Chapter 1456
That’s not just a small number. (1)
“Young Master, what should we do now…?”
At the head executive’s question, Jo Ung couldn’t easily provide an answer. It had been several days since Sapaeryeon entered Chengdu and the Tang clan’s estate burned down. Yet, they had not come up with any plans and were just keeping a low profile within the merchant guild.
“What’s the situation?”
Jo Ung asked.
The executive responded with a frightened expression.
“The number of people who appear to be from the Evil Sects is increasing.”
“What do you mean by Evil Sects? Are they from groups like Haomun or Surochae?”
“I’m sorry… We can’t get a detailed look outside, so we don’t know that much…”
“…I see.”
Jo Ung sighed softly.
It couldn’t be Maninbang. If they had returned from pursuing the Tang clan, Chengdu wouldn’t be so quiet. It was likely that minor Evil Sects from the nearby regions of Gangnam were taking advantage of the situation or other sects from Sapaeryeon had arrived.
Either way, it was a dire situation for Four Seas merchant guild.
“Young Master… What do we do now?”
When Jo Ung turned around at the question, he saw all the household members trembling with anxious eyes.
Of course, they were worried. With Qingcheng and Emei annihilated and the Tang clan on the run, they had no safe haven left in Sichuan.
All they could do now was fervently hope that Sapaeryeon, who had seized control of Sichuan, wouldn’t target their lives. That was all they could do.
‘How futile.’
What use were the warehouses overflowing with grain and wealth? What did it matter if their reputation resonated throughout Sichuan?
In the face of swords and blades of the martial artists, all of that was meaningless. Jo Ung quietly closed his eyes.
‘At least… it’s fortunate that Father is away on a business trip.’
His father and the core leaders of the merchant guild were currently out on a trading mission near Maehwado to secure supplies. Even if those here were taken hostage, it wouldn’t severely impact the continuation of Four Seas merchant guild’s name.
So, in the worst case…
As Jo Ung hardened his heart with this cold determination, the executive hesitantly asked.
“Y-Young Master. Could it be…?”
“What is it?”
“Is there… anyone coming to save us?”
“…”
“I mean, even if it’s not for Four Seas merchant guild, wouldn’t Gupailbang act after seeing what happened to Qingcheng and Emei? Wouldn’t they come here to drive them out?”
“That would be ideal. However…”
Jo Ung slowly shook his head.
“It won’t be so easy for them to come here.”
“What? Why…?”
Jo Ung didn’t elaborate. There was no point in speaking further, as it would only burden everyone’s hearts.
If even one of the sects, Qingcheng or Emei, were still fighting fiercely against Sapaeryeon, Gupailbang would surely have dispatched their forces. But there was nothing left in Sichuan. Even the Tang clan had been burned to the ground.
Would the pragmatic Gupailbang risk a war, knowing they had nothing to gain, to reclaim a leaderless territory? Would they value Sichuan that much?
Probably not.
“Hoping is fine, but don’t expect too much. You’ll only end up more disappointed.”
“Are you saying Gupailbang won’t come?”
“Yes.”
“That can’t be…”
The executive’s face darkened considerably. Yet, he couldn’t give up easily and asked urgently.
“Then, what about Cheonumaeng?”
“…”
“Will Cheonumaeng not come either?”
Jo Ung remained silent for a moment, gazing into the distant sky. The head executive, unable to grasp his sentiment, continued in a desperate voice.
“Even though we are not formally part of Cheonumaeng… we have had dealings with them through the Yunnan tea trade, haven’t we? Moreover, from what I know, Young Master Jo Geol’s sect, Hwasan, is essentially leading the Alliance…”
“…”
“Isn’t this the home of Young Master Jo Geol? Could they really just abandon us…”
“Geol is merely a third-generation disciple of Hwasan,”
Jo Ung cut him off decisively, his tone almost chilling.
“No matter how grandly Geol is known as one of the Five Swords of Hwasan, since when does a third-generation disciple have a say in such significant matters?”
“Well, that may be true, but…”
“Even if it were possible, Geol is not a foolish child. Though he can be a bit hasty, he’s always quicker to calculate things than I am. He knows better than anyone that throwing a tantrum won’t resolve this situation.”
Jo Ung finished speaking and slowly turned around to look at those remaining in the merchant guild. There were fewer than thirty of them. This led him to question:
If his father had stayed here, if the core leaders of the guild were here, would Cheonumaeng have made an effort to save them?
Jo Ung shook his head.
‘Of course not.’
Even if all members of Four Seas were present, who would dare confront Sapaeryeon just to save one small merchant guild?
Such thoughts were nothing but futile longing.
“We must harden our resolve.”
“Yes, Young Master,”
the head executive replied. But Jo Ung’s words were not only directed at him – they were also a reminder to himself.
‘I must protect them.’
He was likely to face severe hardships.
Thankfully, Jang Ilso had lost interest in them, but it was obvious that Sapaeryeon’s demons would not harbor good feelings towards Four Seas merchant guild. Even without considering Jo Geol, it was clear how they would treat a merchant guild that had been under Sichuan Tang Clan.
Jo Ung braced himself with the grim resolve that this would be like chewing on mud, yet he had to endure. Eventually, the dark clouds would pass.
With a deep sigh, Jo Ung spoke.
“You must keep the household staff under strict control. The outside is still very dangerous, judging by the commotion.”
“Commotion? I haven’t heard a peep outside,”
the head executive replied.
“What?”
“Isn’t that so? With those Sapa bastards roaming around with bloodshot eyes, who would dare make any noise?”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
Jo Ung tilted his head in confusion.
“Then am I the only one hearing this noise?”
“What? What do you mean by that?”
“No, listen closely. Doesn’t it sound like there’s some commotion outside? It’s been going on for a while now.”
“Ah, now that you mention it…”
The executive squinted his eyes, straining to hear. It was true. What had been an eerily quiet exterior now had a faint hum of activity. The sound was distant, making it difficult to discern exactly what it was, but it conveyed a sense of urgency and hustle.
“It seems like something is happening.”
“Could it be that Gupailbang are coming to our aid…?”
At those words, Jo Ung frowned.
“I told you that’s not possible.”
“…I apologize.”
Receiving the apology, clearly laden with disappointment, Jo Ung let out a long sigh. It seemed that Evil Sects were fighting among themselves. With the tiger absent, it wasn’t surprising that the dogs would squabble.
“We need to check it out.”
“It’s dangerous, Young Master. Please, for now, just…”
“If they’re looting while Maninbang is away, we can’t just sit idly by.”
The head executive fell silent. It was hard to argue with that.
Jo Ung bit his lip slightly and headed toward the main gate. Carefully pushing aside the temporary wooden panel that replaced the shattered gate, he squeezed through and cautiously peered out into the street.
With his eyes narrowed as much as possible, he focused on the source of the noise.
‘What’s happening?’
If it was just a scuffle between the Evil Sects, that would be fortunate. But if it was looting, he would need to get everyone into the underground warehouse and lock the door…
“Huh?”
As Jo Ung was considering various contingencies, his eyes suddenly widened. Up ahead… there…
“What…?”
And then his eyes opened even wider, as if they would tear.
“What the…!”
What on earth was happening?
❀ ❀ ❀
Do Hangok [도한곡(都寒谷)] was extremely dissatisfied with his current situation.
‘Damn it.’
Of course, he understood.
Chengdu was vast. And until just a few days ago, it was under the influence of the Five Great Families and the Nine Great Sects.
Even if they had fully occupied Chengdu, they hadn’t yet tightened the noose around everyone’s necks. If they completely withdrew after the occupation, the residents would try to flee like escaping livestock. To prevent that, it was essential to have forces guarding Chengdu.
Most of the surveillance troops were already drawn from the Black Dao Hall [흑도방 – heugdobang] assembled in Guizhou…
‘That’s the bigger problem.’
No matter how much you try to tame them, Sapa is Sapa. These damned bastards can’t control their nature if you let them loose even for a moment.
Like gamblers running back to the gambling den even though they know they’ll ruin themselves, these guys know that laying a hand on commoners could mean death. Yet, the moment something goes wrong, they start swinging their swords recklessly.
To control them, someone needed to stay behind. The problem was why Do Hangok himself was among those left behind.
Usually, he wouldn’t have been so resentful. However, after tasting blood in the attacks on Qingcheng and Emei, being stuck in a situation where he had to monitor and control others didn’t sit well with him.
‘Half of them would have been enough.’
There were over five hundred members of the Black Dao Hall summoned from the Guizhou area alone. Was it really necessary to have a full unit from Maninbang remain as well?
‘Damn it… All because I am stuck with an incompetent Daeju.’
The Yan Wang* Unit [염왕대(閻王臺) – yeom-wang-dae] of Maninbang, which Do Hangok belonged to, was by no means inferior to the other units. The only issue was that their Daeju lacked the reputation compared to the Daejus of the other units. This small difference had relegated him to the role of a guard dog, and it made his insides churn.
“Ptui.”
Do Hangok spat angrily and lifted his head.
He was currently standing at the massive city gate leading into Chengdu. A group was approaching the gate. There were barely ten of them? No, perhaps a few more. They were all wearing thick cloaks that covered them from head to toe, suggesting they had traveled a great distance.
What irritated him was that despite clearly seeing Do Hangok, they showed no sign of hurrying. They were arriving later than expected, yet they moved leisurely.
‘These wretched maggots…’
Though he himself was part of the Evil Sects, the sight of such wild dogs among their ranks made his insides turn.
Eyes glinting with murderous intent, Do Hangok grasped the handle of his sword at his waist. He was ready to use any excuse to draw their blood as an example if they so much as did anything to provoke him.
“You there.”
“Y-Yes?”
The group, about to pass through the gate, halted at Do Hangok’s call.
“Which Hall are you with?”
“…What?”
“Which Hall are you with that you’re showing up with just a measly group of ten?”
“Ah…”
The guy at the front of the group stammered and couldn’t answer properly. Do Hangok tightened the grip on his sword. He was about to decapitate one of them when…
“Affiliation, uh… Hwasan?”
“What…?”
Do Hangok found himself momentarily dumbfounded. Did he just say…?
“Oh, and Namgung, Beast Palace… Ice Palace.”
Do Hangok’s face turned a deep shade of purple with rage.
“You, you damn bastard, are you mocking me…?”
But he never got to finish his sentence. A sudden flash of lightning struck his neck, splitting it cleanly.
“Grrrk…”
Do Hangok’s eyes filled with disbelief. But as he saw the face of the one who had struck him, his disbelief turned to shock and terror.
“Oh, I forgot to mention the Tang clan.”
The person at the front, laughing, pulled back his hood.
“It’s about ten of us, yes, but that’s not just a small number. It might be even too much.”
Thud.
Do Hangok’s body collapsed to the ground, growing cold.
“Too bad. He should’ve stayed alive to hear more.”
There were still many introductions to make.
Chung Myung stepped over the fallen Do Hangok and walked toward the now wide-open gates of Chengdu.
“Well, I guess it will be alright. There are still plenty of people left to recognize me. So, shall we…?”
His lips curled into a crooked smile.
“Shall we run wild?”
At his words, the ones behind him threw off their cloaks. As the cloaks fluttered to the ground, they stepped into Chengdu.
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