Chapter 440: The Beginning Was Grand, But.
“There is no news in the present-day world that I do not know.”
Whose words were these?
They were spoken by the Geumsan King (金山王), the senior brother of the Eunpyeong King.
“Even if it is news I do not know, ten days at most is enough.”
“What news are you talking about?”
The Geumsan King looked at the masters gathered from all over and stroked the beard he had painstakingly cultivated over many years.
‘It truly was difficult to gather them.’
They were masters he had gathered with great difficulty, pouring in an immense fortune to invite them, and when that was not enough, promising to reveal a grand plan as well.
From the master called the hegemon of Hebei to the master of a sect that wielded absolute influence in Shandong.
He had gathered in one place the most famous masters from Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian, so the Geumsan King’s wealth was almost unfathomable.
Even the Geumsan King, who possessed such vast riches, had never made an investment this large before.
But the fact that the Geumsan King had poured in an enormous fortune meant that he had already laid out a plan to earn far more money than that.
A man who had been staring intently at the Geumsan King’s face asked.
“So what is this plan? At this point, haven’t we more or less all gathered?”
The Geumsan King looked at the wide-open doors of the safe house’s main hall and gave an order.
“Close the doors. And make sure no one approaches.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Geumsan King was a man who possessed both strategy and martial might, and with wealth added on top, he suited the sobriquet of King quite well. He was eloquent and handsome too, so even now, in middle age, he remained popular.
In his youth, he had been a prodigy.
Now, in middle age, he was called a man of the storm.
That Geumsan King began to work his tongue.
“Some of you may know this already, but Im Sobaek is said to be retiring. There may be some who have not heard.”
One man answered.
“I heard it some time ago.”
The Geumsan King continued.
“Though Im Sobaek is the Murim Alliance Leader, his influence…”
The Geumsan King pointed to the masters one by one as he spoke.
“It did not reach Hebei and Shandong, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, or Fujian. Though he is called the Murim Alliance Leader, from our perspective, he is merely the head of the western Murim Alliance. Is that not so?”
“And?”
“Listen with patience. I may be able to change all of your fates completely.”
The Geumsan King stroked his beard and said.
“Sobaek has declared his retirement, so it seems they will be choosing a new Alliance Leader. Then, naturally, a newly appointed Alliance Leader will appear. Whoever it may be, I believe it will be difficult for him to surpass Alliance Leader Im.”
A man watching from the lowest seat with a displeased expression asked.
“I suppose so. And?”
The Geumsan King stretched out his hand and swept it from left to right.
“To boast a little, I have the most money in the east.”
“I suppose you do.”
“The reason I, such a man, have invited you all is to establish a new Murim Alliance in the East, where Im Sobaek’s Murim Alliance has thus far failed to exert any significant influence—Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Fujian. Its name shall be the Eastern Murim Alliance (東方武林盟).”
One man tilted his head.
“If you wanted to establish it, it would have been possible at any time. What advantage is there in establishing the Eastern Murim Alliance specifically at this point? To begin with, this side has always been divided into upper and lower factions, beating one another bloody among themselves, and there are many who are on bad terms.”
Another master offered this opinion.
“Because they are always fighting one another bloody, Im Sobaek never paid much attention to the east. There are more times when the orthodox sects fight among themselves than when the black path fights. Or perhaps he considered it a remote jianghu and paid it no mind.”
One man gave a cold smile.
“A remote jianghu, is it? Originally, from long ago, the west was the more remote side.”
The Geumsan King raised a hand to settle them.
“I have not finished speaking yet.”
“Go on.”
“For example, let us say the masters gathered here with such difficulty hold martial contests and the Alliance Leader of the Eastern Murim Alliance emerges. The funds to be used for the Eastern Alliance will, of course, come from my pocket, so none of you will suffer any loss.”
“You will take a post for yourself as well, I imagine.”
The Geumsan King smiled faintly.
“Is there any reason I cannot? However, I would be satisfied with the position of Chief Strategist. The Eastern Murim Alliance began from my idea, so I believe all of you will understand my taking at least that much. In exchange, the position of Alliance Leader will come from among you. Whoever it is, I will assist him with all sincerity as Chief Strategist.”
One master who had remained silent until now asked.
“Somehow, I do not think the Eastern Murim Alliance is your goal.”
“Why do you think so?”
“It is simply my intuition.”
The Geumsan King nodded.
“You saw well. Consider the flow of what I have said. Why do you think I brought up Im Sobaek? First, only after we form the Eastern Murim Alliance and choose an Alliance Leader…”
The Geumsan King revealed his pearly white teeth in a smile, then rose from his seat.
It had been impossible to judge while he was seated, but once the Geumsan King stood, his physique was so large it called a mountain to mind.
The Geumsan King said.
“Would we not then be able to contend for supremacy with the young whelp who becomes the new Alliance Leader as Im Sobaek’s successor?”
“Hmm.”
“What I mean is that only if we establish the Eastern Alliance can we swallow Im Sobaek’s Murim Alliance from an equal position. The eastern and western Murim Alliances will be combined into one, and a single Murim Alliance Leader will be chosen. Would it not have to reach at least this scale to be called the Murim Alliance of all under heaven? On top of that, Im Sobaek over there is on the verge of retirement.”
The masters, who until now had not taken the proposal of the money-grubbing Geumsan King very seriously, looked at one another’s expressions.
For one thing, the plan was far too grand.
The Geumsan King slowly walked around the masters with his hands clasped behind his back and said.
“In the plan I just described, is there anything for you to lose? If there is, and my mind is too dull to see it, I will accept your opinions and amend it. I will provide the funds, and I will also provide the land and buildings for the provisional Eastern Murim Alliance. Are there not enough alliance members? I can provide that many people. Of course, all of you will occupy the leadership positions, but I am speaking of rank-and-file alliance members. Even the number of those rank-and-file members will be greater than the Murim Alliance of that retiring whelp of the Im family.”
The Geumsan King observed the expressions of the assembled masters and said.
“If we are to merge the eastern and western Murim Alliances, we must first hurry and form the Eastern Alliance. Even if the unified Heavenly Alliance (天下盟) is launched, I will be satisfied with only the position of Chief Strategist. Now that Im Sobaek is retiring, the opportunity to become the greatest under heaven has come to you. Will you merely stand by and watch? Or will you first challenge for the position of Eastern Alliance Leader?”
Arriving at the end of the table, the Geumsan King lightly tapped the tabletop with his hand.
“I will tell you a piece of information more important than Im Sobaek’s retirement.”
“……”
“A fact no one has ever denied—those who know will know. Above Im Sobaek, the Three Calamities reigned, and no one dared treat them lightly. As far as I know, the Three Calamities met once at the Beggars’ Sect. There were many beggar witnesses. The word most importantly discussed there was retirement. Why would Im Sobaek suddenly retire? It must be because the Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, who had been a headache for him his whole life, retired, and so he is retiring as well to prepare for the next era. Is there anyone who can refute my conjecture?”
“So you’re saying the reason Im Sobaek is retiring is because the Three Calamities retired first?”
“That is so.”
The master from Mount Tai asked one of the men.
“Blade Emperor, what do you think?”
The man called the Blade Emperor looked around at the masters.
“The retirement of the Three Calamities… In that case, Im Sobaek had the chance, from his seat as leader of the Murim Alliance, to be called the greatest under heaven if he so wished. Yet he threw it away without lingering attachment and stepped down.”
“I asked what you thought. Why are you praising Im Sobaek?”
The Blade Emperor smiled faintly.
“Because even that act of stepping down seems like the movement of a swordsman. King Geumsan, is there no other news? No matter how I think about it, this is not something Im Sobaek would withdraw over as well.”
King Geumsan nodded.
“They say the Sword King of the Army went to the Murim Alliance, but why would he be loitering around there? The alliance leader will soon change. A jianghu from which the Three Calamities and Im Sobaek have disappeared. And the Tianxia Alliance, which will be founded according to my plan and yours. I am a man with greater greed for money than for honor. The honor shall be yours. Even after I have laid bare my inner thoughts to this extent, do you still think there is a problem?”
One man said,
“It seems you think you can earn more money running the Tianxia Alliance than you do now.”
King Geumsan replied,
“That is so. Moreover, legally. The reason I have always earned a great deal of money is because I made those who worked with me rich as well. I said the honor would be yours, but in the end, I promise that you will possess both wealth and honor.”
King Geumsan spoke as though elevating those gathered there.
“The Blade Emperor is called the absolute ruler of Hebei. Without receiving any help from Im Sobaek, you dealt with the unorthodox and heretical factions of Hebei and raised the prestige of the Peng Clan. You are a master whose skill would make it unsurprising if you were invited by Im Sobaek this very moment to participate in the alliance leader’s martial contest at the western Murim Alliance. Yet what is the reality?”
The Blade Emperor looked at King Geumsan.
“Nothing happened.”
“Nothing happened. That is precisely the problem. I say again, Im Sobaek treats the east as the outskirts and pays it no attention whatsoever. How, then, can the head of such an organization be called the leader of the Murim Alliance?”
King Geumsan looked at another man.
“First Sword of Mount Tai, have you recently been able to find an opponent in Shandong?”
“No.”
“Of course not. That is the problem. I do not know the exact history, but how long has the Mount Tai Sect existed? The reason the Murim Alliance has no need to play a major role in Shandong is because the Mount Tai Sect has reigned as the overlord of Shandong and long since resolved all manner of problems. How long do you intend to keep watching them play at calling themselves the Three Calamities and alliance leaders among themselves?”
King Geumsan looked at another man and smiled faintly.
“Im Sobaek has probably never even been to Jiangsu.”
“Likely not.”
“If he has never even gone to Jiangsu, how could he know the vastness of Lake Taihu? Who was it that took the lead in gathering and sweeping away the forces scattered around Lake Taihu?”
“Well, I would not go so far as to call it sweeping away.”
“Great King, your problem is that you are far too modest.”
“That sobriquet is what the people of Taihu use. It is not a title I claim for myself.”
King Geumsan said,
“Use it as much as you please. Are there only one or two kings in the jianghu?”
“Is that praise, or an insult?”
“Senior Great King, it means you are more than qualified.”
When King Geumsan looked at the man seated at the end, the man waved his hand first.
“Ah, enough. What are you going to say with that slick tongue of yours this time? Listen, King Geumsan. I’m not in a very good mood right now.”
“And why is that? You, who are called the greatest in Fujian.”
The man called the greatest in Fujian continued in a tone with a frivolity unsuited to his title.
“I came here just to fight a few bouts and earn some money. But no matter how I look at it, winning even one match here won’t be easy. I mean the masters gathered here. I feel deceived. I thought you’d called a few masters representing Zhejiang, that’s all.”
“Did I not tell you beforehand? I said powerful figures one could not easily encounter would gather in one place.”
“That’s why I’m saying I’m in a bad mood. It’s my instinct. And the matter of the Three Calamities and Im Sobaek retiring at the same time is suspicious too. Especially Im Sobaek.”
“Do you think he has another plan?”
The greatest in Fujian shook his head.
“No. No, that isn’t it. Im Sobaek is a man rumored throughout the jianghu to have a strong sense of responsibility. If a man like him retires, then there must be some separate background that allows him to retire. The same goes for the Three Calamities. Hasn’t some master appeared whom Im Sobaek can trust with what comes afterward?”
The greatest in Fujian studied King Geumsan’s expression, then asked again.
“No? You gathered masters from all over the place, and you really disclosed all the information? We don’t have a separate intelligence organization like you do. It takes half a year before we hear the latest news of the jianghu. You aren’t hiding anything, are you?”
The Great King asked the greatest in Fujian,
“What do you mean, hiding something? He is saying we should gather the most renowned masters of the east and form the Eastern Alliance.”
The greatest in Fujian shook his head again.
“No. He hid something. I don’t know what he hid. It’s strange, too, that we are gathered not at King Geumsan’s main residence, of all places, but at a safe house to hold martial contests.”
The greatest in Fujian looked around at the masters.
“Are all of you here confident against Im Sobaek? It is true that I am the strongest in Fujian. I have no rivals. But Im Sobaek is different. He is a difficult man to face. His real combat experience is probably greater than all of ours combined. If such a man steps down from the position of alliance leader, it means there is someone to replace him. That is what I think. Why? Because Im Sobaek is a cautious man. Am I wrong?”
King Geumsan laughed.
“Even so, he is a man who will retire. It is certain that the new alliance leader will be weaker than Im Sobaek, so what is there to fear? If Yongchunzi is so afraid, you need only withdraw from the Eastern Alliance martial contest.”
Yongchunzi, the greatest in Fujian, grinned.
“I won’t withdraw because I’m curious. I merely pointed out what I was curious about. You are not a man suited to be chief strategist. When opinions differ, your first thought is to cast the other person out. And you intend to run the Tianxia Alliance like that?”
King Geumsan showed courtesy to Yongchunzi.
“As you pointed out, my words went too far. I apologize.”
Yongchunzi said with a smile,
“Listen, King Geumsan. Do all the people in the world look like underlings to you? There is a problem with your attitude. And your martial arts are not below ours to begin with, so I dislike the way you talk about being chief strategist while acting like a subordinate. It’s sly. Everyone gathered here will only know the hierarchy after testing their skills against one another. That includes you, King Geumsan. Don’t pretend to be weak. It’s disgusting. Understood?”
King Geumsan nodded.
“I will keep it in mind.”
King Geumsan was returning to his seat when the gathered masters all turned their heads toward the outside of the main hall at once. Then came the sound of footsteps—tak. It seemed someone had dropped down from the air. The warriors who had been blocking the main hall shouted.
“A meeting is in progress! You cannot enter.”
“Move aside. It is I. Whom do you think you are stopping?”
Having recognized the visitor’s identity by his voice, King Geumsan frowned and said,
“Open it for now.”
The doors of the main hall flew open, and a man with a flushed face looked around inside.
King Geumsan said in a cold tone,
“Junior brother, what rudeness is this?”
King Eunpyeong seemed to have run there in haste, for he first steadied his breathing. After drawing in a deep breath and exhaling at length, King Eunpyeong said,
“Senior Brother, listen carefully to what I am about to say.”
“You lunatic, acting like this in front of an honored guest we can hardly afford to offend. What is going on? I suppose you’re furious because we didn’t help you.”
“Please shut up. Shut up and listen first, then judge. This is the most important matter in our entire lives. I’ll stake my whole fortune on it. My whole fortune, do you understand?”
At the words that he would stake his entire fortune, King Geumsan’s expression turned serious.
“What on earth happened?”
King Eunpyeong pointed outside with his finger and said,
“Nearby, not far from here, the Haomun Sect Leader is here.”
“Why?”
“Not why—right now he’s eating noodles. No, the fact that he’s eating noodles isn’t the important part. Isn’t the important part that he’s nearby?”
King Eunpyeong gauged the reactions of King Geumsan and the experts. King Geumsan, looking slightly dazed, glanced around and then answered,
“So what?”
“……”
Shocked by the lack of response, King Eunpyeong blinked and asked,
“Senior Brother, are you listening to me?”
King Geumsan roared,
“I said, so what do you want me to do!”
“No!”
Suddenly enraged to the very top of his head, King Eunpyeong struck the door of the main hall with his fist. Even as he punched it again and again, the furious King Eunpyeong shouted,
“So what! So what! So what! So what do you want me to do! That’s not the point!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Crack!
After smashing the main hall door to pieces, King Eunpyeong glared at everyone present with bloodshot eyes and pointed a finger at his head.
“Can’t you see my head right now?”
Where everyone’s gaze landed, a bald head gleamed.