Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Time to Uproot
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"......Hahaha. We've been cursed with bad luck."
Dokgo Goyeun let out a hollow laugh.
Another total disaster.
The buildings he'd barely managed to repair were now half-destroyed beyond any hope of restoration, and even the few that had remained somewhat intact were charred pitch-black from the flames.
Just when he'd thought they might finally catch a break, fate wasn't smiling on him.
'When the hell am I going to fix this...'
His head throbbed.
It was right then that his father's rants about the shameless bastards of the jianghu struck deep in his heart.
"Haa."
A deep sigh escaped him naturally.
Especially seeing the current state of things, his vision darkened.
Perhaps because they'd rushed to put out the fire in the dead of night, everyone was utterly spent.
He shook his head at the sight of the servants sprawled out in 大 shapes, gasping for breath.
'I can't let myself waver.'
He was the head of the merchant company—he couldn't just sit around with his hands idle.
"Chief Steward."
"You called?"
At his summons, the chief steward standing at attention behind him bowed his head.
"Contact the Uhyang Inn for me."
"Understood."
The chief steward nodded and withdrew.
"Gonna have to shell out some coin for a few days."
He was in the middle of calculating the lodging costs for housing the servants at the Uhyang Inn.
"Merchant Lord!"
A voice called out from afar.
The chief steward started to turn at the sound.
Whoosh!
A fierce gust swept over him.
In the instant he blinked against the wind, a hulking man appeared before him.
It was Hyeondo.
Dokgo Goyeun was inwardly startled by Hyeondo's ghost-like arrival but kept his composure and spoke.
"I'm relieved you're safe."
Hyeondo gave a wry smile at Dokgo Goyeun's greeting and murmured softly.
"I'm sorry we were late to respond. Now that we know White Ghost Castle is targeting Bipung Merchant Company, we should have been even more vigilant than before..."
"No."
Dokgo Goyeun shook his head.
"How could this be Elder Hyeondo's fault? It's all the work of those vile White Ghost Castle scum. If anything, I'm grateful you saved our merchant company."
"Merchant Lord..."
Hyeondo was so moved by Dokgo Goyeun's graceful response that he was speechless. Dokgo Goyeun smiled at the pure reaction.
As the saying goes, clear waters above make clear waters below—Hyeondo's response was just as pure and admirable as that of the Plum Blossom Sword Guards.
'My choice was the right one.'
As his trust in Mount Hua Sect deepened.
"Is Hyeon alright?"
"Hyeon?"
Hyeondo tilted his head before recalling that Jeokgeom's real name was Go Hyeon.
"If it's Jeokgeom, his internal injuries are severe, so Cheonhwi is treating him right now."
Dokgo Goyeun paled.
To him, ignorant of martial arts, the words "internal injuries" sounded terrifying.
"I-Is he okay?"
"It's not a critical internal injury. Just..."
"His qi and blood are merely twisted."
A voice cut in midway.
Cheonhwi gazed at the ashen-faced Dokgo Goyeun and added quietly.
"And now, it's almost fully recovered."
"R-Really?"
"If you're that worried, he's in the courtyard—go check for yourself."
Dokgo Goyeun started to dash off but hesitated.
"Benefactor. This grace..."
"Just go already?"
"Ah, understood."
Hyeondo smiled warmly as he watched Dokgo Goyeun stumble away in a frantic rush.
"A fine father."
He then turned to Cheonhwi.
"But you finished the treatment quicker than I'd imagined."
"Just straightened out the twisted qi and blood and fed him some internal injury pills—he was good as new. No big deal."
"Hmm, I see."
Hyeondo nodded, though puzzled.
Unversed in medicine as he was, he simply took Cheonhwi at his word.
But had it been the Medical Hall Leader who'd heard that, he might have fainted on the spot.
To mend twisted qi and blood this swiftly demanded mastery of acupoint techniques and medicine.
"The internal injury pills the Medical Hall Leader packed before we left must have been exceptionally potent."
Hyeondo scratched his head with a chuckle.
He recalled how they'd bickered when the Medical Hall Leader insisted on including them, with Hyeondo claiming it wasn't necessary.
'I should thank the Medical Hall Leader next time.'
As he harbored this absurd misunderstanding.
"More importantly, Fourth Uncle."
Cheonhwi called to him.
"Hm? What's on your mind?"
"Where's White Ghost Castle?"
Hyeondo's brows furrowed in an instant.
"Why do you ask?"
"What do you mean, why?"
Cheonhwi shot him a puzzled look before adding a chilling remark.
"Gotta wipe 'em out."
"Wi-Wipe them... out?"
"If we let them be, they'll keep coming. Might as well uproot them from the source."
Cheonhwi's words brooked no hesitation.
Hyeondo asked, flustered.
"You're planning to head to White Ghost Castle?"
"To uproot them, yeah."
"Hah, but our foes are White Ghost Castle and the White Four Gods. It's not some place you can just charge into blindly."
"So we leave them be?"
"No, that's not my intent. White Ghost Castle touched Bipung Merchant Company, so war's already begun. But we inform Mount Hua Sect, rally reinforcements, then make war properly."
Hyeondo's logic was sound.
The enemy was the colossal White Ghost Castle.
Thorough preparation was essential.
But.
"That'll take too long. What if Bipung gets hit again while we wait?"
"Well..."
Hyeondo faltered.
He'd been fixated on Mount Hua Sect and momentarily forgotten Bipung Merchant Company's peril.
"Wouldn't it be better to raid White Ghost Castle now, even a moment sooner?"
"True, but..."
Hyeondo found himself nodding along.
If rumors of their men's defeat reached White Ghost Castle, full-scale war would erupt.
But striking first, before word spread...
'They could get caught off-guard, just like we were.'
As Hyeondo pondered.
"You gonna let our enemies slide?"
Hyeondo steeled himself at Cheonhwi's follow-up.
"...Very well."
"Then where's White Ghost Castle..."
Having swayed Hyeondo, Cheonhwi moved to ask its location.
"I'll tell you on the way."
"Pardon?"
Cheonhwi tilted his head.
Then he remembered something and scowled.
"You're coming too, Fourth Uncle?"
"What kind of nonsense is that? Were you planning to go alone?"
"Yeah. Weren't you heading back to Mount Hua Sect?"
"No. I'm tagging along."
"You need to escort the Plum Blossom Sword Guards back to Mount Hua Sect."
"Those kids can handle more than their weight in work—they'll manage fine without me."
Cheonhwi's eyes narrowed.
In truth, Hyeondo coming along would cramp his freewheeling jianghu jaunt.
'No helping it.'
But bickering seemed even more hassle, so Cheonhwi sighed.
"Sigh, suit yourself."
"Hahaha, no need to fret. I'm stronger than before, you know."
Cheonhwi shook his head at the clearly deluded Hyeondo.
"I'll tell the kids to head back to Mount Hua Sect first."
As Hyeondo made his decision.
"No way! That's suicide!"
Ha Woojin came sprinting up, yelling.
He'd overheard everything and jumped right in to meddle.
"White Ghost Castle isn't just any sect. It's one of the Six Royal Gates of the Black Evil Alliance! It's as good as challenging our own sect or Mount Hua Sect—and with just two of you? That's insane!"
Ha Woojin's agitated words were blunt and came faster than usual.
Hyeondo stepped in to block him.
"It's already decided."
"But Elder Hyeondo, this could send your martial brother straight to the Yellow Springs."
"That won't happen."
"..."
Ha Woojin stared at Hyeondo with a conflicted expression, then bit his lip hard.
"Then I'm coming too."
Ha Woojin declared with resolve.
"No, that's unnecessary."
Cheonhwi shot it down flatly.
"This grudge is between our sect and White Ghost Castle. You're not involved."
Hyeondo quickly elaborated.
But Ha Woojin wouldn't back down.
"...I can't lose my friend's disciple either."
"It could mean death."
"I know."
Ha Woojin's voice rang firm. Hyeondo nodded at his steely gaze and glanced at Cheonhwi.
"It might be best if we all go."
"...Haa."
Cheonhwi sighed once more.
Too late to talk him out of it.
He ended up repeating his earlier line.
"Suit yourself."
He whipped around and asked.
"Anyway, spill what you know about White Ghost Castle."
Ha Woojin answered at once.
"For intel, a Beggars' Union Rear Elder has been poking around these parts lately. He'd know more details than me or Elder Hyeondo."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ In front of the Uhyang Inn, a ragged beggar was groveling before a middle-aged man.
"Hahaha, so what happened to those attackers?"
"What do you think? That gentleman swung his sword once, and they all dropped dead."
"H-Haha..."
The beggar—Jin Gae—forced an awkward laugh while inwardly ripping the man apart.
'Thought a Bipung servant might have real info, but he's just blabbing bullshit.'
Even masters had limits. One sword swing wiping out dozens? Ridiculous.
That'd take someone at least in the Infinite Realm—no, the Heavenly Martial Realm.
'In all Shaanxi, only White Ghost Castle's lord, the White Four Gods, and Jongnam Sect's leader have reached it.'
But he kept it hidden. Showing his hand might cost him what little info he could glean.
'Endure. Bear it. Dozens more gunning for Rear Elder without me. Turn this over, and I'm one step closer.'
Calming himself, he resumed his beggar-honed servile act, rubbing his hands vigorously.
"Then, might you know that Daoist's monastic name?"
"Ahem, that's rather sensitive."
The middle-aged man coughed and looked away.
Yet his half-lidded eyes flicked slyly toward Jin Gae.
'Damn leech! Sucking a flea's liver dry!'
Grasping the hint, bile rose in Jin Gae's throat—but his face bore a fawning grin.
He rubbed his hands at fly-on-shit speed and pleaded.
"Great sir, even this lowly one is tapped out..."
"Then nothing to be done."
As the man turned away coldly, Jin Gae bit his lip.
He hurriedly rummaged in his bosom and pulled out his most cherished possession, blurting desperately.
"S-Sir, how about this instead?"
The man's hand shot out like lightning, snatching the glinting trinket.
"Hm, this..."
After inspecting it closely, he let out a loud cough.
"Cough cough. Wasn't quite what I had in mind, but..."
Pop—
A vein bulged on Jin Gae's forehead.
"I-Is that, gnn, so?"
"Hahaha, now where was I?"
"The Daoist's name, gnn. You stopped right there..."
"Ahem, right. So, that gentleman's monastic name is..."
The middle-aged man continued his tale.
After spilling every detail of the Bipung incident over about thirty minutes, he rose from the ground.
"...And that's how it went. Hm?"
Gazing at the dawning sky, he made a startled face.
"Time's flown already. I'll be off."
"Aigoo, safe travels, great sir."
The man waved and departed.
As he vanished from sight, Jin Gae hawked a thick loogie in his direction.
Ptui!
"Damn parasite! Won't even associate with scum like him. Sucked this wretched beggar's pockets bone-dry."
Jin Gae vented his pent-up rage.
After a good long rant, somewhat appeased, he dusted off his straw mat and turned.
"'Cheonhwi,' was it?"
"When did they say they'd learned the name?"
The sudden voice made Jin Gae flinch.
Three Daoists stood before him.
The young man in the center approached slowly, lips curling into a smirk.
"You're Jin Gae, right?"