Chapter 58
Chapter 58
Translator: Penny
Chapter 58
Fortuitous Encounter (1)
Chilho walked down the corridor.
It was a labyrinthine passage, twisting left, right, then left again. Even the most intelligent person would never find their way through it in one go.
After wandering for a long time and finally escaping the maze, she found herself facing a long, gray corridor. It was the kind of hallway where the walls seemed ready to open at any moment, releasing some hidden threat. At the end of this corridor stood a single room.
When she opened the door and entered, she found a man standing with his back turned. The room was windowless, perhaps due to its location deep within the building. The man was gazing at a painting hanging where a window might have been.
It was a dynamic scene of waves crashing against coastal rocks, creating spray. The painting stood in stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere of the room.
"Ma Jeongsu is dead," the man said in a calm, detached tone, as if reporting the weather.
The man's reaction was similar.
"How?"
She delivered the news of Ma Jeongsu's death, but this wasn't a message for Ma Bonggi. Nor was this man an employee of the Martial Arts Alliance.
"He died entangled with the Night Merchants in the Shandong region."
"Did you confirm this personally?"
"Yes, I witnessed it with my own eyes. Here's the detailed report."
She placed the report on the table.
The man continued to stare at the painting.
"Every time I look at this painting, I wonder: Did the artist paint this sea after seeing it, or purely from imagination? What's your opinion?"
"I... I'm not sure."
Only then did the man turn around. He was in his thirties, but unlike his earlier state of being lost in contemplation while admiring the painting, he now exuded an icy aura.
The man was Ilho, the leader of the organization. He was also the only person who knew the full extent of the organization's hierarchy and to whom each member reported.
Ilho slowly read the report.
"Elder Flower Fan and Si Gon, who went together, have disappeared. And there are signs that another successor has intervened?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Ilho spoke while still focused on the report.
"Stand by until further orders."
"Yes."
As she turned to open the door and leave, Ilho called out to her.
"Chilho."
"Yes."
Ilho's tone softened slightly.
"Good work."
But Chilho's tone remained stiff.
"Thank you."
After she left, Ilho finished reading the report. He closed the last page and his gaze returned to the painting on the wall behind him.
Three hours later, the contents of the report finally reached Ma Bonggi, the Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance.
The one delivering the report was Ju Cheolryong, the Head of the Radiant Moon Corps.
"Unfortunately, your son, Young Hero Ma Jeongsu, has been killed."
Hearing of his son's death, Ma Bonggi showed no discernible emotion.
"Who killed him?"
"It appears to be one of the successors."
Ju Cheolryong omitted any mention of the Night Merchants or the Shandong Merchant Guild.
Whether this was intentional editing on his part or if he simply hadn't received that information himself was unclear. After all, it was impossible to know how many hands the report had passed through before reaching him from Ilho.
"We should send an investigator. The Alliance can't send anyone, so have the Heavenly Blade Gate send someone."
Ma Bonggi nodded. "I'll handle it myself. Now, what's the next report?"
With that, the conversation about Ma Jeongsu's death came to an end. If Ma Jeongsu could have seen this exchange from hell, he would have been furious, pounding the ground in rage.
"The public opinion in the Martial Arts World is unfavorable because of this incident. You should recall the successors you sent outside."
"That's impossible," Ma Bonggi replied firmly.
"I sent them despite their opposition, even assigning your people to accompany them. Therefore, you know more about the situation there than I do. Given how much I've already compromised, I cannot accept your demand to recall them."
"We can't ignore public opinion."
"Don't ignore me first."
Ju Cheolryong continued speaking, as if he hadn't heard the previous exchange.
"The martial artists of the Martial Arts World expect a certain dignity from the Martial Arts Alliance Leader."
"As you know, I possess none of that."
"Then let's create it from this moment forward."
A tense standoff unfolded between the two men.
"Let me ask you one thing."
"Yes."
"Why did you support me?"
If it weren't for Ju Cheolryong, the Corps Head of the Radiant Moon Corps—the most powerful of the Three Core Corps—Ma Bonggi would never have become the Martial Arts Alliance Leader.
"I've always respected you, Alliance Leader."
"Cut the crap and tell me the real reason."
"There is no other reason."
"Who's pulling your strings?"
"No one."
Ma Bonggi scoffed and leaned back against the Grand Seat. When he acted so shamelessly, it almost made one wonder if he might actually have respected the Alliance Leader.
But that couldn't be true. Ma Bonggi was a seasoned veteran, a crafty old fox who knew himself better than anyone else.
Someone was clearly pulling the strings behind the scenes.
Yet, even after more than half a year since he became the Alliance Leader, this puppeteer remained hidden, making no demands. Wouldn't it have been less unsettling if they had simply asked for money or a position in exchange for elevating him to this role?
"Very well, then."
"Rest well, sir."
Ju Cheolryong slowly strode out of the room.
Ma Bonggi's eyes glinted as he watched the man's retreating figure.
"If you think of me as nothing more than an old fool who can be easily manipulated, someone you chose because you thought you could use me... that would be a grave mistake."
Rumors about Ma Jeongsu began to spread, starting in Shandong.
The gossip claimed that Ma Jeongsu had planned to collaborate with the Shandong Merchant Guild and, in the process, attempted to embezzle funds meant for the Night Merchants.
There was no word of Ma Jeongsu's death. Instead, rumors circulated that he had left Shandong, and his plans to establish a martial arts school had fallen through.
Of course, I was the one who spread these rumors.
I released them with utmost caution, ensuring no trace led back to me. But given the sensitivity of the matter, even a whisper was enough to send them spreading like wildfire.
The incident had repercussions beyond Shandong, reaching the Central Plains. Public opinion began to turn against the Heavenly Blade Gate, accusing them of meddling too deeply in affairs beyond their borders.
All the pent-up resentment, which had been suppressed while watching Ma Bonggi's every move, erupted simultaneously.
Did they believe that public opinion, like a boiling pot, would eventually calm down over time? The Martial Arts Alliance remained completely silent on the matter.
Peace had returned to Shandong, but two organizations remained in turmoil: the Night Merchants and the Shandong Merchant Guild. The Night Merchants were in disarray due to their involvement with Ma Jeongsu, while the Shandong Merchant Guild was in trouble because of their entanglement with the Night Merchants.
In any case, I emerged as the ultimate winner.
The money that came into my hands amounted to two hundred thousand taels.
This sum was enough to immediately increase the Sword Guard by several hundred members. However, I still intended to follow the original plan and expand the Sword Guard to two squads of forty members each next spring. There was no need to draw attention, especially since the Martial Arts Alliance or the Heavenly Blade Gate might investigate this incident.
The Sword Guard was operating smoothly under Gwanhwi's command. Each member was capable of leading a squad on their own. I would continue to hone them into an elite force until next spring.
With the right commander, assembling a large force was a matter of moments. By appointing twenty squad leaders, we could instantly form a massive Sword Guard of four hundred members.
Gwangdu had also been diligently training in martial arts. Especially after gaining eight years of internal energy from the Spirit Herb I gave him, he had changed significantly. He had gained confidence.
"By the way, it's been hard to see you lately, Young Master."
"I've been busy."
"Could you take me with you sometimes?"
"Really?"
My eyes widened in surprise, startling Gwangdu.
"...Were you involved in something dangerous?" I asked with a serious expression.
"Crazy bastards were waving their swords everywhere, shooting hidden weapons at our backs, threatening us at every turn, trading hundreds of thousands of taels, scheming, betraying each other, burying bodies..."
Gwangdu covered his ears.
"Stop it! Please, stop it!"
"Next time, we'll definitely go together. I'll show you the real Martial Arts World. I think the time is right."
"No, it's too far. I'll stay in this peaceful Martial Arts World, where I receive fragrant Spirit Herbs and fine swords as gifts! Forever."
"Heh heh."
"Don't laugh like that!"
It felt wonderful to have such a joyful conversation with Gwangdu after so long. I could feel the tension that had been building because of Ma Jeongsu completely dissipating.
"But where are you going? With that pack on your back?" Gwangdu asked, eyeing the leather pouch strapped to my back.
I looked at him with a piercing gaze. "Want to come along?"
"Huh! Don't tell me... there's a corpse in that pouch?"
Gwangdu hastily retreated to a safe distance, waving his hands frantically.
I grinned at him and left the house.
Inside the leather pouch wasn't a corpse, but a gift from the corpse.
I arrived at the Black Market carrying a leather pouch containing two hundred thousand taels.
My intention was to buy more elixirs here.
Why am I so obsessed with internal energy?
Because it's the most certain and quickest way for me to become stronger.
Normally, when various elixirs are mixed, the purity of the internal energy decreases.
As the amount of internal energy increases, the effectiveness gained from elixirs diminishes, and the purity also declines, creating a clear limit to how much strength can be acquired through money alone.
Fortunately, I was cultivating the Cheonmu Hoshim Gyeol, an exceptional cultivation method, which allowed me to refine multiple elixirs into a single, pure stream of internal energy.
The diminishing returns as internal energy increases is inevitable. Still, since I hadn't yet reached the One Cycle stage, buying elixirs remained an effective choice.
After my recent experience with Ma Jeongsu, I realized something was amiss within the Martial Arts Alliance. Unforeseen events were unfolding.
I needed to become stronger as quickly as possible.
I could already execute the perfect basic forms of the Soul-Chasing Asura Sword Technique. I trained diligently every day to build my physical strength. In this situation, what I needed most was internal energy.
I had to surpass the One Cycle stage so I could use the fourth form. It was far more powerful than the previous forms, incomparable in strength.
By the way, there should be some elixirs available in the Black Market.
The usual old man from the Black Market greeted me. As always, I approached him with a different disguise today.
When I asked about elixirs, the old man gave me a regretful reply.
"Unfortunately, no new elixirs have arrived."
"I see."
I had brought the most money possible, yet there were no elixirs to be found.
I felt a pang of disappointment, but there was nothing to be done. As the old man said, every elixir has its own master.
"I believe this is the only branch in Shandong without any elixirs. The supply has been steadily dwindling. It seems we won't be able to see any elixirs this year."
"There's nothing we can do."
"Since we're here, why not take a look at some of the other items?"
"Agreed."
Indeed, it wouldn't hurt to see what other treasures were available.
I followed the old man out of the room.
We crossed the estate courtyard and arrived at a vast exhibition hall, as large as the main hall of the Yang Association where the banquet had been held.
The hall displayed a dazzling array of goods.
What struck me as unusual was that the items were divided into two distinct categories.
A metal palisade ran along the walls, separating the collection.
The items beyond the bars were expensive, while those outside were relatively cheap.
I could tell that this seemingly ordinary iron bars were no ordinary steel.
While not as strong as Millennium Cold Iron, it was a metal that could block most Sword Auras and Sword Qi.
In my prime, I had once raised my Sword Qi and severed even Millennium Cold Iron. This was during my battle with the Black Dragon Emperor of the Unorthodox Factions. He had escaped through an emergency passage beyond the Millennium Cold Iron, mocking me all the while.
When I raised my Sword Qi, his laughter grew even louder.
But he should have seen his expression when my Sword Qi began to slice through the passage. He didn't even make it through the entire emergency passage before I caught and killed him.
The old man led me to where the sword was displayed.
"The sword you're wearing looks quite old. Why don't you buy a new one?"
Hahaha.
A chuckle escaped me.
I was speaking without knowing what sword lay hidden within this unassuming scabbard. The Heavenly Creation Sword would be deeply disappointed to hear such words.
The old man pointed to the sword hanging beyond the iron bars.
"That is the Pungjin Sword, once wielded by Great Hero Pungjin, known as the Foremost Sword of Gangbuk."
I knew of Pungjin. In my youth, I had crossed blades with him. I defeated him in fifty seconds. We exchanged occasional letters afterward, but contact eventually ceased.
Seeing his sword here, I surmised he must have passed away.
Rest in peace, Senior.
I silently wished him well.
"How much is it?"
"Ten thousand taels."
"Ten thousand taels?!" I exclaimed, startled.
The price was far higher than I'd anticipated.
"Isn't this the sword wielded by Great Hero Pungjin?"
"That's right."
If the Pungjin Sword is worth ten thousand taels, how much would the Heavenly Creation Sword be worth? Not only is the sword itself of far superior quality, but it also carries the added value of having been used by the Martial Arts Alliance Leader. It must be worth at least one hundred thousand taels. Of course, I have no intention of selling it, and any modifications I make wouldn't increase its value that much.
If I were to bring out the Asura Radiant King Sword, its value would truly be priceless.
Besides the Pungjin Sword, there were several other blades. These were of a lower grade, just decent swords, but even they were priced between thirty and fifty thousand taels.
While acquiring the Pungjin Sword might be difficult, I could easily cut down the lower-grade swords with this Heavenly Creation Sword.
After examining the swords, I began looking at other items. Daggers, spears, gauntlets, body armor—every kind of weapon and armor used in the Martial Arts World was on display.
The things I really wanted to buy were far too expensive. For example, a Heart Guard, designed to protect the wearer's heart, cost a hundred thousand taels. Of course, being made of high-quality material that could withstand even a moderate Sword Aura, it might save my life someday.
But considering my current situation, the price-to-performance ratio was too poor. After scanning all the expensive items behind the iron bars, I turned my gaze away.
I started looking at the much cheaper items outside the barred display.