Chapter 105
Chapter 105
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Ronin Registration
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Bu Eun-seol looked intrigued.
“Ronin registration?”
“Yes. If they gave jobs to just anyone, information could leak, or the job could be botched.”
“Don’t ronin hide their identities anyway?”
“They do. In truth, the registration isn't much. You just need to prove your skill. Based on that, you can take on four types of jobs: low, mid, high, and special grade.”
“Registration and a test.”
Bu Eun-seol understood.
If they assessed a ronin's skill and assigned jobs accordingly, the probability of failure would certainly decrease.
After all, if many ronin failed their jobs, the credibility of Jeok-cheon-mak-ji would suffer.
“They do things properly.”
“In return, they take a finder's fee, which they call an information fee, every time you receive a job. It starts at thirty percent for low-grade and goes down to about ten percent for high or special-grade ronin.”
“I see.”
“I will ask about the registration process first.”
As Heuk-pyo approached one of the long counters of the Su-gyeong-jeon, a woman with a very neat appearance greeted him with a smile.
“Welcome.”
“I'd like to register as a ronin.”
“Ah, it seems this is your first time here.”
When Heuk-pyo nodded, the woman handed him a piece of paper.
“First, could you please fill out the register?”
“Young Master.”
Heuk-pyo offered the register to Bu Eun-seol, who thought for a moment.
Then, he wrote ‘Seol-so.’
It meant to disappear like snow, but the woman simply nodded.
“So you are Young Master Seol. And you, sir?”
At her question, Heuk-pyo shook his head.
“I am Seol… Young Master's attendant.”
“Ah, I see. Still, if you're going to accompany him, you must register as well.”
Heuk-pyo looked at the register, then wrote 'Baek-ho' in small letters next to Seol-so.
“Here you go.”
When Heuk-pyo handed back the register, the woman pointed to a building across from the Su-gyeong-gak.
“Please go to the Hweng-gong-bu over there. You can have your grade determined there.”
The woman offered a gentle smile.
“Once your grade is set, you can take on jobs from the open board that match your grade, or you can come here to receive a job that suits your aptitude.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
Heuk-pyo led Bu Eun-seol out of the Su-gyeong-jeon and through the entrance of the Hweng-gong-bu on the opposite side.
Passing through the main gate, they saw a small armory with the eighteen types of weapons displayed, along with a wide training ground.
“Here to get your grade determined?”
A bald man standing in front of the armory looked Bu Eun-seol and Heuk-pyo up and down.
“The one taking the test is my young master.”
“Young master? Heh.”
The bald man glanced at Bu Eun-seol's altered, ordinary face and snickered.
“Sometimes, the scions of fallen houses bring their attendants along to work as ronin.”
The bald man seemed to think Bu Eun-seol was the descendant of a fallen house, trying to make a living as a ronin with his servant in tow.
“Let's get on with it.”
Bu Eun-seol said, sounding bored, and the bald man grinned, pointing a finger.
“The test is simple. Just leave your footprints over there.”
The place the man pointed to was paved with dark blue stone.
Jeok-cheon-mak-ji determined one's level of internal energy by the depth of the footprints left in the blue stone slab, using it to assign grades.
“Is the test only to determine one's level of internal energy?”
As Bu Eun-seol frowned, the man chuckled.
“Of course, if your internal energy is determined to be over one gapja, you can take the test for a high-grade ronin. But that never happens with a rookie.”
“Then I suppose I'll have to take the high-grade ronin test.”
At Bu Eun-seol's words, the bald man's face hardened.
“Did you not hear what I just said?”
And with a scowl, he pointed to the blue stone slab.
“First, you must leave your footprints in the blue stone slab, and only if your internal energy is judged to be over one gapja…”
He couldn't finish his sentence.
Because two footprints were already vividly imprinted on the flat blue stone slab.
“When did you…”
The man swallowed hard.
The footprints were even pressed all the way to the bottom of the blue stone. Bu Eun-seol had used Geuk-sok-mu-yeong to leave the prints in a flash.
‘He's a master whose internal energy far exceeds one gapja!’
Only then did the man realize that Bu Eun-seol was a master beyond his league, and he cleared his throat.
“Ahem, follow me.”
Following the bald man across the training ground, they came to a winding passage.
After walking for some time along the path, a wide flower garden opened up, and within it stood a small stone-walled house.
The bald man stopped in front of the house, bowed his head, and spoke respectfully.
“Vice Lord. It is I, Jeung-gak.”
In response, instead of an answer, a low "cough, cough" came from inside the stone house.
“Someone whose internal energy exceeds one gapja has come, seeking to take the high-grade ronin test.”
“A high-grade ronin?”
*Creeak.*
The door of the stone house opened, and a very tall man walked out slowly.
For a moment, Bu Eun-seol looked surprised.
He had expected an old man to emerge, hearing the title "Vice Lord." But the one who came out was a young man who looked to be no older than thirty at most.
“Cough, cough.”
Just then, the man coughed again.
Even with his head slightly bowed, he stood a handspan taller than Bu Eun-seol, who was over six feet tall. Every time he coughed, the longsword at his waist rippled like a wave.
“A high-grade ronin, you say…”
When his coughing finally subsided, the man pointed at Bu Eun-seol and said.
“Give him the plaque.”
“Pardon?”
“It's fine, just give it to him.”
The tall man coughed again and turned away.
But suddenly, Bu Eun-seol nodded and spoke.
“You're strong. It was worth coming here.”
Bu Eun-seol, smiling with a flash of white teeth, blocked the man's path.
“Are you the Vice Lord here?”
“I am.”
“I see.”
Bu Eun-seol held a faint smile as he spoke in a cold voice.
“Then, draw your sword.”
The man stared blankly for a moment.
A rookie ronin who had come to get his grade was telling him to draw his sword?
But the man soon grasped Bu Eun-seol's intention and let out a small laugh.
“As you can see, my body is unwell. I have a lung disease.”
“It doesn't matter.”
“Are you saying you want to fight a sick man?”
“A sick man.”
As Bu Eun-seol scoffed, the man gave a wry smile.
“You think I'm lying?”
“Your body might be a little weak. But your hand is very strong, isn't it?”
The body is weak, but the hand is strong.
It was a strange, contradictory statement. But the look in Bu Eun-seol's eyes did not change.
He had discerned that while the man's body might indeed be ill, the energy and concentrated power emanating from his right hand were enough to part a river.
“Hehehe.”
The man laughed lowly, stared intently at Bu Eun-seol, and then nodded.
“So, you wish to fight me.”
“I do.”
“Unfortunately, I must decline.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don't fight just anyone.”
The man wore a sweet, faint smile.
“I've granted you the high-grade ronin status. Come back when you've earned the title of a special-grade ronin. Then, I'll consider it.”
Leaving those words behind, the man unhesitatingly slipped back inside the bamboo curtain.
After a moment of silence, the bald man, Jeung-gak, who had been standing behind, hurried over and said.
“Are you crazy?”
He approached Bu Eun-seol, his face contorted in a grimace.
“Do you even know who that is, challenging him to a fight?”
“I don't.”
When Bu Eun-seol answered calmly, Jeung-gak's jaw dropped in disbelief.
“You challenged him without even knowing who he is?”
“That's right.”
“Why?”
“Because he's strong.”
“Hah. You're truly incorrigible.”
Jeung-gak slapped his forehead and sighed.
“Clean out your ears and listen well. That is Sir Jeong-cheon, the third disciple of the great Cho-geom-rang.”
“Cho-geom-rang?”
Bu Eun-seol's eyes narrowed.
Cho-geom-rang. He was a grandmaster of martial arts who belonged to the legendary ten warriors of the previous generation, the Ma-do-sip-geol.
And that skinny man was Cho-geom-rang's third disciple?
“So that's why you called him 'Sir'.”
If he was a disciple of Cho-geom-rang, who made his name over sixty years ago, he would be on par with the current leaders of the Nine Sects One Alliance.
“Now that you know, don't go challenging him or anything. That is, if you value your life.”
In response to Jeung-gak's words, Bu Eun-seol actually smiled and patted his shoulder.
“So. How does one become a special-grade ronin?”
“What have you been hearing this whole time? If you value your life…”
Jeung-gak's words trailed off.
An undeniable aura of authority emanated from the smiling Bu Eun-seol.
“Ahem.”
Jeung-gak swallowed hard, cleared his throat, and said.
“You must complete twenty or more jobs for high-grade ronin listed on the open board.”
“That's too many.”
Completing twenty jobs would take up all his time in the Jianghu.
As Bu Eun-seol frowned, Jeung-gak cleared his throat again.
“Alternatively, you could complete three designated jobs assigned by this department. However…”
He continued.
“Frankly, you'd be better off reconsidering.”
Jeung-gak said, looking at Bu Eun-seol.
“A designated job means it's a difficult task that couldn't be solved through the open board. Taking those on just to become a special-grade ronin is too much of a loss.”
Bu Eun-seol looked puzzled.
The bald man's advice was beneficial to Bu Eun-seol, not to Jeok-cheon-mak-ji.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“There aren't many ronin with your skill at such a young age.”
Jeung-gak sighed and said.
“In the ronin market, you see countless young people overestimate their abilities and die young. I'm only advising you because it's a shame.”
Jeung-gak was more straightforward and honest than he seemed.
“I see.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded, seeming to take a liking to Jeung-gak.
“Thank you for the advice.”
“You understand?”
As a moved Jeung-gak wiped his nose, Bu Eun-seol shook his head firmly.
“I'll just take the designated jobs.”
The third-floor office of the Su-gyeong-jeon.
This was where the Master of the Su-gyeong-jeon, who distributed all the jobs that came to Jeok-cheon-mak-ji, resided.
Jeung-gak, leading the way, spoke in front of the Master's office.
“Jeung-gak of the Hweng-gong-bu.”
“Come in.”
A young woman's voice came from inside. Jeung-gak then turned to Bu Eun-seol and said.
“I've explained the situation, so you can just talk to her.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded and opened the door without hesitation.
Inside, amidst bookshelves and desks piled high with scrolls, sat a woman dressed in blue.
Was she just past her coming-of-age? Despite her youth, she possessed a dignity and grace not often seen in young women.
“I am Dam Yu-yeon, Master of the Su-gyeong-jeon.”
“Seol-so.”
She glanced briefly at Heuk-pyo behind Bu Eun-seol and nodded.
“I've heard everything. You wish to become a special-grade ronin of our department.”
“That's right.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to fight the strong.”
“I don't understand. Can't you just wander the Murim and challenge strong opponents?”
Bu Eun-seol answered honestly.
“I don't have time to wander aimlessly seeking duels. They aren't always in one place, and some people's skills don't live up to their reputation.”
Bu Eun-seol scanned the office and continued.
“But the jobs that come to ronin contain accurate information. Also, since you don't belong to any sect, there are likely many jobs that involve facing strong opponents.”
“Becoming a ronin to fight the strong... I see.”
Dam Yu-yeon's eyes deepened as if recalling a faint memory.
“In the past, the great Cho-geom-rang also said he became a ronin to trade blows with the strong.”
She stared intently at Bu Eun-seol and said calmly.
“He said that belonging to a sect or organization complicates even a single fight.”
“Is that so.”
“I'll ask one thing.”
Dam Yu-yeon's gaze fixed on Bu Eun-seol's altered, slender eyes.
“Is it true that the reason you want to become a special-grade ronin, Young Master Seol, is to fight the Lord of the Hweng-gong-bu?”
“Yes.”
“Is it because he is strong?”
“Yes.”
For a moment, a dark red glint of emotion flickered in Dam Yu-yeon's eyes.
It was anger and hostility.
But the emotional light vanished quickly, replaced once more by a soft, gentle gaze.
“Very well.”
Looking at Bu Eun-seol's entry in the register on the desk, she nodded.
“There's no reason to refuse someone willing to handle the special-grade jobs that have been troubling our department.”
And from the side of her desk, she picked up a yellowed envelope.
“This is the first job. I believe you'll find the contents to your liking.”
Bu Eun-seol opened the envelope, and his eyes gleamed.
Inside was an order to eliminate the mysterious figure Wang Jeong, who had recently seized control of the Bul-jeong Mountain area, and the forces under his command.
“Wang Jeong…”
Bu Eun-seol tilted his head as he looked down at the envelope.
“I've never heard of him.”
Dam Yu-yeon spoke in a low voice.
“He is a master who acquired the secret manual of the Blood Blade, a master from a hundred years ago whose secrets were hidden in Bul-jeong Mountain.”