Chapter 86
Chapter 86: Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven
This expedition had started under the guise of an escort assignment funded by Jin Geumbo. In truth, merely guiding the carriage across the land was the least of his concerns.
The Sword King’s Tomb. This time around, its treasures would belong entirely to the Baek family.
In his prior existence, the Namgung noble house had successfully claimed the resting place for themselves. They had quietly secured the perimeter and extracted its secrets without leaking a single whisper of rumor, only publicizing their discovery many years after the fact. Evaluating how those events had unrolled, the Namgung family must have possessed early tracks leading to the Sword King’s Tomb long before anyone else, completely separate from whatever ledger Merchant Jin carried.
If his modest clan hoped to secure a prize as colossal as the Sword King’s Tomb, every preparatory move had to be immaculate.
Yanghwi slid the paper inscribed with the Greenwood’s contact cipher into the folds of his garment. Much obliged, earthworm. I’ll make splendid use of it. At any rate, it was high time to inspect what sort of incidental windfall the outlaws had stockpiled.
“Chudal. Tear into this.”
Responding with well-honed agility, Chudal levered up the wooden planks, scouring beneath for hollows and hidden compartments. At the same time, Yanghwi rummaged through discarded sheets and notes to check if anything of substance had been abandoned.
Well, look at that. This is surprisingly practical.
The sheets contained detailed observations of nearby peaks suited for fortress building, alongside markers for operational or planned outposts. While unnecessary for immediate survival, such tactical cartography could prove invaluable down the line.
“Boss! Hit the jackpot!”
“Did you now?”
With an easy leap, Yanghwi landed beside him.
“Well, well. What have we uncovered?”
The stronghold had purportedly stood for only a short period, leaving one to wonder how they had gathered so vast a hoard. He dug both palms into a trunk overflowing with gold nyang, watching the coins cascade between his fingers. The bright, sharp ring of metal was music to his ears.
“Trading this for silver would yield at least twenty thousand nyang.”
Such capital was more than enough to construct an extravagant drinking establishment in the heart of a premier trading hub and still have a sizable surplus remaining. It seemed almost impossible that rough-hewn bandits holed up in crude timber cabins could amass such enormous wealth.
A flawless stroke of fortune.
“Chudal, bundle up every single piece. The moment we reach the city, we’re living like kings.”
“Understood, Boss!”
Once the plunder was dragged out into the daylight, Yanghwi unsheathed his blade and gave it a clean flourish.
“Put your back into it. We’re tearing down every timber before we depart.”
“Want me to torch the place, Boss?”
Yanghwi shot a sidelong glance at Chudal. Noting the casual tone rolling off the boy’s tongue, it seemed the youth had finally shaken off the tension of battle.
“Go ahead. Turn the entire outpost into an inferno.”
“I’d better make sure I don’t wet the bed tonight, then!”
Gathered near the courtyard of the encampment, Tang Gun and Tang Yeon stood awaiting Yanghwi. Predictably, every single marauder had been dispatched.
“Brother Hwi, tread carefully. The poison haze has yet to dissipate completely.”
“Hehe, forgive us, Little Brother. Did we get carried away?”
Tang Yeon offered a faint, self-conscious smile while studying Yanghwi’s expression, anxious that their lethal methods might have repelled him.
“Carried away? Hardly. Exceptional execution, Sister Tang. A fitting fate for such vermin.“
“See? I knew you’d see it our way!”
It took roughly one shichen to clear out the fortress completely and reduce its structures to blazing ash.
“That’s quite the inferno. The Emei Sect would be thoroughly delighted, wouldn’t they?”
“Wait, does the Emei Sect fancy blazes?”
“Oh, absolutely. For whatever reason, those disciples become downright ecstatic whenever flames go up.”
Thoroughly bewildered by the remark, Chudal pivoted to another topic.
“Boss, what are we doing about the supplies in the storehouse?”
Beyond the secluded cache of coin, the main storage shelter was packed full of confiscated grain and standard provisions. Leaving it all behind to rot seemed a terrible waste.
“Just leave it behind.”
“Argh, isn’t that just throwing good coin into the dirt?”
“All we need to do is inform the folks of Pungga Village where this camp sits so they can haul it away.”
Yanghwi gave the pouch filled with valuables an exaggerated shake, letting the contents jingle.
“Our share is already accounted for right here. Split by market worth, this is roughly half the overall total anyway. The provisions in the storehouse belong rightfully to the folk who suffered under these marauders.”
He cast an inquiring glance toward Tang Gun and Tang Yeon to gauge their reaction. Both bore faces that viewed such charity as plain common sense. In fact, their sentiments leaned even further toward benevolence.
“Brother Hwi, our intervention was done out of simple chivalry. Pocketing spoils leaves a rather bitter taste in my mouth.”
“He speaks the truth. It isn’t as if our purses are hollow, so why not surrender all of it?”
“…”
Yanghwi had witnessed this demeanor countless times while traveling alongside the Tang heirs over the preceding years. Moments like these made them sound more like devout Daoist ascetics than actual wandering pugilists. Where was their appetite for worldly gain? Still, that purity made them remarkably straightforward to direct.
“Brother Tang, Sister Tang, you both comprehend that performing righteous deeds without practical sustenance is an unsustainable path. Accepting rightful compensation is, in its own right, fundamental to walking the chivalric road.”
“Mmm. A valid perspective.”
“Precisely, isn’t it?”
The Tang Clan sat atop boundless wealth derived from legendary medicine and metalworking, but the Baek family possessed no such safety net. Snatching extra earnings whenever opportunity knocked was simply prudent management.
“Now that we’ve concluded our business, let us make haste back toward Pungga Village. Brother Gu must be growing impatient.”
“Let us be on our way.”
Harnessing their lightfoot techniques, they bounded across the landscape and returned to Pungga Village within moments. Even though six shichen had elapsed, a broad gathering of villagers remained rooted in place, anxiously waiting.
Boss. Look at them, they were terrified something happened to us.
More likely, they were paralyzed with dread that the extermination had failed and vengeance was marching toward their gates. Still, Yanghwi saw little reason to puncture Chudal’s romantic assumptions.
“Village Chief.”
“Young masters. How… how fares the battle?”
“We severed the head of Crouching Dragon Blade, supreme master of the Crouching Dragon Stockade, and dispatched his outlaw host to the netherworld. The Crouching Dragon Stockade is erased from the land.”
Unfiltered elation swept across the features of the elder and the surrounding crowd.
“C-Can this truly be?”
“I am not in the habit of weaving falsehoods on matters of blood. By my reputation as the Ascending Dragon Sword, I pledge to you that the Crouching Dragon Stockade is wholly extinguished.”
Tang Gun and Tang Yeon promptly chimed in to support his declaration.
“You possess the solemn affirmation of the Hidden Dragon of the Sichuan Tang Clan as well.”
“Though my title is modest, the Poison Flower verifies every word.”
Pearly drops formed at the corners of the village elder’s crinkled gaze. The shadow of the Crouching Dragon Stockade had hung over their fragile settlement for far too long.
“Bless you! Bless you with all our hearts!”
The travelers accepted the torrent of gratitude with composed, gracious expressions. Having simply set the scales straight, being enveloped in such raw reverence was unquestionably rewarding. Furthermore…
“The Ascending Dragon Sword! What a stirring, heroic moniker!”
“And look who stands beside him! The Hidden Dragon and the Poison Flower of the Sichuan Tang Clan took up arms for us!”
“The Sichuan Tang Clan? Weren’t they reputed to be… ruthlessly sinister folk…?”
“Tch, have you never laid ears upon The Tang Sect Chronicle?”
“The Tang Sect Chronicle?”
“Aye! As recorded in The Tang Sect Chronicle, not a single faction under heaven reveres righteousness and honor more deeply than the Sichuan Tang Clan!”
“Is that the truth of it? How deceptive common gossip can be! Today alone, the young lord and lady of the Tang family spared us all from ruin!”
“The Ascending Dragon Sword, the Hidden Dragon, and the Poison Flower. The undisputed future pillars of the realm!”
Yanghwi drew himself up slightly, savoring the reverence. Tang Gun set his shoulders straight, while a pleased curve touched Tang Yeon’s lips. Why not stoke the blaze while the wood was dry?
“Ah, there remains a minor detail I neglected to mention. We assembled the stolen goods outside the perimeter of the former fortress. Chief, dispatch your people to salvage the wealth.”
The old man’s eyes dilated in astonishment.
“A-Are we truly permitted to claim it?”
“Naturally. To us, dragging such burdens along the road would prove cumbersome. Take every crate without reservation. My only condition is that you distribute the provisions fairly among the surrounding hamlets as well.”
“Without fail! We shall see that every soul receives an equal share!”
“HOOOOORAY!”
“Hail the Ascending Dragon Sword! Ascending Dragon Sword!”
“Hail the Hidden Dragon! Long live the Poison Flower!”
The three young martial artists soaked in the thunderous acclaim echoing across the settlement. Off to the flank, Chudal observed the spectacle with an aching grimace.
I put in just as much sweat! I was the one who uncovered the silver chest!
An intense longing flared within Chudal’s chest—a desperate hunger to earn a grand epithet of his own, if only to mend his wounded pride.
After spending a full day recuperating from the exertion of the raid within Pungga Village, they took to the trail once more to resume their escort mission. Chudal glanced toward Merchant Jin, who occupied a quiet corner of the wagon, before firing off a discreet qi transmission toward Yanghwi.
Boss. We held up the escort timetable again. Shouldn’t we extend some sort of formal apology to the patron?
“Don’t worry yourself about it, brat.”
“…Hey! When I use qi transmission and you bellow your reply aloud, what does that make me look like?”
“Hmm. An impatient little pest?”
“…”
“Besides, an apology is completely unnecessary here. Wouldn’t you agree, Merchant Jin?”
Jin Geumbo, who had been studying their interactions with watchful caution, erupted into a booming, jovial chuckle.
“Hahaha, but of course! Having witnessed the gallant deeds of our young masters firsthand, how could any grievance find room in my heart?”
“And that goodwill has nothing to do with how much my personal fame inflated back there, correct?”
“…!”
Yanghwi offered an irritatingly knowing smirk, prompting beads of cold sweat to manifest along Jin Geumbo’s hairline.
It’s becoming plain as day, isn’t it?
The fundamental motive behind Jin Geumbo seeking out the Baek family’s Gaecheon Escort Service over every established firm across the province. The precise logic that drove him to fork over ten times the going market rate while insisting on Yanghwi personally as his bodyguard.
Just when does he intend to lay his cards bare?
There was no reason to rush the disclosure; patience was entirely on his side. The escort trek still possessed many miles yet to unfold. Their carriage was presently rolling along the outskirts of Dongcheng. Reaching Gyesu at the northern frontier of Anhui would demand two solid weeks of unbroken travel.
Even so, tossing a line to see if the fish would bite couldn’t hurt.
“Merchant Jin. I have an inquiry for you.”
“You are welcome to pose two, young hero.”
“A fork approaches. The swifter path ascends through the rugged heights toward Guoshan, while the more deliberate course follows the established highway into Hefei.”
Yanghwi curled his mouth into a sharp, pointed smirk before pressing further.
“Which path suits your fancy?”
“…”
The distinction between speed and delay was merely surface chatter. The genuine dilemma was whether their wagon would cross through Hefei or bypass it entirely. Both Yanghwi and Jin Geumbo were fully cognizant of the underlying stake.
“…Should our wheels roll toward Hefei, we can pause at Chaohu. Having journeyed this deep into Anhui, I would count it an honor to admire the vistas of Chaohu in the company of such distinguished young champions. The expenses shall be handled on my account, so what say the young heroes?”
“So you select Hefei, then?”
“My only wish is to partake in the surrounding beauty with you all…”
“I shall accept that explanation at face value.”
“…”
The exchange ceased right then and there. Yanghwi drifted into silence, lost in calculation.
Hefei. The fortress seat of the Namgung noble house.
Did Merchant Jin seek an audience to petition for their intervention, or did the clan already possess some compromising grip upon his throat? Jin had gone out of his way to recruit Yanghwi, showing quiet satisfaction whenever Yanghwi’s name grew grander in the eyes of the common folk. Did an arrangement already link him to Namgung? If a contract existed, did he desire to preserve the connection intact?
Or could this be… a ploy of Shedding the Cicada’s Shell?
The breadcrumbs were far too sparse to reach an absolute conclusion. Nevertheless, that void simply dictated constructing a contingency flexible enough to swallow either possibility whole.
“Boss.”
Yanghwi snapped out of his internal strategizing as twilight blanketed the earth, marking six unbroken shichen of continuous carriage travel.
“We have arrived at Chaohu.”
To speak with precision, they had not fully crossed into its shores. Chaohu, revered as one of the most magnificent inland expanses across the Central Plains, presented itself only as a faint, shimmering ribbon along the edge of the sky. Even so, catching sight of its waters was close enough to claim arrival, yet Chudal’s hushed tone carried an entirely different weight.
“Is the road contested?”
“…It is.”
Despite harboring their own undisclosed intentions, the group performed their protective duties with flawless diligence. Chudal had frequently deployed lightfoot techniques to scout ahead of the carriage, probing the trails for ambush.
“Who stands in our way?”
“An acquaintance of yours, Boss.”
Yanghwi needed no further elaboration. Near the perimeter of Chaohu, resting within the shadow of Hefei, only a single figure fit that description for both him and Chudal.
“Brother Tang. Merchant Jin.”
“Speak freely, Brother Hwi.”
“What troubles you, young master?”
“Disciples of the Namgung noble house are gathered at Chaohu.”
Jin Geumbo’s expression locked into rigid stone. Alongside him, Tang Gun’s features shifted into a determined yet intricately troubled grimace.
“Brother Hwi. Did you request Yeon and me to accompany your party knowing this convergence would occur?”
“No. I sought your aid strictly because the expertise of the Tang Clan seemed indispensable for our path. I had no inkling Namgung would materialize in our path out of thin air. Though… perhaps someone within our circle anticipated it.”
Sensing Yanghwi’s piercing gaze boring into him, Jin Geumbo visibly shuddered.
Moments later, the wheels of the wagon rolled to a halt along the edge of Chaohu, bringing the travelers face-to-face with an array of martial artists cloaked in flowing robes of pure white bordered by vivid azure.
“The Azure Sky Namgung.”
“That appears to be… the Azure Sky Sword Corps.”
The Azure Sky Sword Corps, widely heralded as the supreme fighting vanguard among the numerous martial formations raised by the Namgung noble house. Standing tall at the vanguard was a countenance they all recognized.
“Well, what an unexpected encounter. Young Lord Tang. It has been quite some time.”
Namgung Cheonhu, the young lord of the Namgung noble house, lifted the edges of his mouth into an enigmatic smirk.
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