The Jang Clan's Strategist

Seo Joo-cheon suddenly withdrew his sword. The gesture needed no explanation — the match was over.

"It seems Daoist Haewol was gracious enough to go easy on me. I was spared a rather ugly showing."

Haewol turned and looked at Senior Brother Gok Un. The older Daoist shot him a look that said, End this now, while he's still being generous.

"E-even so, to withstand lightning qi... Hero Po, you truly are remarkable."

The words were half sincere praise, half something bordering on astonishment.

Those who had watched the spar needed nothing more. No one had fallen. No one had conceded defeat. But any martial artist of real skill could tell who had won and who had lost.

Haewol had unleashed the Blue Cloud Wind and Thunder Sword — and Seo Joo-cheon had stood there unharmed. The fight had gone out of the young Daoist's eyes.

Seo Joo-cheon looked at him and offered praise for his martial arts. It was the composure of a victor, and the courtesy that came with it.

The martial artists who had gathered to watch began to turn away, each offering a remark of their own.

"That ended more tamely than I expected."

"Still, you could see the gap between them."

"Qingcheng's Blue Cloud Wind and Thunder Sword is even more formidable than the stories. Worthy of a secret art of the Nine Great Sects, no question."

A few voices sang the praises of the sword art. Others were quick to answer.

"And what of Hero Po, who rendered that secret art useless?"

"Watching him take that lightning qi head-on and walk away without a scratch... gave me chills."

"So he really did have the skill to fight the Undying Demon and win."

"How has a man like that gone unknown in the jianghu?"

"Honestly, I couldn't even place his realm. Not with my level of skill."

"Same here. He's been hiding his strength, no doubt about it. Ability like that isn't built in a day."

If two or three in every ten had praised the Blue Cloud Wind and Thunder Sword, the rest had reserved their highest praise for Seo Joo-cheon's martial prowess.

In truth, neither man had revealed much. But the exchange they had shown was more than enough to mark them as masters of the First-Rate.

"A shame we didn't get to see that Transposition he supposedly used against the Undying Demon."

One martial artist said it with genuine regret. Another lowered his voice.

"Wouldn't he only show a technique like that if his opponent were skilled enough to warrant it? Looked at another way, it means he can beat someone of the Qingcheng Eight Talents' caliber without even needing Transposition."

"Now that you mention it..."

The crowd dispersed, buzzing with their own assessments of the match. Seo Joo-cheon listened, and smiled inwardly.

Once, their words would have blurred into an indistinct murmur. But after achieving One Gapja, even distant, quiet voices arrived at his ears with perfect clarity.

So this is what higher inner energy gets you. If I reach two Gapja, how much better will it be?

More than anything else, Seo Joo-cheon understood that raising his inner energy had to come first.

The transmission drove itself into his mind — Gok Un, second of the Qingcheng Eight Talents. Seo Joo-cheon sent one back.

Sending a Voice Transmission to Hong-mi had felt different from sending one to a First-Rate master.

So I've become a true First-Rate master now.

Only then did Seo Joo-cheon fully understand that he had crossed the threshold of the First-Rate.

Voice Transmission was not a special technique so much as a natural faculty of inner energy. The higher art — Six Harmonies Voice Projection — required two Gapja of inner energy and the mastery of a particular mind method. But Secret Sound Transmission simply took One Gapja of inner energy, generated a sound wave, and carried the voice upon it. Those sound waves could not be formed without at least One Gapja behind them.

That was why a saying had long made the rounds in the jianghu: never pick a fight with a martial artist who can use Six Harmonies Voice Projection.

I can project Voice Transmission and Sword Qi now, too.

He hadn't put it on proper display earlier, but when he released his inner energy after being shocked by the Blue Cloud Wind and Thunder Sword, he had felt a white aura flowing along the blade.

Gok Un withdrew, shepherding the dejected Haewol and his junior brothers away.

Only after the Qingcheng Eight Talents had vanished toward their lodgings did the other martial artists approach Seo Joo-cheon, offering cupped-fist salutes. He exchanged names and greetings with quite a few renowned figures of the jianghu, and was beginning to look faintly horrified — convinced that even a full day of introductions would not be enough — when Jang Yeong-in stepped forward.

"Forgive the interruption, but might I steal Hero Po away?"

"By all means."

The Patriarch himself had spoken. The martial artists gave way at once. Jang Yeong-in had come forward on purpose, to rescue him.

"Leave you standing there and you'd still be exchanging greetings at dawn. I haven't done something unwelcome, I hope?"

"Hahaha. I was just waiting for someone to come save me."

Seo Joo-cheon took the opening gladly. Behind Jang Yeong-in came Jang Hyeon-nam and Jang Hwa-lim, and behind them Wang Jae-gyeong and the Six Spears of the Five Houses.

"I've never put much stock in rumors, as a rule. But the rumors about you aren't exaggerated — if anything, they undersell you. You're more than strong enough to have beaten the Undying Demon. To break Qingcheng's Blue Cloud Wind and Thunder Sword... the Qingcheng Eight Talents' pride must be hurting something fierce. Hahaha."

"That's only because Daoist Haewol went easy on me."

"Others might believe that. I know how proud those men are. Their self-regard is so high they barely bother associating with anyone else. And now they've lost to you — they'll take it hard."

He did not look particularly worried for them. If anything, he looked rather pleased.

Jang Hyeon-nam popped forward.

"Hyung-nim — there was a white aura clinging to your sword earlier. What was that? Sword Qi is usually blue, isn't it?"

Even now, Jang Hyeon-nam's interest was only in martial arts. That, too, was a trait of geniuses — the tendency to fixate on whatever they were curious about. The question was hardly appropriate to the moment, but Jang Hyeon-nam would not let a curiosity pass unaddressed.

"Isn't that a rude question to ask your sworn brother?"

Seo Joo-cheon shook his head at Jang Yeong-in's mild rebuke.

"Not at all. I've nothing to hide. Little brother, that's the Sword Qi unique to my school. Ours runs white."

"Ah. So that's why it's the White Snake Sword Art. But you didn't use Sword Qi when you fought ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Undying Demon."

At that, Wang Jae-gyeong and the Six Spears of the Five Houses turned cold, measuring eyes on Seo Joo-cheon. The implication was that he had driven off the Undying Demon without using Sword Qi at all — and no one present was prepared to believe it.

"Is that true?"

Jang Yeong-in asked it in genuine surprise. Jang Hwa-lim watched Seo Joo-cheon with a look of keen curiosity. Seo Joo-cheon hesitated, unsure how to answer, and Jang Hyeon-nam spoke for him.

"Of course. When Hyung-nim fought the Undying Demon, he didn't use Sword Qi at all. He fought mainly with Transposition."

"Hahaha. So the rumors were true."

Jang Yeong-in let out a hearty laugh, his face full of admiration.

"The rumors called you a master of the Peak Realm, you know. Transposition isn't a secret art that Second-Rate or even First-Rate masters can perform, is it?"

"That's an exaggeration."

Seo Joo-cheon tried to deflect. Jang Yeong-in shook his head.

"I don't believe my own child would lie to me. That second boy has never known how to tell a lie, not since he was small. He's spent his whole life getting played by his older brother."

Jang Yeong-in looked at Seo Joo-cheon and smiled, generous and warm.

"The second boy may be lacking in some ways, but I hope you'll look after him. He's so rigid and earnest, I worry about him constantly."

"Hyeon-nam is a remarkable talent. He is destined to become a great pillar of the jianghu — you needn't worry so much."

Seo Joo-cheon meant every word.

"Is that so? Coming from you, it actually sounds plausible."

"Hahaha. I know a bit about reading faces."

"Hahaha. Hearing you say so truly delights me. I hear you're leaving in a few days — must you? Can't you stay a little longer?"

Jang Yeong-in wanted this exceptional martial artist close, where he could keep an eye on him.

"Whatever you want, you need only name it. You're the second boy's sworn brother — what wouldn't I give?"

It was the classic rhetoric of a merchant. But Seo Joo-cheon could hear the sincerity in it, and warmth spread through his chest.

"I'm grateful for the words. But just as my little brother has a path he must walk, I have one of my own. I shall always keep the Patriarch's words close to my heart."

"Hahaha. If that's how it is, I've nothing more to say. I've only met you once — how is it my heart already leans this way?"

Jang Yeong-in was not a man who wanted strangers close after a single meeting. He associated with a great many martial artists, but every one of them had been carefully investigated and selected. He was not so charitable as to mingle with small fry and deadwood.

"In any case, make yourself at home while you're with us. Think of it as your own house."

"Thank you, Patriarch."

"Good. Good."

Jang Yeong-in looked at Seo Joo-cheon with a thoroughly pleased expression, then turned away. As Wang Jae-gyeong and the Six Spears of the Five Houses turned with him, they left Voice Transmissions behind.

They had sent the transmissions almost simultaneously, and both were invitations to spar. Seo Joo-cheon could only offer a wry smile.

From a distance, Jang Yeong-in watched Jang Hyeon-nam and Seo Joo-cheon heading off somewhere, and asked Jang Hwa-lim a question.

"What do you think of him?"

For a while, Jang Hwa-lim said nothing. She understood the thrust of the question perfectly well — and it was not a matter for a simple answer.

"He is a more exceptional man than I had thought."

"In what respect?"

Jang Yeong-in had always cherished Jang Hwa-lim, calling her "my Xu Shao."

Xu Shao had been a man of the Three Kingdoms era, renowned for a piercing eye that produced character evaluations of lasting fame. The notable figures of his day had lined up to hear his judgments. The most widely remembered of those judgments was his evaluation of Cao Cao, recorded in the Book of the Later Han, in the Biography of Xu Shao.

An extreme verdict: in an age of peace he would be a villain, and in an age of chaos, a hero.

Jang Hwa-lim's eye for people was extraordinary enough to bear comparison with such a Xu Shao. That gift had shown itself from childhood, and it had helped Jang Yeong-in more times than he could count. Anyone Jang Hwa-lim took a dislike to would, sooner or later, cause a disaster or turn traitor and deal the clan a blow. She was versed not only in astronomy and geography but in every manner of astrology besides, and that only made her words more credible.

"He is of Unorthodox origin, but he is a man who can be trusted. I do not see in him someone who would betray people, or toy with them through lies."

"Of all the evaluations I've heard from you lately, that is high praise indeed. How did you come to think so?"

Jang Hwa-lim answered without a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠hint of hesitation.

"First: he lived for a long time under the infamous name of the Shaanxi Four Fiends, and never revealed his true self because the time was not yet right. That is a patience worthy of comparison to Jiang Ziya or Han Xin. Such self-possession is not something ordinary men can imitate."

"Hmm. True enough. That's no easy thing — to have ability and still live under a foul name. And what else?"

"I looked into it. The three men under him all live as younger brothers to him, and they follow him as they would a father or an older brother. Judging by the loyalty they show, he looks to me like a man who could lead a sect at the very least. That, I would call being dignified without being fierce — one of the Gentleman's Five Virtues from the Analects."

"Calling him a man who could lead a sect based on how he handles a mere three people — isn't that a little ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠generous? Hahaha. And the Gentleman's Five Virtues, no less."

At that, the corner of Jang Hwa-lim's mouth lifted slightly.

"Father, they have known each other for as long as ten years, as little as five. Have you ever seen Unorthodox or Black Path martial artists live as brothers for that long?"

Jang Yeong-in nodded, then shook his head.

"No. Never. A few years together, and the moment their interests no longer align they draw blades or betray each other — that's the usual way. That's why they call the unorthodox and the heretical a rabble that gathers and scatters. Even when there's affection between them, the ones who make a name for infamy tend to get hunted down. Living together as long as the Shaanxi Four Fiends have... they're practically the only ones."

Jang Yeong-in was well versed in the ways of the Black Path and the Unorthodox, and he knew the truth of it.

"From that, one can see that he has loyalty. The rumors say he always yields for his younger brothers and looks after them first. He saved each of their lives, and only then took them as brothers. That is being beneficent without extravagance — another of the Gentleman's Five Virtues. That an Unorthodox man should be more gentlemanly than the martial artists of the Orthodox jianghu means his origin is Unorthodox, nothing more. His nature itself is close to that of a gentleman."

Jang Hwa-lim went on.

"And watching today's spar, he seemed to possess a broader mind than even the Daoists of the Qingcheng Sect. He could have crushed Daoist Haewol in full view of everyone and made a name for himself — and he did not. He showed only as much ability as was necessary. That is being ambitious without greed. If that was calculated, he has the makings of a leader. If it was not intended, then he has the temperament of a hero. Either way, it answers to being serene without arrogance — yet another of the Gentleman's Five Virtues."

"Hahaha. The more I listen, the better the evaluation gets."

Jang Yeong-in stroked his short beard and asked,

"And his face? What did you see?"

Jang Hwa-lim's knowledge of physiognomy ran deep, and he asked because of it. She looked at her father for a moment.

"Oh? A hegemon in an age of chaos. His face reads that strongly?"

"That's how I see it."

"Hmm. A man worth keeping close, then."

Jang Yeong-in nodded again and again, gazing toward the pavilion where the two of them sat.

Seo Joo-cheon watched Jang Hwa-lim and Jang Yeong-in standing there in conversation, and smiled faintly.

They're probably evaluating me.

When he had designed Jang Hwa-lim, he had drawn her as a character with an exceptional eye for people. He had given her the role of strategist, and so he had ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠made her thoroughly versed in the military classics, brilliant at stratagem.

I wonder what she'll say about me. I hope it's something positive.

Jang Hyeon-nam led the briefly pensive Seo Joo-cheon along.

"Hyung-nim, I brought you here because I have something to tell you."

The tone was calm, but something complicated sat beneath it — Jang Hyeon-nam's voice trembled as it came out.