Taoist Cheongjin made the first move.
Hah!
He shot forward like an arrow and swung his sword.
Sword Qi resembling crimson plum blossoms swirled around Escort Guard Myeong Jong.
Plum Blossom Flow.
Sword Qi poured from Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s blade and spread into a barrier.
Was that the Plum Blossom Wall?
The plum blossom–hued sword barrier perfectly stopped Taoist Cheongjin’s attack, making his eyes flicker in shock.
“Just because I left Mount Hua doesn’t mean I’m still at the same level I was back then. Stop feeling me out and show me your strongest attack!”
Taoist Cheongjin furrowed his brow and shouted at Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s words.
“You just can’t stop acting superior, can you!”
He launched another attack, but Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s sword stopped him at every turn.
The sight of plum blossoms clashing against plum blossoms was a spectacle in itself.
It wasn’t merely beautiful. The profundity hidden beneath that splendor made it clear why no one could ever afford to underestimate Mount Hua’s sword arts.
Lose yourself in that beauty, and death would follow.
That was probably why Mount Hua Sect’s disciples devoted themselves to mental discipline, ensuring they never became entranced by their own swordsmanship.
As far as I could tell, however, Taoist Cheongjin still had plenty of work to do in that department.
Clang–!
Clang, clang–!
The more their blades collided, the clearer the outcome became.
And at last.
Claaang–!
Taoist Cheongjin’s sword flew from his hand, and Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s blade came to rest against his throat.
“…Yield. You’ve lost.”
“I haven’t lost yet!”
With that shout, Taoist Cheongjin rolled out of reach and swept at Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s legs.
Thump!
Escort Guard Myeong Jong didn’t fall. He planted one hand against the ground, flipped through the air, and regained his balance.
Then he drove a fist toward Taoist Cheongjin.
Whump!
The punch buried itself heavily in Taoist Cheongjin’s stomach.
Thud.
He slumped to the ground and began coughing uncontrollably.
“Cough! Cough!”
It was Taoist Cheongjin’s complete defeat.
“Damn it! Damn it! Aaaagh! Daaamn it!”
He looked as though he couldn’t believe he had lost.
The other Mount Hua disciples watching the duel wore the same expressions.
“Impossible! There’s no way someone like you could beat me this easily! What kind of evil art did you use?”
“Evil art? Don’t be ridiculous. You have eyes, don’t you? You saw it yourself. From beginning to end, I used Mount Hua’s sword arts and fist techniques.”
Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s voice brimmed with pride in Mount Hua’s martial arts.
“What decided this match was your arrogance.”
With those words, Escort Guard Myeong Jong sheathed his sword.
Shing.
“The truth is, I was arrogant too. And you were right – I acted like I was too noble for everyone else. But I’m not that man anymore.”
According to Palgap, Escort Guard Myeong Jong never neglected his training, even during his breaks.
Of course, the same was true for all my escort guards.
Even among them, however, Escort Guard Myeong Jong and Escort Guard Chang Un had improved at an astonishing pace.
When they first became my escort guards, they had only been First-rate martial artists. Now, Master said they were merely one proper opportunity away from reaching the Peak realm.
“Their diligent training is certainly part of it, but in my view, the greatest reason is you, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“Me? I haven’t done anything.”
“How can you say that? Haven’t you taken your escort guards all across the empire?”
“…”
“What matters most is experience. The more a person sees, hears, and experiences, the broader his horizons become. Only then can his thoughts grow broader and deeper. A man with a narrow view can never think broadly or deeply.”
Come to think of it, we really had traveled just about everywhere.
We had even visited remote frontier regions such as the North Sea Ice Palace and the Blazing Fire Palace…
Those varied experiences had broadened my escort guards’ horizons.
Naturally, the same was true for me.
Traveling throughout the empire had been exhausting, but thinking about it that way made me feel rather proud.
Meanwhile, Escort Guard Myeong Jong continued speaking.
“Looking at you now, you’re nothing but a frog at the bottom of a well. Does losing to me infuriate you? Then leave Mount Hua and travel the martial world.”
“You bastard! Are you trying to make me leave Mount Hua simply because you resent having left it yourself?”
“If that’s all you can see, then that’s the limit of your potential. Besides, even if you travel the martial world and return, you’ll still be a core disciple. So what’s the problem?”
“…”
“I’ve told you exactly how I became stronger. If you still can’t act on it, you’ll never surpass me for as long as you live. Or are you afraid to step outside Mount Hua?”
Escort Guard Myeong Jong gave a mocking laugh.
“Now I see it. The only rival I ever acknowledged was a coward! A coward who hides inside Mount Hua and recites Taoist chants because he’s terrified of the world!”
Wow, I had no idea Escort Guard Myeong Jong could provoke someone that well!
“I’m no coward!”
“Then prove it with your actions! If you stay holed up in Mount Hua after hearing all this from me, then you really are a hopeless coward beyond saving.”
Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s expression hardened as he asked a question.
“You hate me, don’t you?”
“Why ask the obvious?”
“Why?”
“…I never liked you from the start.”
“Then do you hate Mount Hua too?”
“What kind of nonsense is that!”
Taoist Cheongjin immediately bristled.
“Mount Hua is my soul and my foundation! How dare you ask a Mount Hua swordsman whether he hates Mount Hua! Just how far do you intend to insult me?”
“I see. That’s a relief.”
“…”
As Taoist Cheongjin stared blankly at him, Escort Guard Myeong Jong lowered his voice to a whisper.
No one else could hear him, but I could.
“Then hurry up and become stronger. Become strong enough to protect Mount Hua. If I can no longer protect Mount Hua, then you have to.”
Traveling across the empire with me had taught him the truth as well.
The martial world was growing more tangled and dangerous by the day.
And someday, Mount Hua might find itself in danger too.
That was why he had left Taoist Cheongjin with those words.
I thought I finally understood the duel’s true purpose.
Despite their bitter enmity, he wanted to entrust Mount Hua to the one rival he had acknowledged.
Seeing him offer such advice to an old enemy for Mount Hua’s sake made me realize just how broad-minded he truly was.
Escort Guard Myeong Jong turned away, approached me, and offered a cupped-fist salute.
“Thank you for allowing this duel. As you commanded, I have brought you victory.”
“Good work. Now, shall we go back and finish your meal?”
“Pardon?”
“You left before you could finish eating, didn’t you? That won’t do. Aren’t regular meals part of one’s training as well?”
“Understood.”
I took him back toward the restaurant and glanced over my shoulder at Taoist Cheongjin.
He was still sitting on the ground, staring blankly into empty space.
Had he realized something? Or had Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s unexpected advice simply left him stunned?
We would find out later.
.
.
.
Day broke.
We had to leave for Luoyang early that morning, so everyone got moving without delay.
When I went down to the inn’s first floor for breakfast, I found a familiar Taoist waiting there.
It was Taoist Muhyeon.
“Greetings, Deputy Merchant Lord. I am Muhyeon, a Mount Hua disciple.”
“Good morning. Escort Guard Myeong Jong seems to be upstairs. Shall I call him down?”
“No.”
Taoist Muhyeon shook his head.
“I came to see you, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
He offered a cupped-fist salute and bowed his head.
“Thank you. I will never forget that you helped my friend.”
He continued.
“I should have come to thank you much sooner, but I am terribly late. Please forgive my delay.”
“That’s quite all right.”
“If my friend had suffered such a fate back then, knowing his temperament, the guilt would probably have driven him to take his own life.”
“…”
He understood Escort Guard Myeong Jong perfectly.
In my previous life, Escort Guard Myeong Jong really had taken his own life.
“But thanks to you, his mistake never became a disaster. You have my deepest gratitude.”
“It was only a passing whim on my part. You don’t need to make so much of it.”
“That does not make it any less worthy of gratitude. Please continue to look after my friend.”
With that, he bowed politely and left the inn.
I watched him leave with a faint smile.
Escort Guard Myeong Jong was fortunate to have such a good friend.
After breakfast, we began preparing to depart.
Brother Jin Ho finished speaking with Escort Chief Gi and came over to me.
“What were you talking about?”
“Nothing much. He just wanted to thank me.”
“Feeling proud of yourself?”
“Wouldn’t something be wrong with me if I did a good deed and didn’t feel good about it?”
“Well, that’s true.”
At that moment, several women called out.
“Handsome Young Hero!”
“Great Hero Eun Seo Ho!”
I turned toward the voices and saw several young ladies leaning out through the inn’s windows.
“Thank you for helping us.”
Some of the young ladies Brother Jin Ho and I had escorted were among them.
When I casually waved, they shrieked in delight.
“Eeeeeek!”
“He waved at us!”
“Oh my! He’s so handsome.”
Palgap immediately grabbed my shoulder and hurriedly pulled me back.
“We’d better get moving, Young Master. We can’t have your face becoming any more famous than it already is.”
The young ladies promptly complained.
“Aww, I wanted to keep looking.”
“Get lost, ugly! Can’t we even feast our eyes?”
I let out a sigh at their insults.
It always made me uncomfortable when Palgap was the one getting abused.
“Sorry for being so handsome.”
“Hmph! Don’t worry about it, Young Master! Something like this barely even tickles me!”
“Really?”
“I’ve spent my entire life surviving this rotten world where people only remember the handsome ones. You think something like this could hurt me?”
That sounded oddly pointed.
Just then, one young lady spoke again.
“By the way, who’s that man who looks like a dumpling that fell out of the sky?”
“Gack!”
Palgap…
I comforted the emotionally wounded Palgap, told him to mount his horse first, and then climbed onto mine.
The only answer was to get out of this place as quickly as possible.
“Brother! Let’s go.”
“Right.”
Brother Jin Ho, who had been watching from beside me, snorted with laughter and gave the signal to depart. With that, we set out for Luoyang.
On the road, my eyes met Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s.
He bowed his head once again.
“Thank you for last night, my lord.”
“It was nothing. I’m not quite that heartless.”
He smiled at my answer.
“Yes. I know.”
His expression seemed strangely relieved.
It was almost as though he had finally set down a burden he had carried for years.
“A dumpling that fell from the sky… A dumpling… Dumplings are delicious…”
Palgap still hadn’t recovered.
“Will he be all right? Palgap appears to have taken quite a serious blow.”
I shook my head at Escort Guard Seo Wu’s question.
“He’ll be fine. Palgap isn’t that fragile.”
“That is true.”
“I still don’t understand why Palgap is so obsessed with his appearance. He looks perfectly fine to me.”
“Has it never occurred to you that you might be the reason, my lord?”
“Me?”
“…Well, never mind if you don’t understand.”
.
.
.
We traveled quickly and soon reached Luoyang’s western gate.
Whew. I had planned to take things easy during the Murim Grand Assembly’s opening days, so how had I ended up in the middle of this mess?
Still, at least we had been able to save the people who were in danger.
“Mmm! Ah! Seo Ho, can you feel it? This scent! This heat!”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about the scent and heat created by martial artists’ Qi colliding all around us.”
“I don’t really feel anything.”
“Tch! You’re no fun.”
That was Brother Jin Ho for you. His eyes were already sparkling as he looked eagerly around him.
He truly was a born martial artist.
To me, every martial artist wandering through the streets looked like a potential customer for the Eunhae Merchant Group.
Sigh. I was a born merchant myself.
Before long, we arrived at Yeonpung Inn.
“Welcome back.”
Lady Seohyang was waiting for us outside the inn.
So she had known I was coming.
“Yes. Has anything happened while I was gone?”
“Nothing out of the ordinary, unless you count business booming.”
“That’s good. Where are Father and Mother?”
“They’re inside.”
We entered, and perhaps they heard the commotion caused by our arrival, because Father and Mother soon came down the stairs.
“Welcome back!”
“You must be exhausted from the journey.”
Brother Jin Ho stepped forward and greeted them first.
“An unexpected situation caused you needless worry. I apologize.”
“It’s all right. You only did what you had to do. Were you ever the sort of man who could simply ignore a situation like that?”
“I suppose not.”
Behind him, Outer Chief Administrator Go Il-pyeong let out a hearty laugh.
“Ho ho, thanks to the Second Deputy Merchant Lord, I have one more story to boast about to my friends.”
“Ha ha ha.”
“Go upstairs, wash, and get ready. There are many people I need to introduce you to.”
“Understood.”
As Brother Jin Ho headed toward his room, Father spoke to me.
“You’ve had your share of trouble too.”
“Not at all. I’m simply glad nothing worse happened.”
“It’s good that you can look at it so positively.”
I also went to my room, washed, and came back out.
I had been away for several days, so I needed to catch up as quickly as possible.
“Deputy Gwak.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you for all your hard work while I was away.”
“It was nothing. I already knew what was happening, so it didn’t catch me off guard.”
As expected, she had known.
“I only found out after you had already departed, so I couldn’t tell you beforehand.”
“I see.”
Lady Seohyang’s responsibility was to track each item’s sales figures and remaining inventory.
“Tea sold especially well, perhaps because the assembly is still in its early days.”
“I see.”
As I listened to her report, we headed toward the Eunhae Merchant Group’s temporary shop.
Oh, come to think of it, I hadn’t told Brother Jin Ho.
The Eunhae Merchant Group had two temporary shops this time.
Well, I would have another chance to tell him later.
There was a broad open lot beside the temporary shop I had chosen using the authority granted to me by the Alliance Leader.
Traveling performance troupes often set up there and put on all sorts of interesting shows.
“Looks like they’re performing acrobatics today.”
They were displaying all kinds of stunts using fire.
Wow, that was impressive.
Of course, it might have looked laughable to a true fire arts master.
Even someone thoroughly skilled in fire arts, however, would struggle to stage that same nerve-racking sense of danger that kept every spectator’s heart in his throat.
Just then.
“Young Master, look over there.”
I followed Palgap’s finger, and the instant I saw the man and woman watching the performance, words failed me.
–TL Notes–
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