Chapter 64
Yu Haseong listened to my words, stared blankly for a moment, and then opened his mouth.
“…Do you know what it means to ask for a guarantee of Exclusive Territorial Rights?”
“I do.”
“…Acknowledging your Faction is tantamount to rallying the Unorthodox Faction and diminishing the power of the Murim Alliance. Even so, do you think I would allow it?”
“If the Great Hero truly knows what is right, you will agree.”
“…What?”
Is the Murim Alliance unconditionally right? That is not the case.
“The Common People don’t really care whether the Righteous Faction or the Unorthodox Faction rules the region. They simply like whoever brings them benefits without causing them harm.”
The world I am in right now is a Martial Arts World. Many people are in the Jianghu and do work related to it.
However, there are also many who live their lives without getting entangled in the Jianghu, and those who pay it no mind.
“Anyway, the Murim Alliance has no interest in Hunan, does it? In that case, it’s a hundred times better for us to rule, opening up paths and staying close to protect them, than the Murim Alliance.”
“…”
“And we just want to live in peace. We have no grand ambitions. I promise that as long as you don’t mess with us, we won’t cause trouble and provoke the Murim Alliance’s temper.”
Yu Haseong listened to my words silently before hurriedly asking, as if he had noticed something.
“…What do you plan to do if I don’t guarantee your territorial rights?”
“What do you mean, what do I plan to do?”
Ultimately, not guaranteeing our territorial rights means we remain the eternal enemy of the Murim Alliance, a Target of Extermination. If that happens, our Green Forest will have to spend every day in anxiety.
If that’s the case…
“When a rat is backed too far into a corner, it bites. I plan to scatter the Murim Alliance’s shameful secrets all over the world, gather my Subordinates, and head to Anhui Province.”
“…”
“I heard it’s noisy up North because of the Power Struggle with those Demonic Cult bastards. I’m going to perform a Sword dance down here too, so try and stop me.”
“Of course, the North is noisy, but over here…”
“Righteous Sword Knight-errant.”
Swish-.
In an instant, his hand moved toward his waist. He must have felt the thorns in my words.
“…What happened at your family? Didn’t you hear from your daughter and son?”
“…”
“Whether the Murim Alliance has three armed forces, five, or ten…, do you think I won’t be able to make it to Anhui?”
Fuck, I’m speaking nicely, so why does he keep trying to turn me into a gangster?
I’ll say it again, but the victim in this incident is us.
The Murim Alliance couldn’t manage one brat and caused a disturbance; we merely responded justifiably, and in the process, over ten of my Subordinates died.
Even so, I didn’t want to shed any more blood, so I’m continuing to compromise with the Murim Alliance like this.
We are the ones making concessions, but if they keep talking as if they hold all the decision-making power, it’s only natural to feel offended.
“…Can the Great Hero handle me?”
“…”
I can recognize his realm. Can he recognize mine?
His expression became complicated. I couldn’t predict what he would say either.
Ah…, I don’t know. I’m an emotional person by nature.
If things go south, I’ll just draw my Saber too, whether he’s Somyung-i’s dad or whatever, or it’s the Original Novel or whatever, or it’s the Righteous Faction or whatever.
Honestly, this kind of threat would be absolutely impossible if the Murim Alliance were in a stable condition.
Whether I performed a Sword dance alone or threw a fit, if the Murim Alliance had just pushed forward with their overflowing numbers, our Green Forest would have been reduced to a handful of ashes.
But right now, thanks to the Demonic Cult, the Murim Alliance’s condition isn’t good. It means even a weakling like our Green Forest is enough to throw a tantrum like this.
Then, in this situation, what choice will he make?
I quietly waited for the words to come out of his mouth.
Eventually…, when his heavy lips parted…
“…I absolutely cannot agree.”
“…”
The words that came out of his mouth were not the answer I wanted.
“Great Hero!”
The Beggar's Sect Branch Master must have thought he would agree by this point, as the Branch Master shouted in surprise upon seeing him refuse.
But Yu Haseong continued speaking to me with bloodshot eyes, as if he didn’t care about the Branch Master at all.
“Three hundred years ago, there were Unorthodox Faction bastards who gathered their strength and built their own Faction. Did you happen to know that?”
“…I didn’t.”
I didn’t know. It wasn’t in the Original Novel, so how would I know what happened three hundred years ago? Anyway, there was a powerful Unorthodox Faction Group in this worldview too?
“Like you, they secured territorial rights through war and negotiation with the Murim Alliance. After that, the land they ruled became a Demonic Hell.”
“…”
“And that land is the Shanxi Region where our family is currently settled. Since the time of the Founding Family Head, the Shanxi Yu Family has truly been a History of Struggle against the Unorthodox Faction.”
“…”
…So there was a setting like that.
However, my reaction after hearing all of Yu Haseong’s words was…
[So what, fuck!]
…just that.
Isn’t that right? It’s not like I’m a descendant of those Unorthodox Faction bastards carrying on their will, nor am I the same person as them.
Why is he bringing up other Unorthodox Faction bastards, even ones from 300 years ago, to lecture me?
“I’m different from them, fuck.”
“Can you prove that you’re different? Can you ensure that you won’t exploit the Common People and will keep Hunan Province peaceful, even as time passes?”
“Of course, naturally…”
“No, I can’t believe it.”
“…”
Should I draw it?
What kind of textbook-stubborn old man is this?
For a moment, unable to control myself, I leaked a bit of Killing Intent, but even feeling that, Yu Haseong didn’t yield.
His firm expression strongly conveyed his thought that he would accept a Sword fight right here and now.
“Even if you do so, there’s no guarantee that your descendants will do the same as you. Ultimately, I cannot trust the very existence of the Unorthodox Faction.”
“Fuck, then why did you even come here in the first place? Did this old fogey come just to make my blood boil…”
“B-Both of you, please calm down.”
“Huu…”
For a moment, I almost lost my temper, but I was able to hold back thanks to Munseok’s intervention.
At that, I took a deep breath, calmed down, and organized my thoughts again.
First of all, it seems certain that this person, Yu Haseong, despises - no, loathes the Unorthodox Faction, whether it’s because of his family’s history or some personal circumstances I don’t know about.
[Should I just bring out the hostage? No…, that would truly be a catastrophe.]
I could easily imagine Yu Haseong shouting, “As expected of Unorthodox Faction bastards!” and immediately drawing his Sword the moment I showed him the tied-up Somyung-i.
[Then what should I…]
While I was agonizing over it, Yu Haseong opened his mouth with a sunken expression.
“…Even so, I do not wish to deny the fact that the victim in this incident is the Green Forest and the perpetrator are us. So instead, I would like to make two proposals to you.”
“What proposals…”
It was obvious that it wouldn’t be anything good, but I decided to listen for now.
“First, I will acknowledge your property rights to the Mountain Path you pioneered. However, the Murim Alliance will handle the management.”
“Haha, the first one is already rejected, but let’s hear more for now.”
Ultimately, if we are stripped of management rights and unable to participate in the business, it won’t be long before everything is snatched away from us. Naturally, the first proposal was rejected right off the bat.
“Second, if you disband the Green Forest right now, I will grant a pardon to all its members for their past Green Forest Activities.”
“…”
…Hmm, I was slightly tempted by this one.
Right now, I have quite a large number of bandits under me. However, they aren’t guys I took in as Subordinates because I wanted to. I just ended up taking charge of them inevitably and playing the role of Leader.
If I accept the proposal, receive the pardons, and disband the Green Forest as it is, everyone can live a new life.
I, too, could forget the past and live happily with the wealth piled high in my storehouse.
When viewed that way, this proposal is a really good one to shake everything off and live freely.
However…
“…I reject that one too.”
…I can’t do that anymore.
The one who brought in the new Subordinates was Dongryong, but the one who brought in Dongryong was me. A Leader must naturally take responsibility for what his Subordinates do, and now I also consider these new guys as my Subordinates.
In the first place, they were guys who became bandits because they had nothing else to do. Even if they were given a new life with a pardon, they would just wander around with nothing to do.
Still, they are my kids now, so I can’t just leave them like that.
I calmed my frustration, anger, and Killing Intent, returning to my initial state before speaking to Yu Haseong again.
“…Great Hero. I will say this for the last time. Set aside your Personal Feelings and unclear assumptions, and think and decide rationally. You are not here to handle personal matters right now; you hold the future of the Common People of Hunan Province in your hands.”
“…”
At my final words, Yu Haseong seemed to ponder for a moment, but his firm expression remained unchanged.
Looking at his expression, I could predict that he would refuse once again.
And at that moment…
Murmur, murmur.
Uncle Munseok and the Beggar's Sect Branch Master probably couldn’t hear it, but a small commotion from outside reached my ears. It seemed Yu Haseong heard it as well.
“This is…”
At this, he made a slightly flustered expression, but I did not.
Because…
[It’s what I ordered.]
…I was worried because they arrived later than expected, but they finally came.
As I stood up from my seat, Munseok Ajae finally sensed the presence outside and grabbed my arm.
“W-What is it? What arrived outside?”
“Ah…, I called for them. Don’t worry and stay seated.”
“You didn’t happen to call for fighters or bring the hostage here, did you…?”
“Haha, what do you take me for? Don’t you trust me?”
“…”
“…You don’t trust me.”
Munseok Ajae was looking at me with an expression full of absolute distrust.
Feeling awkward, I moved toward the door.
Seeing me do so, Yu Haseong subtly moved his hand toward his Sword and asked me.
“…What is the commotion outside? I heard this meeting was only supposed to be between the four of us.”
“Don’t worry too much. I’ll open the door now, so take a look.”
I grinned and threw the door wide open.
And…
“…!”
…I feigned a surprised expression at the sight outside the door.