Emperor Namgung Mu of the Thousand Years - Chapter 103

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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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#103

“Answer me. More than ten years. Right?”

His voice lowered.

“…Y…es.”

“I understand why the former guild master brought you here, and also why that person didn’t do any work.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Even if you have capable subordinates, if the senior manager lacks confidence to plan and manage them, things will inevitably become extremely lax.”

I nodded my head.

Then I walked toward the shelf.

I pulled out another scroll.

I repeatedly pulled out five scrolls in succession, unrolled them, and examined them while asking.

“Information network operation method. How are you running things in the biggest framework? There must be a ratio between core personnel and ears attached to the periphery. How do you organize and coordinate the ear teams? Finally, do you have any non-negotiable principles for training? If so, what are they?”

“…!?”

Sanyeong’s eyes widened.

“…How does the Namgung Family’s Fourth Young Master… know such field terminology and key points…”

“Hey, the master is asking you a question.”

Guk, who had been holding back until now, growled.

“Stop the nonsense and answer. We know our master is smart because he reads many books.”

Sanyeong looked incredulous.

“What kind of ignorant martial artist bastard is this? Do you think what he just said could come from simply reading books?!”

“Sanyeong.”

I spoke calmly.

“If you truly consider yourself just a petty spy, maintain your current attitude. But if you have the will and pride to act as a shadow operative beyond just being a spy, focus on my questions. And if you’re a smart intelligence agent, you’ll understand what I’m saying right now.”

I said while folding the scroll.

“Life-changing opportunities never come grandly. They come like seeping fog, and you only realize it was an opportunity after it has passed. I won’t say the same thing twice. If you really want it, I’ll let you live and die as a pig herder for the rest of your life.”

“…”

“So what’s your answer to my question?”

Sanyeong bit his lips.

“We attach seven ears per core person as one team. Other peripheral core personnel have about three ears attached.”

“What’s the reason for attaching seven ears to one core person?”

“Five of the seven are divided into five directions to collect and verify information, while the remaining two cross-verify information from the five, and also fill gaps when emergency situations arise. The first non-negotiable principle is to always secure eight escape routes, and if three or more escape routes are blocked, retreat without hesitation.”

“Wouldn’t being so cautious make it difficult to collect crucial information?”

Sanyeong spoke without hesitation.

“Rather, information obtained by trying to extract it quickly in the short term has a high probability of being the opponent’s deliberate deception and bluffing.”

I raised the corner of my mouth.

“…It’s been a while since I’ve seen a proper shadow operative.”

Complex emotions crossed Sanyeong’s face.

“I’ll ask one more thing.”

“…Please speak.”

“Why was someone like you at the bottom? From what I can see, you’re absolutely not someone who should be ordered around by the former guild master or such people. Wherever you went, you should have at least reached middle management or higher. What’s your story?”

“…”

Sanyeong bit his lips.

“That’s…”

“Tell me.”

“…I was a tenant farmer’s son who ended up in this world. Dirt poor.”

His voice lowered.

“In this world, to get a position with even some command authority, it’s important to join a good organization and achieve merit, but you also need to offer tribute money to superiors to advance. But for a middle manager, especially one with no money at home, to raise such money, what would he have to do? The only way is to embezzle what the frontline workers rightfully deserve. But I could never do that, even if it killed me. Eventually, I was bound to be hated in any organization, and during that time, the former guild master offered me a blank slate to do as I pleased, even saying it was directly connected to the Third Young Master in the renowned Namgung Family, so let’s make this once-in-a-lifetime chance as a man bloom. That’s why I came here. Bringing all the brothers who trusted me. And now look at this mess. The sin of trusting people.”

He gave a bitter smile.

“No matter how skilled you are, no matter how much will you have, it’s meaningless. I’m realizing these days. Work hard and people will recognize your sincerity? Bullshit. Nobody knows. In the end, caterpillars must eat pine needles. A tenant farmer’s son ends up as a pig herder after going in circles. Haha. I guess fate exists.”

“…I understand what you’re saying.”

I said.

“Earlier, you also asked me a question. Why I bought this place. Whether I was a fool.”

“Right. The headquarters is exposed, the building is falling apart, trust is at rock bottom. No money either.”

“But people remain.”

The third floor where light enters.

In the middle of it, I said.

“I bought people with money. I wanted to purchase a system for obtaining information and recruit real experts accordingly. Buildings? Organizational reputation? Trust? None of that matters anyway. Do you know why it doesn’t matter?”

I walked to the window frame.

I kicked the crumbling, creaking window frame.

The wide-open outside scenery was visible.

It was the vast plains of Anhui and the blue sky.

“I had to draw a completely new picture anyway, for security and to hide my abilities. Would there be an idiot who’d pay money for debris that’s going to be demolished anyway?”

“…”

“Buildings? Money can handle that. Trust? Time can handle that too. But people, especially the right people for essential positions, sometimes can’t be obtained even if you pour in millions. When I started this, I thought there would at least be members who could reach middle management since it was run by the Third Young Master. I was even prepared to command directly if necessary. But you were here.”

“…But no matter how important people are, if you bought it expensively, that would be meaningless-.”

“I bought it for one hundred silver coins.”

“…”

A moment of silence filled the space.

Sanyeong asked in a dazed, hollow voice.

“What… did I just hear?”

“I said I bought it for one hundred silver coins. So stop saying it’s meaningless.”

Sanyeong looked at Guk.

Guk said as if annoyed.

“Our master is smart.”

“…”

“Follow me.”

I gestured.

“I have something to show you before getting to the main point.”

Where I led Sanyeong was the center of Anhui, where the Yaxiang Guild building had been.

It was ashes.

The remains of a building completely destroyed by fire were scattered about.

Blackened pillars, collapsed roofs, furniture turned to ash.

“This… isn’t this all burned down?”

“Right. Here’s something even more surprising – I spread rumors all around that I would embalm here, lay Anhui’s corpse to rest, and even hold a funeral.”

“…”

“Shall we confirm once more, Sanyeong.”

I looked at Sanyeong.

“How does this place look to your eyes? Do you still think like 90% of people passing through the alley – that everything’s just rotting away, why did he bring me to such a building, is he joking…?”

“No.”

After briefly examining it, Sanyeong said.

“Rather, everything being burned is like clean demolition if we’re building anew for secrecy, and the highlight of this, though I need to examine the debris more closely, appears to be a stone framework reinforced against natural rock. Very unique. The natural rock extends up to at least the second floor height, and this type of structure would typically extend underground as well… This would really drastically shorten construction time.”

“And?”

Sanyeong looked around in a circle.

“It’s adjacent to the bustling district yet cleverly completely removed from people’s traffic patterns. And being in the center of Anhui, you can reach anywhere via the shortest route. So…”

Sanyeong looked at me.

“If you were to create a headquarters for a group that handles information and moves secretly, this would be the optimal location that you couldn’t buy even if you poured gold on it.”

I looked at Guk.

“How about it, do I pass?”

Guk had already heard the correct answer from me.

Therefore, when the correct answers poured out from Sanyeong’s mouth just like when he had heard them from me, admiration was already dwelling in his eyes.

“I don’t know about his temperament, but his skills are truly exceptional.”

“I think so too.”

“However, Boatman.”

Sanyeong sighed.

“No matter how much the framework is intact, the funds for construction of this scale won’t be insignificant.”

He lowered his head.

“Though I don’t know the latest information, from what I’ve gathered, Boatman has also just established his position and the situation isn’t favorable… The funds for this, in other words, don’t you lack silver?”

I chuckled softly.

“That information would be from at least before I went to the Sichuan Tang Family.”

“…What?”

“Right. I don’t have silver.”

“Then how…”

“But I have this.”

I gave Guk a meaningful look.

Guk stepped forward.

From inside his cloak, he began taking out heavy objects from the bundle on his back and stacking them in front.

Sanyeong’s mouth fell open.

“…Wh…at is this?”

It was a pile of silver ingots that reached up to knee height.

I tapped on them.

“One of the basic abilities of an excellent first-rate spy, beyond being a spy, is to assess the quality of stolen goods on the spot. From what I’ve seen of you so far, even if others can’t, you at least should be able to recognize this, Sanyeong?”

Sanyeong swallowed.

He carefully picked up a silver ingot and examined it closely.

“…I’m not an expert in stolen goods and only learned it as a side skill so I could be wrong, but something with this level of purity and luster…”

And after a moment, Sanyeong spoke somewhat uncertainly.

“Isn’t this silver from the Sichuan… region?”

“…!”

Guk standing beside was on the verge of his eyes popping out.

“Correct.”

I smiled with satisfaction.

“You have good eyes.”

These were part of the additional reward money I had received after solving the problem at the Sichuan Tang Family, excluding the golden toad.

“Then let me get to the main point. Sanyeong. Work under me.”

I said while sitting on the silver ingots.

“The blank white paper that the former leader promised. I’ll provide it here. I’ve actually shown you the real thing. Not just empty words. If you accept working under me, this charred building, which is just burnt trash to others, will be exactly that blank white paper where you can freely draw whatever you envision.”

“…!”

Sanyeong raised his head.

“This… is my… blank paper?”

“I’m different from the former leader. And different from Namgung Taejin above him. What you’re thinking, what you want to unfold. I can not only fully understand it all but provide complete support, so try it to your heart’s content. The first step is here. Make this place the best headquarters. Starting from the basement, confidentiality, security, escape routes, organizational structure, communication networks that you envision. Everything is at your discretion. Rather, wouldn’t this blank slate situation be better for you than having to awkwardly force yourself to fit existing structures? It might be burdensome for others who lack ability, but not for you, right?”

Sanyeong was staring at me with only his eyes blinking as if struck by lightning.

To that, I said.

“Instead, you might have to work hard for low pay for a year. So, what will it be? Want to become a well-fed pig herder? Or do you want to bloom brilliantly once even if your body gets worn down?”

“…”

Sanyeong slowly lowered his head.

He knelt down.

Deeply.

Even deeper.

“…Please.”

And he touched his forehead to the ground.

“Please… accept me. Let me… have the opportunity to make my dream a reality even once. Lord Boatman.”

“Get up.”

He raised his head.

I said.

“It’s Jisaldae. Remember it.”

“…What?”

“You should know the name of the branch you’ll lead as captain, and that will serve as the eyes of me, Namgung Family’s Fourth Young Master.”

Sanyeong’s eyes flashed.

“…That means!”

“Those who seep into the ground and cut the enemy’s lifeline. An organization specialized in these four things: information gathering, espionage, surveillance, and infiltration. There’s no one above you. Only me. You report directly to me and receive orders directly from me. Can you avoid disappointing me?”

Sanyeong said.

“This precious opportunity you’ve given me to be reborn, I will accomplish it even if I have to stake my life.”

“Good. Then here’s the first order to the captain. It’s time to prove your abilities.”

I pointed to the skeleton of the burnt Zhaoxiang Stronghold building.

“The deadline is thirty days. Within that time, finish construction of this place that will become the headquarters for those who will be my hands and feet. Don’t say it’s impossible. I’m not spouting unrealistic nonsense but speaking from experience. I want to employ someone superior to me in specific fields as my subordinate, not take in someone who can’t work better than me. And reorganize the Jisaldae information network from scratch too. Tell me if you need funds.”

And I looked down at Sanyeong.

“Does it seem too much? Can’t do it? Should I give you more time?”

Sanyeong raised his head.

Flames were burning in his eyes.

“Thirty days isn’t even necessary. Fifteen days. I’ll complete everything within exactly half that time even if I have to stay up all night.”

“You absolutely must keep to the fifteen days you mentioned. As you’ll see, it would be best not to even think about playing word games with me. I’m always moving forward risking my life. You risk your life too. In case of false reports, I’ll hold you accountable for that crime, and I won’t go easy.”

“Don’t worry. If I can’t take responsibility for my words, it means I’m the same kind of person as the former leader. I’d rather bite my tongue and die.”

And Sanyeong hesitated for a moment.

Soon he spoke as if he had made up his mind.

“My lord. I will definitely meet your expectations.”

“…Your first comrade.”

Guk looks at me with a smile.

I said to Sanyeong.

“I’m counting on you. Captain Sanyeong.”

“Leave it to me.”

Thus, the first of the three organizations that would become my hands and feet, Jisaldae, was created.

And a few days later,

Namgung Taejin suddenly came looking for me.

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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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