Eight Corners Society (2)
Eight Corners Society (2)
"You speak the truth. I had assumed your martial prowess alone was remarkable, Great Hero, but your insight is equally profound."
I played along with the bastard's grandiloquence, gilding his tongue with gold. The bastard nodded, grinning from ear to ear, and leaned toward me as if hoping I would lick his boots further. But our conversation still lacked any substance. I had not yet heard the reason he called me here.
"However, why exactly did you summon me here? I understand your magnificent ambitions well enough, but I cannot guess why you called for me."
Hwang Ryong-seong's face, which had been smiling, hardened. It was not because my words had offended him. The bastard stretched his hand out to the side and pointed at his wife's face as he spoke.
"You, get out."
Though she, too, was a martial artist, she seemed almost grateful for the insolent dismissal. As if relieved not to have to remain beside Hwang Ryong-seong any longer, she set the liquor bottle down the moment the gesture was finished and vanished out the door. The moment the sound of the door closing was heard, Hwang Ryong-seong straightened his back and pulled out a small booklet from behind the chair.
"Take it."
The booklet fell exquisitely between the drinks. As was obvious from the cover alone, it was a martial arts manual. Old, but kept fairly neatly, and on the cover these words were written:
Heavenly Dragon Axe Technique (天龍斧)
I cautiously reached out. When I glanced at the bastard's expression, he urged me on as if telling me to open it. Peeling back the cover, I saw the next page, which revealed an image of a man gripping a hand-axe and striking a posture.
"...Is this not a martial arts manual? What reason do you have for giving this to me? Are you thinking of some kind of trade?"
"No, this is not a trade. It is my goodwill."
Hwang Ryong-seong said this and pushed the booklet. As if carried by a wave, the booklet slid across the table and came right before me. The words Heavenly Dragon Axe Technique loomed larger. I spoke.
"Is there not a rule in this world that no goodwill comes without a reason? Being simply told to take it only makes me more afraid to accept."
Having said this, I pushed the booklet back. Judging by the rustling sound the paper made whenever it was touched, it seemed to be a martial arts manual of considerable age. Hwang Ryong-seong extended a single finger and blocked what I was pushing. Even though I applied a fair amount of force, the booklet stopped dead center on the table and did not budge. Hwang Ryong-seong picked up his liquor cup with his other hand and spoke.
"Who does the Great Hero think is the master of this world?"
In this martial world, the world meant the Central Plains. And we had already conversed on this very topic.
"Would it not be the one whose martial arts are strong and whom people follow willingly?"
I was the one who planned to become such a person, while Hwang Ryong-seong was the one who already saw himself as that very person. Hwang Ryong-seong pointed at himself with his finger and said.
"That is correct. Those words point right at me. A man of strong martial arts. The man whom all of Hubei Province praises and follows. Who else but me is qualified to be the master of this world?"
"I truly think the Great Hero's confidence and goals are worthy of emulation."
I answered the bastard's words roughly. Hwang Ryong-seong looked satisfied with my answer and continued speaking.
"I thank you. But seizing this world under heaven in one's grasp is no easy task. It is not something one can do alone. Look at the world under heaven right now. Look at those sects. Look at the ones who hold the world in the palm of their hand under the massive name of the Nine Sects One Gang. They too could not possess power alone, and so they formed a huge collective to dominate this martial world."
Hwang Ryong-seong had accurately grasped the ruling structure of this martial world. Even if it was because he had ridden that current and profited from it himself, he was a man with a decent ability to read the flow. Hwang Ryong-seong continued speaking.
"However, will that domination last forever?"
I furrowed my brow, unable to grasp the bastard's intent. Such words did not sound like something a man riding that current would say. Hwang Ryong-seong waved his hand when I held my tongue.
"It is fine, so speak freely. I wonder if the Great Hero has any thoughts you've been mulling over."
It was not a question to trip me up. Rather, taking another step back here seemed likely to disappoint him. I had come here for the purpose of currying Hwang Ryong-seong's favor. If he wanted boldness, I needed to open my mouth boldly.
"Is it not the way of all under heaven that what is united must split and what is split must unite again? Even if one combs through history, there is no eternal kingdom. The Nine Sects One Gang, too, will collapse one day, and someone will fill that empty space."
Hwang Ryong-seong questioned further.
"Then, who could fill that space?"
"Would it not fall into the hands of the one who is prepared?"
Hwang Ryong-seong laughed. He smiled pleasantly, nodded, and downed his liquor again. His vulgar laughter and the extravagant mansion made his words sound like bluster, but the bastard was no mere fool.
"That is correct. One day, the Nine Sects One Gang will crumble as well. No matter how supremely talented a master of martial arts is, he cannot live forever, and one day he is bound to die struck by a blade. As years pass, holes will form even in that tight-knit network of theirs, and a force capable of digging into a corner of that power is bound to be needed. When that time comes, to whom will you extend your hand? Who will take that hand and inherit the place of the Nine Sects One Gang?"
"...Do you think the Eight Trigrams Association can inherit that place?"
Hwang Ryong-seong shook his head. However, his look suggested he was pleased with my question. Even as he shook his head vigorously, he poured liquor into his cup again. The liquor, poured right to the brim until it nearly overflowed, shimmered beautifully, reflecting the light.
"The Eight Trigrams Association! For now, it is merely a gathering. The Eight Trigrams Association is just... that... Yes, a symbol. A symbol that young masters have gathered under my name. I want to spread my influence further under this symbol, draw in young masters, and create a massive force. In the end, who is it that will lead this martial world forward? Even if the elders and old men of the Nine Sects One Gang rule the world now, who in the world will be the one to inherit this martial world when the end comes?"
To borrow Hwang Ryong-seong's expression, 'we' would inherit it. At first glance, the bastard's proposal seemed plausible. When those antiquated masters of the Nine Sects One Gang lost their strength and stepped down, it was we who would take on the next generation. So let us, the young martial artists of the world, join forces and prepare for what comes next.
It was an expression as if he himself were the master who represented the younger generation and would strike a blow against the Nine Sects One Gang.
But the more I picked his proposal apart, the more suspicion grew within me. Why was the bastard so certain that he would be the one to 'take over'? Not digging into the gaps in the Nine Sects One Gang's power, not fighting to seize it, but 'inheriting' it?
It was an idea no one could have unless they held a sense of belonging to the Nine Sects One Gang. Because he was part of it, the word 'inherit' was bound to come out. Furthermore, just a few days ago at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, the bastard had already shown he would cripple a master who displeased him.
"It is myself. And the Great Hero."
Hwang Ryong-seong's hand pointed at me. And before I could even answer, he slid the booklet all the way across and placed it before me once more. Heavenly Dragon Axe Technique. It was a martial art with a grandiose name from the outset.
"How long will the Zhuge Family stand beside the Great Hero? Right now, they keep you at their side because they fancy you, but those bastards already have a record of grabbing the hand of the imperial family and multiplying their money like fleas. When martial world faced its greatest crisis, those bastards solidified their house through cowardly means. Do they seem to have any interest in the world under heaven? What those bastards want is simply to live comfortably under the Nine Sects One Gang and the Imperial Household, imitating some bearded rat."
I agreed with parts of Hwang Ryong-seong's assessment of the Zhuge Family. When I nodded my head, Hwang Ryong-seong raised his voice even louder.
"But I am different. I desire for talented young people to unite as one and carry on the next generation. Docheol. I have looked into your past. You learned martial arts under a hermit master in Shaanxi, struck down the corrupt leader of a wicked sect, and rose to that position yourself, did you not? That is an achievement only a great man could accomplish. I could not hide my admiration when I heard the story. And I observed how you were unable to advance further because your martial arts were lacking compared to your talent. This is a gift for such a Great Hero."
Heavenly Dragon Axe Technique.
It was undoubtedly a considerably powerful martial art. For the Zhuge Family, acquiring a usable axe technique from the Murim Alliance library was no great task anyway. So Hwang Ryong-seong did not bother with petty talk of a trade; he simply handed over the secret manual outright and proposed an alliance.
I knew what would happen to me if I refused this alliance. He had clearly extended the same offer to Jang Geon, who had been smashed to pieces at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering just now. That bastard must have seen right through the actions and tricks Hwang Ryong-seong was pulling and refused him to his face.
The horrific defeat he suffered at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering must have been the price.
I asked Hwang Ryong-seong.
"Great Hero, what led you to harbor such ambitions?"
Hwang Ryong-seong laughed as he spoke.
"My father always said this: In a world where even a mendicant monk can become emperor, what is there that we ourselves cannot do?"
He was a terrifying bastard.
Not simply a dumb brute with only strength, but one brimming with talent, possessing a clear sense of purpose, and capable of drawing the bigger picture. On top of that, the Murim Alliance was backing him.
I had to kill this son of a bitch, somehow.
If he grew any further, he would be beyond my ability to stop him.