Chapter 17. A Warrior's Values (1)
A strapping man in his thirties wore a pained expression.
"You must've been through hell. And with such a historic establishment, passed down so well from your ancestors."
The owner of Choseong Pavilion let out a frustrated sigh.
"I simply have no face to show my ancestors. I thought I'd been taking good care of it, but then this..."
"Hey, how is this your fault, Ruju? Life throws curveballs sometimes, you know? It's a blessing that you're unharmed and perfectly fine."
"Heh."
He had no idea how much strength it gave him, just having someone come and comfort him like this. And on top of that, this Jang Han, whom he was meeting for the first time, had mobilized a ton of workers to help restore the damaged area.
Even though he was younger, he was clearly someone important.
"Now, please accept this."
"What is this?"
"It's not a large sum, but it will be of some help with the construction costs."
"Whoa, whoa! You don't have to do this! I've got some public funds saved up, too...!"
"Aww, c'mon, a man of your standing shouldn't act like this. As they say, 'generosity comes from a full storehouse.' It'll cost a fortune to repair all this, and you'll need to get your hands on the same high-quality ingredients as before, right?"
"Haaah..."
"Choseong Pavilion is one of Anhui's flagship taverns. People don't want the taste of Choseong Pavilion to change. Please, keep it a landmark of Anhui."
Gratitude dawned on the face of the Choseong Pavilion owner.
He'd said he had money saved up, but the truth was, using that to restore Choseong Pavilion would leave him with nothing.
And if word got out about the arson, customers would stay away for a while. The whole business could go under.
He'd been racking his brains on how to survive that period of hardship, and then this help arrived.
"Since you put it that way, I can't refuse."
"Of course, you shouldn't! But don't even think about wiping your mouth clean. When I come by later, you owe me a free meal, alright?"
"How could I treat my benefactor so shabbily? Come by anytime. I'll serve you a feast made with the best ingredients of the day."
"Haha, well, I'm not completely shameless."
Jang Han subtly asked.
"By the way, Ruju, you have other, even more important benefactors, don't you?"
"Pardon?"
"I'm talking about the heroes who saved Choseong Pavilion."
"Ah… th, that's right."
Jang Han's eyes twinkled.
‘Fear?’
From the Choseong Pavilion owner’s stammering words and expression, he sensed fear before gratitude.
"Why? Did those people do something bad to you, Ruju?"
"Th-that's impossible! If it weren't for them, the entire annex of Choseong Pavilion would've burned to the ground. In my forty-plus years, I've never seen such hyupsa."
"Oh-ho? That's quite the praise?"
Jang Han joked.
"And they looked young, I hear?"
"Ah! There were also warriors who looked to be around the age of Huga (後丐). Though I'm no expert in martial arts, they seemed like incredibly skilled individuals."
"Incredibly skilled individuals, huh…"
Jang Han, Gadeuksang (賈得想), the Huga (後丐) of the Beggars’ Sect (丐幇)—his eyes sparkled like stars.
‘It must be the Changyingdae (蒼鷹隊)?’
The Changyingdae was one of the martial forces of the Byeoksan Yeon Family (벽산연가), one of the Seven Great Clans of the Murim. Their skills were legendary, so it was no surprise to hear such praise.
‘But….’
Gadeuksang looked towards the southwest gate.
‘A fire of this scale should've leveled the main building, but it only damaged the outer walls and a few warehouses. The Changyingdae managed to contain it to that?’
It was astonishing.
Even the best martial artists panic when a fire breaks out. They're just stronger and faster than ordinary folks, but in the face of disaster, they're ultimately the same.
But, piecing together the fire's traces, the extent of the damage, and the eyewitness accounts, it seemed they'd secured escape routes in an instant, minimizing casualties and quickly putting out the fire.
This wasn't something just anyone could do. Even jeongyong (정용) trained in sobang (消防) would have difficulty putting out a fire this quickly.
And then there was Ma Bang, the Noehwabangju (뇌화방주).
‘Ma Bang was once counted among the Thirteen Black Demons (黑道十三傑) of the Black Path. He vanished ten years ago, only to resurface last year. His exact martial prowess is unknown, but they said even a Late Stage expert would have trouble dealing with him.’
Even though the Black Path had lost its former glory, the Thirteen Black Demons were the top Late Stage experts of the Demonic Sect. And they said he'd grown even stronger over the past ten years, so run-of-the-mill martial arts wouldn't stand a chance against him.
Eyewitnesses said even the Late Stage experts of the Zhuge Family (제갈세가) were constantly on the back foot. They said Zhuge Ah-yeon (제갈아연) fought bravely, but couldn't gain the upper hand.
And there was someone who'd taken down such a master in a one-on-one duel.
"Have you spoken with the Daegongja of the Yeon Family?"
The Choseong Pavilion owner flinched.
Gadeuksang cocked his head.
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Ah… no, it’s nothing."
Although he said so, he seemed unwilling to talk more about it.
Gadeuksang smiled and bowed his head.
"Looks like I've troubled you with unnecessary talk, Ruju. My apologies."
"Huk! No! How could you say such a thing!"
"It'll take a while to restore the tavern. If you run into any trouble, tell the disciples of our sect anytime. I'll be off, then."
Gadeuksang gave a quick farewell and left Choseong Pavilion. He felt the owner's eyes on him, full of mixed feelings, but he didn't pay it much mind.
"Yeon Ho-jeong (연호정), the Daegongja of the Byeoksan Yeon Family...?"
Gadeuksang stroked his chin.
"Wasn't he supposed to be the useless son (犬子), overshadowed by his younger sibling's talent?"
Intriguing.
As the successor of the Beggars' Sect—the pinnacle of the Murim's information network and one of the pillars of the White Path Murim—he was feeling a thrill he'd never felt before.
"Hmm, a gathering of Late Stage experts? Well, no skin off my back if it's not the Seven Great Clans, right? I'm a beggar, after all—I can go begging anywhere, can't I?"
Woosh!
The iron staff's movements became smoother and steadier.
Yeon Ho-jeong, gripping the staff with both hands, thrust it forward powerfully.
Crack!
A fairly large tree shook.
The iron staff sank seven chi into the tree. The surprising part was the surface of the tree where the staff had pierced it.
The wood around the hole should've been cracked and splintered, but it was pristine. The iron staff's power had focused at the tip, giving it the piercing power of a needle.
‘It's gotten denser.’
Regret flickered across Yeon Ho-jeong’s face as he pulled the iron staff out of the tree.
‘It's gotten denser, but it's still not nearly there yet. Gotta keep at it.’
Yeon Ho-jeong slumped down right there. His hands were still a bloody mess, and his whole body was drenched in sweat.
Sitting cross-legged, he finished circulating his energy with the Byukra Jinjyeol (벽라진결) and then drew up the Xuanwu Gi (현무기).
Shhh shhh shhh.
A faint mist wasn't stuffy at all. It was refreshing, even sacred. The Four Divine Beasts Martial Arts (사신무) were invincible in combat, but the gi (氣) that made them up were all pure.
‘It's roaring back to life. It hasn't even been that long, but it feels like ages.’
Xuanwu (玄武).
The Xuanwu of the Four Divine Beasts (四神) is the water god (水神) of Gyehae (癸亥), symbolizing winter.
Among the five viscera and six entrails, it governs the kidneys (腎臟). The kidneys are the final organ for expelling bodily waste, and when Xuanwu Gi (玄武氣) is strong, impurities don't build up in the body.
In particular, Xuanwu's martial arts are described as an iron wall. It's the most solid of the Four Divine Beasts' martial arts, so starting with Xuanwu generally increases the refinement of your martial arts overall.
That's why he could pierce the tree so easily with the iron staff. There was still a lot of room for improvement, but even this much would shore up a lot of weaknesses in both offense and defense (攻防).
Yeon Ho-jeong opened his eyes.
He murmured quietly.
"Maybe I woke it up too soon, but I'm short on time anyway. Gotta get my old martial arts back ASAP."
No time to whine about having too much on his plate. He'd have to awaken the remaining three divine beasts, and fast.
Training done, Yeon Ho-jeong headed to the forest where his group was resting.
"You've arrived, Daegongja."
"Mm."
Shinmo bowed deeply.
Yeon Ho-jeong looked around.
"Where's Ji-pyeong?"
"He said he wanted to be alone for a bit..."
"Is that so?"
Well, that happens.
Isn't he at that age where emotions are all over the place? Nothing strange about that.
Nodding, Yeon Ho-jeong suddenly looked at the Changyingdae members.
The members who met Yeon Ho-jeong's gaze all dropped their heads. They seemed to be greeting him respectfully, but they also seemed wary of him.
Yeon Ho-jeong cocked his head.
‘What's with them?’
Did I do something to tick them off?
Those guys, who used to just give me a nod, are acting really weird today.
"Uh, Daegongja."
"Huh?"
"Are you okay? Your hand is bleeding..."
"Oh, it's fine. I think the old wound opened up during training. It'll heal up soon."
"Ah, yes."
Just then.
"Um..."
Yeon Ho-jeong looked to the side.
There stood Zhuge Ah-yeon, with a haggard face.
"This is our first proper greeting, isn't it? I'm Zhuge Ah-yeon of the Zhuge Family."
"Yeon Ho-jeong."
Shinmo's face tightened.
Unlike Zhuge Ah-yeon, Yeon Ho-jeong's tone was arrogant as hell. It was like he was talking down to a much younger junior.
However, Zhuge Ah-yeon did not pay much attention to Yeon Ho-jeong's tone.
"By the way, where is this place?"
She had lost consciousness due to internal injuries and had only just woken up. Zhuge Jun (제갈준) was still unconscious.
Shinmo said.
"It's a forest quite far from Hamsan (含山). I tried to find a doctor right away, but it wasn't easy. Fortunately, the two of you are not in critical condition, so I thought it would be better to move to Hefei (合肥)."
It was a statement that was not easily understood at first glance.
If someone was injured, it was normal to find a doctor first, regardless of their skills. But to go to Hefei?
‘Wait, not in critical condition?’
Zhuge Ah-yeon closed her eyes and examined her internal state.
Soon after, her eyes widened.
"Huh…?"
Shinmo’s words were true.
She had suffered considerable internal injuries due to the excessive use of the Hyeonwon Jeondan Shingong (현원전단신공) and the enemy’s attack. But now, most of her internal injuries had been corrected.
‘When did I get this better?’
Zhuge Ah-yeon looked at Zhuge Jun.
"What about my brother? How is my brother’s condition…?!"
"Don’t worry. The poison has been removed. I didn’t know the Zhuge Family’s internal cultivation method was so outstanding."
"Ah!"
Zhuge Ah-yeon directly checked Zhuge Jun’s pulse.
‘It’s true.’
His pulse was steady. There were internal injuries due to the poison, but even these were to the extent that he could heal himself once he regained consciousness.
Shinmo said, seemingly embarrassed.
"I’m sorry. Actually, regardless of the condition of the two of you, it would have been better to find a doctor first, but after experiencing such a situation, I became anxious. I judged that going to Hefei as soon as possible would be beneficial for everyone’s safety."
"Ah, no! You are all our saviors, how could you say such a thing."
"Hehe, I'm just embarrassed."
At that moment, Yeon Ho-jeong said.
"Did you say Zhuge Ah-yeon?"
"Yes? Ah, yes!"
"I have something to tell you, so follow me."
Yeon Ho-jeong just threw those words and walked away into the darkness.
Zhuge Ah-yeon looked at Shinmo in bewilderment.
Shinmo said in a hesitant voice.
"It's probably nothing serious."
"..."
"…Probably."
