Chapter 540

They say words have no feet, yet travel a thousand li.¹

And these days, Henan Province was boiling like a cauldron over a charcoal fire.

Under countless watchful eyes, news that two exceptionally young Divine Dragons had been appointed pavilion masters by special order of the Alliance Leader swept across Henan before two days had passed.

“Have you heard the news?”

“I’ve already heard it, so don’t tell me. Even that yellow dog in the back alley probably knows.”

Whenever two or more people gathered, they talked about the appointments.

Opinions were divided, but many martial artists viewed Jin Taekyung and Cheongpung’s appointments favorably.

“Pavilion masters, huh? Of course. Those two are more than qualified.”

“Still, considering their ages, haven’t they been given too much responsibility?”

“That’s what makes it so impressive. Who else could achieve that kind of might and merit at barely twenty?”

“Now that you mention it, you’re right.”

“Damn it. I can’t stand listening to this.”

“…And who might you be, Brother?”

“Come on. Some people are born into good families, find good masters, learn peerless martial arts, and now they get to be pavilion masters of the Murim Alliance too?”

“By your logic, every young prodigy from the Nine Sects and One Gang and the Five Great Families would be a Supreme Peak master. And why are you taking it out on us?”

“I got pissed off listening to you, so I butted in.”

But where there was light, there was shadow.

Jin Taekyung and Cheongpung inspired envy as well as admiration. That was true not only of wandering martial artists who had lived rough lives, but also of disciples from prestigious sects and families.

“Damn it. How does this make any sense?”

“There’s nothing we can do. The Alliance Leader himself issued the order. Our Sect Leader told us in no uncertain terms not to say a word about it.”

“And what about you?”

“What good would saying anything do? I’m only a third-generation Disciple. One of my fellow disciples ran his mouth a few shichen² ago and paid for it. Our Senior Martial Uncle was furious. He ordered everyone between him and me to assemble, and…”

“I can imagine.”

“Some lunatic even summoned our Master. That really set the mood. We got chewed out until our souls hurt. We even had to hear what we were doing with ourselves when the much younger Blazing Flame Divine Dragon and Huashan Divine Dragon were doing so well.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Why blame us because those two are monsters?”

“Exactly. It’s not as if they managed it themselves.”

“Wait. Don’t tell me…”

“Are you crazy? I didn’t say it. But before anyone could stop him, the lunatic who’d summoned our Master came out with it: ‘Their masters are the Fire King and the Sword Saint.’”

“Good heavens. Did I hear that right? Look at my arm. I’ve got goose bumps.”

“You think you’re bad? Imagine how I and the other Senior Brothers felt after hearing it directly. Even now, I’ve got goose bumps all the way down to my balls.”

“Just so we’re clear, you don’t need to show me.”

“…I wouldn’t show you even if you begged. Anyway, things are tense because of those two. Though probably not as tense as they are in the Hwangbo Family.”

By then, everyone had heard the rumor that the Shandong Fist Dragon—the Lesser Family Head of the Hwangbo Family and one of the Ten Dragons and Phoenixes—had suffered a spectacular disgrace.

He had since been appointed Commander of the Murim Alliance’s Outer Hall. Between that post and Jin Taekyung’s position as a pavilion master directly under the Alliance Leader’s Office lay a gulf as wide as heaven and earth.

“I heard the Hwangbo Family Head met privately with the Alliance Leader and demanded punishment…”

“He went around telling everyone himself, so it’s probably true. As for the result, you already know.”

Hwangbo Gun, the Family Head of the Hwangbo Family, had proudly bragged about his private meeting with the Alliance Leader. Before even half a day had passed, the disciplinary decision arrived, and he had to swallow his humiliation.

I. Jin Taekyung, Pavilion Master of the Two Dragons Pavilion, privately took one side despite witnessing the dispute before him. He is therefore ordered to fast for a limited period.

II. Taishan of the Black Dragon Demon Gate committed two offenses.

His first offense was causing a dispute on a main road and harming commoners. His second was disregarding the Alliance’s rules and wielding a weapon first, thereby failing to follow proper procedure.

However, eyewitness accounts and testimony establish some justification for his actions. He is ordered to pay each person who suffered losses as a result of his actions ten times the amount of their damages.

III. The offense committed by the Shandong Fist Dragon, Hwangbo Ak, is similar to Taishan’s.

However, because he was substantially responsible for causing the dispute and made remarks liable to cause trouble, he is ordered to remain under disciplinary confinement for a fixed period.

For Hwangbo Gun, it was enough to drive him mad.

The next day, a rumor spread that Jin Taekyung had polished off ten bowls of gukbap³ in one sitting and patted his stomach. That only made matters worse.

The orthodox purists who supported Hwangbo Gun voiced their discontent too. But the shadow cast by the giant known as the Sword Saint Mae Jonghak was deep, and they could hardly defy the Alliance Leader’s authority over something like this. They had no choice but to swallow their anger.

Amid all that admiration and envy, Jin Taekyung made another extraordinary move just a day after his appointment as Pavilion Master of the Two Dragons Pavilion.

It began with a single notice pasted conspicuously on a wall beside a busy main road.

“Have you seen it?”

“If you mean the news about the Two Dragons Pavilion, I’ve heard enough to make my ears bleed. Wait. Seen what?”

“About half a shichen ago, some fellow named Hyuk—Hyuk something—put up huge notices all along the main roads.”

“Why would I care what Hyuk-whatsisname did?”

“Because that Hyuk-whatsisname is Blazing Flame Divine Dragon Jin Taekyung’s right-hand man. I read the notice, and apparently the Two Dragons Pavilion is recruiting people.”

“What? Is that true?”

“Without a doubt. But the notice is… strange. There are other people here, too, and… No, the whole thing is strange.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It’s, well… Never mind. Go see and hear it for yourself.”

“…Hear it?”

These days, any news about the Two Dragons Pavilion was a hot topic in Henan.

And now the youngest pavilion master—whose genius and accomplishments were rare even in Murim’s long history—had done something else?

“Ah, I can’t miss this!”

Martial artists with affiliations, martial artists still looking for a place to belong, and even curious commoners came rushing over.

And when they gathered in one place, they finally saw it.

★I Was a Nameless Foot Soldier, but in the Two Dragons Pavilion, I’m a Murim Hero?!★

The words were written in enormous letters beside a bizarre emblem.

The people gathered before it like clouds all widened their eyes and cried out in astonishment.

“Th-That!”

“Good heavens!”

How could a phrase be so simple, so easy to grasp, and so bold? The lines beneath it caught the eye just as readily.

Recruitment Requirements

First: Someone with the passion to do whatever they set their mind to.

Second: An upright character.

Third: At least the level of injuring others with Sword Energy.

# Recruiting around the clock # No one below Peak need apply # Gender and sect affiliation don’t matter # Age doesn’t matter # Life begins at eighty # Hey, you can do it too.

Every line was outrageous!

Simply reading those magnificent words was enough to set blood surging and hearts pounding. Shouts erupted from the crowd.

“Yeah! I can do it too!”

“You too? Me too!”

“Aaaah! The Two Dragons Pavilion is calling me!”

“Damn it! The level of injuring others with Sword Energy!”

Hundreds of people who had read the notice were cheering or groaning when—

Ting-a-ling.

A clear, lively melody rang out from somewhere.

The crowd parted as though by prior agreement. A group appeared and passed through them, walking as if on clouds.

“What’s that…?”

“Isn’t that the band from Honghakru?”

“Why would a band show up here?”

It was one of the ten most famous bands in Henan, and its sudden arrival left everyone bewildered.

Then a breathtakingly beautiful woman appeared before the crowd and smiled.

“Hongmae? It’s Hongmae!”

“Waaaaah!”

Hongmae was Honghakru’s most beautiful singer, a singing courtesan famous for her enchanting voice. She bowed her head with graceful poise, then gave a meaningful glance. The musicians took their cue and began to play.

Ting-a-ling. Chaarang!

The melody was bright and lively.

And the moment the first line flowed from her lips, the martial artists there understood as if under a spell.

“Join the Murim Alliance’s Two Dragons Pavilion, and my era of success begins~”

“……!”

If they wanted to succeed, they had to join the Two Dragons Pavilion.

I’d always been this way. No particular reason—I’d just never liked songs or children all that much.

But today was an exception.

“Heh heh. Those little rascals.”

I smiled contentedly as I listened to the sounds coming through the gap in the window.

Outside, children who looked to be around elementary school age were running around energetically and singing.

“Join the Murim Alliance’s Two Dragons Pavilion, and my era of success begins~!”

“Join the Murim Alliance’s Two Dragons Pavilion, and now more sects are looking for me~!”

“Join the Murim Alliance’s Two Dragons Pavilion, and my life has changed~!”

“A new era, a new hero!”

“The Murim Alliance’s Two Dragons Pavilion!”

The ending was perfect, too.

I gave myself a little round of applause, then noticed Hyuk Mujin staring at me in disbelief.

“What is it, you bastard?”

“…I’m just stunned. I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this.”

“What do you think? Innovative, isn’t it?”

Hyuk Mujin nodded reluctantly.

“It definitely works. I just went around checking, and it’s chaos out there. You’d think Dark Heaven had invaded.”

“I knew it would work. Heh heh.”

“That song in particular… It’s everywhere. People are saying you’ve released poison into Murim, Captain.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? What poison?”

“They say it’s more addictive than opium.”

“Oh. Ohoho.”

Ah, how satisfying.

What a rewarding outcome. A certain cyber university in Seoul might sue me for plagiarism, but this was Murim. (Audio reference)

I’m sorry, and thank you. I’ll put the song to good use.

And so the greatest hit of the era was born, destined to mercilessly assault the eardrums of these primitive Murim bumpkins.

I still got a thrill remembering the bandleader’s and singer’s faces when I’d given them the melody I’d hastily come up with.

They looked like primitive humans discovering fire.

Was this how Prometheus had felt in Greek mythology?

The difference was that, instead of donating my organs to an eagle sent by Zeus, I had to deal with the flood of applicants.

“How is the application process? Are you done?”

Hyuk Mujin looked at me as though I’d lost my mind.

“Are you serious?”

“More than I expected, huh?”

“It’s insane. Completely insane. There are so many, I’m starting to wonder if Dark Heaven sent in applications too.”

Hmm. It seemed to be even more effective than I’d imagined.

I’d added the requirement of being a Peak master in case something like this happened, but the world was vast, and apparently it had plenty of masters.

“Then let’s do this. First…”

I’d just finished thinking it over and begun to speak when—

Crash!

The door broke apart, and someone appeared.

“Join the Murim Alliance’s Two Dragons Pavilion. My era of success begins.”

The most ominous song in the world. A chilling expression.

I froze when I met those glowing red eyes. Fire King Jeok Cheongang spat out his next words.

“This old man nearly suffered qi deviation because of that damn song.”

“…Welcome.”