Chapter 210
Chapter 210
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 210
Chapter Title: Return to Dong-pyo-seo-rang
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Bu Eun-seol and the members of the Sa-yeong Squad swiftly left Yuhon Valley behind.
They traveled endlessly westward, arriving at Gwiju City.
Despite reaching the capital, Bu Eun-seol did not stop, arriving at Dong-pyo-seo-rang, home to Gwiju's largest mercenary market.
Only after coming this far did Bu Eun-seol rent out an entire private annex of a high-end inn, letting his squad members rest all at once.
“Bu Eun-seol. Why in the world did we come here?”
While all the squad members were resting, Yu Un-ryong approached Bu Eun-seol and spoke.
“Are you planning to hire mercenaries with money because we're short on hands?”
When no answer came, he scowled at Bu Eun-seol.
“Or is there someone here who's supposed to join us?”
“Be quiet.”
Myo Cheon-u chided Yu Un-ryong for his incessant questions.
“He must have a plan. Why can't you just wait... making a fuss asking about every little thing.”
“What? A fuss?”
As a sharp light glinted in Yu Un-ryong's eyes, Myo Cheon-u scoffed.
“What. You want to go another round?”
“Fine by me.”
From the time they left Yuhon Valley until their arrival here, Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong had fought each other every single night.
However, their skills were so evenly matched that it was impossible to determine a clear winner.
If Myo Cheon-u seemed to have barely won one day, Yu Un-ryong would claim a hard-fought victory by half a move the next.
“No need to wait. Follow me now.”
Yu Un-ryong no longer showed hostility toward Bu Eun-seol.
Instead, that fiery competitive spirit had shifted to Myo Cheon-u.
Myo Cheon-u, who had mastered all of the Myeolin Palace's palm technique essences and had relentlessly strived to surpass the Beoncheon realm since the events at Janggeom Mountain Villa.
His martial arts were on par with Yu Un-ryong, who had gritted his teeth and rapidly advanced his own skills.
Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong.
At last, the two had found a worthy rival who could truly help them grow.
“Hoh, you want to go a round today, too?”
As Myo Cheon-u let out a smirk, Yu Un-ryong spoke with a grim look in his eyes.
“Of course. Today, I'll definitely smash that smug face of yours.”
At that, the resting Sa-yeong Squad members' eyes lit up.
And as if on cue, Jo Nam-cheon began to walk among the members with a wooden box hanging around his neck.
“Alright, they're going at it again today. Place your bets!”
At that, squad members, including Won Se-mun, scrambled to pull out their money pouches and began to bet.
“Brother Myo was ahead by half a move last time, so he'll probably win again, right?”
“Nah. I saw Brother Yu practicing with his White Horse Whip all night. Today will be different.”
Seeing the squad members openly betting on their fight, Yu Un-ryong roared like thunder.
“Do you think this fight is some spectacle for you bastards? Cut it out right now!”
Then, Myo Cheon-u grinned and said.
“Losing your confidence? Afraid you'll lose?”
“What?”
“I'll bet on myself to win.”
And he placed a large gold ingot into the wooden box Jo Nam-cheon was holding.
“This should be more than a hundred nyang. I don't need the money, so distribute it evenly among those who bet on me.”
At that, the squad members let out a cheer of “Ooh!” and rushed to place their bets on Myo Cheon-u.
“Alright. You... I'll definitely kill you today.”
Feeling a sense of rivalry, Yu Un-ryong took out his money pouch and threw the whole thing in.
“I'll bet a thousand nyang. Those who bet on me will share this money according to the odds!”
—Waaaaah!
The cheers of the squad members erupted.
And even the members who usually didn't bet scrambled to place their wagers.
“Ah. What a mess.”
Watching the scene from afar, Hyeok So-jin placed a hand on his forehead and muttered.
“It's like looking at my old branch. The young ones, myself included, were so lost in gambling we couldn't think straight.”
His shoulders slumped, he looked at Bu Eun-seol and spoke.
“It's good that they're lively, but will this be okay? They fight almost every day. They could end up truly falling out.”
“Let them be.”
Bu Eun-seol nodded with an unconcerned expression.
“It's a process of forming a sense of belonging.”
“A sense of belonging?”
“That's right.”
The Sip-ma-jeon-in. They could find no place to belong and were ostracized even by their own sects.
But thanks to Bu Eun-seol, the two had found a home in the Sa-yeong Squad.
And like that... they were building the concept of camaraderie in their own way.
“Indeed, I suppose you could see it that way.”
Hyeok So-jin nodded as if he had realized something.
The Sa-yeong Squad members were once scorned and ostracized under the name Mubon Squad.
It was the same for Myo Cheon-u and Yu Un-ryong. The two of them and the Sa-yeong Squad members felt a strange sense of kinship with one another.
They were integrating in their own way.
“We will rest until tomorrow. Take the squad members out for a drink.”
Bu Eun-seol took a ten-thousand-nyang bank note from his robes and handed it to Hyeok So-jin.
“The bet is just an excuse for them to go drinking anyway. They've worked hard, so take them to a fine tavern and let them drink to their hearts' content.”
“What about you, Brother Bu? Aren't you coming with us?”
Bu Eun-seol offered a faint smile.
“I have something to do.”
Turning around, Bu Eun-seol left the inn.
Once outside, Bu Eun-seol stopped by a post station, bought a carriage, and headed for the outskirts of the city.
After traveling for some time, the carriage came to a stop at a large, village-like place built on a desolate field.
It was the entrance to Dong-pyo-seo-rang, Gwiju's largest mercenary market.
“It's been a while.”
Entering Dong-pyo-seo-rang, Bu Eun-seol narrowed his eyes.
He had a lot of history here.
It was the first place he set foot in to begin his journey in the martial world after leaving the Gusal Squad, and it was through the martial arts tournament here that he obtained his cherished weapon, the Muk-geom.
Not only that, but he also gained the brilliant and resourceful information broker, Heuk-pyo, and met Seo Jin-ha again.
And from Do Myeong, the Rang-ju who claimed to be a former disciple of Nang-ya-gak, he received the formidable secret manual, Gwon-ma-chil-sik.
Of course, not everything had been good.
He had killed Yang Myeong, the Blood Demon Hall Master of Hell Blood Fortress, in a duel for the Muk-geom, making an enemy of the fortress in the process.
But since the good memories overwhelmingly outweighed the bad, Bu Eun-seol couldn't help but feel favorably toward Dong-pyo-seo-rang.
The low hum of a bustling crowd filled the air.
Dong-pyo-seo-rang was even more prosperous than when he had participated in the martial arts tournament.
Many new pavilions had been built in the interim, and the place was bustling with the lively energy of mercenaries looking for work and merchants selling their wares.
Bu Eun-seol headed for the pavilion where mercenaries gathered to receive jobs.
But he soon shook his head. He wanted to get information more quickly and accurately, without going through complicated procedures.
Wonrim Pavilion.
This was where the Rang-ju, Do Myeong, stayed.
“What brings you here?”
The mercenary guarding the front of Wonrim Pavilion asked, and Bu Eun-seol replied nonchalantly.
“I am here to see the Rang-ju.”
The mercenary carefully scrutinized Bu Eun-seol's appearance, then shook his head.
“The Rang-ju is currently out. If you go to Deungmyeong Hall, you should be able to make an appointment for a later date.”
Bu Eun-seol looked up at Wonrim Pavilion.
Judging by the faint presence he detected with his extrasensory perception, the Rang-ju was clearly inside.
It seemed they weren't letting him in because he didn't have an appointment.
“I see.”
Without arguing with the guard, Bu Eun-seol immediately turned away.
Then, he used his movement technique to stealthily climb onto the roof of the pavilion.
Bu Eun-seol's shadow, its presence and form completely erased, seeped through a second-floor window.
Geuk-sok-mu-yeong.
This movement art, created by the great thief Go Wol, suppressed one's presence and the sound of cutting through the air, allowing one to evade pursuit and slip into any place like a ghost.
Furthermore, because one could change direction while using the technique, it made it easy to evade an enemy's surprise attack or the assaults of pursuers.
Although there were many people inside the pavilion, no one noticed Bu Eun-seol as he moved toward the office.
Entering the office, he saw a wide desk, where a middle-aged man with a refined appearance was writing a letter with a brush in hand.
It was none other than the Rang-ju of Dong-pyo-seo-rang, Do Myeong.
“Heh.”
Do Myeong, who had been writing letter after letter, suddenly let out a low sigh and set down his brush.
And looking into the empty air, he spoke in a low voice.
“My doors are always wide open, so why have you entered stealthily like a guest in the night?”
Astonishingly, Do Myeong had instantly detected the presence of the stealthily infiltrating Bu Eun-seol.
‘The Rang-ju has also reached the state of Gong-sim-tong-ryeong.’
In the past, Do Myeong had identified himself as a disciple of Nang-ya-gak.
That meant he, too, had deeply mastered Nang-ya-gak's foundational martial art, Ya-su-do.
Considering his age and skill, it would be stranger if he hadn't reached Gong-sim-tong-ryeong.
“It has been a long time, Rang-ju.”
Bu Eun-seol slowly emerged from the shadows.
“You truly have a way of surprising people.”
Do Myeong opened his mouth with a gentle smile.
“They say human potential is limitless, but to have improved so much in such a short time...”
Incredibly, he was gauging the level of Bu Eun-seol's frighteningly advanced martial arts.
‘So the Rang-ju's martial arts were this profound.’
Looking back, when they first met, he had performed the Yuk-hap-jeon-seong, a technique that required over three cycles of internal energy.
Bu Eun-seol's prowess had developed frighteningly, but Do Myeong surely hadn't been idle either. He was still clearly a master a step ahead of Bu Eun-seol.
“By the way, I heard you became a Grand Master of the Demonic Cult. A very strong candidate for the succession, they say.”
Do Myeong said with a gentle smile.
“You wouldn't have come to this barren land of Gwiju for sightseeing. Have you come looking for that boy, Heuk-pyo?”
“Yes.”
The reason Bu Eun-seol came to Gwiju.
He had chosen Heuk-pyo as his final ally.
“You're a step too late. The boy is not here at the moment.”
“Did he leave on a job?”
Do Myeong nodded gravely.
“He went to Beomjeong Mountain to subjugate the Pungho Gang that's based there.”
The Pungho Gang.
This Pungho Gang was a martial arts faction in name only.
They were a band of mountain bandits who had claimed the Beomjeong Mountain area as their territory and collected tolls from merchants passing through.
Despite having no reputable lineage and exclusively committing evil deeds, there was only one reason the Pungho Gang had managed to survive for so long in the Gwiju region.
Being situated deep in Beomjeong Mountain, and with no orthodox sect willing to go out of its way to punish an unorthodox faction holed up in Gwiju, which wasn't even their territory.
“The Pungho Gang, you say?”
Bu Eun-seol tilted his head and muttered softly.
“It seems the nearby merchant guilds couldn't stand it anymore and pooled their money.”
“No, it was a request from Cheonhyerim, a medical family in Uiju. The family head's only daughter, Jang Seol-a, was raped and murdered by the son of the Pungho Gang's leader.”
Medicinal herbs grow in abundance near Beomjeong Mountain.
Because of this, the physicians of Cheonhyerim often gathered herbs there, avoiding the bandits of Pungho Fortress.
Even if they were discovered, the masters of the Pungho Gang would only take their money and let them go, as they were part of the medical community.
But this time, among the physicians gathering herbs was Cheonhyerim's only daughter, Jang Seol-a, and unfortunately, the son of the Pungho Gang's leader, Wang Pung-gang, happened to see her.
In the end, Wang Pung-gang, captivated by Jang Seol-a's beauty, committed a heinous act.
“Because of that, the head of Cheonhyerim sold all his family's assets to raise a thousand gold pieces and hired my mercenaries. He asked them to kill Wang Pung-gang, no matter what.”
“I see.”
Just as Bu Eun-seol, having grasped the whole situation, nodded,
*Knock, knock.*
a knock on the door was heard, followed by a young maid's voice.
“Rang-ju-nim. The elders from the Soyo Sect you had an appointment with have arrived.”
“Understood. I'll be out shortly.”
Replying in a low voice, Do Myeong looked at Bu Eun-seol with an apologetic expression.
“My apologies. Please hear the details from Jeon-ju Ok. I'm a bit busy right now.”
“Understood. Thank you.”
“No need for thanks. If you ever need my help, feel free to seek me out anytime.”
* * *
Deungmyeong Hall.
This was the residence of Jeon-ju Ok Ho-bang, who managed all the finances for Dong-pyo-seo-rang.
“It's been a long time, Young Master Bu.”
When Bu Eun-seol came to see him, Ok Ho-bang was pleased but also very wary.
It was only natural, as he had once tried to kill Bu Eun-seol and paid a heavy price for it.
If not for Heuk-pyo's plea back then, he would be in a cold coffin right now, not Deungmyeong Hall.
“Ah, no. I should call you Grand Master Bu now.”
As a figure of Dong-pyo-seo-rang, Ok Ho-bang was well-versed in the news and information of the martial world.
“It doesn't matter. Call me whatever is comfortable.”
“Yes, yes.”
Clasping his hands, Ok Ho-bang asked politely.
“Have you come looking for that boy, Sa-ha, again?”
Sa-ha. That was Heuk-pyo's real name.
“I have.”
“The boy is at Beomjeong Mountain right now.”
“I heard the gist of it from the Rang-ju.”
Bu Eun-seol asked, as if he couldn't understand.
“Heuk-pyo is an information broker. Why did he get involved in another faction's fight?”
At that, Ok Ho-bang let out a deep sigh.
“The boy's martial arts have grown rapidly in recent years. It's reached a point where even the special-grade mercenaries I pride myself on are no match for him.”
Bu Eun-seol smiled faintly.
Before sending Heuk-pyo off to Dong-pyo-seo-rang, he had written him a dagger manual containing the essence of his swordsmanship.
And Heuk-pyo had clearly mastered it properly.
“After his martial arts grew stronger, he quit being an information broker and became a combat mercenary, taking on dangerous jobs that others wouldn't.”
“Why is that?”
“Well... he said that he had to become a source of strength for you when you returned, Grand Master.”
The look in Bu Eun-seol's perpetually expressionless eyes changed slightly.
Devotion.
Heuk-pyo was not only diligent and talented, but he also followed and served Bu Eun-seol as if he were the heavens.
He possessed a loyalty that could only be described as utter devotion.
“What is the situation?”
“To be honest, it's not good.”
Looking at Ok Ho-bang's dark expression, Bu Eun-seol looked puzzled.
Did this mean that something dangerous had happened to Heuk-pyo, who surpassed even special-grade mercenaries?
Bu Eun-seol asked in a grave voice.
“Tell me in detail.”