Sawangjeon, Countdown (2)
“Looks like the carriage can't go any further from here?”
We'd just arrived at the outskirts of Anhwi Seong, but we'd been stuck in place for a while now. The road ahead was completely jammed with crowds of people. With no other choice, we left the carriage at a nearby inn and continued on foot. Of course, we'd come back for it later. That thing cost a fortune.
“Hey, stop shoving!”
“Who just stepped on my foot?!”
Even walking wasn't easy. The wide city streets were usually spacious enough to run around in, but today they were packed. It didn't seem like just a yesterday-today issue, judging by the throng.
Thud!
“Watch where you're going.”
“Ah, yes. Sorry.”
There wasn't even a sliver of space to plant your feet. Uh...? Now a push from the left. I could hold my ground if I tried, but stubbornly resisting alone might cause someone to fall and spark a huge incident. So we just went with the flow.
But then we bumped into the group on our right.
Thud!
“Amitabha. My apologies.”
Ilseon Dosa quickly apologized to avoid any friction, just like before.
“No worries, it happens.”
This guy seemed decent. I glanced at his side.
“You're a martial artist, huh?”
He had a sword slung on his back.
“Haha, yeah. I came early from the south for the Sawangjeon tournament, but I didn't expect this many people already. Should've come even sooner. Are you all here to participate too?”
Hmm... How to answer that? It could go either way—yes or no. Kinda ambiguous.
Just as I was about to reply, the man spoke first. He seemed pretty hot-tempered.
“I'm Jin Hwi, from the southern wilds.”
The southern wilds? You mean that far southern wilds? The thirty-third place on my list of bolt-holes for later?
Come to think of it, his clothes were a bit different from typical Central Plains garb. Not smooth fabric—raw hide, with patches of fur. Real fur? Looked soft.
“Yeah, I'm here for the Sawangjeon too. On my way home for now, though.”
“I see. Tough road for all of us. Is that guy participating too?”
Jin Hwi eyed Namgung Je-cheon. I waved my hands frantically. Je-cheon had trained hard at Shaolin, but not that hard. Plus, most of what he'd learned was self-defense arts—not for fighting others, but protecting himself.
“He's just...”
But trying to introduce Je-cheon, nothing quite fit. What to say? Last I heard, he'd been demoted from vice-strategist or something.
Then Namgung Je-cheon spoke up.
“I'm a strategist for a small unit.”
Jin Hwi blinked in surprise.
“A strategist! No wonder you're built like a tank... uh... big?”
Yeah, I get it. Je-cheon does look a bit bandit-like at first glance. I grinned smugly to myself.
“Then those two must be your guardians?”
Suddenly, Ilseon Dosa and Mujikja were protectors. Neither denied it. And honestly, it didn't sound bad to me.
“You two up for being my guardians starting today?”
I asked on impulse, and they replied.
“Sure.”
“Why not.”
Cheonryongjeon's guardians were set in that instant. Wait, Je-cheon just called himself a strategist? I looked at him, and sure enough, he'd already decided solo: 'They're guardians, I'm the strategist.' Nailed it.
Fine. Gotta have at least one strategist.
Oh, Jin Hwi's staring at us in shock.
“You're their leader, young master?”
Leader... Sounds like something a rogue would say. Must be the southern wilds vibe—his word choice was bold.
“Yeah, something like that?”
“Impressive. They look like absolute masters at a glance. Hope I don't run into you lot early in the Sawangjeon.”
“Haha! That's my line.”
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly, but eyed Jin Hwi sharply.
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, buddy.
He was playing innocent, but this guy was no pushover. And from the moment we bumped into him and his crew...
-There are five rat bastards on that rooftop.
Ilseon Dosa had been glancing around, sending sound transmissions.
-These guys make tailing a hobby? Three more over there.
Mujikja sent his secretly too. Namgung Je-cheon, oblivious, was grinning like he'd caught on to something. Better not poke the bear. He seemed in a good mood.
I turned back to Jin Hwi. Who was this guy? Roughly ten openly protecting him. Eight in hiding. And one more. Could it be folks from the Wild Beast Palace of the southern wilds, said to rival all Nine Great Sects and One Gang combined?
Then it hit—a powerful aura from afar. Martial artists hidden around tensed up. This was the city street, and with Sawangjeon, it was crawling with experts. Flaunting your power took serious confidence.
No peace anywhere.
Complaints rose from the crowd ahead.
“I said no shoving!”
“What do you want me to do? They're charging straight at us!”
“Huh?”
“Hey! Why'd you suddenly clear the way? Ah, damn, watch your feet!”
“Huh?”
The guy whose foot got stepped on saw the chargers and backed off just like the earlier angry one.
“Sorry, emergency. Sorry.”
The rushers were polite enough, apologizing nonstop as they barreled toward us. Five in total, all in red. Huge characters on their backs: Cheolhyeol.
In the martial world, in Hebi, only one group used that word. Cheolhyeol Dan. One of Namgung Sega's five outer squads, power rivaling a Nine Great Sect. Their squad leader was coming personally.
Once it was clear they were Cheolhyeol Dan, people parted naturally. The leader, in a hurry, used lightness skill down the cleared path. He stopped abruptly and knelt without hesitation before the crowd. His men followed suit, knees hitting dirt.
The Cheolhyeol Danju spoke to his target.
“Greetings, Youngest Young Master. The patriarch sent me to escort you.”
I squeezed my eyes shut. Felt Jin Hwi staring in shock beside me. Wasn't planning to hide from the start. Just didn't mention it expecting this reaction. Hate the spotlight.
Sure enough, every eye turned to me.
“The, the Youngest Young Master!”
“That young guy!”
“That's him!”
Seemed everyone clocked my identity. As I resigned to greet the Cheolhyeol Danju after so long, I caught the murmurs.
“Loach Young Master!”
Huh? Loach?
“Loach Master! Namgung Daeso!”
Earning a nickname is every martial artist's dream. I'd had two so far. This was my third...
Loach, what?!
“Back then, dodging every which way like a damn loach.”
True, in the proxy duel, I just dodged. Best choice possible. Dodging alone was impressive! Loach?!
“Cheolhyeol Danju bowing like that? Gotta be the Loach Master!”
Stop with the loach crap. Makes me feel gross hearing it. Why are my nicknames always trash? Useless junk, Three Talents Retard, now loach. At least it's improving? Small comfort.
I turned to still-shocked Jin Hwi.
“Short meeting, but nice. See ya.”
Then to the Cheolhyeol Danju.
“Let's go.”
He stood, replying.
“Yes, sir!”
In a flash, my group vanished with the Cheolhyeol Danju. Jin Hwi muttered at our backs.
“What do you think, Shadow Elder?”
Air rippled, revealing an old man.
“Young lord, who do you mean?”
“Obviously the ones who just left.”
The Shadow Elder closed his eyes, recalling.
When Namgung Daeso's group first appeared.
-Don't try any funny business. Might shatter your corn cob.
-Interesting? Stealth arts? Bit different from Central Plains style?
The two elders had transmitted directly at him, even pressuring with aura.
“The two elders with the Youngest Young Master are at least my level—or higher.”
“That strong?”
Shadow Elder held a unique spot in the Wild Beast Palace. No formal title, but top five in martial prowess. He'd fled to the south from Central Plains for some reason; previous palace lord took him in, bond enduring.
“The elders? Called guardians of the world's top clan Namgung Sega, so possible. But loach... er, sticks in my mouth. What about the Youngest Young Master?”
Shadow Elder asked with interest.
“Your take first, young lord.”
He knew Jin Hwi well—raised him like his own. Jin Hwi had unmatched talent among kids he'd seen. That's why the early arrival in Anhwi Seong, despite time left before Sawangjeon. Hope to meet Namgung direct lineage, maybe luck out. Meeting once before it'd help big later.
Fortune smiled today. That sunny, innocent-looking youth was Namgung direct blood. Not top favorite Third Young Master Namgung So, but still world's top bloodline. Even if dubbed Loach Master.
Jin Hwi smiled.
“At face value, a well-trained martial artist. Probably systematic training from childhood.”
Shadow Elder nodded agreement. And knowing Jin Hwi, he'd seen the hidden side.
“Solid basics. Frontal fight would be tough.”
Confidence filled Jin Hwi's face.
“But garden grass never beats wild grass.”
No edge from pampered growth. People unconsciously reveal nature: speech, eyes, steps, presence...
“He didn't guard me at all. Seemed oblivious to all the martial artists around too. That's the Youngest Young Master's limit, as I see it.”
“Win if you face off in Sawangjeon?”
Beating Namgung direct lineage? Whoever, it'd make him top late disciple contender.
“You're worrying too much, Shadow Elder. Lose to that guy?”
“Haha, needless concern.”
Shadow Elder smiled knowingly at Jin Hwi.
* * *
Following Cheolhyeol Danju, I asked Bald Grandpa and Trunk-nose Grandpa.
“That goatee elder hiding by that guy earlier—who was he?”
“Dunno. Face rings a bell, though...”
“You don't know either, Trunk-nose Grandpa?”
“Yeah. Feels familiar, but... too long ago, memory fuzzy.”
“If you two can't recall, probably just some average martial artist. Didn't seem that strong.”
Then the quietly leading Cheolhyeol Danju halted.
“Open the gate.”
The heavy doors parted, revealing a familiar sight. Namgung Sega. Returning to the world's top clan after one year seven months.
A welcoming face... well, not quite. An unexpected one waited.
“Why so late! Thought I'd die waiting!”
You? I bowed politely.
“Lightning Grandpa, long time no see.”
“Haha! Back even more robust!”
“But why are you here, Lightning Grandpa?”
“Heard you were coming, waited here obviously. How 'bout it, Sword Venerable? Body itching—spar?”
Trunk-nose Grandpa eyed me. Sigh... I nodded.
“Infinite Buddha. Fine by me. Saw some punk outside putting on airs—hands were itching too. Haha!”
“Can't have that! Bad luck incoming. C'mon, shake it off quick!”
They bounced off with weird logic. Now Ilseon Dosa fidgeted like a dog needing to poop.
“Uh, can I go see the head maid?”
Sigh, go, go. Ilseon Dosa bounced too.
“Young master, I get hives if I don't take my spirit pill.”
Bullshit contagious now? That's withdrawal, not illness. Spirit pill addiction—first I'd heard. Sigh, fine. Go.
“Thanks!”
After that, I kept following Cheolhyeol Danju.
“Brought the Youngest Young Master.”
“Come in.”
The goatee elder from outside was here—a powerhouse who wouldn't even let me utter a nickname. Every encounter chills my whole body.
“Been waiting.”
For me? Why... bother?
“Brought good booze, right?”
'!!!'
Shit!!! Fuck!!!