Chapter 5
It was still early in the evening, but the marketplace was already packed from the entrance onward. None of that mattered to me, though.
Ever since I’d left Baek-ga, I’d been feeling someone’s gaze on me. The moment I stepped into the marketplace, I turned into an alley and pressed my back to the wall, stretching one leg out in front of me.
Whoosh.
Guh!
Sure enough, someone came charging in right away and tripped over my foot.
“Who are you? Why are you following me?”
I put my foot against the back of his neck and pressed down. The man thrashed, trying to push himself up, so I simply bore down harder.
“Mmph! Mmph!”
He groaned, finding it hard to breathe. I still didn’t ease up. For all I knew, he might have been sent by the Jin Family Sword Sect.
“Sa...”
“Sa?”
“Sa... hyung...”
“Sahyeong?”
The word slipped out before I could stop myself, and I unconsciously let up. The man immediately clutched his throat and started gulping in rough breaths.
“Muheun?”
“Haa, haa... What the hell are you doing?”
That’s a strange thing for the guy who followed me around to say.
I suppressed the ridiculousness of the situation and looked down at him.
Baek Muheun caught his breath and stood, brushing the dust off his clothes.
“Muheun. Why were you tailing me?”
“Why do you think? I heard you caused trouble at the clan head’s hall today. The senior brother told me to keep an eye on you so you wouldn’t do anything stupid. It’s not like I came because I wanted to see you, Sa-hyung.”
Baek Muheun still seemed furious with me. Well, he had always been a rigid bastard with a head full of reverence for Mount Hwa. On top of that, while the clan was sinking like this, I’d still been taking something like a stipend from them, so his anger wasn’t exactly unreasonable.
What I hadn’t expected was that Baek Cheonhwang would go this far. No, maybe it was simply because my past self had never done anything worthy of their trust.
“Haa... Fine. I get your situation, so go back.”
“I can’t do that. That was the senior brother’s order.”
Baek Muheun fixed me with a sharp stare. The look in his eyes said he’d throw himself into a sea of fire if it were for the sake of the clan. Staring at someone like that did make it hard not to soften a little.
“Do as you please.”
“It’s not as I please. The senior brother’s...”
I didn’t wait to hear the rest. Turning away, I left the alley. Baek Muheun followed two steps behind me. He looked like he wanted to ask where I was going, but I didn’t bother telling him.
Jiangxi Ironworks.
By the time I reached Jiangxi Ironworks, I could already hear the clang-clang of metal being hammered from the entrance.
“Why are we here...?”
“Because I have business here.”
After answering Baek Muheun curtly, I opened the ironworks door. Heat rushed out in a wave.
“Is the owner here?”
My voice echoed through the workshop. At some point, the hammering stopped, and with a hiss of steam, the ironworks began filling with vapor.
“Who’s there?”
“Greetings. I’m Baek Mugeuk of Baek-ga.”
A blacksmith who looked like he had a perpetually sour temper parted the steam and came into view. He was a broad, solid man, with the most striking thing about him being the hammer in his hand.
To be honest, my first impression of him wasn’t blacksmith at all. More like... a bandit, really.
“What brings you here?”
“I came to see whether everything’s been all right. I was wondering if anyone’s been bothering you while you work.”
At my words, the blacksmith’s aura sharpened. Then he pointed the hammer at me.
“And what if someone has? Does Baek-ga even have the leisure to worry about us?”
“Elder. Baek-ga will be back on its feet soon.”
“Keuhahah. That’s a funny thing to say. After Elder Baek Hwang went down, what exactly have you idiots been doing? Back on its feet? Even a stray dog would laugh at that.”
Finishing his sentence, the blacksmith turned back to the anvil. Then, whether I was there or not, he raised the hammer again and brought it down on the metal.
Clang!
Clang!
The moment the hammer struck, sparks flew violently upward. The blacksmith worked the hammer as if he’d fallen into a trance.
Hiss—
When he plunged the metal into water, steam once again filled the ironworks.
“I’ll come again soon, Elder. Take care of yourself.”
“......”
I gave him a light bow and left the workshop. Just before the door closed, I felt the blacksmith’s gaze on me. And I heard his voice as well.
“Elder Baek Hwang...”
There was worry in his voice. And fair enough. Most of the businesses still left to Baek-ga had been supported and built up by my grandfather, Baek Hwang.
“...Sa-hyung. No matter where you go in Jiangxi right now, this is how people treat us Baek Clan members. You probably won’t hear anything better anywhere else.”
“Still have to go. I’ve got business.”
I turned my back on the ironworks and started walking again. Or rather, I tried to. Before I could even turn fully away, I saw two martial artists in black outfits kick open the ironworks door and barge inside.
Found them.
Without meaning to, the corners of my mouth lifted. Those were the men I’d come to Jiangxi Ironworks for. They would be the first thread leading to the head of this mess. If you asked me how I could be so sure, the answer was simple.
The Jin Family Sword Sect wanted Baek-ga’s Baek Family Seven Swords Technique more than they wanted repayment of the debt. That was right. What they wanted wasn’t money. So would people like that just leave Baek-ga’s income-generating businesses alone?
Of course not.
I didn’t even need to think about it. I turned back toward the ironworks, but Baek Muheun grabbed my shoulder hard.
“Let’s go, Sa-hyung. Didn’t you say you had somewhere else to be next?”
I frowned and looked at Baek Muheun. It was obvious those two who’d gone into the ironworks didn’t have good intentions. Even so, Baek Muheun was holding me back.
“What are you talking about, Muheun?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. Don’t we still have places to go?”
“......”
In my memory, Baek Muheun was a man with a strong sense of justice. I couldn’t tell why he was stopping me now. But one thing was certain: his hand was trembling slightly, and he was grinding his teeth hard. Just like someone forcibly holding back a boiling rage.
“The ones I was waiting for were those bastards, and you’re telling me to go where? Move, Muheun!”
“What are you talking about? Waiting for them?”
Crack!
While that strange standoff between Baek Muheun and me continued, something broke inside the ironworks. I shook off Baek Muheun’s hand and opened the door at once.
What I saw was the blacksmith collapsed on the floor with his hammer beside him. And the two martial artists standing over him.
“I mean, you should have the money ready on the right date. What kind of guts are you running a business with no protection fee, old man?”
They didn’t care whether the door was open or not.
“How are we supposed to make anything when you idiots come in here raising hell every day?”
“That’s because you don’t have the money ready on time. If you’d prepared it in advance, I wouldn’t have to come all the way here every single day, would I? Kakh, ptui.”
The man in black spat on the blacksmith. But the blacksmith didn’t react, as if he were used to it.
“Looks like we’ve got customers. I’ll come again tomorrow, so make sure you’ve got the money lined up.”
The two men stood before me and smiled with narrowed eyes.
“Mister. Their goods here are excellent. Buy a lot.”
“......”
“What are you, some righteous little scholar? Don’t get scared now.”
One of the men patted my shoulder as he passed. But I had no intention of letting them leave like this.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Huh?”
“You should clean up before you go.”
“Heh-heh-heh...! Hah-ha-ha! What the hell is this bastard talking about? That was directed at me, right?”
“Seems that way.”
The man turned and pressed down hard on my shoulder.
“Oh dear, hero. My apologies. I failed to recognize you and made a terrible mistake. Is this better?”
“I don’t need an apology from you. Clean this place up and get lost.”
“You’re awfully cocky for someone who should know better...!”
Before the man could finish, I twisted the arm on my shoulder. He instinctively tried to brace himself, but I wrenched harder and pulled his arm down.
Thud.
“Aaaaagh!”
The sound of the man’s shoulder dislocating and his scream rang through the ironworks. At the same time, I let go of his arm and punched the face of the other man beside him. He raised his arm to block his face.
“You think I’d be taken in by such a pathetic attack?!”
Exactly as I’d expected. The instant he lifted his arm and blocked his own vision, I withdrew the punch, drove my hand into his waist, and slammed him to the floor. Then I pinned his arm with my leg and climbed onto his stomach.
“Y-you filthy little bastard, using underhanded tricks from the shadows...!”
“What can I say? You bastards from the evil side are all the same.”
I raised my fist and brought it down on his face.
Thwack.
“How am I supposed to know where I belong...!”
Smack.
“I’ll kill everyone around you, including your family...!”
Crack!
“St... stop...!”
His groans and screams rang out together, but I didn’t stop punching. At that moment, a hand landed on my shoulder.
“Sa-hyung. Stop now.”
It was Baek Muheun.
“He can’t even keep his eyes open anymore.”
At his words, I stood and turned to the blacksmith. He was frowning, glaring at me.
“Are you all right?”
“Does this look all right to you?”
“......”
“I did something pointless... something pointless...”
The blacksmith muttered under his breath, hauled himself to his feet, and stood in front of the anvil.
Baek-ga wasn’t the only one suffering in the time I’d been away from the clan. Everyone tied to Baek-ga was going through the same thing. Everything had to be put back where it belonged.
“Let’s go, Muheun.”
“Yes.”
I gave the blacksmith a light bow once more, then dragged the two unconscious men outside.
“What sect do these bastards belong to?”
“They’re from the Bulwark Sword Gate.”
Bulwark Sword Gate... I don’t remember that sect.
Jiangxi had always been half evil sect territory even in the past. But the name Bulwark Sword Gate didn’t exist in my memory. No, when I’d been expelled from Mount Hwa and returned to Baek-ga, Baek Cheonhwang had made me memorize every single sect in Jiangxi. He told me I’d better start taking care of the clan’s affairs, too.
I’d heard him drone on about it so much that I still remembered the names of the clan and sects he’d forced me to memorize. But Bulwark Sword Gate had never been among them.
These bastards are the lead.
It was certain now. A sect that wasn’t in my memory, and one that targeted only Baek-ga’s businesses? Even if you dragged a fool into it, there was no way this wasn’t connected.
I walked up to the men and began searching through their clothes. Baek Muheun frowned and spoke to me.
“Sa-hyung, what are you doing? No matter how much they’re from the evil side, we’re still of the orthodox path, aren’t we? Searching through another sect’s bodies isn’t proper conduct...”
“Proper conduct?”
I stood up and looked at Baek Muheun.
“What exactly is your idea of proper conduct?”
“Sa-hyung. What do you mean?”
“Why didn’t you save the blacksmith who’s being oppressed by the evil side? The blacksmith under Baek-ga’s protection, no less.”
“......”
At my words, Baek Muheun lowered his head and fell silent. I could understand being forced into submission by the Jin Family Sword Sect at Jungseong Inn. The clan owed them money. But this was different. It was the evil side of the Bulwark Sword Gate. On top of that, unlike the Jin Family Sword Sect, Baek-ga had no debt to them at all.
“Because we’re weak...”
“Weak?”
“Because we’re weak! Our Baek-ga is weak! You don’t understand, Sa-hyung!”
“Baek-ga is weak?”
Baek Muheun was wrong. Even without Baek Hwang, Baek-ga’s martial force was not something Jiangxi could ignore.
“Yes. Right now, Baek-ga is weak. Apart from the senior brother, everyone’s been sent out across the Central Plains to earn money. What exactly are the rest of us supposed to do?”
“And so because you’re powerless, you submit to the evil side... that’s what you call proper conduct, Baek Muheun?”
Baek Muheun’s face twisted.
“Heh-heh-heh... Sa-hyung, do you even have the right to say that to me? You gave up that easily in Mount Hwa, too!”
As if he could no longer hold back his anger, Baek Muheun turned and walked away. I didn’t look away until he disappeared completely down the street.
“Haa...”
A sigh escaped me before I realized it.
I don’t think I’ve ever been in a situation like this in my previous life.
Come to think of it, maybe relations between people were harder than cutting down the Heavenly Demon. There was bitterness in Baek Muheun’s words. Bitterness at having to submit because the situation left him no choice.
“Still, I got what I needed.”
I pulled two wooden tags from my robes. They were from the two martial artists of Bulwark Sword Gate.
“How should I use these?”
Looking at the tags, I tucked them back into my robe and headed to the next place.
Ihwa Tea House.
As I entered Ihwa Tea House, the quiet fragrance of tea filled the air. At the same time, the place was packed with customers.
“What should we do, sir? We don’t have any seats left today. I’m afraid you’ll have to come back another time.”
“I’m not here as a customer. Is Damo here?”
“May I ask what this concerns?”
“I’m Baek Mugeuk of Baek-ga. I came because I have something I’d like to discuss with Damo.”
“Ah... someone from Baek-ga. Please wait a moment.”
The server went into the inner part of the tea house. I slowly turned my head and scanned the customers inside. There were many ordinary people, but among them I also spotted martial artists in the black uniforms of Bulwark Sword Gate.
So they’re here too.
Just as I was lost in thought, the server came back and called me.
“Would you come inside?”
I was led to the room where Damo was waiting. Her room was decorated with striking simplicity.
Damo was a woman of remarkable beauty. On top of that, she looked far more suited to a pleasure house than a tea house.
“What brings a martial artist from Baek-ga here?”
“I stopped by to say hello. I was wondering whether you’ve had any trouble keeping the place running.”
“Not exactly... trouble, per se...”
Damo wore a look as if something were bothering her, but she quickly composed herself.
“I suppose there isn’t much trouble, then. I’d only heard rumors that Baek-ga was in a dangerous state, so I was a little concerned.”
“It’s nothing. It’ll be sorted out soon enough.”
“That’s a relief, then.”
“I had a look around the tea house, and I noticed Bulwark Sword Gate martial artists here. Do they visit often?”
“Well, I’d have to check to be sure, but it seems they come by from time to time. Still, as you know, in Jiangxi it’s practically a daily occurrence for evil sect martial artists to visit.”
“True enough. Still...”
I tapped the table lightly. Damo asked me,
“If you have nothing else to say, could you excuse yourself now? I’ve got a lot to take care of.”
“Ah. Is that so? But the thing is, I’m not finished here yet.”
“Pardon?”
“I’d like to buy information.”
“I’m sorry, but what...?”
Damo stared at me, dumbfounded. But that expression was fake. Ihwa Tea House was one of the branches of the Hao Clan operating in Jiangxi.
“Was I unclear? I said I want to buy information from an information broker.”
At my words, Damo’s face hardened into a look of complete incomprehension.
“Young master, it seems you’ve misunderstood something. This is a tea house that sells tea. We don’t sell things like information.”
On the surface, she looked exactly like a woman who knew nothing at all. Well, in truth, it was only natural that she should have to pretend that way now. Neither she nor anyone in Baek-ga had expected their business to be a branch of the Hao Clan.
If the Murim Alliance hadn’t had me handle their affairs, I might never have known.
I stared at Damo, who was putting on her bewildered act. She was younger than the face I remembered, but there was no mistaking her.
“Enough with the act. I don’t have much time. Hao Clan Jiangxi branch chief Ju Hang-a.”
“How do you know that name?”
Ju Hang-a truly looked taken aback. But only for a moment. In an instant, she changed into a cold, expressionless mask as if she had never shown surprise at all.
“Fine. I am Ju Hang-a. Who are you?”
“Me? Baek-ga’s Baek Mugeuk.”
“Fine. I know you’re Baek Mugeuk. I also know you recently ran away from Mount Hwa and agreed to repay your debt to the Jin Family Sword Sect. But how did you know this place is a Hao Clan branch?”
Ju Hang-a listed my information in a detached, matter-of-fact way. As if she already knew everything about me.
“What happens if the Hao Clan is the one asking for information? You bastards make your living off that, don’t you? And one thing you said was wrong.”
“The information the Hao Clan handles has no margin for error.”
“No. I didn’t run away. I just didn’t like being a Daoist, so I walked down on my own two feet.”
“That sounds like little more than a pointless quibble.”
“What can I say? It’s the truth.”
Ju Hang-a pressed her temple with her fingers, rubbing it hard as she glared at me. Then, exuding a faint but unmistakably cold pressure, she asked in a sharp voice,
“Fine. Enough nonsense. What information do you need?”
“The source of the Gong-dispersing poison within Jiangxi. And the structure of the sects in Jiangxi.”
“Both are sellable, but the price is considerable.”
“How much?”
“How much can you pay? According to the information I have, Baek-ga currently has almost no liquid funds to work with.”
“I’ll handle Baek-ga’s finances. Just tell me the price.”
“Three silver nyang.”
“Then I’ll come back in three days.”
Ju Hang-a didn’t seem to believe I’d return in three days. But whether she believed it or not didn’t matter. In the end, she’d prepare the information either way.
“Ah. One last thing. I’d like to buy one more piece of information.”
“...What is it?”
“The location of the black market.”
“The black market... one silver nyang.”
Clink.
I tossed a silver coin at Ju Hang-a. She caught it and placed it on the table.
“Once you leave this room, the server will tell you the black market’s location.”
“Fine. Then I’ll see you in three days.”
When I came out of the tea house, the server bowed deeply and greeted me politely. At the same time, I heard the server’s telepathic voice.
Have a safe trip! Customer.