The Return of the Sw Chapter 42 : Invest with Certainty. -03

Chapter 42: Invest with Certainty. -03

Geum Sangryong ground his teeth.

The more he thought about it, the more infuriating and absurd it felt.

Everyone had mocked it as madness, as a foolish choice, yet the result had been a resounding success.

It had succeeded so openly, as if to show those who had ridiculed it.

That was what Geum Sangryong could not believe.

At the same time, the fact that such fortune had gone not to himself but to Geum Hoyeon irritated him beyond measure.

‘If only I had known that man first……!’

Geum Sangryong squeezed his eyes shut.

And then he realized anew.

In the end, what put the final period on everything was martial force.

If Ban Hojin had been on his side, the situation would have been the exact opposite of what it was now.

‘If those sly old foxes had just done their part, it wouldn’t have ended up like this.’

Geum Sangryong’s hands trembled violently.

There had been no need to even go as far as Ban Hojin—if the elders of the Gongdong Sect and the Peng Family of Hebei, whom he had recruited at great expense, and the Red King had done their share, he would not be in such a miserable state now.

However, the three people he had trusted showed nothing at all against the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.

Kuuung!

Perhaps out of some sense of shame, they had not taken the remaining payment, but what mattered to Geum Sangryong was not the money.

What mattered was that he had been caught up to by Geum Hoyeon, whom he had thought no match for.

No—what wounded his pride was that he had risen to a position equal to his own.

“T-this time was resolved, but the First Young Lord’s standing is still solid. It was the Second Young Lord who succeeded; it is not that the First Young Lord failed.”

At Geum Sangryong’s action of roughly slamming the desk once again, one of the close aides who had been standing stiffly like a stone statue spoke cautiously.

Though Geum Hoyeon’s position had risen sharply due to this matter, at best they had merely become similar.

Geum Sangryong had absolutely not lost nor fallen behind yet.

“For me, if it isn’t success, then it is failure.”

“Those who had maintained neutrality are merely showing interest. The First Young Lord’s foundation is still firm. I believe there is no need to be swayed by the current mood.”

“At this rate, the mood could tilt completely. What I need right now is not comfort but a countermeasure! Do you still not understand that!”

Unable to see the core issue and speaking only optimistic words, Geum Sangryong erupted in a furious roar.

At the rage-filled shout that resounded through the room, the aides shrank their shoulders.

Yet there was no one who spoke of the countermeasure Geum Sangryong wanted.

They had tried to devise a breakthrough, but no brilliant plan came to mind that could overturn the current situation.

Thud!

Geum Sangryong, who had stood up and shouted angrily, sank back into his chair without strength.

Then he let his body slump limply.

Perhaps because of disappointment and impatience, he felt as though there was no strength left in his body, and with a deep sigh, Geum Sangryong closed his eyes.

At that moment, however, a single thought flashed through his mind.

‘Wait.’

Geum Sangryong, who had been slack, snapped his eyes open.

There was only one reason Geum Hoyeon was receiving attention as he was now.

It was not because his own abilities were outstanding, but because Ban Hojin had supported him, allowing him to climb this far.

In other words, without Ban Hojin, Geum Hoyeon was nothing.

‘All I have to do is take Ban Hojin away. Then everything can be returned to its proper place.’

Geum Sangryong’s eyes gleamed.

Thinking about it, it was a masterstroke that killed two birds with one stone.

Above all, the idea of taking away what belonged to Geum Hoyeon pleased Geum Sangryong the most.

Bang!

The moment his thoughts reached that point, Geum Sangryong sprang to his feet.

He thought there was no need to waste time when he had found a method.

“First Young Lord?”

“I will go to Ban Hojin immediately. Make preparations.”

“R-right now, you mean?”

“Yes.”

If he took Ban Hojin away from Geum Hoyeon, he could not only weaken his support base but also deal him a mental blow.

Moreover, since he could naturally draw all attention to himself, Geum Sangryong smiled slyly.

As he did, Geum Sangryong calculated rapidly in his head.

He thought of conditions beyond mere money that would tempt Ban Hojin.

“Understood.”

“Send someone ahead. No matter what, a meeting must be arranged.”

“Yes!”

The moment they heard he was going to Ban Hojin, the aides who had grasped Geum Sangryong’s plan moved swiftly.

Before they knew it, their gazes had become exactly like Geum Sangryong’s.

‘No matter how much he received, no matter what he received, I just need to give double. If double isn’t enough, then triple, quadruple.’

Geum Sangryong was confident.

When it came to money, he had as much as he wanted, and he believed he would never lose in a battle of amounts.

Besides, Ban Hojin was worth that much.

Rather than settling for something mediocre, it was better to pay more and be certain.

‘It’s just like merchandise. There’s a reason people say you get what you pay for. If you can’t obtain it no matter how much you want it, then even a fortune is useless. But if you can obtain it, you should pour out even a fortune to get it.’

Geum Sangryong realized this once again through this incident.

There was only one reason he had failed.

It was because he had purchased something half-baked.

If he had known Ban Hojin first, the outcome would have been the exact opposite.

‘Until I thought this way, he was truly unlucky and irritating, but thinking he’ll be in my hands makes me feel so good.’

Geum Sangryong, walking briskly, let out a crooked grin.

The thought of taking Ban Hojin away from Geum Hoyeon made him so excited he could hardly contain himself.

Moreover, Ban Hojin’s background was also solid.

As the disciple of the Abbot of Shaolin, his backing could not be more reliable.

‘I’ll drop him straight into the abyss.’

Imagining Geum Hoyeon experiencing the same feelings he was suffering now, Geum Sangryong’s smile formed naturally.

And he wanted to see it.

The expression on Geum Hoyeon’s face after losing Ban Hojin.

In the late afternoon, an unexpected guest came looking for Ban Hojin.

It was someone he had never imagined he would see at the Geum Family Estate.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“It has.”

“For that, you don’t seem very surprised?”

“I am surprised. I truly never expected to see Young Lady here.”

Ban Hojin exaggeratedly widened his eyes as if he were genuinely startled.

At that sight, Nan Hee-ju let out a small chuckle.

He spoke jokingly as if it were serious, but she did not dislike this side of Ban Hojin.

Rather, it felt comfortable.

“Are you teasing me?”

“Of course not. But did you come in after revealing your identity?”

“Not this time. Revealing it at the Seo Family Estate is proper, but I didn’t feel it was absolutely necessary at the Geum Family Estate.”

“Oh?”

“I thought that if it were Young Master Ban, you would be able to guess the reason.”

Nan Hee-ju said that and smiled softly.

As if it were only natural that he would already know.

“How could I possibly know another person’s heart? I just take it as it is and move on.”

“More than that, I was truly surprised. That Young Master Ban would dismantle the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds.”

“I didn’t do it alone. I did it together with everyone.”

“But you were the one who captured the Green Forest Great Lord, Young Master Ban.”

Even as she spoke, Nan Hee-ju wore an expression of disbelief.

The shock she had felt upon hearing the news had been that great.

Among the Rising Juniors, he was the best, and she had expected him to hold that position for quite some time, but she had not known Ban Hojin’s strength would be to this extent.

Nan Hee-ju thought that most people had likely felt the same as she did.

“You hear news quickly.”

“That’s because I’m from the Hao Sect. Even at this very moment, it’s spreading throughout the entire Central Plains. I imagine everyone who hears this news will be in shock, won’t they?”

“There will be quite a few who aren’t. Bandits are just bandits, after all.”

Ban Hojin shrugged.

There were countless people in this world who would call the truth a lie even after hearing it.

Or they would belittle the strength of the Green Forest Great Lord.

That way, they could also diminish his achievements.

“There will certainly be those who think that way. But I believe they’ll be a minority. Rather, the Green Forest Great Lord was an underestimated martial artist. The elders of the Peng Family of Hebei and the Gongdong Sect proved that. And this time, it was also clearly shown to Murim why the Wolf King ranks below the Murim Ten Kings.”

“You seem to know the details quite well.”

“There’s nothing the Hao Sect cannot find out if we set our minds to it. It just takes time.”

Nan Hee-ju smiled softly.

It was a smile brimming with confidence.

However, Ban Hojin could not deny it.

Perhaps he understood the true depth of the Hao Sect even better than the current Nan Hee-ju.

“I suppose so.”

“Oh? You’re admitting it?”

“Yes. But why are you surprised?”

“I naturally know and trust the capabilities of the Hao Sect, but Young Master Ban is an outsider, after all. You know less about the Hao Sect than you don’t, yet you acknowledge it so readily, which makes me a bit puzzled.”

“Purely in terms of information-gathering ability, I think it rivals the Beggars’ Sect. As far as Murim is concerned, the Beggars’ Sect might be slightly better, but in other areas, the Hao Sect would be superior.”

Nan Hee-ju’s pupils expanded slightly.

She had never imagined that the disciple of the Abbot of Shaolin, of all people, would make such a statement acknowledging the Hao Sect to this extent.

And it wasn’t something said just to sound pleasant.

Because of that, Nan Hee-ju was truly shocked deep down.

“……You really do think that way.”

“However, I also think the information work of the Geum Family Estate is nothing to scoff at.”

“I agree. When it comes to the commercial world, the Geum Family Estate is unparalleled.”

With a renewed gaze, Nan Hee-ju looked at Ban Hojin.

This time, she realized that he was not merely someone outstanding in martial arts.

And in that moment, Ban Hojin suddenly seemed enormous to her.

“It sounds like you’re saying that aside from the commercial world, the Hao Sect is superior.”

“That’s what I think. We specialize in undisclosed, darker information, after all. And to begin with, I am the Rumor Lord of the Hao Sect.”

“Shall we move on to the main point?”

“You probably expect it, but I came because I have something to ask of Young Master Ban.”

Nan Hee-ju straightened her posture.

Though they had agreed to form an association, Ban Hojin was still not an easy opponent.

Moreover, his current standing was something she could not dare compare to before, so Nan Hee-ju gazed at Ban Hojin with a slightly tense expression.

“A request, you say. I can’t quite get a sense of it.”

“I heard that through the battle at Taeho Stronghold this time, Young Master Ban obtained quite a few martial arts manuals.”

“Ah.”

At the words Nan Hee-ju brought up cautiously, Ban Hojin nodded.

He could tell what she wanted.

“If you have any intention of selling them, the Hao Sect would like to purchase them.”

“Should I say ‘as expected’? It seems you know that the Geum Family Estate hasn’t purchased them yet.”

“I understand that they haven’t been sold yet. If they’re to be auctioned, the Hao Sect intends to participate.”

Nan Hee-ju answered with a resolute expression.

Though he had been called a mere bandit, the Green Forest Great Lord had by no means been a trivial martial artist.

To become the Chief Stronghold Master of the Eighteen Green Forest Strongholds, Chief Escort Slayer, ordinary martial arts would not suffice.

Moreover, since the Green Forest Great Lord had personally cultivated them, their stability had also been proven, so if purchase were possible, Nan Hee-ju intended to buy them no matter what.

“What you want is the Green Forest Great Lord’s martial arts, correct?”

“Yes. If that’s difficult, I would like to purchase even the martial arts of the other stronghold masters. Would that be possible?”

Nan Hee-ju looked at Ban Hojin with pleading eyes.

They were eyes that begged him not to refuse.

Especially when he did not answer immediately, Nan Hee-ju could not hide her anxious feelings.

She tried to manage her expression in her own way, but unfortunately, it was all too clear in Ban Hojin’s eyes.

“I’d like to hear the price you have in mind.”

“Ah!”