The Impartial Way of Heaven
It had been nearly a hundred years since the Orthodox Alliance, the predecessor of the Wulin Alliance, aided the Imperial Court in banishing the sorcerers of the Sun Moon Sect. Since then, the pact of non-aggression between the government and the Murim—the principle of non-interference between court and forest—had remained unbroken.
In his youth, when he was nothing but a peddler, Baek Gyeom could not comprehend this state of affairs. Why does the government leave these Murim ruffians to their own devices? To an ordinary citizen like him, the very existence of martial artists was an absurdity.
The Unorthodox factions slaughtered people without a second thought for the sake of profit. The bandits of the Green Forest and the pirates of the rivers extorted taxes never authorized by the court. And what of the Orthodox factions? The so-called Nine Great Sects and One Association played at being enlightened sages deep in their mountains, while the noble clans and secular sects dipped their fingers into every lucrative business imaginable. No matter how much he lamented, wondering what the millions of imperial soldiers were doing, nothing ever changed.
But as the saying goes, one only sees as much as one knows. As time passed and experience accumulated, his perspective shifted. The imperial army was busy. They had to hold back the remnants of the Yuan Dynasty, keep watch over the Sun Moon Sect that had fled across the eastern sea, and fend off the Japanese pirates.
Martial artists were fast, and they were strong. Even a Second-class bandit could easily handle four or five ordinary soldiers. And true masters of the Murim cut down those very bandits as if they were mere children. It was only after witnessing a single martial artist slaughter those who had seemed like grim reapers to him that he truly understood. The law was far, but the fist was near—and the blade of a Murim warrior was closer still.
And now, Baek Gyeom felt that very same sensation once again. No, it was even more intense. That young lady is truly astonishing. One only sees as much as one knows. Having established his own merchant group and worked alongside countless martial artists, Baek Gyeom's trained eye recognized it instantly. That young girl was second to none of the warriors he had ever encountered. Sweeping away a rain of arrows with a single motion, she had charged forward with irresistible force—a veritable force of one against a thousand.
"Whew."
"You worked hard. Here."
"Yeah. Thanks."
Yoo Jeong took the cloth Namgung Sua offered and wiped the blood splattered on his face. Sensing a gaze on him, he looked up to find Namgung Sua watching him with a complicated expression. When their eyes met, her lips parted, and she hesitated for a moment.
"Miss Yoo," she began hesitantly. "Could you not have... shown them some mercy?"
The question was so unexpected that Yoo Jeong tilted his small head in confusion. Was I too harsh? He looked around at the fallen bandits. The strongest among them, the man who appeared to be their leader, had only been at the peak of the First-class realm or perhaps the very threshold of a Peak Expert. Ending the fight had been no trouble at all.
Too harsh? They had swung their weapons at him, and he had simply returned the favor. He hadn't made them suffer, either; he had cut their vitals as cleanly as possible. When blades clash, never let your guard down and give your absolute best. Yoo Jeong had merely been faithful to that teaching. If anything, he felt slightly uneasy that he hadn't pursued the bandits who fled halfway through the battle.
When he voiced his thoughts to Namgung Sua, she let out a soft sigh. "I think this from time to time, Miss Yoo, but there is far too much killing intent in your sword."
"Hmm."
"Of course, I'm not saying you must absolutely practice non-killing or only subdue your enemies. But I wanted to remind you that the more blood you stain your blade with, the heavier and more clinging that blood becomes."
Blood on a blade can be wiped away, but the price of blood attached to one's name can never be erased. Namgung Sua's demeanor was incredibly serious as she spoke, so Yoo Jeong did not let her words slide in one ear and out the other. He respected and trusted her to a certain degree, and he had also sensed something from the atmosphere around them.
Respect and admiration. While some of the escorts looked at him with those eyes, there were others whose gazes held a subtle, unspoken dread. Most of the latter were ordinary folk who knew no martial arts, like the merchants and the wagon drivers.
Thus, Yoo Jeong asked quietly, "Did I look like a demon just now?"
He had heard that to ordinary people, those of the Unorthodox and Demonic paths were viewed as walking disasters, like monsters. Wondering if he had appeared that ferocious, he spoke up, only for Namgung Sua to wave her hands in dismissal at his solemn expression. "No, it wasn't to that extent."
"I think they were just shocked because they aren't used to blood. I only mentioned it because I want you to keep it in mind during your travels in the Jianghu, Miss Yoo. Don't take it too seriously." Namgung Sua rattled off her explanation in a rapid-fire burst. Watching her closely, Yoo Jeong let out a soft chuckle.
He knew that despite her usual cool and intellectual demeanor, she was surprisingly soft-hearted and clumsy at times. He understood exactly what she had been trying to say.
"Traveling the Jianghu is hard." Yoo Jeong concluded with a playful sigh.
"My apologies. My men lack experience and have committed a discourtesy, so I offer my sincerest apologies on their behalf." A deep, resonant baritone voice suddenly cut into their conversation. Yoo Jeong and Namgung Sua turned their heads in unison, and the man who had drawn their attention clasped his hands in a formal martial greeting.
"I offer my greetings to the young heroines. I am Baek Gyeom of the Hwangro Merchant Group."
"The Hwangro Merchant Group?" Naturally, it was Yoo Jeong's first time hearing the name. But Namgung Sua seemed to recognize it; she searched her memory for a moment before letting out a soft exclamation.
"Could you be..."
"Indeed, young miss. I have had the honor of seeing you a few times in Hefei." The merchant leader, Baek Gyeom, smiled warmly and bowed once more. As Namgung Sua returned the greeting, Yoo Jeong stepped closer and gave her side a gentle poke.
"Ah! What—what are you doing, Miss Yoo?"
"Is he from your family?"
"Ugh, yes, something like that."
The Namgung Clan was situated in Hefei, the capital of Anhui Province. If they had met in Hefei, it must have been at the clan estate. Sure enough, Namgung Sua nodded, and the merchant leader offered further explanation.
"Our Hwangro Merchant Group is one of the merchant groups affiliated with the Namgung Clan. We primarily travel between northern Anhui and Zhejiang, distributing the finest liquors of each region."
"I suppose the Namgung Clan has many affiliated merchant groups."
"But of course. The name of the Namgung Clan is highly renowned not only in the Murim but also in the merchant world."
"The clan has a long history, and they hold a tight grip on Hefei, which is a major transportation hub." At those words, Yoo Jeong's eyes scanned Namgung Sua up and down before he nodded slowly. He finally understood.
"Sua, your family is incredibly rich."
"Well, we are... reasonably well-off. But why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?"
"I was just wondering how you always managed to get such clean white robes."
When traveling from province to province, clothes were bound to get soiled with dust and dirt. Moreover, if a conflict arose between martial artists, robes would easily get torn or stained with blood. For this reason, most warriors traveling the Jianghu wore dark, inexpensive clothing. Yet Namgung Sua insisted on wearing white martial robes embroidered with blue thread. Yoo Jeong had always wondered where the money for that came from.
Sua has been paying for all our travel expenses so far, too. Having lived in the mountains, he knew the value of money all too well. He had felt a quiet sense of debt, but now that burden felt a little lighter. It was a casual remark thrown out without much thought, but Namgung Sua's reaction was entirely unexpected.
"Ah! Miss Yoo, are you taking revenge on me just because of what I said earlier?" Namgung Sua took a step back, her eyes filled with suspicion. With her face slightly flushed and her shoulders trembling, she looked exactly like a teased young girl.
"Huh?"
"Hahaha. You two young ladies seem to get along splendidly."
"With Sua... yes, we are close friends." Yoo Jeong quickly corrected himself just as he was about to say they were sect siblings. If this man was a merchant of the Namgung Clan, he likely knew Namgung Sua's martial lineage. The relationship between the Heaven Blade and Earth Blade lineages was well-known in the Murim, so he needed to watch his words. He had merely tried to gloss over it, but Namgung Sua's reaction was unexpected.
"Friends." Namgung Sua repeated the word, staring intently at him. Perhaps she liked the ring of it, for she mumbled it to herself a few times before nodding. "Yes. Miss Yoo and I are friends."
"Haha! Witnessing such a beautiful friendship between the future pillars of the Jianghu is truly a sight to behold. This old man wishes to repay the life-saving grace you two young heroines have bestowed upon us. Would you grant me the opportunity?" The merchant leader laughed heartily as he offered his gratitude.
A life-saving grace. Among all the debts of gratitude and vengeance in the world, saving a life was the most precious. As a merchant who kept a meticulous ledger of favors and grudges, he clearly had no intention of letting this slide. Yoo Jeong pondered for a moment, and when he looked up, his gaze met Namgung Sua's. She nodded, seemingly sharing his thoughts.
Had it been an unfamiliar merchant group, they would have declined, but this group belonged to the Namgung Clan. Their identity was clear. Moreover, the fact that they had already smothered their campfire with sand before leaving their campsite played a part. Rather than setting up camp all over again, it made more sense to rely on the merchant group for the night and accept their hospitality.
When Yoo Jeong and Namgung Sua nodded, Baek Gyeom's face lit up with joy. Personally leading the way, he guided them to the most comfortable and cleanest spot in the camp before shouting to those around them.
"We owe our lives to these two young heroines today! If we were to simply wipe our mouths and pretend nothing happened, we would be merchants who know nothing of gratitude!"
"That's right!"
"We are no shameless scoundrels!"
"Indeed! Is our Hwangro Merchant Group not a gathering of those who understand the weight of favors? To honor these two young heroines, I shall unseal our Gujing Gongjiu!" Whistles and applause erupted. At the merchant leader's declaration, not only his own men but also the escorts from the agency cheered and clapped.
Gujing Gongjiu? Yoo Jeong tilted his head, watching the crowd rejoice at the name. Sitting beside him and smoothing out her robes, Namgung Sua spoke.
"It's a famous liquor from Anhui, once known as Jiu Yun Chun Jiu. It became famous long ago when Chancellor Cao Cao presented the fine liquor of his hometown to Emperor Xian."
"Must be expensive."
"It's not something you can buy with mere money."
"Indeed. Most of the genuine Gujing Gongjiu goes straight to the Imperial Court, so its value is beyond measure." The merchant leader chimed in, adding to the explanation. He held a liquor bottle in each hand.
"But as a man who buys and sells liquor in Anhui, I've managed to gather a bottle or two here and there. I carry them on our journeys to treat our most precious guests. And since we have met our benefactors today, how could I possibly hoard them?"
"Is it alright to share such a rare liquor so freely?"
"They won't be able to drink much anyway, as they must prepare for tomorrow's journey. It's just a single cup for everyone to have a taste, so you need not worry."
The merchant leader joked that if he didn't share, he wouldn't even be able to swallow his own drink under their envious glares. As he broke the seal of the bottle, a sweet, pure fragrance instantly filled the air.
"It is said that one should welcome esteemed guests with wild celery and fine wine. This old man shall pour a cup for our savior."
Showing that his promise to repay their life-saving grace was no empty talk, the merchant leader treated even the young "woman" with utmost respect as he poured a cup for Yoo Jeong. The clear baijiu trickled down, filling the cup to the brim.
After filling Namgung Sua's cup as well, the merchant leader filled his own, stood up abruptly, and raised his glass. "To our saviors!" "Thank you!"
Finding the booming cheers slightly embarrassing, Yoo Jeong turned his head slightly and downed the full cup in a single draft. The fragrance of orchids filled his mouth. It felt less like drinking alcohol and more like swallowing pure spring water, leaving him deeply impressed.
It's a truly fine liquor. Looking at the lively crowd, who seemed completely unfazed by the fact that they had been threatened by bandits just moments ago, he thought, And they seem like good people. A faint smile touched the corners of Yoo Jeong's eyes. For a brief moment, he felt like a true hero from the legends.