Chapter 131: Chapter 131
“Welcome, Senior Jeok. You arrived right on time.”
Receiving Jeok-sein’s gaze, the young warrior smiled briskly and clasped his hands in greeting.
“Bae Won-chan? Have you been staying at the Alliance?”
“Ah, yes. My uncle said he had work for me to do. But once I came back, he only had me run various small errands, haha. Though thanks to that, I was able to come out and welcome you, Senior Jeok.”
The young man soon turned his head away from Jeok-sein and clasped his hands toward Jang Geon and Namgung Cheon.
“I am Bae Won-chan, a patrol team member. I know the general situation through Senior Jeok’s letter. Nice to meet you.”
Jang Geon silently returned the hand-clasp gesture, while Namgung Cheon only scowled without answering, seemingly bewildered by the man’s welcoming attitude toward him. At that moment, San-ho, standing nearby, chimed in.
“Hey! Don’t you see me? Am I not your senior?”
“Ah, Senior San. Of course I see you. You’re so clearly visible. I’m glad you returned safely. Truly the patrol team’s top groom candidate! The number one groom candidate in New Sichuan!”
To an onlooker, it was clearly teasing, but absurdly enough, San-ho cleared his throat with a cough and muttered, “Is that so?” looking strangely bashful for some reason. Only Jeok-sein shook her head in utter disbelief at the sight before calling out to Bae Won-chan.
“Save such greetings for later. Is this the entire escort force?”
“Yes, Senior Jeok. Three patrol members and eight guardsmen. To people watching, it will look like nothing more than greeting guests from an external sect.”
“Good. Let’s move immediately. There’s no need to linger in crowded places.”
Jeok-sein lightly pulled her horse’s reins, stepping slightly forward as she looked at Jang Geon.
“We will move right away.”
Jang Geon nodded. The party, accompanied by the Martial Alliance escort, exchanged brief greetings and turned into New Sichuan.
A warrior holding a banner took the lead to clear the path, behind whom the Martial Alliance warriors advanced while surrounding Namgung Cheon. Namgung Cheon wore a loose long robe to cover his severed arm and body, and put on a large bamboo hat to hide even his face. Bringing up the very rear were Jang Geon and Jeok-sein.
People and carriages were constantly coming and going on the main avenue, so they could not advance quickly. Jang Geon lightly lifted the bamboo hat he was wearing and looked around at the people.
The people did not seem to pay much mind even upon seeing the Martial Alliance warriors moving together in a group. Indeed, there were dozens of sects affiliated with the Martial Alliance, and among them, visitors arriving as guests visited the Alliance once or twice every day. And among those, important guests were always met and escorted in by the Alliance’s warriors.
Just then, something peculiar caught Jang Geon’s eye. It was a small cart, structured such that a well-dressed middle-aged man sat atop it while a young man pulled it from the front. Even amidst the crowded throng of people and carriages, that small rickshaw was rattling forward.
What captivated Jang Geon’s gaze even more was the scene of the middle-aged man riding the rickshaw smoking tobacco. He pulled out well-dried tobacco from his breast pocket, held it between his lips, and then pulled out a silver lump of metal, opened its lid, and fiddled with the flint to strike a flame. Although slightly more refined, it was unmistakably the same fire canister that Jang Geon possessed.
“Fascinating, isn’t it? It’s a business recently started by the Jang Family Merchant Guild. It’s much faster and more convenient than lighting a fire with flint, so they say the Alliance is planning to strike a deal with them as well.”
As Jang Geon was observing it intently, Bae Won-chan, who had approached his side before he noticed, initiated conversation. Without even turning his head toward Bae Won-chan, Jang Geon asked a question.
“Is that rickshaw also a product of the Jang Family Merchant Guild?”
“Oh? You guessed the cart’s name right away. Well, it is quite a straightforward name. That’s right. That is also a product of the Jang Family Merchant Guild. It’s cheaper and more comfortable than a carriage, so many people use it. From what I hear, starting with those rickshaws and fire canisters, the Jang Family Merchant Guild aims for an aggressive business expansion. Ah, that fire-starting tool is called a fire canister.”
Bae Won-chan spoke affably before suddenly speaking up as if remembering something.
“Did you say you were Martial Artist Jang? Do you happen to have any connection to the Jang Family Merchant Guild? Haha. If so, I had better stay on your good side. It’s a merchant guild that will be conducting long-term business with the Alliance in the future…”
“My elder brother is running the business well.”
“…Pardon?”
Bae Won-chan, who had spoken half-jokingly, failed to comprehend Jang Geon’s words for a moment and wore a blank expression. Jeok-sein, who was beside them, nudged his arm lightly and spoke.
“Martial Artist Jang is the second son of the Hunan Jang Family. You know that the Jang Family Merchant Guild is that Hunan Jang Family’s enterprise, right?”
“Ah? Ah! Is that so! Forgive my lack of recognition… I must greet you properly once more. I am Bae Won-chan of the White Forest Sect.”
Upon Jeok-sein’s explanation, his eyes widened dramatically in fuss, and he clasped his hands again. In response, Jang Geon merely held the edge of his bamboo hat and slightly bowed his head to return the greeting.
Raising his head after that, Jang Geon turned his gaze to Jeok-sein and spoke.
“It suddenly occurred to me, why do you still call me Martial Artist Jang?”
“…Pardon?”
“For the past few days, you’ve only called me Martial Artist Jang. Didn’t we agree back in New Sichuan to call each other by name?”
At Jang Geon’s sudden question, embarrassment washed over Jeok-sein’s face. She reflexively glanced at Bae Won-chan and the other Martial Alliance warriors, hesitating.
“Well, that was quite a while ago… and I thought… Martial Artist Jang might feel uncomfortable…”
“I think being called ‘Martial Artist’ every single time makes me feel more uncomfortable. Just call me by my name.”
“…Mm. I shall do so, Jang Geon. If that is more comfortable for you.”
Jeok-sein shifted her gaze back to the front, answering with a somewhat stiffened expression. At a glance, it seemed like an expression made simply because the current situation was awkward. However, to San-ho, who had looked back to see what the three were discussing, that expression looked less like discomfort and more like a tinge of bashfulness.
Bae Won-chan, who had brought up the conversation first, looked back and forth between Jang Geon and Jeok-sein in bewilderment at the sight, but the two who had pulled their bamboo hats down low merely swayed to the movement of their saddles.
In the end, Bae Won-chan laughed sheepishly and led his horse a little further forward. The escort squad had now entered deep into the main avenue of New Sichuan and was advancing slowly.
As they proceeded down the road for a while, a large, firmly closed main gate caught Jang Geon’s eye in the distance as he happened to raise his head. And beyond it, high pavilions and pagodas glinted under the bright sunlight. It was the Martial Alliance.
At that moment, Jeok-sein beside him looked at the main gate of the Martial Alliance and spoke.
“Have you ever been inside the Martial Alliance?”
“No, I haven’t. I’ve only looked at the main gate while passing by.”
Jeok-sein turned her head toward Jang Geon and gave a faint smile.
“There’s not as much to see as you might think. It’s just pointlessly huge.”
Seeing her smile, Jang Geon also returned a gentle smile. Even the scars crisscrossing her face could not ruin her subtle smile.
And at that very moment, an alarm chimed inside Jang Geon’s mind and the world slowed down. His qi-sense, transcending his five senses, perceived sharp hostility and sounded a warning. The problem was that the destination of that hostility was not Jang Geon.
In the temporarily slowed world, as Jang Geon’s eyes slowly turned, the murderous intent materialized as a red thread passed through the narrow gaps between the warriors and targeted Namgung Cheon inside.
Without hesitation, Jang Geon tapped Jojo’s saddle with both hands and leaped into the air.
Jeok-sein, who had been watching him, witnessed his movement from the very beginning. Tapping the saddle with both hands and leaping up, Jang Geon lightly twisted his body in midair, flipped upside down, and stretched out his leg. The moment his toe pointed toward the zenith, it encountered the apex and tip of a pitch-black line flying in from somewhere.
Simultaneously, Jang Geon’s body spun another half-revolution. Wrapped in that rotation, the black arrow drawing a line of death from the sky toward Namgung Cheon bent into a smooth curve. Then, as though fired directly from Jang Geon’s foot, the black line flew straight ahead and slammed into the signboard of an inn.
With a loud crash, the large inn signboard shattered as if struck by a cannonball. At the sudden explosion of noise and impact, nearby people screamed, curling their bodies or collapsing onto the ground on the spot.
Deflecting the arrow, Jang Geon landed lightly on the ground. Watching him, Jeok-sein shouted out.
“Jia-Grade Alert!”
The flustered Martial Alliance warriors instantly dismounted, drew their spears and swords, and surrounded Namgung Cheon, while several warriors produced round shields hidden under their long cloaks behind their backs and stuck close to him. Having dismounted as well, Namgung Cheon stared toward the direction from which the arrow had flown with deeply sunken eyes from amidst them.
Tracing the arrow that shattered the sign and the murderous intent that fired it, Jang Geon shouted.
“Do not stop, keep moving!”
Jeok-sein, who had also drawn the sword from her back, hurriedly ran ahead of the escort team at his words and shouted.
“Clear the way! It is dangerous, everyone get inside the buildings! This is official Martial Alliance business!”
As she cleared the way, the escort team protecting Namgung Cheon with shields and swords began to advance rapidly.
Around that time, having deduced the direction from which the arrow originated, Jang Geon kicked off the ground and leaped into the air.
Stepping on railings and low eaves, Jang Geon mounted the roof of an inn in an instant, casting his gaze toward the suspected origin point and frowning. There was no need to trace clues; far off on the roof of a tall pavilion, a figure wrapped entirely in gray cloth was already aiming a new arrow.
That arrow was aimed not at Namgung Cheon, but at Jang Geon.
The moment Jang Geon realized it, the mysterious figure’s bowstring twanged—sending the arrow flying. Literally like a shot arrow cutting through space, it flew toward Jang Geon. It was simultaneous with sensing the murderous intent. The mysterious figure believed Jang Geon would be unable to dodge the arrow.
To be sure, Jang Geon did not dodge the arrow. All he did was bring his hands together with a sharp clap as if in prayer. Yet caught between his palms was the arrow shot by the figure.
“Mm.”
Unclasping his palms, Jang Geon felt that the arrow was extremely thin and light. Considering that heavier arrows fly further, the destructive force felt just now and earlier between his palms was at an astonishing level. It had to be the power of formidable internal energy.
Shaking his hand with a flick to embed the arrow into the roof, Jang Geon ran straight toward the mysterious figure. He began bounding across roofs and roof tiles like a tiger.
Seeing him, the mysterious figure did not remain still either. After appearing flabbergasted for a moment upon seeing his arrow caught and blocked, he quickly snapped back to his senses and relentlessly began shooting arrows at the approaching Jang Geon. Originating from the pavilion roof where he knelt on one knee, black lines traced through the air one after another.
Leaping between the roofs, Jang Geon dodged those black arrows by shifting his body’s direction, sometimes high up and sometimes in midair.
The arrows that brushed past him slammed down onto the roofs of New Sichuan’s pavilions like hail, shattering the roof tiles. Though much weaker than the very first arrow, they still possessed enough force to crush a person’s upper body if hit.
However, no matter how powerful, it was meaningless if it failed to hit its target, and compared to the stationary figure, Jang Geon was closing the distance extremely fast.
Finally, the moment the distance between Jang Geon and the figure shrank to a single pavilion, the figure saw Jang Geon leap high into the air, tossed aside the large longbow he had been firing, and thrust both hands inside his gray robes. Seeing that, Jang Geon also instinctively gripped the hilt of Azure Dragon.
The next instant, a barrage of round objects flew toward Jang Geon from the figure’s widely spread hands. Reflexively intending to unsheathe Azure Dragon to slash them, Jang Geon paused upon realizing that those small spheres were not aimed precisely at him.
Immediately after, those spheres burst with small popping sounds. While the explosive power was not great, thick plumes of colorful smoke spewed out from within them.
Despite the flash and noise of the explosions, Jang Geon remained unshakeable, holding his breath immediately and driving his center of gravity downward. The blade of Azure Dragon half-emerged with a growl.
Yet by the time Jang Geon landed lightly upon the pavilion roof, the mysterious figure who threw the smoke bombs had already vanished.
Jang Geon did not panic. Sheathing Azure Dragon, which he had half-drawn, he turned around, dropped to one knee, and swiftly scanned the street below the pavilion. The people on the streets of New Sichuan were looking up at the sky in bewilderment at the disturbance on the roofs.
And among them, Jang Geon’s flashing eyes locked with a certain man. The man, who had seemed to be naturally looking up while walking somewhere, froze up the moment his eyes met Jang Geon’s looking straight at him. But he soon chuckled slyly and raised a finger to point at the sky.
Seeing that finger, Jang Geon jerked his head up. The multicolored smoke clouds that Jang Geon had plunged through earlier were slowly descending. By the time Jang Geon scowled and lowered his head, that man’s figure was nowhere to be seen.
“…Troublesome bastards.”
Jang Geon pulled up the corner of his mouth into a cold smile. Even though he had not inhaled it when breaking through the smoke cloud just now, his skin prickled. Regardless of how lethal it might be, it was clear that it would be extremely bad for the health of the ordinary commoners down below.
Sneering, Jang Geon immediately stood up. Then he took off Azure Dragon, his outer robe, and bamboo hat, setting them down on one side before standing in the center of the pavilion roof.
The next instant, closing his eyes and drawing a deep breath, Jang Geon slowly bent both knees and extended his hands forward. And as his arms fully unfolded, he smoothly transitioned into the next movement.
The pavilion roof formed a gentle curve along the eaves and was not completely slanted. However, that did not mean it was easy for a person to move around on. The tilted surface was extremely awkward for someone accustomed to flat ground, and a single slip carried the risk of sliding off to the ground below.
On such a roof, Jang Geon moved with complete naturalness, flowing smoothly as if solid, flat ground were supporting him underneath.
His hands drew small circles and curves, which expanded beyond his elbows, shoulders, and waist to become part of the countless circles and arcs drawn by his entire body. His toes stepping on the tiles formed circles, and his chin moving naturally in rhythm with his body also drew circles and curves.
At that moment, not a single straight line could be seen in Jang Geon’s movement.
Because he was atop the roof, the people on the street could not see it, but if they had suddenly witnessed Jang Geon performing what looked like a leisurely dance, they would have wondered what on earth he was doing.
Yet as his Tai Chi continued in that manner, the surrounding air also began to mix into the vortex. Naturally captured by Jang Geon’s movements—which repeatedly accelerated and decelerated from moment to moment—the wind that had simply blown from one side to another spun in circles around his body.
The vortex rapidly swallowed up the surrounding airflow. The same was true for the smoke clouds, which were heavier than air and slowly descending toward the ground.
As Jang Geon’s Tai Chi went on and on, the surrounding air was continuously drawn toward his body. Because the colorful smoke clouds also formed a vortex around his body, Jang Geon looked like an immortal dancing amidst five-colored clouds.
As the flow continued seamlessly without interruption, soon all the smoke clouds floating in the sky gathered around Jang Geon’s body. At a certain point, Jang Geon ceased his footwork and drew circles, curves, and Tai Chi patterns with both hands. Thereupon, the smoke clouds swept up in his vortex—or more precisely, the poison clouds—drew a Tai Chi symbol following his touch.
As Jang Geon’s continuous touch directed downward toward the surface, the poison cloud settled softly onto the roof tiles.
When Jang Geon halted all movement and exhaled a deep breath, grains of sand sorted neatly into various colors lay quietly atop those roof tiles.
“…Seriously troublesome bastards.”
Having gathered the poison clouds, only then did Jang Geon relax his posture, straighten his waist, and catch his breath. And rolling his neck around, he could spot Jeok-sein staring at him with a stunned expression from the pavilion roof across the way.