Chapter 463

The Tang Family elder subtly informed Jin Ja-gang.

“You just need to maintain your presence. I’ll handle the rest.”

“Understood.”

Except for the mediating Tang Family elder and Jin Ja-gang, Son-bi and Yeong-gwi also retreated to the second floor. It wasn’t proper etiquette to watch other sects’ shameful affairs. Woon-jeong and So-so had long since gone out to play.

Soon heated words were exchanged between the working-level personnel under the Tang Family elder’s supervision.

Overall, Grand Sword Sect’s damage was greater. Because Mount Yao Sect raided them to retrieve land deeds, Grand Sword Sect’s casualties were far higher.

“Our side had twenty casualties, so we demand medical expenses and compensation.”

“We only went to retrieve the land deeds.”

“The land deeds are held by your sect’s disciple, so it’s unrelated to us. However, to clear the misunderstanding, we’ll help find the disciple who fled with the land deeds. But your sect must naturally compensate for breaking our furniture and harming disciples.”

Though there was no bloodshed, the compensation agreement was also a fight.

Mount Yao Sect and Grand Sword Sect’s working-level personnel each brought along clerks from the trading companies they dealt with. When the working-level personnel determined types of compensation, the trading company clerks quickly calculated their value.

They compared damages each side suffered, adding what should be added and subtracting what should be subtracted.

Grand Sword Sect’s trading company clerk said.

“Teaching, feeding, and housing one entry-level disciple at Grand Sword Sect costs fifteen taels of silver annually. So calculating the money spent on those injured and disabled for ten years…”

Mount Yao Sect’s working-level elder objected.

“Our sect spends not fifteen but thirteen taels annually to raise a disciple.”

At Grand Sword Sect elder’s glance, Grand Sword Sect’s trading company clerk interjected.

“Typically it takes eight years for a disciple to reach teaching level and establish a martial hall. From then they send remittances to the main sect annually, so that income cannot be ignored.”

Mount Yao Sect also countered.

“In the martial world, even tomorrow can’t be guaranteed, so calculating income eight years out is disadvantageous to our side. Five years would be appropriate.”

After some back and forth, compensation amounts for the injured were determined.

Next came discussion of compensation for the dead.

This included compensation for broken furniture and fled servants, and finally mention of the gambling den owner.

“We didn’t do that.”

“Even so, the gambling den currently can barely function, so you must compensate somehow. If we let it pass, our Grand Sword Sect’s reputation won’t stand.”

Reputation was very important in the martial world.

This time the sect leaders made the decision.

“However, we cannot acknowledge doing something we didn’t do just for your sect’s face-saving.”

The Tang Family elder proposed a mediation.

“Once all compensation amounts are determined, exchanging some consolation money in addition would be good. Then Grand Sword Sect saves face, and financially Mount Yao Sect won’t lose much either.”

After much debate, both sect leaders agreed to the mediation proposal.

Once the overall compensation scope and amounts were confirmed, compensation methods and asset handling followed.

Because the compensation required was no small amount, Mount Yao Sect had to sell assets to handle it.

It was time for the accountants the Tang Family elder had called from a nearby money house to step forward.

Clack clack clack.

The accountants continuously flicked abacus beads, and personnel from the money house and trading companies drafted transaction documents.

Grand Sword Sect’s clerk said.

“Some of Mount Yao Sect’s assets are difficult to immediately liquidate.”

The Tang Family elder proposed to both sects’ working personnel.

“Then let’s have the money house issue a promissory note to pay Grand Sword Sect in full, and Mount Yao Sect will repay the money house later.”

Mount Yao Sect also agreed.

“Understood.”

Clack, clack.

The abacus bead sounds continued.

Jin Ja-gang watched the process without missing a moment.

For the martial world’s resolution to involve abacus sounds instead of sword sounds.

It was utterly peculiar.

The entire process took nearly all day. Because of this, Jin Ja-gang had to go back and forth several times to feed Poison Heaven poison.

The two sects’ working-level personnel also showed clear signs of fatigue.

“Finally…”

The Tang Family elder received and read the final agreement.

“If the promise not to antagonize each other is broken, three thousand taels will be paid as penalty to the opposing side. The Tang Family oversees this agreement and has the duty to enforce the promise, and any sect violating the agreement must also pay the same penalty amount to the Tang Family.”

Both sect leaders nodded in acknowledgment and signed.

Only after creating even a non-performance agreement did all procedures end.

By then a full day had passed, it was already nighttime.

Woon-jeong and So-so, who occasionally came down to watch, had already gone to sleep.

The two sects’ leaders handed promissory notes to the Tang Family elder.

It was a considerable amount.

The Tang Family elder accepted the notes as if it were natural.

Once everything was handled, the two sects’ leaders clasped fists toward each other with cold faces and departed.

The Tang Family elder let out a low sigh.

“Phew. It’s finally over. It must have been tedious, but you worked hard. Still, it seems they agreed easily because you were present. Otherwise there are many cases of arguing for days on end…”

Jin Ja-gang hadn’t been bored since this reconciliation method was very unfamiliar and Tang Qing had specifically requested he watch.

However, he didn’t understand the current resolution methods.

He knew. That settlements were made according to mutual interests rather than chivalry and righteousness.

But what he saw with his eyes and what he’d heard definitely felt different.

“In the end, the truth of who conspired and started first wasn’t revealed.”

“Revealing truth requires a long time. Even if truth is revealed, unless you’ll completely eliminate the opposing sect, finishing at an appropriate line is better. What would Grand Sword Sect gain from eliminating Mount Yao Sect? Receiving compensation while appropriately saving face is far more profitable.”

Jin Ja-gang fell into thought for a while.

Then asked.

“We also mediated cases where rebellion occurred within sects. How was that?”

“The procedure isn’t much different from now. We establish the legitimate lineage or the one receiving most support as successor and step in as their guardian. Of course, we receive compensation for guardianship then too.”

“The sects must have been greatly damaged by internal strife.”

“That’s right. Many disciples die, and consolation money must be paid to each family. New warriors and disciples must be recruited to fill vacancies. Buildings must be repaired and some silver scattered externally to announce the legitimate line. We also help with such series of processes.”

“It seems to require much effort in various ways. Do you also provide financial support?”

“When there are plenty of money houses to borrow and lend from, we don’t need to financially help. Moreover, we also spend money resolving matters. We must bribe government offices to look the other way, and if compensation isn’t properly made, we must send experts to collect… So if we don’t receive mediation fees, we also lose much financially. In difficult times like these, even we need every penny, so it’s hard work.”

“I understand.”

Jin Ja-gang, who had been thinking again, stood up.

“I’ll take a walk and return.”

“Go ahead.”

Jin Ja-gang went to the second floor, held sleeping Poison Heaven, and left the inn.

***

It was when Jin Ja-gang exited the inn and entered a secluded path.

Swish.

Human shadows appeared front and back. They instantly erected a wall of people, cutting off Jin Ja-gang’s figure from the outside.

And Tang Qing appeared.

Tang Qing glanced sideways at sleeping Poison Heaven’s face, then asked Jin Ja-gang.

“Did you watch the mediation well?”

“I watched well. It was quite different from what I thought.”

“It’s a commonly seen sight. You’re the only one who’d think it’s different.”

“Is that why you told me to watch?”

“Right.”

“If you had suspicions, couldn’t you have investigated directly?”

“No. What I see and what you see are different. I’m already accustomed to the current methods, so I don’t know what’s strange. I only suspect there’s something here.”

“There was nothing suspicious in the process. However, since I saw actual mediation for the first time today, there may be parts I missed.”

“I trust you. You have excellent ability to observe situations. Your judgment is also excellent. You surely realized today’s events were very important.”

Jin Ja-gang didn’t answer.

It was true he tried not to miss anything. Even while briefly caring for Poison Heaven, he didn’t take his eyes off the agreement process.

Tang Qing said.

“You said it, right? That what that meticulous Hungry Ghost King did was merely failed rebellions and sowing discord between third-rate sects.”

“I did.”

“But to put it differently…”

Tang Qing’s emotions sharpened.

“For today’s ordinary mediation process you witnessed, they went through the trouble of replicating and using the Five Fatal Pill I secretly created over decades.”

Did that mean today’s agreement wasn’t a simple agreement?

Or…

“You met Taoist Haewol directly and decided to carry on his will. And you’ve seen much until now. Compare today’s events to Taoist Haewol’s intentions. Today you directly entered one of the countless things the Hungry Ghost King did in the martial world and saw the result!”

Tang Qing now became filled with fierce killing intent, even baring his teeth. Of course, that wasn’t toward Jin Ja-gang but toward the Hungry Ghost King. Toward the Hungry Ghost King who used Tang Qing as much as possible and damaged Tang Qing’s pride!

Poison Heaven stirred in response to the killing intent.

“You’ll wake the child.”

At Jin Ja-gang’s rebuke, Tang Qing contorted his face and suppressed his killing intent.

“Now, speak. What was strange? You, surely you felt it. Even the smallest part, if there’s anything suspicious, tell me.”

“First…”

Jin Ja-gang thought briefly then said.

“It seemed Mount Yao Sect unilaterally lost out. Yet they agreed to compensation without complaint.”

“Mount Yao Sect didn’t lose out.”

“What?”

“In reality, Mount Yao Sect acquired Grand Sword Sect’s gambling den at a bargain price. The gambling den was a profitable business. If managed well, Mount Yao Sect will recover costs and more within a few years.”

Jin Ja-gang looked at Tang Qing with suspicious eyes.

“Then did Mount Yao Sect instigate this?”

“No. The gambling den owner was poisoned to death by someone else. With the gambling den owner’s death, Mount Yao Sect seized the opportunity to attack Grand Sword Sect and acquired the gambling den in the chaos.”

“Does Grand Sword Sect also know?”

“They know. So ultimately Grand Sword Sect also needed to receive compensation at the level of handing over the gambling den, and today they saw that agreement.”

“Then it’s actually Grand Sword Sect’s loss.”

“It’s true Grand Sword Sect enticed Mount Yao Sect’s disciple to provoke conflict.”

Jin Ja-gang almost let out a bitter laugh.

“You mean it’s meaningless who did wrong and who caused it?”

“Because there’s no before or after. The martial world’s grudges are terribly deep, so tracing them can require going back generations.”

That was probably also why the mediating Tang Family elder said revealing truth was meaningless.