Chapter 44: Chapter 44
“…Hahaha. We’re cursed by a demon.”
Go Gye-yeong laughed dejectedly.
Again, it had been shattered to pieces again.
The building that had barely been restored was now half-destroyed to the point where it couldn’t even be recovered, and the few pavilions that were somewhat intact had been burned black by the fire.
He thought they were finally about to soar, but the situation was not smiling upon him.
‘When will I restore this again?’
His head throbbed.
It was a moment when the image of his father, who had been sick and tired of Jianghu people calling them shameless bastards, deeply touched his heart.
“Haa.”
A deep sigh came out naturally.
Especially looking at the current situation, his vision turned dark.
Perhaps because they had suddenly suppressed a fire in the middle of the night, everyone was exhausted.
He shook his head as he looked at the servants who were lying spread-eagled and panting for breath.
‘Should I be the one wavering?’
He was the Merchant Group Leader, so he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing like this.
“General Manager.”
“Did you call me?”
As if waiting for the call, the General Manager standing behind his back bowed his head.
“Please contact the Uhang Guest House.”
“Understood.”
The General Manager nodded and stepped back.
“I’ll be spending quite a bit of money for a few days.”
While he was calculating the lodging expenses to have the servants stay at the Uhang Guest House.
“Merchant Group Leader!”
A voice calling from afar was heard.
The moment the General Manager was about to turn his head at that voice.
Hwiiing!
A fierce wind swept over him.
The moment he blinked his eyes at the sudden gust of wind, a man with a huge build appeared in front of him.
It was precisely Hyeon-do.
Go Gye-yeong was quite surprised by the face of Hyeon-do, who suddenly appeared like a ghost, but he opened his mouth without showing it outwardly.
“I am glad you are safe.”
At Go Gye-yeong’s greeting, Hyeon-do wore a bitter smile and spoke quietly.
“I am sorry for the late response. Now that I knew the White Ghost Castle was targeting the Flying Wind Merchant Guild, I should have been more vigilant than before…”
“No, it’s fine.”
Go Gye-yeong shook his head.
“How could this be Daoist Hyeon-do’s fault? It is all the doing of those sinister bastards from the White Ghost Castle. Rather, I am only grateful that you saved our merchant group.”
“Merchant Group Leader…”
Hyeon-do was so deeply moved by Go Gye-yeong’s flexible response that he lost his words. Go Gye-yeong smiled at that pure reaction.
Was it said that if the upper waters are clear, the lower waters are also clear? Hyeon-do’s reaction was pure and pleasing to the eye, exactly like the Plum Blossom Swordsmen.
‘My choice was not wrong.’
When his trust in the Mount Hua Sect was growing.
“Is Hyeon alright?”
“Hyeon?”
Hyeon-do tilted his head before recalling that the Jeok-geom’s real name was Go Hyeon.
“If you mean the Jeok-geom, his internal injuries are deep right now, so Cheon-hwi is treating him.”
Go Gye-yeong turned deadly pale.
To him, who was ignorant of martial arts, the word internal injury came approaching terrifyingly.
“I-is he alright?”
“It is not a serious internal injury. It’s just…”
“His Qi and blood were just twisted.”
A voice interjected in the middle.
Cheon-hwi looked at Go Gye-yeong, whose complexion had turned white, and quietly added words.
“And now he has almost recovered.”
“I-is that true?”
“If you are really that curious about his condition, he is in the courtyard, so why don’t you go see for yourself?”
Go Gye-yeong was about to run, but paused.
“Benefactor. This grace…”
“That’s enough, so why don’t you hurry up and go?”
“A-understood.”
Hyeon-do smiled warmly as he watched Go Gye-yeong’s back running in a flurry.
“He is a good father.”
Afterwards, he looked at Cheon-hwi.
“But you finished the treatment faster than I thought.”
“I just straightened out his twisted Qi and blood and gave him internal injury medicine, and he got better.”
“Hmm, is that so.”
Hyeon-do was doubtful but nodded his head.
Since he didn’t know medicine, he only thought Cheon-hwi’s words were correct.
However, if the person who heard those words was not him but the Hall of Medicine Master, he might have thrown a fit.
To treat twisted Qi and blood this quickly, one had to be a person who mastered both acupoint striking techniques and medicine.
“It seems the internal injury medicine the Hall of Medicine Master packed for us before we left had an outstanding effect.”
Hyeon-do smiled and scratched his head.
It was because he recalled the squabble they had when the Hall of Medicine Master insisted they should pack internal injury medicine, while he said they would be fine.
‘I should convey my gratitude to the Hall of Medicine Master next time.’
Around the time he made an absurd misunderstanding.
“More importantly, Martial Uncle.”
Cheon-hwi called him.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Where is the White Ghost Castle?”
In an instant, Hyeon-do’s brow narrowed.
“Why are you asking that?”
“Why do you think I’m asking.”
Cheon-hwi looked at him with a puzzled expression and added bloody words.
“We have to crush them.”
“Crush… them?”
“If we stay like this, they’ll just keep testing the waters, so I’m planning to just pull them out by the roots entirely.”
Cheon-hwi’s words had no hesitation.
Hyeon-do asked in a fluster.
“Are you perhaps intending to go to the White Ghost Castle?”
“I have to do that to pull out the roots.”
“B-but the opponents are the White Ghost Castle and the White Snake God. It’s not a place where things will work out just by going recklessly.”
“So are you going to just leave them be?”
“No, I have no intention of doing so. Now that the White Ghost Castle has touched the Flying Wind Merchant Guild, the war has begun. Instead, we will notify the Mount Hua Sect and receive reinforcements before fighting the war.”
Hyeon-do’s words were perfectly logical.
The opponent was a massive sect called the White Ghost Castle.
Thorough preparation was needed.
However.
“Then it will be too late. What will you do if the Flying Wind Merchant Guild gets attacked again while waiting?”
“That is…”
Hyeon-do’s words were caught in his throat.
He had only thought about the Mount Hua Sect, temporarily forgetting about the future of the Flying Wind Merchant Guild.
“Wouldn’t it be better to launch a surprise attack on the White Ghost Castle as soon as possible instead?”
“That is true, but…”
Hyeon-do agreed without realizing it himself.
If the rumor that these men had fallen entered the ears of the White Ghost Castle Lord, it would now be the beginning of an all-out war.
But if they moved to the White Ghost Castle one step ahead before the rumor spread…
‘Just as we were caught off guard a moment ago, the enemies might also be caught off guard and suffer…’
When Hyeon-do was contemplating for a moment.
“Are you going to just leave the enemy alone?”
At Cheon-hwi’s following words, Hyeon-do firmed up his mind.
“…Alright.”
“Then where is the White Ghost Castle…”
Cheon-hwi, who had persuaded Hyeon-do, immediately tried to ask about the location of the White Ghost Castle, but.
“I will prepare the carriage right away.”
“Pardon?”
Cheon-hwi tilted his head.
Then, he remembered something and frowned.
“Are you going too, Martial Uncle?”
“What are you talking about? Were you perhaps thinking of going alone?”
“Yes. Didn’t you say you were returning to the Mount Hua Sect?”
“No. I will follow along too.”
“Martial Uncle, you should take the Plum Blossom Swordsmen and return to the Mount Hua Sect.”
“Since they are all children who can do the share of one person already, wouldn’t it be enough even if I don’t follow them?”
Cheon-hwi’s eyes narrowed.
Honestly, Hyeon-do tagging along would only be an annoyance for his free Jianghu journey.
‘Can’t be helped, I guess.’
However, since squabbling was even more annoying, Cheon-hwi let out a sigh and spoke.
“Sigh, do whatever you want.”
“Hahaha, do not worry. Even though I look like this, my skills have improved more than before.”
Looking at Hyeon-do, who was misunderstanding something, Cheon-hwi shook his head side to side.
“I will tell those kids to return to the Mount Hua Sect first.”
Around the time Hyeon-do made that decision.
“No! That is a suicidal act!”
Ha U-jin ran over and shouted.
As if he had heard the entire conversation, he immediately interjected and started meddling.
“Is the White Ghost Castle just any sect? It is one of the Six Imperial Sects of the Four Black Alliances! It is basically the same as facing our sect, let alone the Mount Hua Sect, but for just the two of you to attack them, does that even make sense!”
The excited Ha U-jin’s words were quite unhesitating and much faster than usual.
Hyeon-do blocked him and said.
“It is already a decided matter.”
“But Senior Hyeondoja. At this rate, my Junior Brother is going to end up on the path to the netherworld.”
“Such a thing will not happen.”
“…”
Ha U-jin looked at Hyeon-do with a complicated face before chewing on his lip.
“Then I will follow along as well.”
Ha U-jin spoke with a determined face.
“No, there is no need to do that.”
However, Cheon-hwi flatly refused.
“This matter is a grudge between our sect and the White Ghost Castle. You have nothing to do with this incident.”
Hyeon-do immediately added an explanation.
But Ha U-jin did not give up.
“…I cannot lose the disciple of my close friend as well.”
“It is a matter where you might die.”
“I am aware.”
Ha U-jin’s voice was firm. Looking at Ha U-jin’s eyes mixed with determination, Hyeon-do nodded his head and looked at Cheon-hwi.
“I think it would be better to go together.”
“…Haa.”
Cheon-hwi let out another sigh.
It was already too late to stop him.
Ultimately, he had no choice but to say the words he spat out to Hyeon-do earlier once again.
“Do whatever you want.”
Then he quickly turned his head and asked.
“Then give me information about the White Ghost Castle first.”
Ha U-jin immediately answered those words.
“As for information, a Successor Beggar of the Beggars’ Sect has been roaming around this vicinity recently. If you ask him, you will be able to know in more detail than me or Senior Hyeondoja.”
* * *
In front of the Uhang Guest House, a beggar was bowing and scraping to a middle-aged man.
“Hahaha, so what happened to those attackers?”
“What do you mean what happened?”
Even though it wasn’t his doing, the middle-aged man crossed his arms with a triumphant expression.
“That esteemed person swung his sword just once, and all the attackers died.”
“Ha, haha…”
The beggar, Junior Beggar, laughed awkwardly as he cursed the middle-aged man inwardly.
‘I thought I could get some information since he was a servant of the Flying Wind Merchant Guild, but to think he was just a guy spouting ridiculous nonsense.’
No matter how skilled of an expert someone was, there was a limit. How could dozens of people die at once just by swinging a sword once?
To do that, one had to be a person who reached at least the Limitless State, no. The Heavenly Martial Realm.
‘Even in Shaanxi alone, there are only two people who reached the Heavenly Martial Realm: the White Ghost Castle Lord, the White Snake God, and the Sect Leader of the Zhongnan Sect.’
However, he did not reveal his inner thoughts. He felt like he wouldn’t be able to get even the slightest bit of information if he revealed it.
‘Let’s endure it, endure. Right now, there are at least dozens of guys aiming for the Successor Beggar position in the Beggars’ Sect excluding me. If I hand over this information now, I’ll get one step closer.’
Having soon calmed his mind, he showcased the servile attitude he had gotten used to while living a beggar’s life once again and rubbed his hands together briskly.
“If so, could I perhaps know the Taoist name of that esteemed Taoist?”
“Ahem, that is quite important, you see.”
The middle-aged man cleared his throat and turned his head.
Even while doing so, he subtly glanced at him with half-closed eyes.
‘Damn it! Just take the liver out of a flea!’
Having realized the meaning of that gaze, nausea surged up inside him, but a servile smile was already lingering on his face.
He pleaded while rubbing his hands together at a rapid pace like a fly on dung.
“Sir, this lowly one also has no money now…”
“Then it cannot be helped.”
As the middle-aged man who spoke coldly tried to turn his body, Junior Beggar bit his lip.
Then, he hurriedly searched his inner pocket, took out what he had been saving and saving, and spoke urgently.
“I-instead of that, how about this?”
The middle-aged man, who saw the sparkling ornament, snatched it with a hand gesture akin to lightning.
“Hmm, this is…”
The middle-aged man, who was examining the ornament in detail, let out a loud fake cough.
“Ahem, I didn’t hope for something like this…”
Crack…
A vein bulged on Junior Beggar’s forehead.
“I-is that, gnash, so?”
“Hahaha, where was I in the story?”
“You stopped… right from, gnash, saying the Taoist name of the esteemed Taoist.”
“Ahem, I see. So that esteemed person’s Taoist name is…”
The middle-aged man’s story continued.
The middle-aged man, who had spilled everything that happened to the Flying Wind Merchant Guild for about two tea-brewing periods of time, stood up from the ground.
“…That’s how it happened. Hmm?”
The middle-aged man looked at the sky that was beginning to dawn and spoke with an ‘oops’ face.
“The time has already become like this. I will get going now.”
“Oh my, please go safely. Sir.”
The middle-aged man waved his hand and left.
As he walked further away, Junior Beggar spat ‘ptui’ in the direction he headed.
“Damn it! You bastard who I can’t even associate with. Because there’s nothing left to take, you’re completely sucking this wretched beggar’s wealth dry.”
Junior Beggar spewed out the anger he had been suppressing.
After vomiting out his resentment for quite a while like that, as if his anger had been somewhat relieved, he patted his straw mat and turned his body.
“Did he say ‘Cheon-hwi’?”
“When did you find out my name again?”
Junior Beggar flinched at the suddenly heard voice.
In front of him were three Taoists.
Among them, the young man in the middle approached slowly and twisted the corners of his mouth.
“You are Junior Beggar, right?”
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