Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven - Chapter 92

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Third-rate Martial Arts Family, Greatest Under Heaven – Episode 092
Juru appeared magnificent on the surface. Yet its true nature was a secret branch of a colossal intelligence organization that dominated the realm.
When a branch’s identity was exposed, they would torture those responsible to uncover how they were discovered, or resort to murder to eliminate all traces.
Such scenes commonly appeared in the tales Storytellers spun at the marketplace or in the contents of sensationalist gossip chronicles.
But then again….
Chu Dal gazed back and forth between Lu Ju and Yang Hwi with a bewildered expression.
My sworn brother looking at me with a disappointed gaze.
Lu Ju holding an abacus and ledger instead of weapons for an ambush.
“Boy. Didn’t I tell you to stop reading those gossip chronicles?”
“Well… that is….”
“It seems young Namgung Cheon-yeong has misunderstood something.”
Lu Ju chuckled while holding the ledger and abacus, and Yang Hwi offered an apology on Chu Dal’s behalf.
“My apologies. This fellow lacks experience in the martial world.”
“Considering how people perceive our Ha O-mun, it’s quite understandable. It happens often, so I understand.”
“Still, I had no idea this place was a Ha O-mun branch. I simply chose the most lavish establishment in town to settle in. Of all places.”
“Haha, there are no sects in Tai-hua that could be called dominant. Of course, Anhui itself is Namgung Family territory.”
“Ah, now that you mention it, that’s true.”
“Precisely so.”
Chu Dal, unable to follow the conversation, interjected.
“Brother. How did this happen? Didn’t you come here confident that this was a Ha O-mun branch from the start?”
“How would I know about Ha O-mun branches, you fool?”
“…?”
This is exactly why novices shouldn’t venture into the martial world.
He believes every rumor he picks up without any critical thought.
“Let me explain step by step. First, Ha O-mun doesn’t attempt silencing when their identity is exposed.”
“B-but from what I know….”
“That’s precisely why what you know differs from reality. Think about it. Which is the most famous intelligence organization in the realm?”
“The Open Pavilion, surely.”
“….”
Well, that much is true.
I glanced subtly at Lu Ju’s face.
He was still smiling, but there was a hint of wounded pride.
“When people speak of intelligence in the realm, they mention the Open Pavilion and Ha O-mun. Being famous for intelligence means not only buying and selling information, but also manipulating it.”
In other words, if Ha O-mun were the type to hide their identity meticulously, they wouldn’t have become famous in the first place.
Lu Ju added an explanation to this.
“Due to preconceptions about intelligence organizations, people often misunderstand. We at Ha O-mun don’t particularly hide our branch locations. We need people to find us to conduct business.”
Hearing this, Chu Dal nodded, finding nothing wrong with the logic.
Yet his doubts weren’t entirely resolved.
“Then how did you know this place was a Ha O-mun branch?”
“I said I didn’t know. I simply thought that an establishment this lavish and substantial would have connections to Ha O-mun. But I didn’t know it was actually a branch.”
“Unless there’s a powerful martial sect in the area, Ha O-mun branches are typically located in the most bustling Juru or pleasure houses.”
It was an unwritten rule—a way to make Ha O-mun easy for clients to find.
“But doesn’t that invite trouble from skilled masters who come to cause chaos just to gather information?”
“It certainly happens from time to time. But every business has its difficult customers. We simply accept it as part of doing business.”
“….”
Chu Dal had imagined Ha O-mun to be a far more secretive and dangerous organization.
He’d thought it would operate similarly to the Salsoo sect, for instance.
But reality was vastly different.
“Of course, there are information organizations similar to what you’re imagining. But those places are known only to a select few from the start.”
“The moment a name becomes widely known, it can no longer be called a secret information organization.”
Lu Ju laughed with a playful tone. Yang Hwi watched him for a moment.
‘Well… that doesn’t mean Ha O-mun operates entirely in the light either.’
A dark path bordering on heterodoxy. At best, straddling the line between orthodox and unorthodox.
That was Ha O-mun’s current standing in the martial world.
Unlike the open sects that share information for righteousness and cooperation, Ha O-mun trades information solely for profit.
Unlike the open sects with headquarters in Kaifeng, Ha O-mun has no main headquarters.
It operates entirely as a cell-based network, which means even destroying one branch yields little gain.
Considering the aftermath, attacking a Ha O-mun branch would be a losing proposition for even a master of high cultivation.
‘Which makes it perfect for our current situation.’
“Lu Ju. I’d appreciate it if we could discuss business now.”
“I got distracted by how adorable young Namgung Cheon-yeong is. What brings you to visit?”
“I’ve come to sell information about the Sword King Vault.”
“Ho. The Sword King Vault, you say.”
Lu Ju—or rather, the Hao-wen Tai-hua Branch Head’s eyes narrowed.
“You’ve come to sell very expensive information indeed. Of course, assuming it’s not false information.”
“How could anyone possibly sell false information to the legendary Ha O-mun? Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Well, there are surprisingly many who try.”
A brief silence fell. During it, Chu Dal sent a transmission.
-Elder Brother. Can we really disclose information about the Sword King Vault?
-What’s stopping us?
-How much are you planning to reveal?
-Everything we know.
Yang Hwi’s group possessed information that the Sword King Vault was located on Baek Su-san mountain and the approximate route to identify its entrance.
Chu Dal asked again, startled.
-If you hand over all of that, isn’t it like cooking rice only to feed it to dogs?
It wasn’t wrong.
The moment they gave the information to Ha O-mun, other sects and martial artists would come running like dogs.
But.
-We can’t even get a single spoonful on our own anyway.
Yang Hwi’s group consisted of only one master of supreme cultivation, three first-rate experts, and one second-rate expert.
While I possess the unique capability of handling poison and memorization, and have inherited the divine toxin meridian, I am woefully insufficient to excavate the Sword King’s Vault on my own.
-Then couldn’t we gather our full strength and return later?
-And in that time, the Namgung Clan simply devours it whole? Besides, if we bring a massive force, the Namgung Clan will inevitably learn of it.
In other words, it’s impossible for the Baek Family and Dang Family alone to claim the Sword King’s Vault.
Unless we possess the strength to openly oppose and defeat the Namgung Clan.
-With just the Main Residence and the Dang Family, we’d need several more years to build our power. What if the Namgung Clan plunders the Sword King’s Vault before then? We’d end up looking like a fool chasing chickens.
In my previous life, the Namgung Clan made a public announcement about the Sword King’s Vault several years from now.
Considering they likely emptied its contents and only announced it after thoroughly investigating whether anything remained….
‘Time is not on our side.’
-But even so, such a sudden move… Does the Dang Family Head know about this?
-Of course.
No matter how recklessly I act, I’ve never moved without discussion.
…Probably.
-Then you discussed this without me?! That’s too much!
I suppressed the sudden sigh that threatened to escape and sent a transmission.
-We didn’t discuss it, but there was implicit agreement.
-You obtained agreement without saying anything? What nonsense is that!
This bastard really knows how to do it.
He keeps making me want to sigh.
-Elder Dang knows you’re a novice in the Martial Arts World.
With our current strength, independent exploration of the Sword King’s Vault is impossible.
If we gather more forces, the Namgung Clan will discover us, and a massive problem will arise.
If the Namgung Clan finds the Sword King’s Vault, all our efforts become meaningless, and we’re under a time constraint.
I am the Family Head of this clan and have gained experience through multiple ventures into the Martial Arts World.
There’s no way I could fail to recognize such constraints.
From the moment we agreed to strike at the Namgung Clan from behind, this very situation was already predetermined.
-So quietly observe and learn. I brought you here specifically for that purpose.
After ending the transmission, I looked at Lu Ju. He remained lost in thought.
“You seem to know something?”
“How could I not?”
Indeed, the Namgung Clan’s own intelligence network alone would have been insufficient to gather clues about the Sword King’s Vault.
Since Ha O-mun surpasses the Baek Family in searching through ancient texts and gathering information about the past, they likely employed Ha O-mun with high probability.
“Then you understand. You can demand a very high price for this.”
“Hmm. I cannot give you a definitive answer on that. As you know, verifying authenticity itself incurs considerable expense.”
“I see.”
Without hesitation, I turned to leave.
Lu Ju made no move to stop me.
-Brother. I think I’ve read this scene before. But in novels, they usually stop you. Why didn’t he?
Why? Because the moment he stops you, he loses in the negotiation.
“Ah, before you go, there’s one more thing I should show you.”
What Yang Hwi pulled from his robes was a letter he’d collected while dusting off the Zamryong Residence.
A letter with “Nok-lim Member” written on the outside, containing a secret contact code to connect with the Nok-lim.
Lu Ju’s face hardened like stone.
“This is….”
“As a Ha O-mun Branch Manager, you should recognize it.”
“Are you planning to go to the Nok-lim?”
“What, did you think I’d go to the Gae Bang instead?”
-Elder, when negotiations with Ha O-mun go sideways, heading to Gae Bang is standard procedure.
Shut your mouth, you fool.
“I don’t know what clues you possess regarding Namgung Cheon-yeong’s Sword King Spear, but the Nok-lim is dangerous.”
“I’m aware.”
“The clues obtained from Jingga Manor alone won’t be enough to move the Nok-lim either.”
So he knows about Jingga Manor too. He’s grasped quite a lot, hasn’t he?
Yet I maintained my composure and responded.
“I’m aware of that as well.”
The Branch Manager possessed the cunning to discern whether a client’s demeanor was truth or deception.
‘This isn’t mere bluffing. This Namgung Cheon-yeong has something.’
“Hahaha, honored guest. Since you’ve graced us with your presence, it wouldn’t be proper to let you leave without seeing the goods. Come now, shall we change the mood and share a drink?”
The Branch Manager grasped one of the silk cords hanging behind his chair.
Soon footsteps sounded, and a beautiful woman in an elegant palace dress entered carrying wine and simple appetizers.
“Leave out the woman. Just the wine.”
“Tsk. You’re a difficult one, aren’t you?”
“Elder, must I be excluded as well?”
Smack!
“Kyaaaagh!”
“You cheeky brat. You’ll drain your vitality if you keep showing off like this.”
“….”
After filling each cup to the brim, Lu Ju raised his own cup and proposed a toast.
The cups clinked lightly, and Lu Ju drained his drink entirely.
“Namgung Cheon-yeong. First, I must ask about the picture you’re painting. How do you intend to set the board?”
“Without confirming the information first?”
“Since you’ve shown me a Nok-lim Member contact, I thought confirmation could come later.”
“Then so be it.”
I tapped the wine cup and continued speaking.
“I want to create chaos.”
The Branch Manager immediately grasped my true intention.
“You’re aiming for the fisherman’s profit.”
“And the Crossing of the Great River as a bonus.”
“You’re also targeting the Golden Cicada’s Escape.”
“Precisely.”
The Branch Manager clicked his tongue with a look of regret.
A faint chuckle escaped me.
“It seems you’ve considered swallowing this whole thing depending on the circumstances?”
“Ha ha… This is no ordinary matter, after all.”
That’s why I had shown him the Nok-lim Member.
When passing on the information, instead of letting Ha O-mun think of keeping it to himself, I wanted to guide him toward selling the information to as many organizations as possible.
“Show me now, if you will. Since things have come to this, I should at least secure a proper profit.”
I readily pulled out a paper folded several times from my garments.
It was a Jang Bo-do copied directly from the genuine article.
The Branch Manager studied the Jang Bo-do for a while, then shook his head.
“This is not the genuine article. Beyond being unable to offer proper compensation, I have no intention of purchasing it in the first place.”
“Well, that’s to be expected.”
When my response proved unexpected, strong interest flickered across the Branch Manager’s face.
“Ho? Do you have something more to show me?”
“Of course.”
I pulled out another piece of paper from my garments.
This time, it was not something obtained from the genuine article, but rather something Yeo Un-hyeok had given me before departing Biaoxing.
The crucial clue that would play the most decisive role in drawing the current board.
“This, this is…!”
The Branch Manager’s eyes widened as large as lanterns.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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