Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 15

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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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#015

“It’s a gift.”

Five tables and chairs were placed along the wall for the workers to rest, and Ja-gang-cheon sat at the middle table, holding out a wooden box wrapped in silk.

“High-grade Donghaejoo.”

“Why did you bring something like this?”

“Cheon-gu said you shouldn’t go empty-handed the first time, right?”

“I’ll gratefully accept it. Rather than that, let me pour you a drink right away.”

“I can’t because I’m in the middle of internal energy training. One drink sets me back ten days. You can drink it though, uncle.”

When Ja-gang-cheon opened the bottle, a refreshing fruit fragrance began to spread subtly. But like how scents have aftertastes, a savory grain aroma followed.

This was a characteristic unique to Donghaejoo – the dramatic change between the first taste and aftertaste earned it the nickname “Heaven and Earth Wine.”

Glug glug.

Ja-gang-cheon filled the cup that So Yeon-dok held out.

“Thank you.”

So Yeon-dok, who downed the drink in one gulp, immediately let out a refreshing exclamation.

“Ahh. This is really good. Donghaejoo isn’t called that for nothing.”

He seemed genuinely satisfied as he nodded while looking at the cup.

Glug glug.

When Ja-gang-cheon refilled the remaining bit in the cup, this time he only wet his lips before setting it down.

“But what brings you here personally?”

“Just wanted to chat. Uncle, why did you create Haeryongbang? It’s a bit different from the Black Society I’ve heard about.”

So Yeon-dok searched his memories before answering.

“It was fifteen years ago. Back then, I was a guy who got on boats for a few coins a day. But for an orphan with nothing, even getting paid for honest sweat wasn’t easy. They’d find fault and pay only half, and if you made a mistake, you’d be kicked out empty-handed. They’d mock you, saying you should be grateful they didn’t throw you into the sea. And it wasn’t just me.”

People who had their wages stolen at the port began gathering one by one.

“Sailors who couldn’t get their wages from ship owners came together to form Haeryongbang.”

Ten people initially formed Haeryongbang.

Sailors who couldn’t get money from corrupt ship owners banded together to survive.

“I wasn’t the leader of Haeryongbang either. It was a big brother named Gi Cheol-ryeong. When people gathered, even the ship owners who looked down on us started paying overdue wages. But there was someone who didn’t like that. He was a ship owner who operated five merchant vessels and was a terrible miser.”

Unlike other ship owners, he deliberately hired Haeryongbang sailors and found fault to avoid paying wages.

It was to show off his power.

“Big brother Cheol-ryeong, who couldn’t back down, went to find him directly. And…”

So Yeon-dok downed a cup of liquor. Then he filled his own cup this time.

“He was beaten to death. That bastard Merchant Guild Leader mockingly told us to come get the corpse. Saying trash should be cleaned up by trash.”

So Yeon-dok, who recovered the body, set fire to two merchant ships that day. He couldn’t burn the other three because they had sailed out.

“I killed that bastard when he came to put out the fire. All the Haeryongbang members came out, and the miser’s family left Jiao-nan.”

That’s when it started.

“The funny thing is that all the overdue wages came in within five days. Since then, workers sent by our Haeryongbang have never been treated unfairly.”

“So becoming a Black Society was unavoidable?”

“I don’t know. At the time, I was sad but also felt vindicated. With youthful passion, I don’t even know what I did day by day. If you ask whether I lived conscientiously, the answer is no. I interfered with competing labor offices and monopolized distribution rights in South Market.”

He spoke with a bitter expression.

“Honestly, there were many conveniences to being a Black Society. I didn’t want to give that up.”

Ja-gang-cheon, who had been quietly listening to the long story, asked.

“Then you could just continue being like a Black Society and take over Gyeonam Market too. Is it because you’re not strong enough?”

“Being weak is true, but it’s not like there are no methods. Just yesterday, a fairly large Demonic Sect contacted us saying they’d back us. If we pay about 30% of profits as tribute, it’s possible to get backing. Of course, since they’re not as notorious as Gwimyeon Ssangssal, there would be fighting.”

“Then why are you hesitating?”

“It feels like crossing a line. I’ve killed people and groveled like a fly, but there were reasons for all of it. But the fighting that would happen while taking over Gyeonam Market would be purely for greed. I don’t want to do that.”

Hearing those words, Ja-gang-cheon nodded. He had wanted to know what kind of person So Yeon-dok was, and this was enough.

Having made his decision, Ja-gang-cheon finally stated his reason for coming.

“Uncle. I have no intention of becoming a Black Society’s backing.”

“Of course you shouldn’t. I’ve never once thought of that. What’s so good about this place that I’d drag you into a sewer?”

“That’s not what I’m saying.”

Ja-gang-cheon looked directly at So Yeon-dok as he spoke.

“I can become the backing for you, not the Black Society.”

“What?”

So Yeon-dok thought for a moment, then understood Ja-gang-cheon’s meaning.

“You mean quit the Black Society?”

“I’m not ordering you. If you quit the Black Society and only run the labor office, I’ll protect you.”

“I’d want nothing more than that. But there are things in the black market that need to be eliminated with this opportunity.”

Ja-gang-cheon knew that So Yeon-dok wanted to eliminate three things from the black market.

“Don’t worry about that. Once you disband Haeryongbang, no more Black Societies will be able to enter Jiao-nan.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll stop them. Since Gwimyeon Ssangssal created a Black Society with his power, I’m going to eliminate Black Societies with mine.”

“Ah…”

So Yeon-dok, who had been lost in thought over the unexpected plan, asked.

“Why would you go that far?”

“I want to make Jiao-nan my hometown. Black Societies aren’t needed in the hometown I dream of.”

It was spoken like a painter who could draw any picture he desired.

“Would that be possible? What happens if I refuse?”

“I’ll just leave you alone.”

Ja-gang-cheon said, “You’d become the only Black Society in Jiao-nan,” and stood up from his seat.

“Think it over and contact me.”

After he left with those words, silence settled over the place for a long time.

Three days later.

Ja-gang-cheon saw a corpse-like figure with sunken eyes early in the morning.

Surprisingly, that corpse-like figure was So Yeon-dok.

“Uncle. Couldn’t sleep? Couldn’t eat?”

“I think it’s both.”

“Then eat first and get some good sleep.”

“Let me say this first, then I’ll do that.”

So Yeon-dok stated the conclusion he reached after long deliberation.

“I’ll disband Haeryongbang.”

Ja-gang-cheon smiled.

“Good thinking.”

“But please give me two weeks.”

“Why?”

“I’ll clean up the black market. Now that Uirimdan is gone and other organizations haven’t established themselves, this is the only opportunity. After finishing that work, Haeryongbang will disband.”

His plan was exactly what Ja-gang-cheon had wanted.

“I’ll completely clean up all the businesses Uirimdan had opened in the trade market. The profits from this will be divided among all the brothers as retirement funds.”

There were still brothers who wanted to take over Gyeonam Market. But when Ja-gang-cheon’s intentions were conveyed, they all backed down. Instead, they agreed to do one last job together in exchange for generous retirement funds.

“Alright. Tell me if there’s anything I can help with. You can use my name if necessary.”

“Thank you.”

“Now let’s go eat.”

“No. I have things to instruct the brothers. I’ll come back after finishing everything.”

Ja-gang-cheon called out to him as he turned to leave.

“Uncle. I’ll be rooting for you.”

That friendly tone gave So Yeon-dok more strength than anything else.

***

The market at Jinhae Port boasted one of the largest scales in Shandong Province.

The trading market was filled with expensive medicinal herbs, silk, and porcelain, while spices imported from overseas filled the opposite side.

And as befitting a sailor’s stronghold, Jiao-nan’s giru was also quite substantial in scale, with not only cheongru filled with splendid performances and laughter every night, but also hongru that sold even sleeping quarters to sailors, forming large establishments in the back alleys.

However, the business larger than all these enterprises was the black market.

There’s a saying in Zhen-hai Port.

-In the shadows of the glamorous market, an even larger market lies hidden.

Before a martial arts master of Gwimyeon Ssangssal’s caliber stepped forward, Jiao-nan’s Zhen-hai Port was a place where numerous organizations fiercely competed.

A great upheaval swept through that black market.

First, as Uirimdan collapsed, the gambling houses that had suspended operations were completely shut down and the underground medicine shops disappeared. However, the cheongru were not easy for Haerongbang to push out with their power.

Although they had paid protection fees to Uirimdan, they were independently operated establishments, so they were still conducting business normally.

On the surface, it seemed like small-time brothel owners secretly operating in old buildings, but the reality was different.

-The reason for doing illegal business is because it brings in big money.

The old cheongru had considerable connections and substantial financial resources. They had something to rely on.

But when Haerongbang tried to drive them out recklessly, the brothel owners in crisis banded together.

Haerongbang’s aggressive cleanup of the black market stopped from that point.

“Who came in?”

Pansuk spoke with a gloomy expression to Ja-gang-cheon, who had finished his dawn qi cultivation and was about to eat.

“They’re called Heukseommun.”

“Who is Heukseommun?”

Through Cheon-gu, who came in shortly after, he was able to hear details about Heukseommun.

“There’s a port called Hwangdo north of Jiao-nan. It’s a prestigious Demonic Sect established there, so it can’t be compared to the Black Society. There were rumors that they targeted Jiao-nan’s black market even when Gwimyeon Ssangssal was around.”

“Are those bastards targeting the black market again?”

“That’s how we should see it. That’s why they openly stationed guards at the cheongru.”

Ja-gang-cheon closed his eyes for a moment and recalled something he had heard before.

“You said there are children in the cheongru too?”

“Right.”

“All children who were forcibly brought there.”

“There are also children whose parents sold them. Either way, it’s not their own will.”

“Is it also true that you can buy and sell anything in the black market if you pay money?”

“You can even sell lives. Naturally, you can buy them too.”

It’s a place where assassination contracts are frequently made if you just pay money.

“I understand. That’s enough.”

Ja-gang-cheon stood up from his seat.

“What are you going to do?”

“I need to let them know that Jiao-nan’s rules have changed.”

Ja-gang-cheon, who had only been watching until now, made his move.

The place Ja-gang-cheon headed to was not the black market.

“You’re going straight to Hwangdo?”

“Yeah. Dealing with the guards at the cheongru won’t solve anything.”

As he said, the disappeared guards would be replaced. And the next fight would certainly be more intense.

“I understand your intention, but is it right to help this much?”

“Helping Haerongbang is secondary. I have a different real purpose.”

“What’s that?”

“I’m going to make Jiao-nan a good place to live. If I pour my affection into this place first, won’t my parents love it here too?”

“Hmm. Now I understand when you put it that way.”

“Our parents have nowhere to go. So I hope they’ll settle here.”

Cheon-gu was fully convinced.

“If that’s the reason, I’m in favor too.”

“Thank you.”

Hearing his friend’s support, his steps toward Hwangdo became much lighter.

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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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