WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME NOVELS

Translator/Editor: Chen

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◈ The Former Supreme ◈

Chapter 11: Do You Think We're a Joke? (2)

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Wang Gon was in his room, drinking tea as he watched his imposing subordinates move about the training grounds outside.

At least in southern Zhejiang Province, he was king. Still, he couldn't be satisfied with this much. His grand dream was to claw his way to the top and become the leader of the Mythic Gang.

'Just wait. No matter what I have to do, I'll trample everyone beneath me and rise to the top.'

Considering all the things he had already done, and was still doing, it wasn't quite right to say, "No matter what I have to do."

He had committed several unjust acts, and countless people had died because of them, yet he still ate well and lived well.

Karmic retribution? Divine punishment? This leisurely afternoon proved there was no such thing.

'You trample others before they can trample you.'

As his ambition burned within him, Black Hand entered the room.

"I'm back."

"How did it go?"

"Five of the six landowners said they would sell."

"And the last one?"

"A young fool is stubbornly insisting it's land his father left him. But we'll be able to settle it soon enough. The bastard has three children."

Wang Gon added his own malice to Black Hand's meaningful smile.

"Just make sure it doesn't get noisy."

"Don't worry."

"Right, what about the fleeceflower root?"

"I delivered it to Im Chung's wife on the way back. If he has any sense, he won't be able to refuse any longer."

"That's right."

Wang Gon smiled in satisfaction.

'Give the bastard you hate one more rice cake, and he might serve you a feast later.'

Just then, a subordinate arrived to report.

"Im Chung is here to see you."

Wang Gon grinned at Black Hand.

"The fleeceflower root worked awfully fast."

Im Chung, waiting in the reception hall, had a flushed face.

No matter how hard he tried to calm himself, he couldn't.

'That bastard! He dared go to my house?'

Whether it was political maneuvering or threats, there were lines that should never be crossed. Going after someone's family was clearly one of them.

Wang Gon entered the room.

"Branch Chief Im. Welcome."

"Have you been well?"

"Not particularly. You know the reason better than anyone."

He didn't mention the Great Righteous Sect directly. Officially, the Mythic Gang had nothing to do with the Great Righteous Sect.

"I'm sorry."

"No, I understand. It isn't easy keeping your subordinates in line, is it?"

Im Chung thought to himself.

'Not compared to dealing with you.'

Of course, he couldn't let that show.

"No, it isn't."

"What do you intend to do with the people you captured?"

"I intend to send them to the Zhejiang Division for processing."

"Must you go that far? Why not keep them locked up for a few days, then let them go? Their leader is dead, so they should come to their senses."

"I'll consider it."

Im Chung didn't clash with Wang Gon over the Great Righteous Sect. That wasn't why he had come to see him today.

First, Im Chung held out the box containing the Hundred-Year Fleeceflower Root.

"I came to return this."

Wang Gon's expression hardened at once. He had thought Im Chung had come to reluctantly thank him.

'This pigheaded bastard still won't give in!'

Suppressing the anger rising within him, Wang Gon forced himself to speak pleasantly.

"Come now, can you really disregard someone's sincerity like this?"

"Didn't I tell you before that I would accept the sentiment alone?"

"Sentiment? What good is exchanging sentiment alone? By that logic, I could become the finest man in the world. I can give all the sentiment I want."

"Then give me only that sentiment and take this back."

"Our Branch Chief, are you too incorruptible, or just too stubborn?"

"I'm not an incorruptible man. Nor am I stubborn."

Wang Gon suddenly shouted.

"Then why won't you take it, you bastard?"

With all pretense gone, Im Chung gritted his teeth. He might have been the Branch Chief of a backwater branch, but he was still a Branch Chief of the Murim Alliance.

"Take it!"

"I refuse."

"I said it was for your son. Is he not your real son or something?"

"Hey! Hall Leader Wang! Watch your mouth!"

This time, Im Chung shouted. He could no longer endure it once Wang Gon mentioned his son.

Im Chung set the box containing the Hundred-Year Fleeceflower Root on the floor.

"Never send something like this again. If you do, I won't let it slide."

"You won't let it slide? Are you threatening me now?"

"I'm warning you."

If it had been anything else, he would have endured it ten times, a hundred times. This was beyond endurance. Since the subject had come up, he needed to make himself clear.

Wang Gon felt the same way.

Black Hand, who had been watching from the side, slowly stepped forward.

"Warnings are something the strong give to the weak."

He made no attempt to hide his killing intent.

Im Chung gripped the hilt of his sword and shouted.

"Stop! I order you, as a Branch Chief of the Murim Alliance. Stay where you are."

Black Hand moved even faster. He stopped right in front of Im Chung and said, "There. I just defied the mighty Murim Alliance Branch Chief's order. What are you going to do about it?"

Im Chung's hand trembled around his sword.

Black Hand pressed further.

"When I delivered the fleeceflower root, I saw that your wife was quite pretty."

"You bastard!"

Shing.

The sword slid partway from its sheath.

"Draw it. Why did you stop? I suppose you don't care much for your wife either, not just your son."

Im Chung's hand shook violently around the sword. He knew the other man was deliberately provoking him.

If he drew his sword, he would die. If they buried his body somewhere, would anyone discover that Black Hand had killed him? No. Dying like this would be a meaningless death.

Yet swallowing it was unbearably enraging and humiliating. Especially when Black Hand taunted him about his wife and son, he wanted to fight to the death even if it meant dying here.

Then a commotion arose outside.

Soon after, the door opened and a martial artist from the Mythic Gang entered to report.

"The branch martial artists are here."

Baek Socheon and Beon Saeng followed the martial artist inside.

"Branch Chief! Are you all right?"

Beon Saeng ran over and stood beside Im Chung.

"What are you doing here?"

Noticing that the atmosphere in the room was far from normal, Beon Saeng quickly said, "Something happened at the branch, so we came to escort you back. Let's go."

His first priority was to get Im Chung out of there.

Wang Gon had no intention of letting them leave so easily. Since the conflict had already erupted, he felt this was the perfect chance to crush Im Chung's spirit completely.

'These bastards! I need to stomp them down properly today so they never try to crawl back up again.'

He signaled Black Hand with his eyes.

Black Hand openly released his killing intent and shouted, "You half-grown turtle bastards, where do you think you are, crawling in here? You two who just came in, get to that corner and kneel!"

Beon Saeng knew Black Hand well enough that he didn't dare answer.

Instead, Im Chung stepped forward and asked Wang Gon warningly, "Are you trying to stand against the Murim Alliance?"

"The Murim Alliance, Murim Alliance! Yes, that damned Murim Alliance is the only power you have. That's why I'm trying to give a pathetic man like you a Hundred-Year Fleeceflower Root."

Wang Gon didn't hide his true feelings. As if he wanted to show exactly what kind of man he was, he went a step further.

"Since you can't understand a word I say, I'll explain it kindly for you. Let's imagine something, shall we? As you all know, our Black Hand has a quick temper. While hastily trading sword blows, he might make a mistake and kill you. I heard someone at your branch recently died by accident too. So, let's say you all die. Who would be framed as the culprit? Ah, right. Liang Qiu's entire family was slaughtered not long ago, wasn't it? You were investigating that case. If a man was vicious enough to slaughter an entire family, wouldn't he want to kill those pursuing him?"

He had said a great deal, but the threat was simple. Wang Gon would kill them all and pin it on the culprit who had slaughtered Liang Qiu's family.

"What do you think would happen next?"

When no one answered, Wang Gon spoke with an excited expression.

"There is no next. It simply ends there. A new Branch Chief and martial artists will be sent down. They'll make a fuss for a month or two about catching the culprit. Of course, they won't catch anyone. Once things quiet down, I'll bring the newly appointed Branch Chief the Hundred-Year Fleeceflower Root you refused. Do you think that person will accept it or not? Well? Isn't my hypothetical interesting?"

At that moment, Im Chung realized instinctively.

'This man killed Liang Qiu too.'

Yet he knew that the instant he said those words aloud, he too would cross a line from which there was no return.

Black Hand approached Im Chung threateningly.

"Now, shall we finish the conversation we were having?"

Beon Saeng stepped in front of him.

"Stop!"

Black Hand shoved Beon Saeng away. Beon Saeng tumbled backward, and Black Hand stepped on his chest. The gap in their strength was obvious, so Beon Saeng didn't dare attack him.

"Stop it!"

As Im Chung tried to step forward, Black Hand drew his sword and pointed it at Beon Saeng's throat.

"Take one more step, and this bastard dies."

Im Chung couldn't move closer. He knew exactly what kind of man Black Hand was. Black Hand always tried to keep his word, especially when the other side was weaker than him. He would be even more determined to prove that his words and actions matched.

Im Chung looked at Wang Gon. Far from stopping Black Hand, Wang Gon looked down at him arrogantly. Im Chung could tell what the man wanted.

Complete submission.

He wanted Im Chung to kneel and apologize. Wang Gon wanted to crush him completely while he had the chance.

Im Chung looked back at Beon Saeng. He wore a miserable expression as Black Hand trampled him.

'Fine. I'll endure it. I'll kneel.'

That was how Im Chung could save Beon Saeng, himself, and even his family.

Just as Im Chung was about to kneel, a voice rang through the room.

"Shall we arrest them?"

The unexpected speaker was Baek Socheon, who had been standing in the back. Im Chung had been so focused on the situation that he had forgotten Baek Socheon was even there.

As everyone's eyes turned toward him, Baek Socheon spoke again.

"Assaulting a Murim Alliance martial artist, making threats, and offering a bribe. I think that's enough to arrest them for now."

Im Chung, Beon Saeng, Wang Gon, and even Black Hand were all shocked and dumbfounded.

Black Hand broke the silence.

"Hahahahaha!"

As Black Hand laughed like a madman, Wang Gon joined in.

Amid their mocking laughter, Im Chung saw it clearly. Baek Socheon was looking at him calmly, but he was completely serious.

Did he truly have the skill to do it?

Im Chung suddenly remembered asking Baek Socheon about his martial arts, and Baek Socheon saying that he had fought well in the past but was terrible these days.

"I thought you said you couldn't fight well these days?"

"That was by my standards. I wasn't comparing myself to maggots like them."

The smiles vanished from Wang Gon and Black Hand's faces.

It was the first time in either of their lives that they had been compared to maggots.

Wang Gon looked at Black Hand, wondering if he had heard wrong. Black Hand's twisted expression told him he had heard perfectly well.

Baek Socheon made sure to finish the job.

"What are you looking at, old maggot? Yes, I was talking to you."

Footnotes:

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