Return of The Mount Hua – Chapter 1205. What's the Difference? (5)
Editor: Hoamzz
Co-Translator: Xoxo
The overflowing liquor in the cup rippled. Jang Ilso, staring blankly at the cup, tilted his head indifferently.
“Has he gone?”
"Yes, Ryeonju-nim. He just left the pavilion."
"Tsk."
Jang Ilso, clicking his tongue softly, brought the cup to his lips with a dissatisfied expression.
"So weak-minded. I had some expectations since he's a well-reputed person in the merchant world."
"...As much as I'd like to agree with Ryeonju-nim, to be honest, I think it's impressive that he managed to come to his sense in just an hour."
"Hm?"
"Considering he had a private audience with you in your current state, Ryeonju-nim."
"Tsk, tsk. You're also starting to sweeten your tongue these days. This is why those in power fall into corruption.”
Ho Gamyeong, who heard Jang Ilso's not-quite-criticism, smiled gently and asked.
"Then, will Ryeonju-nim discard me?"
“Hmph.”
The place where the sound of groaning was heard shook its head.
"That won't do. If even the so-called leader of the merchant world is this weak-minded, where would I find someone to replace you?"
He took a slow breath and continued.
"Being weak-minded is one thing, but I thought, being a merchant, he'd at least have some sense..."
"He must have difficulty understanding."
Ho Gamyeong lightly laughed and took Shim Yi-gyeong's side.
“In their eyes, Ryeonju-nim was nothing more than a tyrant. But when Ryeonju-nim came forward to squander his wealth and help the common people, they couldn't help but consider it strange."
“That’s why they’re fools.”
Jang Ilso clicked his tongue slightly and spoke indifferently.
“These so-called merchants, who claim to pursue profit, don’t even know what profit truly is.”
"...."
"When rulers promote virtue and order, it’s not because they are virtuous, but because it’s the best way to control the dumb common people. If he understood that, he wouldn’t have reacted like that. Especially as a merchant, he should know that virtue and order lead to profit."
If he understood that, he wouldn’t have reacted like that. Especially as a merchant, he should know that virtue and order lead to profit."
"It may seem obvious to you, Ryeonju-nim, but for ordinary people like us, it’s not so easy to grasp."
"You're exaggerating too much. You, of all people, surely understand this.”
"...But it’s the truth."
Ho Gamyeong smiled bitterly.
The reason rulers became tyrants wasn’t because of greed. It's simply because they are stupid. A truly greedy king would become the perfect guardian of law and order.
Because that brings the most profit to the king.
If everyone in the world acted according to their selfish desires and disregarded law and order, chaos would ensue. Thus, enormous power and wealth will be consumed to stabilize the chaos.
However, if people uphold virtue and respect order, the king can extract profit from them without any effort—even to the point of being cruel.
"Even from those so-called Righteous Sects bastard, we should learn what’s worth learning—virtue, order, and chivalrousness. People who are accustomed to those things won’t easily draw their swords against others even when they are starving to death."
"......"
"Just as wolves are tamed with food and turned into dogs, people can be tamed into slaves through virtue.” (Reminds me of Ghost of Tsushima.)
Jang Ilso chuckled.
"Even those arrogant Righteous Sects bastards, if things go wrong, wield the sword that kills people and proclaims it as a virtue, then why can't I use their virtue as a weapon?"
"Ryeonju-nim words are absolutely correct."
If rumors spread that Evil Tyrant Alliance used all the goods stacked in their warehouses to save the common people, the common people in Gangnam would not easily go against what Evil Tyrant Alliance does in the future.
Perhaps they would think that while Jang Ilso was cruel to the people of Kangho, he was extremely merciful to those who hadn't learned martial arts. And perhaps in the future, they might even become hostile to Righteous Sects to repay the favor they received.
Whatever the outcome, it would never be a loss for Jang Ilso or Evil Tyrant Alliance. If he could reap such tremendous benefits by spending money and manipulating others, why hesitate?
"However...."
Ho Gamyeong chuckled softly.
"I find it a bit amusing. If things continue like this, it might be hard to guarantee that Ryeonju-nim won't be called the greatest man of chivalry under heaven one day."
"Hahahahahahahahahaha!"
Jang Ilso burst into laughter.
"A man of chivalry? Hahahahaha. That’s not so bad! Hahahahahahahahaha! Does that mean I’ll be Guangdong Chivalrous Overlord (광동패협(廣東覇俠))?"
Jang Ilso even held his stomach and laughed. Because he also knew that it was difficult to entirely deny the possibility.
After all, the gap between hypocrisy and virtue was only a hair's breadth apart. If someone spends their entire life acting in hypocrisy but dies without revealing that their 'virtue' was false, wouldn’t they be remembered as a virtuous person who lived a life of virtue?
It doesn't matter what Jang Ilso's intention was in doing good deeds. If those who benefit from his 'virtue' start to praise him, he might truly be remembered as a man of chivalry in the future.
"Hahaha. Good. Chivalrous... chivalrous, isn’t that wonderful?"
"This may not be just a laughing matter... Half of what I said was a joke, but the other half was serious."
"Hm?"
Jang Ilso looked at Ho Gamyeong with raised eyebrows. Then Ho Gamyeong spoke seriously.
"If the meaning of a man of chivalry is someone who sacrifices what he has to help others, what Ryeonju-nim doing now isn’t far from that definition. No matter how financially stable Evil Tyrant Alliance is, this endeavor is costing an astronomical amount, isn't it?"
"Tsk. You're acting like a miser."
Jang Ilso frowned.
"With all the wealth that fool money ghost Great Master of Ten Thousand Gold has stashed away, we have more than enough to handle it."
That was also clearly true. It was no exaggeration to say that Black Ghost Fortress was the wealthiest sect in the world. The money they amassed through the salt smuggling was so vast that even Ho Gamyeong, who managed the finances of the massive Myriad Man Manor, was left speechless.
However...
"Ryeonju-nim. Evil Tyrant Alliance is a huge organization. Even if we can endure it right now, there will eventually be a limit to how long we can endure while spending the accumulated money."
"No need to worry."
Despite Ho Gamyeong's concerns, Jang Ilso dismissed them with a casual wave of her hand.
"So don't spare even a penny to buy grain and goods."
"Ryeonju-nim, if we do that…."
"Tsk tsk. Gamyeong-ah. Stop being so frustrating and think for a moment."
Jang Ilso slowly rose from his seat. Then he approached Ho Gamyeong one step at a time.
"What is money?"
".....Pardon?"
"And what is gold?"
"That’s...."
Ho Gamyeong tried to answer but eventually closed his mouth. Then, a meaningful smile appeared on Jang Ilso’s lips.
"Right. Do you understand? Money, by itself, is nothing. What creates its value is just people. Without the agreement between people, money is just a pile of useless paper, and gold is no more than a soft metal that can’t even make a decent sword.”
"....."
"What meaning does gold have to someone starving to death? No matter how massive a pile of gold is, to the starving, it’s worth less than a single grain of rice."
"....That is true."
"Soon.... Yes. It will come soon."
A ghostly air briefly flickered across Jang Ilso's face.
“An era when a handful of rice to fill an empty stomach will be worth more than a mountain of bills, an era when rusty iron that can make a sharp sword is more valuable than a river of gold!"
Looking at such Jang Ilso, Ho Gamyeong even forgot to breathe.
Jang Ilso slowly drew a horizontal line on his blood-red lips with his index finger.
"When that time comes, what the world believed to be right will be trampled on the ground, and what the world considered lowly will rise to the sky."
With a devilish smile, he muttered in a voice so sinister it was eerie.
"That era.... The era that will burn everything the world has accumulated is soon...."
A chilling blue gleam of murderous intent flickered in Jang Ilso’s eyes.
"It will begin from my hands."
Ho Gamyeong shivered.
For most people, the one word for 'stability' was like a symbol of peace. But to this man, stability wasn’t like that. There was only one reason why this man sought stability.
So he wouldn’t have to worry about what was behind him. Only then can he fully dedicate himself to crushing and killing his enemies.
What Jang Ilso does was the ultimate form of virtue. But the result of that virtue was bound to lead to the ultimate evil. What should one call the act of using pure virtue to build an unrelentingly evil regime?
No, there is no need to call it anything.
'Because it's meaningless.'
Jang Ilso does not distinguish between good and evil. Whether it is virtue or evil, he simply does it without hesitation to achieve what he wants.
If he needs to be chivalrous to seize the world, he would gladly do so. If it required committing the greatest of sins, he wouldn’t hesitate for a moment.
What he pursued was nothing but pure, burning desire. A desire so black and intense it was almost beautiful in its purity.
Jang Ilso, who had completely erased all traces of killing intent from his face as if it had never been there, lightly placed his hand on Ho Gamyeong's shoulder.
"When that era comes, wealth won’t get us what we need. So.... before that wealth becomes useless scraps of paper, we have to use it all up, don't we?"
"...I understand."
“Good.”
Tap. Tap!
Jang Ilso lightly tapped Ho Gamyeong’s shoulder twice before turning away. Then he approached the table and picked up the cup on the table. He downed the alcohol in one gulp and said,
"In that sense."
"....Yes?"
Jang Ilso spoke without even turning his head.
“It’s starting to get on my nerves. I don’t have the patience to leave the sword behind my back unattended for too long."
"You mean Hainan."
Ho Gamyeong, who immediately understood, nodded.
“Don’t worry. I just received news that the relationship between Ten Great Sects and Heavenly Comrade Alliance has deteriorated to the point where it cannot be mended.”
“Hm?”
"If it comes to this, they will be too busy keeping each other in check to move easily. Then, Hainan will be truly isolated and helpless. I will take care of the matter myself."
"You?"
"It wouldn’t reflect well on me if Ryeonju-nim personally dealt with the likes of Hainan. Leave it to me."
“Hmm.....”
Jang Ilso let out a slight nasal hum and paused. Then he slowly nodded.
“That would be fine too. Do as you wish.”
“Thank you.”
When Ho Gamyeong, who had bowed deeply, raised his head slowly, Jang Ilso had already lost interest in him and was staring out the window. He remained still, seemingly deep in thought.
To avoid disturbing Jang Ilso's contemplation, Ho Gamyeong left the room with the least possible noise. Only after he had distanced himself enough did he quickened his pace.
'Hainan....'
Ho Gamyeong's eyes flashed coldly.
Until now, he had left them alone simply to avoid giving the force stationed at the Yangtze River any justification to move. Truthfully, with the power of Evil Tyrant Alliance, they could have swept away Hainan at any time.
'It's time to repay the humiliation I received at Plum Blossom Island.'
This wasn’t just about revenge against Ten Great Sects.
He intended to clearly show those who've been noisily asking for appreciation of the fate of anyone foolish enough to oppose them.
“With the methods of Evil Sects.”
Ho Gamyeong, with a cold smile on his face, quickened his pace. A subtle excitement began to seep into his steps.
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