Chapter 277: Where Does Conflict Come From (2)
“……They came out like that?”
“That is correct. Ga Yeok-so, the Hubei Branch Head, contacted me saying that their momentum was so fierce that he had no choice but to listen to their words for now.”
“Then? Are you saying he brought medicinal herbs to that witch?!”
“For now, that is the case.”
“What an absolute idiot! To commit such a mistake!”
“Excuse me? A mistake?”
“The Twin Guards of the Tiger and God, the two who are the strongest rising stars of the current Murim and the two pillars of the Murim Alliance’s mobile units, possess tremendous influence. I don’t know if they themselves know it, but it is no exaggeration to say that their reputation equals or exceeds that of the elders of great sects, rivaling sect leaders.”
“That is correct. That is why even more…”
“Since they have built such a reputation at a young age, how much must those around them be keeping them in check! If those two truly try to attack us, we just have to immediately vent about this radical behavior to the Honored Guests of the Murim Alliance!”
“Ah…!”
“Our Medical God Society is a physician alliance that has inherited the orthodox medical lineage of the Central Plains. From the perspective of the civilians, what would they think of the Murim Alliance warriors suppressing such physicians?!”
“I, I see. No matter what kind of threats those two make, the Murim Alliance cannot easily touch us.”
“It’s not just that they can’t easily touch us, they can never touch us! As long as we do not commit an obvious wrong!”
“Goodness…”
“Ga Yeok-so, I sat him in the branch head position because his skills and popularity were good, but as expected, I should have sat someone skilled in politics. I told him that taking action first and reporting later is forbidden unless it’s an extreme situation.”
“What should we do now?”
“What do you mean, what should we do! We must proceed to the next plan!”
“If you mean the next plan… Could it be?!”
“I did not send Ga Yeok-so to them to persuade them. Even if Yeon Ho-jeong doesn’t, Murong Yu is a person who can be communicated with, so I sent him to make him recognize the witch’s danger. From the beginning, I never thought that foolish martial artists who know nothing about medical skills would immediately believe our words.”
“But…”
“I sent him just to plant a single seed of doubt, but like an idiot, he couldn’t overcome their threats and suddenly got done in. Truly, there is no answer. How can I do great things while trusting such a guy!”
“Vice Society Head, still, the opponent is the Murim Alliance. Just as you said, Vice Society Head, if we execute that plan, the Murim Alliance will also try to poke at us in earnest.”
“It doesn’t matter. Since we won’t be exposed at the forefront anyway.”
“Branch Head Ga Yeok-so said that they stated any external pressure and attack carried out against that witch from now on would be considered our doing.”
“Did you forget all the words I just said?! With just those two guys, they can never touch us! We will target the Honored Guests of the Murim Alliance during that time.”
“Ah…!”
“I didn’t know back in the days when I innocently learned medical skills. But you will also realize it soon. The world cannot be lived with just skills. It is a place where politics and conspiracies, betrayals and tricks run rampant. If the world is that dirty, we also have no choice but to step into the mud to survive.”
“……”
“Prepare! Right now!”
“Ah, understood.”
* * *
The next day.
Neighhh!
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face, as he drove his horse at the lead, was as hardened as could be.
Murong Yu shouted.
“Brother Yeon!”
“What is it?”
“Is there perhaps something bothering you? I know it’s a time we must move urgently, but it still seems too urgent.”
Yeon Ho-jeong furrowed his brows.
“I don’t know what kind of organization the Medical God Society is, but either way, if he’s a branch head who influences Hubei Province, he must have that much influence.”
“I think so too.”
“But something keeps bothering me.”
“Bothering you? What do you mean?”
“……Well.”
Setting aside other things, this was the first time they had made contact with the organization called the Medical God Society.
They didn’t know what their goal was or where and how they operated. In fact, Yeon Ho-jeong, who had experienced the Dark Emperor era, had also heard of the organization called the Medical God Society for the first time.
‘Did history change? A newly created organization? Or did they exist back then too, but thoroughly operated below the surface?’
He couldn’t know.
The important thing was that the Beggars’ Gang also didn’t know the details about the organization called the Medical God Society. If there had been even a slight possibility of getting entangled with them, Ga Deuk-sang would have tipped him off first.
‘That means we cannot predict what they will do at all.’
In reality, they might be an insignificant organization. But the mere fact that their existence hadn’t surfaced was enough reason to be properly wary.
Murong Yu spoke.
“Are you acting like this because you think they might really attack the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions?”
“I don’t know. In my head, I think that shouldn’t be the case, but it keeps bothering me.”
Murong Yu’s face hardened.
He knew very well how sharp Yeon Ho-jeong’s intuition was. His intuition was not something to be brushed off simply as a matter of mood.
Ultimate discernment was meant to be in touch with ultimate intuition. Murong Yu believed in Yeon Ho-jeong’s sixth sense as much as he believed in his discernment.
“Let’s ride for now. There’s nothing to lose by going quickly.”
“Right, let’s do that.”
Dudududu.
The four people headed south at a fearsome speed.
After riding non-stop for three or four days, they soon arrived at the Yangtze River stream.
Murong Yu approached a sailor. He was a man with a large build and a rough beard, possessing the appearance of a typical sailor.
“Look here.”
“Hmm?”
The burly man, seeing Murong Yu, spoke with an indifferent face.
“What is it?”
They said sailors’ audacity debated for number one under heaven, and indeed, it was not wrong. Even though wearing armor and a sword clearly indicated they belonged to the government office or were martial artists, far from being anxious, he was even snorting.
Murong Yu spoke calmly.
“We must cross the Yangtze River in a hurry, where can we find the fastest departing ship?”
The sailor’s eyes sparkled.
“Just about any ship can depart quickly. As long as you give enough money, that is.”
Murong Yu’s face brightened.
“Is that so?”
“I don’t know how much you looked around before coming, but anyway, you’ve come to the right place. It’s hard to find a fast ship as fast as ours here along the Yangtze River.”
“We must also board four warhorses.”
“Hmm? Then you’ll need a slightly bigger ship, not the sleek fast ship type. We’ll have to prepare plenty of hay too.”
“That is so.”
“Do you have enough money?”
“How much do you need?”
“The more you give, the better. Like all professions in the world, we also work as much as we are given.”
There was no time to haggle pointlessly. Murong Yu took out a coin pouch from his bosom.
“Would this be enough?”
The eyes of the sailor who received the coin pouch widened. Inside the pouch, there were a whopping five gold ingots.
“H-ahem! You have a lot of money? Haha, with this much, well, we can launch it right now.”
“Thank you. Then I ask of you right now.”
“Very well. It’s been a while since we received such open-handed guests. Ah! But, we need one more procedure.”
“A procedure? What procedure do you mean?”
“I mean affiliation. Did you come from the military?”
“No.”
“Eh? Then?”
Murong Yu glanced back.
He spoke in a small voice.
“We belong to the Murim Alliance mobile units.”
There was no benefit in pointlessly blabbing about it everywhere. Murong Yu did not want the surroundings to become chaotic.
However, the sailor’s reaction was louder than expected.
“……Murim Alliance mobile units?!”
Murong Yu frowned. The sailor’s voice had been excessively loud.
“That is so.”
“……”
“Why are you acting like that?”
The sailor, who was looking at Murong Yu with narrowed eyes, offered the coin pouch back.
“Take it.”
“……?!”
“I said take it. For the time being, we will not take Murim Alliance members on board.”
Murong Yu’s eyes shook.
“You won’t take Murim Alliance members on board? Why are you doing this?”
“That is none of your business. If you really want to ride a ship, look somewhere else.”
“No, you should at least tell us the reason…”
“Ah, I said enough! Don’t bother me and look somewhere else!”
At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong took a step forward.
The sailor flinched without realizing it. He was momentarily overwhelmed by the huge axe resting on Yeon Ho-jeong’s shoulder.
Yeon Ho-jeong asked with a smile.
“From what I hear, there are several organizations created among sailors.”
“Is that so?”
Being overwhelmed was only momentary. The sailor regained his characteristic indifferent expression.
“Did they perhaps order not to accept Murim Alliance members at the organizational level?”
“That is none of your business.”
“Truly impressive.”
“……What are you talking about?”
“I heard that most sailors are good men comparable to Murim masters. I’ve also heard a lot that they are all full of audacity, fearless, and on waterways, they are more skilled in combat than ordinary martial artists.”
“Ahem!”
“Since you are people who cut through rough currents, how outstanding must your bravery be? Seeing you, I realized anew that each and every sailor is an outstanding man.”
The sailor smacked his lips.
“Even if you flatter me, I can’t take you on board. Stop and leave.”
“I’m not flattering. It’s just my honest impression.”
“I get it, so now…”
“But you see. I know sailors are counted among the good men in the Central Plains, but I didn’t know they were scammers.”
The sailor’s face immediately turned fierce.
“A scammer?!”
“This gentleman let it pass because he was in a hurry, but five gold ingots is an amount that can buy a couple of decent fast ships. Am I wrong?”
“A-ahem! What does that matter?”
“No matter how important money is, to receive that much money and say you’ll drive the ship as if doing a favor? Deceiving with lies isn’t the only kind of scam.”
The sailor gave a twisted smile.
“So what do you want me to do? This transaction is void anyway.”
“Do you not care if what you did spreads like wildfire in the neighborhood?”
“Do as you please. I can’t figure out why you’re making a fuss over that.”
He said that, but the sailor’s expression was noticeably distorted. It seemed they had their own rules, and nothing good would come from such rumors spreading.
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“I will not spread that rumor. So please grant me one favor.”
“Ha! Are you trying to haggle with me right now? Stop talking nonsense and…”
“I will just buy one fast ship.”
“……Eh?”
“It’s fine if you guys don’t steer it. Instead, take the five gold ingots and give us a fast ship for ourselves.”
The sailor’s eyes shook.
“Are you saying you’re going to cross the Yangtze River by yourselves?”
“You said you shouldn’t take us on board, didn’t you? Then we have no choice but to go on our own.”
“You’re crazy. If you fall into the river on this cold winter day, no matter how much of a martial artist you are…”
“You just need to make a choice. I will ask again. Will you receive this money and sell one fast ship? Or will you pass this wonderful opportunity to another sailor?”
“……Gulp.”
“They said not to take us on board, they didn’t say not to sell the ship, right?”
“Th-that is true.”
Yeon Ho-jeong shook the coin pouch with a smile.
“I don’t know where such an order came from, but would we, who belong to the Murim Alliance, go back on our word? Don’t worry and seize this good opportunity. No, there’s no need for that, just relay what I said to your superior.”
The sailor, who was looking at the coin pouch with sparkling eyes, soon shouted toward the back.
“Hey! Jang-chil!”
“Yes?”
“Bring out the Monster Fish.”
“The Monster Fish? Why?”
“This bastard wants to die. Aren’t you going to bring it out right now?!”
“Ah, understood.”
From the looks of it, it seemed he was a senior with a long career.
The sailor cleared his throat and received the coin pouch.
“Do not spread rumors. Understood?”
“Do not worry.”
“A-ahem! But have you steered a ship before? What are you going to do with all those horses?”
“Take care of them until we return.”
“Hahaha, they’d be quite expensive if I sell them.”
“……”
“If you’re going to sell those horses too, one more fast ship…”
In an instant, Yeon Ho-jeong’s eyes turned as cold as ice.
The sailor’s face instantly turned pale.
“Hey.”
“……!!”
“We’ve held back enough on our end. Stop blabbering and bring out the ship quickly.”
A quarter of an hour later.
The group, having entrusted the warhorses to the sailor, steered the fast ship and crossed the Yangtze River.