Got Proof?
Kongtong Sect!
One of the pillars of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, just like the Kunlun Sect—a renowned orthodox faction.
The undisputed overlord of Gansu Province, acknowledged by all!
But to Jeong Gwang...
"Those guys who use martial arts even more vicious than the unorthodox sects, despite being orthodox themselves?"
"U-um, Young Benefactor. We're both part of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, so saying it like that..."
"No?"
Heo Yeo-min was at a loss for words.
In truth, the Kongtong Sect was infamous for their ruthless hands that didn't suit an orthodox faction.
"Info from that spy we got a confession from in the desert?"
"Yes. He was a sellout who didn't know much, but digging deeper led to a secular martial family under Kongtong."
"Which one?"
"Zhou Manor."
The Zhou family had amassed wealth in Gansu through inns, taverns, and noodle shops, and their martial prowess proudly claimed the top spot among Kongtong's secular clans—a famous martial house.
Even though the Baek Merchant Group had grown tremendously, they couldn't compare to such a powerhouse!
Jeong Gwang repeated in astonishment.
"Zhou Manor!"
"Yes. Their forces are truly formidable..."
"There were punks like that in the jianghu?"
"..."
"And they have ties to the Blood Sand Wind."
"There's a good chance..."
"Should I just wipe them all out?"
"...!"
Heo Yeo-min felt a chill of fear.
The massacre Jeong Gwang had unleashed in the Taklamakan Desert flashed vividly in her mind.
'Heo Yeo-min! Get a grip!'
He had once reassured her, trembling in fear, that he wouldn't do that to his own people.
She had to believe those words.
"Huuu."
A deep breath calmed her heart.
"No. It would blow up into something huge."
"Then I'll just kill them moderately. Did those Zhou Manor bastards come into Qinghai Province to start businesses? Taking in bandits as escorts."
"Young Benefactor, are you in my head?"
"It's obvious. What kind of business do you think it is?"
As Heo Yeo-min opened her mouth to reply, a loud shout came from outside.
"Deputy Leader! Big trouble! Come out quick!"
She flung open the door to see a burly man tumbling in like he was rolling.
"Merchant Head No! What happened?"
"This young master who went to Manhwang Merchant House for supplies got into a scuffle with the Zhuanyuan Escort Agency bastards!"
"Those scum dare! What happened? Casualties?"
"They were still in a standoff when I left to report, but I don't know now. What do we do?"
With Baek Jin-hwan away, Heo Yeo-min was the Baek Merchant Group's top decision-maker.
Grabbing her sword, she shouted.
"Three squads of the White Dragon Corps! I'll go ahead—hurry!"
"Yes, Deputy Leader!"
Merchant Head No ran off to gather men.
Heo Yeo-min apologized to Jeong Gwang.
"Sorry, Young Benefactor. Emergency—I have to go. I'll be right back, so rest easy."
"This young master is your second son with the wet nurse?"
"Yes."
"Then you should go."
Jeong Gwang scooped Heo Yeo-min up and plopped her on his left shoulder.
"Eek! Young Benefactor! What are you doing?"
"We gotta go fast, right?"
"We do, but..."
"Lead the way."
"Thank you. First into the city... Kyaaak!"
In the blink of an eye, their figures vanished.
*
'Huuu.'
Baek Seung-mu barely suppressed his boiling rage.
His inner heat at a thousand degrees, he asked the blockhead in front of him once more.
"Why do you keep picking fights?"
"Picking fights? I told you, no."
"You're surrounding us!"
"Hey now. Can't a guy try to make friends? You outsiders looking down on us locals? Man, the territorialism is no joke."
"Territorialism my ass! Don't make up lies!"
"Oh? Now threats? Look here, folks—this young master from the Baek Merchant Group is acting like this. What should we do?"
The blockhead's underlings drew their weapons and yelled.
"Fight to survive!"
"The Baek Merchant Group started it—we can't just sit and die!"
The blockhead shrugged at Baek Seung-mu.
"You threatened us, and that's how this mess started."
"Nonsense!"
"Hey! Hey! Everyone hear that? What the Baek Merchant Group did to us innocents! You watchers need to be witnesses!"
His plea laced with threat, he glared around.
The onlookers averted their frightened gazes.
Finally snapping, Baek Seung-mu exploded.
"Innocents? You bandit and pirate scum—what right do you have?"
"You! You're crossing the line! Calling us, who've dreamed of being escorts since childhood, bandits! Got proof? Do ya?"
"Everyone in Qinghai knows even without proof! Zhuanyuan Escort Agency is a gang of bandits!"
"Haaa. Persecuting us without evidence? Boys! Show this young master proof we're good citizens!"
"Yes!"
The rough-looking brutes pulled out badges from their bosoms and held them high.
"Hey, young master. Born into a fine family, you can read, right? What do those badges say?"
Baek Seung-mu trembled with fury.
Badges? Bribe an official, and you could get any inscription stamped same-day!
As he geared up to retort, a guard sent him a transmission.
-Young master. Too many opponents.
-I know.
-Merchant Head No won't make it in time with reinforcements. Let's end it here.
Baek Seung-mu let out a deep sigh.
The rage in his eyes slowly faded.
For someone not even in his twenties, it was remarkable composure.
The watching blockhead inwardly clicked his tongue.
'Tsk tsk. Still not breaking? Guess I gotta chop off that punk's arm to start a full war. Time to force it and end quick.'
With a nod, a youth from across charged Baek Seung-mu.
"Raaah! Accusing an innocent escort like me! You bastard! Just kill me!"
"What nonsense—huh?"
Baek Seung-mu shoved with his palm, and the youth tumbled, vomiting blood.
Not even a scrap of internal energy used, Baek Seung-mu blinked in confusion before raging.
"What trick is this!"
"Argh! I'm dying! This Baek Merchant Group young master is killing an innocent citizen!"
Any martial artist could see it was obvious self-harm.
But the watching commoners couldn't tell.
That was enough for the blockhead.
"Baek Seung-mu used a hidden weapon! Protect yourselves!"
"Waaah!"
Defying "protect," the Zhuanyuan escorts attacked the Baek warriors.
Outnumbered several times over, the Baek side was pushed back.
They fought desperately, but signs of defeat grew thicker as time passed.
Baek Seung-mu ground his teeth.
'Is this as far as it goes?'
Since first gripping a sword as a child, he'd dreamed of it.
Entering one of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang to learn divine ultimate arts.
Then roaming the jianghu as a great hero of chivalry.
When old enough, he begged his parents and went to Kongtong Sect.
Besought to become a secular disciple, but got a cold rejection.
His talent was top-notch, yet there were countless peers just as good.
All from prestigious families who could donate massively to Kongtong.
Back home, Baek Seung-mu inwardly screamed.
'Why wasn't I born into a prestigious house!'
'Why'd heaven give me this middling talent!'
Locked in his room for days, chest tight like bursting, he stormed out.
Wandering the city, he soon got a shock.
Saw countless people barely scraping meals.
Home again, he silently trained his family arts.
Showed his anxious parents he was fine.
Time flew.
He became a rising star on people's lips.
A name known only in remote Qinghai, but still something.
'Yeah. That's something.'
His head thought so.
But something welled in his chest.
'About to die to bandit scum, and that's all I got?'
This wasn't how he'd lived to die.
He wanted to die a great hero.
Squeezed every drop from his near-dry dantian.
"I'll clear a path—everyone fall back!"
White petals bloomed from his sword tip.
His family ultimate: White Flower Eighteen Swords.
"Argh!"
"Damn! Still had fight left!"
Four escorts fell.
Baek Seung-mu pressed forward, swinging.
The encirclement split, a slim path opening.
His eyes gleamed.
"Now! Run!"
"Where do you think!"
The distant blockhead leaped in.
A club as dark as his face smashed toward Baek Seung-mu's head.
Kwajik!
"Kuh!"
Baek Seung-mu's hastily raised sword shattered against the iron club.
It didn't end there.
Desperately countering chain attacks with empty hands, Baek Seung-mu took a shoulder blow.
Kwang!
"Keok!"
Downed, he tried rising, but the blockhead's club aimed at his head.
"Young master!"
"Stop! Move a step, and he dies!"
The charging Baek warriors froze at the threat.
Baek Seung-mu smirked coldly, glaring murderously.
"Kill me."
"Hey now. No need for horrors. Just take responsibility for hurting my boy. Your shoulder looks fine—smash that, and we're done."
The blockhead raised his club.
Baek Seung-mu stared unblinking into his eyes.
'Huh. Kid's got guts. Good I grabbed him quick.'
Impressed inwardly, the blockhead felt a twinge.
He had to cripple Baek Seung-mu as ordered, but he didn't want the infamous Baek Merchant Group's grudge personally.
Stepping back, he ordered a subordinate.
"Smash his shoulder."
"M-me?"
Stared down silently, the minion swiftly raised an iron mace.
As he inwardly cursed the blockhead and swung—
"Young Benefactor! My boy!"
"Lucky he takes after the wet nurse, not his dad."
"Right? Oh! But don't kill him!"
"Haa. Wet nurse is such a pain."
With baffling words, a blinding flash erupted.
Flash!
And then.
The world split.
*
Baek Seung-mu opened his dazzled eyes.
Before him stood a dazzlingly handsome young Taoist.
With his mother on his broad shoulder.
"M-Mother?"
"Seung-mu. You okay?"
"Yes. But how'd you get here... More importantly, who is he?"
Finally aware of her situation, Heo Yeo-min asked Jeong Gwang.
"Young Benefactor. You can put me down now."
"Whoops."
Setting her down, Jeong Gwang tilted his head.
"Wet nurse. Heavier than I thought?"
"Young Benefactor! Only the good stuff!"
"Ah. The weight meant no need for extra stances. Nice."
"Haaa. Thanks for the praise."
Heo Yeo-min sighed briefly, then checked Baek Seung-mu and the merchant warriors.
Zhuanyuan escorts writhed on the ground, their limb tendons severed, but after worse in the desert, she stayed calm.
The others didn't.
"Gasp! Wh-what!"
"The escorts are crippled!"
"How? Who?"
The blockhead steadied his pounding heart.
'Good I stepped back...'
Or he'd be writhing too.
His gaze passed Heo Yeo-min, locking on Jeong Gwang.
'That bitch Heo Yeo-min couldn't pull this off. The Taoist did... Huh?'
Young Taoist.
Peerless beauty.
Peerless martial arts.
Familiar...
'K-Kunlun's Jade Dragon?'
The blockhead was certain.
No other human like that existed.
'Stay calm. Get out and report this.'
Clasping hands, he bowed politely.
"First time meeting, Jade Dragon. I'm Ji Jae-won, escort head of Zhuanyuan Escort Agency."
"Escort head?"
"Yes."
"You look like a bandit."
How'd he know?
Stiffening, Ji Jae-won feigned calm.
"Huh. Rude for a first meet."
"Obvious. That side bandits, that side pirates, this side unorthodox."
"...A Taoist judging by looks? I've admired your fame, but honestly, a bit disappointed."
Jeong Gwang countered incredulously.
"Who chooses to look like that?"
Ji Jae-won felt kicked in the chest with an iron mace.
Did he want to look like a bandit?
It helped bandit work, but he hated his mug too.
'Huu. Hold it. Can't fight that monster. Orthodox, so he'll care about face. Go logical.'
Swallowing curses, he said.
"Fine. But people are badly hurt. What now?"
Jeong Gwang was getting annoyed.
Wasting words on bandit scum.
He used polite speech out of habit, but it grated.
'Just kill 'em all?'
Seeing his eyes chill, Heo Yeo-min transmitted urgently.
-Young Benefactor. Too many eyes.
-Wet nurse knows. Got it—wipe 'em all.
-No! Not that! You're Kunlun disciple, orthodox prestige! Eyes everywhere—handle logically!
Jeong Gwang shook his head.
Why so complicated? Orthodox were baffling.
'Such a hassle. End it quick.'
His mouth opened, words shocking all.
"I hurt them? Got proof?"
"...Then whose doing is this mess!"
"How should I know? Got here, they were already down fighting themselves."
"Nonsense! Flash when you appeared. Sword light, clearly!"
Jeong Gwang snorted.
"Sword light? Just harsh sunlight."
All looked skyward.
Only dark clouds filled it.