Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: The Great Merchant
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Crack!
“Kuaargh!”
It wasn't even a fist aura, merely the force of the punch, yet the man in red's chest caved in. His ribs, lungs, and heart were pulverized as he was flung backward.
He flew about twenty feet, and after hitting the ground, skidded another ten feet before coming to a stop.
Needless to say, he was dead on the spot.
[My lord!]
Jang Ung's mental message came from the direction of the Peerless Inn. So he could use telepathy; quite impressive. I had sensed he was a first-rate master when I first saw him, and I was right.
[These men are from the Black Hegemon Saber Clan, under the command of the Zhejiang Unorthodox Heaven of the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path. The Black Hegemon Saber Clan is based in Gundeok County, a stone's throw from Dong-ro County, so they arrived in just two hours.]
Gundeok County bordered Dong-ro County and was only about thirty *li* away.
[Is that so?]
[I found out and was about to report to you immediately, but I didn't expect this to happen on the street.]
[It's fine. Don't interfere.]
[Understood.]
[And look after Dam Geum-hu.]
[As you command.]
I slowly surveyed my surroundings.
In a street eighty feet wide, one hundred and twenty unorthodox masters had me surrounded in multiple layers. Outwardly, I appeared to be completely trapped.
Dozens of county residents were trapped inside the encirclement, stamping their feet in fear.
First, I had to get the residents out.
“Residents, get out of here!”
As the residents hesitated fearfully before approaching the unorthodox masters, someone gave an order.
“Let them through!”
It was a relief they didn't resort to the despicable act of taking innocent residents hostage.
The unorthodox masters opened a path in their encirclement, and the residents hastily escaped.
In the chaos, Jang Ung quickly grabbed Dam Geum-hu's arm and pulled him out.
I spoke to the one who had just given the order—their leader.
“I'll give you a chance. Retreat. If you insist on this, you will all die.”
I said leisurely, my hands clasped behind my back.
“If you don't retreat before I count to three, I will kill you.”
I wasn't a murderer. Honestly, I didn't want to kill all one hundred and twenty of them.
Of course, the thought that I might lose to these thugs never once crossed my mind.
The leader had clearly seen from the rooftop how I killed the man in red and the five men in red shortcoats.
No, he hadn't seen it properly. My fist had just flashed, and all five of them were dead.
The leader's eyes darted about as he blinked rapidly. He was conflicted about what to do.
“One.”
The leader flinched.
“Two.”
The one hundred and twenty unorthodox masters watched their leader. They too had seen how I killed the five men, so they must have been thinking.
I decided to help him make his decision and took a step toward him.
Swoosh!
I used the third stance of Floating Light, Divine Shadow—Flickering Step, Shrinking Shadow—to cross the hundred-foot distance in the blink of an eye, appearing a single step in front of the leader.
“Whoa!”
Snatch!
“Ghk!”
The leader, scared out of his wits, tried to scramble back, but I grabbed him by the collar.
“Three.”
“Hngh…”
His eyes bulged as he stared at me, his expression like he was seeing a ghost.
“I just counted to three.”
“…”
It was frustrating, but to avoid killing one hundred and twenty men, I had to get through this bastard's thick skull.
“Didn't you hear me?”
“Ugh…”
Aah! Dealing with such a dullard was truly a pain.
“At this point, what do you think you should do?”
“P-Please spare me.”
“Just you?”
“N-No, sir…”
Thump!
As I released his collar, the leader staggered back.
“Get lost!”
“R-Retreat!”
The leader shouted to his one hundred and twenty men and then fled, tail between his legs, even faster than his subordinates.
* * *
Jang Ung explained about the five members of the Black Hegemon Saber Clan I had killed earlier.
“Those men from earlier were the five brothers known as the Five Hegemons of the Black Saber. The one who died last was the eldest brother, the First Hegemon of the Black Saber, and the clan's leader.”
“What was their level of skill?”
“They were at the level of first-rate masters.”
A question arose in my mind.
“In the Unorthodox Faction, can someone at the level of a first-rate master become the leader of a mere clan?”
“If you divide clans into high, middle, and low tiers, then regardless of whether they are from the Orthodox, Demonic, or Unorthodox factions, a first-rate master can become the leader of a small clan.”
“I see.”
I said seriously.
“There is much I don't know, so I'll be counting on you to teach me well.”
Jang Ung was taken aback.
“I am not worthy of such a responsibility.”
“What do you mean?”
“How could I possibly presume to teach you, my lord?”
I waved my hand.
“That's not it. My belief is that if there's something you don't know, you should be willing to learn it even from a child.”
I had never received a formal education in my life. The twelve years under my master and the two years and five months at the Martial Alliance were not circumstances that allowed for studying.
I was lucky just to have learned to read and write; all the knowledge I possessed was pieced together from things I'd overheard.
But now, I realized, I needed to pursue learning to become a great figure.
“Is there a Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path branch in Gundeok County?”
“There is a Gundeok Branch, but it seems the Five Hegemons of the Black Saber acted alone this time out of a desire for glory.”
“How many branches does the Zhejiang Unorthodox Heaven have?”
“It has seventeen branches and ninety-five subordinate clans.”
Instead of formal branch sects, the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path had its subordinate clans serve that function.
Jang Ung understood the intent behind my question.
“After what happened to those men, they won't provoke Dong-ro County again without a direct order from the Zhejiang Unorthodox Heaven.”
“They'd better not. I have no desire to deal with small fry.”
“From now on, it will likely be one of two things.”
“And what are those?”
“Either the Zhejiang Unorthodox Heaven will act on its own, or it will wait for orders from the main headquarters of the Ten Heavens.”
“By the way.”
“Please speak.”
“What do you think about me leaving Dong-ro County to roam the world and fight strong opponents?”
“I believe that would be a poor strategy.”
Jang Ung said bluntly.
I liked this about Jang Ung. I would have been displeased if he had held back just because I was his lord.
“Is the best strategy for me to stay in Dong-ro County?”
“That is correct.”
Jang Ung was serious.
“If you roam the world, my lord, you might find an opponent to fight every few days, or perhaps only one every few months.”
It's not like opponents would be lining up waiting for me wherever I went.
“Furthermore, as your reputation grows, it will become increasingly difficult to find opponents willing to fight you.”
“That's true.”
“However, if you remain in Dong-ro County, the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path will select suitable masters and send them to you.”
“Hmm! You're right.”
“Also, I will draw up a schedule and a list of opponents from the martial world for you to fight.”
“I'll leave it to you.”
I told Jang Ung about the letter Sang Gang-jo had shown me.
In some ways, I had to admit that Jang Ung was superior to me. And because I trusted that he was firmly on my side, I wanted to discuss the matter of Sang Gang-jo with him.
“It seems the Martial Alliance is trying to test you, my lord.”
“I think so too.”
“Then how about turning their test to your advantage?”
“What do you mean?”
“The Martial Alliance will continue to pave the way for you to fight the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path.”
“Hmm!”
“It would be a form of mutual assistance, so to speak. You, my lord, would continue to fight masters from the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens, advancing on your path to becoming the strongest in real combat and reaping the practical benefits, while the Martial Alliance borrows your strength to eliminate its enemies one by one.”
Jang Ung said cautiously.
“Did the Head Hall Master perhaps mention that he wished to become one of your close aides?”
Sharp. Jang Ung had foreseen even that. I once again felt fortunate to have him as my subordinate.
“He did.”
“Accept him.”
“Is it because of the letter's contents?”
“That is a major reason, but there are others as well.”
“What are the others?”
“Do you not trust the Head Hall Master?”
“Trusting him and accepting him as a subordinate are two different things.”
“You speak wisely.”
“I'll handle the matter with Sang Gang-jo myself.”
“As you wish.”
Jang Ung looked at me and spoke.
“…Is there something you wish to say?”
He reads my expressions with astonishing accuracy.
“Yes.”
“Please speak.”
“Hmm.”
I paused, thinking about how to bring it up. It wasn't that I was hesitant to speak, but rather I was considering how to best convey my meaning.
“Have you ever felt your insides burn with anxiety?”
Jang Ung wore a bewildered expression.
“Your insides burning… you say?”
“Yes. That feeling.”
Since Jang Ung was smarter than me, I thought he might be able to offer some kind of solution.
Jang Ung thought deeply for a moment before speaking.
“So, you mean a feeling of desperately, earnestly wanting something?”
“Isn't that burning feeling a little different from just earnest desire?”
“How is it different?”
“That burning anxiety is literally like having a fire lit under your feet. If you don't do something right away, your feet will get burned.”
“I see. So it's desperation.”
“Exactly! Desperation.”
I asked casually, as if it were a passing thought.
“Is there a way to intentionally induce a feeling of desperation?”
“Artificially, you mean?”
“Yes.”
Jang Ung didn't seem surprised, nor did he ask why. I liked that about him.
Jang Ung said seriously.
“My lord, have you ever been in a situation of extreme desperation or despair before?”
“A few times.”
There were several times I nearly died during my days as a low-ranking warrior in the Martial Alliance.
But the most desperate moment was during my final mission, the attack on the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union's Soul-Suppressing Seven Demonic Palace.
Back then, when the hundred or so explosive pellets planted throughout Soul-Suppressing Valley detonated all at once, I truly ran for my life toward the valley entrance.
And an even more desperate—no, despairing—situation was when I fell into the Yin Essence Abyss.
I had thought I'd merely fallen into an underground lake, but the lake suddenly froze solid in an instant. Sunk at the bottom, there was nothing I could do.
At that moment, I despaired, thinking that was how I would die.
“You should be able to recall the most desperate of those situations.”
“You think so?”
“If it doesn't work, please tell me. I will look for another way.”
“Alright.”
If I could recall the situation in the exploding Soul-Suppressing Valley and freezing in the Yin Essence Abyss, then conjuring up a feeling of burning anxiety should be no problem.
Jang Ung said.
“The Dong-ro branches of the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path have completely withdrawn.”
“Have they?”
“I will handle the cleanup.”
“Is there anything to clean up?”
“There are a few minor things. The most important among them is dealing with the establishments that the Dong-ro branches of the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path directly operated in Dong-ro County.”
Jang Ung proposed.
“They are taverns, inns, and brothels. How about having the Dong-ro Branch take them over?”
“The Dong-ro Branch?”
“The establishments run by the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path's Dong-ro branches number eleven and eight, respectively.”
“That's quite a few.”
“The nineteen establishments generate a monthly net profit of about three thousand silver taels.”
My thoughts were a little different.
“I'm not keen on doing the Martial Alliance a favor. Why should we do something that benefits others?”
“Do you have a better idea?”
“Why don't you take them over instead?”
“My current earnings are sufficient. And I wish to earn money only through my own efforts, unconnected to the Martial Alliance, the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union, or the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk! You don't want to become a great merchant?”
“A great merchant?”
“To become a great merchant, you have to be like a beast that devours anything in its path.”
“Is there a need to become a great merchant?”
“When it comes down to it, isn't it better to have more money than less?”