Mu-yeong's Return
The news of the Black Demon Hall’s annihilation swept through Suzhou like wildfire. The once-thriving sect had been utterly demolished overnight, and its leader, Nam Hong, along with every martial artist affiliated with the Hall, vanished on the same day as though they had all agreed upon it in advance.
Whether they were dead or had simply fled Suzhou for elsewhere was unknown, but the moment the Wolyeong Moon and the Baemyeong Merchant Group heard that the Black Demon Hall had fallen, they were thrown into utter consternation.
The Wolyeong Moon’s shock, in particular, was beyond words. They had a vague inkling of exactly why the Black Demon Hall had been wiped out.
“Does this even make sense?”
Though the Black Demon Hall was only a second-rate sect, it was hardly so weak that it couldn’t handle a single escort warrior. Moreover, there were no orthodox sects in Jiangsu Province that might have aided the Haedong Merchant Group or its guard. The idea that the Black Demon Hall could be destroyed in a single day was simply unbelievable.
“If dealing with one brat was enough to shatter an entire second-rate sect, I worry what will happen to our Wolyeong Moon if we have to deal with two.”
Chae Yeo-dong had spoken the words half in jest to the gathered elders, yet no one dared treat them lightly.
The Wolyeong Moon, which stood behind the Gangso Merchant Group, received enormous financial support from them. In return, they handled merchant disputes in Jiangsu from the shadows. This time, however, they had suffered a proper humiliation.
“My apologies. We were told he was merely a young escort warrior and acted on that assumption. I will investigate more thoroughly.”
“This is less our fault and more the Gangso Merchant Group’s for failing to provide accurate information about the escort.”
“Exactly. The Gangso Merchant Group…”
The Wolyeong Moon elders shifted all blame onto the merchant group rather than accept any responsibility themselves.
Listening to them, Chae Yeo-dong could only sigh. Twenty-five years ago, Yi Hwarin—the Wulin Alliance’s former great princess—had fought the Demonic Cult’s great prince, Cheonwoo, resulting in mutual destruction. That event had tipped the balance of power toward the unorthodox factions. Because they had lived without any real tension since then, it seemed they had all grown lazy and complacent.
It had only been twenty-five years.
In that time the unorthodox sects had grown idle while the orthodox and demonic factions sharpened their blades. When the next great war between the righteous and unorthodox—or between the orthodox and demonic—erupted, it was clear which side would fall.
“You call that an excuse? If there is information they don’t possess, isn’t it our job to gather it and handle the matter regarding that young escort warrior?”
“That is…”
“Would the Gangso Merchant Group have commissioned us if the job were easy? They entrusted it to us precisely because it was troublesome for them, didn’t they?”
At Chae Yeo-dong’s roar, the elders fell silent as if their mouths had been stuffed with honey.
“How much money does the Gangso Merchant Group contribute to our sect each year? If we accept their coin, we must at least deliver results worthy of it so they continue to trust and support us. Isn’t that obvious?”
As Chae Yeo-dong’s voice rose, the elders exchanged nervous glances. Finding their behavior distasteful, he scanned the room with an irritated expression and pointed at one man.
“Elder Mun!”
The designated elder lowered his head.
“Take some men with you and handle this cleanly without any more mistakes.”
“I apologize. I will ensure such problems never occur again.”
“And all of you seem to think there is no threat from the orthodox sects. The disciples have grown noticeably lazy. Elders, gather the members and conduct proper mental training.”
“Understood.”
“Everyone, withdraw.”
Once he was alone, Chae Yeo-dong frowned, clearly displeased with the current situation.
“That bastard is the problem.”
The figure at the center of the rumor—that someone had massacred the Untae Mountain Bandits using Demonic Cult martial arts—kept nagging at him.
Many claimed that Cheonwoo, the Demonic Cult’s great prince, had returned. Others said his disciple had come seeking revenge on the Haedong Merchant Group. There were even rumors that upon arriving and seeing the already ruined family, the disciple had felt it beneath his dignity to bother with them.
“Now that I think about it, there was that other rumor as well.”
The water bandits of the Poyang Lake Stockade in Gangseo Province had also reportedly been destroyed by martial artists.
“Both the Beggars’ Sect and Haomun confirmed it. The one who killed the Green Forest bandits of Untae Mountain was definitely a member of the Demonic Cult.”
Chae Yeo-dong’s thoughts deepened.
“If it had been Prince Cheon, he would have returned to the Cult without causing any commotion. The fact that he left traces of the Demonic Cult while annihilating the Untae Mountain Bandits suggests it wasn’t Prince Cheon himself, but rather his disciple—or another disciple of the Cult—who came to the Haedong Merchant Group seeking revenge on his behalf.”
Yet upon arrival, the once-glorious family was nowhere to be seen, replaced only by a ruined household. It was possible the visitor had deemed them unworthy of attention and simply left.
“The Haedong Merchant Group must have heard about the Untae Mountain Bandits as well. Perhaps they hired an escort warrior for their eldest son out of fear that the boy might cause trouble, hoping to secure their family’s future. In that case, even if he is young, his martial prowess must be quite high.”
After piecing together the various rumors, Chae Yeo-dong nodded, convinced his speculation was correct.
“Yes. The current leader, Yi Ja-saeng, might not have such connections, but the former supreme leader Yi Sang-woo has deep ties within the murim. Using those connections, he could certainly bring in the disciple of someone among the hundred great experts.”
He was now certain the young escort warrior had already surpassed a certain threshold of strength.
“Considering that the Black Demon Hall’s leader was a first-rate expert, that young escort is most likely a first-rate or even peak-level expert himself.”
Since he was described as young, Chae Yeo-dong doubted the boy had reached the transcendence realm.
“A peak expert, huh…”
When facing such an opponent, they would need to dispatch a peak expert of their own. Yet in all of Jiangsu, there were few unorthodox sects that possessed such masters.
“This isn’t something that can be taken lightly. I wonder if Elder Mun will think this far ahead before he moves?”
The Elder Mun he knew was a cautious man. He would likely consider factors Chae Yeo-dong hadn’t even thought of and prepare the warriors accordingly.
“If that boy dies, we’ll at least learn who his master is.”
“It really has been a long time since I last visited the Haedong Merchant Group’s main residence.”
A man stood a short distance from the Haedong grounds, gazing at the dragon gate plaque. For a moment, he lost himself in old memories.
He smiled faintly as he recalled the woman who had helped him become leader of Haomun.
“If not for those Wulin Alliance bastards, I never would have let the family fall into such ruin.”
When the Haedong Merchant Group had fallen on hard times, he had been forced to embark on the journey to become Haomun’s leader. By the time he completed that journey and took his position, the merchant group had already suffered damage so severe that recovery seemed impossible.
When he learned the Wulin Alliance was behind their downfall and tried to intervene, the Tang family—leaders of the ten great families—had somehow caught wind of it. They came to him and warned him not to involve himself in the Haedong Merchant Group’s affairs any further. Knowing the threat was no empty one, Mu-yeong had stepped back and watched the family’s collapse from afar.
Still, Haomun had secretly helped them avoid the Wulin Alliance’s eyes. Without that assistance, they might have been destroyed long ago.
“You held on well. You endured brilliantly. Now all that remains is for you to rise tall once more. Yes, that’s exactly right.”
Mu-yeong firmly believed the day was not far off when the Haedong Merchant Group would once again amass great wealth, plant its banners across every province of the central plains, command the great merchant groups, and rule the world of commerce.
The main gate opened, and an old man emerged carrying a broom. He began sweeping the area in front of the residence.
“You’ve aged, but you look exactly the same as before.”
It was a welcome face.
“Yong-deok!”
At the sound of his name, the old man turned. A man was walking toward him. The moment he saw the newcomer’s face, Yong-deok’s expression soured.
“You rotten bastard.”
Yong-deok hurled curses at Mu-yeong without hesitation.
“You didn’t show your face once while the family was suffering. What, did you finally catch wind of our news and decide to drop by?”
“I was rather busy myself. I am the leader of a sect, you know. I have five million disciples under me. Just taking care of them takes up all my time.”
While there might be no supreme expert who could look down upon the entire world, Haomun still possessed the single largest number of members of any single sect.
“Then why did you come? Go take care of your own brats.”
“I heard my sister’s son has arrived. Doesn’t that make me his uncle?”
“Uncle, my ass. There’s nothing for you here, you bastard. Are you trying to mooch another meal? Looks like your habit of showing up right at mealtime hasn’t changed after all these years.”
“Haha, isn’t that my specialty? Is Father still doing well?”
“If you’re curious, go inside and greet him yourself. Why ask me?”
“When crossing the threshold of the Haedong Merchant Group’s main house, don’t I need your permission first, Yong-deok?”
“Damn it… Your silver tongue is still as smooth as ever. Since you’re here, shall I give you a good beating?”
“Haha, I’ll have to decline. I’ll go greet Father now, so take care.”
“Hurry inside. The old man will be overjoyed once he knows you’ve come.”
Mu-yeong nodded and stepped into the Haedong Merchant Group’s main residence.
Nothing had changed.
The only difference was the absence of its former splendor. Everything else remained exactly as he remembered. If anything had changed, it was probably himself.
“Mm…”
Mu-yeong shook his head from side to side, forcefully casting off the dark thoughts that had crept over him, and continued forward.
“That’s right. Stop obsessing over forms and variations. Move the sword the way your body wants to move. Erase the order of forms and variations from your mind and unleash the sword techniques your body has memorized to their fullest.”
In the inner courtyard, young men were practicing martial arts.
Mu-yeong recognized them instantly.
He also recognized the young man instructing them—the very person who had brought him here.
What are you standing there for? You should go meet Grandfather.
The voice that suddenly rang inside his head brought Mu-yeong back to his senses.
“Ah.”
Thank you. Let us speak after I greet Father.
After sending his reply through transmission, Mu-yeong turned and headed for the inner building.
He stopped before Yi Sang-woo’s room, bowed deeply, and spoke.
“Father, it is Donghwa.”
Mu-yeong’s real name was Donghwa; Mu-yeong was merely his alias.
The door opened. Yi Sang-woo emerged with a delighted expression and approached, taking Mu-yeong’s hands in his own.
“We haven’t heard from you in so long that I was worried something had happened to you.”
His face showed genuine concern, and his eyes shone with relief at confirming that Mu-yeong was safe.
This is why they say family is a blessing.
Mu-yeong had been an orphan. While living in Haomun, he had met Hwarin. Thanks to her help, he had earned recognition within the organization. Ever since, he had considered the Haedong Merchant Group his true home, regarding Yi Sang-woo as his father and Ja-yeong as his mother, serving them with all his heart.
Had the ten great families not intervened, the Haedong Merchant Group might still stand tall as one of the ten great merchant groups of the central plains.
“I am fine. If I truly wished it, there is no one in this world who could catch me. Please do not worry about such things, Father.”
“I understand. Come inside. Let us talk within.”
As the two men entered the room, a faint smile formed on Cheonhwa’s lips in the distance.
I heard Haomun possesses many spiritual medicines. This is the perfect opportunity to solve So-ryong and Jin-hwa’s internal energy problems. The issue, however, is Cheon-sang.
Cheonhwa’s gaze shifted toward Yi Cheon-sang.
There didn’t seem to be any immediate problem, yet the boy clearly appeared to be suffering from some illness.
It felt as though he carried a heavenly restriction—not one that simply prevented him from learning martial arts, but something deeper.
Even slight vigorous movement puts a strain on his heart. This isn’t merely a weak constitution. It feels as though some unknown illness is pressing down on his heart.
If Cheonhwa possessed medical knowledge, he might have been able to identify the condition. Lacking it, he could only feel frustrated.
The knowledge my parents gave me and the knowledge gained through real-world experience are two different things.
Though the current situation displeased him, Cheonhwa judged that he needed to learn and absorb new information.
“Move the sword more naturally. Only when you can grant it freedom will you be able to attain the Natural Sword Path.”
Though Cheonhwa spoke to all the children practicing martial arts, the words were truly meant for Yi So-ryong and Yi Jin-hwa.
In the current situation, I have no choice but to make full use of Haomun.