The Thousand-Faced Fox. A fox with a thousand faces.
I had never seen a nickname suit someone so poorly.
Song Ho, the old man known as the Thousand-Faced Fox, was bigger than most burly men, with the warm, genial face of the grandfather next door.
He was about as far from a fox as a person could get. If anything, he seemed like the exact opposite.
He looks like that grandpa. The one who stands outside the chicken shop whether it rains or snows.1
Put a pair of glasses on him, and they could have been twins.
But while I entertained such carefree thoughts, the air around me was taut as a drawn bowstring.
Faces were tense. I could hear people swallowing nervously.
The Thousand-Faced Fox…
He couldn’t have gotten that nickname for nothing.
Once I changed my perspective, everything began to look different.
The aura I sensed from Song Ho was that of a Peak master—nothing more, nothing less—but there was something else about him.
Something unrelated to martial arts. Something only he possessed.
What is it?
As I studied Song Ho’s profile, his head turned, and our gazes met.
He beckoned me over, so I took a step toward him.
“So you’re the one?”
“Pardon?”
“Jin Taekyung, the Sleeping Dragon of Shanxi. I’ve heard plenty about how the Disciple of Great Hero Jeok Cheongang, the Fire King, performed exceptionally well in the preliminaries.”
Judging by the way he spoke, he seemed to have known Jeok Cheongang to some extent. I quickly bowed my head.
“Thank you.”
“And you’re also the reason there are so many more finalists in this Star-Array Grand Banquet.”
I had heard plenty of things said about me, but this was a first.
I tilted my head. “Because of me?”
“Of course.”
A deep smile spread across Song Ho’s lips.
“Aren’t you the one who destroyed every mechanism and formation we installed for the final assessment?”
“Oh.”
“Thanks to you, there must be a hundred more qualifiers. Once you destroyed the core, everyone else had a much easier time passing.”
That happened?
Come to think of it, everyone had seemed to clear the assessment unusually quickly.
At the time, I had simply assumed the locals knew all about mechanisms and formations, unlike a foreigner like me.
“Judging by your expression, you had no idea.”
“Yeah, well. I’m completely clueless when it comes to that stuff.”
“Don’t you regret it?”
“Regret what?”
“Destroying the core of the mechanisms and formations. There could have been far fewer competitors than there are now.”
“Four hundred or five hundred—what’s the difference?”
“‘What’s the difference,’ you say…”
At my breezy answer, Song Ho pointed behind me.
“It won’t be easy.”
I turned in the direction of his finger.
The martial artists filling the training ground—including the three idiots—were all staring at me.
There were more than five hundred of them.
Every single one was either a Supreme First Rate martial artist recognized anywhere under heaven or a Peak master.
Some were scions of prestigious families who had learned martial arts with every possible advantage. Others were wandering martial artists whose bodies bore countless scars like medals.
That is a lot.
But it didn’t matter. Four hundred, five hundred, even a thousand—my answer would remain the same.
I looked at Song Ho and slowly spoke.
“It doesn’t matter. All I have to do is win.”
“What? Ha! Hahaha!”
Damn, that was embarrassing now that I’d actually said it.
Song Ho must have loved my answer, because he burst into laughter. At the same time, though, I had drawn plenty of aggro.
I scratched the back of my head, which was beginning to prickle.
They’re all thinking the same thing, so why pretend otherwise?
Everyone had come to the Star-Array Grand Banquet with a single goal: victory.
At this point, pretending otherwise would have been more ridiculous.
“You’re an interesting young friend. Great Hero Jeok really raised quite the man.”
Song Ho patted me on the shoulder and laughed with satisfaction.
Just then, a middle-aged supervisor who had been about to climb onto the dais spotted him and stopped short.
“Is that you, Sir Song? What brings you here…”
Song Ho’s hand fell from my shoulder.
“I heard the qualifiers had arrived, so I stopped by to see their faces. Aren’t they future pillars of the world?”
He swept a pleased gaze over the crowd, then turned away.
“Then this old relic will take his leave. It was a pleasure, everyone.”
“…”
I didn’t answer.
It had lasted only an instant, but I had definitely seen it.
His eyes had narrowed like those of a fox stalking its prey, his gaze suddenly razor-sharp.
The Thousand-Faced Fox.
I was beginning to understand why that genial-looking old man had been given such a nickname.
Where was he looking?
And who had he seen? What had he seen in them?
That gaze had flashed past in an instant, but it had certainly not been the gaze of a Senior surveying juniors far beneath him.
I was quickly scanning everyone’s faces when—
“Hey! Friend!”
At first, I wondered what kind of lunatic was shouting.
A booming voice rang through the quiet training ground as someone waved enthusiastically.
I recognized his face from somewhere and let out a deep sigh.
What? That bastard passed too?
The Always-Victorious Sword, Jongni Chu.
The sight of his beaming smile made my curiosity vanish in an instant.
“All qualifiers, follow me.”
I had no idea how long we walked behind the middle-aged supervisor before we arrived at a long line of carriages stretching into the distance.
“Wait. Where are we going?”
I didn’t know who had asked, but whoever it was must have been getting dirty looks from everyone around him.
The schedule following the preliminaries had already been explained several times.
The middle-aged supervisor answered curtly.
“Luoyang.”
The Star-Array Grand Banquet’s preliminaries had been held on Mount Song with outsiders barred from entering, but the main event would take place in Luoyang, with a different format.
I had heard that spectator stands had even been prepared so people could watch the duels.
That was probably why the main event was called the true beginning of the Star-Array Grand Banquet.
“Everyone, board the carriages. It isn’t far, so we’ll arrive soon.”
Clip-clop-clop!
The instant the carriage doors closed, the horses’ hooves pounded against the ground.
I gazed out the window at Mount Song receding into the distance.
Three days of beautiful memories…
I wish that had been the reason.
The truth was that I simply didn’t want to look at the faces of the idiots riding with me.
“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“Fuck off. Don’t talk to me.”
Jongni Chu started us off lightly.
But it was too soon to relax. The war had only just begun.
“Good heavens, gentlemen. Did you hear what that Fellow Daoist just said? ‘Fuck off’! What is he, some common street thug? How vulgar and undignified…”
It was Baek Woo, the Kunlun Cloud Dragon and one of the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes.
Without taking my eyes off the window, I said, “Shut your mouth. I won’t say it twice. And this ‘Fellow Daoist’ shit—I’ll turn you into cheese crust with the Flame Divine Palm.”
“What? ‘Shit’? You were speaking to this poor Daoist?”
“Yep.”
“You seem awfully high and mighty just because you happened to get ahead of me once in qinggong2…”
“Hey, you.”
I turned my head and stared at Baek Woo.
“I told you to shut up.”
Our gazes collided in midair. A brief silence passed, and we both reached out at the same time.
No—Baek Woo was half a beat faster. He made the first move.
Whoosh! Rattle-rattle-rattle!
And then it was over in an instant.
Baek Woo’s eyes widened as I immobilized both his wrists.
“S-Striking Second, Hitting First?”
“Trying to get the first hit in, you bastard?”
What mattered in a fight was not who moved faster.
The result. The result was all that mattered.
I had definitely started later than Baek Woo, but I reached my target faster. That was all there was to it.
“Your grappling technique is a mess. Did you put everything into qinggong2?”
“H-How did you…”
“What do you mean, how? You’re weaker than me, and I’m stronger than you.”
I grinned at his stunned face and continued.
“Now, you have three choices. Number one: take one hard hit from the Flame Divine Palm right now.”
“…”
“Judging by your expression, you don’t like that one. Number two: take a gentle hit from the Flame-Extinguishing Divine Fist. For reference, I brought down a cliff with it. If you think your body is tougher than a cliff, go ahead and try your luck.”
“I-Is there no third option?”
“‘Is there no’? What’s with that formal -so ending? You’re using haoche.3 Are you from the Lower District Sect? I thought you were from the Kunlun Sect.”
Baek Woo bit down hard on his lip.
“I-I am twenty-six this year. Four years older than you.”
“Oh, four years. Then would you rather take four Flame Divine Palms?”
“Gasp!”
Baek Woo shook his head vigorously.
“All right. Say it again.”
“Is there no third option…please?”
“There is. Number three: keep your mouth shut in front of me from now on.”
“I’ll take that one!”
“Good. Let’s travel in silence.”
I released Baek Woo’s wrists.
Conflict flickered in his eyes, but his face soon fell, and he lowered his head.
Unless he was exceptionally stupid and shameless, that was the obvious response.
That takes care of one, at least.
I looked over the others in turn.
Jongni Chu stared wide-eyed between Baek Woo and me.
Gung Gibang stopped scratching his thigh, while Zhuge Gyun closed the book he had been reading so intently.
“Hey. Beggars’ Sect.”
“…”
“Does this bastard only open his mouth when he’s talking about shit?”
Gung Gibang was the quietest of the three idiots. Whenever he did speak, it was usually some curse-like remark that began with dog shit, continued through cow shit, and ended with horse shit.
He was filthy beyond belief.
“Anyway, you get a choice too. The same three I gave him. You heard them, right?”
Gung Gibang nodded, his matted hair bobbing up and down.
“Pick quickly. I can’t be bothered waiting.”
After remaining silent for a while, Gung Gibang finally opened his mouth.
“The Beggars’ Sect’s Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms is one of the five greatest martial arts under heaven. Anyone who masters even eight-tenths of it will have few rivals in the world.”
“So?”
“Unfortunately, I have only mastered five-tenths of the Eighteen Dragon-Subduing Palms.”
“…?”
Gung Gibang continued, his eyes shining with determination.
“Therefore, I choose number three.”
“…”
I almost smacked him across the head, but stopped myself. Hitting him would probably only dirty my hand.
“Then keep your mouth shut from now on, Gibang. And make sure you speak politely.”
“G-Gibang? Politely?”
“Might Makes Right. Haven’t you heard of it?”
“Even so, that’s a bit…”
“Oh, right. You’re twenty-six too, aren’t you? Since you’re four years older than me, would you like four Flame-Extinguishing Divine Fists?”
“…!”
The wavering light in Gung Gibang’s eyes slowly settled.
He clenched his fists and shook out both hands.
Swish! Clack!
With lightning-fast movements, Gung Gibang formed a fist-and-palm salute and bowed his head.
“From now on, I shall call you Jin hyung.4”
“Good.”
Having neatly dealt with two of them, I turned toward the last idiot.
Zhuge Gyun had closed his book and was stroking a spotless white fan made from crane feathers.
“Galgyun.”
“My surname is Zhuge. My given name is Gyun.”
“Right. Galgyun. You’ve already chosen, haven’t you?”
“Choosing is difficult.”
“If you still haven’t decided after watching the two Seniors in front of you, then you’ll end up a corpse.”
Zhuge Gyun regarded me calmly.
“My honored ancestor, Zhuge Wuhou, decided to enter public service only after Liu Bei’s Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage.5”
“What the hell? I told you to give me a number, and this lunatic starts talking about Romance of the Three Kingdoms. So what am I supposed to do?”
“Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage.5 Since Wuhou opened his heart after three visits, this Young Master chooses option three.”
“…”
As expected of the Zhuge Clan.
Just look at that strategic buildup. He had even dragged his ancestor into it.
Maybe I should turn that crane-feather fan into a blood-feather fan.
Only one person remained, but Jongni Chu gave a sheepish laugh and raised both hands in surrender.
“How frightening. I’ll keep my mouth shut for the entire journey.”
“Don’t keep pestering me. Understood?”
“I understand. If that is what you want, so be it.”
I had no particular grudge against Jongni Chu, so I decided to leave it at that.
Just as I began enjoying the peace I had won by subduing the three idiots, the speeding carriage slowed and soon came to a stop.
“We have arrived at our destination.”
I looked out the window.
Lofty walls dozens of jang6 high. A massive iron gate. And a signboard bathed in the soft glow of sunset.
Murim Alliance
Footnotes
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The grandfather outside the chicken shop is Colonel Sanders, whose image appears outside KFC restaurants. ↩
-
Qinggong refers to martial-arts movement techniques associated with speed and lightness. ↩ ↩2
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Haoche is a formal Korean speech register traditionally marked by sentence endings such as -so. ↩
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Hyung is a Korean term a man uses to address an older brother or an older man with whom he is close. ↩
-
“Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage” refers to Liu Bei’s repeated visits to recruit Zhuge Liang as his strategist. ↩ ↩2
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A jang is ten ja, approximately 3.03 m (9.94 ft). ↩
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