Pay‑to‑Win King of Martial Arts (Novel) - Chapter 195 - Conflict (2)
Chapter 195 – Conflict (2)
Perhaps I had been underestimating martial artists. While naturally accepting that I, a merchant, had become a martial artist because I possessed force, I had rashly assumed that other martial artists would lack the same depth of calculation merchants had.
Everyone here came from famous houses. They too had spent childhoods that were more than sufficient for cultivating schemes and calculations.
“You mean you already knew that the Martial Alliance was encouraging a fight?”
“Did you think you were the only one who knew? How arrogant. The friends behind you probably all knew as well.”
I looked back at the collateral lines behind me. The way they subtly avoided my gaze made it seem that the green-clad man’s words were exactly right.
“And yet you were all acting like this? You are a devious lot for people who claim to be martial artists.”
“Like martial artists? It seems a secular disciple like you does not know martial artists very well. Martial artists are not naive fools.”
“Was there really any need to insult the collateral lines like this while going so far as to put on an act?”
“Were they not the ones acting first, speaking as though they did not know this was the Martial Alliance’s doing?”
The green-clad man’s words were not wrong.
They were not giving the Martial Alliance the picture it wanted. The Martial Alliance had given them the picture they wanted.
“If anything, we are grateful to the Martial Alliance. It has given us justification to sort out the hierarchy among the collateral lines.”
The green-clad man cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders.
“You make it sound as though we were the ones in the wrong first.”
Hwangbo Un-hyeong murmured quietly. The green-clad man’s brows rose high.
“What?”
“From our side, it is only natural for us to suspect that the direct lines are colluding with the Alliance Leader to drive the treatment of the collateral lines even lower. The direct lines steadily strip away the rights of the collateral lines, one by one. We collateral lines are people standing precariously upon fractured floating ice. If the place where we can stand is to be reduced further, how could we fail to protest?”
“Hmph. If you reason it out that way, then the opposite makes even more sense. You all know the disposition of the Martial Alliance Leader very well. Rather than colluding with the direct lines, he seems far more likely to collude with the collateral lines. The Martial Alliance Leader might have given the collateral lines justification to strike back.”
The argument ran in parallel lines. This was a verbal battle that would never end. Even if one side lied, there was no way to confirm it, and each side had no choice but to suspect the other’s lies.
Even in merchant companies, there were times when chief stewards or stewards banded together to drive out the unit head. That was why unit heads had to manage their subordinates well.
Some ruled through fear, while others, like me, made people not even think of such things by treating them well.
Were direct lines and collateral lines perhaps a similar relationship? Because the direct lines were the masters of the clan, they always had to be on guard against the possibility of rebellion from the collateral lines.
The unfortunate thing was that the direct lines had to do so even when the collateral lines had no intention of rebelling. Thus the direct lines oppressed the collateral lines in all kinds of ways.
And here the true tragedy arose: the more severely the collateral lines were oppressed, the more the seeds of rebellion began to grow in their hearts.
It was a vicious cycle caused because each side did not know the other and could not fundamentally trust the other. Since it stemmed from an innate defect in human nature, it was not something one could simply say was anyone’s fault.
“Now then, may I organize this situation?”
I clapped my hands. I could not just let this continue fighting. But resistance immediately rose from the side of the green-clad man.
“And who are you to do that?”
“I am the only person here who is neither direct line nor collateral line, am I not? The only one who can look at this objectively.”
“A secular disciple would naturally take the side of the collateral lines.”
“Not particularly. Please hear me out first and judge afterward. I have now grasped the situation as well.”
“Say it.”
The green-clad man withdrew his pressure.
I continued.
“In the end, this is the Alliance Leader’s directive. Since neither side knows what the Alliance Leader is thinking, that is why you are clashing like this, is it not? If you call the Alliance Leader here and confront him three ways, would that not settle everything?”
I presented what seemed to me a reasonable direction. Even the green-clad man seemed to consider it while stroking his chin.
“Let us do it this way. Choose one person to represent the direct lines and one to represent the collateral lines, and go see the Alliance Leader. Then his true intentions will come out.”
“He may already have aligned his words with one side.”
“Would that not be a bit dirty?”
“Say one more trashy joke like that, and you will taste a secret art of the Tang Clan.”
I had tried to lighten the mood with a joke, but apparently the green-clad man was not interested in that.
“We agree.”
Hwangbo Un-hyeong stepped forward first. For the moment, Hwangbo Un-hyeong seemed to have become the representative of the collateral lines.
“In the end, that will come down to trust. I think it is unavoidable that the direct lines continually suspect the collateral lines. But even so, I do not believe it can be that people living under the same roof have not built even that much trust.”
“Trust…”
The green-clad man murmured the word. Trust. The cost required to trust another person was higher than one might think.
Time spent together, emotions exchanged. Money sometimes entered into it as well, but time and emotions possessed values that could not simply be traded for money. That was how expensive human trust was.
The green-clad man turned around toward the direct-line members who were looking only at him.
“Our Tang Clan has no intention of suspecting all collateral lines. Even if the Alliance Leader has played some trick, he could not have tipped off every single collateral line. The risk of it leaking out would be too high. Therefore I believe the words of this secular disciple are reasonable.”
The direct-line members whispered among themselves. It was only natural that their family customs for dealing with collateral lines differed. That was why they were consulting with one another.
“Therefore, if the seniors permit it, I will go meet the Alliance Leader as the representative of the direct lines.”
The green-clad man glanced at me and Hwangbo Un-hyeong respectively, then nodded. It truly seemed as though this useless collision between direct lines and collateral lines might end here.
“We do not grant that permission.”
At that moment, a man in scholar’s robes who had been silent in the corner stood up. I furrowed my brow hard.
How had I not thought of it? This was a place where the great families were eating. If so, I should have realized they would be present as well.
The Zhuge Clan of Hubei. The one who stood up was Zhuge Gyeom, the clan head of the Zhuge Clan. And beside him sat Zhuge Yan as well.
“Whatever the Alliance Leader’s thoughts may be, I think this is a fine opportunity for the Zhuge Clan. The Zhuge Clan cannot simply watch collateral lines run wild like this.”
Come to think of it, Peng Chae-hyang had said before that although the Hebei Peng Clan hardly discriminated between direct and collateral lines, the Zhuge Clan was quite severe in that regard.
It was not simply that I had stepped in to interfere. Zhuge Gyeom truly seemed to believe that from the bottom of his heart.
“Even if Clan Head Zhuge says so, it is still impossible for all direct and collateral lines to fight. Please reconsider just this once.”
“I never told all of you to fight. Just sift out the collateral lines of the Zhuge Clan. We need to educate them separately.”
At Zhuge Gyeom’s firm tone, the green-clad man looked troubled. He was, after all, the head of one of the great families. For the green-clad man, who looked barely past thirty, that was a heavy opponent to face.
When the green-clad man hesitated, it was Hwangbo Un-hyeong who stepped up.
“What Clan Head Zhuge is saying sounds to me like he intends to oppress the collateral lines without even learning the exact reason first.”
“Presumptuous. Are you trying to interfere in the affairs of another clan? You, a mere collateral line of the Hwangbo Clan?”
“There is a saying that when the lips are gone, the teeth grow cold. If one of the Five Great Families, the Zhuge Clan, treats its collateral lines that way, will that not influence how the other families treat theirs as well?”
“And why should I concern myself with that? It is not my concern.”
There seemed to be no room for compromise in Zhuge Gyeom’s closed-off attitude. Was it not because such people existed that direct and collateral lines could not help but suspect one another?
“That is selfish of you.”
“How dare you.”
At Hwangbo Un-hyeong’s words, Zhuge Gyeom released his pressure. Zhuge Gyeom’s aura was strong and cold enough to make even my spine run cold. The blood drained from Hwangbo Un-hyeong’s face as he faced it head-on.
The sincere pressure of the head of one of the Five Great Families was far too much for a collateral-line youth who had not yet come of age to resist.
“Clan Head, please calm your anger. Our clan’s child has spoken out of turn.”
The elder of the Hwangbo Clan who had earlier stopped Hwangbo Un-hyeong stepped forward and scattered the pressure. No matter what, they shared the same Hwangbo surname. Even from the point of view of a direct line, it likely was not pleasant to watch another family threaten the Hwangbo Clan.
“Even Elder Hwangbo makes mistakes. Right now I am exercising a rightful authority. To block me simply because we belong to the same family is an insult to me.”
“Please calm your anger. You are too agitated.”
“I am more rational now than at any other time. Or does the Zhuge Clan still look like the bottom seat of the Five Great Families to you?”
Zhuge Gyeom’s pressure roared through the dining hall like a storm. Tables shook, and trays fell to the ground and shattered. The atmosphere turned murderous in an instant.
“Clan Head, surely Elder Hwangbo did not speak with such a thought in mind.”
“That is right. Even if the words left room for misunderstanding, please let it pass with magnanimity.”
The elders of the other families also tried to stop Zhuge Gyeom. Thinking about it, I had no idea why this man had bothered coming in person to create such chaos when the other families had merely sent elders.
“All of you shut up. You are taking the Zhuge Clan far too lightly.”
Zhuge Gyeom barked furiously. His aura was truly powerful. I had faced quite a number of strong people by now. My master, one of the future Eight Exalts. Jang Gwang-yeong the Tou Venerable, one of the current Eight Exalts. Even the Commander-in-Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, one of the imperial court’s three greatest experts.
Among such transcendent masters, Zhuge Gyeom displayed a presence that did not fall behind in the least.
“And you.”
Zhuge Gyeom’s murderous eyes turned toward me.
“You have been grating on me without pause. For three years now.”
“I feel exactly the same. There is a reason the saying about one fish muddying the water exists.”
“You bastard.”
To be honest, I had assumed that in a place where the great masters of the Five Great Families were present, even Zhuge Gyeom would restrain himself. But Zhuge Gyeom was even more insane than I had imagined.
Zhuge Gyeom immediately launched both palms at me. Startled, I drew my sword and blocked the twin palms. Even so, I could not dissolve all of the force, and I slammed into the dining hall wall with a crash.
“Urk.”
“Young Master Muk.”
At once the collateral-line people rushed over to check on me. But Zhuge Gyeom was nothing less than a colt with its tail on fire.
“Stand aside, all of you. How dare you interfere with the rightful authority of the Zhuge Clan’s head.”
The collateral lines of the other families who tried to stop Zhuge Gyeom were all sent flying to the side. Zhuge Gyeom had flung them away with projected force.
“Aaaah.”
The sounds of people crashing away and tables collapsing rang out. It was utter chaos.
But thanks to the fact that they bought even a brief moment of time, I was able to recover quickly.
I ran, planted both feet against the wall, and launched myself toward Zhuge Gyeom. Two streams of sword qi veiled in mist flew at him. It was Flowing Clouds Twin Peaks, the third move of the Flowing Cloud Sword Art.
“The Flowing Cloud Sword Art.”
People recognized it at once. As expected, direct lines were still direct lines.
“So he really was a Taiji Sword Guardian.”
What, had they thought I was fake?
Zhuge Gyeom seemed to think my sword stroke was stronger than he had expected, because he took a slight step back and bled off the force.
Distance formed between us, and the two of us glared at each other.
“You have gained another layer of attainment in the meantime. You have grown much stronger.”
Zhuge Gyeom murmured. He too was a martial artist. In a single exchange, he had immediately seen that I had become much stronger over the last three years.
“You truly are nothing but an obstacle to the Zhuge Clan’s great design. I suppose I must at least cripple you here.”
Zhuge Gyeom drew his sword and raised his qi. It was force so strong that even I, now plastered over with fourth-grade talents, would have found it hard to withstand. The head of one of the Five Great Families had not won that position at the gambling table.
Zhuge Gyeom was different from other orthodox-path people. Even the Mount Hua swordsman around my own age had looked down on me and offered to yield three moves, but Zhuge Gyeom did nothing of the sort.
“Die.”
He said he would cripple me, but now he was trying to kill me outright? Zhuge Gyeom’s sword dropped swiftly toward the top of my head. It was a sword strike packed full of genuine killing intent.
Crash.
“Who said anyone was going to cripple whom?”
But Zhuge Gyeom’s sword never reached me. Before me now stood a middle-aged man in Daoist robes with a prickly tone of speech.
“Clan Head Zhuge, did I hear correctly? Did you really say you would cripple a disciple of the Wudang Sect?” From the body of Immortal Cheong-yu, blue-flame-like qi blazed upward.