Chapter 59
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 59
Chapter Title: Hwang Bo-in's Proposal
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It wasn't as if I'd just been sitting still for hours on end.
Controlling the delicate flow of true energy was as precarious as walking a tightrope, and focusing on qi circulation inevitably came with pain during the healing process. A steady heart and calm mind, achieved through mental techniques, were absolutely essential.
Mental cultivation methods or mental unification techniques.
The key was concentration, and those commonly called masters could entertain a variety of thoughts and ideas precisely because of that focus.
Paradoxically speaking.
During that half-day or more, I managed to sort through a multitude of thoughts.
Including the current situation surrounding the gathering, as well as the stance the Hwang Bo Clan had taken.
"Why are you just standing there?"
But the young man before me was someone I hadn't expected at all.
"Who are you?"
"Well, Young Master."
The answer came from A-so.
"He's the Second Young Master of the Hwang Bo Clan."
"Second Young Master?"
The young man, who had declared himself a guest, was waiting for me in the main hall of the Blue Jade Pavilion.
"Tall and handsome—impressive looks. Makes me jealous."
His rude speech and demeanor were far too free-spirited for someone from a prestigious family.
"Oh, right, this is our first meeting, isn't it? Nice to meet you. I'm Hwang Bo-in. As that kid said, the patriarch of the Hwang Bo Clan is my father."
Hwang Bo-in of the Hwang Bo Clan. I'd heard of him before.
However, it was quite unexpected that it wasn't Hwang Bo Woo-jun who had come to see me, and it felt a bit early for the bold confrontation I'd put off at the gathering.
"Have a seat first."
He turned the host-guest roles upside down, settling into a comfortable posture as if it were his own bedroom.
Hwang Bo-in looked worlds apart from the giant Hwang Bo Woo-jun, even at a glance.
His average build wasn't small by any means, but compared to the men of the Hwang Bo Clan, he seemed almost puny. The handsome man with bold features acted aloof from the world in a way that exuded confidence, yet made it impossible to read his true intentions.
"I don't recall being told to receive any guests. Though I'm a guest myself, so I suppose I have no room to complain."
And that, at this late hour—he showed up out of the blue and grinned as he spoke.
"Why act like you don't know when you already do? Don't be so stingy—have a drink first. If this is how you treat guests, what's the point of all the trouble I went through climbing over the wall?"
"So you're an uninvited guest."
"An uninvited guest, indeed."
Confirming the obvious anew, I casually extended my arm.
A chance to check my fully healed body as well.
"Wait a moment!"
Before I could even channel my inner energy, Hwang Bo-in hurriedly responded.
"You don't seem like the type, but you're quicker-tempered than you look! U Chong-gwan has already headed to the main hall!"
"The main hall?"
"By now, that means I'm no longer an uninvited guest but an official one! Why would I climb the wall from the start if I lacked anything? I just wanted to test how solid your defenses were, since they seemed tighter than expected."
Hwang Bo-in shook both arms emphatically, proclaiming his innocence with repeated sighs.
No hostility was apparent, at least.
"And the result?"
I sat down across from him, with a small table between us.
"...Not bad. To be honest, I underestimated you since you're from an obscure clan, but you're worthy of inheriting the roots of a wicked family."
He laughed heartily, his affable face leaving a strong impression. It was a different flavor from U Hak-bong, but his thick skin was much the same.
'He scouted me out in advance.'
Hwang Bo-in was subtly flaunting his information network.
He wasn't as well-known to the outside world as Hwang Bo Woo-jun.
To be precise, none of the Hwang Bo Clan's legitimate heirs were.
The reason lay with the Hwang Bo Clan's former patriarch, the Glory Fist King.
The Glory Fist King, who occupied one of the Ten Seats of the Heavenly Realm.
That single peerless master had helped elevate the Hwang Bo Clan to the ranks of the Six Great Clans, but his failure in raising successors had left a bitter taste time and again.
Like father, like son.
Among the countless warriors of the Hwang Bo Clan, not one had inherited the Glory Fist King's true teachings, so Hwang Bo-in had only ever been criticized for his lacking talent.
'Quite...'
Similar. Our situations and positions.
"We're alike, aren't we?"
As if reading my mind, he smiled meaningfully and placed his clasped hands on the table.
"The Seo Mun Clan patriarch, one of the Hundred Great Masters of the world. Our plights—tiger father, dog sons, delinquent reputations."
Beneath his crossed legs sat a wooden box.
"So take it as a sign of goodwill. I don't usually act this sloppy."
Full of cunning, Hwang Bo-in outdid even Hwang Bo Woo-jun, and in person, his presence was no less imposing.
"Go rest now."
I dismissed the attendants around us.
"Young Master?"
"It's fine."
In this place where only a chilly breeze fluttered, the only one to send away right then was A-so.
"What's that?"
Guessing at his not-so-light intentions, I nudged A-so away and pointed to the wooden box.
"A token of sincerity."
"Not a gag gift?"
"Gag gift? Scary if anyone hears that. I just brought it because you seem to need some internal injury medicine."
Hwang Bo-in slid the token toward me.
"Looks like it might not be useful after all, but since I brought it for you, take it."
I stared at it intently.
As I mulled over its various meanings depending on the person and situation, he explained on his own.
"Nothing special. No particular reason."
After the preamble, Hwang Bo-in stated his goal.
"How about partnering with me?"
For something he claimed wasn't special, it was a bold ambition.
"Partner?"
"Exactly as it sounds—a business proposal. Let's use each other for our respective goals."
He stroked his nonexistent beard, adopting a serious expression.
Whoosh.
Suddenly dropping his facade, he revealed his true face, and a moment of silence passed.
"What do you say?"
Flipping his tone as easily as a palm, he lowered his gaze with sharp eyes.
The carefree demeanor from before was gone, replaced by the refined elegance of a prestigious clan heir. This was the guise he'd used to deceive countless people.
"I want to oust my eldest brother, the current heir, and become patriarch of the Hwang Bo Clan. I'd like your help in that."
I listened quietly to his words.
"I know about the bad blood between our clans. But that's all in the past. Henan has the Shaolin and Beggar Clan, Shaanxi has Mount Hua and Jung Nam, and Sichuan has Qing Cheng and Emei."
Using the Nine Great Sects and One Gang as an analogy for coexistence.
"No need for us to be bound by the past. Especially since the enemy of my enemy is my friend."
Beneath that affable face lurked boundless ambition.
It would be a lie to say I felt no curiosity.
Though it was a deadlock, it was an unthinkable choice given Hwang Bo Woo-jun's temperament.
'Not like a righteous faction member.'
In the murim that valued karmic ties, joining hands with an enemy required extraordinary resolve.
Especially for personal ambition rather than some greater cause—it was something a righteous warrior could scarcely consider.
"It'll be good for you too."
A proposal that bold.
"I hear the Seo Mun Clan hasn't named a young clan heir either, just like us. Even if you're not interested in the position, you won't lose out."
With that, Hwang Bo-in pulled a letter from his sleeve.
"A gift in that vein. I hope it builds at least a modicum of credit between us."
Credit, not trust.
He wanted a transaction, and its clarity was preferable to emotional appeals.
"Secret code?"
"I'll warn you upfront—I haven't had time to decode it. What's certain is where it came from and who it was meant for."
The intercepted letter was originally destined for Hwang Bo Woo-jun.
"No need to feel burdened since it's a preemptive gift. I just hope my sincerity comes across."
I placed the clearly sender-marked letter on the wooden box.
"What do you want from me?"
And cut to the chase.
"Simple."
Hwang Bo-in calmly laid out his intent.
"Hwang Bo Woo-jun, my brother, won't go down quietly. As you know, I'd appreciate it if you exposed his misdeeds when the opportunity arises."
In other words, it was a demand he could make precisely because he knew the details too.
"Don't play dumb. Ghost Flash saw what I saw—you couldn't have missed it. You know he's forsaken propriety."
I understood. Delaying what he could do himself was to preserve the Hwang Bo Clan's face, and beyond that, Hwang Bo Woo-jun's faction seemed stronger than his own.
"More than just face."
I summarized his explanation.
'It's an issue that could shake their foundation.'
The Hwang Bo Clan would want to cover it up at all costs.
"When and how did you find out?"
"What do you mean? That he's dabbled in demonic arts? Or...?"
"All of it."
"Not long ago."
I nodded.
"Even if you exposed it yourself, it wouldn't benefit your position at all."
"Believe it or not, this took considerable resolve."
Considering the damage to the Hwang Bo Clan, it was an extraordinary offer.
Why me, of all people?
He could have gone to the Murim Alliance, but by striking first, he clearly wanted to avoid escalating a resolvable matter.
"What do you want me to do? Wait for an opening and kill him?"
"Come on—if that were the plan, you'd have sensed killing intent."
"Hm..."
"He's still my brother, hate him though I do. I understand, even sympathize a little."
Hwang Bo Woo-jun and Hwang Bo-in, both overshadowed by their grandfather's prestige.
"No need for us to arrange a separate meeting. Short of killing him, the handling is up to you."
Tiger father, dog son applied to both, so Hwang Bo-in could somewhat understand his brother reaching for the forbidden.
"I'll handle the rest myself."
"The price?"
"I'll personally bury the grudge between you and our clan. Plus, I'll give you a Grudge Amnesty Token."
The Grudge Amnesty Token was the greatest authority a single clan could grant.
I swallowed an inward admiration.
'Cunning.'
A goal-oriented yet vague reward, contingent on him becoming patriarch.
"Doesn't seem like something credit alone can settle. Am I wrong?"
"Just an example. I'm not asking for eternal backing, just equivalent compensation."
Finishing his explanation, Hwang Bo-in let out a deep breath.
"What's it to be? If you refuse, I'll find another candidate. They suspect in the Alliance too, even without proof."
"Definitely better than a brother."
Calculating shrewdly, he weighed pros and cons meticulously, with every word laced in computation.
The choice was entirely mine.
"I don't know how you plan to trust me."
Before deciding, I cleared a lingering doubt.
"I told you. We're alike."
Hwang Bo-in's answer held no hesitation.
"To add, time is short. Once he wakes, he'll move immediately. Could be tonight, or tomorrow."
I downed the drink he'd poured in one go.
Thud.
My choice was set.
"I refuse."
Hwang Bo-in chuckled.
"I had a feeling you'd say that."
As if he'd anticipated it.
Before discussing deals or credit, we had no connection whatsoever.
The murim was a living beast—yesterday's enemy could be today's ally, and there was no guarantee tomorrow would mirror today.
"Think it over carefully."
Meaning it wasn't a snap judgment.
Hwang Bo-in, not backing down easily, seemed to have achieved his immediate goal.
For all the elaborate buildup, the focus had been on establishing contact. A weighty visit for such a purpose, but to him, it was that critical.
"Sealed with a handshake?"
"If the intent is there, a handshake is no issue."
Hwang Bo-in stood up promptly.
As if there was no need to linger now that contact was made.
"I'll expect a positive answer next time."
"I won't go far."
Whether I'd meet those expectations was another matter.
But the next morning.
The news from Bi Ju-seong rendered the previous night's agreement moot.
"B-big trouble, brother!"
The righteous murim, preempted, was thrown into uproar.
Hwang Bo Woo-jun was dead.