Guardian Of Balance (1)

After speaking with Takashi on the phone, Celestial Assassin had called.

Most of the conversation had been about asking after Kang-hoo’s well-being, but the topic they talked about at the end stirred anticipation.

Because Celestial Assassin said he and Ju Haemi were opening up another training route heading up toward North Korea.

He said he would look for another “decent” place, not the Gale Tree route Kang-hoo had gone to for his third training before.

When Celestial Assassin described something as decent, it meant hell from the trainee’s perspective.

In other words, it meant he was thinking about how to push his disciple even more harshly…… and that made Kang-hoo look forward to it even more.

Because after hardship, he had always experienced a round of growth.

Even if he did not necessarily obtain some material reward, there were many things he realized mentally and physically.

Celestial Assassin tended to let Kang-hoo naturally acquire knowledge through the process.

Rather than education forcibly injected into him, it was more like letting the learner realize it through his own strength.

Because he had to move while gauging his master’s true intentions throughout the training process, he absolutely could not scatter his focus.

Before he knew it, he had arrived at Busan Station.

Kang-hoo, who got off in front of the station, narrowed his eyes when he saw the atmosphere around Busan Station, which was different from usual.

It was an unusual atmosphere.

By rough estimate alone, more than three hundred citizens had gathered together and were holding a denunciation protest.

“We condemn the atrocities of Haeyeong Guild! Haeyeong Guild, blinded by drug trafficking with The Abyss and carrying out shady drug deals in the middle of that horrific battlefield, is no longer Busan’s guardian!”

“Haeyeong Guild Master Hong Haechang must immediately reveal the truth and hold all those responsible for this incident accountable!”

“Hold them accountable! Hold them accountable!”

“Abolish the seat fees you collected from merchants in the name of maintaining public order too! When we needed Haeyeong, none of Haeyeong was by our side!”

There were only three hundred people directly protesting while holding placards, but if those who sympathized were included, there were even more.

The overall content was denouncing Haeyeong Guild’s evil deeds and atrocities.

The Dongducheon battle against The Abyss, which Haeyeong Guild had fought while helping Jeonghwa Guild.

People believed that at that time, while pretending to fight, Haeyeong Guild had carried out a large-scale drug deal with The Abyss.

Because if it was Haeyeong Guild, based in Busan, it was easy to pass drugs to nearby Japan, even if not within Korea.

‘In the original work, Haeyeong Guild crushed Myeongga Guild. It’s true that they expanded their power and acted as Jeonghwa Guild’s second and third company. They weren’t depicted badly, but they weren’t exactly depicted well either.’

Kang-hoo traced back his memories.

If one pointed out the nature of the guild called Haeyeong in the original work, it could be called neither good nor evil, but somewhere in the middle.

That did not mean it was bad, but conversely, it did not mean it was good either.

In any case, what mattered now was that Haeyeong Guild had indeed done things in Busan that could be called evil deeds on its own.

However, all the circumstances claiming they had traded drugs with The Abyss during the Dongducheon battle…… were fabricated.

Kang-hoo had realized it from before.

Jang Si-hwan had targeted Haeyeong Guild to avoid responsibility for the damage caused by his poor performance and strategic mistakes in the Dongducheon battle.

Jeonghwa Guild took the credit, and all the blame was passed on to Haeyeong.

In that process, Jang Si-hwan also seemed to have exposed the shameful secrets of Haeyeong Guild that he had gathered both openly and secretly.

Listening to the citizens participating in the protest, things like Hong Haechang’s debauchery and scenes of drug parties pursuing perverted sexual desires were being revealed one by one through the video on the electronic billboard.

It was information that no one but key insiders or people on the inside could know.

That was not fabrication, but the truth. The timing was merely coincidental. Because it had burst out as if it had been prepared.

At that moment.

In front of the Haeyeong Building, which happened to enter the edge of his vision, a group of cars stopped in a row.

Soon, Hong Haechang, who got out of the car, could be seen entering the building while hurling curses in all directions.

Seeing as he had even smashed the glass of the main entrance lobby right before entering, it seemed his anger had risen to the top of his head.

At the same time, the screen of the large electronic billboard beside Kang-hoo changed.

The billboard screen, which had been displaying repeated external advertisements until just now, changed to breaking news.

The gazes of the people and Kang-hoo naturally turned to the billboard.

Breaking news.

Three minutes before the current time.

All members of Busan’s small guild coalition officially declared the formation of the “Glory” Alliance, and immediately afterward, declared all-out war against Haeyeong Guild through the alliance’s social media account.

Before the declaration of all-out war, it is known that the Glory Alliance had already taken ten dungeons and buildings owned by Haeyeong Guild by surprise.

In the process, many Haeyeong Guild members are known to have been captured as prisoners.

In addition, Haeyeong Guild’s key executives Lee Gi-ho, Park Seong-jae, Gong Hyeong-pil, and Kim Jin-gi are known to have been captured by the Glory Alliance, causing great shock.

Citizens are advised to refrain from activities near dungeons or key guild buildings.

“Eh, what is that? Glory Alliance? Did something like that exist?”

“It’s not that something like that existed, it just officially declared its formation! It was just created!”

The expressions of the citizens changed at the sudden breaking news.

That was because Busan, like Seoul, had long had the saying “Haeyeong’s world.”

Of course, unlike Seoul, which had become unified under Jeonghwa Guild alone, Busan did have quite a few guilds.

Although they all watched Haeyeong Guild’s mood, there were quite a lot of small-scale guilds.

However, until now, the citizens’ perception had been that the guilds were all “separate bowls of soup,” so there was no possibility they would become one body.

Kang-hoo, who knew about the distribution of power in Busan, had also not expected the formation of a coalition.

‘It’s not an impulsive formation. It was designed. Taking ten dungeons the moment it starts would be difficult without meticulous preliminary work.’

At that moment, Kang-hoo lightly bit his lip at the chilling atmosphere that crept up along his spine.

It was a designed operation.

Perhaps.

He thought that the numerous small guilds he had thought were separate bowls of soup might have been one body from the beginning.

If so, there must have been a central figure tying them together, and in Busan, the person who could play that role was…… no one but Kang Bok-hwa.

Because the only one Haeyeong Guild was wary of was Kang Bok-hwa and her market.

Of course, until now, there had been no precedent of Kang Bok-hwa acting outside the market.

Haeyeong and the market did not touch each other or invade each other’s territory. That was Busan’s unwritten rule.

But if that had been a calculated fake peace, then the appearance of the Glory Alliance this time made some degree of sense.

‘If it’s Kang Bok-hwa, she has considerable regional influence, so there would be less backlash when she replaces Haeyeong later.’

Nothing had been revealed with certainty.

But judging from how things were unfolding, there were many points that could indicate Kang Bok-hwa.

Of course, even if he met her and asked about this, he would not be able to hear a clear answer.

The core of such a long-term strategy was heavy silence. One had to be so tight-lipped that even they themselves forgot the fact.

‘A reorganization of Busan…….’

It was an image he had not expected.

But it was also true that Haeyeong Guild had dreamed of becoming a second Jeonghwa Guild and had ruled Busan with an iron fist.

If there was a decent alternative force, he thought it would not be too bad for the structure to be overturned.

First of all, Haeyeong Guild Master Hong Haechang was absolutely not someone who could be trusted as a human being.

However, if Kang Bok-hwa was behind the Glory Alliance, then the story would become very interesting.

A little while later.

Kang-hoo, who personally met Kang Bok-hwa, smiled at the sight of her looking no different from usual.

Perhaps because he had already set the premise that she would be behind the Glory Alliance, her calm appearance felt like even more certain camouflage.

While entering, he observed the overall atmosphere of the market, but there was no sign at all that it was preparing for battle.

Even if there was, they would be preparing somewhere unseen.

There was a very high possibility that all the scenes visible in the market right now were intentionally staged by Kang Bok-hwa.

“It’s been a while. You must be disappointed that Yuri isn’t here today. Rather than an old grandmother, our cute child coming out to greet you would put you in a better mood.”

“Yuri is Yuri, and Chairwoman is Chairwoman. When I need a businesslike conversation, Chairwoman is more comfortable.”

“Hoho, is that so? By the way, it’s been quite a while since I heard the title Chairwoman.”

“Now that I think about it, I don’t think I’ve ever clearly called you by a title before. I looked into it a bit to show proper courtesy.”

People called her “Chairwoman Kang of Bok-hwa Market.”

Behind her, through a small crack in the door inside her office, he could see the news reporting on Busan being played.

Of course, there must be another direct line through which she heard news from the scene, but she seemed to be directly checking the media’s response too.

“First, this way. Since the transaction is large, we’re temporarily not receiving regular customers.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Kang-hoo moved under Kang Bok-hwa’s guidance.

It was a passage heading not to the well-known regular transaction space, but to a separate VVIP space.

He had used it once before.

However, at that time, he had entered through the VVIP-exclusive line from the entrance, so he had not known.

Trying to move from another regular area to the VVIP area, it was longer and more complicated than he had expected.

It felt like if an outsider who did not know the internal structure came in, they would be trapped like in a maze and unable to get out.

While they moved.

Kang Bok-hwa explained the body parts and grades Kang-hoo had requested when he contacted her in advance.

“In the previous inquiry, you asked whether there were any zero-grade or well-made first-grade items. The specific parts were rings, talismans, anklets, and gloves. As an exception, you requested skill books, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Coincidentally, there are quite a few items our market has secured before they cross over to China and Japan. They’re children who will all depart in ten days.”

“Do they already have sellers?”

“There are people on the waiting list who placed reservations. However, the priority sales right belongs to our market first.”

“So if they don’t sell during the period they’re placed here, the waiting person automatically buys them. Otherwise, the customer who purchases them in Korea becomes first priority.”

“That’s right. In other words, if you don’t decide here today, you won’t see them next time.”

Kang Bok-hwa’s soft voice was full of merchant’s skill.

She was emphasizing the scarcity of goods where if not this time, there would absolutely be no next chance.

When one discovered an item with a good composition, she was trying to stimulate the psychology of buying it first rather than thinking it over.

Suddenly curious, Kang-hoo threw out one question.

It was a trivial curiosity, but because of that, it seemed like it would be more interesting to hear the answer.

“Excuse me, Chairwoman.”

“Yes?”

“The room I’ll be looking around in now. If the value of all the items inside is combined, how much is it?”

“By appraised value, 19 trillion 239.1 billion won! It’s the sum of the 100% sale prices where negotiation is impossible.”

The calculation had already been completed inside Kang Bok-hwa’s head.

Items with prices far detached from reality were all gathered in a special room of about fifty pyeong.

And soon.

He was about to meet them.