Chapter 2: Cow (2)
Zero. I accept the position of Inspector, but I have conditions.1. I will decide the training period and the time of mobilization for the inspection unit.2. One tenth of the confiscated funds will be collected as my performance reward.3. I wish to use the Martial Alliance's archive.4. If all of the above cannot be met, I will respectfully decline.
The conditions written in the letter were truly outrageous.
As Sima Hui read it, deep wrinkles formed between his brows.
"Denied. Absolutely denied."
After glaring at the letter as if it wasn't even worth considering, Sima Hui burned it to ashes with Samadhi True Fire.
Seeing this, Gumunryong let out a crooked grin.
"Now then, Strategist Sima. He's the talent you recommended. And yet you deny him?"
"That was before he presented conditions. These terms are far too presumptuous and excessive. Not a single one of them makes sense."
"Go on—recite them."
"I'll start with the first. This is an operation of the Alliance, yet a mere merchant dares to dictate its schedule. It's absurd."
"And?"
"One tenth of the confiscated funds! A full tenth—one tenth!"
Sima Hui didn't know the exact amount, but he knew that the sums embezzled by countless scoundrels were enormous. And this man was demanding ten percent of that staggering total as a reward.
"I can't even estimate how much money that would be. Demanding it is no different from banditry!"
"I see, I see. And then?"
"As for using the Martial Alliance's archive, that doesn't even merit discussion. This is the most serious issue. Absolutely forbidden."
The Martial Alliance's archive was no ordinary library. It was a treasure vault of the realm, storing countless martial manuals collected within Alliance territory or received as tribute. To a martial artist, a secret manual was worth more than life itself—and if it belonged to a major clan or sect, its value was beyond words. That was why only the Alliance Leader was permitted entry. Even Sima Hui, a chief advisor, had entered it only once.
And now some merchant brat wanted to use it?
"Arrogant and insolent."
"Isn't it rather endearing? Learning martial arts for the sake of revenge."
"Endearing? Not at all! His ulterior motives are painfully obvious from the start."
"And what do you think those motives are?"
"He plans to take one tenth of the confiscated funds, buy elixirs with it, cultivate his inner energy, and then learn martial arts from manuals taken out of the archive. He's blatantly treating the Alliance like a complete fool."
"Then what would you have us do?"
Sima Hui's eyes sharpened.
He tapped the back of his neck lightly with his fan.
"Given his arrogance and disrespect, I believe the proper course is to take his head."
"Hahaha. Strategist Sima, do you know what I hate most?"
"That would be…?"
"Those bastards who go back on their word. I never thought you'd be one of them."
"…Leader!"
"Listen to me, Strategist Sima."
Gumunryong fluttered his white robe and looked up at the sky.
A single hawk was slicing through the clouds overhead.
"Do you know what's most important when handling a hawk?"
"I've never had such a grand hobby as falconry, so I wouldn't know."
"My, Are you sulking?"
"...."
He is sulking.
Clicking his tongue, Gumunryong waved his arm as though recalling a hunt.
"Trust. Trust that you won't harm it. Trust that you'll give it good food. Trust that it will meet your expectations. Trust that you'll protect it from unforeseen disasters. Only with all of that can you command a hawk. Using people is the same. Have I ever used you without extending trust?"
"Not never."
"Stop sulking and listen properly. The difference between hawks and humans is this: a hawk's desires are easy to understand, but a human's are not. You may know the depths of a thousand-fathom sea, but never the depth of a single man's heart. Take the Left Protector as an example. Who would have thought that such a loyal man was secretly taking bribes and lusting after women?"
Half a year earlier, corruption had been uncovered in the Martial Alliance's Left Protector.
Using his position, he had taken under-the-table money from various martial factions, and even extorted vast sums from mountain bandits under the guise of "protection fees." Despite crimes of that scale, his corruption had been so thorough and discreet that neither Gu Munryong nor Sima Hui had known.
"Our eyes were truly clouded. If, while I was on an undercover inspection, he hadn't tried to violate a woman, how would we ever have found his crimes?"
"It was heaven's fortune—by the grace of the Leader."
"Yes, My merit is indeed great. In any case, even a man as high-ranking as the Left Protector was unreadable. You have to know a man before you can treat him accordingly. Now look at this letter. This fellow called So—"
"I understand your point. At the very least, this impudent So hasn't hidden his intentions."
"Indeed, Strategist Sima. Even if it's said like garbage, you understand it perfectly."
There was logic in that.
Sima Hui reading So's desires in the letter wasn't coincidence—it was simply because So had written them plainly.
"If we meet these conditions, he won't betray us or harbor other ambitions. What, is he going to raise a private army with that money and rebel against the imperial palace?"
"Leader!"
"I'm just speaking figuratively."
"Such words leaking out would be disastrous."
"Oh, fine, fine. In any case, the boy wants to find his enemy and cut him down. We shouldn't help him only to then sabotage him. I like these conditions very much. He's got spirit. That's how a man should be."
A boy saved by kindness grows up and beheads his benefactor's enemy.
Gu Munryong loved stories like that—truly loved them.
"Grant him everything he wants. Ah, but the archive is a bit much. Let's adjust that condition. Perhaps once, after he accomplishes something truly great."
"Leader!"
"You did hear what I said, didn't you, Strategist Sima? Unlike you, I don't go back on my word."
Still smiling as if enjoying a joke, Gu Munryong narrowed his eyes slightly.
At that razor-sharp aura, Sima Hui clenched his teeth and bowed his head deeply.
"Understood. But may I make one suggestion?"
"What is it?"
"Please allow me to test him."
Inns operate in all manner of ways, but because ordinary people without money eat only two meals a day—morning and evening—most inns do not open at lunchtime. This small inn called Bongrae was no exception, and had hung out a flag indicating it was closed.
In front of it, the steps of a sturdy young man came to a halt.
The large iron rack strapped to his back and his solid build marked him clearly as a martial artist.
"This the place?"
As he strode forward to enter, the server naturally stopped him.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but we don't do business at lunchtime."
"I am Yang Gwan of the Fire wheel Spear from Sacheon. I'm looking for someone named So."
"Oh—are you with that gentleman's party? My apologies. Please come inside."
At the overly gentle tone, Yang Gwan's eyebrows twitched. It was normal for a server to be polite, but this was excessive—almost like serving a master. He barely had time to dwell on the suspicion before he saw him: a youthful man sitting calmly with his legs crossed, drinking liquor.
At the sight of So, a harsh remark burst from Yang Gwan's mouth.
"I expected a beggar's appearance. Looks like you're eating well and living comfortably."
"What? Were you hoping I'd look like a beggar?"
So grinned as he flicked his blue silk robe. The gold-embroidered silk was flamboyant enough that only a wealthy young noble would wear it at a glance. Clothes were symbols of power—such finery was not something the adopted son of a merchant wiped out last year had any right to wear. And So's face was pale as snow, yet healthy and glossy, strikingly handsome, like a pampered young lord who had never known hardship.
Who would call that an orphan?
Who would call that the survivor of a destroyed merchant guild?
Yang Gwan ground his molars together.
"It was last year that the Daeunbang was wiped out. I wondered whether Lord So Bang-ju might be living like a beggar during that time, so I wandered around the Beggars' Sect looking for you. Then, out of the blue, I received a letter saying you were here and telling me to come find you—but when I actually arrive, I find you living here like some noble young master. Of course that makes me suspicious."
"Suspicious of what?"
"That you siphoned off the Daeunbang's money."
The Daeunbang had been close to being the foremost trading house in Sichuan. If even a small portion of its wealth had been skimmed off, it would have been more than enough for one man to live in luxury.
"A reasonable suspicion. It's plausible, and not a bad guess. But it's wrong."
"What's wrong about it?"
"You wouldn't know—you were off learning spear techniques at Shaolin under the Daeunbang's patronage."
"..."
"You can say that because you weren't there. The Heavenly Net and Earthly Snare isn't something you can escape from so easily. I didn't even have the leeway to grab money or spare clothes."
According to the Tang Clan, the Heavenly Net and Earthly Snare was the greatest formation under heaven. The way thousands of spiders swarmed in from all sides to hunt prey caught in a web was something they took great pride in.
"Surviving that hell with my life intact was already a miracle. There was no way I could bring any wealth back with me."
"Then what am I supposed to make of what I'm seeing now? You commandeer an inn like its owner, and you're plastered head to toe in gold powder as if you were the precious son of some great clan!"
"That's nothing special. You just earn it here, that's all."
"You earned… it?"
So grinned broadly, picked up his chopsticks, and lightly tapped Yang Gwan's head with a look of mock pity.
"Think about it, Gwana. It took half a year to flee from Sichuan to Luoyang after the guild was destroyed. So what do you think I was doing for the remaining half year? Begging like a Beggars' Sect vagrant? Me? Do you really think I, Jang So-gil—the Golden Ghost—am that idle and stupid? How ridiculous."
"Even so, earning enough to buy an inn in Luoyang is hard to believe…"
"This inn was a place riddled with problems—issues so hopelessly tangled that ordinary people couldn't possibly resolve them. But for me, it was nothing. I solved those problems, and in return, they agreed to provide me with food and lodging. From their perspective, I'm a treasured guest who pulled out an aching tooth!"
"So you used those scammer-like tricks of yours again."
"A scammer? That's a bit harsh."
The So Yang Gwan knew was, as far as he was concerned, the most scammer-like man alive. His three-inch tongue was coated in honey—his words were sweet, but that sweetness carried poison. If you let your guard down and listened too long, the poison would seep in. At first, he would claim it was good for both sides, but when you looked at the outcome, the only one who truly benefited was always him. And yet, strangely enough, even those who were taken in never ended up harboring ill will toward him. A born con man.
Unfazed by the insults, So casually drained a cup of liquor and flicked the cup. Yang Gwan caught it reflexively and hesitated.
"Gwana, when you come to an inn, you eat and drink. What are you doing just sitting there?"
"Stop calling me Gwana. I'm older than you, you know. Not by a year or two—by five whole years."
"But I'm the Bang-ju. Should I really call my retainers 'older brother' and speak politely?"
"The Daeunbang has already been wiped out."
"It was wiped out, but I'm still here. As long as I exist, the Daeunbang isn't finished."
They were truly arrogant words, yet Yang Gwan didn't think them arrogant at all. He was the one who had built the Daeunbang into a major force in just three years. And he was still barely of age, with three times as many years ahead of him as he'd already lived. Rebuilding the Daeunbang wouldn't be difficult for him.
"That may be so, but still…"
"Which means you're still my retainer. What, have you forgotten your oath?"
"I haven't forgotten it. The debt of gratitude for letting me properly bury my parents is something I couldn't repay even with my life. But that was the deed of the Great Bangju, not of you, Lord So Bangju."
"But enough of your 'buts'—eat first. You there, bring the fish and meat platter I told you to prepare earlier."
When the waiter answered, "Yes, sir!" and brought the food, thunder finally rumbled belatedly from Yang Gwan's stomach. He'd run nonstop for three days the moment he received the letter, so it was only natural that he was starving. His face flushed red.
"Uh… um…"
"Fill your stomach first. After that, there's something you need to do right away."
"What… what is it?"
"Someone's going to arrive soon. Stand proudly by my side, grip your spear, and glare with all the intensity you've got."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"Are your ears clogged? You can't even do what you're told?"
"No, no, no! The way you're talking, it sounds like you're dragging me into some kind of con! I refuse!"
Yang Gwan was just starting to flare up in anger.
Then a voice came from outside the inn.
"Come here!"
Hearing that voice, So clicked his tongue.
"See, you idiot? You hesitated and didn't even get to eat."
At So's scolding, Yang Gwan stood there confused. Then the tirade continued.
"How can you be so clueless—what use are you at all? And you still learned martial arts like that! Stop trying to eat and hurry up—get up and stand next to me!"
"Ah—ah, okay… So?"
"You thick-headed fool! Hurry it up!"
Am I the bad one here?
Yang Gwan blinked his ox-like eyes in bewilderment.