Chapter 279: Where Does Conflict Come From (4)
“Hmm, the taste of the tea is very good.”
Murong Jun smiled and savored the tea’s aroma.
“It certainly seems different. Perhaps because it’s tea brewed directly by a physician, just smelling the aroma makes me feel like my blood is clearing up.”
“Haha, I’m embarrassed.”
“So, for what matter did you call this person?”
Ha-gok waved his hands.
“Who am I to tell Clan Head Murong to come and go? I just had some good tea and wanted to treat you to a cup, so I invited you like this.”
“Hahaha!”
Murong Jun, who burst into loud laughter, soon spoke with a smiling face.
“Physician Ha.”
“Please speak, Clan Head.”
“Let’s put aside useless formalities and trivial talks and converse.”
“……”
“I am busy myself, but Physician Ha also looks very busy. If there is something you want to say, get straight to the point, and if there is a matter to calculate on the abacus, let’s prepare it right away.”
Ha-gok thought. That he had picked the right person well.
He had heard that Murong Jun, contrary to what was known to the world, was a person who resorted to any means and methods to obtain power. It was also said that he had no hesitation in giving and receiving bribes.
Of course, this information was top secret. If by any chance this information leaked from the Medical God Society’s side, an attack from the Murong Clan, which competed for the top position among the Six Great Clans, could come in.
Ha-gok smiled and placed a large bundle on the table.
“First, please receive this.”
Murong Jun did not ask what it was.
Murong Jun, who immediately untied the bundle, opened his eyes wide upon seeing the items inside.
“Isn’t this a Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng? And three roots at that?”
“Haha, although I do not know much about the Murim, I know that Clan Head is a person who does great things. You will have many things to do in the future, so I thought it would be good for you to decoct and drink one whenever you are tired.”
A peculiar smile lingered on Murong Jun’s face.
A Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng was an outstanding spirit elixir. Although it couldn’t be compared to a Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng, Shaolin’s Great Restoration Pill, or the inner core of a spiritual beast passed down like a legend, it was also not a bribe that could be given this generously.
Furthermore, it wasn’t one root, but three roots. The Murong Clan also kept Thousand-Year Snow Ginsengs, but it was merely six roots.
It was a tremendous bribe, but Murong Jun was not surprised.
He pushed the snow ginseng aside and asked with a smile.
“Yes, what matter do you wish for this Murong Jun to do?”
Ha-gok burst into hearty laughter.
“Haha, you are truly refreshing. As expected, the world calls the Clan Head a great hero of the generation, and the rumors all had a reason for it.”
“You flatter me.”
“Then, this old man will disregard shame and speak.”
Ha-gok spoke in an even more subdued voice.
“You know well about the Evil-Annihilating Army, the mobile unit of the Murim Alliance, right?”
A strange light emitted from Murong Jun’s eyes.
“Of course.”
“I heard that the commander of the Demon-Sweeping Army, the same mobile unit, is the Clan Head’s younger brother.”
“That is so.”
“I will speak directly. A person on our side had some conflict with the two commanders of the Demon-Sweeping and Evil-Annihilating Armies this time.”
“Hoh, a conflict?”
“To explain…”
Ha-gok briefly explained what happened a few days ago.
Murong Jun stroked his chin.
“The Medical God Society… There was such a sect too?”
“Haha, it cannot be called a sect. It is also awkward to call it an organization. You can just see it as a gathering created jointly by physicians who inherited the medical lineage of the Central Plains to benefit the world.”
“Ah, is that so?”
“That is correct. In any case, it seems there is a complex conflict in many ways with the two commanders…”
“But I didn’t know about it until now.”
“Yes?”
“Seeing that secrecy, it seems even the Beggars’ Gang doesn’t know well about the Medical Medical God Society.”
Ha-gok smiled.
“Rather than being secret, we just didn’t reveal our appearance to the world. It is virtually just a gathering among close physicians, awkward to even call it a sect or an interest group.”
“It’s tremendous.”
“What do you mean?”
“A gathering among acquainted physicians? Even though it’s a simple gathering, not only going to find the captains of the Murim Alliance’s mobile units but even asking them to refuse official orders, it seems to be a gathering intertwined with truly strong bonds.”
Ha-gok struggled to maintain his smile.
“You seem to have a misunderstanding, we just…”
“Also, no matter how much I am the head of a prestigious family competing for the lead among the Six Great Clans, suddenly handing over three Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng roots… Haha, no matter how I think about it, the organization called the Medical God Society doesn’t seem to be an ordinary organization.”
“Clan Head. Please do not misunderstand. We are never a great organization.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. What power would a gathering made jointly by powerless physicians have?”
“The actual military force might be lacking.”
Murong Jun smiled broadly.
“Did you join hands with the government office?”
In an instant, Ha-gok almost screamed without realizing it.
He somehow stopped the sound from bursting out, but his utterly surprised look was undoubtedly revealed on his face.
Murong Jun nodded his head.
“I thought as much. Currently in the Unorthodox and Orthodox Murim, there is no organization with as strong power as the Murim Alliance. To touch such a group, there must be a backing that the Murim Alliance cannot rashly touch, and naturally, it would be none other than the government office.”
“……!”
“But Physician Ha.”
“……Please speak, Clan Head.”
“I don’t care whether the Medical God Society joined hands with the government office or any other organization, but of all people to touch, did you have to touch those two?”
Ha-gok quickly interjected.
“Isn’t that why I came to visit the Clan Head? Especially since the Clan Head’s younger brother was also at that place, it seemed our side made a great discourtesy, so to show our sincerity like this…”
“The one I am concerned about is not Yu.”
“Yes?”
“Yu is my younger brother, and a guy who will appease his anger on his own if I pat him well. Also, he is a guy who knows how to look at the big picture. He’s not called a genius for nothing.”
“Th-then…?”
Murong Jun gave a smile similar to a sneer.
“Do you know what kind of guy that Yeon Ho-jeong is?”
“……?!”
“There are exactly three targets that I fear and am wary of the most in the Murim Alliance. The first is Master Kong-kong, and the second is the Strategist Zhuge Wen-hu. Then who would the last one be?”
“Could it be…?”
“That’s right. That guy Yeon Ho-jeong.”
Ha-gok’s face hardened completely.
The Murong Clan Head under heaven fears and is wary of a mere rising star, he says.
At these hard-to-believe words, Ha-gok felt his speech blocked. It was because he had heard rumors that Murong Jun allowed no comparison with anyone in terms of political power and tricks as well as his martial arts.
Such a Murong Jun fears a young man who has barely passed twenty, no matter how much of a number one rising star under heaven he is?
“As I just said, Yu is a genius. There is nothing he cannot do in various fields such as military force, discernment, business talent, etc. But Yeon Ho-jeong is different.”
“……”
“If Yu is a rare genius, Yeon Ho-jeong is a monster with three heads and six arms. How on earth he became such a monster, he is a guy that even I cannot understand.”
Ha-gok swallowed his saliva without realizing it.
A monster with three heads and six arms. He had heard of many people described in that way while living so far, but when the Murong Jun under heaven spoke like this, the weight itself was different.
“You guys must have thought. No matter how outstanding talents they are, the Murim Alliance wouldn’t rashly step forward with just those two.”
“……”
“You are half right. My younger brother, Yu cannot do that. But Yeon Ho-jeong is different.”
Murong Jun smiled coolly.
“Whether the Medical God Society joined hands with the government office or not, even if you had a direct connection with the Emperor of the great nation, if things go wrong, he will try to smash it no matter what.”
“Th-that’s ridiculous!”
“Hoh? Do you really think so?”
“Even if the young man named Yeon Ho-jeong is a monster as you say, Clan Head, how can an individual oppose the government office?”
“Could it be that Physician Ha sees me as fearing Yeon Ho-jeong’s military force?”
“Yes?”
“The reason I fear and am wary of him is because of his terrifying discernment and driving force, and his unimaginable ghost-like tricks and execution power.”
“……!!”
“He never forgets what he has once kept in his mind. In that aspect, that guy Yeon Ho-jeong is similar to me. Politicians are all like that. They never forget what they suffered. They only ponder when to go into an attack.”
Ha-gok swallowed his saliva again without realizing it.
Murong Jun shook his head.
“You guys, for this time at least, have touched the wrong opponent. If that guy starts running amok madly, it’s burdensome even for me to stop him. Let alone from the Alliance’s perspective, Yeon Ho-jeong merely followed the orders of his superiors thoroughly.”
“……!!”
“Besides, you guys came to the wrong person.”
“Wh-what do you mean by that?”
Murong Jun gave a bitter smile.
“Right now, I am in a situation where my body is tied up. I participate in the Alliance Policy meetings every time, but because of the things I’ve done so far, I am currently in the midst of being careful.”
“That is…!”
“If I step forward directly, there’s nothing I can’t do, but.”
Murong Jun tapped the Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng while smiling.
“You cannot make my bottom lift off with merely three Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng roots. Since I also have things I am preparing in my own way.”
“Clan Head.”
“Even if you brought Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Ginsengs instead of Thousand-Year Snow Ginsengs, I would have conflicted. My current situation is like that.”
“If so…”
Ha-gok cautiously asked.
“If Clan Head is in such a situation, could you perhaps utilize the faction members who have joined hands with Clan Head?”
“……”
“O-Of course, I will show my sincerity.”
Murong Jun smirked.
“Another thing, there is something Physician Ha has made a mistake on.”
“Yes?”
“A person like me is not someone who moves with just a bribe handed directly. A bribe is merely a key to open the venue of conversation; if you truly wanted something from me, you should have brought a gift called ‘future’.”
“What do you mean by future?”
“Are you willing to cut ties with the government office and be with this person?”
“……!!”
“See that. Since you came without even thinking about such things, you have uselessly blown away three Thousand-Year Snow Ginseng roots.”
Murong Jun picked up the bundle and stood up.
“As Physician Ha said, I will think of this as an expression of apology for you guys touching my younger brother and take it.”
“C-Clan Head!”
“Also, neither I nor the Murim Alliance has any thought of going out of our way to make enemies with you guys. So, I will go back and at least implicitly talk about it.”
Murong Jun smiled and turned his back.
Ha-gok, who had his nose cut off with his eyes open, stared at Murong Jun’s back with a dumbfounded face.
Before opening the door, Murong Jun opened his mouth.
“Physician Ha. Even though it’s merely a couple of times, we have some acquaintance in our own way, so I will give you one piece of advice.”
“……?”
“From now on, Yeon Ho-jeong, that crazy monster, will begin to run amok.”
“……!”
“It’s a bit awkward to say this, but just suffer it. I’m telling you not to provoke him. If you touch that guy any more than this, the Medical God Society that you guys call a gathering might get pulled out by the roots.”
Murong Jun shook his head.
“Cease all activities from now on, and tell the high-ranking person in the government office you guys have connected with. That you will finish this matter at your line. Otherwise, a few pillar roots of the government office will be blown away.”
“……”
“Make sure to keep my words in mind.”