Chapter 181

“You cause trouble whenever I take my eyes off you, even for a moment.”

After lightly scolding his Junior Brother, Baek Museong bowed his head to Woo Hwangtae.

“It seems there was a minor misunderstanding between you. I hope you’ll be generous enough to forgive him.”

His voice was as gentle as his appearance.

Woo Hwangtae was closer to a merchant than a martial artist. His martial arts were First Rate, but he could pride himself on having a Peak-level eye for people and situations, honed through years of running an Escort Bureau.

Under normal circumstances, one look at Baek Museong might have brought a certain phrase to mind.

The extraordinary hidden within the ordinary.

Unfortunately, Woo Hwangtae was not in his right mind.

Baek Museong had stepped in out of nowhere, and his clean-cut appearance made him seem like an easy mark. His polite voice carried the composure of a powerful man, but to Woo Hwangtae, it sounded merely insolent.

“What was that? You want me to generously forgive him?”

His voice seethed with rage as he raised an eyebrow.

“How dare you tell me what to do?”

“That was not my intention, but if I’ve offended you, I apologize.”

“Apologize? Hah. You little pup.”

Crack.

Once anger took hold, it naturally clouded a person’s judgment.

Woo Hwangtae clenched his fists and stepped forward, but the other Sect Leaders hurriedly tried to restrain him.

“Chief Woo, it would be best to stop here.”

“Sect Leader Song is right. Nothing good will come of making a scene.”

“Some arrogant bastards who crawled in from God knows where insult me, and you expect me to take it? Do you all look down on me too?”

“No, that’s not what we meant.”

“Then what are you trying to say?”

His tone was now only a hair short of openly speaking down to them. The Sect Leaders of the Five Gates of Shanxi frowned inwardly, but they still had to prevent an unnecessary conflict.

“We only mean that this is the wrong time and place. Have you forgotten our situation?”

“If you insist, I won’t stop you, but… there’s no need to cause a scene when we’re already in the Jin Family of Taiyuan’s bad books.”

“We understand that you’re angry, but please think of our position too. We’re all trying to survive here.”

Again. Again with the damned Jin Family of Taiyuan!

Woo Hwangtae barely swallowed the curses threatening to burst from his mouth. If not for the countless eyes and ears around him, he would have spewed every insult he knew and smashed everything in sight.

But his last shred of reason held him back.

“Nggh.”

After barely calming himself, Woo Hwangtae glared at Baek Museong, who still stood there looking perfectly composed.

“I’d like nothing more than to beat you to death with a single blow right now, but… I’ll let it pass as a country bumpkin’s mistake. Get lost before I change my mind.”

Baek Museong regarded him for a moment, then bowed his head.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“Hmph. Lucky bastards.”

But Woo Hwangtae was the lucky one.

If Baek Museong hadn’t sent a Sound Transmission a moment earlier, he would have been hovering between life and death by now.

“Second, stop.”

Chulwoo, the second of the Three Plum Blossom Elites and known as the Defeated Flower Fist, stopped dead just as he was about to launch himself forward.

A voice no one else could hear slipped between his teeth.

“He wasn’t satisfied with going after me—he even went after you, Senior Brother.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me. Can’t I hit him once? Just once?”

“That sounds like you want to beat him to death.”

“…I’ll hit him gently. Just once. Really.”

“That sounds like you want to gently beat him to death. Have you forgotten Master’s strict order not to attract unnecessary attention?”

Chulwoo wrestled with himself for a moment before lowering his tightly clenched fist.

“Whew. This is driving me crazy.”

Baek Museong gave his shoulder an approving pat.

“You showed restraint. This too is training.”

“How is this training? What’s the point of learning martial arts if I can’t use them when the time comes?”

“Indiscriminate killing will only ruin you. Martial arts are meant to cultivate essence, qi, and spirit, not to kill people.”

“Every time I look at you, I get confused. Am I a disciple of Huashan or a monk from Shaolin Temple?”

“Could someone with your personality possibly become a monk? I already pity all the wooden fish¹ you’d smash.”

Baek Museong let out a quiet laugh, and Chulwoo sighed.

He deeply respected his Senior Brother, but the man was simply too kindhearted. That was the problem.

“Those bastards should have their mouths smashed in…”

“Hey, watch your mouth!”

“All right, all right.”

Chulwoo watched Woo Hwangtae’s back as he grew smaller in the distance and smacked his lips.

I’ve memorized his face. Just let me catch him once.

Baek Museong knew exactly what his Junior Brother was thinking. He shook his head.

“Enough foolish thoughts. Find the youngest.”

“Did Eunhyang disappear again?”

“Yes. Just like you did.”

Chulwoo flinched.

“I-I went to take a leak.”

“That’s right. But why did someone who went to take a leak end up picking a fight in the middle of a crowd?”

“It happened on my way back after I’d finished. Wait, Senior Brother, do you not believe me? I haven’t washed my hands yet. Want to smell them?”

“…Never mind.”

Baek Museong rubbed his temple. He cherished his Junior Brothers more than anyone, but they were exceptionally difficult to handle.

At least Chulwoo was big enough to find quickly. Their youngest Junior Disciple, Eunhyang, was practically invisible in a crowd like this.

“Do you see anything?”

Chulwoo, who was at least two heads taller than everyone else, swept his gaze around.

“Not really. There are too many people.”

Even a Peak master’s eyes would struggle to find a small girl amid the endless, bustling mass.

The crowd was so large that merchants had even set up stalls here and there.

“By the way, was the Jin Family of Taiyuan always this big? I’d never even heard of it before we came.”

“Those in the know do. The current Sect Leader, the Shanxi Extraordinary Hero, is fairly well known, and so is the Heaven Shaking Sword, isn’t he?”

“I don’t know about the Shanxi Extraordinary Hero, but the Heaven Shaking Sword… Is that the fellow who’s supposedly one of the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes?”

“Don’t call him that. Watch your mouth.”

“He’s just a bookworm who goes to an academy. In my opinion, Senior Brother is much more…”

“Hey. Where did you learn that nasty habit of judging people before you’ve even met them? He is clearly a remarkable talent.”

“Well, for someone from Shanxi Province, being that good is practically a dragon rising from a ditch.”

Chulwoo answered indifferently, then suddenly frowned.

“Wasn’t there someone else besides the Heaven Shaking Sword? Some other dragon—or was it a loach?”

“A dragon? Do you mean the Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi?”

“Ah, right. The Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi.”

“I hear he’s quite talented, though not as much as the Heaven Shaking Sword.”

“Dragon or loach, I’ve heard about him nonstop on the way here. I should at least take a look at his face.”

The corner of Baek Museong’s mouth lifted as he watched Chulwoo clench his fists.

“Do you want to spar with him?”

Chulwoo scratched the back of his head.

“Not particularly. I’d win anyway.”

“Competitive spirit is a good thing, but avoid causing trouble if you can.”

“What trouble could there be? Since we came all this way, I just want to see what he can do.”

Baek Museong studied his Second Junior Brother.

Despite what Chulwoo said, his curiosity was obvious.

After spending years cooped up on Huashan, facing the same people every day, he seemed excited to finally be out in the world.

“You’ll see him soon enough. Of course, we need to find the youngest first.”

The final words came out almost as a sigh.

The gates of the Jin Family of Taiyuan were already open, and the invited guests were streaming inside like clouds.

Baek Museong was wondering whether he would have to climb a tree when—

“Senior Brother, it’s all right if I make a little noise, isn’t it?”

“What?”

Chulwoo grinned and drew a deep breath.

The next instant, a thunderous shout erupted.

“Eun—hyang!”

Baek Museong had no time to stop him. Chulwoo’s voice was every bit as tremendous as his body.

The people around them clapped their hands over their ears and dropped to the ground, while the countless people who had been laughing and chatting abruptly fell silent.

As a hush descended over the crowd like a bucket of cold water—

“Big Brothers! I’m over here!”

Far in the distance, Chulwoo spotted a young girl eagerly jumping up and down in place. He spoke triumphantly.

“Ha-ha! Senior Brother, I found her!”

“…Yes, well done. Very well done.”

Baek Museong put a hand to his head.

Just then—

Whoosh.

Hundreds of people began murmuring as they parted like a field of reeds before the wind.

At the end of the open path stood a man like an iron tower. Chulwoo muttered without realizing it,

“Is that a man or a bear?”

“He’s a man. If not for him, the Jin Family of Taiyuan would not be what it is today.”

Baek Museong respectfully offered a cupped-fist salute to the bear-like man, Jin Wikyung.

Thud-thud-thud-thud!

The scenery whipped past us. Hyuk Mujin, riding beside me, shouted over the pounding hooves.

“We were definitely slow on the way there, but we’re incredibly fast coming back. Is it because we took our time two days ago?”

“Everything happens for a reason.”

“What reason?”

“We move faster when no one tries to stuff his face while riding a horse.”

“Ah.”

Cheongpung had looked gloomy the entire trip. Before we left, I had stopped him from packing a mountain of food.

“I’m hungry.”

I answered coldly.

“Endure it.”

A Peak master’s digestion was Peak-level too. Cheongpung crapped as much as he ate, then ate as much as he crapped.

And since he ate often, he naturally had to crap often…

Damn it. This is disgusting. I’ll stop there.

“How far are we?”

“We just passed the ninth village, so… We should arrive in half a shichen² at the earliest, or one full shichen² at the latest.”

The sunlight pouring down made my eyes sting. I looked up at the sun as it slowly climbed toward the middle of the sky.

“So we’ll arrive around noon?”

“Probably.”

“We’re late, aren’t we?”

“Of course we’re late. Isn’t that why we’re riding like hell, trying to be a little less late?”

Fair point.

Instead of answering, I spurred my horse onward. With every stride, the long bundle strapped across my back thumped against the horse’s back.

Ugh, what a pain.

The bundle contained the Unnamed Sword.

I was supposed to have returned it to Jeok Cheongang, but instead, I had somehow ended up taking it back.

As long as I lived in a Murim where the law was damn far away and fists were painfully close, I had no choice.

It’s not like I can put it in my inventory either.

I could at least claim I had tucked the Flame Divine Palm martial arts manual inside my clothes. But if an entire sword suddenly popped out of my pocket, there would be no explaining that away.

If I were alone, it might be different. But with other people watching, it would be the perfect way to get accused of practicing demonic, heterodox arts.

I really got myself into a mess this time.

It wasn’t that I resented being saddled with a troublesome object. I simply hated the thought of having to meet Fire King Jeok Cheongang—that terrifying old man—again.

“Let’s meet again soon.”

Meet again, my ass.

Every time I remembered what he had said a few shichen² ago, my stomach churned.

Hyuk Mujin, who had been sneaking glances at me from time to time, asked,

“Why do you look like that?”

“I was thinking about the Fire King.”

“Ugh. Life’s too short for anything but happy thoughts, so why imagine something that horrible?”

“If you were me, wouldn’t you think about him? He said he’d be back soon.”

“Speaking of which, could you give me some time off? I suddenly miss my family.”

“You bastard. You’re trying to save yourself.”

“You never know what might happen. Before I die, I should at least see my parents’ faces one more time.”

“That doesn’t sound like something an unfilial son who hasn’t shown his face in years should say.”

“I’d like to take this opportunity to become a good son.”

“Nope.”

I dismissed Hyuk Mujin’s bullshit and looked up at the sky with a sigh.

“Even the heavens are heartless. Why did that old man have to leave this thing with me?”

“He said it was a pain to carry around.”

“For such a petty reason?”

“With him, I can completely believe it.”

“…”

That was surprisingly convincing.

“I could lose it before he comes back. Or I could quietly pocket it for myself.”

“You, Captain?”

Hyuk Mujin laughed as if he had just heard a brilliant joke.

“If you were that kind of person, what have you been doing all this time? If you hadn’t been on the verge of death, you probably would’ve just kept the Blazing Flame Divine Pill too.”

“That’s…”

He had a point.

“Just hide it somewhere no one will notice. Who knows? Maybe that great Fire King will teach you a move in return.”

“Teach me, my ass. I’m sure he’d love to teach the man who killed his Disciple.”

The absurdity drew a quiet laugh from me.

The Fire Gate Clan was said to pass its arts down to a single successor and never teach outsiders. Even setting personal feelings aside, the idea that he would teach martial arts to an outsider like me was ridiculous.

“Your nonsense is only funny in moderation, you idiot.”

“Well, now that you mention it, I suppose you’re right.”

At that moment, Cheongpung—who had been drooping like a corpse and endlessly repeating that he was hungry—spoke up.

“Isn’t he trying to take you as his Disciple, Benefactor?”

“…”

“…”

“Maybe not? I think he is. Grandpa Jeok seemed to be watching you closely, Benefactor.”

“Me?”

“Captain?” Hyuk Mujin asked.

Our gazes met in midair. Hyuk Mujin looked utterly baffled. I was probably making the same face.

We both let out disbelieving laughs.

“That’s great. Congratulations in advance, Captain.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Me? Someone he’d known for barely a day or two?

The idea was so absurd it didn’t even qualify as a joke.

“Maybe not? Or am I right?”

As Cheongpung tilted his head over his own bizarre suggestion, Hyuk Mujin raised a finger and pointed into the distance.

“Can you see it?”

I could.

People were walking down a well-kept road. Farther ahead lay a broad expanse of land surrounded by a teeming crowd.

The Jin Family of Taiyuan.

I was back after three days away.