Let’s Do a Job Together, You and Me (5)
"I-isn't that Oduksa?"
"So the one they call the Ghost of Jiangxi came all the way out here. Looks like he happened to be nearby."
"Over there’s Chogumun. Sure enough, they couldn’t miss a chance like this, huh?"
"Songbaekmun of Luoyang and Janyeolgak too. Looks like every famous sect in the area has come running!"
"...W-wait a second. That man in red robes over there looks like Samsal-gwi."
"Even that butcher of a man came? This whole thing looks like it’ll bring more calamity than fortune!"
The people gathered in Namyang clicked their tongues as they watched the newcomers flood in one after another.
"So this really is the Sword Tomb?"
"Anyone with a brain would come running. But... isn’t there still a good chance this is just another rumor? I feel like I’ve already heard news of the Sword Tomb turning up five times now, and every last one of them was nonsense."
"This time’s different. The one who spread the word about the Sword Tomb was none other than the Beggars’ Sect. When have they ever spread false rumors?"
"Hm. Fair enough."
"That’s why even those famous figures dropped everything and rushed here, isn’t it? If they can get their hands on the Sword Tomb, they could shake the whole world."
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Throw away those foolish fantasies. What miracle do we have, stuck in the middle of all this, that would let us seize a divine weapon?"
"You don’t know that. In times like these, who knows what might happen? Fortune might just smile on us!"
Even those speaking negatively could not erase the gleam of greed from their eyes.
That was the nature of a divine weapon.
Most of the countless people who lived in the martial world were simply swept along by history. Only a handful ever distinguished themselves through their own strength and shaped history for themselves.
Every martial artist in the world wanted to become the number one under heaven, but only one person could ever stand at that summit.
In other words, most of the people gathered here, like the ordinary men and women living out their lives across the martial world, were nothing more than a backdrop to make the lives of those handfuls of heroes shine brighter.
But if one could obtain a divine weapon, then perhaps one might join the ranks of those heroes after all.
It was a temptation no martial artist could easily refuse.
Few of those who had come here truly believed they had the skill to seize the divine weapon ahead of everyone else. But even so, they could not quite let go of that sliver of hope.
"Feels like a war could break out any second."
"Isn't that how it always is? Whoever survives that war gets the divine weapon from the Sword Tomb."
Two people who had been listening to the murmured chatter quietly slipped out of the crowd.
"Isn't this really turning into a huge mess, sahyung?"
At Jo Gul’s words, Yoon Jong slowly looked around with a dazed expression.
"That madman..."
What? Stir things up?
There had to be a limit to that, didn't there?
What in the world was he doing?
Not only around Namyang, but from Luoyang and Wuhan too, people were pouring in. If another few days passed like this, Namyang would be so packed there wouldn’t be room to put down even one foot.
Even at this very moment, martial artists were swarming in like clouds.
"...I really have no idea what he’s thinking."
In a way, it was impressive.
To drag the entire situation this far simply because he didn’t want Wudang to so easily get their hands on the Sword Tomb—could a normal person even imagine that?
Yoon Jong found himself thinking they might have underestimated Chung Myung all this time.
Or else...
Maybe Chung Myung was just a completely different person when dealing with sect members than when dealing with everyone else.
"Let's go back for now."
"Yes, sahyung."
Yoon Jong and Jo Gul quickened their pace toward Hwayeong Gate.
After forcing his way through the crowd and finally reaching Hwayeong Gate, Yoon Jong hurriedly opened the door and went inside.
Baek Cheon, who had been waiting, immediately ran up the moment he saw them.
"How is it?"
"It’s chaos. I’ve never seen so many martial artists gathered in one place before."
"It looks like there are more martial artists there than locals now."
"...Is that so."
Baek Cheon, too, looked a little worn down.
"Can this really be all right?"
At Jo Gul’s question, Baek Cheon’s face twisted.
"How should I know!"
Chung Myung was the sort of person who defied all understanding. No matter how hard one tried to make sense of him, it was impossible to tell what was going on in his head.
"By the way, who is that man?"
"...?"
Yoon Jong narrowed his eyes and looked toward the two people seated in the large hall in front of the main building. The fellow sprawled out on the veranda, clutching a wine jug, was obviously Chung Myung, so that part was no surprise.
But the one seated opposite him...
"A beggar?"
"Shh."
Baek Cheon brought a finger to his lips.
"Mind your manners. That’s a member of the Beggars’ Sect."
"Ah."
Of course the Beggars’ Sect was a sect of beggars, but there was no beggar who actually enjoyed being called one. Usually, it was more polite to refer to them obliquely, as a hwaja or some other roundabout term.
"And who is that hwaja?"
"He’s the leader of the Beggars’ Sect’s Luoyang branch."
"Why would someone like that be here...?"
"Who knows. That brat Chung Myung probably stirred up another mess."
Everyone’s expressions soured.
Please, just live like a human being. Like one human being.
Whatever you do, at least keep it within the bounds of common sense.
At this rate, I’m really going to die young.
Regardless of what they thought, Chung Myung was lounging around leisurely, glugging wine from the bottle.
"...Satisfied now?"
"Satisfied with what?"
"I’m asking whether this is enough for you now that things have turned out exactly the way you wanted."
"Wow, you’re saying something weird. What exactly did I do?"
"Grrrr..."
Hong Dae-gwang’s face twisted violently.
That ghostly little brat.
Of course, it had been Hong Dae-gwang who created the current situation. After hearing that Wudang would be arriving soon, he had used every connection he had to spread the map of the treasure far and wide, and thrown all his strength into spreading rumors that the Sword Tomb was in Namyang.
It couldn't be helped.
If Wudang arrived in Namyang, stripped the Sword Tomb bare, and then left, Hong Dae-gwang would be left like a dog chasing a chicken and staring at a roof. But he couldn’t do what Chung Myung did and sell the map for money, either.
If he sold away the map that Wudang had already begun excavating for a huge sum, the Beggars’ Sect’s credibility would sink straight to the bottom.
And then the elders of the Beggars’ Sect would probably skewer him and roast him over a fire.
"So what now?"
"What do you mean? We just watch."
"Like this?"
"I’m fine. I already made a tidy profit."
"Grrrraaah!"
Chung Myung tapped his own chest. That part was especially puffed out. Hong Dae-gwang’s heart burned as he realized the source of that “puffiness” was the promissory notes he had handed over.
I can’t even beat him up.
He’d just get beaten in return.
At the very least, he had confirmed that the strength of the Mount Hua Divine Dragon was the real thing.
Hong Dae-gwang forced down the rage boiling in his stomach.
He was not a fool. No, if anything, he was extremely clever. He may have been struck down by a dirty ambush from Chung Myung, but that had not happened because Hong Dae-gwang was stupid—it had happened because Chung Myung was ruthlessly underhanded.
It’ll still take several more days before reinforcements arrive from the main sect.
But Wudang would be arriving soon.
They could not deal with Wudang using their own strength alone. The Beggars’ Sect was by no means weaker than Wudang, but unlike Wudang, whose full strength was gathered on Wudang Mountain, the Beggars’ Sect’s power was spread across the entire Middle Kingdom.
Just assembling them would take a full month, at the very least. Besides, there wasn’t even time to call in help from the nearby branches right away.
In other words, whatever happened here would have to be handled by an alliance of the Beggars’ Sect’s Luoyang branch and, at most, the Wuhan branch. There was no way the strength of just two branches could contend with Wudang.
In the end, the only slope left to lean against was...
...this bastard.
As if heaven had collapsed and the earth had caved in.
No, why this bastard of all people?
If he were being honest, Hong Dae-gwang would have loved nothing more than to grind him to dust. But with tears in his eyes, he had no choice but to seek out Chung Myung. First, because the people here who could still be trusted were the disciples of Mount Hua—the ones who had actually defeated a second-generation disciple of Wudang.
And second...
He’s insane, sure, but this bastard absolutely has something up his sleeve.
If not, he would never have done something like this. Even if everyone else called him crazy... no, no—Hong Dae-gwang would call him crazy too, but he was convinced that beneath Chung Myung’s madness, there was some hidden move waiting to be played.
"Shouldn’t you be moving by now?"
"Want a drink?"
"...Martial artists outside are swarming in like a pack of stray dogs."
"Geez, everyone’s got such greedy hands."
Hong Dae-gwang finally exploded.
"Hey, you brat! Don’t you need to get your hands on the Honwon Dan? The Honwon Dan! Are you planning to just sit around and let everyone else reap the benefits?"
"Wow, you really do care a lot about other people’s business."
Chung Myung lay back and whistled.
That utterly carefree attitude made Hong Dae-gwang clutch his pit of the stomach.
My, my stomach hurts.
Where in the world had this monster come from?
As he received the sympathetic looks of Mount Hua’s disciples, Hong Dae-gwang was just wondering whether he ought to struggle a little more when—
Swish.
"Aaah! You startled me!"
Suddenly seeing a woman appear beside him, Hong Dae-gwang yelped and nearly toppled backward.
And who the hell is this now?!
Before he could even figure out who had appeared, her lips parted slightly.
"Wudang’s here."
Bang.
Chung Myung shot to his feet.
"They’re here!"
The wine jug lying beside Chung Myung tipped over, spilling liquor across the floor. But Chung Myung didn’t even glance at it; he leaped straight down from the veranda.
"Let’s go!"
"All right!"
"Let’s move!"
Until now, the Mount Hua disciples had been grumbling and complaining nonstop, but the instant Chung Myung’s voice rang out, their eyes changed. In unison, they sprang after him and began to run.
"H-huh?"
Only Hong Dae-gwang, unable to keep up with that astonishing transformation, could do nothing but flail in confusion.
The Mount Hua disciples vaulted over the unfinished wall and vanished in a flash.
Only after a moment did Hong Dae-gwang finally collect himself and roar, "Ch-chase them! You beggars! Hurry! Hurry and follow them! Move it!"
"W-we can't see where they went!"
"Damn it, follow me!"
In the end, Hong Dae-gwang took the lead himself and started driving his subordinates forward.
No. What kind of people are these?
Only moments ago, he had been wondering whether these fellows really were disciples of the esteemed Mount Hua at all. But the instant Chung Myung uttered a single line, their entire aura changed and they bolted off.
Of course, the one who changed most was Chung Myung.
"We have to cling to Mount Hua no matter what! No matter what!"
His instincts were telling him so.
If there were anyone in Namyang who would shove aside Wudang and stir up trouble, it had to be Mount Hua.
Hong Dae-gwang gritted his teeth and fed inner power into his legs as he watched the Mount Hua disciples in the distance.
And in the training grounds, now empty after they had all rushed out, exactly two people stood there, staring blankly at the scene.
"...Father."
"What is it?"
"What on earth is all this?"
"Who knows."
Wi Lip-san, the leader of Hwayeong Gate, wore a sour expression as he looked over the surroundings that had suddenly been emptied out in an instant.
"They must have their reasons."
"Really?"
"I’d like to believe that."
To be honest, Wi Lip-san wasn’t convinced at all.
