Chapter 268: The Festival Must Continue (7)
The victor of the Heaven group was Fighting Exalt Jang Gwang-yeong. Although many high-level experts participated in the Heaven group, there was no one who could surpass one of the Eight Exalts.
The finals were fought between my Master, Cheong-hwa, and Jang Gwang-yeong. Although Cheong-hwa fought valiantly in the finals, unfortunately, the Fighting Exalt snatched victory by a hair’s breadth.
“They said the Boundless Divine Sword was second only to the Taiji Sword Emperor, and indeed, those words are correct.”
Jang Gwang-yeong, who arrogantly enjoyed nothing but victory, uniquely acknowledged only Cheong-hwa. Of course, my Master looked highly displeased, as if he didn’t care for such acknowledgment.
Perhaps because he possessed such combativeness and competitive spirit even at that age, he was able to become one of the Eight Exalts later. My Master was indeed someone worthy of respect.
“Sigh. The New Justice Festival was truly enjoyable. It is my first time seeing a festival with so much entertainment.”
“What are you saying? You speak as if it is already over. It is not finished yet.”
The commoners passing by shared such conversations. While the martial artists recognized me, the commoners didn’t remember my face, making it convenient to walk around.
“Is there something else?”
“I heard there is an After-Night Festival.”
“What do they do there?”
“They said they prepared some small gifts?”
The voices of the people were filled with immense expectation.
Given what we had shown so far, their expectations had naturally risen proportionally.
The After-Night Festival was in truth not held during the night. As soon as the tournament ended, the After-Night Festival began.
It was the byproduct of compressing the schedule due to the Demonic Cult’s emergence. However, because it was tightly scheduled, the reaction of the people was even better. Of course, they also hadn’t expected to receive gifts for participating in the festival, which contributed to the positive response.
The gifts weren’t particularly grand. Just a simple black bamboo hat. Nevertheless, an unexpected gift has a way of opening a person’s heart.
Of course, to elicit such a reaction, Namgung Hwi and Peng Chae-hyang had suffered immensely. While the final matches of the Heaven group were underway, they had run here and there to prepare for the After-Night Festival.
Using my immortal qi, I concealed my presence and walked around. Occasionally, martial artists with sharp senses met my gaze, but they didn’t show any sign of recognition. They possessed tact.
“Nice.”
Watching the people enjoying the New Justice Festival to the very end, I muttered to myself. Fortunately, my voice was soft enough that no one heard.
Commoners didn’t notice even when I brushed past their shoulders. This was the effect of my immortal qi.
Having recorded the end of the New Justice Festival in my eyes, I returned to the New Justice Association headquarters. Peng Chae-hyang and Namgung Hwi were slumped over the desk, their heads pressed together.
Though it was the most modest part of the planning, they seemed to have poured their entire hearts into it because it was the end. I withdrew my immortal qi and released my integration with nature.
“You worked hard.”
At my words, Namgung Hwi and Peng Chae-hyang sprang up.
“It was nothing.”
“No, sir!”
Their contributions deserved to be praised. I had initially thought I could handle it alone, but there were far more details requiring hands than expected, and without Peng Chae-hyang and Namgung Hwi, it would have been a disaster.
It seemed necessary to reward them for their silent dedication.
In any case, with the prize ceremony for the tournament winners included, all procedures concluded. Now, only my closing speech remained.
I couldn’t gather the people in a single spot like the opening ceremony. Because there was no space left on Wudang Mountain that could hold all the festival participants.
According to Jo Chung-heon’s rough estimate, the number of visitors to the five-day New Justice Festival was around a hundred thousand.
Considering that the Gathering of Dragons and Phoenixes, the representative event of the Martial Alliance, gathered only a few hundred martial artists, the New Justice Festival was an incomparably greater success.
In truth, contrary to the expectations of the people, we hadn’t prepared anything grand for the After-Night Festival.
Our budget had already been exceeded. No matter how much money the Wuhan Money House possessed, it was at best a large money house in Hubei Province. To plan a festival that the entire Central Plains could enjoy, the scale of the Wuhan Money House was also insufficient.
However, this was when my specialty shone. I climbed up to the Heavenly Pillar Peak where the Three Purities Hall was located.
Standing on the Heavenly Pillar Peak, the entire scenery below Wudang Mountain was visible at a glance. The open view seemed to clear my mind as well.
“Ahem. Ahem.”
I cleared my throat twice. Although they were light coughs, they resounded throughout Wudang Mountain. Since they were coughs filled with internal energy, it was inevitable.
I felt the people, who had been moving like a swarm of ants, halt all at once and look toward the Heavenly Pillar Peak. The immense internal energy echoed like a grand resonance.
“Welcome, everyone gathered on Wudang Mountain. I am the New Justice Association Master, Muk Hui-yeong.”
I was absolutely certain. Whether it was the sect leader of one of the Nine Great Sects or the head of one of the Five Great Families, no one else could have planned and concluded the New Justice Festival like this.
Fundamentally, a martial artist is someone who delves into themselves. But a merchant is someone who delves into others. Because of that difference, I was irreplaceable.
I looked down at the foot of Wudang Mountain. Although I couldn’t hear their voices, I felt a connection with the people participating in the New Justice Festival.
“Regrettably, the New Justice Festival we prepared concludes today. I hope you take with you pleasant memories of the effort we poured in.”
“It was fun!”
A roar resounded from the mountainside. It was Jang Gwang-yeong’s voice. He had also sent his voice up to the Heavenly Pillar Peak using his internal energy. Despite the immense distance separating us, the profound depth of his voice sent a shiver down my spine.
I caught my breath and continued speaking.
“Thank you all for participating. No matter how much we prepared, in the end, the New Justice Festival was completed only because you all came.”
There was no need for a long closing speech.
When I was young, the most tedious part at the village school was the schoolmaster’s long lecture after lessons ended.
I clapped my hands. The resonance of the clap shook all of Wudang Mountain.
“You have worked hard. Everyone, please descend safely.”
It was a clean farewell.
Thus, the New Justice Festival, which felt both long and short, concluded.
* * *
The claim that the New Justice Association possessed the top information network in the Central Plains was no lie. According to what I heard from Gwan Seo-ye, the Demonic Cult’s spies were truly everywhere. They even existed inside the Imperial Palace, it was said.
Because the Demonic Cult—the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult—was fundamentally a religion. Faith in a religion cannot be measured by logic and cool reasoning.
There were definitely individuals who enjoyed the Emperor’s favor yet placed themselves in the Demonic Cult.
While the Beggars’ Gang existed only in the streets, the Demonic Cult placed spies in all walks of life, thus surpassing the Beggars’ Gang in the quantity and quality of information.
Of course, the Demonic Cult also suffered from the weakness of being divided into multiple factions, but it was undoubtedly an excellent source of information.
“Hmm.”
Thus, today I had also descended to Jun County to review the information Gwan Seo-ye had left.
It was a long-lost tranquility, enjoyed in a small tea shop with a cup of Longjing tea. While I was sipping the tea and enjoying the atmosphere, the shop owner subtly approached me.
“Association Master, is there any discomfort?”
“Ah. None in particular.”
“My, you are the benefactor of our Jun County market. We must serve you even better.”
“What benefactor?”
I waved my hand in dismissal. When I had descended to Jun County with Peng Chae-hyang, I had gathered the merchants and spoken to them.
I told them that a massive crowd would arrive, so they should prepare plenty of ingredients. I also told them that if they possessed ambition, they could climb Wudang Mountain and open temporary stalls.
I added that although we were receiving applications from merchants of other regions, we would grant priority to the merchants of the Jun County market.
In return, I notified them that they would have to pay a commission to enter the New Justice Festival.
Even the merchants of a small place were merchants. They were people who could smell money.
The Jun County merchants vied to do business at the New Justice Festival, and it ultimately resulted in a massive success.
Since a small market like Jun County had never seen such a crowd, many merchants made years of revenue in just a few days.
Because of that result, the merchants were treating me almost like a deity they worshipped.
“If you need anything, please tell us.”
“Yes. Thank you.”
The shop owner, who looked at least twenty years older than me, bowed deeply and withdrew.
I once again opened Gwan Seo-ye’s information that I had concealed in a corner.
Budget, scale, and list of participants for the Palace of Heavenly Worship inauguration ceremony…
As if there truly was a spy in the government, the information I had requested was written in detail.
Had the Demonic Cult penetrated this deeply into the Imperial Palace? It was shocking anew.
Briefly, a thought occurred. Which faction of the Demonic Cult was it that had killed me? I would likely face them someday.
And I had no intention of forgiving them. A life for a life. I had no intention of bargaining with anything else. From their perspective, it might be received as irrational violence, but that was how the world was originally constructed.
First, using this information, I would humiliate the Palace of Heavenly Worship’s inauguration ceremony by any means.
The Palace of Heavenly Worship would likely be quite impatient. Because the New Justice Festival had successfully concluded with glowing reviews from both martial artists and commoners.
Indeed, there were many in the Central Plains who said the New Justice Festival was the finest festival. That information was also compiled by Gwan Seo-ye.
“She is indeed competent.”
I spoke, flicking the paper with my finger. Even when she was the Company Lord of the Yunchang Merchant Company, Gwan Seo-ye was a highly capable person who did her job perfectly.
Because the Demonic Cult possessed such competent individuals, pulling them out by their roots was impossible. And now, it would be troublesome if they were pulled out.
Because it was now certain that the tip of my spear was aimed at the Imperial Palace.
The list of participants for the Palace of Heavenly Worship was filled with famous individuals I knew.
Not to mention the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s Commander-in-Chief Seo Jong-haeng, the current Chancellor Huang Wensen, and all sorts of influential figures were coming.
And at the end, the ultimate influential figure was written.
Zhou Liubai. Gwan Seo-ye had written sobriquets for martial artists and official ranks for government officials in the list, but there was nothing before Zhou Liubai’s name. There was only the three-character name, Zhou Liubai.
Although there was no clue, I could figure it out using my wits.
“So the Emperor’s name is Zhou Liubai.”
The commoners did not know the Emperor’s name. Even most officials didn’t know it; only the historians who recorded history would likely know.
The reason there was no description before it was likely because the Demonic Cult did not acknowledge Zhou Liubai as the Emperor.
There may be individuals not present on the list.
Behind the Emperor’s name, Gwan Seo-ye had left a postscript in her familiar handwriting.
I thought so too. No matter how outstanding the Demonic Cult’s information network was, it was impossible to know all of the Imperial family’s shadow divisions.
I tilted my teacup, but it was empty. Before I knew it, I had finished the tea.
“My, Association Master. If you have finished, you should have told me. I can brew more. Since these are top-grade tea leaves, they can be brewed once more.”
The shop owner noticed instantly and rushed over, but I shook my head and stood up.
“I have finished my work. It is fine.”
“Ah, is that so?”
The shop owner looked highly disappointed. I had indeed bestowed grace upon them, it seemed.
Of course, I hadn’t given grace unilaterally. I had taken a commission as they succeeded, and the Radiant Crystal Merchant Company, which held the monopoly over the betting venue, had also secured seed money to rise again.
Everything was ready. Only one thing remained unprepared.
‘Myself.’
My level of martial arts. Although I was on the stronger side now, I still lacked the strength to completely overturn the Imperial Palace.
At the very end, the Fighting Exalt had growled that he wanted to fight me once, and if the Sect Leader, Cheong-ui, hadn’t intervened, I would have ultimately fought and lost. Having watched the Fighting Exalt’s fight, I knew this all too well.
Originally, it was an insurmountable gap. Yet the fact that I had come this far was virtually a miracle.
Acquiring this level of martial arts, getting to know so many people, and returning to life after death.
And what stood at the foundation of it all.
‘Martial Talent Shop’
It was a name that felt as familiar as a friend now.