The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Zero. I will accept the position of Inspector, but on certain conditions.

One. I will decide the timing of the Inspection Team's training and summons.

Two. I will take one-tenth of the collected amount as my performance bonus.

Three. I wish to use the Martial Alliance's library.

Four. If all of these conditions are not met, I will humbly decline.

The conditions Jang So-gil wrote in the message were truly arrogant.

Deep wrinkles formed on Sama Hwi's brow as he read the message.

"Denied, denied."

Sama Hwi glared at the message as if it wasn't even worth considering, then burned it to ashes with a Samadhi True Fire.

At that sight, Gu Munryong grinned.

"Hey, Strategist Sama. He's the talent you recommended. And yet you deny him?"

"That was before he presented his conditions. The conditions are too insolent and excessive. Not a single one of them makes sense."

"Recite them for me."

"Let's start with the first condition. It is an affair of the Alliance, yet a mere merchant dares to adjust its timing. That is absurd."

"And."

"One-tenth of the collected amount! A whole tenth, a tenth!"

Sama Hwi didn't know the exact amount, but he knew that the sum embezzled by countless scoundrels was enormous. Yet, he was asking for one-tenth of that immense sum as a performance bonus.

"Even I cannot estimate how much money that would be. But to ask for that money, he's no different from a robber!"

"I see, I see. And?"

"The request to use the Martial Alliance's library also needs no consideration. This is the most serious one. Absolutely denied."

The Martial Alliance's library was no ordinary library. It was a treasure trove of the world, filled with countless martial arts manuals collected from within the Martial Alliance's territory, and sometimes received as tribute. To a martial artist, a martial arts manual was more valuable than life itself, and if it was a secret manual of a major family or sect, its value was beyond words. That was why only the Alliance Lord could enter the Martial Alliance's library. Even his strategist, Sama Hwi, had only been inside once!

And now a merchant wants to use the library?

"Insolent and outrageous."

"Isn't his desire to learn martial arts for revenge rather cute?"

"Cute! His intentions are too obvious from the start."

"What do you think his intentions are?"

"He plans to take one-tenth of the collected funds, buy spiritual medicines with that money, cultivate his internal energy, and learn martial arts with the secret manuals he takes from the library. To be so blatant about it, he's a fellow who sees the Alliance as a complete pushover, down to its very bones."

"Then what do you want to do?"

Sama Hwi's eyes sharpened.

He tapped the back of his own neck with his fan.

"Since he is arrogant and disrespectful, I believe it is right to take his head."

"Hahaha. Strategist Sama, do you know what I hate the most?"

"Th-that is..."

"Bastards who speak with two tongues. I never thought Strategist Sama would be one of them."

"...A-Alliance Lord!"

"Listen, Strategist Sama."

Gu Munryong looked up at the sky, his white robe fluttering.

In the sky, a single hawk was soaring, parting the clouds.

"Do you know what's important when handling a hawk?"

"I have never had such a grand hobby as falconry, so I do not know."

"My, my. Are you sulking?"

"..."

He's sulking, he's sulking.

Gu Munryong clicked his tongue and waved his arm, a motion reminiscent of falconry.

"Trust. The trust that you won't harm it, the trust that you'll give it tasty food, the trust that it will live up to your expectations. The trust that you'll protect it from unexpected disasters. Only with all this trust can you handle a hawk. It's the same with using people. Have I ever not shown you trust while holding you in high regard?"

"It's not that there were none at all."

"Stop sulking and listen properly. But the difference between a hawk and a human is that a hawk's desires are easy to understand, while a human's desires are not. Don't they say you can know what's ten thousand fathoms deep in the water, but you can't know what's in a person's heart? The case of the Left Protector is a good example. Who would have known that such a loyal man was actually a scoundrel who took bribes behind the scenes and coveted women?"

It was an incident from half a year ago. The corruption of the man who was the Left Protector of the Martial Alliance had been exposed.

He had used his position as the Left Protector as a weapon to receive bribes from various martial factions and was even extorting large sums of money from the Green Forest mountain fortresses under the pretext of protection fees. Even though he was causing such big trouble, his corruption was carried out so thoroughly and secretly that neither Gu Munryong nor Sama Hwi had known.

"Our eyes are indeed dim. If he hadn't tried to assault a woman while I happened to be on a secret inspection, how would we have ever found out about his crimes?"

"It was heavenly luck. It is thanks to the Alliance Lord's virtue."

"Yes. My merits are indeed great. Anyway, what I'm saying is that there's no way to know the heart of even a man like the Left Protector. You have to know to treat them accordingly, don't you? But look at this message. This fellow named Jang So-gil..."

"I understand what you are saying. You mean that this arrogant fellow named Jang So-gil at least did not hide his intentions."

"As expected of Strategist Sama. You understand perfectly even when I speak nonsense."

There was some truth to it.

It was no coincidence that Sama Hwi had read Jang So-gil's desires after reading the message. It was simply because Jang So-gil had written down his desires as they were.

"If we just meet these conditions, he will neither betray us nor harbor other thoughts. It's not like that fellow is going to build a private army with the money he earns and raise a rebellion against the Imperial Palace, is it?"

"A-Alliance Lord!"

"It's just a figure of speech, a figure of speech."

"If such words were to leak out, it would be a big problem."

"Oh, for goodness sake. I get it. Anyway, this child named Jang So-gil wants to find his enemy and cut off his head. We should at least not throw a wrench in his plans, if not help him. I like these conditions very much. I like that he has spirit. A man should be like that. Yes."

A boy who received a favor grows up and slays his benefactor's enemy.

Gu Munryong loved such stories very, very much.

"Give him everything he wants. Ah, but the library is a bit too much. Let's adjust that condition a little. Maybe once when he accomplishes something very big would be enough."

"Alliance Lord!"

"You didn't mishear what I said, did you, Strategist Sama? Unlike you, I am not a man who speaks with two tongues."

Gu Munryong, who had been joking and smiling, narrowed his eyes slightly.

At that sharp demeanor, Sama Hwi gritted his teeth and bowed his head deeply.

"I understand. But may I make one suggestion?"

"What is it?"

"Please allow me to test him."

* * *

The business practices of inns varied, but since commoners without money only ate two meals a day, morning and evening, most inns did not operate during lunchtime. This small inn called Bongrae was no exception, and it had a flag hung out to signify that it was not open for business.

A sturdy young man's steps stopped in front of such an inn.

The large iron spear on his back and his well-built body suggested he was a martial artist.

"Is this the place?"

As he strode into the inn, the waiter naturally stopped him.

"Sir, I'm sorry. Our inn is not open for business at lunchtime."

"I am Hwaryun Chang Yang Gwan from Sichuan. I am looking for a person named Jang So-gil."

"Ah, you were with him? I'm so sorry. Please, come inside."

At the waiter's gentle tone, Yang Gwan's eyebrows twitched. It was natural for a waiter to be humble to a customer, but it was excessive, as if he were serving a master. The suspicion was fleeting. As soon as he saw the young man, Jang So-gil, sitting with his legs crossed and drinking nonchalantly, harsh words flew out of Yang Gwan's mouth.

"I thought you'd be a beggar, but it looks like you've been eating and living well."

"Why? Did you want me to be a beggar?"

Jang So-gil grinned and fluttered his blue silk clothes. The silk clothes, embroidered with gold, had a splendor that at a glance seemed fit for a wealthy young master. Clothes were a symbol of power, and such precious clothes were not something the adopted son of a merchant whose guild was annihilated last year could dare to wear. On top of that, Jang So-gil's face was as white as snow, his complexion was good, his skin was radiant, and his beauty was so outstanding that he looked like a young nobleman from a high-ranking family who had never known hardship.

Who would call that person an orphan?

Who would call that person a survivor of an annihilated merchant guild?

Yang Gwan gritted his teeth.

"It was last year that the Great Cloud Guild was annihilated. I thought Guild Master So would be living like a beggar during that time, so I was searching for you while wandering through the Beggars' Sect. But then a message suddenly came saying you were here and to come find you, and when I get here, you're living like a young nobleman, aren't you? Of course I'd be suspicious."

"What kind of suspicion?"

"Did you embezzle the Great Cloud Guild's money?"

The Great Cloud Guild had been close to being the number one merchant guild in Sichuan. If he had been able to embezzle even a small amount of wealth, it would have been no trouble for one person to live in affluence.

"That's a reasonable suspicion. It's plausible and not bad. But you're wrong."

"What am I wrong about?"

"You, who were just learning spearmanship at Shaolin with the support of the Great Cloud Guild, wouldn't know."

"..."

"You can say that because you weren't there. The net from heaven to earth is not something you can easily escape. There was no time to pack money or clothes."

The Tang Clan said that the net from heaven to earth was the greatest formation under heaven. The pursuit of thousands of spiders swarming from all directions at a prey caught in a spiderweb was something to boast about.

"It was a miracle for me to save my own life in that hell, so I couldn't bring any wealth."

"Then what is this I'm seeing with my own eyes? You're using the inn as you please like a master, and you're covered in gold dust like some precious son of a noble family. What is that!"

"This is nothing. I just have to earn it here."

"Earned... it?"

Jang So-gil grinned and, lifting his chopsticks, tapped Yang Gwan's head as if he were pathetic.

"Think about it, Gwan-ah. It took half a year to escape from Sichuan to Luoyang after the guild was annihilated. Then what do you think I was doing for the remaining half a year? Do you think I was begging like a beggar from the Beggars' Sect? Me? This Golden Ghost, Jang So Gil, is that idle and stupid? Ridiculous."

"Even so, to say you earned enough money to buy an inn in Luoyang..."

"This inn was a place with many problems. Problems that were so tangled that ordinary people couldn't solve them. But to me, it was nothing, so I solved the problem for them and in return, I was to be provided with room and board. From their perspective, I am a very precious guest who pulled out a nagging tooth!"

"You used that swindler-like talent of yours again."

"Swindler? You speak too harshly."

The Jang So-gil that Yang Gwan knew was the most swindler-like person he had ever known. His three-inch tongue was coated with honey, so his words were sweet, but there was poison in that sweetness, and if you listened absent-mindedly, you would be poisoned. At first, he would say it was a good thing for both sides, but when you looked at the results, the good thing was always for him alone. And yet, strangely, the person who was tricked didn't harbor any ill feelings, so he was a born swindler.

Despite the malicious words directed at him, Jang So-gil casually drank a cup of wine and then flicked the cup. Yang Gwan, who caught the cup in surprise, flinched.

"Gwan-ah, if you've come to an inn, you should drink and eat. What are you doing?"

"Stop calling me Gwan. I'm older than you. Not by one or two years. I'm five years older."

"But I'm the Guild Master. Should I use honorifics and call my family member 'hyung'?"

"The Great Cloud Guild has already been annihilated."

"It was annihilated, but I remain. As long as I am here, the Great Cloud Guild is not over."

They were truly arrogant words, but Yang Gwan did not think them arrogant. Because it was he who had made the Great Cloud Guild great in just three years. And yet, he was still only twenty years old, and the years he had left to live were three times more than the years he had lived. Rebuilding the Great Cloud Guild would not be a difficult task.

"That's true, but..."

"So you are still my family. Why? Have you forgotten your oath?"

"I haven't forgotten the oath. The grace of having my parents' graves tended to cannot be repaid even with my life. But that was the work of the Great Guild Master, not Guild Master So."

"Buts and ifs, just eat first. Hey, bring the fish-fragrant shredded pork I asked you to prepare earlier."

The waiter replied, "Yes, sir-" and brought the food, and only then, a moment too late, did a thunderous sound erupt from Yang Gwan's stomach. It was only natural that he was hungry, having run for three days straight as soon as he received the message. His face turned red.

"Uh, ugh..."

"First, fill your stomach. There's something you need to do right away."

"Wh-what is it?"

"Someone will be here in a little while. Stand next to me, hold your spear confidently, and put strength in your eyes."

"What? What does that mean?"

"Are your ears blocked? Can't you even do what you're told?"

"No, no, no. The way you're talking, it's as if you're dragging me into a scam! I don't want to!"

Yang Gwan was in the middle of flaring up in anger.

A voice was heard from outside the inn.

"Is anyone there!"

Hearing that voice, Jang So-gil clicked his tongue.

"Look, you stupid fool. You hesitated and couldn't even eat, could you?"

At Jang So-gil's rebuke, Yang Gwan hesitated, not knowing what was going on. Then the rebuke continued.

"How can you be so clueless! And you even learned martial arts! Stop trying to eat and get up and stand next to me!"

"Uh, uh. I get... it?"

"You blockhead! Do it quickly!"

Am I the bad guy?

Yang Gwan blinked his ox-like eyes.

(End of Chapter)