Yin-Yang Harmony
The table exploded.
A man slammed both fists down in fury, and the wood gave way with a sharp crack, collapsing into splinters.
“Who? Which bastards did this?!”
The man roaring in rage was none other than Dongjeong-eong, supreme leader of the Eighteen Water Forts of the Yangtze and chief of the Dongting Lake Fort that operated from those waters. He wielded a bamboo staff fitted with a fishing line as his signature weapon. His martial arts were formidable enough to earn him a place among the Wulin Hundred Great Experts, yet the lack of capable subordinates meant he held little sway in the broader murim world. Until now, he had lived in near silence.
“We are investigating, Chief. But they left no traces behind. Finding the culprit will not be easy.”
“Not easy? The entire Hongze Lake Fort was wiped out. And you think ‘not easy’ is an acceptable answer?”
In a single night, every water bandit in the Hongze Lake Fort had been slaughtered. The situation resembled the earlier massacre at Un-tae Mountain Fort, yet while those mountain bandits had shown clear signs of demonic arts, the killers of the Hongze Lake men had left nothing behind.
The only marks were clean cuts from blades, and even those wounds offered no clue about the martial arts responsible.
“That is not what I meant. We are making inquiries in every direction. One thing the Hao Sect mentioned—though it is unconfirmed—is that this may be connected to the Wolyeong Moon.”
“The Wolyeong Moon?”
“Yes. They say this slaughter occurred only days after the Wolyeong Moon visited the Hongze Lake Fort.”
“Are you claiming the Wolyeong Moon attacked them?”
“That does not appear to be the case. The Hao Sect is looking into it as well.”
Dongjeong-eong’s single eye narrowed. “So?”
“The quickest path would be for you to visit the Wolyeong Moon yourself and learn what conversation took place. However, because the opponent is the Wolyeong Moon, we must proceed with extreme caution. That is why I reported that we are still investigating.”
Dongjeong-eong’s face twisted with clear displeasure.
“Bastards!”
It was obvious the Hongze Lake Fort had been dragged into some affair involving the Wolyeong Moon. The sparks had flown in their direction, and the entire fort had burned for it. Aside from Dongjeong-eong himself, few water bandits had ever made a name in the murim. By orthodox standards, they had been weak.
“Have events been unfolding in Jiangsu Province without our knowledge?”
“It is impossible to say. The investigation into the demonic practitioner at Un-tae Mountain Fort went cold, and nothing further has surfaced.”
“Then why did the Wolyeong Moon meet with the Hongze Lake Fort?”
“It is not confirmed, but recently the Jiangsu provincial governor apparently granted permission to open a gambling house.”
“A gambling house?”
“Yes. The Hao Sect believes the Gangso Merchant Group struck some sort of deal with the Wolyeong Moon over this matter. They are investigating whether that is why the Wolyeong Moon visited the Hongze Lake Fort.”
“What does a gambling house have to do with the Hongze Lake Fort?”
“It appears the gambling den is being built inside the entertainment district that the Hongze Lake Fort and Taihu control.”
Dongjeong-eong fell silent, his expression thoughtful. The moment he stopped speaking, the air in the meeting hall grew heavy enough to crush stone.
The water bandits watched their chief’s face and posture, waiting for him to open his mouth again.
“So the Gangso Merchant Group approached the Wolyeong Moon to help them swallow the newly permitted gambling house. The Wolyeong Moon brought warriors to Hongze Lake, realized they would clash with the fort’s bandits, tried to negotiate operating rights instead, and failed miserably. Is that what you’re telling me?”
“Nothing is confirmed yet. We need more time to investigate.”
“It is not unconfirmed. Nine times out of ten, that is exactly what happened. The real question is whether the Hongze Lake Fort was destroyed by the Wolyeong Moon or by whoever is running that gambling house. That is what matters.”
Dongjeong-eong spoke with absolute certainty after hearing the Hao Sect’s theory. No matter how he looked at it, nothing else could explain why a perfectly intact fort had been annihilated overnight.
“Last time the Poyang Lake Fort suffered greatly, didn’t they?”
It had been some time ago, but the Poyang Lake bandits had lost their boats and many of their own to an unknown assailant.
“Yes, that incident occurred. We have still not identified the perpetrator.”
“All you do is eat and shit. Is there a single thing you can actually accomplish?”
“We apologize.”
“At least your mouths still work for apologizing.”
The subordinates lowered their heads even further.
“Enough. Send men to the Hongze Lake Fort and have them clean up the mess.”
“They have already been dispatched. However, it will not be simple.”
“Why?”
“After the Poyang Lake Fort was destroyed, local thugs have latched onto the entertainment district and begun collecting protection fees. Clearing them all out will take time.”
Dongjeong-eong flicked his hand through the air. The palm wind seemed to vanish into empty space, only to reappear an instant later and slam into the reporting subordinate’s chest.
“Keuk!”
The man flew backward, crashed into the meeting hall wall, and crumpled with a groan.
“I did not ask so I could hear such pathetic excuses. Even if they are third-rate, you need time to deal with mere thugs? And you still dare call yourselves murim people?”
He had always been dissatisfied that he lacked even one proper warrior capable of assisting him.
“We apologize.”
Dongjeong-eong waved his hand in irritation, dismissing everyone from the hall.
“The Gangso Merchant Group dragged the Wolyeong Moon into their scheme to steal the gambling house?”
He found the idea absurd.
“A few coins slipped to the ruffians of Hongze Lake would have solved everything.”
Dongjeong-eong could not understand it. He considered whether another conspiracy might be at work.
“There has been no conflict. We have coexisted peacefully until now.”
Sitting still and thinking would achieve nothing. He decided it was time to visit the site himself.
“If those bastards have deceived us, I will make certain they pay the full price.”
“All the bandits of the Hongze Lake Fort are dead, and even the disciples we sent to Suzhou have gone silent?”
“Yes. The gambling house and entertainment district operated by Sinfungjang—Sinpung Entertainment—remains fully open and thriving.”
Chae Yeo-dong, lord of the Wolyeong Moon, frowned as he listened to his chief steward, Sima Ho.
“Was Sinfungjang a murim manor?”
“We are still gathering information, but nothing has been uncovered yet. The lord of Sinfungjang has not shown his face. A man named Nam Sa-ik serves as chief steward and manages operations, yet we have found no prior records of him.”
The members of the New Wind Squad had lived within the Wulin Alliance, but under the Great Princess Yi Hwarin they had remained outside the mainstream, concealing their true martial prowess. Even inside the Alliance, only a handful had known them.
“The disciples sent to Suzhou were defeated by a mere young escort warrior?”
“Correct. We sent a letter ordering them to handle the gambling house operated by Sinfungjang, but we have received no reply.”
“There is something here.”
“My lord?”
“Events do not simply erupt without cause. Every incident that has occurred in Jiangsu Province must be connected.”
“When you say several incidents…”
“The most significant recent event in Jiangsu is the complete annihilation of the Un-tae Mountain Fort bandits.”
“Yes.”
“Afterward, the Gangso Merchant Group came seeking various forms of assistance, correct?”
“That is true. However, the Gangso Merchant Group’s troubles…”
“One might assume the Gangso Merchant Group’s problems are unrelated. But around that same time, the Haedong Merchant Group underwent changes.”
“Changes… you mean the Sword Crazy Baek Do-san entering the Haedong Merchant Group as a guest elder, the arrival of Yi Cheon-sang’s young escort warrior, and the second son and third daughter—who had been doing menial tasks among the Wulin Alliance’s rising talents—returning to the Haedong Merchant Group? Do you believe these are connected to the current matter?”
“The moment the Gangso Merchant Group asked us for help, that young escort warrior of Yi Cheon-sang entered the Haedong Merchant Group.”
“What connection could that possibly…”
Chae Yeo-dong’s face twisted with irritation. “It means the old man of the Haedong Merchant Group, who had stayed quiet until now, has finally stepped forward. The one damaging the illegally operating businesses of the Gangso Merchant Group is undoubtedly the Haedong Merchant Group.”
Chief steward Sima Ho could not follow his lord’s reasoning, but he dared not question it.
“Then what should we do? Shall we send men to strike the Haedong Merchant Group directly? The Wulin Alliance will not sit idle if we do.”
“We cannot strike them openly. When their merchant caravan travels, we attack the convoy and kill Yi Ja-saeng.”
“Yi Ja-saeng?”
“Yes. That should make the old man obedient again. Unless he wishes to lose his precious grandson and granddaughter.”
“My lord, would it not be simpler to kill Yi Sang-woo instead?”
“That would bring an investigation from the Wulin Alliance. Yi Sang-woo is the father of the Great Princess. Given the status and influence she once held, he is someone we cannot touch.”
Chae Yeo-dong had no intention of moving against Yi Sang-woo unless the old man struck first.
“If we eliminate him in secret…”
“If you can avoid the eyes of the Beggars’ Sect and the Hao Sect, then do so. If you cannot, it is wiser to leave the old man untouched. Killing Yi Ja-saeng will serve as sufficient warning. He will bow his head and behave. Learn the Haedong Merchant Group’s travel schedule. Handle this without error.”
“Understood.”
Cheonhwa, Yi Cheon-sang, and Baek Do-san traveled up the Yangtze River to Chongqing. The journey had been uneventful and rather dull, but it had saved them a great deal of time.
Upon reaching Chongqing, they ate their fill at an inn, then used the Hao Sect’s local branch to confirm the Divine Physician of Life and Death’s location before heading toward Mount Okhwa.
Mount Okhwa was not a rugged, dangerous mountain but one covered in thick forest. Chongqing had long been famous for timber, and much of that wood came from the logging camps on Mount Okhwa.
The group located Okhwa Temple situated halfway up the slope.
“Welcome, honored guests.”
Although Okhwa Temple enshrined Buddha, it had been built for personal cultivation. The abbot was a man named Hyeong-am, a former Shaolin monk.
Hyeong-am greeted them warmly.
“We were told the Divine Physician of Life and Death resides here, so we came looking for him.”
Baek Do-san stepped forward.
“The Divine Physician of Life and Death? There is no one by that name here.”
“But we were told he was present. That is to say…”
As Cheonhwa began to explain, an old man walked out to meet them.
Baek Do-san bowed at once. “This junior greets Senior Divine Physician.”
The man was Je Jeong-myeong, known throughout the murim as the Divine Physician of Life and Death.
“What brings you here, junior?”
The two were not particularly close, but they had crossed paths several times during their years in the murim and knew each other’s faces and reputations.
“I came to seek Senior’s help.”
“Mine?”
“Yes. This child is Yi Cheon-sang.”
Baek Do-san introduced him. “He is the one destined to lead the next generation of the Haedong Merchant Group, but his physical condition is unusual. We hoped Senior might examine him.”
“The Haedong Merchant Group… the family of the Great Princess, yes?”
“Correct.”
The Divine Physician’s gaze settled on Yi Cheon-sang.
“Other physicians have taken his pulse, yet…”
“They could not determine the cause. That is why we sought you out.”
With an expression that seemed to say ‘Is that so?’, the Divine Physician studied Yi Cheon-sang’s face, narrowed his eyes, and beckoned him closer.
When Yi Cheon-sang approached, the old physician took his wrist and began checking his pulse.
“Hmm…”
Suddenly his eyes widened in surprise. He looked at Yi Cheon-sang and asked, “When you exert yourself vigorously, does your body grow heavy and difficult to move?”
“Yes. That is why I have been unable to practice martial arts or even the physical exercises I once performed for health.”
“I see. Let me examine you further.”
The Divine Physician checked various points on Yi Cheon-sang’s body, then turned to Baek Do-san.
“There is no need to speak out here. Let us continue inside.”
Baek Do-san glanced at Cheonhwa. When the young man nodded, they followed the Divine Physician into his quarters.
Inside the room lay a young girl. She appeared to be suffering greatly from illness.
The Divine Physician sat beside her. Baek Do-san, Cheonhwa, and Yi Cheon-sang sat across from him.
“This is my granddaughter.”
Though illness had left her terribly thin, her features suggested that with a little weight she would be called a beauty.
“She seems to be in pain.”
“She has suffered from a chronic condition since birth. In truth, I came to Mount Okhwa to cure her illness.”
“You came for your granddaughter’s sake?”
“Yes. She was born with a peculiar affliction. Much like the young master of the Haedong Merchant Group.”
Cheonhwa asked what he meant.
“It is an exceedingly rare case. One in a million. Perhaps even rarer.”
“What kind of condition is it?”
“My granddaughter was born with the Seven Yang Body.”
“But isn’t the Seven Yang Body a constitution that appears in males?”
“Correct. Yet occasionally a woman is born with it. Such girls rarely live past fifteen.”
“Then your granddaughter…”
“She turns fifteen this year.”
“Ah…”
“I have kept her alive with spiritual medicines. When I heard rumors that the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake had been seen on Mount Okhwa, I came seeking its inner elixir.”
“Then what about our Cheon-sang?” Cheonhwa asked directly.
“The young master of the Haedong Merchant Group possesses the Seven Yin Body. That constitution normally appears in women, but it can occasionally manifest in men as well.”
“Is that why he cannot practice martial arts?”
“Precisely. In the Seven Yang Body, the seven meridians burn away from extreme yang energy as one grows. In the Seven Yin Body, the seven meridians freeze from extreme yin energy. Symptoms usually appear around seventeen. By the time one reaches the prime of life, all seven meridians freeze completely, resulting in death.”
At the word “death,” Cheonhwa’s expression shifted. A moment later, something occurred to him.
“Then the inner elixir of the Yin-Yang Double-Headed Snake would help Cheon-sang as well?”
“It would. But it cannot provide a complete cure. It would only extend his life a little longer.”
“Is there truly no method?”
“There is a better treatment.”
“What treatment?”
The Divine Physician looked back and forth between his granddaughter and Yi Cheon-sang, then nodded.
“Yin-yang harmony.”