall. Those were they."
"Hm."
"They were also the first to reveal their true colors after Grandfather's death."
Strong resentment showed on Neung So-hwa's face.
"Red Wall Hall Master Ung Yeol, Yellow River Society Master Baek Ran, Akju Hall Master Man Hwarong. I can never forgive those three."
"Young Palace Lord, about that..."
Im Seohyuk said.
"Ung Yeol and Man Hwarong have already become guests who never return."
"What? Who on earth...?"
"Ung Yeol was killed by his legitimate son, Red Wall Hall Vice Master Ung Sucheon. Man Hwarong died amid internal strife in Akju Hall."
A shadow fell over Neung So-hwa's face.
"Ung Sucheon is Ung Yeol's legitimate heir, isn't he?"
"Yes. Killing his own father makes him the epitome of a wretched bastard."
"...And Man Hwarong? If it was internal strife in Akju Hall, did his subordinates conspire?"
"Yes."
Im Seohyuk nodded.
"As you know, Akju has six ports along the Yangtze. Akju Hall was created to manage the ships coming and going there."
"With river transport at the core of the main palace's business, Akju Hall's role and importance were inevitable."
"Indeed. That's why the kickbacks they skimmed were the largest among all True Heaven Palace organizations."
Neung So-hwa's eyes narrowed.
"Don't tell me...?"
"Yes. Disputes over bribes from various sources caused a rift between the Hall Master and Vice Hall Master, splitting them into factions that tore into each other fiercely."
"......"
"In that chaos, Akju Hall Master Man Hwarong died. Vice Hall Master Yo Seokcheol was gravely wounded and is recovering."
"Then Akju Hall's functions are completely paralyzed, aren't they?"
"Yes. That's why the entire True Heaven Palace organization is on high alert."
"......"
"Which is how I got to monopolize the Yellow Crane Tower's scenic view all alone."
The golden blood dripping from the prey called Akju Hall.
All of True Heaven Palace's forces were salivating at the scent and swarming to Akju.
Naturally, no one had time to care who was lounging in the Yellow Crane Tower.
Plus, for the Yellow River Society, they likely figured Im Seohyuk could be handled by Heukran alone.
"I see. So that's how it was."
Neung So-hwa slowly nodded.
"Come to think of it, Brother was in a position to hide too, so it was odd he was here drinking."
"Huh? Young Palace Lord, you didn't come looking for me here from the start?"
"No, that's not it."
Neung So-hwa gave an apologetic smile.
"Jeok the Hero once said he wanted to sip liquor while watching the East Lake at least once."
Im Seohyuk's eyes lost focus in bewilderment.
"Uh, wait. So actually, you didn't come to find me...?"
"We came here, and by chance reunited with Brother."
"I-I see."
Im Seohyuk let out a hollow laugh.
"Still, it's fine. I'm grateful, really. Whatever the reason, it saved my life."
"Brother Seohyuk."
"I knew long ago that Heukran was out to kill me. Dying here in the Yellow Crane Tower over a drink didn't seem like a bad end."
Neung So-hwa gave a wry smile.
"So that's why you came here."
"Yes. But I saved my life and reunited with you, Young Palace Lord. It was Im Seohyuk's best judgment call."
"That aside."
Jeok Muryong cut in.
"The point is, the Yellow River Society and Red Wall Hall bastards have all rushed to Akju, right?"
"Yes? Ah, yes. That's why defenses around Wuhan are relatively weak. Not just the Three Great Powers, but the smaller groups too."
"Other guys too?"
"Yes."
Im Seohyuk wore a faint sneer of contempt.
"This jianghu is crawling with fools full of ambition but clueless about their place."
"You... you're not completely stupid, huh."
"Th-thank you."
Im Seohyuk was dazed at the sudden praise.
Jeok Muryong turned to Neung So-hwa.
"Now it's your turn to choose. I see two options."
"Would you tell me what those two are, Jeok the Hero?"
"If I can think of them, you can too."
"Still."
"Hm."
Jeok Muryong furrowed his brow slightly before speaking.
"Simple enough. Either head to Akju now and wipe out those two organizations in one go, or occupy the now-empty Wuhan."
"I see."
Neung So-hwa nodded in understanding.
Im Seohyuk, on the other hand, was dumbfounded.
"Uh, excuse me, Jeok the Hero? Sorry, but what do you mean by that...?"
"Isn't racking your brains your job? Guess I misjudged you earlier."
"S-sorry."
"Skip the empty apologies and answer. You should've gotten it from this much talk. Or not?"
He got it.
He just couldn't accept it.
Im Seohyuk urgently turned to Neung So-hwa.
"Young Palace Lord, if it's not rude, may I ask...?"
"It is rude."
Jeok Muryong cut him off.
"I know what you're gonna ask. 'What can we do with just this many people?' Right?"
"Ah, no! I mean, Jeok the Hero and Young Palace Lord, I just wanted to know what additional forces you have..."
"None."
Jeok Muryong stated flatly.
"The only one who can fight properly is me. Well, one more just joined."
"That one more... you don't mean Heukran, that woman?"
"Yeah. Surprised?"
"No, just..."
"That guy's stronger than she looks."
Jeok Muryong stated firmly.
"Among those I've met since opening my eyes, she'd rank in the top three."
"Pardon? Since opening your eyes?"
Jeok Muryong didn't answer.
Neung So-hwa had no intention of clarifying Im Seohyuk's doubt either.
In fact, she'd been fixedly staring at Jeok Muryong for a long time.
"Jeok the Hero, are you saying Heukran's skills surpass Shaolin's Arhat monks?"
"Yeah. In a straight fight, maybe not, but in real combat, she's definitely above that Beom Won guy."
"So her skills are on par with Shaolin's Eighteen Arhats?"
"Even if luck played a part."
Jeok Muryong said.
"She dodged my attack once, after all."