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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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“This won’t do. I have to go to Korea myself. I’ll depart as soon as the sun rises, so make thorough preparations.”
Although it was a peremptory order, Xiao Zhan wasn’t particularly surprised. As Sosumun’s strategist, he had served Kang Yi-ryung closely for a long time and hadn’t expected anything less. It was a familiar situation, and he knew how to handle it.
“I wish I could follow your command immediately, Master, but unfortunately, the circumstances aren’t favorable.”
“What’s the problem?”
Kang Yi-ryung frowned, but Xiao Zhan remained calm. He hadn’t expected the Great Rakshasa to readily accept his opinion anyway. He calmly laid out his prepared arguments.
“As you know, Master, Sosumun’s power is among the top in China.”
“Just get to the point. You’re annoying me.”
“True greatness inspires both awe and fear. It’s highly likely that that small Eastern country will feel threatened by your presence, Master, and refuse entry.”
It was a valid point. In the current era, a hunter’s strength was equivalent to national power. An SSS-rank hunter like Kang Yi-ryung was practically a weapon of war. Moreover, she intended to bring Sosumun’s executives with her.
Even allied nations wouldn’t readily grant entry, and China, Sosumun’s home country, hadn’t always had the best relationship with Korea. No matter how much Sosumun and Kang Yi-ryung pushed, Korea was unlikely to grant entry. Of course, Kang Yi-ryung didn’t care about diplomatic relations.
“So, you’re telling me to give up on Lee Seong-joon?”
If he could be frank, that’s what he wanted to say. But she wouldn’t listen. In fact, knowing her personality, she’d fly into a rage if he told her to give up.
‘…No matter what we say, she’ll go to Korea and meet Lee Seong-joon.’
Their trip to Korea was a given. He couldn’t change the outcome. ‘
…Then…’
The wisest course of action was to minimize potential problems.
“Of course not, Master. I simply wanted to suggest a way to guarantee entry into Korea.”
“Do you have a good idea?”
Kang Yi-ryung’s eyes gleamed. Xiao Zhan suppressed a smile and carefully presented his suggestion.
“You can enter as a distinguished guest of Korea.”
“A distinguished guest?”
“The upcoming goodwill exchange between China and Korea. If you go as a diplomatic envoy representing the hunters, Korea won’t be able to refuse entry to you and Sosumun.”
Of course, he didn’t think that becoming a diplomatic envoy would prevent the impulsive Kang Yi-ryung from causing trouble.
‘But if she goes as a diplomatic envoy, we can manage any incidents.’
Moreover, she was an SSS-rank hunter from China, a top-ranked powerhouse, despite her twisted personality.
‘So… to preserve national power and gain diplomatic advantages, the Chinese government will try to cover up any incidents.’
They would have the backing of the powerful Chinese government. This meant that even if Kang Yi-ryung caused a commotion in Korea, it could be smoothed over.
“Since Hunter Lee Seong-joon is also affiliated with the Association… if you request a friendly spar with the Korean Hunter Association as a diplomatic envoy, you might even be able to have a match with him.”
Xiao Zhan’s voice was filled with confidence in his perfect plan.
“It means you can officially suppress and tame Hunter Lee Seong-joon, Master.”
“Haha! Xiao Zhan, as always! Good! A diplomatic envoy, you say? Let’s enter Korea that way.”
The moment the final decision was made, Xiao Zhan spoke as if on cue, “However… there’s one problem with this plan.”
“What is it?”
“Since it’s a diplomatic matter, the government won’t easily approve it.”
Having made similar deals with the Chinese government before, Kang Yi-ryung immediately knew the solution.
“They’ll ask us to deal with some troublesome Gates, right?”
“Yes. If you clear five, the Public Security Bureau will gladly approve our diplomatic envoy request.”
“Tsk… How annoying.”
Kang Yi-ryung frowned. It was a natural reaction. Clearing five troublesome Gates meant dealing with harsh climates, numerous traps, and other annoying factors. It wasn’t a pleasant task. But if it meant getting her hands on Lee Seong-joon, it was a price she was willing to pay. She nodded.
“I’ll start dealing with them as soon as the sun rises. Contact the Chairman now.”
“Yes, I’ll follow your command, Master.”
Xiao Zhan bowed and left, a triumphant smile on his face.
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He now owned a luxury penthouse worth hundreds of billions of won and cash assets worth trillions. It was a fortune that would place him among the upper class even in 2085, the era of hunters.
It was an unbelievable achievement in just three months, but Lee Seong-joon’s goal wasn’t simply accumulating wealth. He wanted to live a peaceful and happy life with his family. This was his ultimate goal.
So, he advised his younger sister, Lee Seo-yoon, to quit her job. Naturally, she initially refused, saying she couldn’t burden him, but the whole family wanted to quit their jobs and resume their studies.
Lee Seo-yoon had always been a bright student, consistently ranking first in her class. There was no need for her to waste her talent. But it wasn’t just about her talent. She had always been interested in academics but had given up due to their financial situation.
Now, there was no longer a need for her to be burdened by financial problems. Realizing this, she eventually agreed.
Slowly but surely, his family was finding stability, each member finding their place, and he could feel himself getting closer to the happy life he’d longed for since the Thousand Continents. But he wouldn’t be complacent.
Maintaining something was as difficult as building it. It was a valuable lesson learned from his experience as the Blood Demon in the Thousand Continents. He’d fought more battles to maintain his position than to achieve it. Of course, what mattered now wasn’t his past in the Thousand Continents.
To protect his newfound happiness, he had to establish himself as a ruler, an emperor, as quickly as possible. There was no time to relax. He had to prepare for the future. Thinking this, he contacted Jo Kang-hyun and requested a gate for hunting.
The next day.
After checking the gate information Jo Kang-hyun had sent, the moment Lee Seong-joon stepped out of his apartment building…
He saw a familiar face hiding behind a pillar. It was an unexpected visit, but instead of annoyance, he felt curiosity. The man hiding was quite unexpected.
‘Jin Ja-woon?’
The long hair tied back and the rare white training uniform—it was definitely him. But his demeanor was different from their first encounter.
“Excellent… As I felt before, you possess truly remarkable bone structure and spirit.”
His previous confidence and spirit were gone, replaced by a look of excitement and a muttered monologue.
‘What is it?’
He wondered, but there was no need to dwell on it alone. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them.
“What are you doing here?”
Jin Ja-woon looked startled by his sudden approach, then regained his composure and spoke, “Ahem… I was waiting for you. If you have time, I’d like to talk.”
Anyone else would have dismissed him without a second thought. But Jin Ja-woon, the Wind Dragon Master, was a decent man. Although his earlier behavior had been strange, he wasn’t the type to cause trouble or be deceitful.
‘And he wouldn’t have come here unannounced without a reason.’
Lee Seong-joon was curious about what he had to say.
“Certainly. Shall we go to a nearby cafe?”
“It’s fine. It won’t take long, so I’ll just say it here.”
Jin Ja-woon, adopting a firm tone, got straight to the point.
“Have you… heard about the recent goodwill exchange between Korea and China?”
“No, it’s the first time I’m hearing about it.”
Jin Ja-woon’s eyes flickered at his nonchalant reply. But his surprise was brief.
“What, was it a rumor…? No, perhaps the news hasn’t reached you yet.”
He muttered to himself, then shook his head and looked at Lee Seong-joon.
“It’s just a precaution, but… if the Sosumun Clan comes as representatives of the hunters in the Chinese diplomatic envoy, it would be best if you didn’t participate in the friendly spar.”
Lee Seong-joon paused, a thoughtful look on his face. It was clear that Jin Ja-woon was a decent man. But he wouldn’t blindly trust him without reason.
“Can I ask why?”
“Because that friendly spar is likely a ploy by Sosumun.”
“A ploy?”
Jin Ja-woon looked at his puzzled expression and continued.
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