The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 119 : Martial Alliance Meeting (1)

The Martial Alliance was the largest organization in the martial world, where the Nine Sects One Alliance and the Five Great Noble Families had gathered. Since those who had not only financial power but also violent power had gathered in one place and were each pursuing their own interests, the Martial Alliance could not help but be a den of demons where all sorts of schemes and political maneuvers were rampant.

For the powerful people who formed the core of the Martial Alliance, every moment was like walking on thin ice. If they failed even once, there was no turning back. Thin ice breaks even with a small impact, and it melts even if it gets a little hot.

The martial artists by nature were not very interested in the struggles of such powerful people. The word 'politics' only gave them a headache and made them feel disgusted. So they did not particularly try to approach the center of power of the Martial Alliance.

But Jang So-gil, who had no roots and was of humble birth, had no support from a sect or a noble family. He could not survive by showing a noble appearance alone in that way.

What Jang So-gil considered most important to survive in this den of demons was information.

'Know the enemy and know yourself'.

Thanks to his position as an inspector, he could confidently look at the information that the Alliance Leader had gathered using the Fengya Unit.

The Fengya Unit, the best information organization in the Central Plains martial world. Their information was of high quality.

Since they officially acted as the eyes and ears of the Alliance Leader, there was no place they could not access.

What was even better was that the people of the Fengya Unit all had considerable goodwill and trust in Jang So-gil.

'Because I am their savior.'

Just last year, the Martial Alliance had been on the verge of ruin. The financial difficulties were so serious that even the wages of the first-class martial artists who guarded the main gate of the Martial Alliance were in arrears.

The Fengya Unit had been well aware of the cracks in the Martial Alliance, and they had known that it was only a matter of time before the Martial Alliance went bankrupt. But wasn't it a matter that even the Alliance Leader and Sima Hui could not do anything about? They too had just been stamping their feet and feeling frustrated.

The person who had saved the Martial Alliance from bankruptcy was the current inspector, Jang So-gil.

The Fengya Unit knew what a great thing Jang So-gil had done. Besides, hadn't the Alliance Leader-nim told them to help the inspector with all their might? Since they had received such an order while having goodwill, there was no way they would not follow it.

The Fengya Unit genuinely respected Jang So-gil and voluntarily moved for him. To Jang So-gil, this was like obtaining a thousand troops and ten thousand horses.

A member of such a Fengya Unit said, showing his respects.

"Here is the information on the elder of the Zhongnan Sect, Wang Anshi."

"Thank you for your hard work."

Wang Anshi was a Zhongnan swordsman who had mastered the Thirty-Six Swords of the World passed down in the Zhongnan Sect, and he was a peak master of the previous generation who had been active during the Great War against the Demonic Cult.

Information gathering was an important task. He compared the information that the Fengya Unit had found out, the information he originally knew, and the information that the beggars had brought.

Jang So-gil's scoundrel-like behavior was possible only because it was supported by thorough preliminary investigation.

"Good. Let's see... did you catch the carrier pigeon?"

"Yes. They really sent the carrier pigeon at the time the inspector had predicted."

Although there were differences in the scale and power of each information organization, the methods of exchanging information mostly converged into three.

The first method was to use messengers and couriers who ran on their own feet. The messengers who had learned martial arts and the couriers who rode on fine horses were excellent in the speed of information delivery, but many information organizations favored them because of the advantage of being able to maintain security.

But just as the advantage was great, it had the disadvantage of being more expensive than other methods, so it was usually used to deliver confidential information that required an express delivery.

The second method was to raise a beacon fire. If the weather was good, it could deliver information faster than any other means, and it was simple and inexpensive.

But since the means of a beacon fire could be easily seen by anyone, security was completely impossible. The content that could be sent was extremely limited, so it could not contain detailed information.

The third method was to use a trained bird to deliver a letter. Since it was delivering a letter, it could contain a lot of information, and the cost was not that high compared to its fast speed.

But it had a very big disadvantage. It was that the information could be easily intercepted in the middle.

The headquarters of the Kunlun Sect and Luoyang were very far apart. Jang So-gil had predicted that Zhongnan would use a carrier pigeon to talk to the sect leader of the Kunlun Sect, and he had aimed for that.

If you intercepted the carrier pigeon, you could know what strategy the opponent was using and how they would move.

The difference in how much of these trivial pieces of information you could gather determined victory or defeat.

"As you ordered, we caught the carrier pigeon, copied the contents of the letter, and then released it."

"It must not have been easy to catch a flying bird, but you did a very good job."

"Because this is our main job."

The members of the Fengya Unit, a confidential information unit, always wore a mask or a human-skin mask during work so that their identity would not be specified. So although he could not see their expressions, their voices were full of pride.

It was a matter worthy of that. To capture a flying bird in the sky with one's visual acuity and catch it without a single scratch, it was an impossible task unless one's skill was exceptionally good.

"Well, let's see what they wrote."

Jang So-gil, who had seen the letter, could not hold back a wry smile.

[Zhongnan and Kunlun are originally beans from the same pod. Please help me out of the affection of being the same bean. I will surely reward you. I beg you.]

"I've never seen a person who doesn't even know the basics of such a negotiation. At this rate, Zhongnan has no chance of getting Kunlun's vote."

"To me, it looks like a very ordinary letter. Is it that wrong?"

"It's very wrong. This is the worst letter."

"If you don't mind, I would like to ask for your teaching."

A passionate person. Jang So-gil stealthily checked the exposed neck of the masked Fengya Unit member. Because you could roughly guess the opponent's age by looking at the wrinkles or color of their neck.

Looking at the taut neck, this Fengya Unit member was younger than he had thought. He looked to be about the same age as Jang So-gil.

If he was that young, it was understandable that he would have enthusiasm. Jang So-gil, resting his chin on one hand, leisurely raised the corners of his mouth.

"Alright. Learning a story like this will be helpful someday."

"Thank you."

"First of all, the person who wrote this letter is trying to appeal to affection. But it's not an affection that has been shared in daily life, but he's openly talking about the affection of being from the same origin. This foolish person seems to have completely forgotten that Huashan also continues the lineage of Quanzhen."

"Ah, ahhh..."

"So if you appeal to affection in this way, what would Kunlun think? Wouldn't they say, 'Nimi, then is Huashan a red bean and not a bean?'"

As if it were really the words of the sect leader of the Kunlun Sect, the Fengya Unit member found it difficult to hold back a wry smile. Although it was a tone of voice like a beggar on the street, it was because the sect leader of the Kunlun Sect actually used that kind of tone. Since he was a frank and magnanimous person, he spoke very directly.

At that sign, Jang So-gil grinned.

"You can laugh."

"Ha, hahat. I'm sorry."

"Appealing to affection itself is not a bad method, but depending on who approaches and in what way, its effect varies greatly. If Zhongnan wanted to appeal to Kunlun's affection, they should have acted accordingly in their daily lives."

"What kind of action do you mean?"

"Kunlun is a sect located alone at the western end of the Central Plains. Historically, whenever there was a fight with the Potala Palace or the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, they have always suffered the first and greatest damage. If they had consistently helped them in their daily lives and had done something, wouldn't they be able to appeal to affection now?"

"I see. You are absolutely right."

"There's nothing more disgusting than a fellow who ignores you in daily life and then suddenly acts friendly when he needs something. Isn't that right?"

"That's right."

It seemed he genuinely sympathized. It seemed there was such a fellow among the Fengya Unit members.

Jang So-gil's eyebrows formed a crescent.

"And here, the part about giving a reward is also a problem. If it's affection, it's affection, if it's money, it's money, you have to be clear about one of them. Why bring up the story of a reward while pretending to appeal to affection? If it's like this, wouldn't a person who was really trying to help because of affection rather be displeased?"

Hearing it, it was so.

"Besides, while mentioning a reward, why don't you write anything about what you'll do? Are you asking them to suggest what they want to receive? Among merchants, if you act like this, you won't be treated like a person."

When you first brought up the story of a reward during a negotiation, shouldn't you show the sincerity of thinking and considering what you can do for the opponent?

"Why is a negotiation a negotiation? Isn't a negotiation something you do to weigh each other's interests, discuss them, and for both to benefit? If the opponent says they don't need money, it means they have another purpose from the beginning, so you have to find out that purpose and match it."

"I see. Then if you're talking about money, is it better to suggest an amount from the beginning?"

"It depends on the situation, but for a frank person like the sect leader of the Kunlun Sect, it's best to just suggest the conditions right away. In a negotiation with a person like this, the more you open up your inner thoughts and act transparently, the higher the probability of success. Above all, the opponent is Kunlun. It's Kunlun!"

Kunlun was really, really far from Luoyang. If you sent a carrier pigeon, it would take a long time even if you changed the bird in the middle and had it fly without rest.

"If it's like this, it means they're going to exchange letters several times and try to match the conditions, but think about it from the perspective of the Kunlun sect leader. How could he sit there and do that out of annoyance! He'll probably ascend to heaven while the letters are being exchanged."

"Then if you were to negotiate with Kunlun, Inspector-nim, what would you do?"

"I would do this."

Jang So-gil picked up a brush. He wrote a letter with a single stroke.

The eyes of the Fengya Unit member who saw the contents of the letter widened.

[If you help Huashan, a thousand silver taels.]

"Send this to Kunlun as it is. Buy a hawk and send it by express, so that it arrives faster than Zhongnan's."

"Will things work out well then?"

"We'll know when we see."

The Fengya Unit member, half in doubt, moved as Jang So-gil had instructed.

And a reply came from Kunlun.

[As urgent as a law or an ordinance.]

Handle the matter as quickly as a law or an ordinance.

It meant acceptance.

Kunlun had kicked away Zhongnan's hand and had taken Huashan's hand.

* * *

Jang So-gil's act of putting a spoke in the Zhongnan Sect's wheel continued.

The monster that read people's minds was also good at doing things that people disliked. Because he read their minds, he could always strike first, and because his information was backed up, there was no failure.

In the midst of the ceaseless interference and checks, Zhongnan's insides were burning.

Even in the midst of that, time passed relentlessly, and finally, the day of the Martial Alliance meeting came.

"Then finally, there will be a vote on the Dark Fragrance Float. Since it was announced in advance, everyone must know the contents. Let's finish it quickly and all go eat."

The voting began with Gumen Long's statement. The elder of the Zhongnan Sect, Wang Anshi, was looking around the room with a face as if he had chewed on paper, and the Sword Dragon, Song Baek, who was attending in place of the elder of the Huashan Sect, was looking at Jang So-gil with a relaxed expression, as if he had already won, and smiling.

"Well, it seems everyone already expects the result."

The voting did not take long.

The Martial Alliance Leader revealed the results of the vote count.

(End of Chapter)