The Path to Serving the World
Hu Wei-jin repeated Jeong Gwang's words to himself.
'Labor fees...'
It was a sharp insight that pierced right through the current situation, and it helped immensely, but words and actions were two different things.
He could overlook the effort needed to legally seize someone else's business without issue.
But to avoid any talk of the government interfering in murim affairs or taking the side of the unorthodox, he'd have to pour in a fortune and call in every connection he had.
If he had plenty of time, it might be manageable, but he had to wrap this up before the chaos settled, which doubled the difficulty.
Still, Hu Wei-jin acknowledged that Jeong Gwang was right.
He was the sort of person who knew the most important thing was to point out the path forward.
Besides, he'd already been stripped bare anyway.
"Haven't you already taken everything?"
"There was nothing worthwhile."
"Wrong. You just don't know."
Jeong Gwang pulled out the items he'd taken again.
Two daggers with antique hilts and blades that radiated chill.
A box containing golden sore ointment and internal injury medicine.
And finally, a jade plaque gleaming with an eerie turquoise light.
They even carved a qilin on this one.
It was literally a jade qilin.
No way it's that, right?
Even Jeong Gwang was wrong sometimes.
"That's exactly it."
"What is it?"
"It symbolizes me."
"Guess I should toss it."
"No! Why throw away something so precious? You know Iron Blood Manor, right?"
"Huh? You're from there?"
"My maternal family. The current manor lord is my grandfather."
Jeong Gwang was slightly surprised.
Iron Blood Manor was a clan of artisans who handled iron like ghosts, famous enough that even he'd heard of them in his previous life.
"Show them that and say you're my close friend. You'll get some fine weapons."
"Not really a close friend."
"You are now."
"Doesn't seem like it'll help much."
"If you want one, just say so!"
Hu Wei-jin exploded in frustration.
The Jade Qilin of the world was acknowledging him as a close friend—what right did this guy have to keep refusing!
...Well, I can see why.
Jeong Gwang was an unfathomable powerhouse.
And a bizarre one whose thoughts no one could read.
What path will this guy walk?
Even as a genius himself, Hu Wei-jin couldn't guess.
"Sun's already up. I'm off."
"Answer just one thing before you go."
"What?"
"What will you do from now on?"
Jeong Gwang looked down at the base of the mountain.
Others might call it a vast plain, but to him, it felt too confined.
"Right now, I'm tied to the land... but..."
He lifted his head to gaze at the sky.
Its endless expanse suited his heart perfectly.
"I'll live like the sky."
Untangling the karmic ties binding him to the world, living freely like the sky with no fixed boundaries.
That was Jeong Gwang's path.
But to Hu Wei-jin, it sounded like a declaration to become the sky of murim—the supreme under heaven.
"The sky, huh..."
He murmured unconsciously while looking up, thinking to himself:
...What insane confidence. Too bad—that seat's mine!
Wait a second.
"Wh-where are you going?"
"More to say?"
As Jeong Gwang started walking away, Hu Wei-jin pleaded.
"At least leave the daggers!"
Iron Blood Manor, huh.
He'd heard that properly forged weapons from there couldn't be bought with money alone. And they weren't the type to respond to threats, making them even harder to obtain.
Jeong Gwang could probably threaten them into it, but still.
I'll have to make time to visit.
He returned to the inn in high spirits, only to find Un Hak sitting on his bed. Baek Seung-mu was still asleep with an IV in his hand, and Un Hak sighed at the sight before turning to Jeong Gwang.
"Where'd you sneak off to?"
Jeong Gwang didn't fluster.
"Morning training. Want to join, Granduncle?"
"No. No. I'd just burden you. Good job. Eat breakfast and prepare to depart."
"We can eat on the way."
"Hey! I said it's fine!"
As Un Hak hurried out, Jeong Gwang removed Baek Seung-mu's IV.
"Junior brother. Time to wake up."
"...Gasp! S-sorry. I should've woken first."
"Now you know. Pack up."
"Yes!"
There wasn't much to pack.
With their bundles slung over their shoulders, they went downstairs for breakfast.
"Alright. Time to go."
"Yes!"
Un Hak and the Kunlun disciples left the inn. As they prepared to mount up, they saw people bustling about early in the morning.
Mount Hua and Zhongnan? Why?
They were asking around the street crowd, and listening closely, it was about the Xi'an Four Evils.
The government's pressing hard, I guess. Won't find them that way, though.
Un Hak clicked his tongue inwardly, then spotted a familiar face.
A Mount Hua disciple who'd teared up after getting scolded by his Granduncle Ja Yeop was grabbing a merchant and asking questions.
"Amitabha. Have you seen any Taoists in blue robes and white robes lately?"
"Sure have."
"Ah! Where?"
"The Taoists right there are dressed like that."
"...Add bamboo hats to it."
"Bamboo hats. Someone like that... Ah!"
The merchant, who'd been shaking his head, spoke confidently.
"Yes. There is."
"Who? Where'd you see them?"
"Right there."
Looking urgently where the merchant pointed, they saw Taoists in white robes.
Wait. That's Kunlun.
And one of them really had a bamboo hat!
No way they'd do something like that.
As he bowed in greeting and turned away—
Ja Yeop appeared and growled via transmission.
-You fool! Didn't I say check every single one!
"Gr-granduncle. It's not..."
-Idiot! Use transmission! How can you be so dense.
Yesterday tears had welled up; today they trickled down.
Ja Yeop clicked his tongue at the merchant before approaching Un Hak.
"Amitabha. Leaving already?"
"Yes. But what are you doing? I thought you'd returned to your sect."
"Ahem. Vicious scum framed our main sect. We're searching to prove our innocence."
"I see. Good luck."
"Wait. Who's that disciple with the bamboo hat?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Just curious. Why's he the only one like that?"
"There's a reason."
Ja Yeop's eyes narrowed.
"I'd like to know."
Un Hak's brow furrowed.
"You suspecting our sect's disciple?"
"Just curious. Why overreact? Unless...?"
"Enough. You've crossed the line."
"Hah. Who's crossing what?"
"You picking a fight?"
"A fight? Aren't you acting suspicious?"
The atmosphere chilled instantly.
As fellow Nine Great Sects One Gang, no one drew swords, but both sides' disciples stiffened.
Zhongnan disciples, including Gu Gu, joined in.
Onlookers began edging away. Getting caught in the crossfire could mean crossing the Yellow Springs unknowing how you died.
In this tense chaos, only Jeong Gwang remained nonchalant.
"Should I just take it off?"
"Jeong Gwang. Stay put."
"Granduncle. Show 'em and let's go. Or..."
Un Hak transmitted in panic.
-Just beat them? No.
-Kill them? That's too much.
-Not too much—absolutely not!
Un Hak sighed and faced Ja Yeop.
"Hoo. We can't sour relations over this. I'll let you confirm."
As Un Hak stepped back, Ja Yeop cooled down.
Damn. Pushed too hard. This looks bad.
After a day of torment at the Yixing Ancha Si offices, his nerves were frayed.
He had to go back today too, so desperation for the culprit led to the mistake.
No. The Xi'an Four Evils ran rampant for years without this. It happens right after Kunlun arrives—suspicion's natural.
Ja Yeop clasped his hands.
"Thanks for understanding. No need to go this far, but we're desperate. I'll apologize properly later."
Un Hak's eyebrow twitched at the half-hearted apology he'd meant to let slide.
"In exchange, handle the aftermath at Mount Hua."
"Aftermath? What do you mean?"
"You'll see."
"Hah. Fine. What's the big deal about one hat."
"Jeong Gwang. Hear that?"
"Yes."
"Do it."
Jeong Gwang removed his bamboo hat.
Everyone's jaws dropped.
After a stunned silence, women onlookers buzzed and gathered. As a major Central Plains city, their numbers were no joke.
"Gasp! Wh-what!"
Mount Hua and Zhongnan were Taoist sects.
Contact with women was strictly forbidden, of course.
Martial arts meant nothing. They could only flail as the women pressed in.
"That's why he wears the hat."
"Th-this is ridiculous... Ah! True Jade Dragon!"
"Can we go now?"
"...Yes."
"Then we'll leave it to you."
"...Leave what?"
Un Hak pointed at the women.
"Block them as promised. Only then can we leave."
Ja Yeop's face twisted.
Heo Cheong smiled faintly at Baek Seung-mu.
"Heh heh. I'm reaping the benefits of your virtue."
"I don't follow."
"Don't worry about it. Focus on your cultivation."
Turning from Xi'an toward Henan Province restarted Jeong Gwang's hellish training.
Heo Cheong, freed from training to teach Baek Seung-mu, was purely happy. His motivation soared, and he taught with utmost sincerity.
But.
"...Still don't get it?"
"Sorry, Master. This disciple is too dull..."
"No. Let's try once more."
Same result.
The new disciple couldn't keep up at all.
"Hah..."
Baek Seung-mu felt mortified enough to crawl into a hole.
Seeing his frustrated master made him feel like the worst criminal.
Watching him, Heo Cheong blamed himself.
Talent varies. Showing disappointment over this—I've fallen far.
Pondering how to accelerate learning, he suddenly felt something off.
Wait. Is Seung-mu really slow?
Thinking it over, no.
Can't be! It's because of Jeong Gwang!
Tell Baek Seung-mu ten things, and he'd grasp three.
Not bad talent at all.
But his first disciple grasped a hundred or thousand from ten, making Baek Seung-mu seem slow by comparison.
Can't compare. Seung-mu is Seung-mu.
Heo Cheong emptied his mind and taught. Sometimes frustrating or hollow, but Baek Seung-mu gritted his teeth and followed.
Over time, Heo Cheong's heart shifted.
"M-Master. Sorry. I'm stuck on the Lesser Pure Qi Art circulation you taught yesterday..."
"Oh! Good! Where?"
"...Pardon?"
"Tell me what you don't get! This master is ready to teach you!"
Baek Seung-mu was bewildered by Heo Cheong's fervor.
To Heo Cheong, it was natural. He'd never savored teaching with a genius like Jeong Gwang. To him, Baek Seung-mu the everyman was heaven-sent perfection.
"Like this, disciple!"
"Sorry. Still don't get it..."
"Hahaha! So human—I love it! No rush, follow slowly."
"Y-yes! Got it!"
Fulfilled time flowed for all.
Before long, they arrived in Nanyang, Henan Province.
Home of their destination, the Wulin Alliance.
"A bit early."
"Better. Rest a few days, then meet the Pang Clan to discuss."
"Senior brother. I agree."
With Un Ja-bae's opinion unanimous, Un Hak spoke.
"Find an inn first. Hope there's a decent one..."
Nanyang was smaller than Henan capital Kaifeng or ancient Luoyang, but vastly larger than Qinghai.
Un Hak's desired humble inn was hard to find.
Jeong Gwang nodded at the lavish inn before them.
We'll stay long—needs to be this level. Good. Here.
But Un Hak changed tack.
"Outskirts better. Let's go."
Ridiculous.
"Granduncle. Stay here."
"Looks too pricey."
"Money's for spending. That's the path to serving the world."
"Serving the world? How?"
"Spend money, someone earns it. They spend, another earns. Keeps benefiting people. Hoarding without spending wrongs the world, right? Junior brother, back me up."
"Y-yes."
With Baek Seung-mu agreeing, Un Hak chuckled.
"Fine excuse. Still too much."
"Taoists must endure excess too. What's the point of austere cultivation? True cultivation is unshaken amid luxury, no?"
"Hah. Well..."
As Un Hak hesitated, Jeong Gwang drove it home.
"All depends on the mind. Think of it as camping and go in."