WE TRIED TRANSLATIONS x FLAME NOVELS
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Former Supreme ◈
Chapter 32: Another Greatest Secret Manual of All Time (2)
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When Baek Socheon returned to the Wencheng Branch, Zhejiang Division Chief Jeong Pung was pacing anxiously.
“Where on earth have you been?”
“Why?”
“Why do you think? Yeom Jeonggil has been raising hell.”
Yeom Jeonggil had already been locked in the interrogation room for several days. If his internal energy had not been suppressed, he would have smashed down the door and escaped long ago.
Jeong Pung had spent that time imagining every terrible possibility, wondering what would happen if Baek Socheon disappeared for good.
Now that Baek Socheon had finally returned, Jeong Pung felt as though he had come back from the dead.
“What are you planning to do now?”
Since Yeom Jeonggil and Wang Gon were being held at the branch, they did not know that Master Jong had come down, nor that he had vanished. Given the timing, even the Mythic Gang that had sent Master Jong would not yet know of his disappearance.
“Interrogate them now, Corps Commander Jeong. Make it as intimidating as possible. Tell them you have no choice because these are orders from above. Frighten them by saying the Liang Qiu case has grown large enough to draw headquarters’ attention.”
“You’re telling me to lie?”
“Why would that be a lie?”
“Headquarters doesn’t know about this.”
“How could they not? They know every detail of what happens here. The Sage Heaven Pavilion has probably already begun investigating the Mythic Gang.”
Jeong Pung was suddenly reminded of who Baek Socheon was.
He had thought of Baek Socheon only as a fallen hero, without giving much thought to his relationship with the Murim Alliance. If the Murim Alliance had been watching Baek Socheon, it would also have been watching what happened here.
If that was true, Jeong Pung had done well to listen to him. What if he had taken the Mythic Gang’s side while the Sage Heaven Pavilion was watching? The thought alone sent a chill down his spine.
“Understood. I’ll do as you say.”
Jeong Pung interrogated Yeom Jeonggil and Wang Gon one after the other.
Following Baek Socheon’s instructions, he created an atmosphere of terror and made it clear that the matter had gone beyond his control.
Only after thoroughly frightening them did Baek Socheon enter Wang Gon’s interrogation room.
“Why have you only come now?”
“Don’t ask. The atmosphere outside is terrifying.”
Since Jeong Pung had already spoken to him, Wang Gon believed Baek Socheon was telling the truth.
“There’s a problem, Hall Leader.”
“What problem?”
“I overheard Corps Commander Jeong speaking with one of his trusted men.”
“What did he say?”
Wang Gon swallowed hard.
“They were discussing whether to make either you or Yeom Jeonggil take responsibility for this incident.”
“What?”
Wang Gon recoiled in shock. The instant he heard it, he instinctively realized he would be made the scapegoat.
One of the Four Great Martial Artists of the Mythic Gang against the Southern Hall Leader. It was not even a contest.
“It seems they want to settle this quickly now that headquarters is paying attention. Jeong Pung seems quite eager to keep his position.”
What if Jeong Pung pinned the crime on one of them?
Would the Mythic Gang truly step in to save them?
‘Damn it!’
Of course not. If the Murim Alliance named someone as the culprit, the Mythic Gang Leader would certainly cut off the tail. He would make that decision even against an equally powerful opponent, let alone the Murim Alliance.
The Mythic Gang would claim it had nothing to do with this incident and that an individual had acted alone. If it meant saving himself, the Mythic Gang Leader was the sort who would cut away more than his tail. He would cut off everything below his neck.
Wang Gon had already spent days imprisoned here. Hearing such despairing news made him so dizzy that he felt ready to collapse.
“Are you all right? You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine. Did you tell Great Hero Yeom this as well?”
“No. I came to you first, Hall Leader.”
“Good. Very good.”
“What are you going to do now?”
At that moment, Wang Gon thought of a solution.
The first solution that came to mind, and the only method he knew best and used most often, was money.
He would bribe Jeong Pung and make Yeom Jeonggil the scapegoat. That was his only way to survive.
If he were made to bear the blame for the Liang Qiu Family Massacre, he would be executed at once.
Even if he somehow avoided execution and was imprisoned in the martial prison instead, the Mythic Gang would send an assassin after him. He was useless now, and they would never let someone who knew so many secrets within the gang live.
But if Yeom Jeonggil took the blame, Wang Gon might survive. At the very least, he could live until the Wencheng Branch’s ironworks project was complete. During that time, he only needed to find a way to gain the Mythic Gang Leader’s favor.
“Bring my son here. I need to meet him myself.”
“That’s impossible. I barely managed to get in here myself.”
“Our lives are at stake. Do you think you’ll be safe if I’m removed?”
“Are you threatening me?”
“I’m telling you how serious this is. You need to help with all your strength, for your own sake as well.”
“Hmm. Fine. I’ll see what I can arrange.”
Baek Socheon rose with a reluctant expression.
About two hours later, he allowed Wang U to meet Wang Gon.
After two brief meetings with his son, Wang Gon handed Baek Socheon a thick envelope.
Inside were one hundred banknotes worth one thousand nyang each, a total of one hundred thousand nyang.
It was nearly Wang Gon’s entire fortune, gathered by withdrawing all the money from the bank and mortgaging his house and valuables.
Wang U had tried to persuade his father to find another way, but Wang Gon had shouted at him and given him a firm order. Unable to defy his father, Wang U had eventually prepared the money and brought it over.
“Use this money to win over the Zhejiang Division Chief. Make him pin the blame on Great Hero Yeom.”
Wang Gon had prepared such an enormous sum because Jeong Pung could not be allowed to refuse. Knowing Jeong Pung was closer to Yeom Jeonggil than to himself, he had made the amount even larger.
“Have your son handle this.”
Wang Gon shook his head. His son had opposed trying to win Baek Socheon over before. He had also disliked spending money this time. If he left it to Wang U, there was a good chance he would simply give up on the matter.
“No. You do it.”
“Corps Commander Jeong doesn’t seem like the sort who enjoys bribes. Will he accept it?”
“He will. This money will work.”
Wang Gon was certain. There was no one in the world who could refuse one hundred thousand nyang.
“But if you use all this money, will you still have money for me?”
Wang Gon flinched inwardly at the question.
‘That crazy bastard! He’s still obsessed with money at a time like this.’
Wang Gon forced himself to appear calm.
“Don’t underestimate my wealth. I’m still far from being drained dry.”
“Fine. I’ll see if I can move Jeong Pung.”
Of course, Baek Socheon did not meet Jeong Pung. He did not even go near his office. Instead, he visited a bank and deposited the money. The hundred thousand nyang he had received from Cheon Geuk earlier went to the Continental Bank, while this hundred thousand nyang went to the Central Plains Bank.
He let out a hollow laugh at how much easier and faster it was to earn money than on the battlefield. Of course, this money did not hold the same value as what he had earned before.
Still, when the time came, it would be spent with the same value. He had earned it by killing people or taking it from villains, but one day, he would use it to save someone. And he would gladly use it for himself as well.
While Wang Gon worried himself sick, Baek Socheon stood in the courtyard to train in martial arts.
Starting today, he intended to begin serious martial arts training rather than simple physical conditioning.
Heaven-Turning Nine Fists was quite difficult to understand.
The latter half, especially, contained many passages that made even Baek Socheon, once ranked among the strongest martial artists under heaven, tilt his head in confusion. He could understand why no successor had ever achieved mastery of this manual.
Still, Baek Socheon was not worried. His goal was not to master Heaven-Turning Nine Fists. He was neither foolish nor shameless enough to aim for mastery of the Greatest Martial Art of All Time without a trace of internal energy.
He simply intended to train as well as he could. This was training in which the process mattered more than the result.
Heaven-Turning Nine Fists, created by imitating the movements of wind, moon, sun, and sky, consisted of nine fist forms.
Baek Socheon intended to perfectly learn the first three forms, which had been designed to borrow an opponent’s strength rather than rely on his own, or to produce great results with little force.
First Fist, Wind Scatters Clouds.
It was based on the sight of wind blowing clouds apart and contained seven moves that deflected an opponent’s internal energy before counterattacking.
Second Fist, Wind Stills, Waves Rest.
It was created from the sight of the wind dying down and waves becoming calm. A defensive form, it contained sixteen moves for avoiding an enemy’s attacks.
Third Fist, Wind Whirls, Lightning Strikes.
It was created from the sight of wind swirling and lightning striking fiercely. It contained six moves that were more violent and destructive than the first two forms.
Martial arts forms were originally used with internal energy as their foundation. Only then could they produce the desired strength and speed. Baek Socheon intended to overcome that through the body he had trained until now.
Fortunately, no one understood internal energy better than Baek Socheon. He had wielded it as the strongest martial artist under heaven, and he had studied the Immovable Wisdom King Heart Method, one of the arts designated the Greatest Martial Art of All Time, every day.
He knew exactly what sort of power emerged when internal energy passed through the blood vessels in a certain way, how it affected muscular strength, and what effects it produced.
That was why, unlike the later fist forms that displayed overwhelming destructive power through vast internal energy, he could reproduce these first three forms to some extent.
Whoosh, bang.
The first sound of wind cutting through the air burst forth. At a glance, it looked like a punch thrown by someone with internal energy.
Until late that night, the brisk, powerful sounds produced by his fists, feet, and body did not stop for a single moment.
* * *
The next morning, Wang Gon was released.
Naturally, it happened because Baek Socheon had told Jeong Pung to release him.
When Wang Gon climbed into the waiting carriage, Baek Socheon and Wang U were there.
“Father.”
Wang U’s face was full of concern.
Yet the true object of that concern was not his father, Wang Gon. He was worried because their entire fortune was now gone.
Wang U did not show it, but he was deeply dissatisfied with the situation.
‘He could have endured it with his body. There had to be another way. He couldn’t even last a few days before spending all that money.’
Honestly, he had hoped his father would not be released. Then he could have lived in luxury off the family fortune. Just as a tiger father does not produce a dog son, a dog father does not produce a tiger son.
Wang Gon spoke to Baek Socheon.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“At first, he said he would not accept it, but he took it after checking the amount.”
Wang Gon sneered.
‘Of course he did.’
No one could keep their eyes from turning at the sight of one hundred thousand nyang. That was why he had offered such a vast sum.
“Does it seem like Great Hero Yeom will take the blame?”
“It’s not certain yet, but won’t that be what happens?”
“You must never speak of this matter. You told Corps Commander Jeong the same thing, right?”
“You don’t need to worry about that. If this matter is exposed, he’ll be finished too.”
Jeong Pung was one concern, but if Yeom Jeonggil learned of this, his temper would drive him to kill Wang Gon.
Wang U, meanwhile, had an entirely different concern.
“Then what do we do now? We don’t even have money to pay the martial artists immediately.”
“We can borrow money. As long as we stay alive, recovering a little money will be easy.”
Wang Gon believed that. He could squeeze more tribute out of the Black Society bastards, or he could use Baek Socheon to pull off some venture that would bring in a great deal of money.
Wang Gon removed the gold bracelet from his wrist and handed it to Baek Socheon.
“Take this for now. You’ve worked hard.”
“Father!”
Wang U tried to stop him, wondering how he could give that away too, but Baek Socheon accepted it without hesitation.
“Thank you.”
“Then I’ll see you again.”
Baek Socheon stood there for a moment, watching the carriage depart. He knew well what kind of lives Wang Gon and Wang U had lived. Naturally, he also knew what their ending should be.
For some reason, Baek Socheon looked down at the gold bracelet Wang Gon had given him, put it on his wrist, and headed back toward the branch.
Footnotes:
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