#1
6
5.
It was partly because I was not feeling well, but also to attend the joint funeral of the Yujang Sect Leader and the disciples who died in this war.
The funeral was held modestly, and Yoo Jang-moon tried to return to his daily life as quickly as possible.
Representative Jin.
The chief mourner for the past three days
Jang Woo-jae, who hadn’t slept a wink, came over to me, overcoming his fatigue.
Thank you for your hard work.
You’re welcome. Are you feeling a bit better?
Apart from the funeral proceedings, I rented a room and devoted myself to recovery for three days straight.
Thanks to that, my emaciated body was gradually returning to its normal state, and my fatigue was also recovering.
It has improved a lot.
“you’re welcome.”
We were very worried that you might have been emotionally or physically distressed because of us.
As he said, I received excellent hospitality at Yujangmun for the past three days.
Meat dishes were continuously brought into the room for three meals a day, and hot water was prepared every night, allowing me to relieve fatigue even faster.
Thank you for your hard work, Yoo Jang-moon.
“……
I.”
Jang Woo-jae hesitated.
Do you have something to say?
At my question, Jang Woo-jae scratched his head awkwardly.
“Um… I know it’s late, but would you allow me to join the delegation?”
Currently, more than half of the executive positions in the student council are vacant.
They didn’t stop anyone from coming in, but no one wanted to come in.
“Will you be okay with that? If you come in, others probably won’t look at you favorably.”
When I actually expressed my concern, Jang Woo-jae quickly grabbed my hand.
Thank you. I was worried that you might not accept it out of spite.
“……?”
“My father’s last words were that I should no longer rely on anyone but move forward on my own. Furthermore, I wanted to repay, even just a little, the kindness I received from Representative Jin.”
Jang Woo-jae is the one currently standing at the center of the external forces of the Murim Academy.
If he joins, it is practically the same as one of the forces I failed to win over joining me.
I had no reason to refuse.
“I’d be happy if you did that…”
Thank you. Thank you.
Jang Woo-jae kept bowing his head before I could even finish speaking.
Rather, we should be the ones expressing gratitude… After the Mukhyeolbang was defeated in the ‘Duel of the Martial Arts,’ for some reason, no more reckless wars by the Black Daoists occurred in Akyang.
Threats to the extent of urging surrender and restricting the sealing of gates continued, but on the contrary, the White Path sects also united as one and resisted the persecution by the Black Path.
In addition to that, the influence of the warriors from the Murim Alliance was also significant.
After they arrived, those committing indiscriminate murders disappeared.
That’s just your opinion.
“yes?”
Dang Hyeok-jae said as he drank the tea he had brewed himself.
“They committed this knowing from the start that the Murim Alliance wouldn’t move. Do you think they would stop even if reinforcements came from the Murim Alliance?”
Then what is the reason?
For some reason, Dang Hyeok-jae’s unpleasant gaze sticks to my face like taffy.
“Well, I suppose he doesn’t want to upset the Black Dao Alliance’s Joint Master.”
I couldn’t control my facial expression.
“Damn it, who on earth is going around spreading such ridiculous rumors?”
“Anyway, it is certain that the move you showed at the Mukhyeolbang left a deep impression on them. Thanks to that, the number of ruthless murderers has decreased.”
The results are good, so I can’t really say anything.
Sigh.
“But did you really master the Demon Sword’s martial arts?”
Well, it just happened that way.
“Hmph… A rumor even scarier than the one about the Black Dao Alliance’s joint successor is going to circulate.”
“Wasn’t the Demon Lord a figure between righteousness and evil from the very beginning?”
“You said it’s the martial art you stole from that Demon Lord?”
“…….”
Surely there aren’t any people who believe such a ridiculous rumor.
“Rumors about your relationship with the Sword Demon are continuing to spread throughout Chang’an. Among them is a rumor that you are the Sword Demon’s hidden son.”
I was just going to head back to the academy, but I should stop by Haomun to commission a task.
“…
Crunch.
If I don’t quell this ridiculous rumor, I feel like I’m going to suffer from Qi deviation, which didn’t even occur during strenuous training.
“Ahem, anyway, I guess I can just pack my bags again, right?”
I tilted my head to the side as I watched Dang Hyeok-jae clear his throat and speak as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Haven’t you already unpacked all your luggage?
The gentleman who was convinced I would die at the hands of Geom-ak is now asking if it is alright for me to pack my bags again.
I am dumbfounded and speechless.
“Fortunately, Buak stepped forward instead of Geomak, didn’t he? As long as the result is good, all is good. And!”
Dang Hyeok-jae suddenly raised his voice.
“And! Didn’t I go to such lengths to bring the family’s physician all the way from the merchants!”
“Do you realize how severe a warning I received from the Party family because of this incident? I can set aside my activities as the Akyang branch manager, but bringing in a doctor from Changsha could be seen as the Party family’s determination to join this war, couldn’t it?”
So, didn’t you not say a single word to the party council member?
Ahem, there are reasons I can’t fully explain…
I shook my head.
In any case, this incident has made me think that I need to give serious thought to investment funds. With such a lack of trust toward investors, I really don’t feel like investing anymore.
“Ahem!”
Dang Hyeok-jae cleared his throat a few times as if uncomfortable, then took a bundle from one side and placed it on the table.
“What is this?”
Try to solve it. I have prepared a gift for you to celebrate our contract.
When I opened the bundle, there were about twenty copper-colored flower bud-like things inside.
“This is…….”
It’s the Cheonmo Hwatong, an improved version of the Baekmo Hwatong.
Ten times more feathers than the real previous work
Is it contained?
“No, that’s not the case. The numbers have increased by about two-tenths, but the structure is the same.”
But why is it called Cheonmo Hwatong?
“Wasn’t the Baekmohwatong designated as a Golden Dragon Secret Weapon by the Tang family?”
Do you think the people of the Tang family will think it is a different item just because you change the color and name?
A Dang family person’s eyes aren’t knot holes.
“The main reason the clan designated my secret weapon as the Golden Dragon Secret Weapon in the first place was the high manufacturing cost. They probably won’t mind.”
Dang Hyeok-jae speaking confidently.
He is not trustworthy at all. If the party family says anything, I suppose I can just hand over Dang Hyeok-jae.
Anyway, seeing the white-haired flower tube again after a long time brings back fond memories.
With this, the record of saving Namgung Seonhwa amidst hundreds of enemies comes back to me vividly…
“for a moment…….”
I looked at Dang Hyeok-jae and asked.
“If you had given it to me before the battle with Mukhyeolbang, wouldn’t it have been useful?”
“If I had been there then, of course I would have given it to you.”
“Surely you didn’t start making it after the work was all finished, did you?”
No wonder the nobleman leading such a leisurely life as a branch manager had bloodshot eyes and sagging eyelids.
Was he trying to take back his slip of the tongue?
“Seriously… you thought I was going to die at Geomak.”
Dang Hyeok-jae avoided my gaze and gulped down the empty teacup.
– Inhale.
Slurp-.
Hey gentleman, your teacup has been empty for a while. Why are you making sounds with your mouth?
Dang Hyeok-jae glanced slightly at me to gauge my mood, then looked at me and spoke as if nothing were wrong.
“Isn’t that all in the past…?”
This guy is unbelievable!!#If I had to pick the ultimate winner of the incident that occurred in Akyang this time, I would have chosen Haomun, not Mukhyeolbang or Heukbugung.
As the leader and deputy leader of the Mukhyeolbang disappeared simultaneously, a power struggle began among the leaders of each sect, and the Mukhyeolbang suffered internal turmoil.
In the meantime, Haomun occupied the shops owned by Mukhyeolbang to escape their influence, and furthermore, was able to seize the assets of the Baekdo sect members who had fled from Akyang at night.
This was possible because most of the people working in the store they owned were Haomundo.
Furthermore, the person who was blackmailed by Haomun through debt was designated as the successor to the Akyang branch manager position.
He would neglect his duties because he liked gambling, but that is precisely why he was an excellent hand to manipulate from Haomun’s perspective.
All of this is thanks to Young Master Jin.
“You’re welcome. If it weren’t for you, Haeryeong, I wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.”
We received much more in additional funds than we expected. How about taking this opportunity to expand into Akyang?
“Advancing to Akyang?”
Akyang is too far from Taeeulmun.
To begin with, it was not a distance where influence could easily reach, nor was Taeeulmun itself a powerful sect capable of influencing the world.
It seems premature for Taeeulmun to expand.
Haeryeong nodded with a smile as if she knew.
“Of course. But wouldn’t it be entirely possible for the Daecheon Merchant Group?”
“Daecheon Merchant Guild?”
“Yes. The basics of commerce are to buy cheap goods from one province and sell them at a high price in another to make a profit. Once a trading company is established, the first thing it does is set up branches.”
“Oh, so the Daecheon Merchant Guild has already established itself like that?”
I had heard that my father took over the Changgung Merchant Group and changed its name to the Daecheon Merchant Group.
However, I didn’t think it would be easy to establish myself in such a short time.
It seems your father has excellent business acumen.
Did he become like a fish in water because he had lived a lifetime of sorrow as the penniless head of an outer clan?
Anyway, hearing that my father is working happily was the most satisfying thing I could have heard as a child.
That’s a good story.
If you give us a heads-up, we will take care of the rest.
Your father will like that.
My nose stings at the thought of my father, who will be overcome with emotion and shed tears upon receiving this letter.
Doing the filial piety I couldn’t do in the past again like this makes me feel much more at ease.
It is only natural to reciprocate a gift received.
A major war will break out in Sacheon in the future. I think it would be wise to make some preparations for it.
“In Sacheon?”
“yes.”
“hmm…….”
They are not the most dangerous beings, but they are those who will cause just as much chaos.
“The Murim Alliance is already taking an interest in Sichuan. Should even the Murim Alliance be afraid?”
I shook my head.
Internal problems are likely a greater cause of the confusion than external ones.
Even though I only said that much, Haeryeong nodded as if she understood.
Since we receive help like this every time, I’m not sure if we are treating you like a true guest.
You are doing a great job.
Now that the general outline is finished, it is time to get to the main point.
I spoke in a serious voice, unlike before.
I have a favor to ask.
Haeryeong, who had been smiling, hardened her face coldly.
“What is the matter?”
I forced my lips apart, which wouldn’t budge, and spoke.
“The rumor circulating about me being a joint successor of the Black Dao Alliance… please do something about that rumor.”
“Ah, and the rumor that I am the Demon Lord’s hidden child. My father is definitely the one who uses the titles Jin, Tae, and San. You can tell just by looking at his face.”
Even though he spoke with utmost seriousness, Haeryeong’s face somehow looked as if she had been punched.
It’s a really, really important matter! Jang Do-won and his granddaughter Seol-yeon decided to settle their assets and move to Taeeulmun as soon as the shop in Akyang was closed.
Dang Hyeok-jae decided to continue his term and move along with Jang Do-won when the latter was relocating.
He said he absolutely couldn’t bring himself to go to Hefei alone.
As for me, I didn’t care much because there was a lot to prepare before Jang Do-won and Dang Hyeok-jae came to Taeeulmun.
“Phew… It’s the Murim Academy.”
Seongmoran lets out a long sigh as if feeling regretful.
I comforted her.
Are you disappointed? We can just visit again during the winter break. What are you worried about?
Seongmoran suddenly frowns.
“What do you mean by that!”
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers also shake their heads as if they are fed up.
“Senior Brother. If you are going to Akyang, rather than follow you, I will devote myself to training at the academy during this winter break.”
“Brother, come to think of it, it seems we need someone who should remain at the academy as part of the representative leadership.”
Why? I wore fancy clothes in Akyang, ate delicious food, and even rented the biggest boat to play in the water. Hong Sa-ryeon’s eyes blazed as if she had read my mind, wondering, “What’s the problem?”
Don’t you think everything else is a problem?
When even she grumbled, I kept my mouth shut tight.
What’s wrong with a martial artist getting involved in an incident?
And so, straight through the inside of the student center
– He looked around, sensed something was off, and tilted his head.
Isn’t that strange?
What is it?
It seems like there aren’t many people around.
The break is coming to an end, and now it is just before the semester starts again.
It is normal for the inside of the school building to be bustling with students preparing for the new semester.
However, only half the usual number of students was visible.
Then, a voice is heard.
It is because of the event of the Nine Great Sects.
The one who answered was Cheol-sun-jik, who was walking along the road.
Together with Nam Hwa-seong and the other figures of the 12 Peaks, he continued speaking with a triumphant expression.
“Did you perhaps not get permission from the CEO?”
“event?”
The Elder Council set out on a field trip with members of the Nine Great Sects, claiming to be holding an event for the latter-year disciples.
I asked back indifferently.
Where did they say they went?
I didn’t expect to get my permission for this event anyway.
It is Sacheon.
However, I unwittingly lost my composure at the answer I heard.
So that is how it ended up. I had a rough idea it would turn out this way when we met in Akyang, but I never expected it to move this quickly.
That must be inconvenient for you.
“What do you mean?”
Didn’t you walk out of the student center event without listening to the representative?
It certainly wouldn’t have been the students’ decision alone. If the Council of Elders had taken them out, what justification would the students have had to refuse?
The problem is that the members of the Council of Elders drove their own disciples into a deadly situation.
Anyway, thanks for the information.
Leaving Cheol-sun-jik, whose face was hardening, behind, I looked for the dormitory.
I prepared a gift so that Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seolran, who could not go to Akyang together due to supplementary classes, would not feel disappointed.
However, Dongryong and Saren, who had gone to look for Moyong Jaehwa and Eun Seolran, returned alone.
“Huh? Where are the kids?”
“I heard Jaehwa hyung left?”
“huh?”
It’s the same for Seol-ran.
“Where would the kids go?”
Dongryong answered.
“They say he was forcibly mobilized for an event organized by the Nine Great Sects.”
“uh?”
Damn it, what kind of nonsense is this?
“They say it’s the same for Seol-ran. They say the Nine Great Sects forced those without affiliations to participate.”
These crazy guys are crossing the line.
