Episode 52. Being Ruthlessly Squeezed Dry
"Well... There were circumstances. Since the magistrate said he was coming, we left the doors open just in case."
Ohgu brought up the magistrate. It seemed the senior official was already aware of the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. He frowned deeply and said,
"That’s all the more reason to follow the rules and procedures. Hurry up and submit the application. Since the magistrate is interested in this establishment, we can’t afford to be careless."
The junior official discreetly slipped a silver coin into his pocket, glanced around, and looked toward the inner room. The inner room was a mess, as they were in the middle of knocking down the wall to expand into the neighboring building.
Trying to smooth things over, the junior official said,
"Looks like the renovations aren’t finished yet. We’ll issue the business permit as soon as the work is done."
"Understood. By the way, doesn’t that painting look quite nice?"
When the official started eyeing the painting, Won Seung felt a surge of anger boil up inside him, his eyes narrowing sharply. His hand instinctively moved toward the needle hidden behind his ear.
Ohgu quickly whispered to the junior official,
"It’s a bit much to do this before we’ve even opened for business."
Once again, a silver coin passed hands in a swift, practiced motion.
The junior official then turned to the senior official, who had just narrowly avoided a trip to the afterlife, and said,
"Once we officially open, you should come by and pick out a nice painting."
Fortunately, the senior official didn’t seem particularly interested in the artwork. He nodded and asked Ohgu,
"Are you the owner?"
Ohgu glanced at Won Seung, but then quietly stood up and slipped into the back.
If he stayed any longer, he felt he might actually commit murder.
Realizing he had to handle this himself, Ohgu turned to the junior official with a smile.
"I’m the manager. Is there something you’d like to discuss?"
The senior official leaned in and whispered a few words to Ohgu before leaving.
Once the officials were gone, Won Seung came out and asked Ohgu,
"What did that bastard say?"
"He said that if the magistrate is coming, we should contact him in advance. He’s from the Namjo Department."
The Namjo Department was the government office overseeing the southern part of Xiangyang. Since the magistrate had visited their jurisdiction, they were probably here to show they were paying attention... but why take money?
"You’ve got to grease the wheels at the government office."
Ohgu shared a harsh lesson about survival in the marketplace.
‘Sigh. First the Black Path riffraff, now the officials... They’re squeezing us dry.’
He felt like a sheep being devoured by wolves.
At the same time, Ohgu’s deft handling of the situation made his presence feel even more significant.
If it had been Jong Bi, he wouldn’t have hesitated to stab the official in the gut. Even Won Seung himself had struggled to restrain his urge to kill the senior official.
‘There’s a reason Gu Ja-ang recommended him. He’s got some skills.’
Won Seung watched Ohgu for a moment before speaking.
"Mr. Wu, about the Hundred Flowers Pavilion permit. Get it under your name."
"Me? But the situation—"
"No, you’ve learned a lot by now. If you’re going to be the manager, you should do it properly."
Ever since hearing that Red Blood Mountain had a branch in Xiangyang, Won Seung had tried to keep a low profile.
But now, both the magistrate and the Clear Water Sect knew his true identity. It was only a matter of time before word spread in Xiangyang, so he needed to officially step away from the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.
Unaware of this, Ohgu was moved to tears once again.
"Sniff... You’ve pulled me out of the shadows and now you’re even giving me a chance to rise in the world. I’ll do my best."
Whether it was the lingering effects of his injuries or some side effect of his cosmetic surgery, the once cold-blooded Ohgu was turning into a man who cried at the drop of a hat.
It suited his pretty-boy looks, but only up to a point.
"Don’t cry... I always intended to leave it to you. Who else knows Xiangyang as well as you do? It’s only natural. But listen, I need to know more about Xiangyang. Who’s really in charge here?"
"In charge?"
Won Seung pointed upward with his finger.
"The boss, the leader, the head honcho—whatever you want to call it. Who’s at the top?"
"That would be the magistrate."
"I don’t think so. What about that Ox And Sheep Guild? Those guys extorting money must have some serious backing."
"Ah, you must not know about the Black Society."
Ohgu nodded, as if it were only natural for a young master from a noble family to be ignorant of the underworld. He began explaining the Xiangyang Black Society and the Black Path in detail.
"...Basically, anything that happens at night is under the Black Society’s control. It’s a nationwide organization. The Xiangyang Black Society is under the Henan Black Society."
Won Seung knew the basics about the major sects and organizations in Murim from his assassin training. But theory and practice were two different things.
He listened quietly as Ohgu continued.
"Under the Xiangyang Black Society, there are groups like that Ox And Sheep Guild you saw earlier. There are so many little gangs, it’s impossible to count them all."
"And above the Henan Black Society?"
"I’m not sure, but I’ve heard there’s a council where the leaders of similarly powerful Black Societies gather. The chair of that council is probably the head of the Black Society."
Ohgu didn’t know much about the upper echelons of the Black Society. In fact, Won Seung knew more. The heads of the Black Societies from each province gathered once every ten years. The one who presided over that meeting was the leader of leaders.
His master at Red Blood Mountain, who taught him everything about the Black Path, suspected that this leader had close ties to the Imperial Family.
After thinking for a moment, Won Seung asked,
"Who’s the head of the Xiangyang Black Society?"
"Officially, it’s Gu Ak-pyeong, the owner of Flower Clear Pavilion, but that’s probably not true. I’ve heard there’s a real boss behind the scenes."
"So the real leader... is a coward, hiding behind a front?"
"If their identity gets out, they’re as good as dead. The competition in the Black Path is fierce. The moment you’re exposed, you become a target for assassins. Plus, the Orthodox Faction might storm in under the pretense of upholding justice."
Hmm, even the Black Society leader has to live in hiding... Life’s tough for everyone.
The more he heard, the more Xiangyang sounded like a den of demons. Won Seung let out a sigh.
"Looks like... we need to have a proper talk. Close up shop and come inside."
A little later, after Ohgu locked up, Won Seung brewed some tea and started asking him all sorts of questions about Xiangyang.
To understand why the Seongwang House was after control of the Xiang River, he needed to know more about Xiangyang.
"Xiangyang is definitely fertile... The fields are rich, there are plenty of rivers and lakes... It’s not just because it’s my hometown—there really aren’t many places like this in the Central Plains."
Ohgu rambled on, but nothing seemed to connect directly to the Seongwang House. There were plenty of other granaries connected to the capital by waterways.
Then, something Ohgu said offhandedly caught his attention.
"...That’s why the Northern Barbarians are always eyeing this place, so Great General Hansu..."
"Great General Hansu?"
A vivid image of the stubborn, white-haired old general flashed through his mind.
Despite being the top war hero who drove out the barbarians, he’d volunteered to remain on the border, earning the respect of the entire nation.
"Don’t tell me you don’t know Great General Hansu?"
Of course I do. I’ve even seen him up close.
As a child, he’d once watched from afar as Great General Hansu returned in triumph.
"He’s the greatest general in the land, guarding the Northwest Border Region so we can all live in peace. Truly a man to be respected."
Ohgu’s words barely registered. Won Seung felt like he’d finally figured something out.
‘The map!’
He rushed to his room, pulled out the hidden map, and spread it open. Northwest of Xiangyang was the Northwest Border Region, where the Jinbuk Army was stationed.
A hundred thousand troops were deployed at the border, and in an emergency, they could muster three hundred thousand in no time.
‘This is what the Seongwang House is after.’
If the Seongwang House attempted a coup, the stubborn Great General Hansu would never stand for it. He’d immediately turn the Jinbuk Army’s banners toward the capital.
Xiangyang was the shortest route for the Jinbuk Army to reach the capital.
If the Seongwang House, in collusion with the Heavenly Observation Pavilion, controlled the Xiang River waterway, they could delay the Jinbuk Army’s advance through Xiangyang.
Now he understood why So Yeong-gwan had been so on edge.
‘He must feel like he’s standing on a knife’s edge.’
He was caught in a position where he’d have to pick a side.
Won Seung had already planned to cut off the Seongwang House’s influence in Xiangyang. If he couldn’t return to the capital, he’d at least use this place as a safe haven. But now, he had an even stronger reason.
‘I can’t let Xiangyang fall into the Seongwang House’s hands.’
He’d only just managed to establish a foothold here. If the Seongwang House took over, everything would be for nothing.
*
"Teacher Song! Teacher Song!"
Won Seung looked for Jong Bi, but he was nowhere to be found. With no other choice, he went to the well to fill the teapot himself.
Bang, bang!
Sawing and hammering noises echoed over the wall.
They were renovating the newly purchased neighboring house.
The much-sought-after Jong Bi finally emerged from the construction site, covered in sawdust. He gulped down a bucket of water from the well, then frowned as he looked toward the barn.
"Can you tell that guy to leave? He’s getting on my nerves."
The "guy" in question was Yong Jo-woon, who was staying in the barn.
Won Seung had told Yong Jo-woon to refrain from camping out in front of the Clear Water Sect for now, promising to arrange a martial arts duel for him. So Yong Jo-woon was currently staying in the Hundred Flowers Pavilion’s barn.
Meanwhile, rumors were spreading through the marketplace that the Clear Water Sect had hired assassins to kill the Descendant of the Yong Clan.
That was Gu Ja-ang’s doing. All sorts of criticism were now being hurled at the Clear Water Sect—exactly what Won Seung wanted.
Won Seung said to the grumbling Jong Bi,
"You should stick to the kitchen. What are you doing at the construction site?"
"The workers here aren’t very reliable. If you take your eyes off them for a second, they’ll cut corners. Ugh... Who knows what kind of shoddy work they’re doing right now. I’d better go check."
Muttering about the workers, Jong Bi hurried back inside.
Since they’d come into some money, they’d hired carpenters and stonemasons instead of doing the work themselves. Still, Jong Bi insisted on supervising the renovations all day, using it as an excuse to keep an eye on the place—just in case Yong Jo-woon tried to harm Blood Flower.
‘Who’s protecting whom, anyway?’
Blood Flower, the Sea Mist Sect’s special-grade assassin, was recovering rapidly. It was a strange situation, with both assassin and target living under the same roof, but the two of them were managing, holed up in the study and the barn.
Jong Bi was taking care of Blood Flower’s meals with great devotion.
Won Seung thought it was pointless, but didn’t interfere.
It was Jong Bi’s life, after all.
‘Still... just how skilled is Great Hero Yong?’
He was from Peerless Valley and had subdued Blood Flower, a special-grade assassin, so he was definitely a master. But could he defeat two of the Hundred Great Experts of the Central Plains in succession?
Won Seung glanced toward the barn where Yong Jo-woon was staying, deep in thought.
Originally, he’d planned to arrange the three-way martial arts duel and simply watch from the sidelines. He had no deep grudges with any of them, so there was no reason to get too involved.
Of course, it would be best if Yong Jo-woon managed to kill both Hwa Cheon-gang and Cheon Il-hae... but those two were seasoned masters, and he couldn’t guarantee the rookie Yong Jo-woon’s victory.
If he openly sided with Yong Jo-woon and ended up on the bad side of the Clear Water Sect or the Heavenly Observation Pavilion, it might become difficult to stay in Xiangyang. So he’d intended to play the impartial mediator.
But now, things had changed.
‘I need to make a move.’
Sorry, but the Heavenly Observation Pavilion... needs to go down.