The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

The atmosphere between the two was not very good.

A fierce exchange of glances continued between the one who wanted to give more work and the one who didn't want to do more.

They stood like that for a while, receiving the sunlight in the beautiful garden of moonflowers. Then, as if admitting defeat, Gu Munryong grumbled.

"Kids these days are scary. The Alliance Lord is like this, but they still hold their heads up high. It wasn't like that in my time."

"During your time, Alliance Lord, the great war with the Demonic Cult was in full swing, so the military discipline must have been strict. Isn't it thanks to the efforts of the many predecessors and you, Alliance Lord, that we juniors can hold our heads up high in this peaceful era? It is truly a grateful thing."

Gu Munryong furrowed his brow as if he was very displeased. He thought there were few in the martial world who could match him in words, but perhaps because Jang So-gil was not from the martial world, it didn't work on him.

Above all, the fact that he wasn't scared was a big factor. It was because this was a place to give rewards, not to give punishment.

"It's enough that you know to be grateful. Tsk."

He couldn't intimidate him in a place where he was called to give a reward.

Gu Munryong clicked his tongue again in disappointment and then got to the main point.

"The collusion between the Hakseo Escort Agency and the Gentleman's Academy, the secret pact with the Green Forest Fortress and the crime of embezzlement. And treason, to be precise, it corresponds to the crime of deceiving the imperial family through tax evasion... anyway, your merit in exposing the many crimes they committed and bringing back all the embezzled money is great. I had expectations, but neither I nor Strategist Sama expected you to do such a good job, so I am very happy."

"I am humbled."

"As I promised beforehand, I intend to grant you one-tenth of the collected amount, and the exact amount is..."

"Two thousand three hundred and twenty silver taels, and I believe the amount will be even greater after the auction of the Hakseo Escort Agency is over."

"...Yes, you've really extorted a lot."

If it had been a proper debt relationship, the calculation should have ended with two hundred and thirty-two taels, which is one-tenth of two thousand three hundred and twenty silver taels.

But this case had a rather complicated debt relationship. The recipients of the money were divided into three: the Martial Alliance, the imperial family, and Jang So-gil, and their shares were also different. Some matters required additional compensation, and with fees and damages for compensation also involved, it was not easy to get a proper grasp of how much money should be exchanged, so it was not easy to settle the accounts.

First, as the Hakseo Escort Agency was involved in the crime of treason, most of its assets became the property of the imperial family, and the small change that came out in the process had already entered Jang So-gil's pocket.

And for the auction of the bankrupted Hakseo Escort Agency's building, the person in charge, Inspector General Gwon Cheonhui, showed favor and yielded for the Martial Alliance to lead the auction instead of the imperial family, but handling this auction was quite a difficult task. Furthermore, although there were many people in the Martial Alliance who could lead the auction, since it was full of thieves, the number of trustworthy people could be counted on one hand, making it even more so.

"How do you think the auction should be handled?"

"What would a simpleton like me know? I believe it is right to do as the Alliance Lord wishes."

"That fellow."

He had intended to make him take charge of internal affairs by using any suggestion he made as a pretext, but he had slipped away again this time. He was truly a man with a silver tongue. As Jang So-gil turned his eyes away demurely, Gu Munryong cleared his throat.

"Strategist Sama will proceed with the auction, and I will also grant you one-tenth of that amount."

"Thank you."

"So, that's enough about money. The important thing is the Martial Alliance's library, right? We agreed to open it once for every two thousand taels before, so there's nothing more to talk about. Go in and take a look."

"What are the available hours?"

"I'm not so idle as to play tricks with something like this. Go in for about a day, see as much as you can, and come out. That much time will be needed to transcribe, so it will be just right."

Jang So-gil inwardly clicked his tongue. Gu Munryong was right.

If it were an ordinary book, Jang So-gil could transcribe one volume in two hours. But a martial arts manual was a different story. The content was difficult, half of it was pictures he couldn't even understand, and it was even said that the order of the content, the stains, and the degree to which the pages were folded had meaning. To make everything similar down to such detailed parts, even a whole day was not enough.

He had to distinguish the jade from the stones among the countless books in the Martial Alliance's library, find a good secret manual that suited him, and even transcribe it, but the time given was only one day.

'It's a difficult task.'

For this task, he had memorized all the names of the martial arts of the famous Five Great Families, the Nine Sects One Alliance, and the major Unorthodox factions in the martial world. But whether those martial arts were a perfect fit for Jang So-gil was a separate issue.

Jang So-gil was a merchant, not a martial artist. He was confident in scraping up money, but martial arts were different.

When comparing what he knew and what he didn't know, what he knew was significantly less. It was only natural.

You can't do it, can you? It'll be hard, won't it?

Knowing Jang So-gil's heart, Gu Munryong approached with a faint smile.

"Hmm, if you want some help, don't hesitate to tell me."

Who was Gu Munryong?

He was the greatest under heaven in the current martial world. The understanding of martial arts did not directly mean the level of martial arts, but there was no way a supreme master would have a low understanding of martial arts. Without a doubt, there was not a single person who knew martial arts better than him. That was why he was the greatest under heaven, and that was why he was the Martial Alliance Lord.

For such a Gu Munryong to offer help, this could be called a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Did Jang So-gil, who had asserted that he could become a master by learning martial arts, aim for this?

No. He cut off Gu Munryong's words with a single stroke.

"No, it's alright."

"Alright, then I'll help you, so from today, you can eat and sleep in my office next door... what did you say?"

"It's alright even if you don't help me. How can a simpleton like me become the Alliance Lord's disciple?"

Jang So-gil knew.

The most important value in the current martial world was the master-disciple relationship. The relationship between a master and a disciple was a relationship that was the greatest in the world, one where you couldn't even step on their shadow, a relationship that existed beyond the heavens, surpassing the relationship between a husband and wife or a father and son.

Once tied in a master-disciple relationship, it was no different from having one's future life completely subordinated, so it was inevitable that the aftermath would be difficult to handle. Gu Munryong must have been thinking of working Jang So-gil like a very black ox.

'There are advantages.'

If he were the disciple of the Martial Alliance Lord, in terms of seniority, he would become a being high above the clouds. In terms of backing, it was a position comparable to an imperial grandson. He would become a person of power who could look down on the world and crush everything. If Jang So-gil's goal was to take revenge on Sichuan, this would be the fastest way.

'But it's all a trap.'

The disciple of the Martial Alliance Lord who has absolute power.

That only applied to a direct disciple who learned directly from the master, a legitimate disciple who inherited the power and title from the master, or a successor of the robe and bowl who was promised to have everything passed down to them. An unnamed disciple, who was only given a hint of the direction of their martial arts or a little teaching, was just a slave tied by a master-disciple relationship and could not have any power. It was like getting a slave for a few words, so only Gu Munryong would benefit.

Jang So-gil knew that all too well, so he cut off Gu Munryong's hand with a single stroke.

The corners of Gu Munryong's eyes trembled.

Towards him, Jang So-gil politely cupped his fists and gave a slight eye-smile.

"Rather than that, there are a few things I would like to suggest."

"Ugh. What is it?"

"When I work, it will mostly be like this time. It means that the aftermath will be very difficult to handle. If there are people prepared for me, I would like to ask them to handle the aftermath."

"That's not difficult. It seems that would be more efficient. But then, wouldn't it be difficult to conduct investigations or collections?"

"Regarding that part, I have called my friend, Yang Gwan, so you don't have to worry."

"The Fire Dragon, huh? He's a decent talent. But it will be difficult with just one person."

"That's why I'm saying this. Could you give me the authority to summon the members of the Martial Alliance and to procure weapons?"

Gu Munryong closed his mouth and did some calculations. It was indeed a necessary thing to talk about. It was also something he had to do, to give the position of inspector and clearly define the authority.

"Alright. I'll talk to Strategist Sama about that part. I'll give him a heads-up to respond to your requests without adding or subtracting anything."

"Thank you. Then I will take my leave."

He slips away while not missing a single one of his own interests.

He seems like he'll show a weakness, but he doesn't, so it's like watching a golden carp that seems like it will be caught, but isn't.

Watching Jang So-gil retreat, Gu Munryong soothed his disappointment and stroked his beard.

"Ughhhhh. You sly old fox. In the end, you just say what you have to say and leave."

* * *

After finishing his audience with the Alliance Lord, Jang So-gil untied the knot of his tightly fastened clothes. No matter what, the Alliance Lord was the Alliance Lord, and Jang So-gil had also been extremely nervous, so it had been quite difficult to breathe.

As Jang So-gil was loosening his clothes like that, Sama Hwi's brow furrowed into the shape of the character for eight.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry. It was too stuffy and suffocating."

"Does that mean the Alliance Lord is scary, and I am easy?"

"I can't deny that, Strategist Sama."

"..."

Unlike when he had disguised himself and visited the inn, Sama Hwi was showing his true appearance. Despite being on the verge of forty, his beauty was great. With a flawless white face, wearing iris-colored clothes, and holding an open fan, he looked as splendid as a blooming flower.

When such a person furrowed his brow and blushed, it was quite fun to tease him.

Jang So-gil waved his hand nonchalantly and said.

"Anyway, let's talk about work."

"...Alright. So, what does Inspector So want to talk about with me?"

"As the Alliance Lord has already notified you, I need your cooperation."

"Cooperation?"

"My attendant is only one, Yang Gwan, but the number of evil villains in the world is like the stars, so we are outnumbered. But the reality is that there are not many people who can help. How short of people must you have been to hire an outsider like me? Isn't that right?"

"That's right. There will be no one to help. If you really need to, how about you look for a martial artist at an inn, or personally hire a warrior from the Hao Faction?"

"You know they are the thieves among thieves, yet you say that. I can't find any cooperativeness at all."

Sama Hwi waved his fan as if it were absurd and let out a laugh.

"Cooperation, were we on such terms? From our first meeting, I didn't like Inspector So."

"It's not a matter of liking or not liking. It's a matter of trust. We made a bet over two thousand silver taels, didn't we?"

"Trust?"

"You clearly promised to cooperate obediently if I collected the money from the place you designated, Strategist Sama. You haven't forgotten already, have you? Surely you're not going back on your word?"

Sama Hwi's flapping fan stopped. He covered his mouth with the fan, stared for a moment, and then tapped his own mouth.

'My mouth is the problem, that damn bet. Why did I make that bet? The blood of my ancestor who was disgraced by a bet must be flowing in me too!'

Even if he blamed himself, time would not turn back. Sama Hwi bit his lip and replied in a low voice.

"...Continue your story."

"My attendant is only one. And it's unreasonable to bring in more outsiders. So I'm thinking of learning martial arts myself. If I learn martial arts and become a master, all problems will be solved."

"Haha. Does becoming a master look so easy to you?"

"Normally it would be difficult, but I believe what I have now will make it possible."

"What does Inspector So have that makes you so arrogant?"

"First. I have now earned the right to enter the Martial Alliance's library. It means I have the opportunity to see most of the martial arts in the world."

"And?"

"Second. I can receive the help of the genius of the world, Strategist Sama, who is the best in the current martial world for combining martial arts and creating a martial art that suits an individual."

Jang So-gil smiled brightly.

"If Strategist Sama cooperates with me and creates a martial art that is a perfect fit for me, it won't be such a difficult task for me to become a master. Isn't that right?”