The Hwaryong-jo's Glorious Victory and the Aftermath
The name of the Murim Alliance’s official combat unit that arrived at the Jin Family manor with perfect timing was the Bamboo Harmony Squad. It was a name that promised they would carry out chivalry as straight and true as bamboo. The Hwaryong-jo was merely a reserve youth combat team that had tagged along to gain some experience in the Jianghu. The main force was, and always would be, the warriors of the Bamboo Harmony Squad. In other words, the Hwaryong-jo was, and always would be, the bonus.
This was precisely why, on the very first day of their arrival, they could greet the Jin Family Head, toss their luggage into their rooms without bothering to unpack properly, and then swarm straight to the nearest tavern like a pack of locusts. For young late-stage talents, it was rather immature behavior. But in truth, they really were immature. What chance did these young late-stage talents, who had spent their entire lives training inside the walls of their sects, ever have to grow up? They were essentially just children with bigger bodies.
And the adults of the Orthodox Path had all gone through the exact same phase in their own youth. So what was wrong with letting them run wild when everything in the Jianghu looked new and exciting? It was only natural to want to escape the boring sect life for a while, drink, and make some noise. Besides, late-stage talents needed to be given some leash. Just like how hunting dogs only calmed down after they had run around until they were exhausted, the youths had to be allowed to play to their hearts’ content so they wouldn’t cause real trouble later.
They would charge in without thinking whenever they saw something that offended their sense of justice, draw their blades first and ask questions later if they thought someone was a demonic practitioner, and frequently beat up corrupt officials because they seemed like easy targets. So even though their behavior was infuriating, the elders simply let them be. Go ahead and play. If not now, then when?
But then a messenger burst into the Jin Family manor with urgent news: a full-blown fight had broken out at the top floor of the Jinhae Pavilion against the Salwol-pa. The Jin Family Head and the Bamboo Harmony Squad Leader, the Flying Fire Buddha Wolryang, immediately took the lead as everyone rushed toward the Jinhae Pavilion.
And then… it was absurd.
They came. They fought. They won.
The shoulders of the Hwaryong-jo youths who had crushed the vicious, wicked members of the Salwol-pa—one of the evil Unorthodox factions—were so puffed up with pride they looked ready to ascend to the heavens. Thanks to the overwhelming gratitude from the VIP guests, a grand victory banquet was held with drinks flowing freely.
By the time the Jin Family Head, the Jin Family warriors, Squad Leader Wolryang, and the rest of the Bamboo Harmony Squad arrived breathing heavily, the party was already in full swing. Naturally, they were furious.
“Have you all lost your minds? How could you start a fight so recklessly? What if someone had gotten hurt? Did you even think about how you would deal with the consequences? Do you think you’re just individuals acting alone?! If one person gets hurt, you might count yourselves lucky if it ends there. What if someone gets maimed or crippled? What if one of you actually dies? Would you still be sitting here peacefully drinking like this?!”
At Wolryang’s roar, all the kneeling youths hung their heads low.
“You have no sense at all. Did you come here to play? To play, I asked?! Fine. From now on, you’d better prepare yourselves for nothing but night duty until you leave.”
Yet the youths’ expressions remained sulky. If they had ended the fight with only one injured person, wasn’t a celebration of this scale perfectly reasonable? Besides, that injured person had been chasing after a Salwol-pa thug, slipped on a roasted duck, and ended up cutting his own cheek with his own blade. He insisted it wasn’t true, but there were far too many witnesses for his claim to be accepted.
Just as Wolryang’s eyebrows twitched, ready to unleash another torrent of fury at their rebellious mood—
“Great Monk, it’s all my fault. The heroic warriors of the Hwaryong-jo only stepped in to help me. Those men were harassing my sworn sister, and when that wasn’t enough, they tried to use it as an excuse to harm us. So I acted first.”
Cheong’s eyebrows drew together in a pitiful ‘八’ shape. It was a sorrowful expression capable of melting any man’s heart.
But Wolryang’s nickname was the Flying Fire Buddha. Anyone with even a little insight could tell from his dharma name, which included the character for Buddha, that he was a first-generation disciple of Shaolin. He was already a deeply devout practitioner. Aside from the youngest disciple who was still immature despite being the Alliance Leader’s pupil, he was not the type to be swayed by feminine charms.
Therefore, Cheong’s beauty had no effect on Wolryang!
With a stern expression, Wolryang opened his mouth.
“Is that so? Then it cannot be helped…”
However, Cheong was no stranger to Shaolin. The Heavenly Flower Sword was the successor of the Yeorae Shinjang and the benefactor who had returned that martial art to Shaolin. Above all, they had become acquainted during the journey back to Shaolin after the Murim Tournament. Cheong’s attitude toward her elders was far from ordinary, so the Shaolin monks had already decided she was an outstanding pillar of the Orthodox Path—far too excellent to be considered a mere late-stage talent. In short, they were completely smitten with her.
“Ahem. It is not uncommon for those demonic Unorthodox scoundrels to be possessed by lust. So… is your sworn sister alright? There is no need to feel upset over it.”
“I’m fine, Monk. He tried to take me away, so I smashed him to pieces. Heehee…”
Gyeon Po-hui answered with a silly laugh.
Was she an old woman? No. Then did she know Cheong? Yes. As a result of this logical reasoning, Gyeon Po-hui also adopted a respectful tone.
“My sworn sister only acted to protect her honor as a woman, yet those men shamelessly turned the tables on her.”
“That’s how those Unorthodox bastards usually are.”
“The heroic warriors of the Hwaryong-jo only drew their blades to save this humble girl. If you must scold anyone, please direct your anger at me instead.”
Wolryang’s fury slowly began to subside.
When he looked at the so-called sworn sister, her beauty was so lewd and bewitching it was like a Mara descended upon the mortal world. It was no wonder those lustful, lowlife Unorthodox scum couldn’t hold themselves back. Hmm. If one’s family had been insulted, there was no helping it. Since the Orthodox Path was one big family, it was only natural to help a fellow member in danger. In that light, rather than blaming these reckless Hwaryong-jo brats, he should be praising them for doing well.
“No. If the Heavenly Flower Sword says so, then it must be true. The four seas are all comrades. To roll up your sleeves without hesitation to help in matters of the Orthodox Murim is something to be commended. I will pretend the night duty order never happened.”
The youths’ eyes sparkled.
As expected of the Heavenly Flower Sword! The Heavenly Flower Sword is the best! It would be great if the Heavenly Flower Sword were our leader.
Jin Ja-gang, who had been standing a step back, let out a deep sigh.
Jin Ja-gang had already witnessed the Heavenly Flower Sword’s “I just couldn’t hold back” excuse once before. Last time she “couldn’t hold back” and beat demonic practitioners to death with a hammer. This time she “couldn’t hold back” and smashed the head of the Salwol-pa leader. With a pig’s trotter, no less. A white pig’s trotter from the Baekun Low Table. He never would have guessed such a calm and polite child would lose all restraint once her eyes rolled back.
“Leaving the fight aside for now. What exactly are all of you doing right now? If the enemy reorganizes and attacks again, were you planning to face them while drunk and in this complete mess?”
“Hic.”
The youths, who had been subtly straightening their postures, drooped like willow branches once more. He was right. They had been so excited about winning that they had been stuffing themselves with food and drink, but now that they thought about it, there was no guarantee the enemy would give up after just one defeat.
One might call them stupid, but this was simply the inexperience that came from lack of real battles.
Wolryang’s eyes grew fierce again. They had come as reinforcements, yet they were making a fool of themselves in front of the Jin Family Head!
“That’s right, you idiots! In a situation like this, the first thing you should have done was run straight to us to report what happened so we could discuss the next steps! How could you sprawl out like this as if everything was already over?! Does winning once mean the fight is finished?! If they all come rushing at you at once, do you think you can win?! You brainless bastards! I’m going to nail you to night duty so you can’t cause any more accidents. I really can’t relax around you at all!”
The youths’ shoulders slumped even further.
Cheong hesitated for a moment before deciding that the greatest happiness sometimes required sacrificing a hated individual.
“Umm… I’m sorry to say this, but even though they are a reserve combat team, they still follow proper military structure. Wouldn’t respecting the chain of command be a basic virtue? So from the position of mere members, they probably couldn’t act freely…”
“Huh? What? Now that you mention it, where did that bastard Jo Hak-cheo go?”
There was no safe place to tell a lie. The team members confessed the truth. This was an honest report born from their deep respect for the elders of the Orthodox Path, completely free of any petty grudges such as resentment that Jo Hak-cheo had disappeared with two women all to himself to have fun.
“This son of a…”
The team leader had abandoned cleanup duty to go roll around with women—two of them, no less—and disappeared by himself.
“Ha. The Alliance Leader asked me to properly discipline that one. Changbin, you will take over as leader for the duration of this dispatch. As for that Jo bastard, I will keep him right by my side and straighten him out myself.”
Naturally, the flow of righteous anger turned toward the leader. At that moment, the youths offered a thousand thanks, carving the three characters for Cheonhwa-geom deep into their hearts.
As expected of the Heavenly Flower Sword! We believed in you! From today onward, I will treat the Heavenly Flower Sword as my older sister. Insulting the Heavenly Flower Sword is the same as insulting me. Lady Seomun is a dazzling light itself. The term Murim Six Flowers should not exist in this world. She is the Single Sun and Five Flowers, no—Lady Light Light Light.
Anyone watching this scene might say that Cheong was clearly the root cause yet had neatly cleaned everything up and stolen all the goodwill. But Cheong did not think so. The bastard who died after harassing Hui-mae was at fault. Was it Hui-mae’s fault for being pretty, or for the fact that the man happened to be heading to the toilet at that exact moment? Cheong was completely justified.
Thanks to her, the Hwaryong-jo youths had become happy. In exchange, Jo Hak-cheo alone would become miserable. This was the great equality of the world.
“You’ve had enough fun. Everyone go back inside. I need to stay up and watch when that Jo bastard returns.”
Wolryang ground his teeth. Cheong thought to herself that it was truly fortunate the leader was called Jo. She didn’t feel even the slightest bit sorry.
It only took a single day for rumors about the heroic deeds at the Jinhae Pavilion to spread throughout Gwangju. That was because the story everyone wanted to talk about had come from vivid witnesses—and very credible ones at that.
The guests who could afford the VIP rooms were all people who had built impressive careers they loved to boast about. Their testimony was, by nature, already the truth. Trying to call them liars could lead to economic isolation and catastrophe.
And so the shocking news spread:
The leader of the Salwol-pa was dead! And he had been killed by a pig’s trotter! The pride of Gwangdong’s local cuisine, the white pig’s trotter from the Baekun Low Table, had smashed his head open!
Wait, who exactly smashed his head?
The Divine Lady—no, the Civil Engineering Fairy—no, the Cheonhwa-geom!
That the identity of the Civil Engineering Fairy was the Heavenly Flower Sword was a truth that everyone already pretended not to know. If Cheong heard this, she would be dumbfounded and ask why it wasn’t the other way around—if the Civil Engineering Fairy’s identity was the Heavenly Flower Sword, fine, but why the reverse? But to the people of Gwangju, the Divine Lady they had been chatting and getting along with for so long felt far more familiar than the Heavenly Flower Sword, so it could not be helped.
Just as Jo Hak-cheo’s misfortune had brought happiness to the entire Hwaryong-jo, the misfortune of Gwangju’s Three Great Unorthodox Factions had brought happiness to every single person in Gwangju.
However, it was only natural that the Salwol-mun—the only surviving faction among the three, since the other two had already been destroyed—would be grinding their teeth in rage.
“We must inform the Sadoryeon and officially declare this a righteous achievement against the Unorthodox! I will go with tears in my eyes to deliver this tragic good news!”
“It’s not good news! Uh… anyway, it’s definitely not good news! Are you really going to send this idiot?! I, your younger brother, will go instead.”
“No, Sect Leader! Please leave it to this younger brother! I will vividly report this atrocious atrocity and return!”
Everyone was in an uproar, insisting they should be the one to go inform the Sadoryeon.
Wang U’s expression soured. Of course it did. They were all saying they would boldly run away under the pretext of informing the Sadoryeon because they didn’t know when the Orthodox bastards might come attacking. If they brought back the Sadoryeon’s reinforcements and the sect fell anyway, they could simply look for another job. If the sect survived, they could strut around boasting that they were the ones who brought the Sadoryeon’s reinforcements. So suddenly everyone was burning with loyalty and indignation, begging to be sent.
“Chosu, you go.”
“Yes, Big Brother.”
“Big Brother! Why that bastard Chosu of all people?!”
“Shouldn’t someone with real weight go so the Sadoryeon will take us seriously?!”
“Are you asking because you really don’t know?”
At that, the younger brothers shut their mouths.
Ilreum-bo Chosu. His nickname came from the fact that he was a master at snitching. Even when he was the one at fault, he would cry and sob, claiming he was the victim, completely ignoring what had actually happened and rewriting history entirely.
“For now, while we are holding the funeral for our late eldest brother, the Orthodox bastards won’t dare attack. Gather all the men during that time. Bring every last one of the remaining members from the Gwangju Seonbang and the Geumjeok-bang as well. Since they have nowhere else to go, they’ll be happy to come.”
Wang U’s eyes gleamed.
A crisis was an opportunity. If he could somehow muddle through this incident, the entire Salwol-pa would fall into his hands. First, he would buy time by holding the previous leader’s funeral. Then he would keep his head down, apologize profusely, and buy even more time. The Sadoryeon would never abandon them. They wouldn’t want to waste all the effort they had invested by sending a chief strategist and crates of spiritual medicine.
But before that, he needed to tighten control internally.
Wang U set a crate down with a thud in front of the remaining Salwol-pa executives.
“Here. Spiritual medicine sent by the Sadoryeon. It was originally meant for the lowest ranks, but since the sect is in crisis, it would be better for us to consume it and raise our cultivation immediately.”
Spiritual medicine! The spiritual medicine sent by the Sadoryeon! The very same medicine that Manager Bang would never hand over no matter how much they begged or threatened! For a moment, the burning urgency of their situation was forgotten as the eyes of the Salwol-pa executives glittered with greed.