Chapter 64

The combination of an assassination organization and an intelligence organization has many advantages.

First, it allows them to sell the intelligence gathered during pre-assassination investigations for profit.

Moreover, both those who commissioned assassinations and those who sought information were mostly martial artists, so they understood the dark underbelly of the martial world better than anyone else.

Knowledge is money.

In that sense, the assassin organization Golden Silver Murder Society, which had once been hired by Gu Yangsheng, operated an intelligence network called Hua’ermen.

A young man who came to Hua’ermen handed over a note and said.

“…If it’s about that man, even the smallest detail matters. Just tell it in an interesting way.”

At the man’s words, a middle-aged woman belonging to Huai Men began her tale.

“I hear he recently won the Dragon Phoenix Grand Tournament.”

“I know that.”

“It’s said that the Dokgo Clan, the Namgung Clan, and the late-stage disciples of the Haenam Sect all lost to this man. If that were all, one might simply call it the emergence of a remarkable young master. The problem is, rumors are spreading even within the Black Path.”

“In the underworld too?”

“Yes. The head of the Soseon Sect was beaten to death after demanding money from the Eunha Trading Company. The Palryong Sect, for reasons unknown, seems to have groveled before the Grand Prince. Finally, the latest report says the Odo Valley

out of nowhere and was wiped out.”

“Unbelievable. Have you ever heard of a black-cloaked faction attacking a merchant guild only to be wiped out?”

“I’m hearing this for the first time too. And that’s not all. It seems he gathered merchants and openly launched an organization called the Merchant Guild. The head of this Merchant Guild is the same person who caused the incident I mentioned earlier.”

“Impressive.”

“Yes, he’s caused numerous incidents in a short period, so he’s someone our Huai Sect is keeping a close eye on.”

“What about his martial arts prowess?”

“Our conclusion at Huai Men is that he hides at least half of his revealed abilities. Ah, I almost forgot. It seems Gu Yang Sheng, the head of the Gu Yang Clan, also challenged him and was defeated. He was arrested by the Martial Alliance on charges of extortion and other offenses.”

This time, the man said nothing.

“······.”

It was because he himself came from the Gu family. Yet the woman remained calm throughout, as if she were merely conveying information.

The woman continued.

“We unofficially refer to him as the ‘Most Eligible Bachelor in the Martial World’.”

“Why is that?”

“After the Dragon-Phoenix Grand Banquet, the movements of the clans have been reported with relative ease. Not only the Baekri Clan, the Dokgo Clan, and the Namgung Clan, but even martial arts families with marriageable daughters seem to have set their sights on the young master of the Eunha Trading Company as a potential son-in-law.

After all, he has more money than the clans, doesn’t he?”

“Probably.”

“Yes, he’s a great merchant. His martial arts are formidable, and by the rumors, he’s quite handsome too. That’s why he’s a man of great interest to us at Huai Gate. When news comes of the martial world’s most eligible bachelor, everyone gets curious.”

The man yawned as he replied.

“Forget that trashy kid’s news. I want to hear about the real masters.”

The woman closed her mouth and grinned.

The phrase ‘true masters’ was code used when placing orders with the Golden Silver Murder Society.

“Forget about those second-rate latecomers. I’m talking about the absolute masters—the ones who make the martial world buzz with excitement just by appearing.”

“I’m sorry. The Emperors are silent, and as you know, the Three Deities are beyond our control…”

The man clicked his tongue and spoke in code again.

“I’m talking about news of someone dying, that sort of thing. Wouldn’t that be a truly interesting story? I didn’t come here to hear tales about some groom or other. I couldn’t care less about such a fellow.”

“I’ll tell you that story another time.”

His implication that he would relay news of the death of the Great Prince of the Eunha Trading Guild also meant he was accepting the assassination request.

The man pulled a slip of paper from his pocket and laid it down one by one on the small table. The woman, who had been quietly watching this action, nodded her head after a long while.

“Well then, please take a look.”

The man stood up with an exasperated look.

Just how much had he spent on the commission fee? As the man disappeared with a troubled look, the woman deciphered the coded language mixed into their conversation and relayed it.

“For an interesting story, the top brass will have to get involved. Discuss the timing, strategy, and other details with the operations team. First, get the chairman’s approval.”

A woman’s voice replied from beyond the invisible wall.

“Understood.”

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In any case, His Majesty Kwon, who had suddenly been crowned the most eligible bachelor in the martial world by the intelligence agency’s assessment, was conversing with the Chief Administrator.

“Brother, Young Master Baek is now our merchant guild’s benefactor.”

Dan Woo-sung let out a slight sigh.

“Exactly. We owe him a debt that’s hard to repay with ordinary means.”

Lee Hwa-eon remarked as if finding it curious.

“He didn’t demand anything more from us or act arrogant at all. It made me wonder if this is what the martial world is like, and it felt strange. He’s definitely different from merchants. That’s why I couldn’t decide. Please give me your opinion, Brother.”

Dan Woo-sung replied.

“They’ve come from afar and are staying nearby at an inn to spar with me…”

“Yes.”

“The duel isn’t the main purpose. Unless they achieve some results, they probably won’t leave Central Plains anytime soon.”

“Ah, I see.”

“Then it would be better for us to welcome them as honored guests first. We should prepare lodgings for them. No matter how grand the inn, it would be less comfortable than a place we prepare ourselves. There aren’t that many of them. We could even build a house just for them. That’s the level of hospitality expected of the Galaxy Trading Company.”

Lee Hwa-eon rose from his seat.

“Understood. Since Father has no reason to object, I’ll inform him and proceed. Since things have come to this, I’ll treat her with the utmost respect and honor her as my sister-in-law.”

“Yes… What?”

“Rest, brother.”

As Lee Hwa-eon rose and moved as if to flee, Dan Woo-sung asked again.

“What did you say at the end?”

Lee Hwa-eon vanished, giving an evasive answer.

“Once your startled heart calms down, sleep will come pouring in. Rest now, brother. The night is deep.”

As Lee Hwa-eon left his brother’s quarters, he glanced back briefly.

‘Pretending not to hear.’

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As soon as Lee Hwa-eon left, the Ssangbo brothers asked from outside the door.

“Brother, may we come in for a moment?”

“Come in.”

The Ssangbo brothers entered with expressionless faces and sat facing each other. Yuk Jinbo asked in a more excited tone than usual.

“Brother, about that Bai girl and her men. How come they’re so strong? It seemed like it took less time than drinking a cup of tea to kill them all.”

The Ssangbo brothers had suddenly become very interested in martial arts. Learning about such things was also important.

Danwooseong explained.

“Lord Baek’s ancestor was famed as the greatest martial artist under heaven. No other martial family could rival his fame. Even so, at that age, mastering such martial prowess must not have been easy.”

Yuk Myeong-bo replied.

“Wasn’t the most renowned man as the greatest under heaven none other than Lord Jin Xiao?”

Dan Woo-sung nodded.

“Correct.”

“But is the Baek family more renowned?”

Dan Wuseong said.

Prince Sohan wasn’t a man who grew strong by mastering traditions, martial arts schools, or specific techniques. He was simply a powerful man in his own right. That’s why it was impossible for anyone to inherit Master Sohan’s martial arts. Even his own children learned different martial arts. No matter how great Master Sohan was, he couldn’t have made his cherished children practice sword dances for over ten years. He knew better than anyone that he was unique, and that he couldn’t cultivate a disciple worthy of being his successor.”

“He learned sword dancing?”

“Mysteriously, it was sword dancing. For ten years, he trained in sword dancing, which holds little value as a martial art. Only afterward did he learn the Daoist arts. That’s why, when naming the greatest of all time, Jin Xiaoguo and Bai Muzhen are always mentioned first. But when it comes to family lineage, the story is different.”

The Shuangbo brothers looked at each other and nodded.

“Understood.”

Yuk Jinbo asked without much thought.

“If the two of you fought, who would win?”

Dan Wuseong replied with an expression of utter bewilderment.

“What? How could the two of us fight? We’re from different eras.”

“Just hypothetically.”

Baek Moo-jin and Jin So-an have many biographies. Having read those biographies, Dan Woo-sung responded like this.

“It’s impossible to know who was stronger in their later years. As recorded in the biography, he had no equal even in his youth. We can only compare their martial prowess during their active periods. If the two faced off one-on-one in their youth, Jin Xiao Gong would likely flee first.”

“But he was the greatest under heaven?”

“That’s the kind of man he is. After that, he’ll gather his forces and come to utterly destroy Lord Baek Moo-jin’s entourage. Then the two will fight again. If the outcome remains undecided, Lord Jin So-an will flee once more. After that, he’ll hone his martial arts and attack again. Until the outcome is decided. Baek Moo-jin was fair and just, while Jin So-an stopped at nothing.”

“So what’s the conclusion, brother?”

“Jin Xiaoyan is a man you shouldn’t mess with. Not even someone like Baek Moo-jin. Anyway, it doesn’t seem like they’ll fight when they meet.”

“Why not?”

“They’ll recognize each other as rare men at a glance. They’ll probably just drink.”

At Danwooseong’s words, the Ssangbo brothers smiled.

“I see.”

“Did that spark something?”

“It is.”

Dan Wooseong chuckled.

“How wonderful it would be to join you there and share a cup of wine together. Myeong-bo, Jin-bo.”

“Yes.”

“It’s meaningless for us to argue over the merits of people we’ll never meet anyway. What truly matters is that if we ever encounter those two in another world someday, we’ll have grown enough to acknowledge each other as men and clink glasses together.”

“Understood.”

“You may leave.”

Dan Wooseong remained alone, pondering for a moment how to answer the Ssangbo brothers’ foolish question.

As he pondered, Dan Wooseong belatedly realized why he felt slightly troubled. Neither Jin So-an nor Baek Mu-jin were figures he could even hope to rival yet. The two had no worthy opponents, to the point where their twilight years were likely to be boring.

On the other hand, Danwooseong still had masters he hadn’t defeated in his past life, and even opponents he needed to avenge himself against.

As things stood, he had no right to join the banquet of those who were the best in the land.

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Dan Woo-seong’s eyes opened of their own accord before dawn broke.

“Huh…”

Last night, the most renowned martial artists in the world from the martial arts world appeared one after another in his dream and beat him up.

He was beaten so badly it was beyond belief.

It was so absurd he wondered if such a dream could even exist.

So all the world’s greatest fighters who knew Dan Wooseong’s name showed up and beat him up. Even though it was just a dream, his whole body ached as if he’d been beaten.

Dan Wooseong rubbed his cheek without realizing it. The memory of Baek Moo-jin slapping him at the end was vivid.

“What the hell kind of shitty dream is this…”

Changing into his martial arts attire the moment he woke, Dan Wooseong muttered curses as he stepped out of the Eunha Trading Company.

“Those damn world-class martial artists… If I meet them in my dreams again, I’ll beat them like dust on a rainy day.”

As he traced his dream, he recalled how his clothes had been completely torn when he fought Jin Sohwan. He’d been slashed by the sword dance.

Danwooseong muttered.

“That damn Black Path brat…”

As I walked along the road shrouded in thick dawn mist, Baekyak approached from the opposite direction, seemingly rising almost simultaneously.

“Up early, I see?”

Dan Woo-sung unconsciously touched his own cheek. He couldn’t very well report that he’d been slapped by his ancestor in a dream. In any case, encountering Baekyak like this at dawn, without any prior arrangement, was enough to lift his spirits somewhat.

somewhat.

“Are you heading to Yangpyeong Lake?”

Baekyak nodded.

“Let’s walk a bit before we go.”

After Danwooseong and Baekyak vanished into the mist, only the occasional sound of conversation echoed. A moment later, Baekyak burst out laughing in a brightened tone. Danwooseong had finally told her the story of being beaten by the greatest warriors of all time in his dream.