Chapter 390 – I’m going to take her no matter what (2)

Although they were commonly referred to as the “Gupailbang,” which means “tied up,” the Gupailbang in Ilbang was a bit distant from the other factions, as they were referred to as “Ilbang,” which means “one way.”

There may be various reasons for this, but ultimately, all of these reasons boil down to the fact that they are poor and financially dependent, and as hardworking merchants, the Ilbang had no reason to feel unjustly treated compared to other people.

Perhaps that’s why the Ilbang merchants, who had been holding onto the information about Yongun Sangdan for so long, couldn’t hide their excitement at the fact that they could finally use it.

“It’s not that they’re not like real bastards. In fact, they’re just like the sub-organizations that have infiltrated the Gupa, and when they compete with other top factions, they crush them with force, which is so disgusting to see…”

Just yesterday evening, news came that Bangju had suddenly come to Ilbang in a fit of rage. The young beggar who had come back late after begging all day didn’t know anything, so he only found out about it now.

Although they were nervous about the sudden visit, Bangju’s words about finding ingredients to beat up those annoying people were music to their ears, even if they were deaf.

“Here it is. If you want more details, please let me know, Bangju. Hehe…”

As the yellow bundle of paper was placed in front of No Hee-bang, the grinning Yangsan-gae also showed his yellow teeth and laughed, but suddenly he glanced at Mong-a, who seemed to have realized that she was part of the Amifa.

Then No Hee-bang, who was dropping his gaze on the bundle of paper, suddenly noticed Yangsan-gae’s gaze and gestured to him as if to reassure him.

“But isn’t that a little weak for a reason not to like it? Isn’t there any other reason?”

“There’s a courtesan that Bangju often visits, and last month, one of the Yongun Sangdan guys intercepted her.”

“Well then, go ahead and do it. I’ll make sure they regret it.”

“…Yes, sir.”

While answering obediently, Yangsan-gae’s subordinate who was teasing him unnecessarily, No Hee-bang picked out a few sheets of paper from the bundle and handed them to the group.

As they looked at each other’s contents, Kang Yoon was the first to speak up.

“This isn’t the first time that Yongun Sangdan has done something like this, is it? They’ve done it several times already…”

“That’s right. Of course, as the guardian of the Gupa’s treasury, there was a tendency to appeal to force from the beginning, but in recent years, it has become more severe, and there have even been cases where they have crushed competing top factions by calling themselves the ‘leaders of the devil’s sect.'”

“And in the Gubang, they believe that the cause lies with Yongun Sangdan of Danjae-mun…”

Early on, Gae Bang had caught onto Yongun Sangdan’s behavior and had developed some suspicions.

However, they couldn’t find clear evidence, and while it might not be a burden for others to condemn him based on those suspicions, as Gae Bang, it was not an easy task.

“Dan Jae-mun is nothing more than a lowly disciple. He only knows how to use his status as a student of the Mu-dang faction to crush his opponents. But as I said yesterday, his cousin is the problem.”

“Yes…?”

Lost in thought, especially since he couldn’t be caught by No Hee-bang, Kang Yoon was momentarily taken aback by the content of yesterday’s conversation.

But fortunately for him, No Hee-bang didn’t pay much attention and repeated his answer.

“Dan Yuran. She is the cousin of Dan Jae-mun, the wife of the Mu-dang faction’s leader.”

Dan Yuran?

My internal radar started ringing at the name that came out of No Hee-bang’s mouth.

The mother of Gyeon Yong-jin and Gyeon Ye-jin, and the sister who Maeso-hyang followed, wasn’t it?

And the name that I had mentally recorded on my “milf list” to someday have my way with after seeing her at Namgung Hye’s wedding.

“But why that name now?”

Feeling the same curiosity as me, Hwang Bo-hyeon spoke up.

“Is it possible that Dan Yuran is involved in this?”

“Yes. She wouldn’t bother with such a small matter, but as far as I know, it was Dan Yuran who recommended Dan Jae-mun as the person responsible for Yongun Sangdan.”

From what I had heard from Maeso-hyang, Dan Yuran was a fairly well-liked person. She was kind, considerate, and had a strong will.

Of course, there was a possibility that she only spoke well of her close friends, but she wouldn’t have said something that wasn’t true.

Hwang Bo-hyeon seemed to know something similar, as she was speaking in defense of Dan Yuran, and No Hee-bang didn’t oppose her opinion.

“However, what I want to say is that Dan Yuran will also be affected by Dan Jae-mun’s downfall, so she will undoubtedly provide some protection. With her influence, which is almost on par with the Mu-dang faction, she will have a considerable impact.”

In other words, her political power was at max level. She was the complete opposite of Paeng Yeon-hwa, who was a master but foolishly crouched in a corner.

But there was some truth to what he said, so I asked this time.

“So, what are you suggesting? Surely, Bangju made a promise with the So-gyoju. If it’s difficult to proceed with the plan…”

“Of course, I remember the promise. I have no intention of breaking it, so don’t worry.”

No Hee-bang laughed arrogantly and continued.

“Until now, we had to act as Gae Bang, so we couldn’t do anything. But if we let go of that, there are plenty of ways we can take action.”

And we listened carefully to the plan that No Hee-bang revealed.

Scratch, scratch.

Dan Jae-mun suddenly felt his ear itch and scratched his earhole. But there was nothing there, so he brushed his hand once and looked back at his subordinate, who was watching him closely.

“Well, have you found out anything?”

“Yes, Danju-nim. We caught all the guys who were making fake evidence. They were boasting loudly in Honam that they were the best.”

“Good job. Make sure to keep them under surveillance and know what to do with them.”

“Of course, Danju-nim.”

Dan Jae-mun smiled happily at his trustworthy answer. He had already forgotten that he had thought of him as a parasite not long ago.

Now, all he had to do was create false evidence, and the plan would be as good as done.

“How long will it take?”

“They say it will be enough in two to three days. They say that the vouchers used by the Upper Sangdan are particularly strict…”

“Two to three days…”

Although Su-ha was speaking with a proud expression, Dan Jae-mun frowned slightly.

Recently, the income of the Upper Sangdan had not only decreased to this extent. He was also worried about the amount of tribute demanded by the headquarters, and his financial situation was not good enough to take it lightly.

“But that guy…!”

Although Dan Jae-mun might not have known about his situation, Su-ha quickly realized that something was wrong and spoke up.

“In the future, if it takes two to three days, Kang Yoon will definitely listen to us. Wasn’t he someone who looked like a solid wall? Such people become scary when they feel betrayed.”

“Kang Yoon…”

As Su-ha intended, Dan Jae-mun’s lips began to curl up again.

When he was young, Dan Jae-mun had a dream. It was to wield a sword and carve his name in the hearts of the Kangho people, becoming a hero who was revered throughout the land.

Dan Jae-mun believed that his cousin, Dan Yoo-ran, who was a shaman, had the potential to be as skilled as Guryong, given her remarkable talent. But the disappointment on the faces of the investigators who came to him with high hopes of her abilities was evident.

Even after decades had passed and those investigators had long since passed away, the feeling of inferiority remained in Dan Jae-mun’s heart.

“That bastard…”

Despite his age, he had not yet reached the level of martial arts mastery he had hoped for, and he had spent his life like a vagabond, squandering his family’s wealth.

The existence of Kang Yoon, who had already achieved a high level of martial arts at a young age, was an ideal that Dan Jae-mun had longed for but could not attain, which made him hate him even more.

But in the end, he too would dance in the palm of his hand. How could that not be delightful?

“Hahahaha!”

Dan Jae-mun laughed heartily, looking at Su-ha, who also smiled back. Although Su-ha’s smiling face froze at the words that came out of Dan Jae-mun’s mouth.

“Good! Finish it within two days, Dan.”

“Excuse me… what?”

“I said two to three days, so if you pay attention, you can finish it within two days. Are you lying to me?”

Of course, it wasn’t a lie or a mistake, but it wasn’t a good judgment either.

Wouldn’t it be better to take a day off to prepare thoroughly? If Kang Yoon were to notice something strange one day, they might become real enemies.

“Yes, I’ll make sure to finish it within two days.”

But Su-ha just bowed his head, thinking that if he answered wrong, Dan Jae-mun, who had a dirty temper, wouldn’t let him off the hook.

“Well, let’s do that… If the situation in Ungasangdan worsens, we’ll use the mercenaries they hired…”

“Danju-nim, Danju-nim! You have to come out and see this!”

“What’s going on?”

The door to the study opened with a loud noise, and a warrior gasped for breath as he revealed himself.

“What’s going on? Did the Ungasangdan guys attack us?”

There was nothing unusual around him, unlike the commotion caused by the warrior.

“Here, please read this… There are writings like this all over the place…”

The trembling warrior handed the crumpled paper to Su-ha, who took it and politely handed it to Dan Jae-mun.

“Let’s see… What, what is this?!”

“What’s going on?”

Dan Jae-mun was shocked, and Su-ha quickly stood up and read the paper with him. Su-ha’s face turned pale as they read the contents of the paper.

“We confess the sins committed by the Guryong gang.”

The paper listed all the despicable things that the Guryong gang had done, specifically focusing on the ones that involved the misuse of the name ‘Makyo.’