Chapter 115
Chapter 115
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 115
Chapter Title: Jeomchang Sect
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The Central Plains martial world is divided into north and south based on the Yangtze River.
It might seem like simply a geographical matter, but in reality, there's a vast difference between the lands north of the Yangtze and those south.
When you name the massive sects and clans that people would recognize, nine times out of ten they're located north of the Yangtze.
Even among the northern regions, the massive sects are particularly concentrated around Shaanxi and Henan Provinces, followed by Sichuan, Anhui, and Hubei.
In contrast, there are only two major sects and clans south of the Yangtze: the Jeomchang Sect, located at the southwestern edge of the Central Plains in Yunnan Province, and the Nangong Clan in Anhui. Of course, it's more accurate to say they border the Yangtze rather than being fully south of it.
That doesn't mean the south is lawless wilderness. Righteous and unorthodox sects have staked their claims there, living in constant squabbles among themselves.
And the Jiangxi Province city of Jiujiang, where Dang Mujin's group had arrived, lay fairly far south, away from the Yangtze.
Upon reaching Jiujiang City, Dang Mujin's group didn't waste time on anything else and headed straight for an inn. They needed to grab a meal anyway, and there was no better place than an inn to ask around and gather information in unfamiliar territory.
After filling their bellies adequately at the inn, Dang Mujin casually asked a man who had been eating at the next table.
"Excuse me, could I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"Are there any powerful or renowned martial families or sects in Jiujiang?"
The man answered awkwardly.
"Uh... I'm not from around here myself, so I don't know much. But from what I hear, the most famous sect in Jiujiang is the Jeyang Sect."
"The Jeyang Sect?"
"People speak well of them, and just looking at their buildings, they seem quite impressive."
At the mention of the Jeyang Sect, Namgung Myeong, who was sitting nearby, desperately shook his head. Dang Mujin lowered his voice to a whisper.
"What's wrong?"
"The Jeyang Sect has ties to the Nangong Clan. Someone might recognize my face."
That made it all the more interesting, Dang Mujin thought.
But before Dang Mujin could come up with reasons to persuade Namgung Myeong, a young man eating at another table snorted and chimed in.
"Jeyang Sect? That's just because you're outsiders. The Yu Family Estate has far more substance than them."
"The Yu Family Estate?"
"Yeah. The Yu Family Estate of the Yu Escort Agency. Never heard of it?"
Dang Mujin was inwardly disappointed. Escort agencies were all much of a muchness.
Full of third-rates, with some second-rates strutting around importantly, and first-rates popping up about as often as beans in a drought. With that level of skill, they couldn't serve as a shield against even a minor blockade.
"You don't believe me? Don't underestimate the Yu Family Estate just because they run an escort agency. Not long ago, there was a fight between a Yu Family escort and a Jeyang Sect instructor, and the escort beat the instructor senseless."
"Is that true?"
An instructor from a mid-tier sect would be at least second-rate. Not an escort leader or chief, but a regular escort taking down an instructor? The line between second- and third-rate was blurry, but this was still hard to fathom.
Pleased with Dang Mujin's reaction, the young man who had been praising the Yu Family Estate wore a satisfied expression.
"Of course! The Yu Escort Agency isn't your average outfit. They don't take jobs unless the pay is exorbitant. They're brimming with confidence."
At that level, they could be useful in all sorts of ways. Dang Mujin glanced at his companions, and Namgung Myeong nodded desperately. With the alternative being the Jeyang Sect, he was clearly eager.
Meanwhile, Dan Seol-yeong and Chu Sam, as always, had no particular opinions.
Two in favor, two abstaining. The four headed for the Yu Family Estate.
*
The four arrived at the Yu Family Estate on the outskirts of Jiujiang City.
The estate had a spacious plot, but it looked rundown in every way. The haphazard walls, and the state of the buildings visible beyond them.
The roof tiles on every structure were missing in patches, like a comb a child had played with.
With no one guarding the main gate, the group entered the estate directly and looked around. A caravan must have just arrived, as people were bustling about unloading and sorting cargo. But something about the scene seemed suspicious.
"The escorts don't look unusually high-level, do they?"
"Definitely not a normal escort agency. Can you even call this one?"
Ordinary escort agency guards were third-rates, and there were plenty who couldn't even reach that level yet strapped a sword to their waist and called themselves escorts.
But the Yu Family Estate escorts were different. At minimum second-rate, with a great many appearing first-rate.
Yet they lacked the rough edge typical of black path warriors or those who cultivated demonic arts. Instead, their auras were uniformly refined and neat, unmistakably the product of righteous faction martial arts, no matter who looked.
Perhaps sensing Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong's reactions weren't normal, the uneasy Dan Seol-yeong pressed close to Dang Mujin and clutched his sleeve tightly. Dang Mujin lightly wrapped an arm around her shoulders to reassure her.
A moment later, a middle-aged man spotted the group and approached. Namgung Myeong appraised him arrogantly.
"A man of remarkable attainment."
He didn't look a day over forty, but his gait and presence suggested he had surpassed the peak realm.
The man had sized them up as well. He looked at Dang Mujin and Namgung Myeong with a glint in his eyes.
"Impressive young warriors have come. I am Yu Jingwang, lord of the Yu Family Estate. What brings you here?"
"We were hoping to stay on as dining guests."
"Dining guests. With skills like yours, you're probably tangled in some trouble. Am I right?"
Unfortunately, the Yu Family lord was quick on the uptake. Having guessed there was an issue, he would almost certainly turn them away.
But the Yu Family lord said something unexpected.
"However, if you pay enough, we can certainly take you in as dining guests."
Dang Mujin's group exchanged odd looks.
Dining guests typically received room and board in exchange for light chores. Sometimes pocket money or activity funds as well.
But the Yu Family lord was demanding payment from them instead. More like an innkeeper welcoming patrons than a host accepting guests.
To top it off, the lord added,
"And if the compensation is sufficient, we can do more than that."
"More?"
"Within the Yu Family Estate's means, we can resolve whatever trouble you're in."
A proposal that seemed to peer straight into their hearts. Dang Mujin hesitated, feeling an oddly uneasy vibe.
But Namgung Myeong reacted differently. With a strange certainty, he stepped forward.
"An appealing offer. But I have a question first."
"What is it?"
"You're not fugitives who split off from Jeomchang Sect due to some feud, are you?"
The Yu Family lord narrowed his eyes.
"Young man with broad knowledge and sharp instincts for your age. But rest assured, nothing like what you fear has happened, so no need to worry."
"In that case, we'll stay at the Yu Family Estate."
The lord slowly nodded and summoned a servant with instructions.
"Cheong-a! Come here and guide these guests to the reception hall."
"Understood."
The group followed the one called Cheong-a to the reception hall.
*
The reception hall interior was clean and dust-free. But like the exterior, it was rundown in various ways. The bedding was slightly worn, and most of the sparse furniture had uneven legs that made it wobble or frayed corners.
Dang Mujin, Dan Seol-yeong, and Chu Sam sat around Namgung Myeong.
From what Namgung Myeong had said at the end, it seemed he knew something about the Yu Family Estate.
"What was that about Yunnan you mentioned to the Yu Family lord?"
"Didn't you sense anything from the escorts or the lord?"
"They seemed pretty skilled in martial arts. That's all I got."
"It's what martial arts they practice that matters. They were all cultivating Jeomchang Sect techniques."
"What?"
Warriors hiding their identities and holing up in a random place. It reminded him of the Old Army Three Swords. Were Jeomchang Sect warriors tangled in something dangerous too?
"Why are Jeomchang Sect warriors here?"
"I'm not one, so I can't say for sure. But I have my suspicions."
"What?"
Namgung Myeong paused for a moment before speaking.
"My uncle once told me that after its founding, the Jeomchang Sect faced its greatest crisis."
Worry filled Dan Seol-yeong's face. If a massive sect like Jeomchang was speaking of crisis, it was likely graver than the group's own predicament.
"Shouldn't we get out now? We're trying to avoid one problem and stumbling into a bigger one."
"No. It's not the kind with flashing blades and flowing blood that you imagine. But from the Jeomchang Sect's perspective, it's even more serious."
"What kind of problem?"
"Financial ruin."
It was far from what he'd expected. Dang Mujin asked again, wondering if he'd misheard.
"What? What do you mean?"
"Just what I said. The Jeomchang Sect is buried in debt. From what I heard, the interest they owe exceeds the revenue from their main branch."
"What the... No, never mind. Go on."
Namgung Myeong gathered his thoughts, recalling memories and organizing them.
"Here's what my uncle told me. In the last Great Righteous-Demonic War, every sect took heavy losses. Many warriors died or were injured. Even our Nangong Clan was the same."
When Namgung Myeong got that far, Dan Seol-yeong asked back as if she'd heard something strange.
"...Our Nangong Clan?"
Namgung Myeong realized his slip too late and made an "oh no" face, but it was already out.
"Myeong, you're from the Nangong Clan?"
Namgung Myeong's pupils trembled violently. But Dang Mujin wasn't particularly surprised. It was just something that was bound to happen eventually.
It was more amazing that the clumsy Namgung Myeong had gone undetected this long.
And the words were already spoken; no taking them back. Dang Mujin stepped in to elaborate.
"Yeah. This guy's name is Namgung Myeong. Eldest son of the current Nangong Clan head, Sword Ghost Namgung Jincheon."
It was an even more shocking revelation, so Dan Seol-yeong blurted out her true feelings.
"This idiot? Why was someone like that freeloading at our house?"
"Our house"—a phrase loaded with implications.
Namgung Myeong mumbled evasively.
"Circumstances led to it. But that's not important now. Let's get back to the topic."
"I'm more curious about your story..."
Namgung Myeong ignored Dan Seol-yeong as best he could and continued.
"Anyway, in the last Great Righteous-Demonic War, every sect lost many disciples. Dead, crippled. Famous warriors too, like the Sword King Je Won-baek, clan head of the Je Clan... Of course, that was heartbreaking, but there was another major issue, one not spoken of lightly. Money."
Namgung Myeong continued his explanation.
"Our Nangong Clan had solid foundations, so we managed to recover somehow. But not every sect was so fortunate. Some were poor managers of funds, others already struggling. The prime example was Jeomchang Sect. And they took heavy hits in that war too."
"Why Jeomchang Sect?"
"It's isolated at the far southwestern edge of the Central Plains."
"Ah. Right."
Even Qingcheng and Emei in Sichuan were somewhat removed from the Central Plains heartland. Some even called Sichuan a backwater.
But Jeomchang was beyond that. Far southwest from Sichuan lay Yunnan, and even within Yunnan, deep inland was the Jeomchang main branch.
"Jeomchang had no allied sects to form a defensive line with, so in the last war, their headquarters burned to the ground. They had to rebuild everything, which naturally cost a fortune."
A major sect's money woes. Intimate, fascinating talk that only someone like the Nangong heir could hear. The three perked up their ears, focused on Namgung Myeong.
"Plus, their income must be meager. Yunnan is barren with sparse population. They can't run merchant groups or prime shops like other major clans to rake in cash. Repaying that massive debt could take decades... In the end, the previous Jeomchang Sect leader, Flash Sword Yu Gwan-il, came up with a clever gambit."
"A gambit?"
"A do-or-die bet to carve out a path. Yu Gwan-il sought out the Central Plains' richest man, the lord of Myriad Gold Manor."
Dang Mujin had heard of the Myriad Gold Manor lord. A master of money games, commanding countless merchant caravans, with hands in untouchable goods like salt.
Ask who the world's greatest was, and opinions varied. Ask the wealthiest, and even a child would say Myriad Gold Manor lord.
"What happened when he went?"
"He rolled the dice."
"...Dice?"
"Literally. Yu Gwan-il wagered all of Jeomchang's assets, plus debts from other sects, on a game of dice. A true do-or-die gamble."
"And the result?"
"He lost. Yu Gwan-il immediately stepped down as sect leader and vanished."
Dan Seol-yeong posed a sharp question.
"Wait, how do you know all this? Jeomchang wouldn't broadcast losing at gambling."
"Our Nangong Clan got stiffed on a loan too."
A straightforward reason. This time Dang Mujin asked.
"But Jeomchang is still in Yunnan, right? Didn't they lose everything?"
"It's like they're tenants now. They must pay the Myriad Gold lord exorbitant rent. That rent is covered by warriors like these here, operating incognito under false names."
Dang Mujin, Dan Seol-yeong, and Chu Sam all gaped.
There were plenty of martial artists who lived like there was no tomorrow, but former Jeomchang leader Yu Gwan-il took it to another level. Even Namgung Myeong's foolish antics paled in comparison, seeming wise and rational.
Suddenly, advice from the Strange Physician came to mind.
-You can join pretty much any clan or sect. Huashan Luoyang branch is fine, or rely on the Sima Clan. But avoid Wudang Luoyang branch or Jeomchang Luoyang branch.
-Why those two?
-Wudang doesn't accept women, and Jeomchang Luoyang branch is rundown with bugs everywhere.
He'd thought there was some unspeakable reason for avoiding Jeomchang Luoyang, but it was literal.
Now the Yu Family lord demanding lodging fees made sense.
Dang Mujin felt a strange solemnity settle over him.