Chapter 214
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 214
Chapter Title: I Think That Was a Compliment
"He has returned."
At the steward's words, the eyes of Pyeong Jarim, the Master of the Golden Moon Trading Company, glinted.
His face was utterly haggard.
The Golden Moon Trading Company's recent situation was as precarious as a candle in the wind.
Frankly, when he first learned of the Underworld Sect's move against them, he had scoffed.
It would be a nuisance, yes, but what could the mere Underworld Sect possibly do against the Golden Moon Trading Company?
That's what he had thought at first.
And for a while, that was indeed the case.
The Underworld Sect was more capable and had more money than expected, but they were still just the Underworld Sect.
The Golden Moon Trading Company crushed the Underworld Sect's challenges one by one.
Moreover, the Golden Moon Trading Company owned three powerful martial arts factions.
Simply deploying them in the right places resolved most matters that would have required force.
With that breathing room, he investigated why the Underworld Sect was acting this way.
And he discovered that Byeok Taesan was behind it all.
Not the Golden Jade Trading Company, but Byeok Taesan himself.
The Golden Moon Trading Company realized that the Golden Jade Trading Company and Byeok Taesan were entirely separate entities.
So, from then on, they began to dig into Byeok Taesan's background.
They even found out that Byeok Taesan had gone to Nanchang for some reason.
And that was when the Underworld Sect's fierce counterattack began.
Before they knew what was happening, their commercial districts were being encroached upon, and their cash flow was being cut off intermittently.
The three factions under the Golden Moon Trading Company couldn't even properly exert their strength.
Due to the old Jangbodo incident, warriors from the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, and even the Five Great Families were still present in Changsha.
The factions owned by the Golden Moon Trading Company were cleverly entangled with them.
It didn't escalate to a conflict, but the Martial Alliance and the Black Alliance began to watch them closely.
With the Golden Moon Trading Company's hands tied, the Underworld Sect began to move, having secured a formidable master.
In truth, that formidable master was the Sword Fiend, but the Golden Moon Trading Company had no way of knowing that.
To stop that master, they needed Hyeokryeon Hwi's help, but his whereabouts had become unknown.
In the midst of it all, a bomb that the Golden Moon Trading Company had failed to deal with finally exploded.
It was the Okcheon Trading Company.
The Okcheon Trading Company was run by Pyeong Dae-eon, a distant relative of Pyeong Jarim.
But after getting entangled with a medicine shop run by Byeok Taesan's maid, Jahyang, it had all but collapsed.
Then, swayed by Hyeokryeon Hwi, they decided to run gambling dens and opened them all over Changsha.
These gambling dens were originally intended for Nameless to profit from with Hyeokryeon Hwi's backing, but the Golden Moon Trading Company found out and got involved, complicating matters.
Not just Nameless, but the Golden Moon Trading Company also began using the gambling dens as a source of funds.
Normally, this would not have been a problem. In fact, they wouldn't have even bothered using something like gambling dens as a funding source.
But the problem was that they were currently in the middle of a "golden war" with the Underworld Sect.
The gambling dens were cleaned out.
Not just robbed, but cleaned out through gambling.
The issue was that after being cleaned out, they tried to use force on the culprit, only to be defeated again.
The Golden Moon Trading Company had lost a source of funding, and in their desperate attempt to salvage it, they ended up losing their subordinate warriors as well.
It was a disastrous move.
In the meantime, a group called the Hyeoncheon Trading Company appeared.
They were truly relentless.
If they found even the smallest pretext, they would latch onto it and somehow devour the commercial district.
The amount of business they had lost this way was already immense.
If they stood by idly, everything the Golden Moon Trading Company had would be handed over to the Hyeoncheon Trading Company.
Pyeong Jarim, the Master of the Golden Moon Trading Company, wore a troubled expression.
"How on earth did it come to this..."
They say a great enterprise never dies. A trading company as large as the Golden Moon Trading Company doesn't just collapse.
"So, what is he doing now?"
"He entered the Gakwol Inn and hasn't come out."
"Are you certain that he is the true master of the Underworld Sect?"
"I am certain."
"And the master of the Hyeoncheon Trading Company as well?"
"That is also certain."
Pyeong Jarim looked both dumbfounded and dejected.
"Hah! This is truly absurd."
The truly absurd part was that this all started with that small medicine shop the Okcheon Trading Company had meddled with.
"You said the person running that medicine shop was Byeok Taesan's maid?"
"That is correct."
If he told anyone that the Golden Moon Trading Company was in this state because of a single maid, no one would believe him.
In reality, looking deeper, that wasn't the sole reason. The problem began when they joined hands with Nameless.
But in Pyeong Jarim's eyes, it all seemed to have happened because of one maid.
"The Gakwol Inn... Is the Underworld Sect's master there as well?"
"Yes. They are all gathered there."
Pyeong Jarim tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair.
Simply put, all he had to do was erase the Gakwol Inn.
After all, the enemy's entire leadership was gathered there.
But the question was whether they had the strength to face them.
He also had to confirm if they could launch a surprise attack without attracting the attention of the Martial Alliance, the Black Alliance, or the Five Great Families.
Pyeong Jarim glanced at his steward.
The steward understood what Pyeong Jarim was thinking.
"If you are going to do it, you must be thorough."
"This is when I need Nameless, but they're nowhere to be found when it matters."
Nameless wasn't actually useless, but that's precisely how Pyeong Jarim felt about them right now.
The steward spoke cautiously.
"Hyeokryeon Hwi may be gone, but not all of Nameless has disappeared."
Pyeong Jarim's expression changed instantly.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Pyeong Dae-eon has been secretly dealing with Nameless."
Pyeong Jarim let out a hollow laugh.
"Hah! That fool never changes, no matter where he goes or what he does."
"Still, thanks to him, we might be able to make good use of them this time, wouldn't you agree?"
Pyeong Jarim nodded.
"True. If Nameless gets involved, the story changes."
The fearsomeness of Nameless wasn't just because of Hyeokryeon Hwi.
They were unfathomably deep and vast.
Even without Hyeokryeon Hwi, the power of Nameless was substantial.
Nameless wasn't just composed of masters. But even those who weren't masters possessed power comparable to them.
There were those who used bizarre medicines, formations, grand arts, and powers that defied common sense.
He didn't know which members of Nameless Pyeong Dae-eon was in contact with, but if he could command all the Nameless members that Hyeokryeon Hwi used to employ in Changsha, wiping out a single inn like Gakwol would be child's play.
Even if that incredible master was there.
"Summon Pyeong Dae-eon, that idiot."
The steward bowed respectfully.
"I will bring him at once."
***
Na Chungil had been brimming with motivation ever since Byeok Taesan's return.
He poured all that motivation into his training.
Today, as always, Na Chungil took his sword and headed for the training ground set up in the Gakwol Inn's rear courtyard.
The courtyard training ground was quite crowded.
Na Heontak, the owner of the Gakwol Inn, had expanded the training ground several times.
It was a measure taken because the number of people wishing to train kept increasing.
Now, not only Byeok Taesan's group, but also members of the Secret Heaven Group and disciples of the Underworld Sect were training in every corner.
They weren't all doing the same training, but when people gathered like this to train, they were bound to be stimulated by the passion of others.
The same was true for Na Chungil.
Byeok Taesan's companions, in particular, trained so hard that even Na Chungil was left speechless.
Sometimes, he wondered if they were going to train themselves to death.
Every time he saw them, Na Chungil strengthened his resolve and swung his sword.
Arriving at the training ground, Na Chungil took his usual training spot.
The spot wasn't officially assigned, but everyone knew Na Chungil trained there, so they left it open for him.
As soon as he was in position, Na Chungil took a deep breath and gathered his energy.
And just as he was about to raise his sword, a strange sensation swept over him.
Na Chungil shifted his gaze slightly, looking toward the source of that feeling.
His eyes widened slightly.
Yeon Harin was entering the training ground.
"Hoh."
Na Chungil was impressed. Yeon Harin's aura was completely different from before.
After returning from Nanchang, Yeon Harin had barely left her room. Thus, Na Chungil hadn't had a chance to see her.
He had been too busy training or going out to handle tasks for Je Wiryong to pay much attention to his surroundings.
But seeing Yeon Harin now, he understood why she had remained secluded.
"She needed time to refine herself."
She must have gained a great enlightenment on her trip to Nanchang. Otherwise, she couldn't have grown so tremendously.
Na Chungil watched Yeon Harin quietly.
Yeon Harin, feeling Na Chungil's gaze, looked back at him.
"Care for a spar?"
At Na Chungil's question, Yeon Harin smiled brightly and nodded.
"I was just about to ask you."
In truth, no one in Byeok Taesan's group could give Yeon Harin a proper spar.
Cheon Gyeongwan and Yu Seoyeon had grown much stronger, but Yeon Harin's growth rate was so fast that it was now difficult for the two of them to handle her.
Of course, if they attacked together, Yeon Harin would be outmatched, but she wanted to try a one-on-one duel first.
She felt that was the only way to properly organize what she had newly learned.
She had originally thought of asking Byeok Taesan, but he hadn't left his room since that day, so it was difficult to ask.
In that respect, Na Chungil was a truly excellent opponent.
As Yeon Harin hurried toward Na Chungil, the people nearby backed away, creating a large open space for them.
And they watched Yeon Harin and Na Chungil with intrigued eyes.
One could always learn something just by watching masters like them spar.
Na Chungil couldn't help but marvel at the incredibly stable energy flowing through Yeon Harin's body.
"Let us begin."
The moment Na Chungil's words fell, Yeon Harin charged forward.
She was so fast that the spectators didn't even notice her move.
In the blink of an eye, Yeon Harin was in front of Na Chungil.
Yeon Harin's sword shot out as if to pierce Na Chungil's neck.
*Clang!*
Na Chungil casually deflected Yeon Harin's sword.
A tremor ran through his hand.
The corners of Na Chungil's mouth curved into a smile.
"Excellent!"
From then on, Na Chungil began to swing his sword with gusto.
Crossing swords with a rapidly growing junior was always an enjoyable affair.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!*
As Na Chungil began to get into it, dozens of sword strikes poured out.
To the spectators' eyes, it looked like a single swing, but in reality, he had struck dozens of times.
Yeon Harin parried every single one of those strikes.
She didn't just parry them; she deflected them at an angle.
She wasn't strong enough to return the force, but she could somehow manage to redirect it.
Na Chungil's smile widened.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang-clang!*
The speed of his strikes increased further, and their trajectories began to subtly warp.
Yeon Harin gritted her teeth and blocked them.
She could keep up with the speed, but she couldn't grasp the warping trajectories to deflect them.
The impacts began to accumulate.
But Yeon Harin didn't falter in the slightest. This was nothing compared to facing Hong Yeoik on Mount Hua.
Adapting to Na Chungil's sword strikes with incredible speed, Yeon Harin began to deflect even the warped attacks.
"Splendid!"
Na Chungil increased the speed of his strikes even more, mixing in various techniques.
Yeon Harin began to feel overwhelmed. But she quickly adapted even to that, keeping up with Na Chungil's speed and variations.
Impressed, Na Chungil began to use his full strength.
*BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!*
An explosive sound rang out with every clash of their swords.
With each explosion, Yeon Harin's figure swayed precariously.
But the light in Yeon Harin's eyes was still alive.
*Spurt!*
Na Chungil's sword grazed Yeon Harin's shoulder, drawing blood.
Seeing this, Na Chungil slightly slowed his hand.
For the old Na Chungil, this would have been absolutely unthinkable.
And Yeon Harin squeezed through that small opening.
*Clang-clang-clang-clang!*
*Crack!*
Startled, Na Chungil retreated frantically, swinging his sword wildly.
Most of Yeon Harin's attacks were nullified, but one of them properly pierced Na Chungil's opening.
In his haste, Na Chungil blocked Yeon Harin's attack with the hilt of his sword.
A crack appeared on the sword's hilt.
With a hardened expression, Na Chungil began to press Yeon Harin.
After that, there were no more surprises. Na Chungil overwhelmed Yeon Harin, and though she fought valiantly to the end, her sword was sent flying.
"Hooo. You are remarkable."
Na Chungil looked at Yeon Harin with admiring eyes.
Yeon Harin's expression was one of pure refreshment. She cupped her fist respectfully.
"Thank you for the lesson."
Na Chungil nodded with a pleased smile.
But that pleasure didn't last long.
Because Byeok Taesan's voice came from right behind him.
"Your sword is broken."
Na Chungil turned around slowly with a very awkward movement.
Seeing Byeok Taesan's gaze fall on the sword's hilt, Na Chungil quickly made an excuse.
"It was about time to replace the hilt anyway."
Byeok Taesan stared at Na Chungil quietly.
"You'll die like that."
Na Chungil flinched at those words. He broke into a cold sweat, fidgeting nervously.
Byeok Taesan looked around at the people in the training ground. He stared at each one of them, taking his time.
Everyone grew anxious, wondering what was happening.
After doing so, Byeok Taesan turned and left the training ground.
It wasn't just Na Chungil who couldn't understand the situation. Everyone in the training ground was bewildered.
While everyone stood there, Soso tentatively stepped forward.
"I think... the Young Master was... complimenting you..."
Everyone's gaze simultaneously landed on Soso.
"Just... saying. He looked pleased."
The expressions on everyone's faces as they looked at Soso were truly strange. They couldn't understand how on earth she could tell.