episode_0007

“Branch Leader-nim, I have something to report.”

A man spoke to Branch Leader Namgung Hwi.

It was to report about a boy named Cheongun who had recently entered as a house guest.

A boy, not yet twenty, had appeared and, swinging a fishing rod, annihilated five martial artists in a single blow on the spot.

What’s more, he was said to have uttered the true name of Wi Yeonghwa, the Blood Lotus Pavilion Lord, known as one of the Hundred Great Masters of the Murim.

Even more incredible was that his manner of speech and conduct were undoubtedly those of the Demonic Path, yet his internal energy was so profound and pure that it felt akin to that of a highly virtuous Wudang master.

…Does this even make sense?

There was absolutely nothing coherent about it.

Of course, it was fortunate that his obsession with gold ingots had saved his only younger sister’s life, but believing everything at face value was not easy.

The fortunate thing was that his younger sister, Namgung Yul, had cleverly buried five bodies near the scene.

The bodies were physical evidence containing the full traces of the battle, making them an extremely important clue for more closely understanding the boy’s martial arts.

Thus, Namgung Hwi secretly dispatched men to recover the bodies and transport them to the branch.

The result.

“We have recovered five bodies near the Yangtze River.”

As Yul had said, the bodies remained.

The number was exactly five.

Even the burial location was exactly as she had described.

“Where are the bodies?”

“They are stored in the underground secret chamber. We’ve taken measures to keep them out of sight.”

“Good. Lead the way.”

“Please come this way.”

Namgung Hwi followed the man, opened a hidden door behind the warehouse, and descended a narrow staircase.

The damp air grew increasingly heavy.

Torches were sparsely hung on the walls, pushing back the darkness.

At the end of the narrow passage, an iron door appeared.

As the man pulled out an iron key from his pocket and opened the door, a rush of cold air swept out.

On one side of the room, five stone slabs lay in a row.

Each slab was covered with a white cloth, beneath which the distinct outlines of human figures were visible.

“Are these them?”

“Yes.”

Namgung Hwi strode forward and tore off the cloth in one swift motion.

The revealed corpses were shockingly clean.

If a martial artist died, they were usually found hacked to pieces or covered in blood, but these were astonishingly clean.

Their condition was so good that a faint trace of color remained on their pale faces.

But upon closer inspection, there was something strange.

Each of their foreheads had a small, clean hole pierced through it.

Only the trace of something having passed through remained, with almost no blood flowing out.

Yul’s words about making human skewers with a fishing line were true.

“He accurately struck the Yintang acupoint.”

The Yintang acupoint.

It is an acupoint located in the center of the forehead.

“But isn’t the Yintang acupoint an extraordinary meridian point? It seems unlikely a single hole would cause instant death.”

“If he imbued it with sword qi and tore apart the surrounding brain points, then that’s a different story.”

“Sword qi? With that thin fishing line?”

“Exactly. It means he channeled rampaging sword qi through it in that brief moment and ripped apart the opponent’s brain points. What astonishing control.”

“Is that so? Then it’s akin to him using a fishing line for sword-riding techniques.”

As Namgung Hwi’s explanation grew longer, the man’s eyes filled with astonishment.

They say all paths lead to the same destination. [a proverb about how mastery of martial arts eventually transcends specific forms or weapons.]

Whether it’s swordsmanship or spearmanship, once martial arts transcend a certain level, weapons become mere conduits for transmitting qi, rendering their form meaningless. Thus, a mere twig in the hands of a master can become a sword sharper than any other.

But even so.

The idea of using a fishing rod as a weapon was something neither Namgung Hwi nor the man had ever heard of in their lives.

In summary, it was as follows.

“He’s an eccentric master.”

“There’s no other explanation for such an eccentric master.”

An eccentric master.

And a reclusive eccentric master, who had hidden in the mountains for a long time without showing any trace in the Jianghu.

“This seems to be no ordinary matter.”

“Naturally. Though it’s only fragmentary information, it’s enough to turn the Jianghu upside down.”

While his cruel methods and unrestrained nature were concerning, the emergence of an absolute master inevitably caused a stir.

He would undoubtedly become a rising sun of the Jianghu.

Even if he had no ambitions in the Jianghu, the world would inevitably take notice of him, just as an awl eventually pokes through a sack [a proverb about talent eventually showing itself].

The man, roused from his thoughts, asked quietly.

“Shall we gather more information?”

“Maintain top-level secrecy, activate communication networks in every region, and thoroughly investigate his past and origins. Strictly control it so that no information leaks elsewhere. Especially ensure not even a shadow is revealed, as it would be troublesome if the authorities caught wind of it.”

“Understood.”

****

About a week had passed since Cheongun had become a house guest.

The closed room door opened.

Just then, Namgung Yul, who was passing by the door, blocked Cheongun as he came out.

“Oh, Great Hero Cheong! Where are you going?”

“Just going out for a bit.”

“Where to? The latrine?”

“No, I was thinking of exploring outside the annex.”

“Then…!”

“I’ll be back.”

Before Namgung Yul could even finish her sentence.

Cheongun was much faster than her saying, ‘Then I’ll go with you too!’

At Cheongun’s behavior, Namgung Yul shook her head, dumbfounded.

Namgung Yul had grown up as the precious jewel of the Namgung family, loved by many.

Perhaps because of this, her actions were as unblemished as her exceptional beauty.

The phrase “shy with strangers” simply did not apply to her.

But Cheongun was different.

He wasn’t exactly shy, but, how to put it, he seemed to not particularly trust people themselves.

It was like there was an invisible wall.

This, too, was likely a side effect of living a disconnected life for many years.

“Hmm, it’s not easy.”

Namgung Yul watched Cheongun’s retreating back and thought that.

At first, she was interested in his exceptional martial arts, but now, curious about him as a person, Namgung Yul wanted to get closer to Cheongun.

He was a truly unusual man.

What she liked most was his thorough financial sense.

It was a common misconception that martial artists were ignorant people who considered wandering the Jianghu with a single sword to be romantic, but Cheongun was different.

He understood the importance of money, and his own safety was always his top priority.

In that regard, Namgung Yul, who was just as fond of money as Cheongun, felt a strange sense of kinship with him.

Above all, he was her savior!

It was her duty to stay by his side for life and repay the favor she owed.

She followed behind Cheongun, persistently engaging him in conversation.

“Great Hero Cheong!”

“Why?”

“What’s the fun in fishing?”

“I enjoy it for the lack of excitement.”

“Ah! It’s the fun of wasting time, then.”

“Something like that.”

Cheongun chuckled and continued walking.

Cheongun disliked unnecessary attention, but that was only if the other person bore him ill will or was a dull man who rudely overstepped.

Even if Cheongun was self-indulgent and unrestrained, there was no reason to push away a woman like Namgung Yul, who approached him informally and genuinely tried.

Furthermore, he had something to gain, and there was no harm in knowing a martial artist of Namgung Yul’s caliber.

After all, she would later become a master who would carry on the legacy of the Namgung family and wander the Jianghu.

Moreover, she was a woman, and a remarkably beautiful one at that.

In any case, Cheongun was also a man, so he didn’t dislike women.

“Great Hero Cheong, what do you plan to do first when you receive the gold ingots?”

“I’ll buy a house first, of course.”

“Huhu, land and buildings are symbols of power and stability. That’s a wise choice. How about near the west gate of the city?”

“The west gate of the city?”

“Yes. It’s the beginning of the trade route leading to Yunnan… It’s a place frequented by herbalists, merchants, and escort agencies, so there’s a lot of foot traffic. Plus, I heard that the headquarters of the escort agency alliance is going to be built outside the west gate, so the security will be good, and naturally, land prices will rise, won’t they?”

“But I understand there are no properties for sale there.”

“They’re just pretending there aren’t any.”

“Can you help me?”

“Of course. Just say the word anytime.”

At those words, his annoyance completely vanished.

Cheongun, uncharacteristically, smiled brightly and matched his pace with Namgung Yul.

A woman who is exceptionally beautiful, quick-witted, and not empty-headed is rare in the Murim.

It was the moment Namgung Yul’s favorability rating in Cheongun’s mind sharply increased.

Just then.

— Clang! Clang-clang!

The sharp sound of swords clashing resounded.

Cheongun turned his head towards the direction of the sound.

In the center of the training ground, two men were sparring, crossing swords.

Cheongun abruptly fixed his gaze.

Namgung Yul looked at Cheongun like that and tilted her head.

Great Hero Cheong has an interest in something other than money?

He wouldn’t be interested in such a low-level spar, so what could have captured his attention?

She naturally followed Cheongun’s gaze.

On one side of the training ground, standing in an isolated corner, was a woman watching the spar.

“…”

Cheongun narrowed his brows and glared at the woman.

He couldn’t help but do so.

The first stage of the Heaven and Earth Primordial One Qi Art was Heaven’s Qi Sensitivity, which allowed one to feel the qi of heaven and earth with their entire body.

It transformed one into a constitution that was extremely sensitive to natural qi, which also made Cheongun more sensitive than anyone else to opposing, antagonistic auras.

And now, a faint demonic aura seeped from that woman.

“Miss Yul.”

“Yes?”

“Who is that woman over there?”

“That’s Hong Soyeon. She’s a new instructor who was recently appointed.”

Recently?

As soon as he heard that, Cheongun’s thoughts naturally drifted.

‘A spy?’

Though it was just a wisp, Cheongun clearly felt it.

The sticky, chilling, and unpleasant… end of demonic qi emanating from that woman.

Suddenly, knowledge from the original work came to mind.

Coincidentally, the Justice Alliance branch located on Mount Qingcheng was annihilated by a Demonic Cult attack.

So it wouldn’t be strange for one or two spies to be hidden there.

But how could he confirm it?

And why wasn’t his unique characteristic activating?

Could it be because she wasn’t an enemy *yet*?

Come to think of it, the setting seemed to be that it would only activate when he *faced* them *as an enemy*.

Damn it. How troublesome, how troublesome.

But it was extremely uncomfortable to just let it be without any evidence.

What if those Demonic Cult bastards attacked before he received his gold ingots?

What if all the people from whom he was supposed to receive the gold ingots were killed by those Demonic Cult bastards?

Damn it.

The mere thought sent shivers down his entire body.

What should he do about that bitch?

Wait, let me think a bit more…

“Great Hero Cheong, you’ve made eye contact with her.”

Hmm, he must have stared too long and she noticed.

But Cheongun didn’t avert his gaze.

Instead, he grinned mockingly and stared even harder, pretending to be crazy.

Cheongun strode towards the woman.

Naturally, everyone’s attention focused on them.

Namgung Yul also looked at Cheongun with a bewildered expression.

The face of the woman, presumed to be a spy, instantly stiffened.

As silence descended, Cheongun seized the opportunity and opened his mouth.

“Do you know something?”

“Huh?”

“You know the Demonic Cult Master? That bastard is actually an orphan.”

“???”

“And he’s impotent. He’s bald. He has no hair, no dick, and no parents…”

[ You have faced a Demonic Cultist as an enemy! ]

The words floating before his eyes.

[ Unique Characteristic: ‘Down with the Demonic Cult!’ is activated! ]

Cheongun’s lips curled up in a tearing grin.

[ Azure Spirit Pure Qi Body is activated! ]

[ Divine Pure Unassailable Meridians are activated! ]

[ Indestructible Vajra Body is activated! ]

[ Ethereal Body is activated! ]

…

…

A sneer.

You’re caught.