Hebei Exchange Meeting (1)
With his fourteenth birthday approaching and his cultivation already having reached the Zenith Realm, while his cherished bodyguard, the Shadowless One Shin Dan-woo, had also pressed through into the same level, Seok Geum-ryong was enjoying days of rare ease and satisfaction.
Red Demon Hall had overreached itself trying to target Seok Geum-ryong, only to collapse for its trouble, and he had completely replaced them as the market giant once left vacant, ushering in a true golden age for Bukcheon-won.
What was more, the horse market business he now handled exclusively had been going so smoothly of late that, for the first time in a long while, he was living in peace.
Then, one day, Seok Ji-sung, Lord of Seokga Manor, made a meaningful proposal at that month’s family council.
“Geum-ryong, to mark your fourteenth birthday... how would you feel about hosting the Hebei Exchange Meeting?”
At those words, Seok Ho-in, the third son of Seokga Manor and the Mad Tiger Young Master, sprang to his feet in excitement.
That was only natural. Matters involving the martial world and martial artists, including councils and sponsorships, were usually handled by Seok Ho-in.
The reason was simple: he possessed outstanding martial skill and talent, and each year he had been entrusted with such duties as the obvious choice.
“Father! That’s usually the event I’m in charge of!”
“Ho-in, you’ll turn nineteen next year, and soon after that you’ll come of age. So rather than hosting it... I thought it might be better for you to participate in the Hebei Exchange Meeting yourself and make your mark, which is why I told Geum-ryong to handle the hosting,” Seok Ji-sung said.
“Ah!”
For a moment, Seok Ho-in remained disgruntled.
But then he was forced to admire his father’s thoughtful judgment.
At present, if his path as a merchant did not work out, he had resolved to become a proper martial artist.
For someone like him, it would be far more efficient to enter the Hebei Exchange Meeting as a participant and assert superiority over the region’s many promising juniors than to concern himself with hosting it.
“I was shortsighted,” Seok Ho-in said sincerely, stepping back with obvious remorse.
Of course, he still found the idea of having that thorn in his side, Seok Geum-ryong, host the exchange meeting deeply unpleasant, but there was nothing to be done.
The Hebei Exchange Meeting is a battleground where the promising young talents of the various sects representing Hebei gather.
Geum-ryong knew it well from his previous life, having heard of the event and even attended it as an observer.
The major sects of Hebei, including the Beggars’ Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects, and the Hebei Peng Clan, one of the Five Great Clans, took part every year.
Though not one of the Five Great Clans, the Zhenzhu Yan Clan was also strong enough to be counted among the top ten families under heaven, and they too participated annually.
Beyond that, neutral and orthodox-free sects from Hebei Province also joined in actively, leading some to joke that it was little more than a small-scale Dragon-Phoenix Assembly hosted by the Hebei martial world.
“Geum-ryong. If you host this Hebei Exchange Meeting successfully in honor of your fourteenth birthday, you’ll gain a great deal from it as well.”
Seok Ji-sung repeated his proposal.
As he said, if the event was hosted and concluded smoothly, not only would the personal fame of Golden Prince Seok Geum-ryong rise, but...
Since I’m the one overseeing this Hebei Exchange Meeting, it’ll mainly be held in Bukcheon-won.
That would raise the reputation of Seokga Manor’s Bukcheon-won as well, so in every respect, it was a profitable arrangement for Geum-ryong.
“Besides, Geum-ryong, unlike your brothers... you don’t have a maternal clan, so it’s not easy for you to build a network by meeting outside figures. This is a chance to get acquainted with the heirs of the great sects representing Hebei, which is something you need both as a martial artist and as a merchant.”
Geum-ryong fully agreed with Seok Ji-sung.
Not just anyone, but the heirs of the Beggars’ Sect, the Hebei Peng Clan, and the Zhenzhu Yan Clan would all be present. Even becoming close to one of them would be a tremendous advantage.
“Then I’ll take responsibility for it, however lacking I may be.”
There was no need to think about it for long.
Before Seok Ho-in or Seok Ju-woo, who were already eyeing the matter with tigerlike greed, could interfere, Seok Geum-ryong promptly declared his intention to host the Hebei Exchange Meeting.
“Good. Then this Hebei Exchange Meeting will be held in honor of the fourteenth birthday of Golden Prince Seok Geum-ryong, young master of Bukcheon-won.”
Thus, the decision was made: Seok Geum-ryong and Bukcheon-won would host the Hebei Exchange Meeting.
Just you wait, Seok Geum-ryong. The most dazzling young talent at the event you host will be me, not anyone from the Beggars’ Sect or the Hebei Peng Clan.
And in a corner of the family council, one man clenched his fists, dreaming of redemption.
Needless to say, it was the Mad Tiger Young Master, Seok Ho-in.
If Geum-ryong’s gathering was to be conquered by him in splendid, commanding fashion, it would be no different from planting his banner in the middle of enemy territory.
“Then let Geum-ryong focus on hosting the exchange meeting, and Ho-in on taking part in it... Prepare yourselves thoroughly, without the slightest shortcoming.”
***
With only seven days and nights left before his birthday, Seok Geum-ryong had been assigned the task of hosting the Hebei Exchange Meeting.
But he did not panic.
“Deung Chon. Check every vacant room in Bukcheon-won and prepare accommodations so that the various sects and figures coming from Hebei can stay without any inconvenience.”
“Yes, young master.”
“Shin Dan-woo, Sir, and the others should keep close watch so that none of the participants, or the sects they represent, start fighting over old grudges... and Physician Yeo Gwang-rae, please do all you can to treat anyone who gets injured.”
“Understood.”
“Leave it to me.”
Despite the enormous workload that had suddenly fallen on him, Seok Geum-ryong handled everything flawlessly, to everyone’s surprise.
How could someone thirteen, no, fourteen years old handle matters like this?
“Fortunately, Bukcheon-won has plenty of rooms, and the training ground is also broad. As long as the participants don’t clash, I’m confident we can host this successfully.”
Geum-ryong smiled brightly.
It was true that the rushed schedule put pressure on him.
But pressure also meant there was much to be gained if he overcame it well.
“If you’re worried about clashes, should we exclude neutral sects and the juniors of demonic sects from the invitations?” Moon Spirit Swordswoman Im So-gun asked with concern.
It was not a bad option, but if they were excluded, people would likely start saying that the Hebei Exchange Meeting was a half-baked affair.
“No. For now, we’ll send invitations to everyone equally and create an environment where they can make their own choice.”
Even in Hebei martial circles, where there were many powerful factions, it was common for sects to be entangled with one another like dogs and monkeys at each other’s throats.
In a small-scale tournament like this, it was especially easy for tensions and provocations to flare, and if things went wrong, the whole event could be overturned and turn into a full-blown fight.
Needless to say, if that happened, there would be no praise for having hosted the Hebei Exchange Meeting well. Instead, people might dismiss it as too early and decide that Seok Geum-ryong and Bukcheon-won simply were not ready yet.
But Geum-ryong was not worried at all.
“Even in the martial world, no, even in Hebei’s martial world, there are still many people who don’t know us or who look down on us. Let’s use this chance to show the competence of Seokga Manor and Bukcheon-won.”
He was brimming with confidence.
He had every reason to be. The average martial level among the juniors of Hebei’s martial world was mostly only at the First-class realm, with even the great prestigious sects being little more than Super First-class.
Yet Geum-ryong had recently reached the Zenith Realm, and most of the formidable fighters guarding Bukcheon-won had already broken through into that realm as well. So even if trouble arose, there was nothing to fear.
“As you command!”
“Understood!”
The retainers of Bukcheon-won bowed so respectfully to the instructions of their young master, who was barely fourteen, that it was almost comical.
Thus the work moved ahead at a thunderous pace, and there was no way they would let go of an opportunity like the Hebei Exchange Meeting, which carried both a substantial prize purse and the chance to spread their name across Hebei’s martial world.
“The orthodox sects, including the Beggars’ Sect, the Hebei Peng Clan, the Zhenzhu Yan Clan, and the Orthodox Sword Gate, have all confirmed that they will attend!”
“The neutral sects, including the Golden Saber Hall and the Extreme Speed Gang, and even... the Hebei branch of the House of Intelligencers has announced its intention to participate.”
“What? The Hebei branch of the House of Intelligencers?”
Seok Geum-ryong was startled and asked again for confirmation.
The Hebei branch of the House of Intelligencers had never once taken part in the Hebei Exchange Meeting, both because it was only a branch and because it was a covert intelligence organization.
This is interesting. Are they trying to test me?
By chance, Geum-ryong had some prior connection with the branch chief of the House of Intelligencers, the Little Fox Gyeon Ja-bok.
Back then, Geum-ryong had looked at Gyeon Ja-bok in the guise of a young waiter and found him an amusing fellow.
“The demonic sects, the Black Cloud Sword School, Blood Heaven Fortress, and the Nine Yin Society, have also all announced that they’ll participate.”
Just then, the demonic sects also confirmed their attendance.
With that, this Hebei Exchange Meeting accidentally assembled an unprecedented roster, making it impossible to guess who would actually take first place.
“Also, since our manor’s Young Master Seok Ho-in will join as a special participant... that brings the total number of juniors to eleven.”
The standard qualification for the Hebei Exchange Meeting was to be a junior representing a sect in Hebei Province, with no strict age limit; most were between fourteen and their early twenties.
Of course, the juniors of the orthodox sects tended to feel a little embarrassed about participating if they were too old, so they usually sent younger martial artists instead, whereas the juniors of the demonic sects did not mind participating even when they were in their early twenties.
As long as victory was the result, they did not care about anything else.
“Young master, which participant do you think will win?”
Blue-Robed Scholar Gong Sang-pil, too, was enjoying the unusual novelty of this event and asked with interest.
“Well... I’d say the Beggars’ Sect or the Hebei Peng Clan probably has the advantage.”
Geum-ryong named the major sects and clans of the Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans.
Of course, until they knew which junior the Beggars’ Sect or the Hebei Peng Clan would send, it was impossible to judge too hastily.
“From tomorrow, the accommodations for the participants and their attendants will be open, so please make sure there are no shortcomings.”
With that, Seok Geum-ryong completed all his preparations and waited for his fourteenth birthday, when the Hebei Exchange Meeting would begin.
He was on his way back to Bukcheon-won after checking the lodgings once more.
“Young master. Young Master Seok Ho-in has come to visit!”
Deung Chon, no longer merely a servant but now the deputy head of Bukcheon-won, rushed over with a stunned expression.
“At this hour?”
It was already the time to finish the day’s work and go to sleep, so it was only natural that Geum-ryong was surprised as well.
What on earth is it?
And to come in such a hurry only a few days before the Hebei Exchange Meeting—it did not bode well.
He could have refused the meeting, but Geum-ryong was curious about Seok Ho-in’s intent and readily granted the visit.
“Show him in.”
So it was that Seok Ho-in, after a long while, stepped into Bukcheon-won.
“Wow... this is impressive. Who would have thought Bukcheon-won, once so vast and open, would become this lively and magnificent?”
Uncharacteristically, Seok Ho-in praised the scenery of Bukcheon-won and acted almost giddy.
His face was slightly flushed too, making it obvious even at a glance that his sincerity lay elsewhere.
“Cut to the chase and say what you came for.”
Geum-ryong could not help snorting at the clumsy expression of his inner thoughts.
It looked like a battle between fourteen and nineteen, but Geum-ryong had already lived more than twice that long in his previous life.
“Tch, well...”
Seok Ho-in was unlike his usual self.
Normally, he should have been furious at Geum-ryong speaking to him so casually and looking down on him, but today, for some reason, he maintained a flexible manner.
“Did you come here to ask me for something?”
Geum-ryong had already grasped his intention exactly.
“It’s just that... the person hosting the Hebei Exchange Meeting has the authority to decide the matchups and the themes of the contests.”
Having had his intentions seen through, Seok Ho-in forced a polite smile that he would never normally have shown.
Of course, inwardly, he was cursing Geum-ryong to high heaven.
Aha. Now I understand.
Only now did Geum-ryong realize everything.
The reason his estranged brother Seok Ho-in had come to see him.
It was because he wanted Geum-ryong, the host, to tilt the field in favor of Seok Ho-in, who would be participating rather than presiding.
“So I’m asking you this: won’t you help me out? Don’t just say no right away, think about it. If I, the Seokga Manor representative, take first place at the Hebei Exchange Meeting you’re hosting, it’ll be very good for you too.”
Seok Ho-in made a reasonably persuasive case, doing his best to win Geum-ryong over.
But the answer to that request had already been decided.
“Don’t talk nonsense. Get lost.”