Chapter 22: Obtaining a Martial Arts Manual (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 22: Obtaining a Martial Arts Manual (2)
I told them I had no use for seven rats or cats and turned them down with a polite excuse.
“I don’t think this is a decision I can make on my own. I am also merely a guest warrior of Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress, so how could I possibly take on so many subordinates?”
When I said that, the Big Cat shouted at the top of his lungs.
“You don’t have to worry about that! We’ll get separate permission from the Fortress Lord!”
“Please, just go back. It seems we simply aren’t meant to be, so stop wasting your energy on nonsense and go practice your martial arts.”
I spoke somewhat coldly.
Why would I want to drag around a bunch of third-rate hangers-on and try to manage a territory?
Suddenly, the seven of them burst into loud, mournful wailing.
“Woe is us! Oh, the tragedy! Aigo!”
Did someone die? Why are they making such a scene with all this wailing?
Caught in an awkward situation, I scowled and glared at them.
Their loud lamentations drew a crowd of passersby, who began to whisper among themselves. I could hear them gossiping as they peeked over the walls. My quiet residence had turned into a rowdy marketplace.
“I didn’t think he was like that, but it seems Young Hero Eo discriminates against people.”
“Discrimination? Young Hero Eo is someone who sees all martial artists, whether they are masters or low-ranks, as equals and calls all brothers of the Murim his kin!”
When did I ever say that?
These people were making things up out of thin air.
“Look at that. He took the Twin Heroes of Guiyang as his subordinates without a fuss, but he’s rejecting those seven brothers because they’re weaker than the Twin Heroes.”
“Surely Young Hero Eo wouldn’t do that. There must be a reason. Think about it. Word is those seven brothers tried to attack him when they heard he’d lost his internal energy, but he gave them Acupoint Striking treatment instead. A colleague of mine saw it with his own eyes, so it must be true. Do you know what that means? He personally demonstrated what it means to repay enmity with grace! Where else in this Murim can you find such a master? In short, those Seven Cats have met a fortuitous encounter. A fortuitous encounter! The kind we only dream of.”
“Now that you put it it that way, you’re right. Otherwise, why would those seven brothers, who are famous for their foul tempers, call themselves the Seven Cats and insist on following Young Hero Eo? They must have been deeply moved.”
“Of course. Only Young Hero Eo could reform those ruffians. Anyone else would have probably beaten them to death with a single blow.”
The situation was turning against me. While a few defended me, most of the lower-tier martial artists were saying I was being discriminatory by not taking the Seven Cats under my wing.
It was then.
The crowd that had gathered because of the Seven Cats’ wailing was so thick there was no path, but suddenly the people parted, creating a lane for someone to pass through.
A man walked in.
With a dignified stride, Mok Yi-gun and Mok Seon-hwa approached me.
“I heard from my daughter that there was wailing coming from Young Hero Eo’s quarters, so I came to see for myself. On the way, she told me that Young Hero Eo was being selective about taking subordinates. Is that true? I came here because I didn’t believe her. The Young Hero Eo I know is a hero who risked his life for my daughter, a complete stranger to him, and a true chivalrous warrior of this era who secretly left the fortress to face the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon for the sake of righteousness. Am I wrong?”
When he framed the question like that, I had no way to answer. It was the kind of rhetoric I usually enjoyed using, but now I was the one being cornered by it.
“You misunderstand. As you know, I am struggling just to look after myself. I am at a stage where I must focus every moment on expelling the yin energy from the White Horse Ten Canes, so I simply don’t have the peace of mind to take on subordinates. It’s not that I’m discriminating against anyone.”
At my words, Mok Yi-gun spoke loudly, his tone intended for everyone to hear.
“In that case, I shall make a firm promise right here. Within a few days, a medicine with powerful yang energy to expel your yin energy will arrive at our fortress. Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress has invested a massive amount of gold for your sake. We will show everyone that we never neglect a warrior who has sacrificed himself for our fortress. Therefore, do not worry about such things and take these men as your subordinates.”
“It’s not just that… I am also just a single martial artist who hasn’t even been officially employed by Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress yet. How can I take on so many mouths to feed?”
Mok Yi-gun immediately countered my point.
“I shall grant permission for that using my authority as the Fortress Lord. The Seven Cats are warriors employed by our Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress, but I will allow them to serve as Young Hero Eo’s subordinates in their daily activities.”
I let out a hollow, exasperated laugh. It was so absurd that I couldn't help but chuckle.
Why on earth is he doing this?
Mok Seon-hwa, who had been quiet, spoke to the Seven Cats.
“Don’t you all want to join the Seonhwa Squad?”
“The Seonhwa Squad?”
When Mok Seon-hwa suddenly asked, the Big Cat snapped his head up. Since it was the Fortress Lord’s daughter asking, he showed interest.
“It’s my personal guard unit. I’m going to make it the strongest guard unit in the Murim. Then, I’ll have them protect Eo-ga-ga. Since you’ll be around him anyway, it’s basically the same thing, right?”
The Big Cat planted his face back on the ground, looking as if he regretted responding.
“Our hearts are of one mind. We believe that being reborn as Young Hero Eo’s subordinates is the most meaningful way to live our lives.”
“Oh, honestly! In the end, Eo-ga-ga will be by my side anyway, so guarding me or guarding him is the same thing!”
Mok Seon-hwa grumbled.
Regardless of her complaints, I was turning the situation over in my head. Something smelled fishy. There was no reason for Mok Yi-gun to give me this much of an advantage.
That old fox definitely has an ulterior motive. Otherwise, he wouldn't have come all the way here, nor would he have said those things to incite the crowd. What is it? What is he plotting?
If he wasn't trying to tie me down to Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress completely, he wouldn't be acting like this. Some might think Mok Yi-gun was truly grateful and spending a fortune on elixirs out of the goodness of his heart, but that was a naive thought.
In this world, there was no such thing as a favor without a price. In the Murim, one had to be especially wary of unconditional kindness.
Still, I couldn't just stubbornly reject the Seven Cats now. With the Fortress Lord himself stepping in like this, there was no telling what would happen if I continued to refuse.
Feeling the eyes of the many people curious about my decision, I shouted inwardly.
I’m just a timid third-rate! Please, don’t expect so much from me!
At this point, my "to hell with it, let's just wing it" mindset kicked in. I tried to look on the bright side.
Fine. They say the more, the merrier. Even if they’re third-rate, having more subordinates isn't a bad thing.
With a "whatever happens, happens" attitude, I spoke.
“Very well. Since the Fortress Lord has given his permission, it would be impolite of me to reject you all using my own circumstances as an excuse. I will accept you as my subordinates. However, keep one thing in mind. If you wish to stay by my side, you must act according to chivalry and the Righteous Path. Otherwise, you cannot remain with me.”
I created a pretext to kick them out the moment they did anything stupid.
“We will carve your words into our very bones!”
Since they were now my subordinates—and frankly, since I didn't particularly like them—I spoke to them with a touch of annoyance, using casual speech.
“From now on, you will take orders from the Twin Heroes of Guiyang. They are your superiors. And for the time being, your names will be One Cat through Seven Cat. I am calling you this so you may be reborn as cats instead of rats, so do not feel slighted that I am not using your names.”
Honestly, remembering seven useless names was a pain. I didn't even want to know them.
However, the Seven Cats shed tears of gratitude, repeatedly banging their heads on the ground while thanking me.
The Twin Heroes of Guiyang, seemingly moved by my treatment of them, clasped their hands in a respectful salute.
“Thank you, My Lord.”
They looked delighted, likely at the thought of having subordinates of their own.
I wonder if the leader of the Demonic Cult receives this kind of 'five-limbs-to-the-ground' greeting.
Thinking about it, today was a day where I didn't even envy the Martial Alliance Leader or the Demonic Cult Leader.
After the Fortress Lord and the crowd left, Chong Ae-hyeon spoke.
“Young Hero, you have gained some good people today. In my eyes, I have never seen people with such loyalty. In a Murim filled with dark schemes, it is rare to find people with such pure chivalry. Just like you, Young Hero.”
My mood soared, but at the same time, I began to feel a sense of dread at how these misunderstandings were piling up, causing me to be praised as a hero. There was nothing more unsettling than becoming someone I wasn't.
That was exactly how I felt now.
Am I transforming? If transformation means a caterpillar turning into a beautiful butterfly, am I instead rotting further inside a shell of hypocrisy?
What kind of self-indulgent thoughts am I having? Shouldn't I make a killing while I have the chance? When will an opportunity like this ever come again?
This was an opportunity for me. By unintentionally saving Mok Seon-hwa, I had gone from a third-rate to a hero overnight, receiving this kind of hospitality. It was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
I'm crazy! Why would I throw this away!
I had almost done something foolish, nearly abandoning my survival instincts out of a sudden bout of guilt.
Don't you know yet that you have to be moderately despicable, moderately devious, moderately dishonest, and moderately ruthless to survive in this Murim? Ja-seo, 'purity'? What kind of flower grows out of that pile of dung?
Seeing me lost in deep thought, Chong Ae-hyeon quietly slipped out of the room.
Reflecting on today’s events, I could deduce several things. Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress was investing in me to show all martial artists that they would repay any favor, even at the cost of a thousand gold pieces. Furthermore, since I had suddenly become a master admired by all the lower-tier warriors, simply keeping me around—even if I couldn't use martial arts—would draw more warriors to the fortress.
But this alone wasn't quite persuasive enough.
There’s something else. What is it?
If even my peak-level intuition couldn't figure it out, it meant something was being carried out very secretly. I needed to be careful.
But worries and troubles are for tomorrow. Today, let’s enjoy today’s sunlight. Like that dog sleeping over there.
I was definitely a third-rate. Seeing how my third-rate instincts flared up even at a time like this.
I was truly realizing the meaning of the phrase "life is like the old man's horse" (Saeng-ong-ji-ma—a blessing in disguise). The connection I made by accidentally saving the Fortress Lord’s daughter was turning my life upside down.
And the scribe who had looked at me with suspicious eyes just a few weeks ago now bowed his waist whenever he saw me from afar; my reputation had grown that much.
My titles, Silent Star Throwing Sword and Red Sword Hero, had started with the scribe’s big mouth, and my fame had truly taken flight thanks to the Seven Cats.
Word was that when the Big Cat spoke of me, he claimed he had felt the aura of a master from the very first moment he saw me. He even called me a "mysterious master," which only made things more awkward for me.
From then on, the sword technique I used to repel the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon was rumored to be the Ten Severing Soul Sword, and it had transformed into a legendary art.
In short, it was hilarious. I never dreamed that the name I had made up for the Nine-Section Soul-Severing Sword would turn into such a magnificent technique.
The rumors spreading about me in Sichuan could be summarized into a few points. First, that I had refused a massive reward from the Fortress Lord for saving his daughter, marking me as a true warrior with no greed for wealth. Second, that my humility in calling myself a "third-rate" even to the Red Robed White-Eyed Demon was the very spirit of a Great Hero.
Consequently, the phrase "I am a third-rate" was currently spreading like a trend within Ten Thousand Dragons Fortress.
In reality, my words provided great mental and psychological comfort to those who actually were third-rate, and it was being evaluated as giving them a sense of pride. Calling oneself a third-rate while facing a master was interpreted not as a slight against third-rates, but as a way of respecting them by lowering one's own status. Thus, a new meaning for "third-rate" was being formed.
Furthermore, the incident with the Seven Cats was being cited as proof of my status as a true hero. My name was being discussed more often in Sichuan than the names of the sect leaders of the Emei, Qingcheng, or Tang Clan.
All these events were being regarded as a major turning point that had revived the dying spirit of chivalry in the Murim. Because of this, people started calling me by a strange name.
The title was Great Small Hero (Dae-so-hyeop), which supposedly meant "a Small Hero who is like a Great Hero," or something like that.
Unable to withstand the pressure from the people, I spent a few days in seclusion, obtaining internal energy books and reading them diligently.
I only knew about five hundred characters, but that was enough to read internal energy manuals. As long as it wasn't an profound manual from a major sect, it was no harder than reading a martial arts novel.
I started with the basic study of internal energy cultivation methods, and if my life hadn't been on the line, I would have quit immediately. It was incredibly tedious.
Still, the reward for staying up for several nights studying was significant; I gained a lot. But the funny thing was, the more I studied, the more mysterious my condition became. The more I knew, the more painful and frustrating it felt. It was almost worse than not studying at all.
So, while I was tearing my hair out in frustration, I received a summons from Fortress Lord Mok Yi-gun.
Before heading out, I first swallowed the pill Chong Ae-hyeon had given me. It was a medicine to suppress the yin energy of the White Horse Ten Canes.
Occasionally, the yin energy felt like it was tearing my internal organs apart, and there were embarrassing moments when I would involuntarily groan and scowl while talking to others. This medicine also acted as a painkiller, significantly reducing the agony. So, I had no choice but to take it.
Even as I took it, I felt uneasy. The medicine had more side effects than I expected. After taking it, I strangely became very flatulent. It was difficult to hold it in.
However, the conversation with the Fortress Lord wouldn't be very long, so I just had to hold it in.
Anyway, what did the Fortress Lord want?
Judging by the incident with the Seven Cats, I couldn't tell what Mok Yi-gun was thinking by calling me, which made me feel uneasy.