Chapter 293: Path of the Wild Beast (3)
“I feel like I see you often these days.”
At Murong Jun’s words, Zhuge Wen-hu smiled.
“Isn’t there a saying like this in the world? Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies even closer.”
“Hoho.”
“If the Clan Head would only discard that grand ambition, perhaps we could become friends.”
Murong Jun laughed hollowly.
“Are you saying having ambition is a sin?”
“Ambition is not a sin, but if so, you must also understand the greed of those trying to crush that ambition.”
“Of course. Didn’t I tell you before? This person understands you all. It is just that you are blocking my path so I am trying to strike you down, I do not have much personal feelings.”
“Not much… so you mean you don’t have absolutely none.”
“I am a person too.”
Zhuge Wen-hu burst into laughter.
“Hahahaha.”
“Of course. Since you are a person you act greedy, and since you are a person you also keep others in check.”
Murong Jun chuckled.
“So, for what matter did you seek me out today?”
Zhuge Wen-hu took out a document from his bosom and held it out.
Murong Jun tilted his head.
“What is this?”
“Lately, the Hunan side has been quite noisy and bustling.”
“Mhm?”
Murong Jun examined the document.
After a while, the corners of his mouth went up.
“The Guizhou Merchant Association is expanding their sphere of influence… They are expanding their business quite aggressively at that.”
“That is right.”
“But why are you showing this to me?”
“I did a little investigation on the Guizhou Merchant Association.”
“Is that so?”
“When I did, I was able to find out the faces of the sects secretly trading with the Guizhou Merchant Association.”
Murong Jun shrugged his shoulders.
“Of course, our main clan is also trading with the Guizhou Merchant Association.”
“Yes, so it seemed.”
“But is that such a big deal? Whenever a sect has the capability, trading with a merchant group is essential. Isn’t the Zhuge Clan the same?”
“That is right.”
Zhuge Wen-hu smiled.
“That’s why. I am trying to make a request to the Clan Head.”
“A request?”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know what kind of request it is, but please understand that I generally cannot grant the Strategist’s request. I don’t know the reason, but not only doing a background check like this, but also the act of shoving a document right in front of a person’s face, I do not feel so good.”
“Please understand. It’s because the movements of the Guizhou Merchant Association grew so suddenly. Our side had no choice but to pay attention.”
“Understood. So, what is the request?”
“Please pull some strings with the Guizhou Merchant Association.”
Murong Jun was startled.
“You’re asking me to pull strings with the Guizhou Merchant Association?”
“That is right.”
Zhuge Wen-hu was maintaining a very calm expression.
Murong Jun, who was examining his face with narrowed eyes, asked as if throwing it out.
“The Murim Alliance? Or the Zhuge Clan?”
“Of course it’s the latter.”
“…….”
“If we were going to accept the Guizhou Merchant Association at the Alliance level, I would have opened a meeting of the Honored Guests and pressured the Clan Head. I wouldn’t have personally come and asked to pull strings.”
That is correct.
‘What kind of trick is this.’
Murong Jun knew that there was no way Zhuge Wen-hu would make this kind of request because of money or power.
Murong Jun, who was staring at Zhuge Wen-hu without a word, frowned for a moment.
“Do you truly have to go this far?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do not play dumb. When the Strategist Zhuge starts trading with the Guizhou Merchant Association, you will try to look into our main clan’s transaction records in some way, and if you see even a hint of something suspicious, you will launch an attack right away.”
“Was the Guizhou Merchant Association such an untrustworthy group? Keeping transactions with customers strictly confidential is a matter of course.”
“If you set your mind to it, there is nothing you cannot pierce through.”
“Even if it were possible, making up one’s mind to do it is the problem. Furthermore, if I sincerely had thoughts of robbing the Guizhou Merchant Association, I wouldn’t have asked the Clan Head to pull strings.”
He was not wrong. However, Murong Jun had already seen through what Zhuge Wen-hu was aiming for by saying this.
“Aren’t you saying you will aim for mutual destruction?”
Zhuge Wen-hu’s eyes deepened.
‘As expected.’
In the realm of political machinations, Murong Jun displayed an ability worthy of the Saintly Heaven Thirteen Seats. The ability to see through one of his aims at once, he wasn’t even weighing the possibility but was certain of it.
It was a discerning eye trained to the extreme. For such a person to be burning with extremely private ambition and aiming for the position of Murim Alliance Leader, it was truly a shame.
“It’s because I felt I should at least get that much insurance.”
Murong Jun held a cold smile.
“It’s not even worth talking about. Please leave now.”
Zhuge Wen-hu, who watched him without a word, obediently got up from his seat.
“Just give it a thought. It is quite a radical trick, but even so, it shouldn’t be a proposal that is completely harmful to the Clan Head.”
“I suppose so. If I give up the position of Alliance Leader, it would be beneficial.”
Zhuge Wen-hu burst into laughter.
“It is a pity. If you were full of righteous spirit and chivalry, we could have been very good friends.”
“Leave.”
“Understood. Just know this one thing. That I, and the Murim Alliance, evaluate the Murong Clan Head higher than you think.”
“…….”
“Coexistence and harmony are bound to eventually bring down absolute power. I hope that the Clan Head understands the politics of harmony.”
With those words as the end, Zhuge Wen-hu left.
Left alone, Murong Jun tapped the table with his index finger.
“Mutual destruction…….”
Murong Jun frowned.
“Suddenly coming and asking to pull strings with the Guizhou Merchant Association? If by chance Zhuge truly starts trading with the Guizhou Merchant Association, they will start fully attacking our main clan from then on. And I will launch a counterattack against Zhuge. And if that fact becomes known to the Alliance…….”
That’s why it was mutual destruction.
If it became known to the Murim Alliance that the two clans were checking each other and fighting a mud fight, the political influence of both clans would completely collapse. Zhuge Wen-hu was trying to stop him even if it meant doing that.
“However.”
Murong Jun’s eyes shone dangerously.
“That shrewd human couldn’t have thought I wouldn’t notice that.”
In other words, it means there is something else he is aiming for besides mutual destruction.
Murong Jun, who fell into deep thought, opened his mouth.
“Is anyone outside.”
“Yes, Clan Head.”
“Send word to the Mount Hua Sect Leader. Let’s have a luncheon together.”
“Understood.”
Thump.
Murong Jun, who lightly struck the table with his fist, smiled.
“I don’t know what they are aiming for, but it means that side has also slowly started moving now.”
* * *
Tang Kwan tilted his head, wondering for a moment if he had heard wrong.
“What did you just say?”
“I told you to step forward as a candidate for the Alliance Leader.”
“…….”
“Would that not work?”
Tang Kwan, who was quietly glaring at Yeon Ho-jeong, openly frowned.
“Are you thinking of making me a puppet?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“The expression puppet is not pleasant to hear. Rather than that, I would appreciate it if you understood it as a request to become a steel shield for a better future.”
“Your words sound nice. In the end, what you want is to keep Murong Jun in check by putting me at the forefront, and at the same time, keep his eyes tied up, is it not?”
As expected, the Clan Head of the Six Great Clans is not something just anyone can do.
A person who is toxic and cold, while having strong pride, and is sometimes hot-tempered.
Tang Kwan was such a person. However, having such a personality did not mean Tang Kwan’s head was bad.
Rather, that sharp discerning eye far surpassed the heads of average sects. Even if he was a person dotted with stubbornness and ego, his ability was second to none.
Yeon Ho-jeong nodded.
“That is right.”
He admitted it honestly.
Tang Kwan showed a cold smile.
“I want to ask. Did you really think I would accept that proposal of yours?”
“Honestly, I don’t know. I thought you might accept or you might reject.”
“Why? Did you think that simply because I had a conflict with that Murong Jun guy?”
Yeon Ho-jeong’s face became serious.
“I didn’t think that the proud head of the Tang Clan would readily throw his body into this kind of matter just because of a conflict with another person.”
“Then?”
“However, I saw that if it were a ruler of Sichuan who wanted to properly exert influence in the political arena called the Murim, there would be a possibility of accepting.”
Tang Kwan’s eyes narrowed.
“Ruler of Sichuan… A strange expression.”
“You rolled the abacus in the middle, Clan Head.”
“…….”
“Is it not so? Weren’t you weighing the Zhuge side and the Murong side, contemplating which side to join to increase the influence of the Tang Clan?”
Tang Kwan frowned.
“You know quite well.”
“In the end, you made a choice, Clan Head. And the result turned out like this.”
“So? Forget the failed choice and join hands with you all?”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled brightly.
“You know, don’t you? There are many who make mistakes in politics. However, once a person steps down from the stage, they cannot rise to the political arena again. Isn’t that why you were also trying to return to Sichuan, Clan Head?”
“…….”
Yeon Ho-jeong spread both his hands.
“There are not many people who seize two opportunities. And those opportunities don’t come just anytime either.”
“…….”
“Ascend with us. Onto the real stage built by the Murim Alliance.”
“Are you telling me to become a bat?”
“You must become a person uglier, dirtier, and more vicious than a bat.”
“What?”
“I am already walking that path. That is why I can go around exercising this much influence at this young age.”
If Tang Kwan had known Yeon Ho-jeong’s past, he would probably have been truly greatly surprised.
Yeon Ho-jeong died by Tang Kwan’s hand.
To be exact, he died after being hit by Tang Kwan’s hidden weapon under Murong Jun’s orders in his past life, but either way, the person who became the direct cause of his death was Tang Kwan.
So to speak, to Yeon Ho-jeong, Tang Kwan was no different from a sworn enemy. Since he returned to the past, even if it was something that didn’t happen in reality, from Yeon Ho-jeong’s perspective, it was an incident he could never dismiss as something that never happened.
Even so, Yeon Ho-jeong was smiling in front of Tang Kwan. Furthermore, he was saying let’s join hands.
Tang Kwan wouldn’t even be able to imagine how tremendous the mental strength required for this change and this patience was.
“Didn’t you say so before, Clan Head. Even poison becomes medicine if used well, and even medicine becomes poison if used poorly.”
“…….”
“Please become a medicine for us. And I hope you become a poison to the enemy.”
“If I do so, you will arrange a meeting with the Divine Maiden of the Western Regions?”
“In fact, even that was something that didn’t necessarily need to go through us if you wanted it, Clan Head. Even so, proposing a deal was implicitly showing your intention to join us, wasn’t it?”
Tang Kwan, who stared at Yeon Ho-jeong blankly, turned his body.
“Follow me.”
Yeon Ho-jeong smiled.
“Thank y…….”
“You didn’t bring your axe.”
“Yes?”
“That creepy axe you always carry around.”
“Yes. I left it at the training ground.”
“Is that so?”
Tang Kwan shook his head.
“Don’t make excuses that you lost because you didn’t have your axe.”
“……?”
“I will see your vessel through martial arts. Follow me.”