“Take care, son-in-law.”
“Haha, I’ll trust you, father-in-law.”
“I’ll see you later, Father.”
As the conversation concluded, Ho Cheon-an and Dokgo I-seol disappeared quietly.
Dokgo Yeongcheon crossed his arms and stared at the spot where Ho Cheon-an had vanished.
‘Ho Cheon-an.’
It might hurt a bit, but he couldn’t give up on such delicious prey.
To Dokgo Yeongcheon, Ho Cheon-an was that kind of being.
His martial arts level was extraordinary, and though he had no connections, he possessed strong ties with great powers around the world.
Even considering all that, Ho Cheon-an felt like someone he could get his hands on.
He thought this way until before the whirlwind of Geum Myeong-wol spread across the world.
‘What kind of information network does he have?’
The simultaneous spread of rumors about Geum Myeong-wol across the nation meant something. It implied they had devised believable stories that could fool even the locals and had mobilized enough manpower and intelligence to carry out such a massive operation across the country.
Realizing that Ho Cheon-an wielded tremendous intelligence and resources began to make Dokgo Yeongcheon feel uneasy.
He sensed a real danger that the Dark Dragon Sect might go under Ho Cheon-an.
The presence of power alone could incite desire and greed. For now, perhaps he was content with the fame of being a Martial World Hero, but would that still hold true for the future?
When the desire to build his own sect or power arises, the fastest and most efficient way to achieve that desire is crucial.
Dokgo Yeongcheon thought the best way would be to swallow the Dark Dragon Sect.
If he married Dokgo I-seol, Ho Cheon-an would essentially be half a member of the Dark Dragon Sect.
In such a situation, if he craved power, wouldn’t it be more efficient to build a new sect based on the Dark Dragon Sect rather than starting from scratch?
It was a completely plausible future, a blueprint.
For that reason, Dokgo Yeongcheon had no intention of refusing Ho Cheon-an’s request.
After all, Hwang So-wol was also on Ho Cheon-an’s side, so ultimately, strengthening Hwang So-wol meant strengthening Ho Cheon-an as well.
However, after confirming that Ho Cheon-an’s request was about spreading negative rumors about Geum Myeong-wol, Dokgo Yeongcheon’s resolve flipped as easily as turning over a hand.
This was an opportunity.
The fact that Ho Cheon-an was spreading negative rumors about Hwang So-wol was a card that could rupture the relationship between Hwang So-wol and Ho Cheon-an and could also send the reputation of the celebrated Great Hero Ho Cheon-an plummeting in an instant.
Thus, Dokgo Yeongcheon accepted Ho Cheon-an’s proposal, but he was left aghast by the content of the request that followed.
Dokgo Yeongcheon, who had experienced all kinds of power struggles as a leader of the Outcast Faction.
Even he couldn’t help but marvel at the malicious scheme.
‘To push my ally Hwang So-wol and those with whom I have ties into the snake pit…’
Listening to Ho Cheon-an’s specific plan and demands, Dokgo Yeongcheon became convinced that his fears of Ho Cheon-an swallowing the Dark Dragon Sect were not unfounded.
A sect that outwardly appeared so closely united. And he was someone who would easily manipulate even friends whom he knew well for his plans.
Would someone like that really let the Dark Dragon Sect slip by as his father-in-law’s sect?
There was no way.
In the future, Ho Cheon-an would definitely aim at the Dark Dragon Sect.
Convinced of that, Dokgo Yeongcheon felt this matter was of utmost importance.
He reflected again on Ho Cheon-an’s request. Despite its malignity, Ho Cheon-an’s plan was flawless.
Not just effective, but if everything went according to plan, he could spread false rumors while also covering up the fact that the origin of those rumors was the Dark Dragon Sect.
‘I need to twist this plan a bit.’
Dokgo Yeongcheon revised Ho Cheon-an’s plan in his head.
For the time being, while the Dark Dragon Sect might face some difficulties, when the day came to expose that Ho Cheon-an orchestrated this plan, there would need to be evidence left to assure that the claims were true.
And that process had to be disguised as mere accidents or unfortunate mistakes.
Even if Ho Cheon-an scrutinized it with suspicion, it needed to be cleverly done so that it wouldn’t be discovered.
To devise such a delicate scheme, Dokgo Yeongcheon revised and revised the plan.
After spending several days working tirelessly, he finally completed a satisfactory revision and could smile with contentment.
As long as he executed the revised plan properly, he would obtain a trustworthy backer from Ho Cheon-an, and he could also protect the Dark Dragon Sect from Ho Cheon-an’s claws in the future.
“Time has been delayed, so I must hurry.”
With a heart full of satisfaction, Dokgo Yeongcheon rose to execute his scheme.
Little did he know that the revised plan he spent days worrying over was, in fact, the plan Ho Cheon-an truly desired from him.
—
Jang Yi, running an inn in Gwangju, was feeling great these days.
Customers, who had disappeared due to the Blood Sect’s movements, returned as if they had vanished into thin air, and the political situation in the world stabilized.
Not just that.
Even the rumors of the Martial World, which had filled him with sighs during the time of the Blood Sect’s disturbances, were now intriguing.
Gambler challenging the Heavenly Demon Wi Seoryeon.
Heroes riding the Bicheongmacha.
And with every success of these gamblers and brave souls, the stories of Geum Myeong-wol’s everyday life grew richer.
It was no exaggeration to say that the Jang family was living for the thrill of waiting for the next revelation from Geum Myeong-wol.
Whether it was sharing a drink with Wang Il, the bookstore owner, discussing Geum Myeong-wol, or on non-drinking days, reading the tales and warmly smiling at the illustrations of Geum Myeong-wol holding Seo Gong, he was living in delight.
“Hey, Jang family, have you heard the latest tale from the Great Hero Geum Myeong-wol?”
Those with such excitement were not only Jang Yi but also the guests using the inn.
“Sadly, I haven’t heard anything. But I’ll let you know as soon as I do!”
“Of course you will.”
“Absolutely!”
Now, what kind of warm everyday story would come next? As Jang Yi waited eagerly for news of Geum Myeong-wol, the latest news was not an everyday tale.
“Rumor has it that Great Hero Geum Myeong-wol is from Sacheon.”
“What? That’s absurd! It’s a well-established fact that Great Hero Geum Myeong-wol is from Gwangju! Do you doubt that?”
“No, no, I mean it’s the rumor that says that…”
Another false rumor is circulating.
Jang Yi dismissed the rumors that Geum Myeong-wol was from another region. He had heard such stories at least dozens of times, considering these were merely rumors brought by peddlers.
“Have you heard of the Dark Dragon Sect?”
However, he couldn’t ignore what the peddler had said next.
“The Dark Dragon Sect? Isn’t that the sect of Dokgo I-seol, a companion of Geum Myeong-wol?”
“Exactly. The rumor I just mentioned spread subtly from the Dark Dragon Sect.”
“Hmph, that’s nonsense! The Dark Dragon Sect is essentially a faction of the Yunnan overlord, isn’t it? If that sect can’t even keep its members in line, that’s ridiculous!”
“This isn’t so simple. The Dark Dragon Sect is the arch-enemy of the Sacheon Righteous Faction, right? If Geum Myeong-wol is indeed from Sacheon and the Dark Dragon Sect realizes that, it puts them in quite an uncomfortable position. They might try to quietly spread rumors to curb Geum Myeong-wol’s popularity.”
As the peddler spoke, Jang Yi found himself at a loss for words to counter.
The peddler’s words were quite persuasive, and Jang Yi could not think of any arguments against the peddler’s logic.
“Hmph! The Dark Dragon Sect can’t be trusted! Out of jealousy for the popularity of Great Hero Geum Myeong-wol, they’re likely spreading false stories!”
All he could vocalize now was mindless condemnation.
“I’m just passing on the rumors, you know.”
As the peddler glanced at Jang Yi, he went upstairs, and Jang Yi, unable to contain himself, gulped down a bucket of water and roughly tossed himself onto his bed.
After barely calming his anger, one thought crossed Jang Yi’s mind.
Could it really be that Geum Myeong-wol is from Sacheon?
Staring at the collection of tales from Geum Myeong-wol resting at his bedside, Jang Yi sighed deeply.
Why had throngs of gamblers and heroes rushed to Wi Seoryeon and Bicheongmacha to learn about Geum Myeong-wol’s daily life?
Because they believed that hidden within those tales would be clues to uncover her origins.
Jang Yi had repeatedly devoured the information collected about Geum Myeong-wol, but he still could not determine where she came from. However, he could make one assumption.
That was, Geum Myeong-wol came from a high-status family.
The mannerisms evident in her actions throughout her tales, and the heart and elegance perceivable in those expressions could not belong to an ordinary family.
‘Sigh…’
Jang Yi’s assumption conflicted with the rumors circulating in Gwangju about Geum Myeong-wol.
Though he had been firmly looking away from it until now, in the corner of his heart, he began to brace himself for the possibility that Geum Myeong-wol might not be a Gwangju native.
“Why does it have to be someone from Sacheon…?”
If four Martial World heroes had been produced, shouldn’t they be content without snatching away Geum Myeong-wol too?
Muttering such thoughts, Jang Yi picked up the collection of tales about Geum Myeong-wol and turned to the first page.
Swish.
As always, the illustration of Geum Myeong-wol, beaming with joy while holding Seo Gong, caught his eye. But for some reason, today, her appearance didn’t feel as familiar.
Silently, Jang Yi closed the collection of Geum Myeong-wol’s stories and didn’t open it again for a while.
