Chapter 465

It seemed like there was even a slight wetness around Tang Qing’s eyes.

Jin Ja-gang stared at Tang Qing intently and asked.

“Are you crying?”

Flinch!

Tang Qing immediately put strength in his eyes and retorted.

“I’m so relieved that Poison Heaven doesn’t seem to resemble you!”

Jin Ja-gang immediately retorted back.

“Don’t worry about other people’s children and just work hard on cleaning up.”

Bristle!

“Other people’s child! She’s my granddaughter with my blood flowing!”

“Ah, that’s right. I hope she doesn’t resemble Grandfather.”

Tang Qing bristled again and was about to get angry but stopped.

“That’s true, so I’ll let it pass.”

Tang Qing looked down at Poison Heaven. The strength in his eyes naturally relaxed. He applied poison to his finger and tickled Poison Heaven’s mouth.

Kyaa~ giggle giggle.

“Oh my, look at the strength of this one’s finger bite.”

For a moment, Tang Qing returned to being an ordinary grandfather.

But soon Jin Ja-gang broke Tang Qing’s peace.

“Do you know why we started calling him the Hungry Ghost King?”

“I don’t know.”

“When I said there were too many hungry ghosts coveting others’ possessions, Demon-Subduing Monk Master Mu-gak named their king the Hungry Ghost King.”

At Jin Ja-gang’s opening, Tang Qing burst into hearty laughter.

“Seeing you suddenly bring it up, you must have figured something out, you cunning bastard. I thought you were just beating around the bush from earlier. You were suspecting me.”

“Should I apologize?”

“Forget it. That’s why I like you, bastard. So, what made you clear your suspicions?”

Jin Ja-gang had tested Tang Qing.

And was certain.

Tang Qing is not the Hungry Ghost King.

“I’ll tell you the reason shortly.”

Tang Qing made an uncomfortable expression and smacked his lips.

“Fine. So what do you want to say? Tell me.”

Jin Ja-gang said.

“Convenience.”

“Convenience?”

“I felt the martial world is pursuing only what’s too convenient.”

Jin Ja-gang finally got to the main point.

“What do you mean?”

Amid the chaos of scholars silently blocking with their bodies and warriors shouting, Jin Ja-gang said.

“As you said, the current martial world doesn’t make the effort to resolve grudges spanning several years. They calculate the dead and injured with money.”

“So what?”

Tang Qing also created the Six Poison Cliques and ruled them with money.

Outwardly they had equal say, but in reality they had no choice but to move according to the Tang Family’s wealth.

“That’s practical.”

Tang Qing said.

“In the martial world, human life isn’t worth even an ant’s life. Once they’re dead and gone, that’s it. Rather than ending in a dog’s death, compensating with money is better for the remaining family.”

“I didn’t say compensation is bad.”

“Compensation isn’t without effort either. The side demanding money tries to receive more, and the side that must give tries to give the minimum. That’s also laborious. As you saw, mediation often takes several days. It’s never without effort.”

“That effort is being done not by martial artists but by trading company clerks and money house accountants.”

“Of course, since they’re much better at financial calculations, isn’t that natural?”

Tang Qing shook his head.

“I understand your point, but I still don’t know how beneficial that is to the Hungry Ghost King. Are you suspecting people from trading companies or money houses?”

“Is there a reason not to suspect them?”

“Trading companies have dealt with martial sects for a long time. When chaos occurs, transactions temporarily increase or decrease, which is actually unfavorable. If they continue transactions as before, they have stable income, so there’s no reason to cause chaos. Moreover, because poison was used, there are probably sides trying to change from suspecting the trading companies they dealt with before.”

Tang Qing continued.

“Money houses are the same. When money houses get involved in various businesses like mediation or loans, fees are generated. The fees are high, but that’s only this one time. It’s hard to understand targeting decades for this one time. Rather, the money spent on recruiting people during this time probably cost more than the money that can be earned from this chaos.”

Tang Qing thought once more then shook his head.

“Your words aren’t wrong, but from my perspective, I can’t see that either side benefited. However, as I said, I’ve been accustomed to the present for a long time. Even if you say it’s strange, it’s natural I can’t understand it.”

“That’s right. I realized just a moment ago from what you said.”

“Tell me.”

“The fact that for today’s ordinary mediation process I witnessed, the Hungry Ghost King waited and prepared for decades.”

“Even though there’s nothing beneficial?”

“From another perspective, it’s beneficial.”

Tang Qing’s eyes gleamed.

“Let’s hear it.”

Jin Ja-gang raised his hand and spread five fingers.

“I’ll tell you five clues related to this matter. One is Taoist Haewol’s words. Taoist Haewol said the martial world was broken even before becoming Alliance Leader.”

—Disputes between very small sects continued to increase. Fierce fights broke out between family-level sects or dojo-level sects that received tuition fees. These were matters occurring in such small sects that they weren’t even topics of conversation, but strangely large interests unsuitable for small sects were involved, so the defeated lost everything while the survivors gained great benefits that helped expand their sects.

“It resembles the current chaos greatly.”

Jin Ja-gang nodded.

“It’s the Hungry Ghost King’s doing. He threw large bait to small sects and tested whether his plan could succeed.”

—The contamination that started in small sects spread to mid-level sects. People commonly think a few giant sects are all of the martial world, but what actually comprises the martial world is small and medium sects. Tens of thousands of small and medium sects spread roots in the soil called the martial world, and giant sects branch out on top of them. No matter how flourishing the branches, if the roots rot, it dies. But the ends of the roots supporting the tree, the small and medium sects, were rotting.

“The test succeeded and gradually moved up. And finally against major sects until now…”

King of Hell Tang Qing played a part in that. He was played by the Hungry Ghost King from the start.

Before Tang Qing’s expression could turn bitter, Jin Ja-gang spoke about the next clue.

“The next clue is the perspective Abbess Divine Nun saw. Abbess Divine Nun once told me.”

—Is the target of benefactor’s revenge an individual, a group, or a system?

“A system creates beliefs, and beliefs move people. In other words, Abbess Divine Nun saw that the Hungry Ghost King created a new system for the martial world that operates on profit and loss.”

Jin Ja-gang explained.

“For example, the Guizhou Martial Arts Alliance branch leader was Golden Fortune Merchant of merchant origin. Though his martial prowess was also excellent, he was known for maintaining his position through financial power rather than martial power. Therefore, he operated the branch by placing all standards on financial power and obtained profits.”

Tang Qing’s eyes widened.

“You mean the purpose wasn’t causing this for immediate gain, but a world that operates on financial power? Even if so, how? With what power could merchants or money house people make the martial world like that?”

Jin Ja-gang answered.

“The answer to that is the flag written with Shaanxi. It’s a clue obtained when going to meet the Divine Doctor of Langzhong.”

Tang Qing quietly thought while looking at Poison Heaven and said.

“I remember that too. The Divine Doctor of Langzhong used the Shaanxi Trading Company to exchange letters with me in secret. Using merchant routes avoids suspicion and…”

Suddenly, Tang Qing raised his head to look at Jin Ja-gang.

Jin Ja-gang asked Tang Qing.

“How did you bring in and store salt?”

“…”

“Where did you get the poisonous herbs and medicinal herbs that become ingredients for the Five Fatal Pill?”

“…”

“Where did the Five Fatal Pill leak from, and how were replicas made?”

Tang Qing was so shocked he couldn’t speak properly.

“It was right in front of me but I couldn’t see it at all…”

Then suddenly remembered.

“Ningbo Merchant!”

The trading company the Tang Family deals with!

Tang Qing changed trading partners from Min Merchant, which all the Three Sichuan Powers dealt with, to Ningbo Merchant to avoid having the matter discovered by the Three Sichuan Powers. If Jin Ja-gang’s words are correct, it means he brought in the Hungry Ghost King himself.

But Jin Ja-gang immediately shook his head.

“It’s not Ningbo Merchant.”

“What? But…”

“Emei Sect dealt with Min Merchant yet the rebellion still occurred.”

“Then that means Min Merchant and Ningbo Merchant are both in league.”

“But those two alone can’t cause chaos throughout the entire martial world.”

“Don’t tell me…”

Tang Qing raised a question.

“But the martial world has countless not only large trading companies but also small merchant groups. For your words to be right, you need the assumption that they all colluded.”

“Large trading companies become the major veins and small merchant groups become the minor veins. Giant trading companies have been extending their reach throughout all of the Central Plains from over ten years ago, placing small merchant groups under their companies. They had them bear their names and report transaction results annually.”

Jin Ja-gang was suspecting the entire merchant world!

Tang Qing fell into severe self-loathing.

“I only thought of absorbing the poison sects to learn what medicines enter each sect, but didn’t realize those medicines circulate and move throughout all of the Central Plains through trading companies.”

“There’s no need to blame yourself. It was the same at Emei Sect. Though trading companies seem completely unrelated to the martial world, rather because they’re too closely attached, we didn’t recognize it. The Five Fatal Pill entered Emei Sect that way.”

Tang Qing firmly closed his mouth. Poison Heaven gripped Tang Qing’s finger and wriggled.

“Then… the Hungry Ghost King’s identity…”

Tang Qing’s eyes widened.

“Must be a figure from a trading company or a figure from a money house holding massive funds behind them!”

Tang Qing finally understood why Jin Ja-gang suspected that direction.

Tang Qing looked back at Jin Ja-gang.

“But that’s strange. Didn’t you suspect me earlier?”

“The Hungry Ghost King could be anyone. The clue about the Hungry Ghost King’s identity is…”

“Wait.”

Tang Qing snapped his fingers.

Snap!

Uuuuuu!

The scholars’ noise doubled in volume. The warriors complained and cursed, pushing with their bodies. But the scholars didn’t budge.

One of the warriors couldn’t hold back anymore and punched a scholar’s face.

It was a Tiger Cannon Fist punch derived from a tiger lifting its front paw to swipe.

“Are you bastards joking right now!”

Crack!

The scholar’s head turned. It wasn’t an ordinary punch but a martial arts technique with considerable power. Blood flowed from the scholar’s nose and his lips split immediately.

The scholar looked at the one who hit him with his head turned and eerie eyes. The warrior was startled and struck the scholar’s solar plexus. The scholar’s waist bent.

“This bastard, this bastard!”

The warrior beat the scholar like crazy. The assault only stopped when someone nearby stopped the warrior, fearing things would escalate too much.

Then the scholar with his face a mess raised his head and started making noise again.

Uuuuuu!

The warriors got goosebumps. A comrade was beaten right next to them, but no one cared and only continued making noise.

“Th-these guys… are strange!”

“They’re really suspicious! We must forcibly confirm what they’re hiding!”

Clang!

The warriors drew their swords.

But even so, the scholars as if not seeing the swords before their eyes continued shouting even louder.

In the midst of that, Jin Ja-gang was speaking to Tang Qing.

Golden Pearl.

“It’s the fourth clue about the Hungry Ghost King’s identity.”