The One-Armed Matchless
Two weeks later, at the Hyeonmudae of the Qinghai Branch.
Jang Muhwi had returned alone to the Qinghai Branch after sending Ma Uiryong back to the Ma family.
Ma Uiryong had originally planned to follow him here, but the moment he heard that his father had emerged from closed-door training, he had rushed off without hesitation.
On his way back, Jang Muhwi had received updates about the Jangryong Merchant Group.
Wang Jimak had remained there to personally command the Murim Alliance personnel.
With the discovery of the Mahwa, the leadership of the Jangryong Merchant Group was finished. Given Wang Jimak’s personality, he would leave them no room to maneuver.
The Mahwa was a poison not only to martial artists but to the entire nation. The loss of high-level experts represented a massive blow to the country as a whole.
Moreover, the secret letter he had received contained interesting information. Chae Bi-su, the man at the center of the incident, had confessed everything without even being asked. The letter even noted that his cooperation was so willing it raised suspicions.
Thanks to that, the investigation was proceeding rapidly.
When he thought about it, everything came down to the power of “education.” It was the result of the torment Ma Uiryong had inflicted while Chae Bi-su was suppressed by blood-point and acupoint strikes.
Thanks to Chae Bi-su’s confession, they had discovered numerous Mahwa cultivation sites. The herbs hadn’t been brought from the Demonic Cult; they had been grown locally. The connection to the Cult had yet to be conclusively determined.
The secret letter also contained Wang Jimak’s instructions: for the time being, any connection to the Demonic Cult was to remain strictly confidential.
Jang Muhwi fully agreed with that assessment.
In truth, he was almost certain of the link between the Jangryong Merchant Group and the Demonic Cult. During the previous timeline’s righteous-demonic war, far too many suspicious movements had originated from that direction. If the Demonic Cult had been pulling strings even before the war began, every piece fell perfectly into place.
However, being certain and revealing that certainty were two different matters. The moment the words “Demonic Cult” left his mouth, everyone involved would retreat into the shadows.
What then?
It would become extremely difficult to root them out in advance. Most importantly, the number of “rice cakes” Jang Muhwi could bite into would shrink dramatically.
In war, the best strategy was to seize the enemy’s supplies and use them for oneself. If that process repeated, the enemy would suffer fatal damage.
Jang Muhwi intended to do exactly that. Since the Demonic Cult’s hand had already touched these resources, he would uncover the truth and put their assets to good use.
Organizing his thoughts, Jang Muhwi entered the main hall of the Hyeonmudae.
The moment he stepped inside, his eyes widened.
Every piece of furniture in the hall was gleaming. Just two weeks ago, the place had been covered in a thick layer of dust. Now it sparkled as if polished by professionals.
What he found most incomprehensible was that there should have been no personnel available to clean it. The Hyeonmudae, the Qinghai Branch’s inspection and audit division, had been a place no one had paid any attention to until recently.
Wang Jimak would not have arbitrarily assigned people here while Jang Muhwi was away. Furthermore, only members of the inspection division were permitted to enter the Hyeonmudae’s interior.
“Who on earth…?”
“You’ve returned, Squad Leader?”
When he turned his head, Galmu-ryang was standing there with a faint smile. His sleeves were rolled up tightly, and he held a cleaning rag in one hand.
Jang Muhwi looked back and forth between the spotless furniture and Galmu-ryang.
“Just what happened here?”
“I put in a bit of effort, Squad Leader.”
“Wait. I believe I left you with specific instructions.”
“Please speak comfortably, Squad Leader.”
“Hmm. Then I won’t hold back. What happened with the orders I gave you?”
Jang Muhwi tilted his head. The instructions he had given were to focus on martial training. He had wanted to recreate the One-Armed Matchless Galmu-ryang from his previous life.
Yet instead of training, the man had been cleaning!
It seemed he had wasted his energy in the wrong place.
Noticing Jang Muhwi’s suspicious gaze, Galmu-ryang waved his hands.
“I have not neglected training for even a single day.”
“Would you mind if I test you?”
“Anytime.”
Galmu-ryang thumped his chest with confidence.
A short while later, Jang Muhwi and Galmu-ryang stood facing each other on the training ground. Each held a wooden sword and a wooden staff respectively.
“Don’t worry about getting hurt. Come at me with everything you have.”
Jang Muhwi looked at Galmu-ryang. If this was the One-Armed Matchless from his memories, he should be able to withstand the test. In the previous timeline, the man had earned the title of hero with only one arm.
Right now, he still had both. On top of that, he had already consumed the spiritual medicine that he had taken in the previous life.
In that case?
After finishing his calculations, Jang Muhwi decided to use roughly fifty percent of his strength. Anything less and it wouldn’t be enough to call him the One-Armed Matchless.
Galmu-ryang assumed a stance with his wooden staff.
“Understood, Squad Leader.”
“Then begin.”
“Yes. Please be careful, Squad Leader!”
The moment he finished speaking, Galmu-ryang charged.
Swish.
As Galmu-ryang’s staff approached with frightening speed, Jang Muhwi closed the distance as well. Three. Two. One!
The perfect range for exchanging blows.
Jang Muhwi thrust his wooden sword forward.
Whoosh!
Galmu-ryang’s staff sliced through the air.
Swoosh!
Finally, their weapons collided.
Crack!
Followed by a strange sound.
Thud!
Jang Muhwi stared in bewilderment at Galmu-ryang, who had collapsed on the ground.
He had faced the man with his full effort. Even if he had used slightly too much power, there was no way Galmu-ryang should have fallen so pathetically.
The spar continued like that for some time.
“Enough.”
“I can still continue.”
“No. There’s no point in continuing.”
At Jang Muhwi’s words, Galmu-ryang lowered his head.
“I apologize, Squad Leader.”
His words were sincere.
While Jang Muhwi had been away, Galmu-ryang had trained without rest. During his breaks, he had cleaned the Hyeonmudae’s hall, and when he had any time left, he had devoted himself to circulating his energy to fully absorb the spiritual medicine.
He had not wasted even a single moment.
Yet he had fallen far short of Jang Muhwi’s expectations.
In his mind, the image of Jang Muhwi’s sword path during the fight against the madman refused to disappear. But this was the result.
Galmu-ryang looked down at his own hands. He clenched his teeth, swallowing the hollow sigh that nearly escaped.
At that moment, Jang Muhwi spoke.
“I have a good method in mind. Will you follow it?”
“What method? Just give the order. I will obey without question.”
Galmu-ryang answered with determination.
“Then take off your clothes.”
“Pardon?”
Galmu-ryang’s eyes widened.
Fifteen days passed.
Once again, Jang Muhwi stood with Galmu-ryang on the Hyeonmudae training ground.
Galmu-ryang kept his left arm tightly bound against his body.
This was the training method Jang Muhwi had devised.
In the previous life, the man had become famous as the One-Armed Matchless. If he used only one arm in this life as well?
So Jang Muhwi had firmly secured the man’s left sleeve to his torso. He had asked the most skilled worker in the area to do it.
Thanks to that, Galmu-ryang had been unable to use his left arm for the entire fifteen days. He had even worn the special clothes Jang Muhwi provided when using the restroom.
Jang Muhwi observed him.
His posture was still slightly awkward. However, his aura was completely different from before.
The previous clumsiness had vanished, replaced by a calm, razor-sharp focus that enveloped his entire body like a well-forged blade.
And the wooden staff in his right hand moved as naturally as if it had always been part of him.
It was time to test the results.
Judging by his aura alone, the training seemed to have been at least half successful.
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, Squad Leader. I will charge the moment you give the order.”
“Then show me the results.”
The instant Jang Muhwi finished speaking, Galmu-ryang moved.
There were no loud battle cries or unnecessary preparatory movements. The way he transferred his momentum the moment his foot left the ground was far more natural than before.
Without the slightest hesitation, Galmu-ryang flew forward.
The trajectory of the staff swung by his right arm was simple.
But that was not a weakness.
The speed, power, and sharpness contained within it existed on an entirely different level from fifteen days ago.
The technique carried the desperate resolve that this strike would be his last.
Clang!
Jang Muhwi blocked the attack with his wooden sword.
It was heavy.
The impact, incomparably stronger than before, made the corners of Jang Muhwi’s mouth rise.
Galmu-ryang’s attacks came like a storm.
There was no trace of the weakness that should have come from missing one arm. On the contrary, he was using every fiber of his body to overcome that very limitation.
While the variety of his attacks had decreased, the power and concentration behind each individual strike had doubled.
This was the result of selection and focus.
Only now did Jang Muhwi identify Galmu-ryang’s true flaw.
It was his personality.
By erasing his options, his concentration had risen dramatically.
Clang! Clang!
After several fierce exchanges, Jang Muhwi took a step back and lowered his wooden sword.
“That’s enough.”
Galmu-ryang stopped his attack, breathing heavily.
He looked at Jang Muhwi with nervous eyes.
“H-how was it?”
“Better than I expected.”
“Truly?”
“You may officially join the Hyeonmudae.”
“Thank you, Squad Leader.”
When Galmu-ryang offered a deep salute, Jang Muhwi nodded.
He was still far from the One-Armed Matchless in his memories, but it felt like he had gained a trustworthy ally who could surpass even those expectations.
Jang Muhwi looked at Galmu-ryang with satisfied eyes.
But at that moment, someone came running toward him.
It was a warrior who served Wang Jimak. The man stopped in front of Jang Muhwi and caught his breath.
After a moment, he spoke urgently.
“Please come with me, Squad Leader.”
“What’s going on?”
“The Branch Chief is looking for you.”
He lowered his voice and glanced at Galmu-ryang. It seemed the matter was confidential, and he was asking to speak privately.
Jang Muhwi said, “Galmu-ryang here is a formal member of the Hyeonmudae. He has the right to hear this as well.”
“Hmm. Very well. Then please come together.”
“Understood.”
Jang Muhwi nodded and looked at Galmu-ryang. The latter stood beside him with a complicated expression full of mixed emotions.
Following the warrior’s guidance, Jang Muhwi arrived at Wang Jimak’s office.
However, Wang Jimak was nowhere to be seen. Only mountains of documents were piled on his desk.
Then, from between the stacks of paper, Wang Jimak poked his head out.
“You’re here?”
“Branch Chief, sir. What is all this?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking? It’s all the work you dumped on me.”
“What do you mean?”
“These are reports to be sent to the Murim Alliance headquarters, these are investigation summaries, and this is…”
Wang Jimak continued explaining without pause.
The reason he had called Jang Muhwi was precisely because of the documents. The papers he was handling contained first-class secrets of the Murim Alliance. More precisely, everything that had occurred with the Jangryong Merchant Group was classified.
The fortunate part was that maintaining that secrecy was easier than expected. The agents deployed for this investigation had only dug into their assigned portions. As a result, only Wang Jimak knew the full picture.
The problem had arisen from there. To keep the information secret, he had to handle every single document himself.
Wang Jimak had only returned to the Qinghai Branch yesterday, yet he claimed he hadn’t even eaten properly.
“How can I assist you?”
“You worked as a secretary there, didn’t you? Please save this old man.”
“Then let’s begin.”
When Jang Muhwi rolled up his sleeves and moved toward one of the piles, Wang Jimak shouted urgently.
“Don’t touch that one!”
“Is that classified as well?”
“It’s not classified. Those are petitions.”
“What do you mean?”
“The entire Qinghai merchant community is in an uproar right now.”
“Does this have something to do with the Jangryong Merchant Group?”
“Of course it does. Otherwise, why would these petitions be on my desk?”
“May I ask what the situation is?”
“Actually, these petitions are why I can’t properly process the other documents. So…”
With bloodshot eyes, Wang Jimak began to explain. His explanation was simple.
With the Jangryong Merchant Group on the verge of collapse, an unexpected struggle for power and influence had erupted.
Listening to the explanation, Jang Muhwi spoke in a secretive tone.
“Shall I take care of this matter?”
“You want to deal with those sly merchant leaders yourself?”
“I’ll give it a try.”
Jang Muhwi smiled brightly and pointed at the documents.
In truth, this development was exactly as he had predicted. The Jangryong Merchant Group was a feast he had prepared. Yet now everyone was rushing in to claim a piece of that feast for themselves!
Before Wang Jimak could even finish answering, Jang Muhwi snatched up the stack of petitions.