The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 32

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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 32

Jegal Seolhye shook her head.

The Wulin Alliance really did a lot of work.

When disputes arose, they sought the Alliance and wanted mediation.

You spent that much to join the Alliance, so you should do something for us too, right?

That’s how it was.

This happened across the entire Central Plains.

Moreover, the enemies weren’t just humble and nameless sects.

Wherever money and interests flowed, the Black Dao crowds always swarmed like dogs.

Even among those who hadn’t joined the Alliance, there were always notable figures.

In alliances like the Southern Dragon Alliance or Four Gates Blood…

And what about the Evil Eight Heavens…

Just look at the Hwangbo Family. Didn’t Jegal Seolhye have to go personally because there was supposedly nothing to fight about?

Moreover, those prestigious orthodox sects who act so noble sometimes come down to protect their own rice bowls,

And do the government officials just sit still?

That damn money, money, money. If not that, they’d use them as mercenaries.

After dumping all their own work on others.

In such times, you don’t know how precious high-level personnel like Jawunyeong’s warriors are.

“So. Is it impossible?”

“…So, please do some work. That’s what this is about.”

“How much.”

“It depends on what you do. To get information on Bifeng’s level, you’d have to work quite hard, wouldn’t you?”

“I’d be better off finding it myself.”

Thud.

Xie Baowei stood up.

There was no value in hearing more.

“You roughly know he’s in Sichuan, right? But will Bifeng stay there? What if he goes somewhere else? Ah. Your paths might cross.”

Even if he was there, you couldn’t search all of Sichuan.

He had learned in the military how difficult it was to find someone based only on rumors.

Though there were those who were good at finding people, he was on the side that used that information to strike, not the side that searched.

Xie Baowei sat back down.

“If you plan to endlessly manipulate and only use me.”

“That’s not the case.”

Jegal Seolhye shook her head with tired eyes.

“Build up achievements and come up in rank. I’ll definitely provide reliable information. I’ll definitely give you proper treatment! Also, if there are missions going to your sister, I’ll give you priority.”

“Why?”

“…Well.”

After saying that, Jegal Seolhye hesitated for a long time.

Then she smiled.

“I told you. I like you.”

“That’s not an answer.”

“…Hmph. Really, you’ve become so boring.”

“So what’s the reason?”

“First of all. I like Sister Yulhee. This is sincere. Ah. I think well of you too.”

Jegal Seolhye nodded.

Then she smiled sadly again.

This smile was, how should I put it, one that conveyed the sorrow of a working person?

“Me. Me. I’m really busy. There’s a lot of work. It’s hard. But these damn! Ugh… The warriors won’t listen to a word I say.”

Madness gleamed in her laughing voice.

Xie Baowei flinched and leaned back.

“Those who joined Jawunyeong are all arrogant with stiff necks thinking they’re so great, and the Cheongjukrim warriors are just beasts. Beasts! No different from ronin. They’re either greenhorns going crazy trying to make their family or personal names famous, or leeches who just collect their salaries!”

Since there are no helpful people, nothing gets done!

Is Hongcheokhwon running well?

Those so-called scholars keep spouting ignorant nonsense like ‘let’s send Bifeng to destroy them,’ ‘let’s send Black Sword to cut off heads,’ ‘let’s commission the Dang Family to poison them.’

“Calm down.”

“Do I look like I’m going to calm down!”

“…Calm down.”

Sigh.

Jegal Seolhye let out a deep sigh. Still, venting her anger seemed to ease her mind.

“…It’s not that there are no people. But it’s not enough. Please help me. The best outcome is for both sister and you to stay.”

“…But, would I really be that helpful…”

Hearing this much, he felt a bit burdened. What did she trust in someone who was no different from an ignoramus?

Why? Really?

Jegal Seolhye grinned.

It was a confident smile.

“A current captain recognized by Socheon, and a former Jangcheonho under General Guo Weilong, called the Dragon of the North. The people of the martial arts world might not know, but among learned people like us, who doesn’t know how meticulous those gentlemen are?”

Ah. This is…

Xie Baowei frowned.

Those gentlemen really weren’t helpful.

“That’s only useful on the battlefield.”

“Taean Gate. That’s you, right? No matter how I think about it, that’s right.”

Jegal Seolhye said, extending one finger straight out.

When you eliminate the impossible, what remains must be the truth!

“Boldness, decisiveness, execution ability, and even secrecy. Cheongjukrim needs someone like that right now.”

Please!

Jegal Seolhye clasped her hands together.

Xie Baowei wrinkled his nose bridge and sighed.

“The settlement must be certain.”

“Of course!”

Jegal Seolhye stood up with a full smile on her face.

.

.

.

Shortly after Xie Baowei left, Jegal Seolhye, who had been staring at where he had gone for a while, got up from her seat.

As she left her office, guards bowed in greeting.

She stopped them from following and walked on.

Passing countless people, she arrived at the largest, widest, and tallest building among Hongcheokhwon’s many structures.

Chongchaekdang (General Strategy Hall)

It was a simple name, but considering its purpose and meaning, everyone would nod in understanding.

The top floor of that building, and even within that top floor, a room in the deepest part.

Cheongnangje (Blue Storm Study).

Jegal Seolhye entered without anyone’s interference.

“Dad.”

“Oh. You came?”

Click. After closing the door, she saw it was dark inside.

Jegal Seolhye lit an oil lamp to brighten the interior.

A handsome middle-aged man with large eyes had been sleeping with his chair reclined and woke up.

Thud. A book that had been covering his face fell.

“…Your daughter can’t even rest, and you’re sleeping?”

“Oh my. Call me Director.”

“Only when it’s disadvantageous to him.”

Jegal Seolhye trudged in and pulled out a chair, plopping down heavily.

The middle-aged man, Jegal Seolhye’s father and director of Hongchaekhwon, Jegal Yuhyeon, smiled gently and asked.

“Busy?”

“…There’s been quite a lot of work lately.”

“Having destroyed an entire sect, the aftermath must be overwhelming. Still, the Evil Nine Heavens has become the Evil Eight Heavens, hasn’t it? Once this passes, there will be one less task. It was the same when we destroyed the Ming Cult long ago.”

“It’s just one task reduced out of a hundred.”

“That’s how you reduce them gradually. However, we must also be cautious. We mustn’t forget about the Demonic Cult.”

Her father laughed bitterly with a “haha.”

The fact that the remnants of the Ming Cult had become the Demonic Cult was truly a painful matter for him.

Jegal Seolhye gently took her father’s hand with a troubled expression.

Jegal Yuhyeon quickly composed his expression as if nothing was wrong and spoke with a smile.

“Did you see the Jin family?”

“Yes.”

That was the reason she had made time in her busy schedule to come here.

“Even if I’m interested in that person, is he interesting enough to catch Father’s attention too?”

Is it worth calling me all the way here? Jegal Seolhye grumbled.

She had been given separate instructions the day before, and he wanted a follow-up report.

“When my daughter is interested in a man, how could I, as her father, pretend not to know?”

“Hmph. You should know it’s not that kind of interest.”

“Oh my, you’re not one who wouldn’t know that it’s not ‘not that kind of interest.'”

Jegal Seolhye pouted her lips.

Jegal Yuhyeon continued.

“He’s a man with an owner.”

“They’re a couple who haven’t even had their wedding night.”

“Was Yulhee your enemy?”

“She’s still a friend. But she’s not family, is she?”

Jegal Seolhye shrugged her shoulders.

Jegal Yuhyeon did the same.

“You said he would become a big shot.”

“To do great things in the outside world, don’t you need inner support?”

At those words, Jegal Yuhyeon stared intently at Jegal Seolhye.

Though he was someone who could see through many things, he still couldn’t understand the hearts of his daughter and wife.

“What about Nam Gilin?”

“Nam Gilin? Well. I don’t know. Who could understand that inscrutable person’s heart? I only know that strangely, he hovers around Sister Yulhee.”

“Damn it. Kids these days.”

Jegal Yuhyeon clicked his tongue.

Jegal Seolhye chuckled.

“It’s just a possibility. Well. It’s not a bad story, but still… I’m not the type to be interested in other people’s rice cakes.”

That was all there was to it.

She wasn’t so pathetic as to covet something that belonged to someone else.

However, well. If it were a dog that lost its owner, wouldn’t that be not so bad?

Having lived a life of careful consideration, she wasn’t unaware of the value of honesty and loyalty.

“Anyway, isn’t that also why the Shu Alliance is staying quiet?”

“In any case, Dang Gaju and Namgung Hyeong must be dumbfounded too.”

The relationship between Hyeseo and Nam Gilin was one of the regular topics that gossips always talked about.

The union of Jiangnan Yilian and Guanzhong Yilin, two of the three pillars of the Wulin Alliance.

But the parties involved were so indifferent about it.

There was a reason why the Shu-Chuan Xiapeng outwardly showed reluctance but remained quiet inside.

“But really. Why?”

Her father wasn’t one to be unaware of such things. Jegal Seolhye looked at her father suspiciously.

Why the Jin family all of a sudden? At such a busy time.

“Treat him well. Well, it would be fine even if you really enchanted him and brought him over.”

“What?”

This time Jegal Seolhye frowned. It was incomprehensible.

Born as the daughter of a great family, she had never felt resistance to things like political marriages.

Rather, hadn’t she herself sought out someone who could be helpful to the family?

But this was the first time her father had brought up such talk first.

“The Imperial Court is not normal.”

“…They say he’s going crazy?”

“The concubine he brought in this time seems to be the last.”

The emperor, who had left government affairs to his ministers, devoted his remaining energy to alcohol and women.

Even setting aside the deposed empress and the fallen concubines, there were dozens of new empresses and concubines.

Including the palace maids who received the emperor’s favor for one night, rumors circulated that no one knew how many there would be.

How many children would there be under them?

At least there had been no talk because the grown crown prince’s power was strong.

“…Don’t tell me.”

“He seems to want to pass on the throne in his heart.”

Officials and the martial arts world had been strictly separated for a long time.

No matter how great a family was, it was difficult to know even the atmosphere of the palace, let alone the Imperial Court.

Only families like the Jegal clan, whose foundations were connected to officialdom, could know such things.

Even this had been learned with great difficulty.

Jegal Yuhyeon stroked his chin.

His unmanaged beard was rough.

“Will it be alright?”

Jegal Seolhye asked carefully, watching her father’s expression.

Jegal Yuhyeon shook his head.

“Just looking at what happened in Guizhou is enough to know that Socheon is a madman.”

The tragedy of Guizhou had flowed into the martial arts world.

It was called the martial arts world, but it meant the common people were shedding blood.

The rebellion had been quelled and the political situation seemed stable, but…

“It would have been better to leave Socheon as he was. But that fool of an emperor sent him outside.”

Because of that, the political situation that was about to stabilize became chaotic again, and the court pushed the responsibility onto the martial arts world.

Jegal Yuhyeon looked at his daughter and smiled.

“Now, do you understand?”

“…What?”

“You know what I mean.”

Jegal Yuhyeon smiled slightly, and Jegal Seolhye sighed.

“Establish a connection with Socheon?”

“Oh my. Did I raise you to think like that?”

“The director will extend a line to the opposite side, won’t you?”

“Oh my, drawing lines between us again. Say ‘Dad.’ Try saying ‘Dad.'”

The conclusion was to do well.

Whatever that might be.

“If Socheon drops the ‘So’ (small) character, our power will weaken. He’s a frightening person.”

“We should hope that doesn’t happen.”

“Let’s just hope. If we reach out our hand wrong, the Jegal clan will disappear.”

Conversely, if the fool emperor’s young youngest son became emperor, their prosperity would continue.

However, would worldly affairs turn out so easily?

“We also need to gather our strength as much as possible. For that, our territory within the Wulin Alliance must also expand.”

“Jiangnan Yilian would think the same way.”

Shu-Chuan Xiapeng had unique power due to its position, but it was difficult to expand outward.

Even so, no one liked seeing another do better than themselves, so the tug-of-war between the three alliances remained tight.

“You trying to seduce the Jin Family is the worst strategy. The middle strategy is seducing the Jin Family while also getting along well with Hwangbo Ok. The best strategy is having both the Jin Family and Hwangbo Ok show favor toward us.”

Taishan Alliance had failed, but its underlying strength was sufficient.

Shandong had always been a place where great wealth and power gathered.

Why else would swarms of flies like bandits and pirates be buzzing around?

The Hwangbo Family was the kind of place that could become the leader of such a region.

Look how they rose after falling. They didn’t just rise—they stood tall and proud.

And there was someone who was head over heels for such a family?

“…I’ll put him in my debt.”

“Oh my. That’s not how you use such people.”

“Why not? Aren’t those types the kind who repay debts with their lives when you put them in your debt?”

Jegal Seolhye asked as if genuinely puzzled.

Jegal Yuhyeon raised his finger and answered seriously.

“No. That attitude is treating them like fools.”

At her father’s serious attitude and voice, Jegal Seolhye also straightened her posture.

Learning was always precious, and her father’s teachings were worth their weight in gold.

Jegal Yuhyeon spoke solemnly.

“Such people strictly distinguish between fake and real. If you try to win him over, he’ll distance himself, and if you try to push him away, he’ll stand firm.”

“Then what should I do?”

“Show sincerity. He’ll truly give his life for you.”

At those words, Jegal Seolhye, who had been pondering, asked seriously.

“…How do you do that?”

At that question, Jegal Yuhyeon also stroked his chin and pondered for a long while.

“…Hmm. We can’t do it.”

Jegal Yuhyeon said with a troubled smile.

“For now, try to keep him as close as possible.”

If you treat him well, then maybe, it’ll work out.

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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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