I came to a conclusion.
Let’s make use of that guy, Galbijong.
“I think I could use him to build my own faction.”
“A faction, you say…?”
“Yeah. If it’s something I can’t avoid, I need to prepare for it. It’s true that I can’t fully trust him, but it all depends on how I use him.”
Galbijong is a madman, but I’ve figured out that he has vision and drive. Plus, he needs my help and is throwing me looks of envy.
There’s no trust, but to be honest, he won’t trust me either. So using him doesn’t seem like a bad idea.
“Starting off by gathering the black faction isn’t much, but isn’t that how beginnings are?”
Even the current emperor, Ming Taizong Zhu Yuanzhang, came from the Red Turban Rebellion.
Zhu, who was just a mere thief, became an emperor. So, gathering up these bandit-like guys and creating a base for myself wouldn’t be so bad.
“Hmmm, so you want to take action before getting caught up in something weirder?”
“Exactly.”
I praised Hayoung for her neat summary, which made Serin glance at me.
“Geunhyeop. Even so, we can’t go down the path of the wicked. If we’re doing this, it has to be through the righteous way.”
Of course, I intend to go the righteous route.
“Of course! Do you think I’m crazy enough to dive into the wicked side? I’m a righteous hero! If I’m making something, it’ll definitely be a righteous faction.”
“Sigh… I see.”
Serin let out a sigh.
“I get the flow of the story, but how did you come to have such thoughts? Geunhyeop, it’s extremely risky. You say you want to create a faction; it’s reckless.”
There wasn’t a monumental turning point.
The situation compelled it, and listening to Jaemi Son opened my eyes.
Jaemi Son said that now that I have fame and connections, I could get dragged into such matters at any moment. So, I should always set my own firm standards and move forward.
Thus, I will confront this unavoidable situation head-on. The best way to do that is to use the circumstances to my advantage.
“From what I feel, removing or cutting ties with Galbijong seems difficult. So, I’ll leverage the situation. It should be in my favor.”
…
Serin nodded.
“Geunhyeop’s resolve is firm. Then I’ll help as well.”
“Oh! Thank you for that!”
If Serin, a peak expert, helps, that’d be perfect!
“This isn’t some gracious act of bowing down… If Geunhyeop is doing it, then it’s only natural for me to do it too. But thinking back, it isn’t so bad. Organizing and running a faction from a young age will be a great experience in itself. It will surely broaden Geunhyeop’s horizons in various ways.”
It indeed sounds like a good experience.
Whatever happens, I will gain new experience points through this, and I will grow. This endeavor is worth the risk.
“I see the thoughts behind that. Well then, if you’ve decided so, I’ll follow suit.”
“Hayoung…!”
Truly, my wisest advisor!
“But that guy, he’s a loan shark from the wicked side, right? If he received an assignment and came here, it seems he’s trying to expand his reach to this area.”
I focused on Hayoung’s words.
“That Galbijong over here? If he tries to push out the righteous way and gobbles everything up, wouldn’t we get entangled with certain people?”
“That’s a precise point, Hayoung.”
As you said, they could get really angry, but in my view, it seems alright.
After all, this place isn’t their territory. It’s Anhui City, they’re sending out guys like Galbijong to consolidate their power here.
If a mere black faction could encroach on other regions, this world would already be a wicked martial arts world. If I strike first and take control of my faction, I think it’d be manageable.
Additionally, I have a significant reputation. I’ve gained the hearts of the martial arts history. No matter how I look at it, it’s a reputable status, and with this standing, I could forge connections with righteous sects in this area.
I have such plans in mind.
I shared this outline with the two, and they nodded.
“Well, in the worst-case scenario, we could receive help from the Namgoong Clan. Sounds manageable.”
Help from the Namgoong Clan, huh.
“Ah, that might be challenging.”
“Huh?”
Serin shook her head.
“In fact, there were some twists before I left home. Since I left on my own, I can’t expect help from my clan.”
“… What? Really? You left the clan?”
“Yes.”
“So, you’re no longer a lady of the Namgoong Clan, but just a regular martial artist?”
“I suppose you could say that.”
“What is this? Hey, how about reconsidering? You can’t leverage the Namgoong Clan anymore.”
It doesn’t really matter.
While it would be nice to have help from the Namgoong Clan, I have no real expectations. After all, I could die if I went to see my future father-in-law, Namgoong Cheon.
“What? Are you treating the Namgoong Clan as a handy tool? If you can say that, Wi Hayoung, you’re also in a position to ask for help from the Mosan Sect, aren’t you?”
“Ugh, well, that’s…”
Hayoung hesitated.
“To be honest, I’m a bit in the same boat.”
“Really?”
“Originally, research into the Jordan area is prohibited by the Mosan Sect? It’s somewhat clandestine work. So, I’d feel hesitant to ask for help. I have some guilty conscience about showing my face.”
“Is that so…? Well, that’s fine. With my strength and abilities, building a small faction will be easy.”
Confidence shone in Serin.
This should be an ample opportunity.
“Well then, Geunhyeop. Let’s devise a plan. The ambition to unite the hidden black factions behind the scenes and create a righteous faction is commendable. But a great undertaking requires ample preparation, so we must get ready from now.”
“Of course! Hayoung! You can’t hold back on the operation since you’re already an indispensable asset!”
“Sigh. Looks like there’s no avoiding this.”
So, we gathered to plan the establishment of our faction.
“Guiding the black faction won’t be easy. Right now, Geunhyeop possesses a fearsome reputation in that region… suppressing through fear is feasible for the time being.”
“I’m confident in that! Last time, I made the Open Gang Leader kneel just with a shout!”
“Did you really?”
In truth, that incident was a significant turning point for my resolve.
I overwhelmed the leader of a faction with sheer spirit and achieved what I wanted.
If that leader can be considered average among the black factions, why should I fear them? Plus, I annihilated the Black Dawn and wiped out the Assassin’s Room along with Jaemi Son.
If I’ve done such deeds, creating a faction would be a piece of cake.
I detailed that event to them.
“I see… That’s likely how you arrived at the decision to form a faction. Excellent, Geunhyeop. Every martial artist must possess at least that level of spirit.”
Serin looked at me as if she were proud and patted my head.
“Yet I heard you struggled quite a bit during that event. Are you alright?”
“I’m perfectly fine. Those scars have forged me, making me even stronger.”
“Hehe, what nonsense you’re spouting while trying to look cool.”
“I’ll have you know, I’m actually cool!”
Anyway, there’s no real need to guide the black factions directly.
After all, what does creating a faction ultimately require? Profits. Especially from the underground economy. Even if it’s black factions, they’re not anything grand. If they’re making money through strange methods rather than hard labor, that’s still considered a black faction.
To put it plainly, if I just pay them their salaries, I wouldn’t need to guide them.
“I will seize the interests lurking in the back world of the black factions and package them in a way that’s righteous. First, I need to survey that underbelly market… luckily, with the Open Gang Leader as my subordinate now, I can make good use of him. I’ll keep an eye on Galbijong while I’m at it.”
Having said that, Serin nodded.
“Understood. I’ll guard Geunhyeop just in case of unexpected situations.”
“Should I also guard you?”
“I’d appreciate that.”
Whatever the case, it’s time to move.
Shall I go find the Open Gang Leader first?
*
“Dark Wailing! What brings you…!”
The Open Gang Leader gasped as if he had seen a ghost when he saw me, then started screaming about Dark Wailing.
But hearing that made me feel a surge of anger. This jerk definitely knows I’m the Daegak, right? So why the sudden switch to some stupid nickname?
Oh, wait. Did he really change it like that?
“Leader… My nickname is Daegak. Did you forget that?”
“I-I haven’t forgotten! But why?”
“Then why are you calling me Dark Wailing?”
“Well, that’s…”
“This is making me seem like I’m a leader of the wicked factions. Here I am, a righteous hero, and you treat me like this. Why are you calling me that?”
“I-I heard a rumor! They say that’s what you’re called these days…”
“That rumor.”
Cutting off the Leader’s words, I stepped forward.
“Where did you hear that?”
“As in, I heard it as a rumor…”
“Stop lying to me!!!”
“Yikes!”
I dramatically placed my hand on the sword hilt.
“You’re the one who made up that nickname!!! You turned me into Dark Wailing!!!”
“A, ah…!”
To reveal this now feels slightly embarrassing, but before I came to this martial world, I was a promising aspiring actor. Not to mention a capable one, considering I a worked as an unknown actor. I was a character actor and proved my skills.
To me, acting like a crazy leader of a wicked faction with a nickname like Dark Wailing or Sobbing Demise is a walk in the park.
“You!!! You made me Dark Wailing!!! You, ohhhh! Waaaaah!”
The Open Gang Leader fell to the ground, scrambling to escape.
I chased after him, crying.
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