Chapter 93
Chapter 93: Third-rate Martial Family Becomes the Best Under Heaven
A weathered, crumbling scrap of parchment with tattered borders lay before them.
Yet the instant the Hao Sect branch leader registered the characters traced across its surface, sheer bewilderment seized him.
“Wh-what is this…! Could this genuine relic truly be an authentic piece?”
Approximately two centuries prior.
An evil power styling itself the Myriad Demon Castle plunged the world into a reign of blood and terror.
During that dark era, while ordinary people withered beneath ruthless demonic rule, a lone warrior burst forth like a blazing star to deliver salvation to the realm: none other than the legendary Sword King.
Consequently, any resting place belonging to the Sword King’s Tomb had to be an ancient site dating back at least two hundred years.
Securing an undeniable trace like this was as improbable as reaching up and snatching a star from the night sky.
“Astonishing. I was certain every single map detailing the Sword King’s Tomb was annihilated in the massacre unleashed by the Blood Serpent Sect…”
“During that era, the Blood Serpent Sect certainly rounded up and destroyed the vast majority of leads scattered throughout the land.”
Yanghwi gave a casual shrug before elaborating.
“Still, how could anyone hope to obliterate every lone fragment?”
“Is this chart genuine?”
“Examine it and judge for yourself.”
The branch leader shifted his focus between the ancient fragment and the newly drafted chart, testing their legitimacy.
“The fiber of the sheet and the tint of the pigment unquestionably trace back to that period. Furthermore, the details depicted on both documents align seamlessly.”
Naturally, they aligned. Chudal had crafted the fresh illustration by taking the chart preserved by the Jin family and refining it with the fragment obtained from the elder Yeo.
In fact, it was Chudal himself who had executed the redrawing.
Having acquired such craft from Yeo Hyeok—a craftsman whose trade revolved around replicating… or rather, restoring archaic manuscripts—his illustrative mastery was remarkably refined.
“This fresh sheet is an exact replica derived from the whole diagram in my custody. It is only natural that they agree.“
“Are you saying you hold the entire diagram, rather than merely an incomplete scrap?”
“Indeed.”
It was an outright fabrication. This solitary piece was the only relic Yeo Hyeok had passed to him.
Even so, Yanghwi offered an easy, nonchalant nod.
“Does this suffice to prove its validity?”
“…It does. It certainly qualifies as intelligence worthy of trade. And yet…”
The branch leader ran a finger across the upper edge of the parchment, his gaze narrowing.
“A vital element is absent. There is no designation of the precise terrain.”
“I am well aware.”
“Hmm. Are there two layers of intent behind that?”
Conducting business with quick-minded individuals was always a pleasure.
There was never any tedious friction.
Then again, navigating a regional division required at least that degree of perception.
“Did you deliberately leave that out with full intent?”
“Rest easy; I will share those details whenever the appropriate hour arrives.”
Should the Hao Sect take independent action, the broader scheme would crumble.
To forestall such an outcome, their movements had to be strictly aligned with his intended timeline.
For that solitary purpose, Yanghwi kept the secret that the Sword King’s Tomb rested within Bukchang Mountain tightly guarded.
“This is not some elaborate deception, I presume?”
“Against an organization as formidable as the Hao Sect? By this point, you surely know my lineage, and my household has no desire to court needless turmoil.”
“Then this serves as a primer.”
“Precisely.”
The Hao Sect branch leader gently shifted his liquor cup within his fingers, immersed in thought.
Swallowing such a prize unassisted is far beyond our sect’s capacity.
This pertained directly to the legendary Sword King’s Tomb. From his organization’s viewpoint, had monopolizing the site been feasible, there would be zero reason to peddle the intelligence to rival factions.
The youthful martial artist across from him had set these conditions as if seeing through those very calculations.
Our organization has three paths forward.
We can apply force to wring out the truth and claim the treasure alone.
We can take word to the Namgung noble house to secure an immense bounty.
Or…
We can surf the current of this young man’s design and extract maximum gains.
The moment the leader completed that chain of thought, Yanghwi’s voice made him stiffen.
“Try to intimidate me. Prepare to betray me. Or join hands and share the dance amid the tempest. What path do you take?”
He reads my thoughts entirely.
“…You are extraordinarily perceptive, Young Hero.”
“I am told that quite often.”
“And you certainly bear no shortage of self-assurance.”
“Shortage is not a word that applies to me.”
“Very well.”
Bringing his hands together with a sharp slap, the branch leader drew an abacus toward him.
“Let us determine the price. Name your figure.”
“In moments such as these, shouldn’t the seeking party present an opening bid?”
“Which is why I am inquiring.”
“No, that will not do. I am offering the Hao Sect an opportunity to secure an initial stake.”
“…….”
To Yanghwi’s mind, partnering with the Hao Sect was hardly his sole recourse.
He could easily walk up to any of the mendicants wandering the streets of Taihe and make contact with the Beggars’ Sect.
Relying on the Beggars’ Sect brought numerous complications, which was why he had turned toward the Hao Sect to begin with, but the option remained.
Once whispers of the Sword King’s Tomb circulated through Jianghu, drawn steel and violence would swiftly follow.
The Beggars’ Sect would strive to suppress the spread of bloodshed as much as possible.
In the worst scenario, he might even face accusations of leading orthodox martial artists into a slaughter.
After all, the Beggars’ Sect favored sharing intelligence predominantly among the righteous orders.
Even so…
Now that you have chosen the third route, every advantage rests with me.
“Fine. Let us abandon pointless bargaining. One hundred gold nyang.”
Ten thousand silver nyang. An enormous fortune sufficient to construct a premier, thriving pleasure house within a bustling metropolis.
Yet Yanghwi simply shook his head, brushing off the sum with quiet mockery.
“Did we not just agree to skip the tedious haggling?”
“A merchant is bound to test the waters first.”
“We both understand this trade, so let us settle this without delay.”
“Understood. One thousand gold nyang.”
The valuation surged tenfold in a single breath.
Even so, Yanghwi folded his arms, his visage carrying unmistakable dissatisfaction.
“…What amount do you desire?”
“Five thousand nyang. Paid in gold, naturally. Entirely in promissory notes to keep it manageable to transport.”
“Completely unreasonable.”
The branch leader stared back in sheer disbelief.
“Aside from being an outrageous sum, our branch does not retain that volume of fluid wealth.”
“Come now, I urged you not to dispute pennies. Must I make the journey toward Hangxing instead?”
“…….”
Seeing the branch leader fall completely silent after having his weakness targeted, Yanghwi let out a low chuckle.
Taihe in Anhui and Hangxing in Henan.
Each settlement bordered Tacheng along the great waterways and thoroughfares, sharing the distinct status of vital transit crossways.
There is no chance the Taihe branch manages anything below five thousand gold nyang.
Admittedly, five thousand pieces of gold instead of silver was hardly an amount anyone could dismiss as trivial.
“If I employ lightfoot techniques at full speed, reaching Hangxing would take scarcely four shichen. Perhaps I should treat myself to a stroll around Henan while I am at it.”
The moment Yanghwi began to rise, the branch leader reached out and seized his robe.
“Understood, understood! It was merely an old merchant habit. I swear I will haggle no further.”
As Yanghwi settled back into his seat, the branch leader’s fingers danced furiously across the abacus frame.
“This marks my absolute ceiling, without another word of argument. Two thousand nyang. What say you?”
“Let us split the difference.”
Right between one thousand and five thousand.
Three thousand nyang.
“Ugh… At such a steep valuation, the chance of our sect suffering a loss turns far too hazardous…”
“There is no need for worry. I will prepare the stage grandly for you. You did see the Great Greenwood Seal, did you not?”
Instantly, the Hao Sect branch leader’s gaze transformed.
“Do you genuinely intend to construct an arena that vast?”
“Regardless of how this unfolds, I intend to turn the entire affair into an absolute free-for-all.”
“If that is indeed your aim…”
Whenever a coalition mobilized on a massive scale, none were more conspicuous than the outlaws of the greenwood.
Once figures accustomed to lingering in the mountains began to descend, keeping their presence hidden was an impossibility.
That guaranteed an influx of late arrivals eager to join the scramble after catching wind of the commotion.
Consequently, the pool of patrons seeking to purchase intelligence from the Hao Sect would multiply two- or threefold.
“Ugh. So be it. Three thousand nyang. We will require three to four days to assemble the entirety in promissory notes.”
“That suits me. I planned to feast and drink comfortably at this establishment for about that long regardless.”
Yanghwi gathered the parchment diagram back into his grasp.
“However, I will surrender this only once the full sum is delivered.”
“Naturally. Despite what people say of our nature, the Hao Sect endures purely on credit.”
Yanghwi was well aware of that reality. That exact reliability was why he had sought out the Hao Sect despite its footing along the dark path.
Yanghwi descended toward the ground floor alongside Chudal.
“Brother Tang. I have returned.”
Gu Ak, comfortably flushed with wine, offered an enthusiastic greeting.
“You claimed you were merely stepping out to relieve yourself, yet you vanished for ages. Did you end up attending to greater business while you were away?”
“Brother Gu.”
“What is it!”
“Refrain from utilizing such coarse speech in front of our Huahua.”
“…I will watch myself. Our Huahua deserves to hear only gentle and lovely phrases.”
Yanghwi drew back a chair and took a seat with a dull thud.
“I just finalized a sale of information to the Hao Sect.”
Tang Gun hesitated with his wine cup halfway raised, casting an eye toward Adu’s direction.
Adu paid them not the slightest mind, relentlessly devouring a heap of rice cakes.
“Hm? Why’re you lookin’ at me?”
“…Pay it no mind.”
Yanghwi made an airy gesture with his wrist.
“Whether he is genuinely simple or merely putting on an act changes nothing. Shaolin will never meddle in this matter.”
A massive ancient tree lingering in serene stillness. That was the essence of Shaolin.
Even should rumors of the treasure chart reach their ears, they would not step into the fray.
“Are you certain of that? They could easily march forth claiming to forestall catastrophe.”
“Had that been their creed, they would have intervened during the bloodshed over the Sword King’s Tomb long ago. Pulling fools away when they rush toward ruin fueled by avarice is utterly foreign to Shaolin’s path.”
“A fair point.”
Lightly stroking his jaw for a brief second, Tang Gun spoke once more.
“You parted with intelligence to the Hao Sect. Does that not invite great peril?”
“It carries danger, certainly. Yet we lack alternative routes, and our window is narrow.”
Yanghwi’s ultimate aim was to unearth a clue touching upon immortal qi from within the Sword King’s Tomb.
His companions, meanwhile, harbored slightly different motivations.
For the Tang Clan, their core ambition lay in striking a cunning blow against the Namgung noble house.
Tang Gun could not suppress his lingering apprehension.
“Brother Hwi. It strikes me that you anticipated this precise turn of events.”
“Indeed. My master granted me insight beforehand. I had laid the groundwork for this scheme from the very beginning.”
“Then we ought to have mustered greater martial forces from the start… Ah, no. That would have provoked Namgung’s wariness.”
That explained why he had assembled a modest protective retinue despite keeping the Sword King’s Tomb in his sights the entire time.
“If an oversized vanguard mobilizes for a routine escort task, scrutiny is inevitable. Our present numbers represent the sharpest limit we can risk.”
At those words, Gu Ak raised his own skepticism.
“Little Brother. Following that logic, wasn’t it excessive to drag me along—a master who has touched the apex realm and vies for the title of mightiest warrior in the entire Baek house—for an ordinary caravan escort?”
…Setting reality aside, his tone dripped with unabashed pride.
“You are a special case, Brother Gu. I have worked you relentlessly across every chore up to this day.”
“…….”
It was undeniably true; Yanghwi had dispatched Gu Ak to manage all sorts of difficult duties throughout the years.
In practice, every burden that Baek Muryang could not shoulder owing to his station as Lord of the House had been dumped squarely onto Gu Ak.
Through that arrangement, Yanghwi had milked every ounce of utility from him.
“I drove you hard solely because I held a grand vision in mind. Do you finally appreciate the profound wisdom of your younger brother?”
“…….”
Gu Ak could only cast his eyes toward the beams above in quiet resignation.
This little brat… this younger brother remained entirely unchanged, regardless of the passage of time.
“What? Are you feeling aggrieved?”
“Little Brother! Be honest with me! Where in this wide world does a martial order treat a master of the apex realm with such utter disregard?!”
Just as a boiling Gu Ak sprang from his seat, Yanghwi cut him short.
“I rewarded your efforts with fitting compensation. Shall I shave your allowance down using my standing as the eldest young lord?”
Fixing his gaze on the man who was now a husband to a wife and a father to a young child, Yanghwi noted:
“Furthermore, you reached the apex realm solely because of me.”
“…….”
Gu Ak found himself powerless to argue against that point.
It was an undeniable reality.
Had Yanghwi not served as a martial scholar, reconstructing his martial methods and imparting guidance, the likelihood was overwhelming that he would still be stranded within the first-rate realm.
Yes, every word was indisputably true, yet even so…
I desperately want to land one good strike on him. With everything I have.
While Gu Ak ground his teeth in silent frustration, Tang Gun intervened with an amused laugh.
“Brother Hwi. Cease provoking him and let us delve deeper into our arrangements. Is it your plan to feed information solely to the Hao Sect?”
“No, that would grant the Hao Sect far too much leverage. To ignite a true free-for-all, we must broaden the board so diverse factions gather and disperse across the stage.”
To that end…
“Brother Gu. I require a favor of you.”
“Hmph. Consider it refused.”
“Come now. A grown man clinging to a pout? Once the details reach your ears, you will jump at the chance.”
Yanghwi’s lips curled into a broad smirk as he finished.
“Go unleash your might to your heart’s content and blow off some steam.”
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