Chapter 87

After Danwoo-seong and the unidentified man left, Cheolmyeong-ho remained alone in the underground training hall, tilting his head in confusion.

“An errand opportunity? What the hell does that even mean?”

Errands are a nuisance, but a stroke of luck is a good thing. Since Gwangshin had ordered him to run an errand during his brief fainting spell, Cheolmyeongho couldn’t discern the true identity of this stroke of luck. He could only tell that this unidentified man was incomparably stronger than someone like the Eight Dragon Sect Leader.

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“Heh heh, you practiced the Three Calamities Sword Technique thirty thousand times?”

Gwang-shin asked while heading toward the Eunha Trading Guild, and Dan Woo-sung answered.

“Yes.”

“On your own? Or did I make you do it?”

“I ordered him. I gave him a little push.”

“So how many times did he do it in total?”

“A million times.”

Kwang-shin replied with a startled expression.

“What an unusual and grueling training regimen. You could end up with demonic possession.”

“He’s already a madman, so he’ll be fine.”

Cheol Myeong-ho, who had regained his senses and followed out, bellowed at the two heading toward the Eunha Trading Guild.

“If it’s an errand, then it’s an errand. If it’s a divine encounter, then it’s a divine encounter. Are you kidding me?”

When Gwangshin and Danwooseong finally burst out laughing, Cheolmyeongho yelled again.

“Laughing? Is it funny?”

Danwooseong waved his hand as he spoke.

“Just wait and train. I’ll call you soon.”

“If you call me, I have to come?”

Kwang-shin told Dan-woo-seong as if he had realized Cheol-myeong-ho’s true identity.

“Ah, now I understand that bastard’s nature. I also understand why you ordered it.”

“Will it be effective?”

Gwang-shin smiled.

“Who knows. Some swing a million times without thought. Others might suddenly realize the sword one day while swinging. To realize the sword, it might be too few times, or depending on one’s nature, it might be enough. But life isn’t all about the sword, is it?”

Danwooseong felt a pleasant shiver run down his spine as Gwangshin spoke, as if reading his mind.

“That’s right.”

Kwang-shin spoke as if seeing Cheol-myeong-ho had lifted his spirits.

“If that guy can wield it a million times and temper his own life and attitude into a straight sword, then even if he doesn’t realize the sword itself, its meaning is sufficient and enough. It will be excellent training. You would have wanted that too, and growing stronger is another matter entirely.”

Kwangshin’s way of thinking was remarkably similar to Danwooseong’s.

“That would be enough for me too.”

And he believed this was what Cheolmyeong-ho needed. In the past, he would have been satisfied if the life of a man who ran gambling dens and counted his daily earnings could be transformed into a million-fold swing.

Like Jin Sohwan.

Just as a meaningless sword dance had one day become the foundation of the martial arts displayed by the world’s greatest master.

When does a martial artist grow stronger? There was no other way but to grow stronger day by day. This held true for the fanatic Dan Woosung and Cheol Myeong-ho alike.

Arriving at the Galaxy Trading Guild, Dan Woosung smiled faintly and said.

“I have someone to introduce to you, Brother. I’ll keep your true identity secret from the others. Is that alright?”

“Someone to introduce? Should I expect something?”

“That’s right.”

“Surely he’s not another lunatic like that Cheol Myeong-ho?”

Dan Woo-sung burst out laughing. He laughed even harder realizing Kwang-shin had even memorized the name Cheol Myeong-ho in the meantime.

“No, it’s not. Don’t worry.”

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Of course, the next person Gwang-shin met after Cheol-myeong-ho was Baek-yak. While Eunha Trading Company deliberately kept Gwang-shin’s identity hidden, Baek-yak had no choice. Dan Woo-sung knew the two would be shocked the moment they saw each other.

How could such rare masters fail to recognize each other? Since they weren’t mere passing acquaintances, Danwooseong arranged their meeting in the reception room.

Sure enough.

The moment Baekyak saw Gwangshin, he blinked his large eyes in surprise before bowing respectfully.

“Senior, I am Baekyak.”

And so, Baekyak and Gwangshin faced each other. Baekyak found Gwangshin strangely fascinating. Despite perfectly concealing his aura, Baekyak sensed this man was absolutely not weaker than himself. This presence was entirely different from when he had met Myeongju, the leader of the Yu clan.

‘Ah, so this is Senior Samsin. But why does he look so young?’

The fanatic was equally startled. Feeling Baekyak’s prayer fully, he asked.

“The name Baekyak is news to me. But how did you build such power? Your martial prowess seems disproportionate to your age. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this surprised.”

Baekyak smiled and recited an old saying.

“The masters who endured years of hardship in that bitterly cold place sent me here.”

Kwangshin’s eyes widened.

“Ah, so you are the descendant of Lord Baek Mujin.”

“Yes, Senior. I’ve heard that among the great masters of this era, the Three Gods stand at the pinnacle. The God of the Sword, the God of Healing Arts that saves lives… and…”

Kwang-shin grinned.

“And…”

Baekyak said casually.

“I’ve heard rumors of a god of the insane.”

Gwangshin burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha… That’s me. You’re sharp to recognize me. But how is it that Baek Moo-jin’s descendant is here at the Eunha Trading Company?”

Baekyak replied, looking at Danwooseong.

“I met my brother at the Dragon-Phoenix Grand Banquet.”

Gwangshin nodded.

“So you two were the male and female champions, the Dragon and Phoenix.”

“Yes.”

“Then your existence makes sense. I want to see. What Baek Moo-jin was like.”

Baekyak watched tensely as Gwangshin subtly extended his index finger. Baekyak asked.

“Ah, should I touch fingers?”

“No. Channel your energy and strike with your finger technique. The more energy you pour into it, the better.”

Baekyak struck Gwangshin’s index finger with her finger, infused with ice energy.

Clang!

Kwang-shin’s hand began turning snow-white, and in an instant, the cold surged up to his wrist.

Kwang-shin stared at his hand in shock.

“So this is the Ice Art.”

Kwangshin was a martial artist to his very core. Feeling the coldness coiling around his own hands, he imagined Baek Moo-jin. Who wouldn’t want to be the man who made all his foes kneel beneath his feet? Kwangshin was precisely that man. Moreover, Kwangshin’s era was overflowing with masters. The other three gods were Kwangshin’s greatest challenge, and Kwangshin was equally challenging to them.

It was an era where the title of the world’s greatest was vacant.

In that sense, Baek Moo-jin’s successor was welcome in many ways.

As Gwangshin clenched his fist, the icy coldness that had turned everything white vanished like a peeling shell.

Kwangshin looked at Danwooseong.

‘What a strange fellow.’

That guy, the son of the head of the clan, had Baek Moo-jin’s successor right there beside him. And wasn’t he himself, a member of the Three Gods, also present? With his peculiar personality drawing people to him, he couldn’t help but seem fascinating. What’s more, it wasn’t just accomplished people surrounding him; he even looked after a messenger who clearly lived a life at rock bottom, treating him like a friend. That was unusual too.

This was the martial world Gwangshin had envisioned and longed for since childhood.

The martial world was a place where the unworthy and the worthy were tossed together by life’s storms, sharing their existence. Unlike that wind, Gwangshin was a man whose life was stained with blood and vengeance, training and hardship.

Kwangshin said.

“Junior.”

Baekyak replied.

“Yes, senior.”

Kwangshin grinned.

“I wonder if I’ll get to see the day when magic itself freezes solid before my very eyes.”

Baekyak nodded.

“I will show you.”

Kwang-shin looked back and forth between Dan-woo-seong and Baek-yak, then nodded as if satisfied.

“I look forward to it.”

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Danwooseong could only reunite with Baekyak alone after escorting Gwangshin to the guest quarters. With many eyes on the merchant group, it had been quite some time since the two had taken a stroll by Yangpyeong Lake.

Once they were alone, Baekyak immediately asked,

“Brother, your prayer has changed. Wait a moment.”

Baekyak looked up at Danwooseong’s face. Then she reached out and gently touched his cheek.

“What happened?”

As if asking if something had happened, Danwooseong smiled and said.

“I ate the Natural Wine Fruit. Because of Senior Gwangshin. I was going to tell you anyway. Let’s talk about it on the way.”

The two headed toward Yangpyeong Lake.

“If you happen to be a Yin-Yang Body, you might be able to take the remaining Natural Fruit.”

“Even if I’m not a Yin-Yang Body, the elixir would still be beneficial. But since I’ve never trained in extreme Yang martial arts, there’s no need to take such a risk. Let’s see… just how much faster you’ve become…”

Dan Woo-seong and Baek Yak exchanged a glance, then simultaneously unleashed their lightness skills, vanishing from where they stood.

Dan Wooseong, who had never once been able to shake off Baekyak, was startled the moment he began running. Baekyak’s lightness technique was no longer as quiet as before. Because Dan Wooseong’s speed had increased significantly, Baekyak had also switched from his feather-light footwork to a fierce, aggressive style as he pursued him.

Instead, Dan Wooseong had to slow down to match her pace.

Before, Baekyak had always adjusted to his pace.

Baekyak spoke.

“Brother, you’re going too fast?”

Only then did Danwooseong slow down and reply.

“I feel kinda bad about that. Like I ate something good all by myself.”

She flashed a sly smile, as if to say Baekyak was fine. Baekyak was the woman who had practically monopolized the family’s sacred elixir. Moreover, growing stronger required a long time. Danwooseong thought that even if he was faster now, he could simply train to catch up. A moment later, the two walked hand in hand by Yangpyeong Lake, savoring their reunion.

Of course, within their clasped hands, thunderous energy and icy coldness clashed relentlessly without pause.

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The convoy bound for the Martial Alliance could not depart until eleven days had passed. The most crucial element, as expected, was the master warriors participating as guards. Since they had to be skilled at driving the wagons, the largest contingent inevitably came from Baekyak’s subordinates.

Three large freight wagons comprised the entire convoy.

Dan Wuseong rode in the lead wagon, Baekyak in the middle, and Guangxin in the rear. They deliberately excluded all bulky cargo. In truth, this convoy was transporting funds from the Galaxy Trading Guild to support the Martial Alliance, and since the funds themselves were prepared as vouchers, the cargo was actually quite minimal.

The combination of Danwuseong, Cheolmyeongho, Gwangshin, and Baekyak truly had a peculiar aspect to it.

Sun Wukong, Sha Wujing, the Madman, and the woman from afar, Tripitaka, carried goods instead of sutras, giving off a distinct vibe. At least the insignia and attire of the West Wind Courier Service made them look like an ordinary courier procession. Yet, if a fight broke out, they possessed the firepower to lay waste not just to martial arts sects, but even to groups called alliances.

Among them, the Iron-Crested Fleet was the most bizarre.

When not running errands, Cheolmyeongho would swing his iron-tipped umbrella while riding his horse. He was a madman in the truest sense, leaving even Baekyak’s subordinates watching him shake their heads in disbelief.

Moreover, Cheol Myeong-ho was also a great source of amusement for Gwang Shin.

Gwangshin would often lift the curtain of his carriage to watch Cheolmyeong-ho, then ask,

“Hey, how many times?”

“Thirty-one thousand nine hundred and forty-three.”

Kwangshin smiled faintly. That was the entirety of their conversation. Kwangshin couldn’t quite pinpoint why seeing Cheolmyeongho always filled him with such deep satisfaction. Eventually, he came to this guess as to why.

‘Could it be because he’s even crazier than me?’

Who would have thought someone would wield the Three Calamities Sword Technique on horseback? Even in the long history of the fanatic’s martial arts world, there had never been a similar case.

A moment later, Gwangshin quietly called out to Cheolmyeong-ho again.

“Hey!”

Cheolmyeongho bellowed.

“Ah, Brother, how many times must you ask? I forgot. How many was it?”

Kwang-shin replied.

“Thirty-one thousand nine hundred ninety-nine. Do it one more time.”

“Understood.”

Cheolmyeongho struck vertically with his iron-tipped umbrella. Only now had he completed thirty-two thousand strikes.

Kwang-shin applauded and praised Cheol-myeong-ho. Somehow, he was the kind of man you just wanted to root for. Since he had told Dan-woo-seong not to reveal his true identity, Cheol-myeong-ho still only knew him as Dan-woo-seong’s sworn brother, who was quite skilled in martial arts. Because of this, he found Cheol-myeong-ho’s rude and brash behavior rather amusing.

Kwang-shin pointed to a quiet inn and said.

“I’m getting hungry. Let’s rest for a bit and go buy some dumplings.”

Cheol Myeong-ho sighed and replied.

“Understood. Dumpling mission, stand by.”

Cheol Myeong-ho skillfully urged his horse forward and called out to the procession.

“Alright, I’m taking orders. If you tell me to buy something after I’m gone, you’re dead and I’m dead. I’m taking orders.”

The clerks chuckled as they spoke.

“It’s fine.”

“Have a safe trip.”

Cheolmyeongho urged his horse on, passing the lead carriage, and shouted to Danwooseong.

“Hey, you fucking bastard, is this a coincidence?”

Dan Woosung pulled back the curtain and retorted.

“Go buy some jerky.”

Cheol Myeong-ho shot Dan Woo-seong a glare before turning his horse around and galloping back toward the inn. Inside, he was seething with rage.

‘Just try to avoid fate. You two sworn brothers will die by my hand. If you want to die, go buy dumplings for this Cheolmyeongho. Buy jerky. It better be just once or twice. Damn life.’

Baekyak belatedly shouted, channeling his inner strength.

“Master Cheol, just one ice candy bar…”

Cheol Myeong-ho muttered as he whipped his horse with the reins.

“Did that dawn mist maiden ghost come to the Central Plains because she couldn’t get her ice candy? Day in and day out, she keeps nagging me to buy her ice candy. What a pain in the ass.”

ⓒ Yoo Jin-seong