Chapter 10: Do You Think We’re a Joke? (1)
For several days after Taejeong’s death, things remained peaceful.
So far, the effects of his death had been positive for everyone. Wang Gon, who was directly connected to him, still had not returned.
Thanks to that, the merchants were finally able to enjoy a long-awaited period of peace.
Lim Chung had many thoughts of his own, and so did Beon Saeng, but neither of them revealed them.
Baek Socheon’s daily life also remained unchanged.
He worked diligently during the day, and after finishing his duties, he immersed himself in his own training.
Occasionally, he would undergo special training, and tonight was one of those nights.
At that very moment, Baek Socheon was climbing the sheer cliff of the tallest rugged mountain near Wencheng using only his bare hands.
He was not simply climbing.
He was doing it with the leather pouch he had brought with him when he was assigned to this place strapped to his back.
Without Internal Energy, a fall from this height would result in severe injury.
Focusing his mind, Baek Socheon poured strength into his fingertips.
Everyone believed Baek Socheon was ruined, but at least Baek Socheon himself had never once given up on recovering his martial arts.
Over the past three years, he had pushed his body to its absolute limits, steadily raising those limits. If others knew the intensity of his training, they would think it was recklessly excessive, but Baek Socheon carefully controlled the intensity according to a thorough plan.
His body had already recovered to the condition it had been in before his injury.
No, in fact, it had become even better than it was back then. It was nothing short of a miracle born from his desperate desire to compensate for his lack of Internal Energy.
Relying on that powerful physique, Baek Socheon continued climbing toward the summit.
There were moments when he nearly slipped and fell to his death, but he never gave up.
At last, Baek Socheon reached the top of the cliff.
Throwing the heavy leather pouch beside him, he flopped onto the ground.
“Huff… Huff… Huff… Huff… Huff…”
Baek Socheon finally released the breath he had been holding back. As the tension throughout his body faded, soreness and exhaustion rushed over him. Climbing such a steep cliff while carrying such a heavy load was practically insanity.
When he had first started training after getting out of bed, he had been completely absorbed in the joy of watching his body improve and his stamina increase.
But as the training continued, it had become truly grueling.
A bloody regimen to surpass his limits.
Every single day, he genuinely wanted to give up.
Once the training ended, curses would naturally spill from his mouth. That was especially true when the training involved extreme danger like today.
“Damn it! Goddamn it! I’m done! I’m never training again. If I ever do this again, I’m a damn mutt!”
How long had he lain there?
Eventually, Baek Socheon’s breathing steadied.
Then, from within his heart, the voice from that unforgettable day echoed once more.
—Three years will be enough. By then, you’ll know that what I said was true.
Baek Socheon’s eyes snapped open. Barking like a dog, he jumped to his feet.
“Don’t make me laugh. I’ll prove that everything you said was complete nonsense.”
Leaping to his feet, Baek Socheon opened the leather pouch he had thrown beside him.
Inside, it was packed with all kinds of items, like a treasure bag.
He pulled out a pair of guards for his wrists and shins.
At first glance, they looked like ordinary protective gear, but they had actually been forged from steel for training purposes.
After fastening them onto his limbs, Baek Socheon moved his body around.
“Ugh, these are ridiculously heavy.”
His training had now entered yet another stage.
Resolving that he would not remove them even if his life were in danger, he reached into the leather pouch once more and took out a thick martial arts manual.
Its title had been erased, making it impossible to know what kind of manual it was, but its contents dealt with Internal Energy and cultivation methods. It had been read so many times that it was practically falling apart.
Sitting on the edge of the cliff, Baek Socheon began reading the manual.
“They could’ve written this a little more clearly.”
At times, he grumbled.
“Ah!”
At other times, he exclaimed in admiration.
Although he had read the manual over and over for the past three years, he studied it with the same diligence as if he were reading it for the first time.
Just then, the moon quietly emerged from behind the clouds, offering a small measure of assistance to the one determined to find a way forward.
Baek Socheon’s efforts continued until daybreak.
“What? Taejeong is dead?”
When Wang Gon returned from a several-day trip with Black Hand, he received the news about the Taejeong Sect.
“Yes. Taejeong died, and several of his subordinates were arrested.”
The sudden news left Wang Gon more dumbfounded than shocked.
“What the hell happened?”
His subordinate explained the circumstances, but it still made no sense.
“So his men were arrested by the Martial Alliance Branch…”
He could not even understand that part.
How could anyone lock a wolf inside a chicken coop?
Fine. Let’s force ourselves to accept that.
But the truly incomprehensible part was this.
“Taejeong went to rescue his men and got himself killed? And not even by the Branch Leader, but by one of the underlings?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!”
“Hah.”
Just as the rumours said, the Divine Transformation Gang stood behind the Taejeong Sect.
Normally, righteous sects kept their distance from the Black Society because associating with them would damage their prestige and reputation.
But the Divine Transformation Gang had expanded its influence by taking control of the Black Societies in each region.
To a great sect, the money flowing through the Black Society might seem like pocket change from children.
But that way of thinking came from people who knew nothing of reality.
The amount of money a Black Society in a single region could earn was astonishing.
They infiltrated every corner of everyday life and sucked money out of it like leeches.
The Divine Transformation Gang had seized control of the Black Societies throughout Zhejiang Province and had firmly sunk its fangs into them.
“Who killed him?”
“A newcomer who had just arrived at the Branch.”
“A newcomer?”
“Yes. It was apparently an accident. Taejeong got knocked over by the newcomer’s kick and died.”
“What, did he get hit by the Shadowless Kick or something?”
“Well… it seems he fell badly and struck his head.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. There were many witnesses.”
“That idiot. He had rotten luck.”
It had taken a great deal of time and effort to turn Taejeong into a truly dependable right-hand man.
The thugs of the Black Society did not become loyal simply because someone overpowered them.
They were the kind who were always prepared to stab someone in the back the moment an opportunity appeared.
Just when Taejeong had finally become trustworthy, this happened.
“But why did this happen in the first place?”
“It started when someone named Beon Saeng from the Branch arrested Taejeong Sect’s subordinates.”
“That bastard stayed quiet all this time. Why did he suddenly pull something like that?”
“We don’t know that much.”
“We need to restore the Taejeong Sect first. Is there anyone who can replace Taejeong?”
It did not really matter who the leader was.
As long as they obeyed orders and delivered the tribute money, it would not matter if the dog chained in the backyard took the position.
“The most likely candidate was the man who accompanied Taejeong to the Branch, but he died alongside him. The next person capable of leading the organisation is someone named Jongpyo, but he’s currently being held by the Wencheng Branch.”
Wang Gon shook his head repeatedly.
“This is one mess after another.”
“Oh, right. While you were away, Branch Leader Lim came by.”
“How the hell does that bastard manage his subordinates? I’m really starting to dislike him.”
He should have realised it when Lim Chung pretended to be so righteous and refused the Hundred-Year He Shou Wu.
Black Hand, who had remained silent until now, finally spoke.
“I’ll go and handle it.”
Wang Gon knew exactly how Black Hand intended to handle it.
He would threaten Beon Saeng, and if that failed, he would beat him half to death until Jongpyo was released.
Part of him wanted to let him do exactly that, but now was not the time.
“We can’t make things bigger with something important coming up.”
A major operation in Wencheng was about to begin.
It was the most important moment in his rise to power.
He could not afford unnecessary complications.
“Then what should we do?”
Narrowing his already small eyes even further, Wang Gon came up with a malicious idea.
“At times like this, we should handle things elegantly.”
That afternoon, an unexpected visitor arrived at the Wencheng Branch.
“Oh, Sister-in-law!”
The visitor was Ju, Branch Leader Lim Chung’s wife.
Hearing that his wife had come, Lim Chung stepped out of his office.
“Huh? What brings you here?”
She almost never visited the Branch.
“I came because of this.”
She held out a small wooden box.
The moment Lim Chung saw the familiar box, his expression stiffened.
He did not even need to open it to know what was inside.
It was the very Hundred-Year He Shou Wu Wang Gon had tried to give him.
“Someone came to the house and left this.”
The one who had delivered the box was a frightening-looking martial artist.
Worried that she might have accepted something she should not have, she had hurried all the way here.
Seeing her husband’s hardened expression, Ju asked anxiously,
“Nothing’s wrong, is it?”
“No. Don’t worry. Just go home. Leave this with me.”
“Are you really sure everything’s alright?”
“I said it’s fine.”
Still worried, Ju turned to leave.
Her feet felt heavy because she instinctively sensed that something had gone wrong.
“I don’t know what’s happening, but please be careful, dear.”
“I will. Get home safely.”
Though he tried not to show it, Lim Chung was furious.
Going as far as his home was an unmistakable threat.
Delivering the Hundred-Year He Shou Wu to his wife carried a clear message.
Will you accept it and do as you’re told?
Or will you put your family in danger as well?
‘That son of a bitch. So that’s how you want to play it.’
He could forgive many things, but involving his family was one thing he never could.
Beon Saeng walked over and asked,
“It smells pretty fragrant. What’s in there?”
“None of your business.”
Carrying the box, Lim Chung headed outside.
“Where are you going?”
Without answering, Lim Chung walked straight out.
It was the first time anyone had seen him so enraged.
“What in the world is in there to make him so angry?”
Watching him leave, Baek Socheon suddenly spoke to Beon Saeng.
“Are you close with the Branch Leader?”
“We are.”
“Then go after him.”
“Why?”
“When a martial artist gets that angry while holding a box containing Hundred-Year He Shou Wu, it means something has gone seriously wrong.”
“W-What?! Hundred-Year He Shou Wu?”
Baek Socheon had identified the contents of the box accurately from its scent alone.
“Can you guess who gave it to him?”
Beon Saeng nodded.
He had recently met someone who would give something like that.
He could more or less piece it together.
The Divine Transformation Gang had tried to bribe Lim Chung, but Lim Chung had refused.
So they had delivered it to his home instead.
Knowing that Lim Chung lived only for his family, it was obvious why he was so furious.
They had dragged his family into it.
“Then you probably know where the Branch Leader went.”
“Yes… I think I do.”
“Then hurry.”
Beon Saeng hesitated.
What good would it do if he rushed over?
Even bringing every martial artist from the Branch would make no difference.
Wang Gon’s men greatly outnumbered them and were not afraid of the Martial Alliance.
Especially Black Hand, who always stayed by Wang Gon’s side.
He was terrifying.
The only person Beon Saeng could rely on now was Baek Socheon.
“Aren’t you coming too, Brother?”
“Why should I?”
“A colleague we work with could be in danger.”
“We’ve only known each other for a few days. Since when are we colleagues?”
“But you’re close with me.”
“While you’re busy living in your fantasy, your Branch Leader might already be in danger.”
“Ah! You’re really too much!”
Beon Saeng dashed outside.
The urgent footsteps that had been fading into the distance suddenly came running back.
Throwing the door open, Beon Saeng shouted.
He had finally found a way to bring Baek Socheon with him.
“This isn’t a request from your junior. It’s an order from your superior at the Branch. We’re mobilising.”
His eyes pleaded desperately.
‘Please… help us.’
Only then did Baek Socheon rise to his feet.
“An order, huh… Fine. If you’re a martial artist of the Martial Alliance, then naturally you obey orders.”
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