The First Recruit
He had a round, squirrel-like face, a short stature, and a petite frame.
With a pale complexion that had clearly never known hard labor, clean hands, and luxurious, wrinkle-free robes, he was the picture of wealth.
No matter how one looked at him, the man, Go Bok-gil, was a pampered young master from a wealthy family.
Ugh, how did my life end up like this...?
He barely held back the tears welling up in his eyes.
He couldn't help it.
Even as the youngest son of the Go Family Manor—a clan second to none in Changsha—this situation was simply too much to bear.
Sitting face-to-face with the absolute madman who had recently wreaked unprecedented havoc on Sadocheon was suffocating.
"Hey, Bok-gil."
"Y-Yes!"
The madman, Jeok-un, called out to him.
They were in the quarters assigned to Jeok-un—a room that was neither large, spacious, nor luxurious.
It was, in every sense, a perfectly ordinary room.
Yet Go Bok-gil trembled as if he were trapped in the depths of an icy hell.
"Is the thing I asked you to keep safe still there?"
"O-Of course! Master Jeok!"
"Hmm. Your complexion looks much better since I last saw you. You didn't skim a little off the top to buy yourself some delicacies, did you?"
"T-That is absolutely out of the question, sir...!"
Go Bok-gil shook his head at a frantic speed, desperately denying the accusation.
It was a desperate effort to avoid giving Jeok-un any excuse to fly off the handle.
Jeok-un stared at him with narrowed eyes before finally nodding.
"Well, since you say it's safe, I'll believe you."
"Yes, yes! Please do!"
"If even a single coin is missing, I can just send you to join No Hwang-gu."
"?!"
Go Bok-gil's connection to Jeok-un had begun by chance at the gambling house run by No Hwang-mun.
After saving Go Bok-gil from the brink of death, Jeok-un had immediately made a "request" before leaving.
— You have a safe, don't you?
— Huh? A-A safe...?
— Yeah. The Go Family Manor gives every direct descendant a secret, untraceable safe, don't they?
— H-How do you know about that?!
Jeok-un had forced him to transfer all the gold, bank notes, and jewelry amassed by No Hwang-mun from the gambling house into that very safe.
Jeok-un had framed it as a request, but it was anything but.
It was a blatant threat with Go Bok-gil's life on the line.
In truth, even a squad leader of Sadocheon's Ten Squads couldn't easily touch the Go Family Manor.
The clan's influence in Changsha was just that immense.
...But did the world ever run on common sense?
Not after what I witnessed...
The overwhelming martial power he had seen with his own eyes at the gambling house.
The brutal, merciless methods that would give even the most hardened unorthodox martial artists nightmares.
And above all, the sheer madness of a man who dared to challenge Dok-go Cheon, the Lord of Sadocheon himself.
"Sigh..."
For those reasons, Go Bok-gil had summoned every ounce of focus he possessed since birth to execute the task flawlessly.
And when Jeok-un, now the leader of the Outer Heavens Squad, summoned him again, he had rushed over without a moment's delay.
"Tsk. Why are you sighing first thing in the morning? It's bad luck."
"M-My apologies!"
"Tsk. Anyway, the reason I called you here today is because it's time to use the money in the safe."
"...!!"
Go Bok-gil's face lit up at Jeok-un's words, and he began to speak like a flowing river.
"Y-Yes, indeed! Money is meant to circulate, after all! It rots if you just let it sit! If you'd like, may I suggest a few options? The most promising business these days is..."
There was only one reason Go Bok-gil was acting so enthusiastic, as if it were his own business.
Yes! Once all the money in the safe is spent, I'll finally be free from this guy!
He assumed that once the wealth in the safe was depleted, he would be released from his shackles.
Go Bok-gil went so far as to list future business ventures that were kept strictly secret even within the Go Family Manor, but...
"Ah, forget it. You can't make real money with that kind of stuff."
To his surprise, Jeok-un rejected his proposals flat out.
"...Oh. Then do you perhaps have something else in mind?"
"Of course. When you're planning something big, the most important thing—first, second, and last—is money."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. Just look at Heukpaeseong. They tried to swallow Sadocheon whole by quietly greasing palms with dirty money."
"Hieek! P-Please, don't say such things..."
Go Bok-gil hurriedly looked left and right.
If those words reached the ears of other Sadocheon martial artists, he could be beaten to a pulp.
But Jeok-un didn't care about that in the slightest. He finally revealed his plan.
"Now, let me tell you what you need to do."
"Just say the word!"
Unfurl.
Jeok-un spread a map across the table.
The map, which detailed the entire Hunan Province, was marked in various places.
"Buy up every single mine marked here. All of them, without exception. Can you do it?"
"...Uh, Master Jeok. It wouldn't be difficult, but... why these mines?"
"What do you mean, why? I told you. To make real money."
"...With these places?"
Go Bok-gil's eyes and expression were filled with utter bewilderment.
And he had good reason to be.
Every single mine Jeok-un had marked on the map was...
Wait, why is he telling me to buy abandoned mines?
They were all mines that had been abandoned after being deemed completely depleted.
Go Bok-gil was a descendant of the Go Family Manor; he possessed at least this level of information.
These places had absolutely zero current value. It was almost impressive how Jeok-un had managed to find only such worthless spots.
Could it be...?
A sudden realization flashed through his mind.
Ha, he really is a gambling addict through and through...
Yes, they existed from time to time.
Fools who deluded themselves into thinking there was still an undiscovered gold vein hidden deep within an abandoned mine.
"Master Jeok. According to my family's information, the mines you want are truly worthless. Even now, you should change your mind..."
"No, it's fine."
"B-But these places are really not..."
"Tsk."
"...Ugh. I will handle it as quickly as possible..."
Go Bok-gil wanted to stop Jeok-un from making an investment doomed to fail, but he ultimately backed down.
The fear of a flying fist was far greater than his concern for Jeok-un's finances.
However, Jeok-un was dead serious about buying these abandoned mines.
To wage war against Heukpaeseong and, eventually, the Demonic Cult, I will need a colossal amount of funds—enough to buy several entire castles. To amass that kind of money, this is the only way.
As Jeok-un reviewed his plan once more while looking at the map, Go Bok-gil quietly stood up.
"Well, I shall take my leave now, Master Jeok."
Though it left a bad taste in his mouth, Go Bok-gil thought this would be the end of his ties with Jeok-un. But then...
"Huh? Where are you going?"
"Eh...?"
"Sit back down, my dear Bok-gil."
"Pardon??"
Dazed, Go Bok-gil sat back down without even realizing it.
Then, he looked at Jeok-un's face.
Grin.
W-What is this...?
He felt an ominous premonition. A very bad one.
As he shivered slightly under Jeok-un's chilling smile, Jeok-un slowly approached and clapped a hand onto his shoulder.
"Congratulations."
"Huh? F-For what?"
"What else? You've just become my very first subordinate."
"?!?!"
I became what?!
Go Bok-gil felt like he might literally foam at the mouth and faint, but he desperately held onto his consciousness.
"M-Master Jeok! Our Go Family Manor only sponsors Sadocheon! We have no intention of joining any combat squads...!"
"That's perfect."
"Pardon?"
"Because you will be the man to take that grand first step for the Go Family Manor."
"W-What does that even mean?!"
Jeok-un spoke as if Go Bok-gil's future was already set in stone.
There were two reasons he wanted to recruit Go Bok-gil.
First, he's the perfect fit for a figurehead.
As mentioned before, even a squad leader of the Ten Squads could not easily touch the Go Family Manor.
They possessed solid financial power, being counted among the three greatest merchant groups in the Central Plains, and had built strong connections with government officials over the years.
But the man before him was not just a good fit because of his background.
He didn't lay a single finger on the goods I entrusted to him.
For a merchant, credit and trust were paramount.
Even if it was out of sheer terror, the fact that he hadn't been blinded by greed was highly commendable.
And he has a decent sense of loyalty and honor.
This was the factor that carried the most weight.
Right after Jeok-un caused a massive scene during the entry test, investigations naturally followed.
When the Go Family Manor questioned Bok-gil about what had happened...
And even when Sadocheon summoned him separately to ask about Jeok-un...
Go Bok-gil had never leaked what Jeok-un had done in the basement of the gambling house.
Even if he looked like a trembling coward right now, at least he wasn't a rat who would sell out information.
At the very least, he wasn't trash who would betray someone like a rat.
Besides, he could have just ignored the issue with the abandoned mines, but he spoke up anyway.
Jeok-un only accepted what he saw and felt as the truth.
In his memories before his regression, Go Bok-gil was evaluated as nothing more than a useless half-wit abandoned by the Go Family Manor.
But seeing him now, Jeok-un found him to be a rather promising sprout.
"B-But I don't know a single martial arts move."
"You might not know cultivation methods, but surely you've learned a basic breathing technique for health, right?"
"T-That's true, but that's just to keep my body healthy..."
"Then that's enough."
"Pardon?"
"This big brother will take care of the rest."
"N-No, Master..."
"Uh-uh. You should call me Squad Leader now."
"M-Master!"
Go Bok-gil refused to call him Squad Leader.
It was his polite way of expressing his refusal to join the Baekya Squad.
At that, Jeok-un dropped his playful demeanor and spoke in a serious tone.
"Go Bok-gil. Think carefully."
"Y-Yes??"
"The execution of the No brothers, and my negotiation with the Lord of Sadocheon."
"...!"
"The people out there call my deeds mere luck, but you saw it firsthand. You know my true strength."
"!!"
Hearing it laid out like that, it was all true.
Jeok-un possessed strength he could rightfully boast of, and he had delivered astonishing results.
T-That's true, but...
Come to think of it, there had never been anyone like him in the history of the Jianghu.
His only flaw was his terrible reputation, which spanned both the orthodox and unorthodox factions.
But hadn't Bok-gil seen Jeok-un's true colors?
He was definitely not an empty shell.
Sigh, it's just that his personality is rotten to the core.
Go Bok-gil thought to himself, stealing a glance at Jeok-un.
Jeok-un read Go Bok-gil's mind with uncanny accuracy, but he let it slide this once, keeping his arm draped over the man's shoulder.
"Listen well, Bok-gil. Opportunity knocks at least once in every man's life."
"...!"
"And when that opportunity comes, you must have the courage to seize it if you want to completely change your life."
"M-Master Jeok."
Looking into Jeok-un's intense gaze, Go Bok-gil felt himself being swept away by an overwhelming presence.
"If you let it slip through your fingers, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. By then, the chance will be gone."
"...!"
"Do you really want to live the rest of your life being looked down upon like you are now?"
"!!"
Go Bok-gil froze, feeling as if he had been struck by lightning.
The reason Go Bok-gil had fallen into gambling and lived as a useless loafer was because of his older siblings.
His older brothers and relatives had rigged the board so that he, the son of a concubine, could never find a single foothold in the family business.
No matter how much the merchant world operated on a winner-take-all system...
They had branded him a loser without ever giving him a single chance to prove himself.
There was only one way to overturn this situation.
Yes... to break the board itself!
At that moment...
The confusion in Go Bok-gil's eyes cleared, replaced by a sharp resolve.
Seeing this, Jeok-un extended his hand.
"Take it. And I will give you a new life."
"...!"
A moment later...
Grab.
"I-I'll do it! I'll do it, Squad Leader!!"
Go Bok-gil grabbed Jeok-un's hand with both of his and shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Haha, good. I look forward to working with you, Officer Go."
"Yes, sir!!"
Go Bok-gil bowed repeatedly in response.
...But because of that, Go Bok-gil failed to see it.
Hook, line, and sinker.
Grin.
The sinister look in Jeok-un's eyes as he stared down at him, like a fisherman looking at a fish caught in his net.
"Now that the deal is sealed, let's go."
"Pardon? Where to?"
"To meet your new comrades, of course."
"Ah."
Only then did Go Bok-gil realize where Jeok-un was heading.
The Baekya Squad.
The unit Jeok-un had newly taken charge of.
"If you're late, I'm leaving you behind."
"W-Wait for me, Squad Leader!"
Bok-gil hurriedly scurried after Jeok-un.
Although it was obvious that the backlash against them—mere outsiders—would be severe...
Well, it's been a while. Blood Empress.
Jeok-un didn't care about that at all. He was only thinking of the nostalgic face he would soon reunite with in the Baekya Squad.