The Martial World (江湖)

Seoul Branch of the Awakened Management Center.

Lee Dojin went straight to receive his hunter certificate.

The female receptionist he had seen a week ago greeted Lee Dojin warmly.

“Congratulations, Hunter Lee Dojin.”

The expression of the woman who succeeded in calling Lee Dojin a hunter for the first time was quite bright.

If Lee Dojin could see inside her head, full of thoughts about posting on his unofficial fan cafe <Wooden Sword Holy Knight Corps>, he might have been more shocked than in any situation so far.

“Thank you.”

Lee Dojin also responded to those words with a smile.

Choi Bit-na had casually asked if they should go receive it together in the afternoon, but Lee Dojin apologized and declined.

Because from the moment the hunter certificate was issued today, he had things to do.

Lee Dojin didn’t return to the dormitory but immediately hailed a taxi.

“Please go to the Awakened Management Bureau.”

---

Although the Awakened Management Center and Management Bureau were connected institutions, they were clearly different. The Management Center was an institution that handled external affairs such as issuing hunter certificates or responding to complaints from citizens and hunters.

The Management Bureau was the higher institution that internally handled all matters related to hunters.

Top floor of the Awakened Management Bureau, 20th floor.

There was a man in front of Lee Dojin.

It was Kim Jeong-woo, Director of the Awakened Management Bureau.

Even though he had only made one call before heading to the Management Bureau, he had readily agreed to meet. Probably because the influence of still being the nominal disciple of Sword Empress Yoo Seol-ah from Iroaz Academy remained.

“Thank you for meeting me.”

Kim Jeong-woo’s black hair was interspersed with strands of white hair.

“Yes. Student Lee Dojin. I heard that the final approval for A-rank came through. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“…So what brings you here this time?”

Director Kim Jeong-woo strangely felt uneasy every time he saw this academy student named Lee Dojin.

It was because of his unpredictable actions.

A student whose name wasn’t even known became the freshman representative against everyone’s predictions, and then as soon as he entered school, he killed one of the executives of the New Humanity Society.

He also single-handedly dealt with the monster summoned by the Red Sect at the academy.

From Kim Jeong-woo’s position, he couldn’t predict the actions of this supernova at all.

Lee Dojin opened his mouth.

“I’m thinking of settling my debts of gratitude and grudges.”

“By debts and grudges, you mean…?”

“The bad blood with Sword Emperor So Daecheol, one of the Ten Venerables.”

Ten Venerables, So Daecheol.

Guild Master of <Changheon>, ranked 5th among South Korean guilds.

The 21st century Sword Emperor who inherited the martial lineage of the Namgung family.

As the name of such a big shot suddenly came up, Kim Jeong-woo’s face visibly hardened.

“May I ask how you’re planning to resolve this debt and grudge?”

“It seems unavoidable that we’ll have to fight.”

Recalling the killing intent So Daecheol had shot from the audience seats during the martial arts competition event match, the option of not fighting didn’t exist.

“Are you asking me to mediate this fight?”

Mediation.

Would that be possible?

Lee Dojin slowly shook his head.

“What I want is observation and a bit of leniency.”

Observation and leniency.

Two words that didn’t quite match. Lee Dojin continued speaking.

“By observation?”

“Probably, So Daecheol will try to harm me with the intent to kill somehow. Just watch that. At the Awakened Management Bureau level.”

Director Kim Jeong-woo narrowed his brow.

“Then, are you telling me to observe something that could result in death?”

Lee Dojin shook his head.

“I won’t die. And I won’t try to kill So Daecheol or the Changheon Guild either. Cut off his right arm, or make one of his legs permanently unusable…”

Another possibility occurred to Lee Dojin’s mind.

A moment clearer than any scar that would make a martial artist no longer a martial artist.

“I will try to completely destroy his dantian.”

Kim Jeong-woo couldn’t understand Lee Dojin’s words at all. So he decided to listen more for now.

“What do you mean by leniency?”

“A situation will come where I’ll have no choice but to respond to So Daecheol and the Changheon Guild. When that time comes, I’m asking you to be lenient even if I respond appropriately.”

Kim Jeong-woo stared into Lee Dojin’s eyes. Lee Dojin’s eyes were calmly settled.

“By appropriate response, you mean?”

“I won’t kill. If many rush at me, I might cut off arms or slice ankles.”

Kim Jeong-woo gulped. This student wasn’t joking right now.

“…In a country under the rule of law like South Korea, such private combat, no, if the Sword Emperor doesn’t come out alone and faces you as a guild, then it’s not even combat but war. Anyway, there’s no way such a war would be tolerated.”

“I know that, that’s why I came.”

Lee Dojin brought up the main point.

“If by chance, I end up pushing someone to the brink of death, it’s to ensure they receive the fastest possible treatment.”

“…You’re saying you want to leave the aftermath of the war to me. Is that it?”

“That’s right.”

Director Kim Jeong-woo felt his head spinning. In his 12 years as director.

This was the first time he had seen an academy student seriously say such crazy things.

“…Isn’t there a way to avoid fighting?”

“There isn’t.”

Kim Jeong-woo held his forehead. He wanted to tell him to stop talking nonsense and leave, but behind the student in front of him was the Sword Empress, one of the Four Superhumans. As he was pondering what to say, the phone placed on the director’s desk rang out.

Kim Jeong-woo doubted his eyes for a moment when he saw the caller’s name.

<Sword Empress Yoo Seol-ah>

Kim Jeong-woo looked at Lee Dojin with a surprised face. Lee Dojin nodded as if he didn’t mind the call being answered, as if he had roughly expected who would be calling.

Yoo Seol-ah was one of the two people Lee Dojin had asked in advance to help persuade the director.

Kim Jeong-woo calmed his sinking heart and answered the phone.

“Hello.”

-Is Student Lee Dojin visiting you now, Director?

“Yes, he’s right in front of me.”

-Listen to what Student Lee Dojin says. You have that much power, don’t you? Even if the Changheon Guild attacks in large numbers, it’ll be in their guild headquarters. Then they should have artifacts that generate domes to block outside view, right?

She meant to allow it since outsiders wouldn’t see anyway.

“…Aren’t you worried about Student Lee Dojin?”

To Director Kim Jeong-woo, the Changheon Guild headquarters was literally a death trap for Lee Dojin. That’s how he saw it. And other hunters would probably see it that way too.

But Yoo Seol-ah just let out a light chuckle.

-He’s become too big of a person now to worry about something like that.

Director Kim Jeong-woo still couldn’t understand Yoo Seol-ah’s mind.

Killing a low-ranking executive of the New Humanity Society. Of course, that’s an impressive feat. Something even an S-rank veteran hunter wouldn’t be confident in achieving.

Killing another executive together with Student Yeon Simun. That’s also an impressive feat.

And single-handedly defeating the SS-rank estimated monster that appeared at the school. This too is a feat worthy of admiration.

But.

These are things that Sword Emperor So Daecheol could do too.

Those who have broken through the SS-rank frame. Martial artists who have entered the transcendent realm.

That’s why they were collectively called the ‘Ten Venerables’.

And once he enters Changgung (蒼穹), the stronghold of the <Changheon> Guild, there was a high probability he would have to fight his subordinates who were all veteran hunters and martial artists with formidable martial power.

That’s why Lee Dojin’s confidence seemed like arrogance. It couldn’t help but be seen as an act of suicide.

“I’ll think about it.”

-You’ll need to think quickly. I don’t think Student Lee Dojin will think for very long. I hope you appreciate how I’ve worked for the safety of the country until now.

Kim Jeong-woo, who didn’t know the Sword Empress would go so far as to bring up her own merits to back Lee Dojin, gulped again.

But immediately, the phone rang out again. This time, an even more shocking figure than Sword Empress Yoo Seol-ah was listed as the caller.

<Elder Sword Demon>

The Sword Demon, who had actively worked until 10 years ago, had given considerable support to Kim Jeong-woo, who was a new director at the time. It was because he had opposed the then-president who was trying to climb the Tower even one more floor somehow.

Because he was a director who prioritized the safety of hunters above all else.

Thanks to the Sword Demon’s backing, Kim Jeong-woo was able to continue in his position as director even after opposing the government.

So he respected his intention to step down from the position of one of the Four Superhumans and go into seclusion as much as possible. Because he was a martial artist he sincerely respected.

But until now, there had never been a single phone call from Jung Yong-ha, the Sword Demon. They had just exchanged numbers.

Kim Jeong-woo stared at Lee Dojin with his eyes wide open. Lee Dojin nodded silently this time too.

Of course, because Jung Yong-ha was the other person he had asked to help with persuasion.

Kim Jeong-woo felt like grabbing the back of his neck.

‘This, this crazy bastard…’

What kind of life had he lived for such giants to listen to the request of a youngster who had just become a hunter?

Kim Jeong-woo, who had barely composed himself, quickly answered the phone.

“I-Is this Elder Sword Demon?”

-It’s been a while.

“Yes, I’m glad you’re doing well. It’s an honor to receive your call like this.”

-The youngster in front of your eyes. Listen to what he says.

“…E-Elder.”

Kim Jeong-woo felt like he was going crazy at the speed with which the Sword Demon threw out his business, or rather shoved it in his ear.

Jung Yong-ha continued speaking.

-Even 10 years ago, there were many cases of swordsmen not liking each other and saying they would have life-and-death duels or make each other cripples. Even among ultra-high-level experts beyond S-rank. And those guys, whether their arms were cut off or they became cripples, if they lost, they quietly accepted the results.

-Isn’t that enough?

-It’s been 54 years since Gates opened and monsters rampaged. What helped in slaughtering monsters and dealing with villains wasn’t the laws of South Korea.

-It was the laws of the martial world.

These words were the same as what the Sword Demon had said laughingly when Lee Dojin asked yesterday.

In the end, the director had to agree to Lee Dojin’s words.

“I understand. After the conflict between the student and the Sword Emperor… I will help with the aftermath.”

“Thank you. Ah, do you have Sword Emperor So Daecheol’s phone number?”

Kim Jeong-woo blinked.

“Of course I have it, but…”

There was no way the Director of the Awakened Management Bureau wouldn’t have the number of the master of South Korea’s 5th-ranked guild.

“Please tell me.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Declaration of war.”

Kim Jeong-woo gave up on thinking in front of this creature called Lee Dojin.

He handed over the phone number.

Lee Dojin immediately made the call. He put the phone on the desk with the speaker mode on so that Director Kim Jeong-woo in front of him could hear the conversation.

-Who is this?

A thick voice echoed in the director’s office. It was Sword Emperor So Daecheol.

“It’s Lee Dojin.”

There was no honorific speech. The stage for showing respect had long since passed.

-…Did you call to die?

“Is there a way to end our relationship without bloodshed? Money?”

So Daecheol’s loud laughter could be heard. It was a resounding laugh as if anger was contained in the tone. And then that sound suddenly stopped.

-Your right arm.

-If you let me cut off your right arm with my own hands, I’ll settle our debt and grudge with that. Of course, I’ll crush it so you can’t recover with holy power or anything like that.

Lee Dojin’s face was expressionless.

“So there’s no moderate way. Three days later, Monday. I’ll come to Changgung. Wait alone or have your subordinates ready, do as you please.”

Silence lingered.

Lee Dojin’s voice continued.

“Anyway, I’m going to completely destroy that Changgung.”

Saying he would destroy Changgung, the guild’s headquarters, was the same as saying he would destroy the <Changheon> Guild.

It was a clear declaration of war.

After the silence, So Daecheol’s voice was heard.

-Fine. Three days later, you’ll become half-paralyzed by my hands and then have your dantian destroyed. I’ll make you into a bug that would be better off dead.

Lee Dojin ended the call.

Kim Jeong-woo, who had heard their conversation, was staring at Lee Dojin with a face full of shock.

The time of the martial world (江湖) had begun to flow.