The One Who Looked Strongest
Having become the master of the Central Plains, Hwonwon Chiguk carried out a sweeping reorganization of the imperial institutions to erase every trace of the old dynasty.
Three Bureaus, Five Ministries, Nine King Provinces.
That was the newly restructured system.
The Three Bureaus answered directly to the Emperor: the East-West Changwi Bureau, the Geumwi Grand Heaven Bureau, and the Heaven-Protecting Guard Bureau. The East-West Changwi Bureau was the successor of the old Changwi, and the Geumwi Grand Heaven Bureau the successor of the old Geumwi Guard.
The Heaven-Protecting Guard Bureau was simply another name for the escort corps that had once guarded Hwonwon Chiguk back in the days of the Martial Alliance. He had reinforced that corps and renamed it, and their duty remained what it had always been — protecting him.
The reason he preserved the Geumwi Guard and the Changwi even while dissolving every other institution was that, though more than half their members had departed and they were weaker than before, both organizations still commanded force rivaling any sect in the murim. Cast them aside, and they would surely join the remnants of the old dynasty — so he had no choice but to embrace them.
The Five Ministries were the Righteous Heaven Ministry, the Demon Prison Ministry, the Wicked Forest Ministry, the Nine Provinces Internal Affairs Ministry, and the External Eight Wastes Ministry. The first three were assigned to righteous, wicked, and demonic martial artists respectively, while the last two handled surveillance and inspection.
His final task was dividing the realm into nine provinces, from the First to the Ninth. Hebei and Shanxi became the First Province; Henan and Shandong the Second; Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang the Third; Jiangxi and Fujian the Fourth; Shaanxi and Gansu the Fifth; Sichuan and Qinghai the Sixth; Hubei and Hunan the Seventh; Guangdong, Guizhou, and Yunnan were bound together as the Eighth; and Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning became the Ninth.
People came to call the Eighth Province the Southern Union and the Ninth the Northern Alliance.
Each province he entrusted to one of his nine disciples, granting them the title of King.
There was Tae-wang, the Sword God Namgung Won-mu; Gwi-wang, the Shadowless Divine Demon Eum Gu-yeo; Gwang-wang, the Small Heavenly Sword King Xuanhuan Man-so; Yo-wang, the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden Xuanhuan Byeok; Hwa-wang, the Flower Peak Dang Chwi-ryeo; Tu-wang, the Battle Divine Demon Jeok Sa-in; Ji-wang, the Phoenix Divine Maiden Ji Yak-ran; Yeok-wang, the Giant Spirit God Sam Gwang-ho; and Ya-wang, the Saber Ghost Gul Han-so.
Yet even with the title of King bestowed upon them, none of the nine could be satisfied. For one of them would become the next Emperor. Before their master Hwonwon Chiguk took the throne, they had competed for the position of Alliance Leader of the Martial Alliance — but now the prize was the Imperial Throne itself, and the rivalry among the nine disciples could only grow fiercer.
A man in black clothes stood atop a mountain, gazing down at the land below. Medium-built with a cold yet handsome face, he was Eum Gu-yeo, the Shadowless Divine Demon, ruler of Henan and Shandong. Eum Gu-yeo always wore black gloves — because of the martial art he had mastered.
The Central Plains knew of six palm arts that even those who understood them could not block: Demonsu, Jeoksa, Baekbaek, Hyeolyok, Sosu, and Bingbaek. Some grouped all six together as the Six Great Palm Arts of the World, while others split them into before and after — the three created a thousand years ago, Demonsu, Jeoksa, and Baekbaek, were called the Former Three Great Palm Arts, and the later creations, Hyeolyok, Sosu, and Bingbaek, the Latter Three Great Palm Arts.
The art Eum Gu-yeo had mastered was Bingbaek.
It was said that upon completing Bingbaek, both hands turned white and could no longer be shown in public, forcing the practitioner to wear gloves. But no one knew whether he had actually completed it. Everyone who had fought him was dead.
Behind Eum Gu-yeo stood a woman.
Larger than most men, she was Yu Ran, the Iron Lioness, his trusted confidante.
“So the treasure of the Invincible Fist King Earth has entered my lands.”
A voice neither quite a man's nor quite a woman's — an androgynous tone — flowed from Eum Gu-yeo's lips.
“Yes.”
“The Heavenly Physician Wagons' destination was the Funiu Mountains, was it?”
“According to the report from our spy inside the Imperial Court, yes.”
“And the others?”
“As far as I know, all of them have emerged.”
“All of them?”
“His Majesty's birthday is approaching, after all. They would have to go to Cheondo anyway.”
“Then I suppose we'll all be seeing each other.”
“It would seem so. Also, an envoy has departed from the Imperial Court.”
“An envoy?”
“The vice-minister of the External Eight Wastes Ministry is coming in person.”
“Is his destination also the Funiu Mountains?”
“Yes.”
“Why is he coming?”
“They say he's coming to mediate, in case disputes break out between the Kings.”
“Mediation... I hope that's all it is.”
“You believe it won't be?”
“That man intends to test us.”
“Test us how?”
“I don't know.”
“It seems the Sichuan Tang forces have all entered as well. What will you do?”
“Who's driving the Heavenly Physician Wagons?”
“The sisters Je Hayeong and Je Chuyeong are in charge of transport. But a strange man was taken in with them.”
“A strange man?”
“Je Suryong...”
“Je Suryong?”
“The man Je Unseong took in as his adopted son.”
“Why would he suddenly adopt a son?”
“It seems the Geumwi Grand Heaven Bureau sent an official decree ordering each family to send a son to join the punitive expedition.”
“So they've assigned quotas to each family, after all that talk of no one wanting to join the punitive expeditions these days.”
“Yes. They didn't name anyone in particular — just ordered one member of each family to go.”
“Sending a true son would be too dangerous... so he brought in an adopted one?”
“Exactly. And that adopted son is being escorted by Mu Daebo.”
“You mean there's a strong chance this Je Suryong is the one carrying the treasure?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm...”
Eum Gu-yeo fell deep into thought, staring straight ahead.
“I spread that rumor.”
Yu Ran said.
“Which rumor?”
“The one about how anyone who follows the Heavenly Physician Wagons will die.”
“Is it working?”
“No.”
Yu Ran shook her head.
“They aren't scared off?”
“It's not that. They announced that whoever helps them will be granted the right to enter the Invincible Fist King Earth.”
“Hahahahaha!”
Eum Gu-yeo burst out laughing.
When he'd ordered the rumor spread, he had assumed no one would be able to slip out of the trap. But they had solved it with a remarkably clever trick — one even he hadn't thought of.
Eum Gu-yeo asked.
“Could it be one of the sisters?”
“No. I've met Je Hayeong and Je Chuyeong — their minds aren't that sharp. And a martial artist would never come up with something like that.”
“You're saying it came from the head of a Geomseonin?”
“That would be my guess.”
“Then what happens now?”
“It'll get even more cutthroat than I expected.”
“Will you move to seize it the moment you descend?”
“Well... that was the plan, until I heard they'd succeeded in recruiting escorts. Now it's changed.”
“Changed how?”
“For now, I watch and wait.”
“We should make sure they can't ascend the Funiu Mountains, shouldn't we?”
“Of course.”
“I'll deploy our people to the entrance of the Funiu Mountains first.”
“Enough. Let's go down.”
The two of them launched themselves downward.
Two hundred.
That was how many had gathered after the notice went out.
Most of them had come on their own, chasing the legend of the Invincible Fist King Earth — which meant quite a few were names that commanded respect on their own merit. Je Hayeong had promised them not only the privilege of entering the Invincible Fist King Earth, but food, lodging, and wages for their work.
With two hundred arriving at once, there was no room for them all at the inn, so they camped out in the open.
“So why did you old-timers sign up?”
Jin Yigang walked over and sat down in front of five old men. Among the two hundred, the ones he'd been keeping an eye on were these five elders and a trio known as the Three Wonders.
He knew little about martial arts, but from the five old men especially he could sense an aura that was hard to approach. The five had introduced themselves as Master Na, Master Rang, Master Woo, Master Yu, and Master Si.
The one who'd introduced himself as Master Na stared hard at Jin Yigang. His look said, Where does this greenhorn get off using informal speech at a first meeting? Perhaps because of his short, sturdy build, the man read less as an elder and more as a man in his middle years.
“I gave you advance notice because if we end up in the afterlife, I'll be your senior. Don't take it the wrong way. I'm Je Suyong — no wait, Je Suryong.”
“Je Suyong, as in the sacrificial food laid out at rites?”
“Which is why I corrected it to Je Suryong right away, didn't I?”
“Seeing as you're a Je, you must be kin to the provincial lords. What's your relation?”
“Call me auntie only when I'm in a good mood.”
“You're the son of the Je family head, then?”
“Yep.”
“...”
“Just take it at face value. Anyone who's been through as much as I have knows when to press and when to let things slide.”
Jin Yigang bowed his head.
Whoosh!
A hand swept over his head.
It belonged to the scruffy old man who reeked of the sea — the one who'd introduced himself as Master Rang.
“Huh?”
Old Man Rang was startled.
“Curious how you dodged that, aren't you?”
Jin Yigang asked, looking at him.
“Right, I am.”
“Side effect of long-term medication.”
“Medication?”
“No one alive has swallowed more Cheonlijiqinghwan than I have.”
“Cheonlijiqinghwan...”
“One of the Five Great Divine Medicines made by the Jecheon Medical Manor. You haven't heard of it?”
“First time.”
“It's a direct cure for failing hearing, so when you get paid, buy some.”
“Are you saying my hearing's going?”
“Losing your hearing's nothing to be ashamed of. Anyway, watching you swing that hand just now, you don't look like you have much strength either. Take Gwanghon-yeobaldan along with it. That one's a direct booster for muscle power. These muscles of mine? Built on Gwanghon-yeobaldan. And no one alive has taken more of it than me, either.”
“...”
Old Man Rang stared at Jin Yigang, dumbfounded. His face said it all: What kind of lunatic is this?
Jin Yigang turned his gaze to the woman who'd introduced herself as Master Yu.
“What did you put on your face?”
“Did you take medicine for your eyes too?”
Old Woman Yu asked.
“That one's called Tushireungdan. And...”
“Let me guess — you've taken more of it than anyone alive.”
Old Woman Yu said.
“Yep.”
“Do those medicines of yours actually work?”
asked the last of them, Old Man Si.
Jin Yigang looked at him.
Old Man Si's aura was strange. It wasn't the kind that could be described with words like cold or warm. The closest description would have to be unpleasant just to look at — and not a hostile unpleasantness, more a mild irritation.
“Looking at you gives me an irritating feeling, old man. Why is that?”
“You can sense that too?”
Old Man Si asked.
“I'm just telling you what I feel, so don't read too much into it.”
“That is called sa-gi — wicked qi.”
Old Man Si said.
“Ah! Then the feeling I got from that old man over there — is that ma-gi, demonic qi?”
Jin Yigang, who had been nodding along, pointed at Old Man Si.
“And what does ma-gi feel like?”
Old Man Si asked with an intrigued expression.
“Refined darkness.”
“What do you mean?”
“When night falls, your nose sharpens, your ears grow keener, the insects come out, thieves start prowling — every sense except sight is set free. Even lust. But your darkness isn't free at all. It feels utterly suppressed. Like someone with a mountain of things to say who can't say any of them because the person across from them is a superior who torments them. Something like that.”
“Keh!”
Old Man Si snorted with laughter.
What an entertaining brat, he thought.
“So why did you come sit next to us?”
Old Woman Yu asked.
“You looked the strongest.”
“...?”
“You know what a herbivore living at the very bottom of the food chain does best?”
“How would we know that?”
Old Woman Yu said.
“They find the strong. For a herbivore, seeking out the powerful is pure instinct.”
“So you're a herbivore, are you?”
“That's right.”
“You expect us to help you when you're in danger?”
“What I want is for you to act like you're helping — not to actually help.”
“What's that supposed to mean, acting?”
“When I'm in a crisis, knowing you grannies and gramps exist versus not knowing you at all is the difference between heaven and earth. Now that we've been introduced, the moment I'm in danger, you'll find your hands moving before you even realize it. Even if it's not a gesture meant to eliminate my enemy, I'll slip out of danger and get my chance to counterattack.”
“What an amusing notion.”
“Anyway, I've earned my keep for the day, so time to get to work.”
Jin Yigang placed a large stone in front of himself, then brought down a dagger borrowed from Mu Daebo with all his strength.
Clang!
With a sharp ring, the stone split cleanly in two.
Huh?
Old Man Na's eyes went wide.
―Did you see that just now?
Old Man Na sent a whispered transmission to Old Man Rang.
―You mean the white energy that rose from his hand?
Old Man Rang asked back.
―Yes.
―What do you make of it?
―The legends say that when a hand turns white like that, it heralds the emergence of the Demonsu — the Demon Beast.