Chapter 58
Jangsong was flustered by Munseok’s words, staring blankly before slowly chewing them over.
“Mediate this matter jointly between the Beggar's Sect and Haomun…?”
“Yes, I’ve already thought of a mediation method. First, the representatives of each group…”
“Ah, no. Wait! How are you trying to gloss over this! Our Beggar's Sect hasn’t agreed to mediate. No, why should we even mediate in the first place?”
“…”
When Munseok couldn’t easily continue speaking in response to Jangsong’s pushback, Jangsong rode the momentum and pressed him further.
“In the first place, our Beggar's Sect would rather help with the subjugation; we have no intention of saving that cruel Unorthodox Faction. Do you think there’s a reason our Beggar's Sect should reach out a hand to them?”
Jangsong’s words were perfectly logical. There was no reason for the Beggar's Sect, a member of the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance, to help the Green Forest.
“A reason…”
Whether he had nothing to say or was thinking deeply about something, Munseok closed and opened his eyes once before continuing in a quiet voice.
“Branch Leader, what do you think is the difference between our Haomun and the Beggar's Sect?”
“…What kind of nonsense is that all of a sudden? There are many differences between the Beggar's Sect and Haomun. We are a Sect made up of honorable Beggars, but aren’t you a place where dirty people gather?”
“Yes, we are dirty people. We are not dirty on the outside, but on the inside. We are people who won’t hesitate to do anything for our own benefit.”
“…”
Jangsong had spoken harshly to mock Haomun, but Munseok surprisingly acknowledged it and nodded.
Naturally, Jangsong couldn’t help but flinch at this. Taking advantage of that gap, Munseok continued.
“Yes, I admit it. We, Haomun, are those kinds of people. But isn’t the Beggar's Sect different from us?”
“…What are you trying to say?”
“Unlike us, don’t you have a noble value that you prioritize over the group’s benefit?”
“Are you trying to talk about Righteousness and Chivalry…?”
Nod.
Munseok nodded as if Jangsong’s words were correct.
Righteousness and Chivalry.
That was undoubtedly the most important value put forth by the Murim Alliance.
Then, among the numerous Sects in the Murim Alliance, which one prioritized Righteousness and Chivalry the most?
It was none other than the Beggar's Sect.
What was the Beggar's Sect?
It was a Sect formed by Beggars.
Who were the Beggars?
They were people at rock bottom, with only one set of clothes, no home, and nothing to eat right now, forced to live by begging.
How did those rock-bottom lives become a pillar of the Nine Great Sects and One Alliance?
It lay precisely in their unity, loyalty, and sense of justice.
A single Beggar was a useless existence, but the moment tens of thousands of Beggars united and took root in the world, the story changed.
If a Beggar caused a ruckus, they were merely a vagrant to be chased away immediately, but if they showed goodwill to those around them, they could become a friendly neighbor.
The Beggars of the Beggar's Sect learned the truth that one cannot live alone in this world. They learned how much strength a small favor from another person could provide.
They learned how important loyalty and friends were. They learned that they had to help others in order to survive.
Righteousness and Chivalry were undoubtedly the values that were fundamental to the essence of the Beggar's Sect.
However,
“…What does helping the Green Forest have to do with the Beggar's Sect’s Righteousness and Chivalry?”
…The Green Forest was not a friend to the Beggar's Sect. As Jangsong frowned and asked this, Munseok immediately replied.
“You should know it too: How much the Merchants' hardships have decreased since the Hunan Mountain Path was opened this time. The issue with Hunan’s rugged roads was a problem anyone with eyes could see, but no one tried to solve it. And the ones who solved that problem were the Green Forest friends you call Remnants of the Unorthodox Faction.”
“…”
“Did they take excessive profits? Of course…, they did overcharge a little…, excessively… But anyway, it wasn’t to the point of profiteering, was it?”
“…No, I didn’t even say anything, so why are you getting defensive and angry all by yourself…”
Munseok’s voice grew a little quieter when the topic of profiteering came up, but he skillfully glossed over the disadvantageous subject.
“Thanks to the path opening, more Merchants are gathering, and as Merchants gather, the economic situation of Hunan Province has also improved. Can you deny this?”
“…I can’t do that.”
“Then, can you deny that the situation of the Beggar's Sect’s Beggars has also improved alongside the improvement of Hunan Province’s circumstances?”
“…”
At Munseok’s words, Jangsong had no choice but to shut his mouth.
The Mountain Path was pioneered; Merchants gathered, and thanks to that, the economy improved. As everyone’s pockets grew fuller, the amount of coins given to beggars also increased.
Certainly, the Beggar's Sect Hunan Branch had benefited thanks to the Green Forest bandits who pioneered the Mountain Path.
Was it only the Beggar's Sect?
The barren and backward Hunan Province had gained vitality thanks to the Mountain Path.
This was an achievement not of the Murim Alliance, but of the Green Forest.
Right now, it is autumn, a time of abundant food, so it’s not yet apparent, but when winter comes, people will be able to feel it firsthand.
Hunan was originally a place with many mountainous areas, making farming difficult. It was a place where every year people occasionally starved to death.
However…, through this Mountain Path, Hunan Province would be able to make up for its deficient agricultural sector through commerce.
Looking at it this way, it was safe to say that the Mountain Path pioneered by the Green Forest was truly a treasure of Hunan Province.
Because of that…, the Beggar's Sect Hunan Branch also evaluated this positively and reported it to the Murim Alliance.
However…
“It still won’t do. The Beggar's Sect has no intention of mediating between the Green Forest and the Murim Alliance.”
“…May I ask why?”
“Regardless of their intentions, in the end, our brothers died by their blades. Anyone belonging to the Murim Alliance is our brother.”
At the hands of the Green Forest, all personnel of the Murim Alliance’s Dragon Slaying Squad were either killed or captured. And though it couldn’t be spoken of openly, a spy of the Murim Alliance was also found dead on the outskirts of Hunan Province.
Since the Dragon Slaying Squad was a subjugation force that came to kill them, fighting back was one thing, but catching and killing a spy who was merely investigating in secret crossed the line.
In the first place, it was the Green Forest that sparked this subjugation. If it hadn’t killed the spy, this incident wouldn’t have happened.
“Brothers…”
Yet, even after hearing Jangsong’s words, Munseok questioned him as if he found it absurd.
“Do you know that the Dragon Slaying Squad Leader Dokgoyeong, who died this time, and his Subordinates have no right to be called friends of the Beggar's Sect?”
“What are you talking about?”
“If you’re curious, find out for yourself. With a status like Branch Leader, you should be able to find out what truth the Murim Alliance and the Dokgo Noble Family have been hiding. If you learn that truth and change your mind, come find me.”
“A truth hidden by the Murim Alliance and the Dokgo Noble Family…?”
Despite Jangsong’s question, Munseok didn’t answer and stood up from his seat. Instead, he left one more remark as he headed out the door.
“If you look into it carefully, you’ll probably be able to figure out who killed the Murim Alliance’s spy as well.”
“…How do you know a Murim Alliance spy was here…! Hey-! Hey-!!”
Jangsong shouted in surprise, but Munseok just walked out as if he hadn’t heard a thing.
* * *
Thinking it would be better to handle matters together with Haomun here rather than at the Mountain Stronghold, I decided to stay in Hunan City.
And after I slept for a day and woke up, Dongryong came to my Guest Room.
He said he came because he was worried after I suddenly ran down the mountain like a crazy person.
Since I happened to have orders to give, I had a long talk with Dongryong.
“I’ll be staying here for a while. Still, I need to keep in touch with the Mountain Stronghold, so send either the Youngest or Bongchun-i here as a liaison.”
“Yes.”
“If any of the guys who died this time had families, take some money from my room and take care of them yourself.”
“I will… look into that as well.”
“And…, since we don’t know what will happen from now on, arm the guys, strengthen the Border, and don’t block the road for a while to do business.”
“If we strengthen the Border, we might end up fighting the Murim Alliance again?”
“In the worst-case scenario, yes. I’ll try my best to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
“Huu…”
Dongryong let out a sigh, then glared and said to me.
“The atmosphere among the guys is unsettled because of this incident. I am too. I can’t even sleep thinking about the guys who died this time… If those bastards invade again, shouldn’t we just ram right back into them?”
Saying that, Dongryong looked like he was ready to charge headlong into Anhui Province, even if it meant his death right this second.
I smacked Dongryong hard on the forehead.
“Hey, you punk. You used to work for a Noble Family, and you can say so easily we should go head-to-head with the Murim Alliance?”
“Still…”
“Still, my ass. I’ll take care of it, so just go up the mountain, do everything I told you, and manage the guys well. Got it?”
“Yeees…”
Dongryong answered sullenly. There was no energy in his expression.
It seemed he was feeling keenly responsible for the deaths of his Subordinates this time. If he hadn’t pulled that Bandit King folly, this wouldn’t have happened.
Unable to comfort the self-blaming Dongryong hastily, I just clicked my tongue.
It was then.
Creaaak-.
“Muyeon, are you there?”
While Dongryong was weakly nodding his head, Munseok entered.
Munseok glanced over at Dongryong, who was with me, and asked.
“…And this friend is?”
“Ah, he’s my direct Subordinate. Hey, Dongryong. I’m done talking, so hurry up and head back.”
“Yes, Leader. Then I’ll see you up there soon.”
“Yeah.”
Sensing that Munseok had something to say, I sent Dongryong out immediately and asked him.
“Mister, did you successfully do what I asked?”
“Yes, I was reluctant, but I made contact with the Beggar's Sect and conveyed our intention to jointly mediate with Haomun.”
“Will they agree?”
At my question, Munseok nodded with a smile like a mastermind behind the scenes.
“I know very well how to handle the Beggar's Sect. And according to our intelligence, the Hunan Branch Leader, a friend named Jangsong, absolutely cannot tolerate injustice. We should get the results we want soon.”
“That’s a relief then…”
With this, a weight was lifted off my mind.
Whatever the case, we now had many cards to negotiate with the Murim Alliance. As long as we could somehow get them to sit at the table, there was plenty of room to navigate this current situation.
“What about the other thing I asked for?”
“It’s all in progress, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“Right.”
Munseok was highly capable and an expert in this field, too…
I decided to trust Munseok.
And a few days later…
“Muyeon, are you there?”
BANG-!
I could see Munseok’s face as he burst into my room with an unusually urgent expression.
“What is it? What’s going on?”
At this, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of anxiety.
Munseok’s expression was exactly like that a few days ago when he delivered the news that the Murim Alliance had come to subjugate our Green Forest.
Right now, Munseok has brought news of equal magnitude.
“Why did the Beggar's Sect say it wouldn’t mediate?”
“No, it’s not that… How should I explain this…”
Munseok caught his breath for a moment before relaying the information he had brought.
And…
“…What?”
When I heard the words that came out of Munseok’s mouth, my face instantly stiffened.