Something Feels Unfair (2)
The Wi Escort Agency.
It was just a run-of-the-mill, mid-sized escort agency.
And as was always the case with such places, their greatest issue was a chronic shortage of manpower.
Unlike the major agencies that could afford to pay handsomely, mid-sized ones offered meager wages.
Consequently, they couldn't hire powerful martial artists, which naturally made every escort mission highly dangerous.
Because of this, many quit after getting injured or seeing others die on a run or two. Even those who completed their missions safely often couldn't bear the stress and left.
For this reason, the Wi Escort Agency had only one rule when it came to recruitment.
Always hiring, guaranteed acceptance.
There were no entry exams or trials.
When you didn't even have enough hands to do the work, what was the point of testing them?
Such luxuries were reserved for the wealthy, talent-rich major agencies. Yet, eight people had just shown up at the Wi Escort Agency all at once. And to top it off...
"You're disciples of Mount Hua?"
"That's right. Ah, not all of us, but those six over there are Mount Hua disciples."
"..."
At Han Cheong-un's words, the agency leader was temporarily struck speechless.
A lie? How could it be?
In the lands of Shaanxi, anyone walking around carrying a plum blossom sword and wearing robes embroidered with plum blossoms was either a Mount Hua disciple or a madman.
"May I ask your ranks...?"
"The older gentleman over there is an elder, and the other young ones are first-generation disciples."
"Ah... I see. I see."
The leader of the Wi Escort Agency fought desperately to keep his mouth from splitting into a massive grin.
What kind of windfall was this?
An elder and first-generation disciples of Mount Hua had practically rolled right into his lap. If this was the case...
The Great Byeol Bandits, the Lesser Gyeong Bandits, and where else was it...? Anyway, they're all dead meat.
He would use this opportunity to wipe out the bandits who had been charging them ridiculously high tolls.
As he was lost in these thoughts, the youth in front of him spoke.
"Our conditions are that we join your escort to Hunan just this once, and that you completely conceal our identities."
"And the reason for that is...?"
"I cannot disclose that."
"Ah, of course. Yes, naturally."
The agency leader quickly shut his mouth.
An elder of Mount Hua traveling down to Hunan with his disciples.
Since Hunan was the territory of the Unorthodox Faction, their movements would be restricted, so they likely needed a disguise.
He could guess that much.
He was curious about the 'why,' but...
If I want to live a long life, it's better not to know.
In the Jianghu, idle curiosity usually brought nothing but trouble. Keeping that truth firmly in mind, the agency leader spoke.
"Then I take it you will be disguising yourselves as escorts?"
"Yes. Please prepare seven escort uniforms."
"Seven...? But there are eight of you."
"Indeed. But only seven will be escorts. We plan to disguise one as a porter."
"A porter?"
"Why? Are you curious about the reason?"
At Han Cheong-un's question, the agency leader hurriedly shook his head.
"No, not at all. I will do exactly as you wish."
He didn't know the reason, but it felt like it was better that way. And so...
Han Cheong-un took the seven escort uniforms and had his companions put them on. Then...
"Elder, I believe you should disguise yourself as a porter."
"...Wait, what do you mean by that?"
"Think about it. Aren't you far too conspicuous to pass as a mere escort?"
"Me?"
"Yes. Your sage-like appearance, your extraordinary aura, and the traces of your profound martial arts cannot possibly be hidden."
"Ahem..."
First, flatter him. And then...
"A pearl still shines even when buried in mud. That is why you need a much more thorough disguise, Elder."
"And that is why I must be a porter?"
"Yes. Even if someone looks at you, who would ever imagine it? An elder of the great Mount Hua Sect, disguised as a porter, doing menial labor? It is utterly unthinkable."
"..."
It made sense.
Even to him, it seemed impossible that anyone would suspect an elder of a prestigious orthodox sect of doing chores disguised as a lowly porter.
"Not bad."
"Yes. This way, we will pass safely to Hunan without any trouble. All thanks to your sacrifice, Elder."
"Mmm..."
"The only flaw is that my lacking strategy might damage your prestige..."
"Ah, enough."
Elder Hyeon-myeong raised a hand to cut Han Cheong-un off. Then...
"Your reasoning is sound. Very well. For the sake of the grand plan, what does my reputation matter?"
"As expected of a great elder of Mount Hua."
"Give it here."
With that, Elder Hyeon-myeong put on the worn-out porter's clothes. And he failed to see...
...the wicked smirk playing on the lips of the bowing Han Cheong-un.
The conditions Han Cheong-un had set during his conversation with the agency leader were as follows:
We wish to thoroughly disguise our identities on the way to Hunan.
Therefore, you must treat us as ordinary escorts of your agency. Furthermore, the other members of the agency must remain completely in the dark about this.
Those were the conditions.
Naturally, the agency leader accepted. However...
"Excuse me, but if we completely hide your identities, the elder disguised as a porter might find things rather uncomfortable..."
"That is exactly the point."
"Pardon?"
"Ahem, I mean, the elder is fully prepared to sacrifice himself for the sake of this mission."
"..."
"So do not worry about him. Treat him strictly as an old, incompetent porter. Oh, and for the record, his character concept is that he does not know martial arts. It would be strange for a porter to be a martial arts master, wouldn't it?"
"..."
"And just in case, let me ask: does the Wi Escort Agency happen to have a senior porter with a lot of experience and a terrible temper?"
"There is a man named Jang who is a bit..."
"Perfect. Please assign that man, Jang, to be the elder's direct supervisor."
"..."
"Hehehe... I look forward to it."
The agency leader thought to himself.
I'll do as he requested, but...
Is this really going to be okay?
"You stupid old geezer!"
Of course, it was not okay.
The senior porter, Jang, possessed a foul temper, a petty mind, and a mean streak—essentially combining every trait one would desperately wish to avoid in a superior at any workplace.
"I told you to load this luggage onto the carriage in the back! What do you have in those ears of yours, huh?"
"Hoho. Calm down first..."
"Calm down, my foot! You did a garbage job, and now you're standing there grinning? You think this is funny, huh?"
"Ahem... But this luggage, I... you told me to load it here..."
"Oh, so now it's my fault?"
"..."
"Wow, ten years in this business and I've never seen anything like this. Where does a washed-up old fossil like you get the nerve to talk back just because you've eaten a few more bowls of rice? What? What are you glaring at? You want a piece of me?!"
"..."
The foul-tempered porter, Jang, was nagging and shouting relentlessly.
Receiving this verbal abuse, Mount Hua's Elder Hyeon-myeong repeatedly reached for his empty waist, only to pull his hand back.
"Will the elder... be alright?"
"Even if it's a disguise, that's a bit much..."
"Mmm... Shouldn't we stop this?"
The first-generation disciples whispered among themselves.
When Elder Hyeon-myeong had fallen for the youth Han Cheong-un's words and agreed to the disguise, they had never imagined things would turn out like this.
Finally, unable to watch any longer, one of them approached Han Cheong-un and whispered.
"Young Master Han."
"What is it, Hero Yoon?"
Yoon Sang.
He was one of the top first-generation disciples of Mount Hua, a rising star known as one of the Seven Plum Blossom Swords.
Excluding Baek Su-ah, who hid her strength and avoided public activities, he was one of the strongest among Mount Hua's first-generation disciples.
He spoke to Han Cheong-un in a serious tone.
"Shouldn't we stop this?"
"Hmm? Stop what?"
Stop what? How can he even ask that?
An elder of Mount Hua was being chewed out like a dog by a mere porter!
"Isn't that a bit too harsh?"
"It's fine, it's fine. Given the elder's level of self-cultivation, would he really get angry over a little nagging?"
"..."
He looks like he's about to explode, though.
Look. There was practically steam rising from his head.
Ah, wait, no. It was just his soul escaping his body.
It looked like he was about to ascend to heaven.
"Look here!"
Yoon Sang straightened his face and spoke to Han Cheong-un.
"As a disciple of Mount Hua, I cannot stand by and watch an elder of our sect suffer such humiliation any longer."
"Mmm, indeed. As a disciple of Mount Hua, you cannot bear to watch such a sight."
"Of course—"
"But right now, we aren't disciples of Mount Hua. We are escorts of the Wi Escort Agency."
"That is merely a disguise."
"Tsk, tsk. You're still not fully immersed."
"Pardon?"
To the bewildered Yoon Sang, Han Cheong-un put on a stern expression.
"How can a disciple of Mount Hua not give their absolute best to a mission ordered by the Sect Leader?"
"No, what on earth..."
"Look at the elder. Do you see him?"
He could see him, all right.
He could see him very clearly, taking all kinds of abuse from a foul-tempered porter.
"Even an elder of Mount Hua is executing his duties with such dedication. How can you, Hero Yoon, not do the same...?"
"Huh?"
Does it really work that way?
But still...
"Look at him! Silently enduring the nagging of a porter he could crush with a single fist! Isn't it beautiful?"
"..."
"The elder is doing his utmost even in the difficult role of a porter, yet you, Hero Yoon, cannot even focus on the easy role of an escort?"
"No, that's not what I meant..."
Yoon Sang realized he had to stop this sophistry. But then, Han Cheong-un struck at the core of the matter.
"Or should we stop this disguise and request aid from the Wulin Alliance, just as the elder wanted?"
"..."
"Should we contact the Alliance, reveal our mission, and get help from the Ten Sword Squad?"
"No, absolutely not. We can't do that."
Yoon Sang rejected the idea flatly.
One of the main reasons they had accepted this disguise without complaint was to prevent the elder from involving the Wulin Alliance.
No matter how orthodox Mount Hua was, and even if the Wulin Alliance represented the orthodox faction, involving the Alliance in this matter was not ideal.
The secret vault of the Shadowless Divine Thief?
Honestly, if they could claim it, it was best for Mount Hua to keep it all. If they received help from the Wulin Alliance, they would have to share.
No, sharing would be the least of their problems.
It was highly likely the Alliance would confiscate everything except the Zaha Divine Sword under the pretext of 'management.'
As a disciple of Mount Hua, I cannot let that happen.
In that case, continuing the disguise was far better.
"Then, commit to this disguise. Until this mission is over, you must be an escort of the Wi Escort Agency through and through."
"Mmm..."
"Look at the elder's sacrifice. Don't you think you all should follow his example?"
"You frustrating old man! How can you be so slow on the uptake, huh? Are you listening to me?!"
"..."
"Let me tell you how society works. Before you blame others, you need to look at your own mistakes first. How dare you talk back to your superior... huh?"
"..."
They certainly didn't want to follow that example, but...
...it was undeniably impressive.
Watching the elder silently unload and reload the carriage by himself after enduring the scolding made them reflect on whether they had been too complacent.
"I understand. I will keep your words in mind."
"That's the spirit, Hero Yoon. Or rather, Escort Yoon."
"Understood, Escort Han. I'll see you later."
"Yes. See you later."
After sending Yoon Sang back,
Han Cheong-un looked at Elder Hyeon-myeong with a satisfied expression.
Who am I? Where am I?
As the elder carried the luggage with a completely blank face, Jang roared from behind.
"You slow-ass old man! The sun's going to set at this rate! If the escort schedule gets delayed because of you, are you going to pay for it? Huh?"
"...No. I will... hurry."
"Don't just say it, do it! Faster!"
Ah... the old grudges were melting away.
Just a little bit.
The escort mission proceeded smoothly.
At least, while they were in the lands of Shaanxi.
The territory of the Orthodox Faction, where Mount Hua and Zhongnan were situated, was far too harsh for bandits to operate.
The same was true as they headed down to the Hubei region.
This was the home of Wudang and the Zhuge Clan.
If any bandit dens were established here, the two sects would compete to wipe them out, viewing them as excellent training targets.
Consequently, the journey up to this point was peaceful and safe.
"You old bastard! Can't you do anything right? Did I or did I not tell you to tie this rope tighter?"
"Isn't this tight enough?"
"No, it isn't. What are you going to do about it?"
"..."
"Tie it again!"
Well, one person probably wouldn't agree that it was peaceful.
At any rate, the trouble in this smooth journey began once they crossed Hubei and reached the Yangtze River, heading toward Hunan.
The Yangtze River.
This massive river, which carved its way through the north and south of the Central Plains, had been used as a vital waterway since ancient times.
Moving goods by boat allowed for much faster and cheaper transport of large quantities, so who wouldn't choose it?
And where there was a massive flow of goods, there were bound to be bandits eager to plunder them.
Bandits who made the Yangtze River their home.
These so-called water bandits began to gather. Banding together in small groups, they eventually formed a massive coalition.
That was the Eighteen Water Bandit Dens of the Yangtze River.
That notorious pirate syndicate, which once struck terror into the Jianghu, had been born this way. However...
"How dare mere water bandits harm commoners?"
They had been beaten to a pulp by the Wulin Alliance, forced to disband, and faded into the annals of history.
Yet, while bandits could be defeated, completely eradicating them was a near-impossible task.
Even now, various pirate groups claiming to be part of the Yangtze River Water Bandit Dens were scattered all over the river. For example...
"Hahaha! Stop the boat! The heroes of the Yangtze River have arrived!"
Leading a fleet of five massive ships, they surrounded the Wi Escort Agency's vessel.
The agency leader shouted toward them.
"We are the Wi Escort Agency! Which heroes do we have the honor of meeting?"
To his question, the opponent replied.
"We are the Shark King Den!"
"The Shark King Den?"
The leader of the Wi Escort Agency furrowed his brow.
As far as he knew, the Shark King Den was a pirate group that operated further upstream. Given how territorial water bandits usually were, their presence here meant...
"Has the Violent Shark Den retreated?"
"Hahaha! Those bastards are probably paying their respects to the Dragon King of the Yangtze by now."
As expected, they had expanded their territory.
They had driven out the Violent Shark Den, who originally ruled this area, and taken over.
Then... what should I do?
The leader of the Wi Escort Agency pondered.
Even with the disciples of Mount Hua on board, making enemies of water bandits on the water was not a wise decision.
Even if they could defeat them now, they had to think about the future.
It's best to resolve this with money if possible.
Having reached a conclusion, the agency leader spoke.
"Congratulations to the heroes of the Shark King Den on your expanding business. We, the Wi Escort Agency, wish to maintain a good relationship with you in the future."
"That depends on how much sincerity you show us."
The agency leader pulled a pouch from his breast pocket and tossed it over.
"I've added a bit more to what we used to pay the Violent Shark Den. Since this is our first transaction, please look after us in the future."
This should have been enough to resolve the matter smoothly. However...
"Hahaha. This is nowhere near enough."
Without even checking the contents of the pouch, the pirate leader rejected it flatly.
"What do you mean?"
"Carrying such a treasure, yet trying to get by with this pocket change... isn't that a bit shameless?"
"Treasure?"
At first, the agency leader had no idea what he was talking about.
But as soon as he followed the pirate's gaze, the agency leader gasped in shock.
The greasy gaze of the water bandit was directed toward...
"Lady... Lady Baek?"
There stood Baek Su-ah, whose beauty could not be hidden even by the plain escort uniform.
The pirate burst into a boisterous laugh.
"Hahaha! A peerless beauty indeed! A woman like that belongs to a hero. And since I am a hero of the realm, wouldn't I make a fitting husband for her?"
Absolute nonsense had just spewed from his mouth.