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Having money stacked up before one’s eyes would typically be a cause for joy, but in the eyes of Hyun Jong, who was looking at the silver coins, there was an indescribable sorrow.

“Ihihihih.”

“….”

“I’m giving a discount because it is Sect Leader. If it were for others, I would have charged twice as much. Actually, it isn’t supposed to be like this. Usually, the closer you are to each other, the more certain you should be when it comes to money transactions, but my heart is just too soft, you know.”

Hyun Jong, who was listening to Chung Myung’s ramblings, looked up at the ceiling without saying a word.

‘Dear ancestors.’

I‘m sorry.

Mount Hua has now become a place where disciples give loans to their Sect Leader.

Hyun Jong was in despair and held his face with both hands.

When it comes to debt and usury, it is Hyun Jong who would jump up in the middle of his sleep. He still felt a headache when he remembered the times he struggled with these.

But he never thought he’d have to borrow money from his own disciple and pay interest..

“I- It’s not compound interest, is it?”

“Just pay on the promised date. Why are you so concerned about that?”

He had heard that line somewhere, too…..

“By any chance….. What if I can’t meet the deadline?”

“Ei. Sect Leader is gonna pay me back on time. What does that matter? Hehe.”

Hyun Jong shut his eyes tight.

So this is why they say once you defeat the wolves, the tigers will approach. We finally resolved the debtors, but now we got this thug instead.

My poor fate…

But Hyun Young, who spent most of his life with him, seemed to think differently.

“Money matters should be clear! Ooh! He’s such a commendable guy.”

Watching Hyun Young nodding his head contentedly, there was an urge to turn that chin to the back of his neck. Hyun Jong glared at Chung Myung, who was laughing.

That fair punk!

That guy without a hint of deceit and who’s clear about calculations!

…Huh? Is this a compliment?

Then Hyun Young’s gaze turned to Five Swords.

“You guys!”

“Yes?”

“From now on, you’re prohibited from personal spending for three months. No allowance!”

“Huh? W- Why?”

Jo-Gol asked, his eyes wide in surprise. He was so surprised that the end of his voice quivered.

Mount Hua’s disciples spend most of their time in training, so they don’t have many opportunities to spend money. Those from wealthy families might receive money from home, but most haven’t received any support from their families for a long time since Mount Hua Sect earned money and paid allowances to its disciples.

But to suddenly cut off their allowance! It was a bolt from the blue.

“Then what? You want to enjoy using others’ money while saving all of yours? Trying to show off on someone else’s dime?”

“…Uh, that’s…”

Hyun Young stated firmly.

“They say the bear did the trick yet the human earns the money! You fit that saying perfectly! If you want to do Chivalrousness and give back to people, you should also bear some losses. Are you trying to enjoy yourself using other people’s money while grabbing everything for yourself!”

“N- No, how could you take away that meager pocket money! You might as well eat a flea’s liver! You really truly heartless and cold-blooded…”

“This f*cker?”

At that moment, Yoon Jong, who had his eyes widened, and tried to punch Jo-Gol’s chin, something like a lightning bolt swooped in and kicked Jo-Gol first.

“Ouuchh!”

“….”

Yoon Jong swallowed dry saliva as he saw the extended leg before his eyes.

“You’re rude to the Elder. Need a scolding.”

Ye- yeah, Sago.

That’s correct. But how can you kick someone out of the blue…. Sago has also changed a lot.

Yoo Iseol slowly retracted her long leg and knelt back down with both arms raised.

Seeing her gaze, Yoon Jong flinched and quickly pressed both arms to his ears.

“…We will abide, Elder-nim.”

With Baek Chun’s soft reply, the other Five Swords nodded in agreement.

“We abide.”

“Understood.”

“Ugh… If you’re going to be like this, you should have answered before I got beaten…”

“You freaked out before I could answer.”

Five Swords sighed deeply. However, he did not seem to be very dissatisfied as he was stung by the comment that he was trying to show off with other people’s money.

Giving means giving away something of one’s own, not giving something of someone else’s.

At that time, Hyun Jong slipped the silver in front of him to the side with a slightly complicated mind. And he looked around, organizing the atmosphere.

“Anyway, that’s why…….”

Before they knew it, influential members of Mount Hua had gathered in the room.

“Let’s discuss the current situation… Yes, let’s have a discussion.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

His reputation as the Sect Leader had already been lost, but it didn’t matter since it wasn’t that great of a reputation to begin with.

“As it is well known to all, the current situation in our vicinity is far from favorable. Since the Ten Great Sect and the Five Great Family ratified the Treaty of the Yangtze, this region has regrettably transformed into a desolate expanse without owner (????(無主空山)).”

Hyun Jong looked at Hyun Sang, who nodded and continued.

“The situation around the Yangtze is literally boiling with various Evil Sects. Even the horse bandits (??(馬賊)), who usually don’t show themselves, are causing a ruckus.”

“These shameless bandits!”

“They should all be thrown into the river!”

“This is why I can’t stand bandits!”

Amidst the bursting reactions all over the place, Hyun Jong glanced at the corner of the room with a slightly awkward face. It was because he was concerned about one person who was becoming increasingly despondent.

Hyun Jong cleared his throat.

“…Be careful with your words.”

“Ah…”

Only then did they notice the crouched Nokrim King in the corner, scratching the back of his head with a slightly apologetic expression.

“We didn’t mean it that way, Nokrim King.”

“Yes, of course. Not all bandits are the same. The mountain bandits are a little better.”

“They’re all just damned thieves. What’s so different?”

“Chung Myung, be quiet.”

However, Hyun Sang continued his explanation as if Im Sobyong was invisible.

“Consequently, the general populace bears a substantial burden. They not only face relentless harassment from bandits but the merchants also encounter impediments in their travels. And those who used to make a living from fishing boats find themselves unable to traverse the river. It is no surprise that they find themselves in such dire circumstances…”

“Hmm.”

Hyun Jong, who had been agonizing for a while, quietly looked at Baek Cheon.

“How does it look now that you’ve seen it firsthand?”

“It’s serious. This isn’t a problem for a day or two. It’s been ongoing since wars began in the river… If it continues, there might be numerous deaths soon.”

Hyun Jong nodded his head.

Of course, there are those who know all this in person, but it is important to let everyone know what they know in a sect. In particular, Mount Hua should be. After ensuring that everyone grasped the situation, Hyun Jong said,

“The wealth and grains of Mount Hua at Eunha Merchant Guild are being transferred to the Yangtze River. As soon as the grain and wealth arrive, we’ll extinguish the immediate fires. Everyone should help.”

“Yes, Sect Leader.”

At that moment, Hyun Young, who had been silently listening, opened his mouth with a slightly displeased expression.

“There are limits to relief.”

“I know.”

“Sect Leader, I am also a Taoist, too. I have no complaints about donating wealth to help the commoners. But that can’t be a fundamental solution. The storage of Mount Hua isn’t endless. We can’t be responsible forever.”

Hyun Jong grunted in agreement with those words. Worldly matters can’t be solved by goodwill alone. Practical considerations must also be taken into account.

In such situations, there’s always one person who can offer the most accurate opinion. Hyun Jong’s gaze turned to the person.

“Chung Myung-ah. What do you think?”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung tapped his cheek with his finger a few times before speaking.

“Those Evil Sect bastards won’t cause trouble for long due to their lack of persistence. Right now, they might be all fired up, but they’ll soon weaken and calm down. Then, most things will soon become normal. The big problem here is the canals getting blocked, which means the folks working there won’t got jobs right away…”

Chung Myung shrugged.

“We were already running low on folks to do the job, so we’re gonna have to bring in some extra hands. It’d be sweet if we could get some free labor and just work it out, but…Well, bandits don’t know how to work in the first place, so if we keep doing this, problems might arise.”

Then Chung Myung, who was annoyed for no reason, glared at Im Sobyong.

“If Nokrim King had a little dignity, he could suppress them.”

“…I’m sorry for the lack of dignity.”

“Good you know.”

Hyun Jong, who sighed lightly, said to Hyun Young.

“Well then, for a while, let’s distribute the wealth. Isn’t Mount Hua partly responsible for this situation?”

“You would have used it if we weren’t responsible.”

“Hoho. Please understand me a bit.”

Hyun Young grimaced, but no longer opposed Hyun Jong’s words.

As the surrounding noise decreased a bit, Im Sobyong cleared his throat and carefully added,

“I believe Sect Leader kept me here in this meeting to hear my opinion as well.”

“I just started it without much thought…”

“….”

“G- Go on.”

Im Sobyong started explaining in a slightly subdued voice.

“Right now, merchants of the Yangtze are gathering at Kugang, right? If we employ laborers there at a good price, it is possible that even the families of these workers would be inclined to migrate here.”

“That makes sense.”

“Then, this place will become a city.”

“Hm? A city?”

At the sudden remark, Hyun Jong blinked in surprise.

“Isn’t that an overly ambitious thought?”

But Im Sobyong smiled lightly and shook his head.

“A city isn’t something so grand. If a lot of people gather and live in one place, that place becomes a city. When numerous people gather and settle in one place, that place naturally transforms into a city. There’s no need for any special measures; the people who come together will instinctively build homes, attract merchants, and thus, a city will rapidly take shape.”

“Humm. Come to think of it, that’s true.”

Chwak!

Im Sobyong spread his fan and covered below his eyes with it. His eyes sparkled.

“Then what we have to do is to make sure that we take over the city and incorporate it into the domain of Heavenly Comrade Alliance.”

As everyone nodded in agreement, looking as if they were mesmerized by his strategist-like demeanor, Chung Myung suddenly narrowed his eyes.

“How dare you spread your fan in front of Sect Leader? Why don’t you go ahead and put it down, huh?”

“….”

Im Sobyong, who became sullen, quietly lowered his fan and continued his speech.

“The city will serve as both capital and a hub of connections. Right now, Mount Hua, Heavenly Comrade Alliance, and Nokrim have seized unprecedented opportunities. This city will allow us to exert influence throughout the entire Yangtze River region, and even further, spread the prestige of Heavenly Comrade Alliance throughout Jungwon.”

“How dare you sneakily squeeze Nokrim into the plan? You want to die?!”

“Ah, don’t be so harsh and let us in! We also applied to join the Heavenly Comrade Alliance, you know?”

“Why? To recount past grievances?”

“Actually, I did try to address them once…”

Hyun Jong sighed deeply and wrapped his face.

‘Please, let’s just have a proper meeting, will you?’

Even with just one, these erratic minds become even more unruly when there are two of them…

Before the conversation could veer further off-course, Hyun Jong quickly interjected.

“So, Nokrim King, what do you think us Mount Hua… no, Heavenly Comrade Alliance should do?”

“Just continue as you have.”

“Pardon?”

Im Sobyong smiled broadly.

“Just do as Sect Leader has been doing. There is nothing more to do.”

“… Will that suffice?”

“Yes.”

Im Sobyong slowly nodded, then said with gravity,

“Those who have gathered here already regard Mount Hua Sect with reverence and see Mount Hua as their protector. Hence, they will naturally feel an allegiance to Mount Hua…. Cough! Cough! Augh…. Wait a minute.”

Im Sobyong, who coughed loudly a few times, continued with a red face.

“If they accept Mount Hua as their sect, they’ll prioritize Mount Hua’s products and sell Mount Hua’s goods. They support Mount Hua, and Mount Hua protects them. Just like that we can naturally exploit….. No, uhmm… tribute? N- No…. Damn it, what do you call this thing?”

Mount Hua’s disciples narrowed their eyes and looked at Im Sobyong, as if to say, ‘I knew it.’

‘That bandit…’

‘So that’s why they call him a bandit.’

‘Look at the thing in his head. It’s the same as Chung Myung.’

Chung Myung quickly stepped up to assist Im Sobyong, as if to prove the silent accusation.

“Virtuous cycle! Virtuous cycle!”

“Ah, yes! Virtuous cycle! A virtuous cycle will take place. Then it’ll benefit everyone. Hahahaha.”

Im Sobyong laughed brightly. Then, suddenly, he muttered something with a grim look.

“No, but it shouldn’t be this easy… It’s ridiculous when I think about it. If it is this easy, why did we resort to banditry? We could have adopted the methods of the Righteous Sect. If we just pretend to be nice, people would willingly offer their money on their own… Wow, the more I ponder this, the more vexing it is.”

“Pull yourself together.”

“Oh, my apologies, I got off track there.”

“….”

Im Sobyeong, sensing the distrustful glances, gave an awkward smile.

“So in conclusion, all we have to do is to seize the commerce district of the Yangtze and take good care of the people who followed them.”

“…I didn’t start this with this much thought in mind.”

Im Sobyong smirked at Hyun Jong’s murmur.

In essence, this entire opportunity was made by that Evil Tyrant Alliance and Ten Great Sect. They can swallow this feast whole just by raising a spoon.

Creating a city in the Yangtze River, populating it, and making it their territory? That’s a monumental task, even for the empire. Yet, against all odds, it was happening.

“The real concern is how those Evil Faction bastards will react…”

It was the very moment when Im Sobyong’s eyes were slightly troubled.

“Sect Leader! Is Sect Leader here!”

“Hm?”

Hyun Jong turned his head and looked toward the door. There was an urgent voice outside.

“I’m Hong Dae-gwang from the Beggar Union! I stopped by because there was something Sect Leader needed to know.”

“Oh, Hong Buntaju, come in.”

When the people at the entrance opened the door, Hong Dae-gwang swiftly entered.

Hong Dae-gwang, who paid his respect to Hyun Jong, opened his mouth with a dark face.

“Sect Leader… The Evil Tyrant Alliance has caused trouble.”

Hyun Jong’s face hardened upon the words.