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5
5.
One
Grand Master Cha Seok-du revealed to the world the justification for the founding of the Saheukryeon. “-Masayodok.
O you who have long been branded with the stigma of disturbing the martial arts world, I wish to ask if your true nature is truly so.
I ask you, who possess the human nature to desire strength but were born of humble status and had nothing, leaving you with no choice but to become a dark sect.
Are you the ones who disturb the martial arts world and shake the world?
Just as humans began to wield swords and cut down their enemies, we too merely hold up Masayodok to protect ourselves.
I would like to ask if it can truly be called ‘justice’ to regard us as chaos simply because the nature of our martial arts is chaotic.
From tomorrow onwards, a ‘new justice’ will also take its place in the martial arts world.
Just because the weapon you have chosen is wicked, I will not judge you yourselves wickedly.
If you have no background, desire to be free, or wish to rise to success solely through your own abilities, come to the Black Alliance.
We do not discriminate against people based on their background, wealth, or connections, like ‘someone’.
I will acknowledge only your own abilities and efforts, and evaluate you based on them.
Even if you are one of those who hated Masayodok, if you wish to set foot in the Black Alliance, I will not judge your past.
The most important proposition pursued by the Black Alliance is just one: ‘freedom’ and the ‘responsibility’ that accompanies it.
I will give you freedom to the extent that you take responsibility.
Come to the Black Alliance anytime!
“The gates of the Black Alliance will not be closed.” As Cha Seok-du’s words spread throughout the land, the martial arts world was in an uproar.
This is not the first time that an attempt has been made to form a Black Alliance in the long history of the Jianghu.
However, poorly formed organizations would often disappear quickly or turn into private groups, causing their influence to shrink.
Even after it was somehow built, it quickly collapsed, unable to overcome internal strife.
However, Cha Seok-du’s Saheukryeon showed itself to be reorganizing its internal affairs in perfect order alongside the opening ceremony, raising hopes among the Black Daoists and concerns among the White Daoists.
In particular, the fact that the first leader, Cha Seok-du, was not the number one in the Black Path martial arts world made me even more certain about the continued existence of the Four Black Alliance.
Are those scoundrels the kind of people who would listen to someone weaker than themselves?
However, a subordinate who follows out of fear of the hawk can strike from behind at any time.
The alliances created by the greatest man of the Black Path collapsed like that.
Therefore, the fact that the organization was formed through a system, rather than through the survival of the fittest which is the essence of the Black Path, came as a surprise to both the Black Path and the White Path.
As a result, the factions of the Black Dao martial arts world, who had been watching the Black Dao Alliance with a wait-and-see attitude, began to rush to Shanxi Province out of impatience that they could not delay any longer.
Of course, the White Path sects could not clap and rejoice at the birth of the Black Alliance.
If the Black Dao sects unite and the scale of the Four Black Alliance grows, it is obvious that they will try to extend their influence throughout the world, just like the Murim Alliance.
For those who were already dreaming of expanding the power of the Four Sects, it was tantamount to the appearance of a new enemy.
As a result, petitions calling for the suppression of the Black Alliance flooded the Murim Alliance.
However, for the Murim Alliance, which has not yet finished the war with the Blood Cult, the subjugation of the Black Alliance is a distant prospect.
Moreover, having just signed a peace treaty with the Dark Alliance to suppress the Blood Cult, he was actually cautious, fearing that the mention of suppressing the Dark Alliance might leak out.
The Murim Alliance’s lukewarm response was conveyed to the various sects as a new message.
Acknowledging the Black Alliance while simultaneously intending to treat them as competitors in the future.
Those with keen insight realized that the power of the Black Alliance was bound to grow, and they decided that they needed to expand the strength of the Four Sects before the Black Alliance could extend its influence.
As a result, the Jianghu was boiling with heat despite the arrival of a cold winter, due to the movements of not only the Black Dao sects rising up in disarray led by the Four Black Alliance, but also the White Dao sects seeking to expand their power as much as possible before the Four Black Alliance could establish itself.#“You’re lucky. To have such an excellent son.”
“…….”
Wang Geum-san bustled about beside Jin Tae-san, whose face was pale from being overwhelmed by the flood of work.
“They say those Black Bandit bastards will open the way for you on their own if you just raise the Daecheon Merchant Guild flag, right? Wow! Just how amazing is that?”
He spoke as if he were envious, but Jin Taesan’s face turned bright red.
“The Daecheon Merchant Guild will no longer need to use a courier service. If the influence of the Saheukryeon grows, what dark sect in the world would dare obstruct the path of the Daecheon Merchant Guild!”
Watching Jin Tae-san, who was concentrating on stamping the documents with trembling hands despite his face turning red as if it were about to explode, Wang Geum-san thought that he was holding back quite well today.
However, Wang Geum-san, having finally found a friend he could open up to and tease for the first time in a long while, was not going to stop there.
“Ah! Did you hear the story? I heard your great son has acquired a new nickname.”
Standing tall.
Even Jin Tae-san, who had been desperately ignoring Wang Geum-san’s story, had no choice but to raise his head when the topic of his son’s nickname came up.
“A nickname?”
How much I have been bothered by the extremely ominous nickname “Black Flame Dragon” all this time.
Just as the nicknames of the Gold, Silver, and Bronze brothers changed from the Black Blood Three Dragons to the Iron Wall Three Dragons, Jin Taesan had hoped that the nickname Black Flame Dragon would also be changed to something else quickly.
Wang Geum-san smiled meaningfully as he looked at Jin Tae-san’s face, which was not exactly innocent but filled with anticipation.
“The thing is…”
Just as Jin Tae-san’s brow was about to furrow at Wang Geum-san, who was needlessly stalling.
It’s the Black Maitreya. The Black Maitreya!
“!”… …
Jin Taesan’s entire face was crumpled hideously like a demon.
He was so shocked that he carelessly dropped his brush, regardless of whether the documents he was reviewing turned black.
Wang Geum-san shook his head in amazement.
“Wow! Isn’t that amazing? To think a disciple of the Taoist Wu Sect would receive the title ‘Maitreya.’”
“No, don’t tease me. There is a limit to jokes!”
Jin Tae-san even stammered, but Wang Geum-san looked incredibly excited.
“You don’t believe it, do you? That’s why I personally checked with the Beggar’s Sect and the Hao Sect as well.”
“……
The Beggar’s Sect and the Hao Sect… …?”
“That’s right. I mean, how such a nickname came about, and what the reason is.”
Wait, you paid that expensive intelligence agency just to verify a single alias?
Don’t be surprised.
Wang Geum-san put on a serious expression, as if he were telling a secret.
Jin Taesan felt as if an indescribable anxiety was sweeping over him… … .
“They say your son uses ‘mind-reading’!”
Damn it, what the hell is this all about?
“They say that whenever your son’s gaze fell upon the vicious bandits of the Black Alliance, those wicked bastards would avert their eyes and bow their heads on their own accord. Isn’t that truly amazing!”
“Hahahahahaha!”
If it weren’t for that last laugh, I would have believed you were genuinely impressed.
Jin Taesan quietly rose from his seat.
Please stop.
His voice lays down eerily.
He may be third-rate, but he is still a martial artist.
Wang Geum-san forcibly suppressed the laughter that was bursting out.
Then, Jin Taesan politely reached out his hand toward the door.
If you have finished teasing me, would you please leave now? I have to get to work.
Jin Taesan speaks as if nothing is wrong.
With the added stiff expression on his already gaunt face, he looks quite scary.
“Um… this is my office, too, you see.”
Then go do some work.
“Ahem, ahem…”
Eventually, Wang Geum-san takes his seat opposite Jin Tae-san.
He, who had been pretending to work while keeping an eye on Jin Taesan, whose blood had risen to the top of his head, cautiously opened his mouth again.
May I ask you a question?
Is it about your son?
Wang Geum-san slowly shook his head.
“No. It’s a different matter.”
Speak.
“Hmm…….”
A moment of silence settled around.
Wang Geum-san’s voice continues.
“How long does the Taeeulmun intend to keep the sect sealed?”
Jin Taesan, who was looking at the documents, turned his head toward Wang Geumsan.
Wang Geum-san wiped the smile from his face and, before he knew it, had turned serious.
“What is the matter?”
“While gathering information about the world through the Beggar’s Sect and the Hao Sect, I also heard about something else. It is the rise of the White Path martial arts sects.”
“I’ve heard rumors that the Black Alliance is staging a show of force to expand their influence until they establish themselves.”
When the Black Alliance was absent, all that was needed was to watch the Murim Alliance.
However, if the Black Alliance appeared and the Black Dao sects also began to flourish, there was a risk that even the influence they had left would diminish.
To prevent this, the White Path sects were moving aggressively to expand their sect’s influence before the Black Alliance could establish a branch.
“There is no one who doesn’t know that the Daecheon Merchant Guild belongs to the Taeeul Sect. Already, groups within Anhui Province are appearing to keep the Daecheon Merchant Guild in check. Before long, the operation of the guild will be brought to a halt.”
I suppose so.
The Iron Sword Sect, the long-standing lords of Hefei, and the Namgung Family, the leader of Anhui Province.
Although they maintain close ties with these two places, it is strictly at the level of cooperation.
It was uncertain whether they would step forward if an actual armed conflict broke out.
Furthermore, as there were many who looked upon the Taeeul Sect’s economic activities with disdain despite being under a seal, the crisis drew ever closer as the Daecheon Merchant Group’s power grew.
Wang Geum-san, observing Jin Tae-san’s expression, brought up the main point.
“Why don’t we start opening the gates? I think Taeeulmun needs to prepare before they reach out to the Daecheon Merchant Guild.”
Of course, this is not a matter that Jin Taesan can decide.
However, Wang Geum-san simply wanted to somehow show the direction Taeeulmun should take in the current situation.
Jin Taesan, who had been lost in thought for a moment, shook his head.
Although Taeeulmun has developed significantly compared to the past, it is not yet at a level where it can open.
I suppose so.
Even if you regain the martial arts of the Four Sages and are making money through the mine, military power is not something that can be built up in a day or two.
Although I am buying elixirs and items helpful for various martial arts with the money coming in from the mine and the Daecheon Merchant Guild, I lacked the ‘absolute time’ to catch up with my competitors.
“As you know, the Wang clan has no enemies in either the white or the black. Therefore, while we may meddle in government affairs, we cannot interfere in the affairs of the Jianghu.”
I know.
Even if that weren’t the case, I have already received so much help from the Wang family that I could never repay it.
Even looking at the current situation, isn’t he worrying about it first as if it were his own business, even though the head of the Wang family is unable to step forward?
However, Jin Taesan had no choice but to shake his head once again.
Even so, we can’t just pick the fruit before the flowers have even bloomed, can we?
The time when flowers bloom and fruits ripen cannot be advanced by human power.
And the Daecheon Merchant Guild absolutely needed time right now.
Well, that’s true.
Wang Geum-san, who had been wearing a serious expression, forced a smile.
“Still, don’t worry too much. If anyone happens to cause trouble for the Taeeul Sect or the Daecheon Merchant Guild, and if all else fails, we can just unleash money in the Ronin Market and overwhelm them with numbers, can’t we?”
The moment Wang Geum-san’s money helps the Daecheon Merchant Group, it is tantamount to the Wang family also getting involved in this power struggle.
It is impossible to even estimate how much loss the Wang family will suffer as a result of this.
Therefore, Jin Taesan will not easily ask Wang Geumsan for help.
Nevertheless, a faint smile formed on Jin Taesan’s lips.
Because I could feel the sincere heart of a ‘friend’ who cared for me and the Taeeulmun more than anyone else.
Jin Taesan bowed respectfully toward his friend.
“Thank you, Lord Wang.”
“Hey! You! Why are you suddenly acting like this between us!”
Wang Geum-san, scratching his cheek as if embarrassed, adds in a confident voice.
“Although I have said this, who would dare covet the Daecheon Merchant Guild?”
“yes?”
Although the Daecheon Merchant Guild grew rapidly, it was not a particularly threatening presence.
The moment Jin Taesan tilted his head in bewilderment.
“Isn’t this the merchant guild run by the sect of the Black Maitreya of the world, Jin So-un…! Unless they were afraid of the Mind-Reading Technique, who would dare target the Great Heaven Merchant Guild….”
Crash
“Th-put that down…!”
Wang Geum-san was terrified at the sight of Jin Tae-san suddenly picking up an inkstone and ran out of the office. “Where did you say you came from?”
The man answered Jin Taesan’s question arrogantly.
“Sura Gate.”
And after glancing at Wang Geum-san sitting next to him for a moment, he added.
I said that.
Sura Gate.
It was a sect founded by Jang Yeong-gi, a lay disciple of Shaolin, who created his own unique martial art, Shura Kwonbeop.
Starting with Jang Yeong-gi, subsequent generations have pursued an independent path based on new martial arts, but recently it has been referred to as the Shaolin Temple’s secular martial arts school and has also served as the Shaolin Temple branch in Anhui Province.
“What brings you here from such a place…?”
As Jin Tae-san trailed off with a bewildered expression, the man immediately got to the point.
I have come to make a proposal.
“Do you mean a proposal?”
“exactly.”
After receiving influence from the Shaolin Temple, Suramun came to occupy a high rank among the 108 peaks.
What on earth could such a formidable sect possibly have come to the Daecheon Merchant Guild for?
Jin Taesan tilted his head for a moment and said.
“Let me hear it first. Please speak.”
The man from Suramun briefly turned his gaze to look at Wanggeumsan.
A clear expression of intent that one does not want outsiders to hear.
Wang Geum-san noticed this and furrowed his brow.
“Ahem… How unpleasant. There must be no one who doesn’t know that I, Wang Geum-san, promised to become sworn brothers and in-laws with Jin Tae-san.”
Jin Taesan wore a bewildered expression.
What is sworn brotherhood, and what is in-law?
“Ahem! You stay still. I’ll do the talking.”
Wang Geum-san did not stop growling, for whatever smell he had caught.
Jin Taesan eventually sent Wang Geumsan outside.
“I’ll make sure to tell you what it’s about later……!”
bang
Jin Taesan struggled to chase Wang Geumsan out of the office.
“sorry.”
“No. I am well aware that the Wang Family Mansion and the Daecheon Merchant Group are close friends.”
“Hmm… Is that so?”
A space where only the two of us remain.
The man of Suramun stared intently at Jintaesan.
Jin Taesan, who had been pretending to be unaffected, was the first to speak.
What was it you wanted to say?
“Do you know that Suramun recently opened a small trading company?”
Key information from Anhui Province is conveyed to Mount Jin Tai every day through Mount Wang Jin.
Although they had known about this news for a while, they did not pay attention to it because it was not a threatening opponent to the Daecheon Merchant Group or the Wang Family, who had already firmly established themselves in Anhui Province.
“Yes. I know.”
Then the story will speed things up.
The man nodded as if pleased and continued speaking.
“I am thinking of expanding the top section of this text a little. This is to be of help to the Shaolin Temple in the future.”
A man who specifically and clearly mentions ‘Shaolin Temple’.
For some reason, Jin Tae-san was bothered, but he silently waited for the man’s next words.
However, the people in this inquiry seem to have absolutely no business acumen, as they are struggling to manage their merchant guild.
So, I came up with another way.
The office where Wang Geum-san disappeared.
The man of Suramun, after glancing around, spat out a remark that was even feigned arrogance.
Suramun wants to buy the Daecheon Merchant Guild.
