Chapter 76
Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Eunuch, You Say? (1)
Grriiind—
The famed sword, which had never been pushed back even once against any enemy, let out a piercing scream.
"Hah, huff…!"
The face of Uncheon, the Mount Hua Sword Demon, drained of all color.
His sword, which had been with him for half his life, was bent like a strand of taffy.
"N-No!"
Pung-hyeon, the Whirlwind Divine Sword, stared in horror. Tougher than the Mount Hua blade, his own sword hadn't merely bent—it had snapped clean in two.
"You old fogeys should know when to quit while you're ahead. What the hell are you doing in front of the kids?"
Kang Moo-jin unleashed his fury, hurling the shattered and bent swords to the ground.
"Agh…"
"M-My sword…!"
Uncheon and Pung-hyeon dropped to their knees in despair, gazing at their blades with heartbroken eyes.
"Y-You bastard! How dare you to my sword…!"
Thwack—!
Uncheon charged in a rage, only for his jaw to twist and send him tumbling across the arena floor.
"That's going too far with the sword!"
Pung-hyeon swiftly retreated with a footwork technique, but…
"Gah!"
Moo-jin's hand clamped around his throat, dragging him down to roll across the dirt.
"Too far? You two couldn't even control your own auras and nearly hurt the kids!"
If he'd let those old men's fight play out unchecked, several disciples from Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan would've died or been crippled for life.
Clashes between peak Flower Realm masters wreaked havoc on their surroundings, potentially driving onlookers insane.
"Who the hell do you think you are, messing with our escorts… no, our disciples? I oughta just kill you."
"…?"
Uncheon and Pung-hyeon stared at Moo-jin in utter bewilderment.
Wait. He wasn't from Mount Zhongnan or Mount Hua—why was he going this far?
"Hang on, what does this have to do with you…?"
"Woooah! Golden Ghost Indestructible!"
"Better than the Mount Hua Sword Demon!"
"Better than the Whirlwind Divine Sword!"
"Truly the mark of a great hero!"
Cheers erupted for Moo-jin from the crowd.
The disciples from Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan, who'd suffered the fallout from the old men's clash, shouted especially loud.
The adulation was so fervent it left even the sect leaders flustered.
"Tch. See that? Do you even grasp what you've done?"
"…"
"…"
Uncheon and Pung-hyeon, met with their leaders' murderous glares and their disciples' resentful stares, could only gape speechlessly.
No wonder. Causing such a massive scene in front of Xi'an's residents left them without a leg to stand on, even if they had two mouths.
"Tch. Get down there and face your sect leaders."
"…Sorry about that."
"We'll… do that."
The two top swordsmen slunk off the arena stage like whipped dogs, only to be dragged to the sidelines by their respective leaders.
Judging by the sect leaders' flushed faces, they were in for a thorough tongue-lashing.
'Now's the time.'
Moo-jin cleared his throat, meeting the eager gazes of the Blue Crane Sword Heroes and Plum Blossom Sword Heroes.
"The disciples of Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan have some real spirit. The rumors don't do you justice."
He started with praise to soften them up.
Even the stiffest necks loosen under flattery, or so they say.
"The duel ended prematurely thanks to the interruption, but this isn't the end. Come to the Diamond Escort Agency, and opportunities for spars will always be open. Day or night, whenever you want—even ambushes if that's your fancy."
The Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan disciples buzzed with excitement at his words.
Having been humiliated by Ma Du-gwang and Won Yu-hwa earlier, their murmurs grew even thicker.
"Want to redeem yourselves? Want to get stronger? Join the Diamond Escort Agency. It's your golden chance!"
Shwick—!
At Moo-jin's signal, Yu-hwa and Du-gwang distributed the pre-printed escort recruitment flyers to the Plum Blossom and Blue Crane Sword Heroes.
"Get strong while eating delicious food! Earn money alongside your training! This chance won't come again—grab it now!"
"Ooh…! We can get stronger!? Challenge that great hero again!?"
"Food? That delicious stuff from before?! That sweet broth again!?"
"Meat… meat… MEEEAT!"
The disciples pored over the flyers, buzzing uncontrollably. Some even drooled openly.
"Golden Ghost Indestructible, are you telling our disciples to abandon Mount Zhongnan and Mount Hua for your Diamond Escort Agency?"
Mount Hua Elder Yun-mok fixed Moo-jin with a sharp glare.
"No. Disciples of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang wander the land for two or three years to gain experience. I'm saying come to the agency then. We'll provide money, experience, and training all in one."
"Ooh…!"
"Oooooh!"
The disciples' faces lit up brighter than before. Some were already scribbling their names at the bottom of the flyers.
"So, the Diamond Escort Agency plans to hire away our prized Plum Blossom Sword Heroes from Mount Hua—and those sorry excuses from Mount Zhongnan—as guest escorts."
Elder Yun-mok eyed Moo-jin sharply once more.
"That's right."
"Our Mount Hua's pride and joy."
"Indeed."
"…"
Yun-mok's piercing gaze clashed with Moo-jin's calm one in midair.
The Mount Hua disciples watched their elder with tense expressions at his odd reaction.
"Got a problem with that?"
Moo-jin asked boldly.
Wandering disciples were free to choose their paths—no one could argue otherwise.
Sure, the pay was listed at one silver tael instead of the industry standard five, but hey, boss's call.
"One problem."
Yun-mok snatched a flyer from a disciple's hand.
The Mount Hua disciples gulped nervously as he scanned it with hawk-like eyes.
"Doesn't say Plum Blossom Sword Heroes only, does it?"
Yun-mok tucked the neatly folded flyer into his robe.
"Elders not allowed? Can't hire me as a guest escort when I wander?"
"…"
I-Is he insane? Saying that in front of the Mount Hua sect leader?
Moo-jin side-eyed the Mount Hua sect leader, Un-geom Jin-in, in panic.
He looked just as baffled, staring at Yun-mok with the same expression.
That look said it all:
That crazy old bastard!
"This actually worked…."
Ma Du-gwang stared in disbelief at the stack of recruitment flyers piled before him.
Moo-jin's plan had been a resounding success.
No—a smashing triumph didn't even cover it.
Fifty Plum Blossom Sword Heroes, fifty Blue Crane Sword Heroes, and five elders had all signed contracts promising to visit during their wanderings.
"I was shocked when even the Mount Hua sect leader tried to sign one."
Yu-hwa chuckled dryly while sorting the flyers.
Just earlier, as the elders signed, Un-geom Jin-in had grabbed a brush yelling "Why leave me out?"—only to be blocked by his own elders.
"I didn't expect it to go this well. Thought half would be a win."
Moo-jin was equally stunned.
Bribing them with food and money was one thing, but every last one of those haughty Nine Great Sects disciple?
He couldn't quite wrap his head around it.
"How could you not get it, bro? It's obviously because of you."
"…?"
"Where else in the Central Plains do young martial artists have someone as famous and strong as you? They all wanna stick by your side."
"Not because you bumped the base pay to two silver taels?"
"…Mount Hua ain't the Beggars' Sect. You think that's why?"
"…?"
Moo-jin tilted his head, not getting it.
'I'd join even if they called me a Beggars' Sect bum for double pay.'
Thud.
Yu-hwa finished gathering the flyers and stood.
"All done, brother. Time to go."
"Yeah. Business wrapped up—let's head out."
From the Plum Cloud Merchant Group's regular tea leaf escort commission: ten thousand silver taels. Plus over a hundred guest escorts lined up.
This job had netted Moo-jin massive gains, in every sense.
And not just material ones. His name, Kang Moo-jin, now shook Shaanxi Province, earning him a new moniker: Shattering Demon Fist Dragon.
In righteous martial society, the "Dragon" title was an honor reserved for those whose skill and fame were undisputed.
First for the Diamond Escort Agency. First for Shanxi Province. In Taiyuan, his name would now pierce the heavens.
Dad and his brothers would be proud for sure.
"Du-gwang, grab Mong-rang too."
"This is Ma Du-gwang speaking, bro. Already ready."
"Good. Let's go."
Kang Moo-jin, Won Yu-hwa, Ma Du-gwang, and Mong-rang left Xi'an amid the residents' unending cheers.
Everywhere Moo-jin went, people thanked him and tried shoving snacks into his hands, delaying their departure by over an hour.
"At this rate, we could move to Shaanxi Province."
"Never seen a non-Mount Hua or Zhongnan warrior get this kind of welcome here."
Yu-hwa and Du-gwang beamed, unable to hide their thrill.
The cheers for Moo-jin puffed up their own chests with pride.
"Feels good, I gotta say. But…."
Moo-jin halted and glanced back.
"Why the hell are you old-timers following us?"
There stood Mount Hua Sword Demon Uncheon and Whirlwind Divine Sword Pung-hyeon, tailing him since Xi'an.
"Well… you see."
"Our sect leaders told us to follow you."
"Ahem. Y-Yeah. You might need help, right? Isn't that so, Pung-hyeon?"
"Right. Exactly. Who knows what might happen on your journey."
The suddenly chummy duo looked suspicious to anyone watching.
Like they were hiding something.
"Did they kick you out?"
"Kick us out? Our disciples are coming as guest escorts, so they told us to go ahead and wait!"
"Yeah! Someone's gotta watch the kids there!"
The two top swordsmen's faces flushed beet red, hitting the nail on the head.
'They got booted.'
'Exiled, huh.'
'After that arena stunt, it's no surprise.'
Moo-jin, Yu-hwa, and Du-gwang shook their heads pityingly.
Those two were always troublemakers, so their leaders had seized the chance, using the disciples as an excuse to ship them off.
No war between Mount Hua and Zhongnan right now. In these peaceful times, two powerhouses like them were nothing but headaches.
"Ahem… Hire us as guest escorts too."
"We're pretty skilled, you know. Useful for sure. We know you, so no need for much pay. Just one gold tael each—no more, no less."
"Right. To save face… er, buy us drinks, that much is fair."
"…?"
Moo-jin gaped in disbelief.
Homeless old coots, brazenly demanding pay?
"We'll cover room and board. But no salary."
"…? D-Does that make sense? Even so, no pay at all is…."
"I'm Mount Hua's top sword! The Sword Demon! How can I work for free? What will the world think!?"
"…"
Moo-jin silently unclenched his fist and showed it to the whining top swordsmen.
"…?"
"See this?"
A long red mark streaked his palm—from pressing his nails into the flesh moments ago.
"Injury from blocking your swords, elders."
"We injured you?"
"That ain't a sword wound."
The two stared at Moo-jin, baffled.
"Deduct it from your medical fees—one year's pay. After that, industry standard: three silver taels."
"…Even so, that's…."
"Not good enough?"
Moo-jin handed recruitment flyers to Uncheon and Pung-hyeon.
'Reject if you don't like it.'
He stood tall. Here, he was the boss.
If the Diamond Escort Agency booted them too, the old men's future was years locked in a repentance cave on wall-scraping rice.
"If you don't like it, go ba—"
"W-We accept!"
"I don't even need the money, really. Haha, what does a Daoist need cash for?!"