Pay‑to‑Win King of Martial Arts (Novel) - Chapter 187 - Martial Alliance (1)

Chapter 187 – Martial Alliance (1)

The imperial decree had informed the Central Plains of a partial lifting of the Sea Ban. That had been yesterday. Since I was staying in peaceful Wudang, it hadn’t felt real, but for the merchant world of the Central Plains it had likely been a day that overturned everything.

Courier riders would be racing back and forth from Beijing to verify whether the decree was genuine, and the merchant companies would all have called together every single one of their senior officers. More than anything else, the first question discussed would surely have been what kind of place the Radiant Crystal Merchant Company was, that it had managed to seize a monopoly over maritime trade.

The Radiant Crystal Merchant Company had certainly begun to stand out within the Central Plains Merchant Union Council, but only as a newly risen company worth watching among the new generation. Who could possibly have predicted it would ride a wave as enormous as lifting the Sea Ban and monopolizing maritime trade, something no merchant company before it had ever managed? Even I hadn’t foreseen it, so I could only imagine that the shock among the other merchant companies had to be at least twice what I felt myself.

“Letters are pouring in.”

When I came into work at the main branch of the Radiant Crystal Merchant Company for the first time in a while, Jo Chung-heon was right. Letters were piled up like a mountain.

“Throw them all out.”

“Is that really fine?”

“They’re only one of two things anyway. Either threats or groveling.”

“Would there really be merchant companies threatening us over something fixed by imperial decree?”

“Well, they won’t use strong words outright. At most it’ll be things like, ‘We’re all trying to survive together, so please yield us part of the trade rights too,’ or, ‘If you cooperate with us, it’ll be of great benefit to the Radiant Crystal Merchant Company as well.’ That sort of thing.”

“And the groveling kind?”

“Exactly what it sounds like. They don’t even care about the sea and are probably afraid of it, but since it looks like we’re about to rise, they want at least to get a finger into the pie somehow.”

The Central Plains people’s fear of the sea was famous. Of course, that too was something created by the palace.

But now that I thought about it, whenever one asked those who feared the sea why they feared it, not a single one of them gave any real answer. They merely repeated that it was a place that had long been forbidden.

I’d felt the same thing in the palace. Even the Emperor himself hadn’t seemed to hold any particularly strong independent opinion about the Sea Ban. Was it simply that he too was only following the policy of those before him? It wasn’t my place to judge the Emperor, but it was a deeply uncomfortable thought. It made me wonder how many irrational systems like this still lingered in the world.

But I wasn’t a politician. My identities as a merchant and a martial artist were enough for me. I had no intention of stepping into politics on top of that. In the first place, I didn’t have the time.

“You sent word in advance to the merchants of Guangdong and Zhejiang, yes?”

“Yes. They didn’t really believe it, though. They will now.”

“Good. Send another letter. Tell them I want to arrange a meeting.”

“Understood. In truth, the merchant companies we’re going to work with are all in Zhejiang and Guangdong anyway.”

I nodded. Jo Chung-heon truly understood ten things once you taught him one.

Even in my past life, when I ran a merchant company of the level of a grand merchant house, I never actually did maritime trade. Which meant I needed to seek advice from those who had already been trading by sea.

Of course, advice itself wasn’t strictly indispensable. But there was another, simpler reason I had to cooperate with them.

They already had merchant ships.

Building ships wasn’t the sort of thing that could be done in a day or two. And since the palace had only opened the Sea Ban temporarily, there was no telling on a whim when it might close it again. Since I needed to produce results quickly before that happened, the cooperation of the Zhejiang and Guangdong merchants who already possessed ships was indispensable.

“Because it’s important, I suppose I ought to go in person.”

“That seems best. Shall I accompany you?”

“No. Head Steward, stay and watch over the company. Circumstances are going to shift day by day from here. We need an experienced Head Steward here if we’re going to respond at all.”

“Understood.”

And so, not long after returning to Wudang, I already had reason to head back out again. At this point it was almost as though I were born under a wandering star. Then again, I’d always believed that a merchant who sat still for too long was no merchant at all.

The only thing that troubled me slightly was my senior brothers. Since I was going to leave again so soon, they’d surely feel a bit disappointed. I found myself thinking that perhaps I’d need to spend a bit more time with them before I went.

Just then, I heard people outside exchanging greetings. It sounded as though someone had arrived.

The door to the Company Lord’s office banged open. There weren’t many people who would burst the door open like that.

“Junior Brother!”

As expected, it was Myeong-gyeong. From the time it first started getting noisy outside, I had had a feeling it would be him. The fact that he came charging in while I was still in the middle of thinking really said something about him.

“I was just thinking about you, Senior Brother.”

“Really? Why?”

Myeong-gyeong looked at me with hopeful eyes.

But I found myself momentarily at a loss for words. If I told him I was about to go away again for a while, he’d clearly feel hurt.

Usually I was the sort who preferred to take the beating early, but even I couldn’t bring myself to say it this time. It really did seem as though my judgment dulled whenever I got entangled with my younger senior brothers.

“What reason would a junior brother need to think about his senior brother?”

“Is that so?”

Myeong-gyeong smiled brightly, as though pleased with the answer.

“Anyway, the Sect Leader is summoning you.”

“The Sect Leader?”

For an instant I wondered whether perhaps this was about taking retaliation against the Zhuge Clan, but speculation would only be wasted effort. Better to go and hear it directly.

“Come on, then. Let’s go. In any case, Head Steward, do as we discussed.”

“Yes.”

After hearing Jo Chung-heon’s answer, I let Myeong-gyeong lead the way and left the main branch.

The climb up to the Hall of the Three Purities was now as easy as walking on flat ground. The same was true for Myeong-gyeong, who came up it with complete ease.

“It feels like your lightness skill has improved too.”

“It had to. Training for the Taiji Sword Guardian makes it improve whether you like it or not. It’s exhausting.”

“Right. You were selected as one of the next Taiji Sword Guardians too, weren’t you?”

“What’s with that reaction?”

“How are the other senior brothers?”

“They’re well.”

As we chatted and entered the building, a small curiosity suddenly passed through my mind.

“But aren’t you supposed to be back at the Bow Hall, Senior Brother?”

“No. He said I should come too.”

“Really?”

I’d thought he’d only come to deliver the message, but apparently he was meant to come with me.

When we knocked on the door to the Sect Leader’s room and entered, Cheong-ui was seated there neatly as ever.

“So you’ve come.”

“Yes. I heard you summoned me.”

“I did. Sit down.”

I pulled out a chair for Myeong-gyeong first, then sat beside him. Cheong-ui smiled faintly.

“The bond between senior and junior brothers is a good one.”

“It always has been.”

“Has it?”

Myeong-gyeong, who had been chattering happily only moments before, now sat with his mouth clamped shut. Apparently he still grew nervous in front of the Sect Leader. Which was only natural, given the immense difference in generation rank. It was only because I myself lacked much sense for martial hierarchy that I treated things so casually.

“In any case, the reason I called you is what we discussed before.”

“What was it we discussed before?”

“So you don’t listen carefully when the Sect Leader speaks.”

“We talk about too many things.”

Even as I said it, I was searching through my memory. Before I could find the answer there, Cheong-ui supplied it himself.

“The Martial Alliance.”

“Ah. Right. The Martial Alliance. We did talk about that.”

If memory served, the Martial Alliance had been planning to summon the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans, and there had been talk of sending both Cheong-hwa and me. There had also been some mention of an important announcement.

“Yes. The Martial Alliance has now fixed the date of the summons.”

“When is it?”

“One month from now.”

I must have shown some hesitation. Under normal circumstances I could’ve gone to the Martial Alliance or anywhere else without issue, but now I had responsibilities as a Company Lord.

“Do I really have to go? Master can’t go, after all….”

I let my words trail off.

“Do you have something else you must do?”

“Yes. I do now. You must have heard, but I was granted a monopoly over maritime trade.”

“Yes. I received the report. It seemed to be quite a remarkable thing. Even the Beggars’ Gang kept pressing me to confirm whether it was true.”

Those Beggars’ Gang beggars really did take far too much interest in me. Then again, passing my information around for money was their profession, so I didn’t really find it offensive. In a way, the Beggars’ Gang was in the information trade too. People in the same line of business ought to turn a blind eye for one another’s sake.

Then again, the martial world likely had reason to care as well. If the sea was opening, then waterborne bandits like the Yangtze Waterway Forts would surely appear, and the orthodox sects would in turn move in under the pretext of providing protection. It was a widening of territory in every sense.

The imperial decree had fixed which merchant company would monopolize the trade, but as for which sects would protect that rich new marketplace, that land was still ownerless. Naturally, any small or medium sect hoping to rise higher would be salivating over it.

“In any case, for reasons like that, I’d prefer if another senior brother represented Wudang instead.”

“Hm.”

Cheong-ui stroked his chin, as though he hadn’t expected me to refuse.

“Originally, I meant to send Cheong-yu, you, and Myeong-gyeong.”

“…Martial Uncle Cheong-yu?”

“Yes. For all his stiff stubbornness, he is the one best suited to represent Wudang’s values. Myeong-gyeong would go largely for experience. Many of the other great families’ younger-generation talents will be there as well.”

“Then why me?”

I could understand why Cheong-yu and Myeong-gyeong would go, but I still didn’t really see why I myself had to be there. Cheong-ui answered without hesitation.

“The Martial Alliance specifically named you. They said that no matter what, Wudang must include you among the people it sends.”

“…Why?”

That took me aback. Cheong-ui added,

“Most likely because they intend to discuss Wudang’s entry into the merchant world as well.”

“Ah. Then that makes sense.”

That was reason enough to understand it. The fact that Wudang, one of the Nine Great Sects long known for its aloofness from worldly affairs, had now stepped into commerce naturally required some explanation. There were certainly sects that would resent Wudang’s participation in the merchant world.

“So it’s likely that people from the merchant world will come as well. Some sort of consultation on the justification for Wudang’s expansion into the merchant world, or so I hear.”

“Honestly, if we want to expand, then we expand. Why do we need justification for it?”

“Because the martial world moves on legitimacy and cause.”

“Cause can always be made afterward.”

I shrugged. The more I heard, the more it really did sound like a place where I had to go.

“And there’s another reason you should go.”

“What is it?”

“Because if we mean to teach the Zhuge Clan a lesson, there is no one better suited than you.”

“…Ah.”

That much I couldn’t deny. The clash that had taken place three years ago between Wudang and the Zhuge Clan had mainly been remembered for the Zhuge Clan’s struggle. But those who knew what had truly happened also knew that it had all begun over a single lay disciple.

For that same lay disciple to once again represent Wudang and make the Zhuge Clan kneel… from Wudang’s perspective, there could scarcely be a prettier or more satisfying picture.

“What’s more, because Wudang failed to utterly overwhelm the Zhuge Clan in that clash three years ago, there are now even some who have begun to doubt Wudang itself. Absurd, isn’t it?”

“Are fights actually allowed within the Martial Alliance?”

“When the great houses gather, it naturally becomes an excellent occasion for sparring. The Martial Alliance positively encourages it for the sake of mutual improvement in martial arts.”

“So in other words, you want me to go there and crush all of them.”

“Use words befitting a Daoist.”

Cheong-ui cleared his throat.

“Even so, the meaning isn’t entirely wrong.”

At that, Cheong-ui and I both smiled. Hearts in accord. The words themselves were only for the sake of confirmation.

“In that case, understood.”

I felt at once the need to adjust my schedule a little. I was already planning to head to Guangdong by way of Zhejiang, but now I’d have to stop briefly in Jiangsu as well. Still, since Jiangsu, where the Martial Alliance was, wasn’t far from Zhejiang, there was no need for any major revision.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“I’m Wudang too, aren’t I?”

Now that the Radiant Crystal Merchant Company was tied to Wudang, Wudang’s affairs really weren’t someone else’s problem anymore.

And since Cheong-ui himself was saying there was no one more suitable than I was, it felt awkward to refuse.

“Give yourself ten days at most to reach Jiangsu. Depart without rushing.”

“Yes, yes.”

I nodded. The remaining half month would vanish like lightning while I arranged the company’s affairs before leaving. And just like that, the bizarre trio of myself, Cheong-yu, and Myeong-gyeong bound for the Martial Alliance was decided.