Chapter 160 : Jaseung, Opens it Again

Chapter 160: Jaseung, Opens it Again

The object lying to one side was an iron coffer.

What caught Lee Jaseung’s eye was how strikingly similar that coffer was to the very same Limitless Iron Chest he had once found before.

Lee Jaseung carefully opened the coffer. The previous Limitless Iron Chest had passed on its martial art only to the first person who ever opened it.

Clack.

Indeed, inside was a small bronze figurine, just like before.

Lee Jaseung immediately realized that the craftsman who had made this coffer and the one who had made the Limitless Iron Chest were one and the same. The shape of the bronze figurine was identical, except that this one held a sword in its hand.

At that moment, the bronze figurine turned its head toward him.

Then, as if it were alive, the figurine fixed its gaze on him.

It was exactly the same as when he had opened the Limitless Iron Chest before.

Back then, when his eyes met the figurine’s, something vast had stirred deep inside his heart. Not curiosity, not fear, not even wonder. What he felt was a heavy, overwhelming sense of fate.

Now it was happening again.

Something deep within his chest resonated powerfully.

Then, light began to radiate from the figurine’s body, and it became translucent. The flow of its inner meridians could be seen clearly.

The figurine began to move on its own again.

This time, it was swordsmanship. As it demonstrated the forms, the transparent figure revealed exactly how internal Qi should move through the body.

Clack, clack, clack, clack.

It was difficult to comprehend, but Lee Jaseung focused solely on the figurine’s movements.

It used a cultivation method similar to the body technique of the previous coffer, the Ten Heavenly Secret Arts. Nearly identical, except for several key details. It was undoubtedly a martial art born from the same root as that technique.

Like before, the sword art was demonstrated only once.

It was a transcendent martial art, one that no ordinary talent could ever master. Lee Jaseung could tell it was a supreme-level art, one on par with the Ten Heavenly Secret Arts itself.

Since he had already mastered the Ten Heavenly Secret Arts to perfection, learning this new sword art would be easy. Still, he wasn’t particularly interested in the technique itself, since he didn’t use a sword. What fascinated him was the coffer.

When the demonstration ended, the bronze figurine went still.

Lee Jaseung closed the lid, then opened it again. The figurine once again began its demonstration, though this time it didn’t display the flow of Qi within its body.

He couldn’t understand.

By all appearances, it seemed as if he were the first person to ever open this coffer.

But that;d be impossible, wouldn't it?

Even if the Limitless Iron Chest had been unique in that way, could no one have ever opened this one?

He looked down at it again.

Why was this coffer in Jang Wonso’s vault?

Had he found it while searching for the original? Or had he simply kept it, mistaking it for something else?

No, it didn’t matter anymore. Jang Wonso was dead.

What mattered was why the coffer was activating now, as though it were being opened for the very first time.

It may be hard to believe, but was it really a coincidence?

Such a thing should be impossible, which only deepened his doubts.

Just then, Baek Seolyoung finished circulating her Qi.

When she rose, her eyes were clearer than ever.

“How do you feel?”

“Incredible.”

She had absorbed the Great Desert Divine Pill’s power to its full extent. Her Qi, once at ninety years worth, had now reached one hundred and eighty years worth. It was a tremendous result, due in part to her fully opened meridians and years of disciplined training.

When she said “incredible,” she meant it.

When she had first taken the Taiyi's Divine Pill and her Qi had increased from thirty years to ninety years, she had felt euphoric, as though she could soar through the sky. But this time, it felt even greater.

It wasn’t just the sensation that she could fly. She genuinely felt she could take off at any moment.

“I feel a power I can’t even contain.”

Lee Jaseung smiled and replied.

“You’ll manage it just fine. Use it long enough, and you’ll start feeling like it’s not enough.”

“Really?”

She took his teasing as truth, that was how excited she was.

“Probably.”

Lee Jaseung laughed softly.

“Alright, let’s go now.”

Baek Seolyoung looked back at the piles of gold and treasure.

“What about all this?”

“We’ll move it little by little.”

It would take days just to carry it all out anyway.

* * *

The next day, after returning from Go Nodae’s vault, Lee Jaseung, in the guise of the Black Way Alliance Leader, met with Ban Yeo.

“If you fail to become Alliance Leader this time, you’ll die.”

At the blatant threat, Ban Yeo’s face twisted slightly.

He was already poisoned with the Black Way Alliance’s toxin. Without the prescribed antidote, his body would die in agony.

But Ban Yeo hadn’t given up. As always, he would seize an opportunity and escape his predicament somehow.

‘Damned Black Way bastards! I’ll wipe you all out one day.’

Hiding his fury behind a smile, he said,

“Don’t worry. I’ll become the Alliance Leader for sure.”

Lee Jaseung saw right through his mind.

But he pretended not to. Instead, he spoke with gentle reassurance.

“Seop Mu-pyeong will act as a variable.”

“You don’t need to worry about that young brat.”

“Good. Then I’ll trust you.”

Lee Jaseung left the residence quietly.

Ban Yeo’s quarters were guarded tightly by the warriors of the Guard Hall and the Murim Alliance’s Virtuous Heroes. Because Lee Jaseung was meeting him in secret as the Black Way Alliance Leader, he had to come and go unseen.

Around the perimeter, he discreetly stationed subordinates from the Divine Sword Regiment.

After all, the most critical part of the plan depended on them.

* * *

That evening, Lee Jaseung sat alone in an inn, drinking.

When he had finished about half a bottle, Dan Woobin arrived, face flushed with excitement, and sat down across from him.

“You were right, my Lord. Go Nodae’s vault belonged to Jang Wonso.”

While retrieving the vault’s contents, Dan Woobin had also sent people to investigate its ownership.

“Think we can take it over?”

“Captain Ma and Mu have already removed Jang Wonso’s direct subordinates and started the acquisition.”

This kind of operation was routine for the Black Way Alliance, so under Dan Woobin’s command, everything progressed swiftly.

Dan Woobin took a ledger from his sleeve and handed it to Lee Jaseung.

“These are their accounts. The income’s richer than I expected.”

The Black Way Alliance had several businesses that served as its main sources of revenue. Like the Orthodox Faction, it ran trading companies and escort agencies.

But its true profits came from the night trade, taverns, brothels, inns, and the entertainment district.

Go Nodae’s vault alone was making as much profit as any of those ventures.

“The storage fees are enormous. And even then, there’s a waiting list.”

“That just means there are that many rich people.”

“Acquiring Go Nodae’s vault brings more than financial profit. Now we know exactly who in the martial world is storing how much money.”

They couldn’t skim the deposits, as doing so would ruin a profitable business overnight.

But merely knowing who was hiding how much wealth was immensely valuable intelligence.

“You’ll manage it directly.”

“Understood.”

Dan Woobin smiled, pleased. Lee Jaseung always entrusted the most important tasks to him. More than a hundred words of praise, that kind of trust moved him the most.

“Also, half of the gold in the vault will go to you as personal property. The rest will go to the Alliance.”

“Half to me? That’s unnecessary.”

In truth, he didn’t want a single coin.

As if he’d expected that, Dan Woobin replied smoothly.

“Whether it’s here or there, it all belongs to you anyway. The Alliance’s budget is already sufficient. Too much surplus isn’t good for our image. Please leave it to me.”

Since he had said that much, Lee Jaseung didn’t argue further.

“As you see fit.”

Just then, a group of martial artists entered the inn.

They were warriors from other regions, coming for the upcoming election.

Only those registered with the Murim Alliance and ranked Captains or higher were eligible to vote.

Normally, the election of an Alliance Leader took months, allowing every registered martial artist to cast their vote.

But when a Leader is assassinated, like this time, it becomes an emergency election. The Captains gathers and swiftly selects the new Leader, voting on behalf of all others.

Long ago, everyone in the Orthodox Faction had been allowed to vote.

But after several legal revisions, only those officially affiliated with the Murim Alliance could do so.

Now, half a dozen Captains from distant provinces entered the inn and found seats.

After sitting down, they called a servant.

“Do you have rooms? Give us two big ones.”

“I’m sorry, but only one is left.”

“How are all of us supposed to fit in one room?”

“My apologies. With so many warriors from all over the Central Plains, every inn is full. It’s likely the same everywhere.”

“Haha, that’s troublesome huh.”

“I can bring out some folding cots. Please bear with the inconvenience.”

Another man chuckled.

“If there’s no room, what can we do? There’s no helping it.”

Then the first one who talked to the servant clicked his tongue and spoke.

“Then bring us some liquor and food.”

After a few rounds of drinks, they began discussing the election. They all knew their futures depended on who became Alliance Leader, so their words were careful.

“This is our chance. If we don’t change things now, the Murim Alliance will stay corrupt forever. We need young blood.”

“I agree, but Seop Mu-pyeong? He’s far too young! Many opposed him even when he became one of the heads of the Northern Sky Clan.”

“You can’t just see it that way. He’s married to the Lord of the Northern Sky Clan.”

“And didn’t he get that through a tournament of marriage?”

“That’s true.”

“Either way, I oppose Seop Mu-pyeong.”

“And I’ll never support Ban Yeo. He’ll just become another Jang Wonso.”

“Then what about we choose Lord Baek?”

“A woman?”

“What’s wrong with that? Is there a rule that says a woman can’t be Alliance Leader?”

“Even so, still.”

“You say that, but I bet many will vote for her.”

This election was more unpredictable than ever.

There was first, the clash between the old generation led by Ban Yeo, and the new, led by Lee Jaseung. There was even a husband-and-wife rivalry between Lee Jaseung and Baek Seolyoung.

Dan Woobin spoke quietly.

“If things continue as they are, Ban Yeo’s the likeliest to win. But the danger lies in last-minute variables. The hidden powers behind this are probably supporting Gwak Jinpung or Sa Macheon. They won’t sit still. As you said, we’ll shape the narrative from the start as a generational struggle. Even if things shift, we’ll still secure the Lordship. I’m already preparing for the operation. I’ll report once it’s ready.”

Lee Jaseung filled Dan Woobin’s cup and said,

“I’m really making you work hard huh.”

Dan Woobin drained the drink with a faintly bashful smile.

“Not at all. It’s my duty, my Lord.”

“I appreciate that you think of it that way.”

The two exchanged smiles.

Lee Jaseung felt content, perhaps more than he had in a long time.

But precisely because of that, he reminded himself to stay vigilant.

Trouble always came when one relaxed.

“How’s the matter with leaking information to the Demonic Cult about the power behind the scenes?”

“Yes, it’s already done. We’ve implied that everything related to Jang Wonso ties back to their faction.”

“You must make sure they don't realize it’s deliberate.”

“We made it look like a few secrets slipped out when Jang Wonso died.”

Dan Woobin knew the importance of the task, so he would’ve handled it flawlessly.

“We need to make the two sides clash no matter what. The future of everything we’ve built depends on it.”

Dan Woobin had been given two top directives.

To set the Murim Alliance’s hidden powers against the Demonic Cult, and to make Ban Yeo the new Alliance Leader.

His eyes shined as he spoke.

“Leave it to me, my Lord. I’ll make sure it’s done.”