Dokmaeuiseon - Chapter 173
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 173
“There’s nothing to pick and choose. You can assume all the stinking places have gathered.”
“All the stinking places.”
It meant it wasn’t just one or two forces.
“From where to where exactly?”
“There are those Martial Alliance bastards who call themselves Orthodox Sect mixed in, and you can see those Four Blood Alliance bastards who love the smell of blood. Among them are even small and medium sect bastards with no names – it’s a complete mess.”
“From the Martial Alliance to the Four Blood Alliance… Hmm…”
Jung Myeong’s expression hardened.
‘The two great mountain ranges of Jianghu are moving simultaneously. Has the Provincial Commander’s letter not been delivered yet?’
It probably hadn’t yet. But even considering that, this was serious.
No. Thinking about it again.
‘Even if the letter had arrived, they would still send people.’
If it were martial artists other than Jung Myeong, they would have sent people somehow.
Both the Martial Alliance and Four Blood Alliance were those who absolutely hated not knowing about things happening in Murim.
On Yang-ja’s words didn’t end there.
He lowered his voice and brought up what he really wanted to say.
“But behind all that mess, there seems to be one more real mastermind.”
“Mastermind?”
“Yes. Isn’t there someone who’s controlling all these rat bastards and set up this whole game?”
“Ah.”
“The Guild Master!”
“Does it seem like he’s moving directly?”
“Didn’t you kill Ju Ma-ji-sal? Since his limbs have been cut off, he has no choice but to move.”
“The Guild Master here…!”
A low sigh flowed from Jung Myeong’s mouth.
Guild Master. That name was unfamiliar yet a word that instinctively evoked a sense of crisis.
“Are you certain?”
“If my intuition is right, then yes. By the way, their purpose doesn’t seem to be simple information gathering.”
“That would be the case.”
“They could be blades coming to aim for my lord’s head. Given the chance, they’ll want to slit your throat! That’s what they’d have to do if they want to swallow Hangzhou themselves.”
“Hmm…”
On Yang-ja’s eyes gleamed coldly.
Jung Myeong fell silent for a moment.
Then On Yang-ja asked.
“What will you do?”
There was only one answer Jung Myeong could give here, wasn’t there.
“When have I ever avoided a fight that comes my way?”
“That’s right! Exactly that!”
He wouldn’t avoid the fight.
As if that was enough, On Yang-ja slapped his knee.
He looked very satisfied.
However, Jung Myeong wasn’t satisfied to end it there.
“But I’m also not the type to just sit and wait.”
“Then?”
He wasn’t someone who was satisfied with just blocking any battle.
“Let’s deal with the rat bastards while simultaneously setting mousetraps.”
“!!!”
He wanted to catch them all in one net.
To prevent the rat bastards from entering inside Hangzhou!
Wouldn’t it be disappointing to end it just with that.
“If possible, let’s go outside and sweep them clean too.”
“Hehehe. Sweep clean. Sweep clean…! This is very interesting.”
He wanted to sweep away even the rat bastards watching from outside.
Given On Yang-ja’s personality, it would be quite an interesting plan.
However, it wouldn’t be easy.
“You’ll have to put in quite a lot of effort.”
“Just effort? We’ll have to invest time too.”
It would be very rough work.
It would be difficult too.
On Yang-ja couldn’t be unaware of this.
However, the smile never left On Yang-ja’s face as he would carry this out.
“But isn’t it interesting?”
“Yes. Then that settles it.”
He truly seemed to find this situation interesting.
He even licked his lips as if tasting thick blood.
“Hehe. Since they want to set up a game, I’ll prepare something fitting for that!”
“Good. Take however much money you need and use it.”
“Hehehe. You’ll regret saying that?”
“I have no regrets.”
He was clearly excited.
‘The right person in the right place.’
For Jung Myeong, it was like entrusting work to exactly the right person.
Someone who enjoys their work would surely produce greater results than someone who merely does what they’re told.
For such a person, he had to take care of them however much he could.
“Ah, please take some spirit medicine with you on your way.”
“Hmm? Again?”
“New spirit medicine has come out. It should be quite good.”
“Oho…!”
On Yang-ja, having received the new spirit medicine, returned in high spirits.
* * *
Martial Arts Alliance headquarters, Hall of Martial Arts.
The atmosphere in the Hall of Martial Arts, where the order of Jianghu was discussed, was heavier than usual.
The brow of Jegal Hyeon, head of the Jegal family and acting alliance leader sitting in the seat of honor, furrowed.
Before him stood not a martial artist, but a man in official robes with an arrogant bearing.
He was an adjutant dispatched from Hangzhou’s Regional Military Commission.
“This is the will of the Provincial Commander.”
The adjutant placed a letter on the table as if throwing it down.
No matter how much he was an adjutant under the Provincial Commander, such an attitude was not something he would normally display, and the adjutant surely knew this.
Before being a military officer, to become an adjutant one had to understand politics or they couldn’t rise high.
Yet even so, he was showing disrespect that he shouldn’t dare display in the heart of the Martial Arts Alliance.
“Hmm…”
“Ahem…”
The faces of the elders seated around turned red and blue.
However, Jegal Hyeon raised his hand to restrain them.
He knew that the current momentum belonged not to the Martial Arts Alliance but to the Provincial Commander.
“Since Hangzhou’s Provincial Commander has something to convey to the alliance, let us hear it.”
“He will soon be promoted.”
“Is he not still Hangzhou’s Provincial Commander?”
“…”
“I will listen.”
Jegal Hyeon picked up the letter.
The sealed red ink.
There, the official seal of Hangzhou’s Provincial Commander was clearly stamped.
Jegal Hyeon showed it conspicuously.
At this, the adjutant found it difficult to argue back about the promotion.
“…”
In the silence, Jegal Hyeon opened the letter and read through its contents.
His eyes soon changed strangely.
The letter’s content was polite, but the meaning contained within was sharp as frost.
[While this official was examining Hangzhou’s public order, I confirmed that the Gosan Sect belonging to your alliance crossed the line of martial arts to intimidate common people and cause chaos.]
From the start, it was questioning the Gosan Sect’s crimes.
‘Bringing up past events now?’
Jegal Hyeon knew well that this was merely the opening.
‘To establish momentum.’
The real business came next.
[Therefore, I inform you that Hangzhou’s physician Jung Myeong stepped forward to correct this. He moved with the cooperation of the government, and this official guarantees that what he did was for public justice, not private grudges.]
Jegal Hyeon’s fingertips trembled slightly.
This was not a simple situation report.
‘The government… has declared it will protect a mere physician?’
The letter’s final sentence drove in the wedge.
[Therefore, from today forward, any investigation or intervention regarding Physician Jung Myeong at the Martial Arts Alliance level is deemed unnecessary.]
‘Well…’
As if that wasn’t enough.
The Provincial Commander added more.
[If unjust force is exercised against him, this will be regarded as a provocation against the Hangzhou Guard.]
“Ha, really… Someone who will soon leave is sending such a letter in the name of the Hangzhou Guard.”
Jegal Hyeon let out a hollow laugh as he put down the letter.
The elders in attendance couldn’t contain themselves and asked.
“Leader, what exactly is written there?”
“Is the Provincial Commander threatening the alliance?”
“Threatening… something like that.”
Jegal Hyeon passed the letter to the elders.
“Hangzhou’s Provincial Commander has guaranteed the safety of that ‘Poison Demon Physician.’ He’s saying that touching him is the same as touching the government forces, so the alliance should keep its hands off.”
“What?!”
The elder from the Zongnan Sect shot up from his seat.
“It was said that officials and martial artists should not interfere with each other!”
“I know. We are also upholding that. It’s just that he’s a physician, so they’re protecting him.”
“Hah. Do they not know that he belongs to the martial world?”
“It seems they’re using the pretext that he’s a physician before anything else.”
“Word games. How can the government so blatantly interfere in the grudges of the martial world! The Gosan Sect was even forced into seclusion, yet the Alliance can’t investigate?”
“Whether it makes sense or not isn’t what’s important.”
Jegal Hyeon spoke coldly.
“What’s important is that the Provincial Commander has seized the moral high ground.”
“Moral high ground?”
“That’s right. He’s defined Jung Myeong’s attack on the Gosan Sect as maintaining public order done with government cooperation.”
“Does that even make sense?”
“Normally it wouldn’t. However, didn’t blood incidents occur everywhere after that?”
“Those blood incidents weren’t created by us!”
“The government has no need to investigate that. What’s important is the reputation.”
“Hmm…”
“In any case, the timing is suspicious, so they’re telling us not to touch him. They’re saying not to touch the physician, not the martial artist, so what can we do?”
“…Isn’t this vicious word play?”
“They must know him too.”
“Ha. So we have to take it even knowing what’s going on.”
“That’s how it turned out.”
The Elders’ mouths fell open.
In the Elders’ view, Jung Myeong was a martial artist.
But they pinpointed him as a physician.
When someone of the Provincial Commander’s stature says he’ll protect him as a physician, what can be done?
Provincial Commander Eom Maeng had struck precisely at that point.
“That physician bastard… He’s no ordinary fellow. Didn’t he set up this whole scheme?”
“Hmm…”
“Why are you reacting like that? Isn’t that right?”
“From what I can see, it seems a bit strange.”
Jegal Hyeon stroked his beard as he thought.
‘This seems a bit different from what I heard?’
Jegal Hyeon had already sent his child to Hangzhou.
None other than Jegal Yeon-ha, who had been treated by Jung Myeong, was his child.
From what he had heard, even if Jung Myeong could move the Provincial Commander, he wasn’t someone who would move in this manner.
‘Originally, at best he would have requested neutrality from the Alliance. But this isn’t just neutrality? This is strange.’
Jegal Hyeon began to read everything from where he sat.
That originally what Jung Myeong had asked the Provincial Commander was merely to deliver a letter.
That at best it was a request for the Martial Arts Alliance to maintain neutrality.
He read it immediately.
That’s why he felt great doubt.
‘Hmm… There’s something more to this.’
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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