Chapter – 45
Stepping off the bridge, Kang Yoo and Wi Yeon blended into the bustling crowd filling the street.
Paradoxically, such commotion was extremely beneficial for security.
Just then, Kang Yoo asked without hesitation.
“A person?”
Wi Yeon answered while dodging an oncoming pedestrian.
“That’s right. I’m sorry to ask this of someone who just finished a big task, but could you find a person for me?”
Kang Yoo blinked.
What was he talking about?
He’d readily increased his monthly salary without any fuss, so Kang Yoo had finally thought their circumstances had improved quite a bit, but now he was talking about another strange task that wasn’t their main job.
As expected, he hadn’t seen wrong earlier.
When asked to raise the monthly salary, he’d seen tears welling up in the boss’s eyes.
For a grown man to show tears to that extent, the security company’s situation still wasn’t good.
Come to think of it, they had also returned empty-handed from Sichuan.
He felt sorry inwardly, but that was one thing, and what he was owed was another.
If they were giving it, there was no need to refuse.
Kang Yoo gave an unnecessary cough.
“W-who?”
Wi Yeon kept moving his feet.
“Even someone as detached from worldly desires as you must have heard about the Yongbong Branch Gathering.”
“Of course. I know.”
He had heard about it through Zhuge Sohyeon on the way out of Sichuan.
The Yongbong Branch Gathering (龍鳳支會).
He’d heard it was a gathering where martial artists of appropriate age test each other’s strength.
He’d heard it was a large-scale gathering with deep roots, attracting martial artists from all over the Central Plains.
The surprising thing was that the Ming imperial family also attended as observers.
That part had been quite strange.
Why would the imperial family come to observe a martial arts gathering held by the weakest martial artists in the world, who weren’t even top masters?
No matter how much he thought about it, it didn’t add up.
Then, he suddenly remembered something from the village.
A conversation with Grandpa Oh, who often told him strange stories.
‘What are you doing, Grandpa?’
Grandpa Oh had an eccentric hobby.
He would often catch flies, ants, and other bugs and put them together in the same container.
The old man seemed to greatly enjoy watching the creatures fight.
There were even days when he spent the whole day doing that.
So, one day, Kang Yoo had asked.
‘Is it fun, Grandpa?’
‘Of course. That’s why I do this all day.’
‘But why is it always ants and flies?’
‘Huh?’
‘There are things like stag beetles and centipedes too. They’re much stronger!’
Grandpa Oh couldn’t take his eyes off the octagonal box.
‘Don’t talk nonsense. Fights are always about the small fry.’
‘Small fry?’
‘What do they call it here… Goh, Goyak? Go, Gojeol?’
Grandpa Oh was particularly clumsy with Central Plains language.
‘孤軍弱卒 (Go-gun Yak-jul)?’
‘Yeah, that’s it, that thing. Go-gun… Anyway, that thing.’
孤軍弱卒 (Go-gun Yak-jul) refers to isolated soldiers in war or lonely, powerless people.
He recalled the look in Grandpa Oh’s eyes, unable to hide his excitement as he peered into the container.
‘Fights are always about the small fry. For fun, this is the best.’
It seemed the imperial family had the same reason for coming to watch the martial artists’ gathering.
According to Grandpa Oh’s expression, among fights, small fry fights were the most fun.
“But why are you suddenly asking about the Yongbong Gathering?”
Wi Yeon, who had been walking well, stopped.
“I’d like you to participate in that Yongbong Gathering for me.”
“You just said to find a person?”
“Right. To be precise, it’s a task where you must participate in the Yongbong Gathering and find a person.”
What did that mean?
Not to fight by participating in the martial arts gathering, but to find a person.
“As you know, thanks to your efforts, the enemies’ plan to swallow the Tang Family has been thwarted. According to news from the Tang Family, negotiations with Dokgok also seem to be concluding well.”
“Dokgok?”
“Isn’t it surprising? The Tang Family and Dokgok, who were desperate to devour each other, are now aligning their intentions.”
If they were desperate to devour each other, then Dokgok must also be a big-shot family.
Anyway, the ‘enemies’ likely referred to the bandit group led by Grandpa Jin. Squad Leader Sohyeon had said their goal was to nullify the ‘Guan-Wu Non-Aggression Pact’.
By harming the imperial family members who came to observe the gathering held by martial artists.
Thinking about it even briefly, it was a very serious matter.
If the pact between the state and martial artists was nullified as the enemies intended, security companies, which many martial artists belong to, would have to deal not only with bandits but also with interference from government troops every time they transported goods.
Grandpa Jin was clearly aiming for that too.
To easily practice banditry against security companies with nowhere to turn.
We are revenge.
Was that Grandpa Jin’s revenge?
Just then, the boss’s expression turned quite serious.
“With the plan to inflict widespread damage on the imperial family attending the Hwanglim Gathering thwarted, the enemies now have only one path left.”
“And that’s the Yongbong Gathering?”
“Exactly. There is a tradition where the highest-ranking official of the imperial family personally awards the winner of the Yongbong Gathering, held concurrently with the Hwanglim Gathering. It’s the only opportunity to breach the ironclad security of the Imperial Guards (金衣衛) and Eastern Depot (東廠). They must be waiting for that moment.”
Kang Yoo’s eyes rolled.
“Then if I win the tournament, it would be easily resolved, but that’s not what you’re hoping for.”
Wi Yeon nodded with an ‘as expected’ expression.
“Right. If you participated in the tournament seriously, winning wouldn’t be any trouble at all.”
Chuckle.
“Our goal is to identify the hidden assassin who has infiltrated the Yongbong Gathering, keep him within range, and wipe him out at the decisive moment.”
“I roughly understand what you mean.”
To summarize, it meant laying out bait, not a trap, on the path the prey takes, but then tracking it down and raiding its den.
But listening to it, there was a regrettable part.
Of course, it would be good for the martial artists and security companies, but the boss was in such dire straits that he even cried when asked to raise the monthly salary.
In that situation, he wondered if they really had to act as vigilantes.
“But what do we gain from doing this?”
“……”
Wi Yeon, who was about to say something, closed his mouth.
In truth, the alliance planned to use this incident as an opportunity or pretext to strengthen relations with the Ming even further and draw out ‘Public Support Funds’.
Of course, they called it Public Support Funds, but in reality, there was a high probability they would be used as missionary funds to expand the influence of various sects or for expanding affiliated businesses.
The kid was pointing that out right now.
He was a kid who showed righteousness and chivalry with just a few coins.
The kid was talking about justice without reward.
‘A Hongbok indeed. Sent by heaven.’
Although it was embarrassing, what a successor he had long awaited.
The seven years without passing a candidate were not a waste at all.
Now, he was even feeling respect.
“You will get what you desire. I will also strive for it.”
‘What I desire?’
The only thing he wanted was money.
So, this task was clearly an underhanded operation or a business tactic to look good in the eyes of the authorities.
Then, he had to do his best.
The boss was someone who had accepted the unreasonable request for a salary raise even in difficult circumstances, and to receive that unreasonable salary, the security company needed to make money.
Afterwards, Wi Yeon continued with a more detailed explanation of the mission.
During the story, Kang Yoo’s eyes widened.
“Disguise?”
Wi Yeon nodded.
“Your face was exposed at the Tang Family, right? It’s highly likely the assassin will recognize your appearance. As I said, security is the most important thing for this mission.”
Wi Yeon scanned Kang Yoo from head to toe with his hand.
“First, we’ll change your clothes completely. Now, your face.”
He poked Kang Yoo’s soft cheek.
“I’ll assign you a master of disguise. In half a day, it’ll be perfect.”
“Umm. Okay.”
It would be bothersome, of course, but it wasn’t a difficult task.
Even Squad Leader Sohyeon, a woman, disguised herself as a man.
And he got a salary raise too.
It was a bearable enough task.
And so, shortly after,
Amidst the noise of the pedestrians, Wi Yeon finished all his explanations.
Kang Yoo scratched his cheek.
“But you know, Danju-nim (Head/Chief).”
“?”
At the following words, Wi Yeon’s expression turned cold.
His wavering gaze turned to Kang Yoo.
Not long after, the Ming and the Martial Alliance announced the concurrent holding of the Hwanglim Gathering and the Yongbong Gathering.
Except for a very few officials who knew the information in advance, a great migration of martial artists began from all over the Central Plains.
Not only the original Yongbong Gathering but also the decennial gathering hosted by the imperial family had exceptional meaning and honor.
Chang’an quickly became a bustling hub.
Spectators looking for a long-awaited spectacle, and top masters of the era curious about the growth of the new generation.
Young martial artists who endured hellish training, waiting only for this day.
Yeo Dong-wan of the Henan Hyeoncheonmun was also one of them.
His start was humble.
Born as the son of a poor farmer, he was sold to Hyeoncheonmun at the age of five.
Not as a disciple, but as a servant.
Then one day, a fight broke out with some who had entered as disciples.
Unable to endure years of bullying, Yeo Dong-wan, ready to be rolled up in a mat, threw a punch.
And he won.
He was one, and the opponents were seven.
Yeo Dong-wan trembled.
He thought he would be locked in a crate and die.
And that day, the child met the sect leader of Hyeoncheonmun for the first time.
Yeo Dong-wan, who had been a servant, became a formal disciple of Hyeoncheonmun.
With a talent for understanding ten things when taught one, he amazed everyone.
A year, two years passed like that.
The five-year-old child sold as a servant grew past his coming-of-age and eventually became the greatest master of Hyeoncheonmun.
Although he grew up monopolizing the title of prodigy since entering the sect, people around him said:
The Huangchuan you’ve lived in all your life is a remote village among remote villages located at the edge of Henan, and just one step outside, there are as many strong people as stars.
You are just a frog in a well.
Yeo Dong-wan did not refute.
He also thought of himself that way.
That is, until he met a Cheongseong outer sect disciple in the Henan preliminaries of the Yongbong Gathering, which he applied to out of curiosity.
The process to the finals was smooth.
He met quite a few famous martial artists whose names were known even in Huangchuan, but perhaps because they were all tense or in poor physical condition, he continued to win easily.
And before he knew it, the finals of the Henan Seventh District regional preliminaries.
Yeo Dong-wan’s final opponent was none other than a Cheongseong outer sect disciple, one of the Nine Schools and Twelve Sects.
Moreover, although called ‘outer sect’, it was said he was a late-stage prodigy who was essentially a main mountain disciple, having been recognized for his talent and already decided upon for formal training.
People said again.
That it’s already a miracle you’ve come this far.
That you shouldn’t be too disappointed with the result and should participate with a mindset of learning.
And then the day of the finals arrived.
A tense sword clashed with a sword.
Anxious palms met palms.
At that moment, Yeo Dong-wan realized.
That his talent was by no means confined to a well.
That it was great wings that could dream of soaring into the world.
That day, when the winner was decided in the shortest time among the Yongbong Gathering regional preliminaries.
Many people sought out Yeo Dong-wan.
Many recruitment offers came along.
As if promised, everyone came saying he was a genius who wouldn’t appear again in the world.
But Yeo Dong-wan chose Hyeoncheonmun.
It was the place that recognized the talent of him, who had been a servant, and raised him as a martial artist.
The rapidly increasing number of Hyeoncheonmun disciples day by day was Yeo Dong-wan’s joy.
The record for the Henan Seventh District preliminaries finals: one breath.
Yeo Dong-wan proved himself against the Cheongseong disciple in just two exchanges.
Yeo Dong-wan, who had been reminiscing briefly, raised his head.
He saw a slender-built man standing opposite him.
He had an ordinary face.
Kang Gu, was it?
According to the referee’s introduction, he was a qualifier from the Heilongjiang Third District.
Heilongjiang was an even more remote region than Huangchuan in Henan, his hometown.
Yeo Dong-wan looked below the arena assembled with wooden planks.
Even though it was the main tournament, almost no spectators could be seen.
It was because the schedule in the main stadium set up in front of Hwacheongji (華淸池) was filled with matches between disciples of the Nine Schools and Twelve Sects.
It was a scene close to indifference, but Yeo Dong-wan didn’t mind.
He just had to prove himself again, like in the Henan preliminaries.
Soon, everyone in the world would know of his existence.
“Nice to meet you. I am Yeo Dong-wan from Huangchuan, Henan.”
“Ahh. Hello. I am Kang… no, Kang Gu from the Geumhwa Sect of Heilongjiang.”
Geumhwa Sect.
As expected, a name he’d never heard before.
Even his speech had the feel of a young child.
Yeo Dong-wan politely clasped his fists in salute.
“If you participate with a mindset of learning without being disappointed by the result, I believe you will surely gain some insight.”
“……”
Just then, the referee’s hand rose toward the sky.
“Then, begi…”
Yeo Dong-wan let out a breath.
勿輕小事 (Mulkyeong Sosa) – Do not despise small matters.
Even a tiger does its best when catching a rabbit.
Holding back is rather an act of disrespect towards the opponent, a fellow martial artist.
The referee’s hand drew an arc.
“Jaak…!” Crash.
The wall of the pavilion opposite collapsed.
It was a place five jang away from the arena set up in the middle of the compound.
Only one person remained on the arena.
The wall, broken and raising a cloud of dust.
The referee’s jaw, belatedly grasping the situation, dropped to the ground.
His gaze and the heads of the few spectators turned simultaneously toward one place.
The most surprised was Kang Gu.
“…Huhk!”
Lately, he had only been dealing with top masters, so he couldn’t control his strength.
No, hitting a martial artist, starting with Namgung Sahwa, was the first and last time.
But still, could slapping a cheek once cause that?
As expected of participants in the weakest martial artists’ gathering in the world.
“D-did I win?”
“……”
Kang Yoo scrambled out of the arena in a fluster.
To find the bad guy, he had to act weak, but martial artists were so weak, even at their weakest, that he couldn’t grasp how weak he should act.
“Sh-should I get hit a bit first?”
With an anxious expression, Kang Yoo glanced around the arena and hurriedly left the spot.
