The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 132 : A Pearl in the Mud (3)

Jang So-gil groaned. It seemed he was having a great struggle with his inner self.

Yang Gwan, who was watching him, asked a question that was only natural.

"I'll be honest. How about just giving it to the Namgung Clan and getting married?"

"This fellow, there's nothing you can't say, is there?"

"Why do you hate the Fire Phoenix so much?"

Yang Gwan was Jang So-gil's subordinate. Although he couldn't be confident that he knew Jang So-gil better than anyone else, at least he wasn't underestimating him.

Even in Yang Gwan's view, Namgung Yeohwa was not lacking in any area. She had outstanding martial arts as well as intelligence, her beauty was outstanding, and her family was also great.

"I'm just saying this because it's me, but if people in the world heard the situation, they would call Young Master So a madman."

"Let them call me a madman. Damn it."

"What is it about the Fire Phoenix that you dislike so much, Young Master So?"

Although Jang So-gil had a scoundrel-like disposition and showed radical behavior, he was a very calm person when it came to weighing gains and losses.

The Fire Phoenix was an objectively very excellent bride. There was no way he would suffer a loss by marrying her, and it was full of only benefits.

And yet Jang So-gil was so disgusted. If there was no reason, there was no way he would hate her so much.

As Yang Gwan questioned him for a long time, Jang So-gil finally opened his mouth with difficulty.

"Actually, you see. Merchants only gather with peace of mind when it's an auction hosted by the Martial Alliance like this time, but originally, when a martial artist is involved, it's rare for many people to gather in one place and hold an auction. The reason for that is because the moment things go wrong, you could die on the spot. Usually, they send a representative with a note with a pre-determined price, and it's handled by checking them all at once in the center."

"I see."

"I and Namgung Yeohwa have competed at an auction like that a few times. Although we've never seen each other's faces, we've had a chance to see each other's skills."

"Huh? That's a connection."

"A connection, my ass. Anyway, have you ever heard the story of when I participated in an auction?"

Yang Gwan nodded his head.

A series of victories. At one time, there was even a saying that if Jang So-gil bought it at an auction, it was a good item, and if he didn't buy it, it was a worthless item.

"I heard you've never lost?"

"That's an exaggerated rumor. I've missed the item I was aiming for at an auction exactly three times."

"Don't tell me those three times were..."

"Yes. It was Namgung Yeohwa."

"..."

No, this person. Is he hating her because he lost three times?

As Yang Gwan's eyes narrowed, Jang So-gil pressed his throbbing head.

"That's not the reason. Listen to the end, you bastard."

"Yes. Well. I'll listen attentively."

"Do you know why I lost three times?"

"How would I know?"

"Because I had won fifteen times before that."

"What?"

"I snatched the item that Namgung Yeohwa was aiming for fifteen times."

It was an item that Namgung Yeohwa had been aiming for with determination. Jang So-gil had won and taken all of them by a narrow margin.

"The tenth auction was especially great. The difference between the amount I wrote and the amount Namgung Yeohwa wrote was two silver taels."

In an auction, the better your skill, the more you win by a narrow margin. To win by a difference of two silver taels meant that he had completely read the opponent's thoughts, and that was a very pride-hurting thing for a merchant. It could have been felt as a huge provocation.

"After that, she came at me like crazy. It was really amazing how she clung to me tenaciously, to the point of being fed up, and interfered with everything I did. Her skills were also so good that she wasn't easy to deal with, and she was even persistent, so how could I deal with her? I didn't know what to do, and I thought I would die of exhaustion at this rate, so I let her win three times in a row."

"Ahem, ahem. I see. I understand why you let her win. But is that all? I understand that you dislike her because she's persistent, but I think that's a bit of a weak reason to hate her so much."

"Hey, think about it."

Jang So-gil pressed his throbbing head again.

"What did she do after I let her win three times? I was relieved because she was quiet after that, but she had approached Director Jang without my knowledge and had proposed a marriage."

"...Ah."

At that time, although Jang So-gil had a considerable amount of real power in the Daewoon Guild, he had not known about the contact between Director Jang and the Namgung Clan at all.

To think that the thing she did with such terrifying resourcefulness, speed, and secrecy was to propose a marriage. It was truly an incomprehensible action for Jang So-gil.

"If she had thrown a tantrum like Seomun or someone, saying her pride was hurt and she had to kill that fellow to feel better, I would have understood. The next head of a prestigious noble family had ignored all the gazes of the world and had proposed a marriage from her side. She had bowed her head and had entered, saying she would marry the adopted son of a mere provincial A-class merchant guild's owner, who was also an orphan. Does this look like something a sane person would do?"

"..."

It was certainly an action far from that of an ordinary person.

Trembling, Jang So-gil rubbed his arms. Goosebumps had risen from his wrists to his shoulders.

"You don't know how surprised I was when I heard that there had been a marriage proposal before. I thought my soul was going to jump out of my body. I can't live. I can't live with a woman like that. I'd rather live with a snake, but how on earth can I live with a woman like that, whose thoughts I don't know?"

Yang Gwan calmly summarized the story he had heard.

"In short. Namgung Yeohwa has the martial arts skill and beauty to be called the Fire Phoenix, and she also has the intelligence and resourcefulness that even Young Master So would acknowledge, and her family is also great. But even though Young Master So hurt her pride, she's bending over and coming in, saying she wants to marry him, so you don't know what she's thinking and you hate her. Isn't that what you're saying?"

"Yes. Isn't that natural?"

Yang Gwan's eyes, which had organized his thoughts, became as sharp as an axe.

"Well, Young Master So is really. What kind of person are you?"

"Huh? No, why are you suddenly talking to me like that?"

"The conditions are so good, but you don't dislike the person, you just don't know what she's thinking and you hate her... What's so bad about that? Don't talk like you're full!"

"That much? That much?!"

"At least the Fire Phoenix has more advantages than you, Young Master So!"

"This bastard, you're talking out of turn!"

Jang So-gil's advantages mostly overlapped with Namgung Yeohwa's advantages.

As for his disadvantages, Jang So-gil's background was not good. And his personality was worse.

"No matter how I look at it, don't you have far more disadvantages, Young Master So!"

If Sima Hui had heard this conversation, he would have given a standing ovation.

Yang Gwan got angry, and Jang So-gil also got angry. For a while, an argument continued in the barracks.

The commotion finally calmed down after a long time.

Yang Gwan asked in a sullen voice.

"So. What are you going to do?"

"Tsk. It's not an urgent matter, so for now, I'll put it aside."

"Are you delaying it again? You delayed the answer to the marriage proposal, and you're always delaying the matter of the Namgung Clan. You're not a child, but if you keep putting off things you don't like, you'll have a harder time later."

He had hit a sore spot.

It was a part that Jang So-gil had been constantly worrying about.

"Hey, you're really being particularly defiant today, aren't you?"

"Hmph."

It was only natural. To a martial artist of the Buddha who had never even held a woman's wrist in his life, Jang So-gil's complaints sounded like nothing more than the whining of a full person!

Yang Gwan, with his lips pouted, silently polished his spear. Jang So-gil, who was about to kick his butt, saw the internal energy flowing towards his butt and stealthily lowered his leg.

"Eing..."

He understood his thoughts, at least roughly.

Jang So-gil clicked his tongue. And he said nonchalantly.

"Should I arrange a marriage proposal for you somewhere?"

"..."

At the tone, which sounded as if he were pitying him, Yang Gwan's hand movements, which were polishing the spear, became rough.

"Should I find you a nice person?"

"Ah, that's okay!"

"No, no. If it's you, I won't be embarrassed to arrange a marriage proposal. You got the nickname of the Fire Dragon at the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly, so your skills are certain. You just trained with a bald monk, but you're not a real bald monk, so your hair is fine. And although you're a bit bland, your shoulders are broad and your appearance is fine, so you won't be criticized wherever you go. Do you want to seriously try getting married once?"

Really, an annoying person.

Yang Gwan ground his teeth.

* * *

Although the fight with the Four Black Alliance had ended in a single day, the aftermath took ten days.

During the ten days, Jang So-gil had earned as much profit as he had expected, and had joined the procession that was transporting that silver. Since he had sold and organized all the cumbersome things, the carts were filled purely with silver ingots.

It was a triumphant return to Luoyang.

Three hundred and eighty thousand silver taels. Since it was the transportation of such a huge sum of money, the nerves of the escorts and the guards were as sharp as a knife.

Since they were exuding a murderous aura as if they would cut down anyone who approached, ordinary people did not even come near. Only curious children were peeking.

The two people who were smiling with satisfaction at the procession of carts entering the warehouse of the Martial Alliance in a line. It was Sima Hui and Gumen Long.

Sima Hui covered his mouth, which was slowly rising, with his fan.

"Alliance Leader-nim, they say it's a total of three hundred and eighty thousand taels."

"It seems the Four Black Alliance had accumulated quite a lot of wealth. Should I have cut them open earlier?"

"If you had, the bloodsuckers would have sucked it all up."

"That's true too. Heuheu. The inspector has done a great job this time as well."

As expected, he was a man who did not disappoint when entrusted with a task.

Gumen Long laughed loudly, and Sima Hui also shrugged his shoulders slightly.

"But as they say, good things are followed by bad things. Since we have so much silver, I'm afraid the imperial family won't leave us alone."

"That's certainly a valid point. It seems the emperor is foolishly trying to attempt a northern expedition again."

He'll only fix that habit when he's dead. Sima Hui, who had pretended not to hear the words that Gumen Long had muttered under his breath, said again.

"So it would be better to use those silver ingots right away rather than storing them in the warehouse."

"If we have them, they'll come up with all sorts of bullshit reasons and tell us to hand them over, so I also agree with using them up. But is there a place to use them?"

"There are plenty of places to use them. We need to replenish the martial artists of the Martial Alliance and reorganize the organization. We also need to check the public order organization. We also need to expand the post stations."

"How much will it cost?"

"The more the better. It's better to spend a lot of money, but..."

Sima Hui already knew the estimated amount from the letter that Jang So-gil had sent.

"It seems he's thinking of reforming the organization on a large scale by investing about three hundred thousand taels."

"They say it's hard to earn money but easy to spend it. Three hundred thousand taels are disappearing in an instant."

"Honestly, wasn't it easy to earn it this time?"

"That's true."

He had gotten the money without doing anything other than saying to wipe out the Four Black Alliance.

Jang So-gil had taken care of everything on his own, from weaving in the Huashan Sect, to gathering people with a proclamation, to wiping out the Four Black Alliance, and had even converted that property into silver.

He had gotten the money just by sitting still and pointing his chin. So he didn't feel that it was a waste for the money to be spent at all.

Gumen Long readily nodded his head.

"Good, good. Implement it right away."

"Who should be in charge?"

"Who do you think I'll name?"

There was no need to answer. Sima Hui, after stamping the Alliance Leader's seal on a single order that he had already written, handed it to a messenger. The messenger bowed his head and ran with all his might.

Jang So-gil, who was directing the work of stacking the silver ingots in the warehouse, received the order and, as if he had known it would happen, raised his chin arrogantly.

"Tell them I understand."

Anyway, it was a life blessed with work.

(End of Chapter)