Episode 860 Because the volcano will become stronger. (5)
Maehwa Island was crowded every day with numerous merchants.
When the volcano first created Maehwa Island, its scale was not small, but as the years went by, it grew bigger and bigger, and now it has become so large that it cannot even be reached in terms of its size.
It’s natural.
Maehwado Island almost monopolizes the logistics of Gangnam and Gangbuk.
Whether political factions and religious factions are at war or drawing lines and fighting, people must eat to survive and must wear clothing to go out.
Merchants from Gangbuk who want to ship goods to Gangnam and merchants from Gangnam who want to purchase goods from Gangbuk all use Maehwado Island as a top priority, and now it has become difficult to even carry ten boats.
“Why would I live a life of banditry when I could make money so easily?”
“…Will this last a lifetime?”
“The problem is that the elders are too negative.”
“The caterpillar needs to eat pine needles. “The majesty of green forests these days is beyond words.”
“Don’t starve to death in search of dignity, but do your job well.”
“Okay.”
“What were you preparing for?”
“…almost finished. But is this really okay to do? We are Green Forest. But Nokrim is protecting the top….”
“There’s nothing you can’t do if it makes money. “Isn’t that why we received toll fees in the first place?”
“But the fundamental thing is….”
“You have to change to survive.”
Lim So-byeong grinned.
As the Sapa bastards become more and more rampant, it is becoming increasingly common for even those traveling up and down Maehwa Island to suffer damage. Big tops can hire escorts, but small tops don’t have it as easy.
So, we are preparing to apply a product that will gather merchants who cross Maehwado Island, organize them by boat, and escort them in the green forest.
“If this is done, money will come in again. “These days, the number of people who can’t even do mountaineering has increased, so why miss out on the opportunity to make money by working with those who play around?”
“…Dissatisfaction will grow, right?”
“If we set a good example and take care of a couple of things, it will go away.”
Elder Il swallowed his dry saliva while listening to those peaceful words.
On the outside, he may be smiling, but at times like this, I realize that this person is truly the King of Green Forest.
“Then Maehwa Island will reach a more solid level.”
“It is only a temporary benefit until the SPA Alliance comes into force.”
“Then what? Just eat as much as you can before then. Do you know how much money you make per day now?”
“That’s why I’m dissatisfied. “We do all the work, but don’t we only get to eat a portion of the money?”
“Tsk tsk. It’s foolish. If we had done this completely, do you think there would have been more merchants on Maehwa Island? Because it has the names of Hwasan and Cheonwoomaeng, merchants believe it and come there. No, if we had eaten plum blossoms by ourselves before then, Surochae and Maninbang would have stayed still.”
Elder Il sighed deeply.
“I know. I know… but don’t they make money too easily? Even if we eat a little more than now…”
“Elder One.”
At that moment, Lim So-byeong’s voice became faint. Elder Il braced himself.
“I’m sorry. “The King of Green Forest.”
“Do you know why people die?”
“…I do not know.”
“It’s because you’re greedy. “Like the one that sinks to the bottom of the river today.”
“….”
“I want to believe that Elder Il is not such an idiot.”
“It’s all natural.”
“I’m a mountaineer too, so I guess I’m a bit greedy. But… there are some things in this world that you shouldn’t touch.”
Cold sweat ran down Elder Il’s back.
“…I’ll keep that in mind.”
“It’s better to do everything in moderation. In moderation.”
Lim So-byeong returned to his usual smiling face.
“But…”
His gaze turned to one side.
Through the window on the wall, you can see the flowing river and Plum Island.
“…I don’t know how long I can do this like Elder Il said.”
The situation is getting worse.
The plum tree growing on Maehwa Island particularly caught my eye.
“It’s not a plum island because there are plum blossoms, but it’s a plum island because there are people like plum blossoms…”
A faint longing flashed through his eyes for a moment. He sighed softly and said.
“Anyway, hurry up and move. “When the seal comes out the door, if the plum blossoms are in disrepair, I and I will be the ones who end up in the middle of the river.”
“… Those are truly terrible words.”
“I couldn’t handle it before, but now…”
Lim So-byeong shook his head as if he didn’t want to even imagine.
“It’s terrible. “Ugh, that’s terrible.”
However, the elder did not miss the strange smile that crossed the lips of the stern soldier.
“Honestly, we are in a good situation. “Compared to the guys who are running around until their feet get sweaty.”
“That’s certainly true.”
“So let’s not make a fuss. “If he hears us crying, he’ll try to stick a poison needle in our foreheads.”
But for a moment, Elder Il’s face showed anger.
“…They are so arrogant these days.”
“Elder One.”
“I’m not just telling you how I feel. “Children’s dissatisfaction is soaring.”
“Phew.”
Lim So-byeong pressed his forehead with a fan as if he was in pain.
“Tell them to be as self-reliant as possible.”
“But…”
“I know. “That’s what I’m saying.”
“…Yes, Green Forest King.”
Elder Il bowed his head deeply.
“then.”
“okay. “Go out.”
After he went outside, Lim So-byeong looked out the window again with a stern expression.
‘Is it slowly reaching its limit?’
On the surface, there are only good things happening. However, Lim So-byeong, who was among them, felt the internal cracks more keenly than anyone else.
‘The absence of volcanoes is too great.’
Lim So-byeong and Tang Gunak are doing their best to block it. However, if this situation continues a little longer, Cheonwoomaeng will eventually begin to collapse from within.
If it weren’t for the volcano in the first place, there would be no way for Nokrim to be standing with the Tang family.
“You’re too slow. Tsk.”
A sigh escaped Lim So-byeong’s mouth as he looked at the bare plum tree.
“Please hurry up a little, Dojang. “I am no longer at my limit.”
It was a voice too small to reach far away Shaanxi.
* * *
“Here’s a report.”
Tang Gunak, sitting at the head table, quietly nodded.
Originally, the place where he received reports should have been the head of the family’s office located in Sacheondangga, but now he was in a large room in a manor rather than Sacheondangga.
Tang Gunak, sitting at the head table, stared ahead with a stern expression.
Anyone who knew him could sense that he had become a little more serious just by looking at his expression.
“A clash between the four factions and the political faction occurred again in Lugan.”
Upon receiving the report, Tang Gunak’s brow slightly furrowed.
“Again…”
“Yes. “I think it will spread a little bigger this time.”
Tang Gunak slowly tapped the table with his fingers. There was no significant change in his facial expression, but the noise represented Tanggunak’s uncomfortable state of mind.
Dangpae, who glanced at him, sighed a little and said.
“Since the eye is Anhui Province, if things were to go as they were, the Namgung family would have to intervene…”
The Namgung family still locked the door and refused to leave.
Although it was not specifically declared as a blessing, it is no different from a blessing. The only difference was that the Namgung family did not specifically reject visitors from outside. It was close to not doing any external activities at all.
In the past, there would have been no way for a faction to clash with a political faction in Anhui, or near Hebi, where the Nangong family is located.
But now the world is very different from the past.
“Looking for those who don’t exist won’t provide answers.”
“That’s right.”
“Send someone to mediate.”
“…the momentum is formidable. “It doesn’t seem like a situation that can be heard verbally.”
“Then send Gasol to suppress it by force.”
“Yes, I understand.”
A sigh escaped from the Dangpae’s mouth once again.
No matter how little external activity they do, Anhui is clearly the domain of the Namgung family. Sending armed forces to such a place to attempt to suppress it is bound to be burdensome.
But now is not the time to discuss such matters one by one.
‘It’s moving too quickly.’
The world has changed so much.
Above all, what has clearly changed is that a significant number of the schools, which were mostly located in Gangnam in the past, have flocked to Gangbuk.
The factions that came to Gangbuk and established themselves clashed not only with the existing political factions, but also with the existing factions who lived in conflict with each other.
If you’re trying to take a position in someone else’s territory, you should at least show the appearance of respecting the existing order and respecting yourself, but if that happens, will they support you?
“…It should have been stopped long ago.”
“I can’t help it.”
Tang Gunak shook his head with a somber expression.
The reason why they did not stop the Safa factions even though they knew that something like this would happen when they crossed over to Gangbuk is very simple.
“How can we stop them from wanting to live too? “Even if it’s Sapa, it’s still a human being.”
“…That’s true, but…”
If they had come to invade Gangbuk, of course they would have stopped them. However, the Sapa who have now migrated did not come over to attack Gangbuk. These are people who crossed the river just to survive.
The Sapaeryun that swept Gangnam forced only submission.
Either kneel down and come under the control of the Sapae-ryeon, or perish.
Most of the Sapa chose to kneel and submit, while a small number of Sapa resisted and met a gruesome death.
And some of the others chose neither side and instead fled to Gangbuk.
“I understand the situation, but… shouldn’t we at least keep quiet?”
But Tanggunak slowly shook his head again this time.
In the first place, the tribe of warriors cannot produce a single grain of rice on their own. If you cannot secure your territory and collect the money flowing within that territory, you are no different from a beggar with a knife.
Therefore, the Sa sects that moved to Gangbuk had no choice but to try to secure their territory somehow in order to survive.
“In any case, we must ensure that no harm is done to the civilians.”
“I will.”
“Anything else?”
The Tangpae looked at the Tanggunak’s notice and opened his mouth.
“…Matriarch. “Over the past month, we have been involved in more than seven major and minor disturbances.”
“It did.”
“In the past, this only happened a couple of times a year. “It is too much for us to handle all of this.”
“Know.”
The places where Sa Sects are most focused are Hubei and Anhui.
Those two places were the places where Safa factions were most unable to show off in the past. Because it was a place managed by the shamans of the world and the Namgung family.
However, now that the two sects have locked the door, paradoxically, it has become the best place for the sect. There is plenty of food, but there is no owner on the land.
It is not easy to deal with them with secular families and small and medium-sized clans alone. As a result, the party has to run around here and there to mediate.
“How long do we have to do this?…”
“It’s for Maeng’s reputation.”
“I know, matriarch. But discontent within the family is growing. “It’s called Maeng, but the Beast Palace and the Ice Palace don’t even shine in the midfield, so we’re handling all the practical work, right?”
“….”
“The volcano did the work, but we are taking care of it. At best, the Green Forest Islanders are helping… “It is widely said that if you are going to take on such a useless task, you should not have come to Yangtze.”
The party member who was speaking bit his lip.
“And… I think so too. How many years has it been since you visited Sacheon? Why are we the only ones…”
“Stop.”
“Matriarch.”
“If I was only chasing profit, I wouldn’t be here. “Do you want to become a profiteer like them?”
“…no.”
“and.”
Tang Gunak said with a stern face.
“We are not the ones suffering the most right now. “It’s a volcano.”
“….”
“Let’s try a little harder.”
“…I understand, matriarch.”
“okay. “Go out and see.”
“yes.”
As soon as the party flag went out, a deep sigh escaped from Tang Gunak’s mouth.
‘It’s not easy.’
The world was squeezing them more and more.
After completing the Gangnam Unification, the Sapaeryun has begun internal maintenance, and once the maintenance is completed, it can move into Gangbuk at any time. Knowing that fact, the confusion in Gangbuk is growing. The feelings of those facing the inevitable war will all be similar.
In this situation, the big factions that are supposed to be working to stabilize Gangbuk are doing everything they can to protect themselves, leaving a huge vacuum.
And it wasn’t easy for even the party to handle that gap.
Moreover…
even things that would have been simple to solve in the past have now become big problems. The voices of dissatisfaction coming from within the party are growing louder.
Tanggunak lightly rubbed his eyelids.
‘A thousand days have passed. ‘Do we still need more time?’
A look of exhaustion flashed across Tang Gunak’s face. I couldn’t help but realize once again what the limits of my vessel were. How can he, who cannot completely control his internal dissatisfaction, deal with Cheonwoo Meng?
He sighed deeply and cast his gaze towards the far north.
‘stamp.’
Tanggunak muttered quietly.
“Please hurry up a little more. a little bit.”
From a place that would soon be filled with the scent of plum blossoms… there had been no news yet.
