Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: The Secret Visitor
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It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Murim Alliance managed every region under heaven, but there were naturally disparities in their oversight.
The central plains as the political heartland, the resource-rich Jiangnan region, and the local areas dominated by major sects.
These were places the Murim Alliance held particularly dear, showering them with far more attention than elsewhere.
And then there were regions that received significantly less of the Alliance's focus—one prime example being Hunan Province, as it happened.
In truth, Hunan wasn't a place lacking geographical advantages.
It was an essential hub for trade with the southern barbarians.
However, with its many mountains, sparse population, and no major sect to develop and manage it, the Alliance found it tricky to intervene and simply observed from afar.
Yet now, bandits were the ones developing the mountain paths in Hunan.
Once those paths were opened and transportation improved, trade with the southern barbarians would flourish, boosting commerce across the board.
But the sticking point...
*It's that the ones doing this work are bandits, of all people.*
It was unlikely, but if these bandits used this opportunity to grow stronger and consolidate more forces, they could birth a troublesome faction.
Sending a subjugation force to wipe them out would halt the path development.
And eliminating the bandits would spark disputes among local sects in Hunan, all vying to claim management of the now-vacant routes.
"Hmm... What a dilemma...."
No matter how he thought about it, this issue didn't belong in mere mid-to-low priority intelligence.
The ignorant Beggar Clan probably slotted it there because the bandits weren't engaging in overt threats, but this encompassed a web of complex problems.
"Hmm... As expected, this matter doesn't seem like something the Shadow Hall should decide unilaterally."
Ma Yu gathered the documents to report it to his superiors.
That was when it happened.
Creak—.
"Strategist Ma."
"Oh. Captain of the Dragon Subjugation Squad. What brings you here?"
A handsome man with a gentle, affable demeanor entered through the door.
His name was Dokgo Young.
Second son of the renowned Dokgo family, one of the esteemed later-generation talents, and commander of the Murim Alliance's Dragon Subjugation Squad.
His exceptional martial prowess had earned him this key position at a young age, and his mild, bright personality made him well-liked throughout the Alliance.
"The Chief Strategist asked me to deliver the newly updated Murim Merit Ledger."
"Sigh... You could have sent a subordinate for such a simple task, yet you came yourself."
"It's no trouble at all—why delegate it? Besides, it's been a while since I've seen you, Strategist Ma. I wanted to drop by personally."
*How considerate he is.*
Ma Yu was one of those who admired Dokgo Young.
He appreciated the man's thoughtfulness for others, and despite his prestigious family background, he carried none of the arrogance.
Pleased, Ma Yu reached for the Murim Merit Ledger to hand it over...
"Here, the Murim Merit Ledger... Ah...."
"...Is something wrong?"
Ma Yu realized he hadn't yet decided how to handle the Hunan bandits and their presumed leader, the Bandit King, and withdrew his hand.
Dokgo Young looked puzzled and asked, prompting Ma Yu to answer candidly.
"Truth be told... There's something bothering me, so I was planning to consult first before finalizing the merits."
"Something bothering you...?"
"Well... There's this bandit in Hunan Province rallying forces."
"A bandit rallying forces...? Then we must assemble a subjugation squad immediately...!"
"Ah, no, it's not like that...."
As Dokgo Young spoke in outrage, Ma Yu pulled out the Beggar Clan intelligence and showed it to him.
"Bandits... pioneering mountain paths and not hostile toward merchants...."
"That's the part that's giving me pause. Perhaps leaving them be could overall be more beneficial...."
As Ma Yu continued his mental calculations, a subdued voice came from Dokgo Young.
"Strategist Ma...."
"Yes?"
"If I may be so bold, isn't our Murim Alliance not established merely for profit?"
"What...?"
That calm, sinking tone pierced Ma Yu's vulnerability directly.
"Our Murim Alliance was founded solely to spread justice and righteousness across the heavens. These bandits are existences that oppose our justice and righteousness."
"I-is that so...."
"I believe we should eliminate them purely for justice and righteousness, not for pragmatic calculations."
In Dokgo Young's eyes as he spoke gleamed something resolute and unyielding.
That firmness made Ma Yu, who had been tallying gains like a merchant, feel a pang of shame.
"Haha... You're right a hundred times over, Captain Dokgo. I nearly made a grave mistake. However...."
Ma Yu pointed to the very last line in the Beggar Clan report.
*'Merchant satisfaction has increased due to the pioneered mountain paths.'*
"Regardless, bringing peace to the common folk's lives can also fall under justice and righteousness, no?"
"Strategist! What bandits do can hardly be seen as justice and righteous—"
"I know, I understand your feelings. But what I'm saying is this issue is too complex for us to decide here. We'll report to superiors and first send someone very familiar with such matters."
"Someone familiar with this...?"
"This is the Shadow Hall. We're crawling with agents more skilled than any in espionage. Send one to scout—if these bandits prove vile, we dispatch the subjugation squad right away.... If not... we hold off and reassess."
"......"
With the responsible strategist saying as much, Dokgo Young had no grounds to argue further. Seeing regret dripping from his eyes, Ma Yu clapped his shoulder.
"As expected of someone overflowing with justice and righteousness—you must find it hard to stomach. Didn't you make your name subduing various unorthodox groups since debuting in the martial world?"
"Yes."
"If these Hunan bandits turn out wicked, I'll petition my superiors to let your Dragon Subjugation Squad handle the subjugation. So ease your mind."
"I'd be grateful if you did."
With that, Dokgo Young bowed deeply to show his respect to Ma Yu.
Seeing this, Ma Yu once more felt warmed by the polite later-generation talent, oblivious to the killing intent brimming in Dokgo Young's eyes beneath.
**
A few days later, a peddler set foot in Hunan Province.
At a glance, he looked no different from any other merchant, but his true identity was a Murim Alliance agent.
For agents in the jianghu, the most crucial skill was concealing one's qi. Martial artists exuded far stronger auras than ordinary folk, so suppressing it forcibly was essential to avoid detection by others.
In that regard, Alliance agents were true professionals.
The agent, tightly sealing his qi, headed to the outpost at the very start of the mountain path.
Since most merchants passed through here to use the path, a long line had formed to obtain travel permits.
One of his missions was to verify if merchant satisfaction was truly as high as reported.
Pretending otherwise, he gauged the atmosphere around him.
"Brother, where are you headed this time?"
"To Yunnan."
"Ha, quite the journey. How about a drink midway?"
"Sure."
...The mood wasn't bad.
No one seemed forced into using the path.
Of course, he couldn't conclude from this alone, but the merchants' complexions appeared brighter than usual.
*'The effect of this path....'*
Lost in thought for a moment, he realized the line had shortened—it was his turn.
"Yes, next."
"Ah, me."
"Yes, please place your load here."
Thud.
As he set down his pack, a weary-looking man with narrow, perpetually squinted eyes rummaged through it.
*'This path is run by bandits... so is this guy one of them?'*
Yet the man's attire was neat, and his speech carried a touch of courtesy.
"Hmm... You're an herbalist merchant. For this, it'll be just one silver tael."
"One silver tael... Here you go."
Among the things he needed to investigate was whether the bandits gouged merchants with exorbitant tolls.
One silver tael for a toll....
It was certainly steep. But not unacceptable. After all, they had pioneered and monopolized this path.
"By chance, since it's my first time, could you guide me?"
"Guide you? Well... there's not much to guide, really...."
With a long line trailing behind him, asking for a guide now might seem demanding, but the man showed no reluctance and began explaining.
*'Somewhat... courteous, I suppose?'*
"Our mountain path connects across all of Hunan Province, with some sections still under development, but everyone's working hard, so it'll be complete soon. You'll see outposts like this along the way—feel free to rest there at will."
"Hmm... I see. Thanks for the guidance. May I have your name?"
"My name...? Bang Sam... But why?"
"No reason. I'll be off then. Keep up the good work."
The agent's mind held records of countless wanted criminals and offenders from the Murim Ledger, but no Bang Sam among them.
A steep but reasonable toll, a courteous guide with no major criminal record, and merchants in fairly good spirits.
His first impression wasn't bad as he stepped onto the path.
And...
"Oh...."
...He was a bit surprised.
As a martial artist, rough or smooth terrain didn't faze him much. But this path?
Even he found it comfortable—meticulously maintained. To ordinary merchant folk, it must feel incredibly easy.
*'They've certainly paved it well.'*
Evaluating various aspects, he traversed the path all day, only finding an outpost as dusk fell.
Assessing how these rest stops were managed was another key factor.
The outpost he chose was midway along the path. Despite the setting sun, several merchants lounged comfortably, drinking.
"Welcome. May I see your travel permit?"
"Here."
A delicately handsome young man greeted him. Despite being male, his beauty was striking—perhaps that's why the agent felt a vague sense of familiarity.
Noticing the stare, the young man asked quizzically.
"Why are you staring like that?"
"You... Have we met before?"
"First time meeting."
"I thought so too, but you seem familiar.... Hmm, never mind. Show me to a seat."
"Yes, over there."
As he followed to his seat, the agent eyed what the merchants were eating—several bottles of liquor each, heartily enjoying wild boar meat.
*'Merchants in a rush to their destinations, yet feasting like this instead of pressing on....'*
Puzzled, the agent asked.
"How much for a bottle of Zhuye Qing here?"
"We don't sell by the bottle.... ......!"
And as the young man began to reply...
"......"
"Hey? Why'd you stop talking all of a sudden?"
The young man abruptly halted, glancing around warily.
*'Has my identity been exposed?'*
No, impossible. His qi concealment was flawless.
Then why the sudden...
Just as suspicion arose, the young man smoothly continued.
"...Haha, sorry. Got lost in thought for a second. One bottle of Zhuye Qing is 30 pun."
"Hmm... Definitely pricier than in town."
"Haha... Being in the middle of these mountains...."
The agent nodded at the explanation.
Transporting liquor to this remote spot incurred costs, so a bit higher than the plains was reasonable enough.
If anything, it was remarkably cheap.
Satisfied with the price, he was about to order a bottle when...
"Hm...?"
"......"
"......"
...He turned to see merchants at the next table glaring at him with utmost grievance.