Rumors Begin at the Inn
The young man glanced about, taking stock of his surroundings.
People were beginning to come and go as he entered the town—not many, but enough to notice.
It wasn't a large place. He'd only sought it out because it happened to be close.
Pyeonrim City, huh. First time I've set foot here.
A day's travel should have been enough. But alone for the first time, he'd wandered for three.
What should I do first? Plenty of things come to mind, yet nothing stands out as the clear priority. Hmm—there's that saying about filling your stomach before climbing a mountain. Eat first, then think it over.
An ordinary inn was also the best place to pick up marketplace gossip. Inns drew every sort of person.
Sss—
He chose one at random and stepped inside. The place was quiet, though not empty.
A waiter started toward him.
The young man ignored him without a second thought, sat down at an occupied table without asking, and made himself at home.
Twitch—
Eyebrows furrowed. The atmosphere turned wary.
Well, he would have done the same in their place.
He pointed at the food and spoke to the waiter who had hurried after him.
"I'll have the same as these people."
"Uh—yes?"
"You haven't taken their order yet, have you?"
"Ah, yes! Clear liquor and a bowl of chicken noodles, right?"
He nodded. The bewildered waiter vanished into the kitchen at once, leaving him alone with the customers.
Among them, a rough-faced, broad-shouldered man who looked the oldest spoke up in an irritated tone as he drank.
"Don't think I've seen you around. What's your business?"
"I'm new to these parts. Looking for someone to talk to. This should cover it."
He set his money pouch on the table. The man took it warily but in haste—and his face brightened at once.
"Haha! Just a lonely traveler, then!"
"Mind if I ask a few questions?"
"Ask away."
"As I said, I'm new here and don't know much. First, I'd like to know the biggest merchant group in Pyeonrim City."
"The biggest merchant group in Pyeonrim City?"
The man looked puzzled, then seemed to decide it didn't matter. A slight smirk tugged at his lips as he went on.
"This town's all pretty much the same size. Best of the lot would be the Bukri Merchant Group, just a bit up the way."
"Bukri Merchant Group?"
"Started about ten-odd years ago. This inn's run by them, too. Think of them as a group that makes money taking over shops or building their own and managing them. Word is they deal in information as well, since they employ so many people."
"Perfect. With that kind of reach, it'd be strange if they weren't in the Merchant Alliance."
"I did hear someone came by about a year ago."
"Someone came?"
"That's right. Don't know how it turned out—wasn't interested—but you can ask Gapswe about that."
The waiter returned with the food. He'd practically just gone back and forth to the kitchen, but that hardly mattered. If it tasted bad, he could always complain.
The young man took the clear liquor and drank. Meanwhile, the man turned to the waiter.
"Gapswe, I've got a question. Someone from the Merchant Alliance came about a year ago, right?"
"They did. It was unusual, so I remember clearly. People came to the Bukri Merchant Group and offered them a place in the Alliance."
"And what did the group master say?"
"He refused. Said they were so far out on the frontier the Alliance wouldn't be any help. Something like that."
"Hmm. Got it. Thanks."
Ting—
He flicked an iron coin over. Gapswe snatched it up, snickered, and disappeared.
"You hear that? They're not with the Alliance."
"Doesn't matter much either way, but better without if possible. I'll head to the Bukri Merchant Group—"
Flinch—!
A presence, mid-sentence. That sinister aura made no attempt to hide itself—typical of the demonic path.
Someone's here.
The man across from him had gone pale. The only explanation for the sudden change was the demonic heretics who had just appeared; he must know who they were.
The young man asked quietly,
"Do you know the ones who just came in? They don't look ordinary."
"The Cheolgyo Sect. Nasty bunch, but they know their place—they crawl for the strong. That's how they've made a name as a headache in Pyeonrim City. Don't get involved."
"That strong?"
"No real masters among them. Their strongest is the sect leader, mid-stage of the Yihab Realm. But rumor has it they don't hesitate to use poison when consolidating the surrounding powers. Cross them and even a few lives won't be enough—vicious bastards."
"For martial artists, they play dirty."
It was one of the reasons people looked poorly on poison, and that soured his mood. Mid-stage Yihab Realm was manageable. Compared to the bandit he'd killed before coming here, they didn't seem much stronger. He could win against that level easily enough. He was Yihab Realm himself, after all.
Slurp—
The languid-eyed young man ate his chicken noodles while watching the Cheolgyo Sect's thuggery. He had no intention of stepping in right now. With the bandits, he'd intervened partly to test his skills—but this wasn't urgent. He could let it play out.
If he hadn't reached the Yihab Realm just before leaving Manjang Cliff, he'd still be training. No matter how confident he was in his own ability, the world was full of masters, and demonic heretics often had many connections. Those seeking revenge couldn't be ignored either. He had to keep various situations in mind. Especially since stepping in just because they made poison look bad would gain him nothing.
Gulp—
He downed the clear liquor and focused on the conversation behind him, making out the gist.
"Didn't we tell you last time to prepare the tribute money?"
"This place belongs to the Bukri Merchant Group."
"So? The Bukri Merchant Group doesn't pay tribute? No—just change the name and everyone's ready with the money."
Fair enough, in a way. Though it didn't seem like something the Cheolgyo Sect's level should be saying—but thinking that far got complicated.
"Aren't you afraid of the Bukri Merchant Group's power?"
"If we smash this place, sure, they'd step in. But we don't need to do that."
"What do you mean?"
"If we come by dozens of times a day demanding payment, do you think customers will keep coming? Their business will dry up, won't it?"
"Are you threatening us?"
"Even if the Bukri Merchant Group wants to intervene, they lack justification. Well, our sect could ignore that and crush them—but we've got our own plans for that. So just pay the tribute nicely."
Glancing back, he saw the waiter's face twist slightly. The hesitation was palpable even from here.
Right then, a stout middle-aged man strode out from the kitchen, knife in hand.
What presence…
Even the Cheolgyo Sect thugs flinched. A hair-trigger situation, born of the sudden appearance.
But the middle-aged man simply pulled a money pouch from his robes and tossed it to them.
Thud—
"Take that for this month and get lost. You showed up unannounced, so we don't have more prepared. Know that we couldn't give more even if we wanted to."
"H-hmph! Should've done that from the start. Let's go!"
They seemed to be fleeing in a hurry—but probably not. Almost certainly not.
There's a situation I could step into, but I don't know if it's worth it. Considering how even small actions create grudges, what I'd have to do from here is wipe out the Cheolgyo Sect entirely—so it might be pointless.
If he were acting out of chivalry, maybe—but he knew he had none of that. The matter of grudges weighed on him. He didn't want to get tangled in them right from his first steps into the murim.
"Cheolgyo Sect… Cheolgyo Sect. They are irritating, though."
"You talking to me?"
"Seems I muttered a bit loud. Don't mind it. Wasn't meant for your ears."
"…Hmm. Still hard to just let that slide."
The young man twitched an eyebrow to show his displeasure and briefly revealed a fraction of his aura to the man.
The man's body went rigid. His face hardened—anyone could see he was pinned by the pressure, unable to move. That was warning enough.
"Don't go sticking your nose into other people's business without fear. I didn't step in myself this time, so I'll let it go. But if you try something again, you'll pay the price for real."
Only then did he withdraw his aura. As he finished the remaining chicken noodles, the man seemed to catch his breath, then spoke.
"…Sorry. No—I apologize. I failed to recognize your strength."
"Knowing now is enough. Just stay quiet."
The man swallowed dryly.
"Still, this isn't just someone else's business."
"Not someone else's?"
"The Cheolgyo Sect's thuggery isn't new. I haven't been hit directly, but a younger brother I know got caught up in it."
"Sounds like the damage is bigger than I thought."
"They even went after this inn, which has backing—so you can assume they've put their hands on most places around here."
Saying that meant it wasn't just one or two places. The situation looked serious.
If that's the case, I could claim justification on this side even if I start right now.
"Tell me more."
He planned only to keep it in mind for now—but gathering information he could use if he decided to act would be good.