Chapter 181 Chungnyeol Gongpa

Chapter 181: Chungnyeol Gongpa

Having torn through Show Me the Martial Arts, we returned to Jeon Wang-mun, clutching the winner’s necklace.

Naturally, the atmosphere was indescribably high.

Upon hearing the news, Myohyang prepared wine and meat for the disciples. The disciples, starved for two days, devoured it like a pack of lions possessed.

The nine officers, including Yukhak, mingled among them.

“Tsk tsk… They really shouldn’t be doing that…”

It was a sight that made one shake one’s head involuntarily.

It was like a company commander and battalion commander crashing a soldiers’ drinking party.

“What are you lot doing? You’re not refilling the Sect Leader’s cup!”

“Yes, sir!”

They should be enjoying themselves in a corner like me.

Trying not to be a bother.

Honestly, our officers have not a shred of consideration.

Just as the feast was in full swing.

Yoo So-pyeong brought news via an informant.

“This quickly?”

The dissolution of Baek Eunmun.

That is, the merger was canceled, and they split back into Baekseomgeomun and Eun Gajang.

It was entirely expected. It was the speed of it all that surprised us.

“It seems the Silver Family pushed for it strongly. Since they lost the competition anyway, they’d lost their purpose.”

“They came out stronger than expected?”

“Because of that, the White Sword Gate is grinding its teeth. If the Silver Dragon Sect doesn’t help, fighting could break out the moment they return.”

“A bloodbath will sweep through the Yunnan martial world.”

Yoo So-pyeong answered with a serious expression.

“The head of the Eun Family wishes to see the Sect Leader.”

“…It doesn’t concern us, but aren’t they in a position where they have to watch the Silver Dragon Sect’s reactions?”

“I don’t know the full details, but it seems they’re trying to break free from the Silver Dragon Sect’s control.”

“A branch family severing ties with the main house… That’s a very difficult decision.”

“According to them, the Silver Dragon Sect sold out the Silver Family. To the White Dragon Sect.”

“Hah… What’s the point of calling themselves a righteous sect? Their actions are no different from those of the lowly rogue factions. Don’t you agree?”

“I agree.”

Yu So-pyeong drank the wine before him and continued.

“I disagree.”

“Why?”

“It could inadvertently give the Silver Dragon Sect ammunition. As you know, for the Jeonwangmun right now, antagonizing the Eight Sects is quite dangerous.”

“Hmm…”

He wasn’t wrong.

They’d just been selected as a subcontractor; they couldn’t afford to antagonize the main contractor’s major shareholder.

But.

“They’re on our side.”

“…Wouldn’t it be more accurate to call it a business relationship?”

“I don’t care about that. Didn’t we win this competition because of them?”

“That’s true, but…”

“Then set a date. Even if it causes a little friction, we have to look out for our own.”

“…Understood.”

“Wait.”

He called out to Yoo So-pyeong, who was about to leave.

“Since we’re meeting anyway, let’s invite them all.”

“Huh? Who…?”

“Who else? Master Wu and Lord Oh. They’re still in the city, aren’t they?”

The bigger the game, the better.

* * *

The next day.

Late at night, Oh Ryang, Woo Gongbaek, and Eun Jinsan paid a visit.

This was out of consideration for Eun Jinsan, who had to be mindful of Eunryongdang’s feelings.

Thanks to that, two of the world’s greatest masters, known as the Seven Masters, came disguised.

“I’m terribly sorry. It’s all because of me…”

“It’s fine. No one here is unaware of Lord Eun’s situation.”

“Master Oh speaks wisely. Don’t worry about it. There’s no need to fret.”

Woo Gongbaek and Oh Ryang dissuaded Eun Jinsan from apologizing.

Especially Wu Liang, who surely harbored no fondness for the Silver Gate, showed no sign of resentment.

‘Truly a magnanimous man.’

Unlike someone over there at the Black Sands, guzzling down liquor.

“Please, take a seat. I can’t guarantee it’ll suit your taste, but these are dishes my sister prepared with utmost care, stitch by stitch.”

“…Looks delicious.”

“Indeed. I’ve never seen food of this caliber even in the mountain fortress.”

“I agree.”

Well, saying it’s bad after all this would just prove you’re a psychopath.

And honestly, Myohyang’s cooking skills were truly exceptional.

“Now, now, accept the cup your junior offers. This is Honghwajju made at Jikryongdang, and its flavor is absolutely breathtaking.”

The three men who tasted the Honghua wine did not hold back their praise.

“Wow… I never knew such a wine existed…”

“I envy Guryongseong… In Gui Zhou, finding decent wine is practically impossible.”

“I’d heard of its fame, but I never imagined it would be this good…”

Only after several rounds of drinking did he bring up the main topic.

“The reason I invited all three of you here isn’t simply to build friendship.”

“……”

Wu Liang and Wu Gongbai nodded, as if they had guessed the reason.

As for Eun Jinsan, perhaps because of his situation, a look of deep sorrow lingered in his eyes.

Truthfully, his sense of injustice was understandable.

He had spent his entire life obeying his family’s orders, only to be cast aside.

“I wish to propose a business venture.”

“A business?”

“Yes. It’s not a huge sum, but it’s a venture that could sufficiently aid in the operation of your sect.”

Oryang and Wugongbaek’s eyes flickered.

It was understandable. The very reason both had participated in this bidding was to resolve their financial difficulties.

It would be a lie to say they weren’t tempted.

“…May I hear the specifics?”

At Oh-ryang’s question, I clapped my hands.

Clap.

The door opened, and today’s presenter entered.

“I am Myohyang, Chief Administrator of the Han-Jung Sangryeon.”

“A woman…?”

“As long as one has the ability, gender is irrelevant.”

She looked at Oh-ryang with clear eyes.

O-ryang chuckled softly and nodded.

“I was merely surprised, not critical. Hearing a woman rose to the position of Chief Administrator makes me trust her even more.”

Myohyang bowed her head in gratitude at O-ryang’s praise.

“Now, then, I shall explain the plan.”

She hung a large sheet of paper on the PPT board prepared in the meeting room.

Main Arteries.

The three men stared at the characters with puzzled expressions.

“It’s a plan to create an artery connecting Haenam to Guizhou, Yunnan, Sichuan, and all the way to Hanzhong.”

She pointed to Oryang first.

“Haenam produces a variety of precious seafood, like dried sea cucumbers and abalone, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“You naturally know how to catch them.”

“There isn’t a single person in Hainan who isn’t familiar with the sea.”

“Then this should be easy. Please catch and dry as much seafood as possible whenever you return.”

“……I’ve met with many merchant caravans and tried trading over the years. It didn’t seem particularly profitable, though?”

“Of course not. They probably paid you less than a tenth of the price the caravans sell for. ”

“I had no idea.”

“From now on, you’ll get paid what it’s worth.”

“What do we need to do?”

“Simple. Just secure the goods and transport them to Eun Gajang. We’ll buy the ships, so don’t worry about initial capital.”

“Understood.”

Myohyang met U Gongbaek’s gaze.

“I heard no one lives in Guizhou Province.”

“……That’s correct.”

“That means precious herbs could be scattered across every mountain, right? Since no one has been gathering them all this time.”

Fundamentally, good herbs grow wild in uninhabited areas.

In that sense, the mountains of Guizhou, virtually uninhabited for hundreds of years, had undoubtedly become natural herb-growing grounds.

Even in modern Korea, don’t herbalists seek out mountains where few people go?

For reference, in my past life, my younger brother worked at a GP post in Goseong, Gangwon Province. He ate wild ginseng he dug up and didn’t catch a single cold for ten years.

“That’s true, but it’s hard to sell…”

“That’s because you tried to sell it within Guizhou Province.”

Myohyang smiled brightly and continued.

“As soon as you return, have your disciples collect medicinal herbs. I’ll assign you a professional herb gatherer so you can learn how to handle them.”

“Then…?”

“We’ll handle the sales ourselves, so just bring them to the Silver House. However, since we need to collect the sales proceeds, you’ll need to station dozens of guards at the Silver House, right? The same goes for the Haenam Sword Sect.“

Hearing this, the Silver House Lord’s expression brightened.

He must have understood the meaning.

”Our task seems perfectly clear.“

”Exactly. Transport the received goods to Hanjung. I heard you operate a courier service; this shouldn’t be difficult for you?“

”Of course not. That’s precisely our specialty.”

Truthfully, involving the Eun Family wasn’t solely for transportation.

It was to have the warriors of Taemosan Fortress and Haenam Sword Sect stay at the Eun Family, publicly declaring that the Eun Family, Taemosan Fortress, Haenam Sword Sect, and the Zhenwang Sect were business partners.

It was to forge a guanxi to replace the Eunryongdang.

This way, not only would the Baekseom Sword Sect dare not touch Eun Gajang, but their main branch, the Baekryong Hall, would also feel the pressure.

And that connection applied to our newly established Jeonwangmun as well.

‘Making money and conducting diplomacy.’

This must be what they mean by killing two birds with one stone.

After the announcement, he patted Myohyang’s shoulder.

“Good work, sister.”

“It’s nothing.”

Myohyang bowed her head slightly and stepped back.

“Well? Are you satisfied?”

Nod.

“Very satisfied indeed. To have someone scratch such an itch for us. Don’t you agree?”

“Quite right. It even makes me think the reason we came up from Haenam was to meet this Jin Munju.”

“If it were up to me, I’d even consider giving you my daughter.”

Woo Gongbaek, Oh Ryang, and Eun Jin-san responded in turn.

“Then, as the proposer, may I name the gathering?”

“Of course! Naturally. Without Jin Munju, it wouldn’t even have come into being.”

Everyone, including Myohyang, looked at me with sparkling eyes.

Clearing my throat, I told them the name I’d pondered all night.

“How about Chungryeonggongpa? Chungryeonggongpa.”

“……That’s a powerful name. What does it mean?”

“It means the energy of the universe surrounds us.”

My mother in my past life was also from the Chungnyeonggong branch of the Jeonju Choi clan.

“Indeed! As expected of a young leader, your sense is truly exceptional.”

“I believe it’s a name that fits perfectly.”

“I agree.”

Uwahahahaha-!

And so, in that warm and harmonious atmosphere, the Chungnyeonggongpa Association, which would later unify the commercial interests of southern Jungwon, was born.

* * *

News of the final victory in Show Me the Martial Arts rocked Nine Dragon City.

Rumors spread rapidly throughout the market district.

“Have you heard? The Jeonwang Sect defeated all those prestigious martial arts factions!”

“Of course! With the hand of the true Sect Leader… no, the true Sect Master involved, how could they fail? I knew from the start the Jeonwang Sect would win.”

“Oh, come on… Do you think anyone doesn’t know you bet money on the Haenam Sword Sect?”

“Ah, no… no…”

Thanks to this, the newly established Jeonwang Sect’s recognition rapidly soared.

In fact, such recognition can be seen as extremely important.

Given the martial world’s nature, overflowing with swindlers, even simple transactions are decided based on the other party’s name.

And thanks to this series of rumors, the recognition of the Hanjung Merchants’ Alliance and the Chungryeol Gongpa also rose.

“It’s decided. Starting today, we’ll supply goods to the Hanjung Merchants’ Alliance.”

“But just a short while ago, you were saying we had to protect the market merchants’ interests. Didn’t you say we should expel the Hanjung merchants?”

“Haven’t you heard the rumors? Lord Jin has joined forces with the Haenam Sword Sect, Taemosan Fortress, and the Eun Family.”

“Huh! Is that really true?”

“That’s what they say. A man so magnanimous he embraces even his rivals wouldn’t harm us merchants.”

“Indeed… He truly deserves to be called a great man of the world.”

Well, that’s how it went.

‘Heh heh, splendid.’

Sipping tea at the Daeuljeon pavilion after so long, only pleasant chatter reached my ears.

But.

‘The riper the rice, the lower it bows.’

At times like this, one must never lose humility.

“Could you be Lord Jin Munju?!”

“Oh dear, oh dear. I was hoping to quietly drink my tea and leave, but I’ve been spotted… Yes. I am Jin Mujeon, the current head of the Jeonwang Gate, who just tore through this competition.“