Monopolizing Fortunes (75)
Monopolizing Fortunes (75)
The rain clouds hanging low enough to snag on the trees finally let loose. The pattering rain soon turned into a downpour so heavy it was hard to see ahead.
Do Tong-dal, walking along the forest path, looked up at the sky and muttered.
"So it's finally raining."
"It's exactly as you said."
"You were doubting me this whole time?"
"I wasn't doubting you. I just didn't believe you at all."
"Jigang County isn't much farther now, right?"
"We just have to get over that mountain."
The mountain, which looked like a black shadow in the rain, appeared fairly tall even from a distance.
Do Tong-dal spoke.
"Shouldn't we get out of this pouring rain first?"
"We're already soaked through. What's the point of avoiding it now?"
Namgung Seol-rin ignored Do Tong-dal's opinion and walked on ahead.
"Damn, the girl's got stamina too."
All Do Tong-dal could do was grumble. They were about halfway up the mountain facing Jigang County when Namgung Seol-rin suddenly stopped.
"Why? Want to rest?"
She looked back without answering. Through the clamor of the rain, the sound of someone rapidly approaching could be heard.
A group of men coming around a thickly wooded bend spotted Do Tong-dal and Namgung Seol-rin and flinched to a halt.
"Who goes there!"
Before anyone even answered, the six men drew their weapons with menacing intent. Namgung Seol-rin's brow furrowed at the sight.
"Since when did Mount Hua Sect become thugs who draw their swords first and ask questions later?"
The man at the front, in his early thirties, asked cautiously.
"And who might you be, miss?"
"I am Namgung Seol-rin of the Namgung Clan."
"Ah! Forgive me for not recognizing you."
Even Mount Hua Sect, which vied for the top position among the Nine Great Sects, could not afford to be rude to a daughter of the Namgung Clan.
"We were in a hurry after hearing that a Mount Hua disciple had been killed by someone from the Wonsin Sect, so we were flustered."
"What? A Mount Hua disciple was killed by a Wonsin Sect member?"
"Yes. We heard that disciples of the Wudang Sect and the Hwangbo Clan were also harmed. On the unorthodox side, they say not only the Wonsin Sect but the Northern Unorthodox Alliance and the Azure Blood Blade Sect have joined forces."
"How did such a thing......!"
"We're also on our way with only rough information."
"Where did the incident take place?"
"If you run at full speed from here, you'll arrive within one ke. We're in a hurry, so we'll be off."
Namgung Seol-rin stared blankly at the spot where the Mount Hua disciples had disappeared.
"So it finally happened."
At Do Tong-dal's words, Namgung Seol-rin asked.
"You expected something like this?"
"I told you I saw it in a dream."
"Haah—! You really should become a cult leader. Anyway, let's hurry too."
Do Tong-dal hastily followed after the running Namgung Seol-rin.
"Do we really need to get involved?"
"Mount Hua, Wudang, and the Hwangbo Clan are connected in some way to every orthodox faction in the martial world. The Wonsin Sect, Northern Unorthodox Alliance, and Azure Blood Blade Sect are also pillars of the unorthodox factions. If a fight breaks out among those six sects, it could spread into an all-out war between orthodox and unorthodox."
"Then the Namgung Clan will have to join the war too."
"We have to stop the war."
"And how are you going to stop it?"
"You're going to stop it."
"Huh? Why me? How?"
"Figure something out. You have a divine artifact, don't you?"
"What does that have to do with a divine artifact!"
After running for about one ke, they could sense people all around them. No one openly blocked their path, but the gazes trying to distinguish friend from foe were unmistakable.
"Huff! Huff! It's raining and this is damn miserable. Ugh, I'm dying here."
It had only been a short time, but he had pushed himself to his limit keeping up with Namgung Seol-rin, and his breath was caught in his throat.
The clearing appeared suddenly. The dense forest vanished as if the trees had been deliberately cut away, revealing an open space large enough to comfortably hold about two hundred people.
Around a hundred people were gathered there, and new arrivals kept trickling in.
The people in the clearing were split into two sides. Glaring at each other with open hostility, neither side was outmatched in numbers or intensity.
Namgung Seol-rin grabbed Do Tong-dal's hand and edged toward the orthodox side. As Do Tong-dal followed her, he saw five corpses lying in the center of the clearing.
It was obvious at a glance that they had died fighting each other, weapons still in hand. Then one person bleeding from the arm caught his eye.
He was probably the sole survivor of this small battle. Do Tong-dal stopped walking and asked Namgung Seol-rin.
"Who's that injured person over there?"
Do Tong-dal's voice was quieter than a mosquito's wingbeat, so Namgung Seol-rin lowered her voice as much as she could.
"Judging by the clothes, looks like Wonsin Sect?"
The injured man and the two people tending his wounds all had the character 元 (Won) embroidered on the left chest of their black tops.
"What about the dead?"
"On the unorthodox side, Azure Blood Blade Sect and Northern Unorthodox Alliance. On the orthodox side, Hwangbo Clan, Mount Hua, and Wudang."
"Anyone you know?"
"No. Normally I wouldn't know, but when people come to a place where a fight is likely to break out, they wear clothing and markings that clearly show their affiliation. That way everyone can be careful around each other."
"And a fight still broke out."
Just then, a shout rang out thunderously.
"Shut your mouth! Does it make any sense that our Cheongmyeong swung his sword first without provocation!"
Namgung Seol-rin whispered.
"Cheongmyeong is probably the dead Mount Hua disciple. And the one shouting right now is Hwang Song-un, an elder of Mount Hua Sect."
The man injured in the arm protested.
"Why would I lie!"
"You're siding with your fellow unorthodox scum! Filthy bastards!"
At that, shouts erupted from the unorthodox side.
"Who's calling who filthy! You orthodox types are the filthy ones!"
"Wolves in sheep's clothing, and you dare call anyone else filthy!"
Do Tong-dal asked Namgung Seol-rin.
"Won't this just turn into another war of words? Like those martial artists last time."
"No, people have already died. And seeing how outraged Hwang Song-un is, Cheongmyeong must have been like a disciple to him."
With a disciple like a son dead, there was no way he would let it go.
"Then we'd better get out of here."
Namgung Seol-rin grabbed the wrist of Do Tong-dal, who was trying to quietly back away.
"I told you to resolve this. Where do you think you're going?"
"Why should I get mixed up in a martial-world fight? I'm an Underworld thug."
"Your friend is a martial artist, and the woman who likes you is the daughter of a martial clan. If you're in danger, I or my older brother would......."
"Fine, fine."
Just then, the injured man's rough shout rang out.
"You filthy hypocrite bastards! Who swung a sword demanding I hand over a Ten-Thousand-Year Ginseng King I didn't even have, and now you're trying to pin it on me! Woo of the Northern Unorthodox Alliance and Baek of the Azure Blood Blade Sect died trying to help me! You sons of bitches! The one who tried to kill me out of nowhere was your disciple! You fucking bastard!"
"That...... that wretch is running his torn mouth off!"
In this situation, the moral high ground belonged to the unorthodox side. The sole witness was testifying to the orthodox side's cowardice.
The injured man snatched up a fallen sword and sprang to his feet.
"Want to shut me up? Come at me right now! I'll avenge Woo and Baek!"
The injured man's fighting spirit set the unorthodox side's blood boiling. Even those who hadn't drawn weapons grabbed them, radiating intent to charge the orthodox side at any moment.
The orthodox side didn't stay still either and drew their weapons in response.
"Even if I die today, I'll expose every bit of you orthodox bastards' hypocrisy!"
Namgung Seol-rin stamped her feet and said.
"Do something."
"Hold on. Let me think."
But Namgung Seol-rin didn't give him time to think. She suddenly shoved Do Tong-dal's back.
"Whoa!"
He staggered and barely regained his balance in the center of the clearing, right next to the corpses. It was also directly in the path of the injured man charging toward the orthodox side.
"What are you! You bastard!"
"Wait!"
Do Tong-dal's voice was so loud that the injured man stopped without realizing it.
'That girl really is hopeless.'
After cursing Namgung Seol-rin inwardly, Do Tong-dal asked the injured man.
"What's your name, by any chance?"
"Han San-do...... Why are you asking my name! No, who the hell are you to block my path!"
"I'm just a passerby."
"Wh...... what?"
Do Tong-dal wiped the rain from his face with his palm and spoke.
"Anyway, the rain's really pouring like hell."
"Move aside right now or I'll cut you down!"
"Of course I'll move aside."
As Do Tong-dal sidestepped, he stepped on one of the corpses' legs.
"Whoops! My mistake! Who's this?"
"Can't you tell by the clothes? He's one of those damn Wudang Daoists!"
An old Daoist with a white beard grown down to his chest stepped forward.
"Boundless Life Buddha. Jae-u was my disciple."
"And you are, Daoist master......?"
"I am called Yeongheo, an elder of the Wudang Sect. And who might you be?"
"I said I'm a passerby. Are your ears failing you in your old age?"
The Wudang disciples bristled.
"That...... that rude man!"
Daoist Yeongheo held back his disciples from stepping forward and asked Do Tong-dal.
"Do you know what kind of place you're standing in?"
"The place with the highest chance of dying if a fight breaks out."
"You know well."
Do Tong-dal grinned.
"It's only a difference of sooner or later. Everyone dies, don't they? Still, this friend Jae-u is too young to die. His crime was being weak in martial arts. Tsk tsk tsk......."
"Jae-u was not weak in martial arts. His talent was outstanding, and even at a young age he surpassed his senior disciples."
"That's right! Jae-u was never the kind of man to die here taking those unorthodox nobodies down with him!"
A shout of "Who are you calling nobodies!" erupted from the unorthodox side, but it wasn't as fierce as before. The sudden appearance of Do Tong-dal had cooled their blazing anger somewhat.
Do Tong-dal pointed at the corpse of the Hwangbo Clan warrior.
"Then was this man weak?"
Hwangbo Jeong-uk stepped forward.
"He was the Hall Master of the Hwangbo Clan's Unhae Hall! He became the youngest Hall Master in the Hwangbo Clan because of his martial arts, so there's no way he was weak!"
"Hm. So they were prominent figures in the Wudang Sect and the Hwangbo Clan. Then what about Mount Hua here?"
A Mount Hua Sect member answered.
"He was one of the 72 Plum Blossom Swordsmen."
"Who are they?"
"You're a martial artist and you don't know the 72 Plum Blossom Swordsmen?"
Do Tong-dal scratched his rain-soaked head.
"I'm not a martial artist..."
"What? Well, anyway, it means he was one of the 72 most outstanding rising talents of Mount Hua."
"Hm, then the two dead unorthodox members here and......."
Do Tong-dal's gaze turned to Han San-do, who was clutching his injured arm.
"The injured one must also be someone of great renown in the unorthodox factions?"
A middle-aged man with a rough beard stepped forward from the unorthodox side.
"Hwang Jo-un was a promising talent in our Azure Blood Blade Sect."
Then an old man came out from the Northern Unorthodox Alliance as well.
"Won Jo-jang serves as a squad leader in the Northern Unorthodox Alliance. It's a position that can't be held by someone weak in martial arts."
"Oh! Then Han here must have impressive martial arts too?"
As Han San-do hesitated, Do Tong-dal asked the unorthodox side.
"There should be someone here from the Wonsin Sect as well. Could you tell me how impressive Han here is?"
A man in his early thirties spoke.
"Han San-do is a promising talent in the Wonsin Sect."
"His rank?"
"A regular warrior. But that doesn't mean his martial arts are weak."
"Of course not."
Do Tong-dal circled around the five corpses, repeatedly making "Hm." sounds. Now everyone's attention was focused on Do Tong-dal, and no one showed any sign of wanting to fight.
"But is this layout strange only to me?"
The three orthodox corpses and two unorthodox corpses were close together. Two of the orthodox corpses were face down, while the other three lay on their backs facing the sky.
"Judging by your expressions, it seems I'm the only one who finds it strange."
Just then, Jegal Cheong stepped out from the orthodox side.
"Now that you mention it, it does seem strange. But what's your name?"
Jegal Cheong asked as if she were seeing Do Tong-dal for the first time. She was a woman smart enough to live up to the Jegal name.
"I'm a passerby with the surname Do."
"There are people in the martial world who don't like to reveal themselves. Then I'll call you Young Master Do. I'm Jegal Cheong of the Jegal Clan."
"Pleased to meet you. What do you find strange about these corpses, Miss Jegal?"
* * *