Chapter 1464
Is that what we saw? (4)
“In cold terms, it’s hard to say we made a significant gain, but we did achieve our primary objective.”
“Hehehe.”
“However, the situation remains tough. Of course, we haven’t inflicted substantial damage on their forces.”
“Ahihihi!”
“So, what’s crucial now is to quickly-“
“Hehehehehe!”
“Oh, for goodness’ sake!”
Im Sobyeong rarely lost his temper, but this time he did so sincerely.
“Are treasures really that important right now?”
“What?”
“What did you say?”
The sudden retort made Im Sobyeong flinch. But what truly made him recoil was not Chung Myung, who was glaring with wild eyes from atop the pile of treasures. It was Tang Gunak, who was intensely pulling the cart laden with riches and glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.
“Wait, why are you-“
“Just treasures?…”
“I didn’t say ‘just’…”
Tang Gunak’s hand twitched. Chung Myung spoke nonchalantly.
“Leave him be. What would a Sapa bastard know?”
“True enough. I understand.”
“…Filthy Just Sect bastards.”
The weight of a stigma is truly terrifying.
“And it’s not just about the treasures. The fact is, we’re short on military funds.”
“Do you really think a few carts will solve that?”
“Tch, aiming for a big score like that is why they live their whole lives as bandits. Evil Sect bastards…”
“Grrr…”
Im Sobyeong, with a face twisted in anger, started clawing at his own neck. Maeng So approached and patted his shoulder.
“Khhh…”
Tears welled up in Im Sobyeong’s eyes.
“Stay strong.”
“Indeed… as someone from the borderlands, you understand the feeling of being looked down upon.”
“Hmm? I am from the borderlands, but I’m not part of the Evil Sect. It’s best not to associate with those types at all.”
“…”
“I just felt bad for you because you seemed so pitiful.”
…Damn barbarians. Im Sobyeong, struggling to compose himself, cleared his throat and turned to Chung Myung, shouting.
“Alright, now get down from there!”
“Oh, fine.”
Chung Myung grumbled as he leaped down from the cart. Even then, he glanced longingly at the riches loaded on it and smacked his lips.
“Aren’t you wealthy? Why are you so attached to that?”
“Wealthy? What are you talking about? Hwasan has money, not me.”
“Hmm? What about all that money you squirreled away from the Maehwado trade…?”
In an instant, a terrifying killing intent was directed at Im Sobyeong. Chung Myung, with a bright smile, asked.
“Hmm? Money? What are you talking about?”
Sweat started to pour down Im Sobyeong’s face.
“Th-that… Nothing. I must have been mistaken.”
“Hahaha. Right? Despite how I look, I’m actually a humble Taoist. Would I hide money? Hahaha!”
Those watching couldn’t help but laugh heartily.
‘He definitely pocketed some.’
‘He took a lot.’
‘How much did that crazy bastard embezzle?’
‘I’ll have to tell the Sect Leader.’
Chung Myung awkwardly looked around after patting Im Sobyeong’s shoulder.
“So, what are we going to do now?”
“That’s the question. What will you do now?”
“Huh?”
“You’re the General. You need to give us orders. This isn’t like the old days where you could just sit back and laugh.”
“Tsk, what a hassle…”
Chung Myung glanced at everyone and began to speak.
“First, we…”
Everyone watched him intently, holding their breath.
“…need to go to Shaanxi.”
“Phew.”
“Haa…”
Sighs of relief echoed around. While it was the obvious course of action, given that the one giving orders was not a conventional individual, they had been worried he might suggest something outlandish.
“What? Did you think I’d suggest going to cut off Jang Ilso’s head right away?”
“…Honestly, we couldn’t say no.”
“Do I really seem that crazy to you?”
“Yes.”
“Indeed.”
“Yep.”
“Ugh…”
Chung Myung’s face twisted in irritation, but the others remained unfazed. After all, they weren’t making things up.
“I’m seriously considering it.”
As Chung Myung muttered, everyone averted their gaze. They didn’t want to provoke him further. Chung Myung sighed.
“Of course, while I do have a strong desire to decapitate Jang Ilso right at this moment, it’s not the time yet.”
“That’s a wise decision.”
Tang Gunak nodded deeply. What they needed now was not profit, but stability.
“But, well… we’re not just going to go straight there.”
“Oh no, what now…”
“No, we need to prepare for what we’ll do when we get there.”
Chung Myung grinned.
“First of all, uh… Lord Tang.”
“Speak.”
“I think we need to call the Beggars Sect.”
Everyone looked at Chung Myung with puzzled eyes.
“Hasn’t the Beggars Sect already seen enough of the situation and left?”
They had encountered beggars from the Beggars Sect several times on their way here. Even though Sapaeryeon had occupied Sichuan, it wasn’t as if they could immediately drive out all the beggars.
“Wasn’t the whole point of you sitting exaggeratedly on that pile of treasures to show off to the Beggars Sect?”
“That’s… yes, that’s exactly right! Haha, you understand well.”
A brief, awkward silence fell. As Tang Gunak’s eyes began to narrow, Chung Myung quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway! That’s not enough. This time, those guys absolutely won’t spread the word about our achievements.”
“Why not?”
“The Abbot will be screaming to stop them.”
“Hmm…”
Had it been just ten days earlier, Tang Gunak might have questioned whether Beop Jong would go to such lengths. But now, he refrained from voicing such doubts. The relationship between Cheonumaeng and Gupailbang had become irreparably damaged.
“That’s why, even if the Abbot tries to stop it, we need someone who will speak up. It would be ideal if we could reach out to that elder beggar, but that’s unlikely. So, we need to convey the message to someone more approachable, and they’ll take care of the rest.”
“Are you referring to Hong Buntaju?”
“He’s a peculiar man who seems capable despite not being capable. He’s the perfect person to get excited and make a fuss in a situation like this.”
Tang Gunak nodded. Indeed, Hong Daekwang was the only one in the Beggars Sect who could be counted on to support Cheonumaeng right now.
“But is that feasible? If the Beggars Sect decides to keep quiet about what we did, wouldn’t Hong Buntaju have to follow orders since he’s part of the Sect?”
“Who’s giving those orders?”
“Well, obviously…”
Tang Gunak fell silent. Orders from the Beggars Sect should naturally come from the Sect Leader. But then…
‘When was the last time I heard anything from the Sect Leader?’
The current leader of the Beggars Sect was as good as non-existent. Reflecting on Maehwado incident, it was evident that the elders of the Beggars Sect had defied the usual protocols, thanks to the Sect Leader’s absence.
“Even though that man doesn’t look the part, he’s still a candidate for being the Sect Leader. Only the Sect Leader could suppress someone of his stature, but the Sect Leader is currently incapacitated.”
“Is that so? So you intend to use the void left by the Sect Leader to mobilize part of the Beggars Sect?”
“Nope.”
“…Huh? No?”
Tang Gunak looked at Chung Myung in confusion. Chung Myung grinned.
“Come on, if that was all, I wouldn’t have even started this.”
The eyes hidden behind his smile were chillingly cold.
“In times like these, they need to align themselves properly, don’t they? I’ll make sure they decide soon.”
A multitude of thoughts flashed chaotically through Tang Gunak’s mind. But he quickly dismissed them all. From now on, the decisions were Chung Myung’s to make. He simply had to follow.
“Understood. If there’s something I need to do, just let me know.”
“Yes. And…”
This time, Chung Myung turned his gaze to Jo Ung.
“Four Seas merchant guild should also contribute its fair share.”
“…Us?”
“Well, if you think about it, merchants and beggars are pretty similar.”
“Pardon? M-merchants and beggars are s-similar?”
Jo Ung looked at Chung Myung with eyes that seemed to say, ‘What kind of madman is this?’
“Hey, Chung Myung, that’s a bit much. Merchants and beggars are probably the most different people out there.”
“What’s different about them? They’re quite similar. They’re both most numerous in cities with lots of money, they appear wherever there are lots of people, the successful ones have branches in each city, and they make a living by talking to people. They’re the same.”
“…Huh? Now that you mention it…”
“What do you mean ‘now that you mention it’? It’s complete nonsense! The amount of money they have is completely different!”
Jo Geol, his eyes blazing with anger, shouted. This was sophistry at its finest.
“Tsk tsk. Trying to classify people by their wealth – what kind of a Taoist does that? Truly, the end of times.”
“Kuh, kuh…”
Jo Geol was almost foaming at the mouth, about to collapse, when Yoon Jong approached and patted his shoulder.
“Calm down. It seems there might be some truth to it.”
…Perhaps this man was the worst of them all.
“Anyway, the commercial world is closely interconnected. Four Seas merchant guild has established trade routes for tea and connections with major merchant guilds throughout the Central Plains.”
“That’s true, but…”
“All you need to do is relay the message. Tell them that Four Seas escaped from Sichuan with the help of Cheonumaeng. And you can add a few words from me as well.”
Chung Myung grinned.
“The Abbot might be able to shut the beggars up, but he can’t tell the merchants to keep quiet. After all, he’s still a monk – he has a reputation to uphold.”
“Ah…”
The sect leaders looked at Chung Myung with astonished eyes.
Indeed, while the influence of Gupailbang was vast, the commercial world operated outside their direct control. At most, they could manage the flow of money, but they couldn’t silence everyone.
Eunha merchant guild can certainly relay the message, but the level of influence will undoubtedly vary. While all the merchants in the world are likely paying attention to the situation in Sichuan, the Four Seas merchant guild, the only one among them to have escaped from Chengdu, is sending a message?
‘There’s no need to spread this information.’
Once the messengers arrive, it won’t be long before the entire world knows about the situation in Chengdu.
“You, surely, have not done this on purpose…?”
“Hehe! Just in case! Just in case! But hey, I’m the boss here!”
“…I see.”
No. That’s the way it has to be.
“But… what’s the purpose of spreading all this information?”
“To divide.”
Chung Myung chuckled.
“They’re trying to sow discord right now, aren’t they?”
“Exactly. We’re in a position where we have to stop that.”
“Why?”
“Huh?”
“Why stop it?”
“Oh, well…”
“Tsk tsk. That’s why you can’t make money. Normally, when something splits, there’s no need to try to stop it. What’s important is for us to get a bigger piece of the pie.”
“Hmm?”
“Besides, we’re already in an alliance or whatever. Since the cat’s out of the bag, we might as well take this opportunity to get everything sorted out.”
Chung Myung grinned as he looked to the west.
“I’m not usually good at setting up the board, but I excel at jumping around on one that’s already set.”
In the past, Chung Myung’s jumping board had been set up by Chung Mun. This time, if the board had been set up, it wasn’t by Chung Mun but by Jang Ilso, but there wasn’t much difference.
“Hey! Bandit!”
“I am ready!”
Im Sobyeong, who had already climbed onto the cart and was pulling out a scroll. Those who saw him were taken aback. How did he know to prepare the scroll and ink in advance? This is why those who read books are terrifying to deal with.
“All right, then. That’s roughly settled.”
Chung Myung’s eyes sparkled.
“First, we go to Shaanxi with all our might! It’s a matter of Cheonumaneg’s fate! We must arrive by tonight!”
“Uh… Then, the goods might get a little damaged. Will that be okay?”
“If we don’t arrive by tomorrow morning, everything will be ruined!”
The fate of Cheonumaeng versus a few carts of goods. It was a moment when everyone clearly recognized which way the scales were tipping.
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