Light Novel: Volume 25 Episode 4
Manhwa: N/A
Haimen was rapidly gaining back its original appearance.
As if to prove the saying that “money can accomplish anything,” everything that had been destroyed was rebuilt.
The streets were restored to their former appearance, and the mansions that had been burned or collapsed were newly constructed.
While the dead could not be brought back to life, at least outwardly, the city had returned to its previous state.
This was thanks to the vast amount of money released by Hae-won Manor.
Once Haimen regained some stability, ships began to arrive again.
At the docks, numerous vessels waited to unload their goods, while merchants crowded in to make purchases. However, they struggled to find workers and were left wringing their hands.
In response, Hae-won Manor directly hired the displaced workers of the now-dismantled Red Bandana Association to help.
“Send the goods from this ship to Warehouse One.”
“These items go to Warehouse Three.”
A middle-aged scholar, who had once been a mid-level manager in the Red Bandana Association, skillfully assigned workers and designated storage warehouses for the goods.
The middle-aged scholar demonstrated unparalleled efficiency, accomplishing the work of a hundred men on his own.
Thanks to his efforts, the merchants could finally catch their breath.
An elderly man with a full beard watched the middle-aged scholar with admiration.
“What an incredible individual. If only I could recruit someone like him.”
His name was Yoo Mu-gun.
He was the master of the Seven Sages Merchant Group, based in Henan Province.
Today was the day one of the ships operated by the Seven Sages Merchant Group was scheduled to dock at Haimen. Yoo Mu-gun was such a passionate man that in his younger days, he had personally sailed and pioneered the Western Region trade routes.
Thanks to his hard work in his youth, he secured stable supply lines in the Western Region and was now running regular shipping operations.
When he first heard the news of the disturbance in Haimen, he was extremely worried. He was so concerned about whether the goods could be unloaded properly and whether the safety of his ships could be guaranteed that he couldn’t sleep well. However, upon arriving, he witnessed that the security of the area and the availability of workers in Haimen were surprisingly good.
This was all thanks to Hae-won Manor and the middle-aged scholar giving instructions over there.
The middle-aged scholar had not been highly valued within the Red Bandana Association, but after joining Hae-won Manor, he was now fully demonstrating his abilities.
His skills were so impressive that Yoo Mu-gun even considered recruiting him. However, attempting to take someone being highly utilized and regarded by Hae-won Manor could lead to unforeseen consequences. Thus, he could only suppress the thought.
In the meantime, it was time to unload the cargo from the Seven Sages Merchant Group’s ship.
The middle-aged scholar assigned the workers.
“Send the goods from this ship to Warehouse Seven. Verify the items there and hand them over to the Seven Sages Merchant Group.”
“Yes, sir!”
The workers responded and swiftly climbed aboard the ship.
A few moments later, the workers began unloading the goods brought from the Western Region.
The merchants of the Seven Sages Merchant Group watched closely, their eyes sharp, to ensure the cargo was being unloaded properly.
Meanwhile, Yoo Mu-gun cautiously approached the middle-aged scholar.
“Greetings. I am Yoo Mu-gun of the Seven Sages Merchant Group.”
“Ah, you must be the master of the Seven Sages Merchant Group. I am Gam Pyeong-hyun of Hae-won Manor.”
“Master Gam!”
“Please, just call me Captain Gam.”
“Alright, Captain Gam. Would it be possible for me to ask you for a favor?”
“What kind?”
“Because we came to Haimen in such haste, we weren’t able to properly organize a security escort team.”
“Ah!”
Gam Pyeong-hyun sighed.
The goods brought in from the Western Region were all precious items that were difficult to obtain. Transporting such valuable items over long distances required the protection of skilled martial artists.
Originally, the Seven Sages Merchant Group had its own escort group. However, due to unavoidable circumstances, they were unable to bring them with them this time.
The goods brought from the Western Region could somehow be loaded and transported. The problem was finding martial artists to protect the goods.
“So, I was wondering if you could recommend some trustworthy martial artists?”
“Martial artists to replace the escort team?”
“Yes!”
“Hmm…”
Gam Pyeong-hyun fell into deep thought for a moment.
It wasn’t uncommon for merchants arriving in Haimen to make such requests.
At a trading port like Haimen, there were always wandering swordsmen or martial artists available for hire to escort merchant groups. As such, fulfilling such requests wasn’t usually difficult.
However, this time was different.
After the recent series of incidents, many martial artists had been wiped out.
All the lower-tier martial artists had fled, and the competent martial artists had perished.
Finding reliable martial artists was no easy task.
“Ah! That could work.”
Gam Pyeong-hyun suddenly clapped his hands and exclaimed.
Yoo Mu-gun, his face brightening with anticipation, asked,
“Do you have a good idea?”
“Yes, as it happens, there are some people heading toward Henan. You could travel with them.”
“Do they have strong martial arts?”
“Not just strong—they’re exceptionally skilled. With them, you won’t have to worry about any dangers at all.”
“Are there really such people? How much would it cost to hire them?”
“I’m not sure I can give you a definitive answer. I’ll have to ask them directly.”
“Then I’ll leave it in your hands.”
“Please wait at the Seven Sages Merchant Group’s warehouse. If all goes well, I’ll send them there.”
“Could you at least tell me who they are?”
“That would be difficult. Even if things work out and you travel with them, do not ask about their identities.”
“Understood.”
At this point, Yoo Mu-gun couldn’t help but catch on.
It was clear that the people Gam Pyeong-hyun spoke of were extraordinary martial artists.
‘Just who are they?’
* * *
Warehouse Seven was enormous.
This warehouse was jointly used by the Seven Sages Merchant Group and several other merchant groups.
Fortunately, only the Seven Sages Merchant Group’s goods had arrived today, so the warehouse was relatively quiet.
After the Seven Sages Merchant Group workers unloaded their cargo from the ship, they loaded the goods onto carts and waited for news from Gam Pyeong-hyun.
“Could it be that the negotiations didn’t go well?”
If that were the case, they would have to find martial artists on their own. However, finding reliable martial artists was no easy task.
Unverified individuals could turn into bandits during transport.
Just as Yoo Mu-gun’s anxiety was reaching its peak—
Four people appeared in front of Warehouse Seven.
The group consisted of two adult men, one young boy, and a woman whose face was covered with veil.
The moment Yoo Mu-gun saw them, he felt the blood in his body run cold. He instinctively recognized that they were no ordinary martial artists.
The people who had arrived at the Warehouse Seven were none other than Pyo-wol, Hong Ye-seol, Soma, and Hong Yushin.
Pyo-wol had slightly altered his appearance using the Face Changing Art to conceal his identity.
But even then, Yoo Mu-gun, being an experienced merchant, immediately discerned that Pyo-wol was the leader of the group.
He cautiously spoke to Pyo-wol.
“Are you the ones recommended by Captain Gam?”
“Yes.”
It was Hong Yushin who responded.
Smiling confidently, Hong Yushin stepped closer to Yoo Mu-gun.
“We happen to have some business in Henan Province, and the request from your Seven Sages Merchant Group just happened to come at the right time. Isn’t this just fate? Don’t worry, we’ll escort you and your goods safely to Henan.”
“Ah, yes!”
“Most issues will be resolved by me and this young one here.”
The person Hong Yushin pointed to was none other than Soma.
Yoo Mu-gun fell silent for a moment at the sight of Soma, who appeared to be no more than ten years old.
It was hard to believe that such a young boy could possess significant martial prowess. However, the moment Yoo Mu-gun met Soma’s gaze, his thoughts changed completely.
The look in Soma’s eyes made his skin crawl.
Soma’s gaze carried such a terrifying intensity that the goosebumps on Yoo Mu-gun’s arms didn’t subside easily.
Before coming to Haimen, Soma had looked to be no older than six or seven. Yet, in just a few days, he had grown significantly, now appearing to be around ten years old.
It was as if the time that had been stagnant for him had begun to flow once more.
This miracle was made possible because Sage Il-gum had removed the side effects of the forbidden technique affecting Soma.
When Soma realized the change in his body he cried for a long time, overwhelmed with emotion. He sobbed even more bitterly as he thought of Sage Il-gum.
Without Sage Il-gum, such a miracle would never have occurred.
Soma then vowed to avenge Sage Il-gum, and perhaps because of that, his eyes now carried a faint but unmistakable killing intent.
Even Yoo Mu-gun, who had grown resilient through years in Jianghu, found himself intimidated by Soma’s gaze.
Cautiously, Yoo Mu-gun spoke to Hong Yushin.
“I’ll provide a carriage for your group.”
“We don’t mind walking.”
“No, no. With esteemed individuals like you providing an escort, it’s the least we can do.”
“Thank you. In return, we’ll ensure your goods arrive safely in Henan Province. Haha!”
Hong Yushin laughed heartily.
The journey to their destination was over a thousand li.
The thought of traveling such a long distance comfortably in a carriage was a welcome relief.
Hong Yushin eagerly climbed onto the driver’s seat. Soma sat beside him, while Pyo-wol and Hong Ye-seol took their seats inside the carriage.
Once they were all seated, the Seven Sages Merchant Group began their departure.
Yoo Mu-gun shouted,
“Move quickly! We must reach Zhengzhou in Henan Province within ten days at the latest.”
Zhengzhou was a large city at the foot of Mount Song, where the Shaolin Temple was located.
It was also the base of operations for the Seven Sages Merchant Group.
That was why Pyo-wol had accepted the Seven Sages Merchant Group’s request.
Pyo-wol opened the window and gazed outside.
He could see three figures standing in the distance.
Yul Ayeon, Elder Assassin, and Tarha.
Yul Ayeon looked at Pyo-wol with a deep, lingering gaze, while Elder Assassin had a regretful expression, clearly disappointed that he couldn’t join them.
For Pyo-wol, the decision was unavoidable.
Bringing Elder Assassin, who was not in good health, could delay their journey. More importantly, he needed someone trustworthy to take care of the Black Realm’s assassins.
And only Elder Assassin could fulfill that role.
Thus, Pyo-wol had to leave Elder Assassin behind in Haimen.
Elder Assassin, leaning on his crutch, bowed his head toward Pyo-wol.
Pyo-wol responded with a slight nod before closing the carriage window.
Clack!
As the window shut, Hong Ye-seol spoke.
“ It’s a good thing there happened to be a merchant group heading toward Zhengzhou. Asking Lady Yul for help was the right move.”
The idea to arrange for a merchant group heading to Henan Province had been Hong Ye-seol’s suggestion.
By now, Pyo-wol had become a major figure in Jianghu.
If he moved openly with his true face, it would inevitably draw attention from many who were watching him.
The best way was to blend into a procession like that of the Seven Sages Merchant Group, whose base was in Henan Province, or with an escort agency caravan.
Pyo-wol asked,
“What’s the estimated arrival time?”
“Since we’re moving with such a large group, it might take a bit longer. It’ll probably take at least fifteen days.”
“Fifteen days…”
“That’s the minimum estimate. If we get caught up in any unexpected incidents, it could take even longer.”
“That’s true.”
Pyo-wol nodded in agreement.
Jianghu was vast, making it impossible to predict when or where incidents might occur.
Looking back, Pyo-wol had often encountered unexpected events during his travels through Jianghu.
Perhaps it was his very presence that caused incidents to arise wherever he went.
Pyo-wol silently hoped that nothing like that would happen this time.
Hong Ye-seol remarked,
“Elder Assassin will take care of organizing the Black Realm well, so all we need to focus on is our journey ahead.”
“Hmm!”
“By the way, what could Jang Cheonhwa have been thinking when he orchestrated all of this?”
“It’s human nature to want to use their power once they gain it.”
“Even when they have already achieved everything?”
“There’s still the Frenzied Warrior Sect.”
“The Frenzied Warrior Sect?”
“It’s better to be the number one stronghold than one of the Two Strongholds.”
“Are you saying that all of this is targeting the Frenzied Warrior Sect?”
“That’s what I believe.”
“Hmm…”
Hong Ye-seol let out a soft hum.
She agreed that Pyo-wol’s reasoning made sense.
Then, a question suddenly occurred to her.
“Then why is the Frenzied Warrior Sect so quiet?”
The Frenzied Warrior Sect was one of the Two Strongholds alongside the Celestial Martial Sect. They were undoubtedly keeping a close watch on the movements of the Celestial Martial Sect.
So it was strange that they had shown no response to Jang Cheonhwa’s actions.
The only one active in Jianghu was the sect’s successor, Lee Geumhan, while the rest of the sect’s members were holed up within their domain, showing no signs of movement.
“Are they just standing by? Or is there some reason they’re forced to stand by?”
“Perhaps it’s a bit of both.”
LUNA-CAVE
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