259. The Time Fruits Ripen (6)
At first, no one noticed. They just thought the fool was hastening his own death.
The first to sense something amiss were those in the lead.
Thud, thud—their garment ties snapped off, exposing their chests to the biting wind. Instinctively, they looked down.
And they couldn't hide their shock.
"What?!"
Nearly five zhang away. They still needed a few more steps to reach Baek Hae-gwang, yet their chests were already laid bare.
"......"
If that had been all, they might have kept charging. But seeing the same reaction from those running beside them and behind them, they had no choice but to halt.
"What in the world......"
The garment ties of those behind, obscured by the leaders, had been severed clean. Without a single scratch.
What realm of mastery was required for such swordsmanship?
Before shock could even set in, these martial artists, walkers of the Mudo path, were awestruck by the phenomenon itself.
But on the battlefield, even a split-second lapse could mean death. Baek Hae-gwang had already resumed his sword-drawing stance, leaving the Sura Gate disciples at a loss.
"Gah?!"
Unable to advance or flee, Baek Hae-gwang swung his sword again.
Ping—the sharp sound of air being sliced echoed across the area once more.
The Sura Gate disciples felt chills at the whoosh in their ears, followed by a sudden lightness in their right arms.
Thud, thud, thud—a hundred gauntleted wrists hit the ground simultaneously.
Click.
Baek Hae-gwang sheathed his sword and asked in the same calm tone as before.
"Shall we continue?"
His matter-of-fact question hung in the air. The Sura Gate disciples, their will to fight shattered, turned dazed gazes toward Ju Yeongsan.
"......"
Those eyes resembled those of frightened puppies seeking their master.
#
"Hah......"
Wang Geumsan couldn't close his gaping mouth.
His feelings mirrored those of the Sura Gate disciples who had just blocked Baek Hae-gwang's sword.
"What kind of......"
Just two swings of the sword, and garment ties were severed, sturdy gauntlets dropping limply to the earth. It defied the natural order so utterly it was hard to believe.
Of course he'd seen so-called martial masters before. With the wealth of one of the continent's four great merchants, he could accomplish things ordinary folk couldn't dream of.
He'd hired renowned experts for demonstrations and had others approach him first to build rapport, showcasing their lifelong achievements.
Yet none among those famous figures could produce harmony like Baek Hae-gwang's.
"Taesan, did you know?"
Turning to Jin Taesan, he saw the man equally stunned, mouth agape in bewilderment.
"N-no, I didn't."
"How could you not know?"
"H-how would I?"
"And you still let him step forward?"
"I figured if something went wrong, I could rally the men."
Jin Taesan pointed to one side, where the ronin inside the Great Heaven Merchant Company stared at Baek Hae-gwang's divine feat with the same dumbfounded expressions.
"They say the hidden hermits of the world outnumber the world's warriors. Old sayings never lie."
Jin Taesan replied to Wang Geumsan's hollow words, still wearing a blank look.
"Even so, isn't that level beyond common sense?"
"I don't know much about martial arts, but it doesn't seem human."
"I know a bit, and even to me, it's not of this world."
A shadow crossed Jin Taesan's face, making Wang Geumsan tilt his head.
"Why the long face? The one who should be worried now is me, not you......"
Wang Geumsan regretted his earlier talk of things escalating with Baek Hae-gwang right there. In that brief moment, he'd already calculated dumping a fortune into sponsoring the new sect.
In contrast, Jin Taesan had shown faith in Baek Hae-gwang. He'd stood firm amid the pressure. And hadn't he even promised to stake his entire family fortune to establish the sect?
"Still, aren't you too strong? For a little place like Tae-eul Gate to handle......"
"What kind of nonsense is that......"
Wang Geumsan, ever the merchant, quickly grasped how immense the gain was—befriending an absolute master for the cost of founding a sect.
"Don't you and your sect, rooted in the jianghu, know you can't escape power dynamics? There are plenty who'd offer fleets of golden carriages to befriend someone like that."
"Y-yeah, I suppose. But how does a master like that just drop into our lap at that age?"
Wang Geumsan shook his head, equally puzzled.
"Exactly. I looked into it myself, but couldn't pin down where he came from."
Of course, he'd found a few similar names in his investigations, but none seemed to match Baek Hae-gwang.
'Not to mention the Sword Demon......'
Now that he thought about it, it was a blessing he hadn't voiced suspicions of him being the bloodthirsty maniac slaughtering great sects. Setting aside whether Baek Hae-gwang would take offense, it would have left a bad taste for Jin Taesan, who was desperately shedding misunderstandings of black path ties.
Moments later, Baek Hae-gwang approached after wrapping things up.
"Group leader."
Wang Geumsan and Jin Taesan tensed instinctively.
"Y-yes!"
"D-did you call for me?"
At the sudden honorifics, Baek Hae-gwang tilted his head.
"Why the sudden formality...... Anyway, this bastard...... no, that fellow...... Hah, damn. It's not easy."
Frowning briefly, Baek Hae-gwang cleared his throat.
"Ahem. Anyway, the young master has words for you."
Where Baek Hae-gwang had subtly stepped back, Ju Yeongsan trembled with a pallid face.
He bowed creakily at the waist.
"S-sor, sorry, so sor...... Gah!"
Baek Hae-gwang tapped Ju Yeongsan's thigh with his scabbard.
"Do it right."
"Eek!"
Shaking like he'd been struck by lightning, Ju Yeongsan dropped to his knees and prostrated himself.
"I-I apologize, I apologize for everything. I beg forgiveness for all our deeds."
"What the......"
Ju Yeongsan trembled more than Jin Taesan or Wang Geumsan. A sect leader of decent standing among the 108 Peaks, a master in his own right—yet here he was, quaking in terror. It was hard to fathom.
Swipe—with a face drained white, Ju Yeongsan peeked up at Baek Hae-gwang's mood. He clearly wanted to bolt from the spot.
At Baek Hae-gwang's chin gesture, Ju Yeongsan slammed his head down again.
"W-we, Sura Gate, completely abandon our advance on the merchant company......!"
"Pardon?"
Jin Taesan blinked in confusion at the abrupt declaration, but Ju Yeongsan kept his head buried and pressed on.
"N-never again will Sura Gate expand into Hebi. N-never, ever......"
With that, Ju Yeongsan cautiously lifted his head to gauge Baek Hae-gwang. His eyes, smeared with fear, looked utterly harmless.
Baek Hae-gwang waved him off irritably.
"Enough. Get lost."
"Y-yes, sir!"
But.
"Oh, wait! Hold up!"
Baek Hae-gwang yanked the fleeing Ju Yeongsan by the collar.
"Y-yes?!"
Staring into the even more terrified eyes, Baek Hae-gwang asked quietly.
"You close with Shaolin, right?"
"Th-that's."
His eyes darted wildly, unsure how to respond.
Baek Hae-gwang tilted his head sideways with a crack that echoed around them.
"Wanna test it?"
"Pardon?"
"Wanna test it?"
"......"
Soon, Baek Hae-gwang prodded Ju Yeongsan's cheek with his sword guard, squish squish. It looked just like a back-alley thug shaking down kids for coin.
After toying with him awhile, he sobered up, furrowing his brow fiercely.
"Spreading the word is fine......"
"Y-yes! Eek! B-but?"
"Can't guarantee what comes after."
"......What do you mean by 'after'?"
Seeing the Sura Gate leader quiver like a baby rabbit, Baek Hae-gwang grinned.
"Use your imagination."
At Baek Hae-gwang's blunt words, only Ju Yeongsan shuddered as some vision crossed his mind.
"Go on, scram."
"......Yes."
Ju Yeongsan bolted in abject terror, herding his disciples without delay. Baek Hae-gwang watched until they vanished, then turned with a cupped-fist salute.
"Talked him into it nice and clean. No more trouble."
"......?"
"......??"
Baek Hae-gwang's courteous demeanor. Yet Jin Taesan and Wang Geumsan's eyes tangled in utmost complexity.
......Well, no blood was spilled, so maybe it counted as persuasion?
For a fleeting moment, Jin Taesan imagined his son's face overlaying Baek Hae-gwang's.
#
"L-Lord! Should we alert Shaolin?"
The Sura Gate disciples fled madly through the woods. Leading the pack, Ju Yeongsan nodded furiously at Ho Gwon Danju's question.
"Of course! Not just Shaolin—send carrier pigeons to every sect in Hebi and Anhui Province!"
"U-understood! We'll request reinforcements right aw—"
"You idiot!!"
Ju Yeongsan skidded to a halt like his ponytail was aflame. Ho Gwon Danju and the disciples braked abruptly behind him.
"Wh-what's wrong, Lord?"
"Do you really want to see Sura Gate's foundations uprooted?"
"Pardon? What do you—"
Recalling the scene, Ju Yeongsan trembled like an aspen.
"A master of another league. He's basically a guest of the Great Heaven Merchant Company...... no, Tae-eul Gate and Wang Clan."
"Th-then the pigeons were to......?"
"Find out who he is."
"......"
"If he plants himself in Tae-eul Gate for good......"
Gulp.
Ho Gwon Danju swallowed hard.
"The power balance in Hebi...... no, all of Anhui Province will flip completely."
"Th-that serious?"
Ju Yeongsan shook his still-pale head.
"I've faced countless masters in my life. Counting what I've seen roaming the jianghu...... my experience isn't shallow."
All eyes turned to Ju Yeongsan.
"But I've never seen his equal."
"......"
"It's not just about advancing Sura Gate or expanding influence. The survival of Sura Gate and countless sects hangs in the balance."
The disciples held their breath at his grave words.
#
"Hahaha! Hero Baek! That's the most satisfying sight of my life!"
"You're too kind."
"If my loose tongue ever offended you, forgive me. It was all worry for my future brother-in-law and son-in-law."
Wang Geumsan emphasized "brother-in-law" and "son-in-law" with gusto, but Baek Hae-gwang shook his head nonchalantly.
"No offense taken. Anyone would be wary of a stranger approaching their loved ones."
Wang Geumsan's face bloomed like a flower at the thoughtful reply.
"So magnanimous and bold! Your vessel matches your skill! Hahaha!"
As Wang Geumsan clung to Baek Hae-gwang, exchanging fine liquor from the Wang Clan, Jin Taesan chatted with Seop Sojeong.
"I hope you're not uncomfortable."
"Not at all. This is more than enough—too much, even."
"The annex is too small for three. We'll scout a sect foundation soon."
"As I said last time, that feels like too much trouble for you......"
Seop Sojeong flustered, but Jin Taesan smiled warmly and shook his head.
"You may not know, but your husband is like a teacher to my son. He even wrote begging me to treat you as such. It's only right."
Wang Geumsan, clinking cups and laughing heartily with Baek Hae-gwang, chimed in.
"Damn right! Our son-in-law ain't the type to ignore his master!"
"Wang Group Leader......"
Clink—Wang Geumsan slammed his cup down.
"Forget it—I'll sponsor too! He's the master of Sowoon, my nephew and future son-in-law. Of course I'll help!"
"N-no, really, it's fine."
Even Baek Hae-gwang looked flustered, but Wang Geumsan pressed on.
"Better yet, move to one of our empty houses. We've got plenty."
"We've been shown enough hospitality. More would be a burden."
At the polite refusal, Wang Geumsan smacked his lips lightly. Ever perceptive as a merchant, he smoothly changed topics.
"So, Hero Baek, how'd you master such incredible arts?"
"......"
"Did I overstep......?"
Baek Hae-gwang waved it off hastily.
"No, I was going to mention it anyway."
"Were you in secluded mountains?"
"Not quite......"
Glancing at Seop Sojeong, who nodded, Baek Hae-gwang steeled himself.
"Truth is, I have a past."
"A past?"
"Yes. I never wanted it, but...... I was once with the black path."
"No, really?"
Black path or white, what did "unwillingly" even mean?
Recalling it darkened Baek Hae-gwang's face.
"......Blame my hot-blooded youth and recklessness."
"Ah! Resisting the stuffy Murim Alliance's tyranny!"
"Something like that."
Wang Geumsan brightened further.
"What flaw is that? Seeing the Alliance's rot, even I can't stomach it. Look at Sura Gate—could they bully with skill alone?"
Baek Hae-gwang's shadowed face eased at the words.
"Don't worry. Past is past—what matters is the present."
"Y-yeah."
"Drown the past in this cup and take one."
Filling fresh cups, Wang Geumsan probed slyly.
"So you roamed the jianghu...... Any moniker?"
"Not worth boasting......"
Tipsy now, Wang Geumsan clapped Baek Hae-gwang's shoulder.
"Haha! What's shame in old skeletons for a real man? I was once the Golden Prince! Hahaha!"
"I-is that so? Compared to you, mine's pathetic."
Wang Geumsan beamed at "Group Leader" from Baek Hae-gwang's lips. Feeling the gap close with this lofty master, he wanted to bring out every drop of liquor.
"What'd you go by? With that skill, not some nobody alias......"
Baek Hae-gwang scratched his head sheepishly.
"Nothing much."
He downed his cup in one go, wiped liquor from his lips, and spat it out.
"Sword Demon."
"Huh?"
Glug glug glug—the fine liquor refilling Baek Hae-gwang's cup overflowed.
"Whoa?!"
Snapping to, Wang Geumsan fumbled the bottle down in panic.
"Ah, sorry, must've misheard...... I mean, your moniker was......"
"Yes. Called the Sword Demon. Shameful past."
"......"
Wang Geumsan's neck jerked like a puppet's. When his gaze finally swiveled to Jin Taesan.
"......"
Jin Taesan's eyes shook more violently than ever.