2
6
5.
Geumpyo desperately turned his body while stepping on the Taeeulpalmansinbo.
Zzzzzzz.
My clothes were cut off just barely, but I didn’t think I had avoided it.
Because I saw Dong-ryong subtly twist his hand at the end.
“Haa!”
Draw up the Taeeul Jingyeong and unleash the Ssangcheon Sword Technique.
Shhhhhhhh.
Dozens of phantom and real swords dominate the eight directions of the Eastern Dragon and strike.
It would be normal to have to watch my younger sibling being swept away and bleeding in a storm of blades, but instead, blue sword energy surges up, cutting through the storm of blades.
Pow pow!
Dongryong rushes in, folding space through the Twin Heaven Sword Technique that was shattered into pieces by the sword energy.
He deflects the sword energy that Geumpyo is desperately flying with the middle sword held in his left hand and closes the distance to the shortest distance.
Geumpyo frowned.
Damn it, the Heavenly Killer Star! “The talent of the Heavenly Killer Star, having perfectly softened its killing intent, is beyond the reach of an ordinary human.” A phrase I saw in a book stored in the archives comes to mind.
Nevertheless, the older brother’s desire not to lose to his younger sibling often leads him to deny even the truth.
“Haaap!”
With the Taeeul Jingyeong heightened to the extreme, the martial arts robe swells as if about to burst, and ten thousand swords form in the air, targeting the Eastern Dragon’s vital points.
Two ten thousand swords create nearly a hundred illusionary swords, and the Taeul Palman Shinbo confuses the eye with a dozen illusions.
With a blade sharpened over and over again, it will be impossible to distinguish between Hwan and Jin.
Because the Heavenly Killer Star, driven to the extreme, would not have any reason left to distinguish the true form.
but.
Shhhhh!
The talent of the Heavenly Killer Star is not at that level.
Instinctive murderous urge.
Efficiency for the next murder.
A terrible obsession and desire for murder crushes ordinary things.
Like someone seeking water out of endless thirst, like someone desperately trying to breathe underwater while gasping for breath.
The desire to kill overcomes all of that.
Puff puff puff puff!
Far from distinguishing between the illusionary sword and the real sword, Dongryong’s middle sword, which was fired at the shortest distance while parrying it head-on, comes to a sudden halt just before severing Geumpyo’s neck.
“……
Haa, haa, haa.
The coldness of the blade climbs up the thin nape of the neck.
Hehe, bro, I won!
Dong-ryong, having returned to his original foolish younger brother, smiles sweetly and rejoices in his victory.
You idiot, have you forgotten that you’ve been winning consistently recently, not just this time?
Yeah, well done!
When I stroked Dong-ryong’s head, he snuggled even deeper into his older brother’s arms as if he were in a good mood.
Geumpyo is jealous of the opponent’s tremendous talent for a moment, then soon smiles.
Because that person is someone you absolutely cannot hate.
at that time.
Everyone was here.
“Eunho hyung!”
Dongryong ran over and hugged Eunho, who had become a rare sight lately since becoming an executive of the delegation.
Then, he turned his head around to look for someone.
“Where is Senior Brother?”
He left, saying he had something to receive from the Ministry of Communications.
“To the Ministry of Communications?”
Eunho realized about half a year into his life at the academy that ordinary academy students usually had no reason to go to the General Affairs Department.
And around that time, I also realized how great the Mantongbu was, and that most of the students in the academy wanted to join it after graduating.
In that regard, I was amazed at how remarkable the Senior Brother was for constantly coming and going from the Mantong Mansion, but since there had been so many special events lately, I just came to accept it and let it slide.
Otherwise, I don’t think I’ll be able to live through the things Senior Brother goes through on a daily(?) basis with a sound mind.
Geumpyo, who was shaking off the severed hem of his clothes, asked as if he were used to it.
“What’s going on this time?”
“I don’t know. When did Senior Brother ever tell me about things like that one by one?”
Eunho grumbled in disappointment.
On the one hand, I could understand Senior Brother’s feelings.
Because Senior Brother always carries the burden alone.
For themselves and for the future disciples of Taeeulmun, they unhesitatingly walk precariously along a dangerous line.
Even while facing the crisis of falling into an endless quagmire with just one wrong step, they did not once show any irritation toward themselves as priests. ‘It must be because they still don’t trust us.’ Perhaps they do not even get angry because they have no expectations.
“Phew…….”
There is a long way to go.
Before worrying about the Taeeulmun sect and the path he must take, he still has a long way to go just to catch up to his senior brother right now.
Eunho, who had been lost in thought for a moment, suddenly held out the letter as if something had just occurred to him.
“what?”
“This is the end-of-semester evaluation report. It was at the dorm, so I brought it.”
There were many things that happened in between, but all three brothers still prepared diligently for the written exam.
Dong-ryong’s face brightens as he receives the results sheet.
“Wow! Guys, I have two top ratings!”
Let me see, ……
“This is all a test on actual duels. I told you to study tactics and strategy as well. Otherwise, you’ll be at a disadvantage when you get assigned later.”
“Hmph, but the written exam is hard…….”
Eunho yelled angrily.
“What’s so hard about it! You just have to memorize exactly what the instructors pointed out! Honestly, those guys who get a ‘Mu’ rating are practically made of rocks; we told them everything, so how can they get a ‘Mu’?”
“Those kinds of guys are better off just going home. If those blockheads take command, that entire unit will be wiped out.”
Dong-ryong, who had been triumphant just moments ago saying he had defeated Geum-pyo, had his shoulders slumped.
Okay. I’ll work harder.
“Remember this! You’re going to get a turtle head or a Mu (戊) rating.”
Eunho furrowed his brow even more and added.
“I will tell Father to remove anyone in our Lee family from the family register if they receive a ‘Mu’ evaluation.”
Hmph, I get it.
Eventually, Eunho turned his head toward Geumpyo, who had been silent for a while.
“Geumpyo hyung. Say something to him, too.”
“Uh, huh?”
Say something to Dong-ryong.
At Eunho’s urging, Geumpyo stared blankly at the results sheet in his hand, then lifted his head.
“Oh, me? May I tell Dong-ryong something like that, Eun-ho?”
“…….”
With a sense of foreboding, Eunho strode over and snatched the results sheet as if snatching it.
And in that results sheet.
crazy!”……
Mu (戊)
There were as many as three of the letters written there.
A certain Geum-pyo, staring at Lee Eun-ho, said nothing after that. “What did you decide to do with the remaining supplies!”
“For now, we will transfer the supplies to be distributed to the Sacheon branch in advance…….”
“Those bastards are going to dispose of that as residue and apply again. Make sure to close the records in advance so they can’t do that!”
“Um, the injured…….”
“I said to cancel the transport of the wounded!”
“But, the injured want to return to the Meng to receive treatment…….”
“If he wants to come back, tell him to walk back on his own two feet! Do you even know how much a courier’s carriage costs?!”
“Deputy Chief, complaints are pouring in from the warriors currently on the move…….”
I know that the Ministry of Communications is always busy, but today’s atmosphere is quite different.
Should I say it’s just like the chaos of war?
“Well, considering the command gets busier after a war than during it, this atmosphere is only natural. ‘The Chief of Staff intends to take advantage of this atmosphere.’ Wow, he really is a man of great tricks.”
“If I hadn’t lived a second life, I’d be getting ripped off right before my eyes!” “They deliberately invite the other person during their busiest time.” I had heard that this was the most common tactic used by high-debt debtors.
Didn’t someone say that creditors, feeling apologetic about seeing a busy counterpart, get swept up in the atmosphere and end up not even getting the money they are owed?
A short while later, Jegal So-myeong entered, fuming.
“You idiots, I told you, you’re impossible to reason with.”
“Have you come?”
As the person called the Deputy Director approached Jegal So-myeong, he threw the report he was holding onto the ground.
“Rewrite this! I’m telling you to make it persuasive enough to make those elders shut their mouths and nod!”
“I, I’m sorry.”
The moment my eyes were about to meet Jegal Somyeong’s, who was looking around to see if his fever was subsiding.
“And why is the air so stuffy! Ventilate the room!”
That old man. Did he pretend not to see me just now?
“Yes, yes!”
At the stern command of Zhuge Xiaoming, the members of the Mantong Department were startled as if struck by lightning and began to move.
Jegal So-myeong then tries to do something else, but frowns while pretending to have just spotted me.
“You bastard, you’re here… Ah, was it today?”
That sly gentleman.
But I’m not inferior when it comes to dealing with people and power struggles.
I bowed my head politely.
If you are busy, shall I come next time?
“That’s it. It’s going to get busier from now on, so it’s probably better to finish early today.”
Jegal So-myeong roughly closed the door and sat down.
After quickly reading the report in one hand, stamping it, and pushing it to one side, Jegal So-myeong spoke.
I’m busy, so I’d like to get straight to the point and finish this simply.
Yes, I have no intention of interfering either.
“What do you want?”
Jegal So-myeong, who speaks while reading documents without even making eye contact with me.
Up to this point, nothing was different from what So Jeong-dae Hwang Gi-yeong, a former loan shark, had said.
They say that if you show such an intentionally dismissive attitude, the creditor gets overwhelmed by your demeanor and finds it difficult to bring up the topic of money.
I really couldn’t easily voice the things I had been thinking about.
“What I want is…….”
Keep it simple. Don’t add unnecessary details.
Ah, yes.
The good news is that Hwang Ki-young was an expert at debt collection, and I had heard about his past countless times over drinks.
The first step in dealing with such a troublesome debtor is to make them realize exactly how much they owe.
And the best way to make them aware of the debt amount is… … .
“Please allow the Daecheon Merchant Guild to handle the supplies for the Murim Alliance branches in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Jiangxi provinces. Also, I would like to obtain the Blue Dragon Sword from the items in the Golden Jade Treasury.”
It is to demand more money than the amount owed to him.
Standing tall.
Jegal So-myeong, who hadn’t looked at me even once since entering, stares at me blankly.
“Are you out of your mind?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you know what you asked for?”
I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.
Didn’t you tell me to say what I want?
“Haha! Why don’t you just ask for the position of Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance instead?”
“Can you give it to me?”
That’s nonsense!
I, too, have been thinking about a reasonable reward for what I have done.
“The price for what you did?”
If a debtor is asked for an amount greater than what they borrowed, they will voluntarily sit down at the negotiating table.
If I make even the slightest mistake, I’m going to end up having to pay for money I didn’t even spend.
What you did was excellent. However, that is not enough to devour all three castles.
Just like Zhuge Xiaoming now, pushing the report aside and glaring at me.
Then, what do you think is an appropriate amount?
He thought for a moment, then opened his mouth.
“I hear the Daecheon Merchant Guild has expanded its influence into the Cheonmok Mountain area. I will let you handle the supplies for the Hangzhou branch.”
That is not a payment. Even if left alone, they will be able to expand to the Hangzhou branch on their own.
“It is only natural for a member to do the work of the Murim Alliance.”
“To be precise, I’m not a member. I went to the Black Alliance instead of working at the Mantong Department.”
“Even so, you know that it makes no sense to Geum-ok, right?”
The other party will endlessly deny the settlement statement I presented.
“Why is that impossible? Honestly, didn’t even the Commander-in-Chief know that the task assigned to this delegation was impossible?”
“Right. It was impossible, and it ultimately failed. The alliance with the Black Alliance never materialized.”
You must not forget that the Black Alliance gave you an artifact as a token of friendship.
“From the start, they were not something to be treated lightly. They just took this opportunity to offload those useless, underutilized assets.”
“But now that that worthless object has fallen into the hands of the Commander-in-Chief, won’t it become something more valuable than gold of the same weight?”
However, once a high line is drawn, the negotiator takes that high line as the standard.
And then, you must strike at the opponent’s intention in an instant.
“To be honest, aren’t you also planning to use that ‘chicken rib’ to manipulate the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans?”
Jegal So-myeong looked at me with a complex gaze.
A look that said, “How on earth did you know that?”
You can tell just by the fact that they didn’t mention the item returning to the Murim Alliance right away.
Are you threatening me?
You should drive the other person where you want them to be, but you must not hurt their feelings.
I shook my head politely.
“That is impossible. I merely expect a fair reward for the achievements I have made.”
That is the duty naturally expected of a martial artist in the martial arts world.
Furthermore, it logically imprints the potential harm the other party may have suffered.
That would be the case for an ordinary matter, but isn’t it different for such a major issue?
“A different situation?”
“Yes. Ordinarily, if a martial artist had been dispatched to the Dark Alliance, all they would have done was either die or escape and report the incident to the Murim Alliance. A war between the Dark Alliance and the Murim Alliance was inevitable afterward, and a war that broke out while the Blood Cult was not properly dealt with would surely have inflicted a serious and critical blow on the Murim Alliance.”
If a high line is drawn, continue the defense as much as possible.
Until the thought that that large sum ‘might be reasonable’ is engraved in the other party’s mind.
“If that had happened, countless warriors of the Murim Alliance would have died, and eventually, the Alliance would have crumbled and vanished without a trace.”
“Nonsense! In the Martial Arts Alliance’s five hundred-year history, have things like this only happened once or twice?”
“Of course, I am just saying this as an example. Anyway, if I, having accomplished such a great feat, do not receive a fitting reward.……”
If I add justification to this, the tide will tilt completely in my favor.
“Would the other members be willing to lay bare their bones for the Murim Alliance?”
Jegal So-myeong hesitated for a moment before speaking.
“Your schedule for this will not be disclosed to the outside anyway.”
“Of course I know. However, if a fair price is not paid, all the members will pursue only their own interests.”
And if it seems that the impression that ‘that high threshold is not such an unreasonable amount’ has been imprinted in the other person’s mind.
You should wait patiently without rushing the other person any further.
Until the other person opens their mouth first.
I will give you the Biryongpo located in the Eunokbogo, along with the distribution rights for the Zhejiang Province branches.
They’ve almost made it over.
I hid the corners of my mouth that were slowly trying to curl up.
The Biryongpo is an excellent piece of equipment suitable for both offense and defense.
However, having it right now doesn’t mean you’ll have any use for it.
However, you must not reveal this at face value. You must use it as a tool to gain the upper hand over your opponent, no matter what.
I stepped back, making Zhuge Xiaoming feel that he had been ‘conceded’.
As I mentioned earlier, our Daecheon Merchant Group, which is cooperating with the Wang Clan, will expand into Zhejiang Province on its own anyway. In addition to that, please grant us the distribution rights for Jiangsu Province. In return, we will accept the goods from the Murim Treasury.
“A look at the martial arts world?”
“Yes. I will take the Geumgangpae from the items there.”
Warriors who have not experienced war do not know the usefulness of a shield.
They also consider carrying a shield itself shameful.
That is why the formidable artifact known as the Golden Bell is stuck in the Murim Treasury, which is one level below the Silver Jade Treasury.
At my suddenly lowered standards, wrinkles form between Jegal So-myeong’s eyebrows.
“Are you talking about a shield?”
“yes.”
Since they mentioned gold and jade at first, naturally, one couldn’t help but be puzzled.
“What do you intend to use the shield for?”
Although it is practically useless now, the warrior who possessed this Diamond Badge lived the longest during the war.
I deliberately spoke as if it were no big deal.
“Isn’t it a solid塊 of steel? If we melt it down and make swords, how many would we get?”
I can feel Zhuge Xiaoming staring intently at me and racking his brains.
In that little head of his, he must be constantly weighing his own interests against mine.
It is clear that if they think they have gained an advantage, they will accept it, but if they think they are suffering a loss, they will refuse by citing other reasons.
Shall we drive the nail in the coffin one more time here?
If you do not like that, I want the Blue Dragon Sword of the ‘Geumokbogo’ as I mentioned at the beginning.
It was said that obstructing the other party’s decision is also an excellent negotiation skill for a creditor.
Sure enough, just as Hwang Gi-yeong had said, the debtor nodded, thinking he had gained a benefit.
“Fine. I’ll accept it.”
Thank you, dear customer.
Ah, I was so excited that I didn’t even realize it…
“Ho-gaeng? What does that mean?”
“Ah! I heard it refers to a distinguished person with great courage and firm resolve.”
Is that so?
Jegal So-myeong nodded as if he were deliberately pleased with the title.
Come to think of it, there’s no way he would know the words used by back-alley loan sharks.
That was a close call, phew.
