Episode 5
Chapter 2: Entering the Martial World (2)
Each day, Hwasoha would go out the main gate and wait for the guest who was coming to her family. According to her father-in-law and mother-in-law, the guest they had been waiting for should arrive soon, yet there was still no sign of him. Having waited anxiously day after day, Hwasoha grew weary of the vigil as night deepened, let out a sigh, and went back inside the gate. It seemed the precious guest they had been waiting for would not come today either.
Paeng Yugwang and Paeng Mijin, who were in the training ground, looked at their mother with pity.
“Mother. Since it is Grandfather and Grandmother’s word, he will arrive soon even if you do not go out to wait like that.”
“But since he is a guest coming to our house, I wish to go out and greet him.”
The Paeng family was nearly ruined; it was a place where one could not be sure if even a single guest would come in a day. Even then, most were merchants renting the outlying buildings or tenant farmers using the land. With too few people to look after the Paeng family’s properties, one or two buildings at a time had their ownership transferred to other sects, and now only a handful remained.
Just then, a gate guard on duty rushed over and reported.
“Someone is walking this way. I believe it may be the one you have been waiting for.”
At the gate guard’s words, Hwasoha, Paeng Yugwang, and Paeng Mijin hurriedly rushed outside. Paeng Yugwang and Paeng Mijin had also been inwardly waiting for the person their grandfather had spoken of.
When the three leaped outside, they saw a young man walking toward them, humming a tune with a bundle on his back and a long blade at his waist.
Hwasoha realized at once that this young man was the one she had been waiting for.
As she rushed forward, the young man saw the three people running toward him and broke into a bright smile.
“Oh my, I am a bit late. I had some business at a blacksmith on the way. Hahaha….”
Hwasoha bowed deeply to the young man, who was chattering away with a bright smile.
“Welcome.”
Paeng Yugwang and Paeng Mijin also cupped their fists, following their mother.
“We greet our Master. I am Paeng Yugwang.”
“We greet our Master. I am Paeng Mijin.”
Paeng Yugwang had bold, thick features befitting a man, while Paeng Mijin possessed a beautiful face and a tall stature, yet with well-built muscles that made her seem a martial artist rather than a woman.
Ahahahaha…!
The young man laughed awkwardly, set his bundle on the ground, and bowed his head in return.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I see the elders have already spoken of me.”
“Please, come inside. You must be hungry?”
Hwasoha anxiously guided him inside. The young man bowed his head once more and followed them in.
Hwasoha ran off to the kitchen, while the young man, Paeng Yugwang, and Paeng Mijin headed toward the main pavilion where the family head resided.
Word had apparently already reached the main pavilion, for Paeng Yeongho, who could not use his arms or legs, was being supported by Jong Mimi as he came outside to wait.
“Welcome. I could not go far due to my infirmity.”
As Paeng Yeongho and Jong Mimi bowed their heads, the young man also bowed.
“Why have you come out when your body is afflicted? You should have waited inside. I am Jang Seonu.”
When Jang Seonu revealed his name, Paeng Yeongho hastily invited him inside.
Jang Seonu, carrying his bundle, entered the room and was offered a chair.
Jang Seonu sat down, while Paeng Yugwang and Paeng Mijin stood at attention behind him.
“I ordered the children to serve their benefactor as their master. I am terribly sorry for deciding so unilaterally without discussion.”
“Not at all. However, ‘master’ feels a bit much; I think ‘teacher’ would be better.”
When Seonu corrected the title for himself, Jong Mimi looked at her grandchildren.
“We greet our Teacher.”
Paeng Yugwang and Paeng Mijin bowed their heads and greeted him again.
“The atmosphere is too stiff. Come and sit over here.”
Seonu spoke freely and without reserve to Paeng Yugwang and Paeng Mijin.
When Yugwang and Mijin glanced for approval, Paeng Yeongho smiled and nodded. With cautious movements, the two took their seats, and Seonu asked Paeng Yeongho.
“By the way, do you know where my grandfather has gone?”
“He said he had other business and departed.”
At Paeng Yeongho’s answer, Seonu scratched his head.
“That is a shame. I thought I would be able to meet Grandfather after so long.”
“Has it been long since you parted from him?”
Jong Mimi asked cautiously, and Seonu grinned.
“I believe it has been about three years. He mainly goes east for leisure, because he has many friends there… Ah yes, this is a gift. I didn’t know what to buy, so I just brought this.”
Seonu placed the bundle he had brought on the table.
The people of the Paeng family were greatly flustered to hear that Seonu had even brought a gift.
They had already received much kindness.
They had received the Muryeong Token, and though they did not yet know his skill, they were serving him as a master.
And now he had even prepared a gift.
“Our family has always been big spenders. Still, I hate taking losses, so I acquired these on my way here.”
With those words, Seonu dumped the contents of the sack onto the table.
Out clattered coins, silver ingots, and gold bars, and even promissory notes.
“There are many good people in the Central Plains. So many people appeared on the road offering to give me money.”
That couldn’t possibly be true.
Who would just give money to someone walking down the road?
If there were such a person, they would surely be mad.
Paeng Yeongho and Jong Mimi were greatly flustered and even waved their hands.
“You cannot do this. We cannot accept this.”
“It is fine. What I need is in my money pouch, so I will give all of this to you. If you do not accept it, I will be the one embarrassed. Moreover, Grandfather earnestly instructed me. He said we owe you a great debt, so I must do my utmost to help you.”
At Seonu’s words, tears flowed from Paeng Yeongho and Jong Mimi’s eyes.
They had merely provided lodging and food for a year and kept him company.
Yet to receive such grace in return.
It was too much.
“Since the elders are infirm, you two sort it out.”
At Seonu’s words, Yugwang and Mijin hesitantly began sorting and organizing the promissory notes, gold ingots, and silver.
The promissory notes were issued by the Central Plains Exchange, possessing such high credit that they could be used anywhere.
“That bundle of notes was given by that Moyong bastard, so if you meet him later, buy him a drink.”
Seonu said casually to Yugwang, who was organizing the notes.
But the way he said “that Moyong bastard” was no ordinary matter.
“Surely you cannot mean the Moyong family?”
Yugwang asked in surprise, and Seonu nodded.
“I stopped by the Moyong family on the way, and they were also preparing to depart for the Northern Alliance. Then I saw a guy I know, so I asked him for travel expenses, and he gave me that bundle of notes.”
Yugwang and Mijin, and even the family head and his wife, opened their mouths in shock at Seonu’s answer.
Who gives a bundle of promissory notes when asked for travel expenses?
“He’s a very bothersome fellow. He grabbed my pant legs and pestered me to go with him to the Northern Alliance, so I scolded him trying to shake him off.”
Yugwang was dazed before coming to his senses and asking.
“Who exactly is that Moyong fellow?”
“Hold on. What was his name?”
He couldn’t even properly remember the name.
If the person who had handed over the notes knew of this, he would have bitten his tongue and died.
“Ah, that’s right. Moyong Gyeong.”
Having finally remembered, Seonu clapped his palm and rejoiced.
At Seonu’s words, the people of the Paeng family in the room could not speak.
If it was Moyong Gyeong, was that not the young head of the Moyong family?
Moreover, he was acclaimed as a master leading among the young geniuses.
“What is your relationship with the young hero Moyong?”
Paeng Yeongho asked cautiously, and Seonu answered with a smile.
“Nothing special, what was it, a relationship of hitting and being hit? Ah, it would be about that.”
A relationship of hitting and being hit?
Then did that not mean the Seonu before their eyes had hit Moyong Gyeong, and Moyong Gyeong had taken the hits?
“We first met while chasing down some bandits, but he shoved an iron rod at me out of nowhere. So I hit him a few times.”
Only now did Yugwang and Mijin begin to understand their grandfather’s words little by little.
Though they had followed silently because it was their grandfather’s word, they had been doubtful; but if he had beaten the great Moyong Gyeong, how powerful must his martial arts be?
Mijin, who had been staring at Seonu in a daze for a moment, returned to organizing the silver. But then, a short dagger appeared from within the pile of silver ingots.
It was still in its scabbard, but when drawn, the blade was pitch black and marked with three red dots.
“Is this… the Samhyeolbi?”
“Ah, I brought that from home. I use it to cut meat when sleeping outdoors. It has a lot of ten-thousand-year cold iron in it, so it’s very hard.”
To think of cutting meat with the Samhyeolbi.
The Samhyeolbi was the signature weapon of the famous assassin Yuh Anse in the martial world.
“If you like it, take it. But you’ll be the one cutting meat when we sleep outdoors.”
She could cut meat a thousand or ten thousand times.
Compared to the value of this Samhyeolbi, such a task was nothing.
“Th… thank you, Teacher.”
“No need to thank me. I’m just glad I won’t have to cut the meat.”
Just as Seonu finished replying with a smile, the door opened and Hwasoha entered carrying a table of food.
Hwasoha was surprised to see the things spread across the table, but Seonu exclaimed at the sight of the food.
“Wow! This looks delicious.”
* * *
“Should we not depart right away, Teacher?”
Yugwang asked respectfully, but Seonu shook his head.
“We must wait one more day. The blacksmith told me to come pick it up tomorrow. Let’s depart after breakfast tomorrow, once we’ve stopped by the blacksmith.”
“What did you order?”
Mijin asked from beside him, and Seonu answered with a smile.
“A great blade weighing over thirty geun. I told them not to sharpen the edge, so it will look blunt. You will have to train with it while we move to the Northern Alliance. I trained with something even heavier in the past, so the effects will be certain.”
“We will follow your teachings, Teacher.”
Though only a day had passed, Yugwang and Mijin’s responses were different from yesterday.
A sentiment of beginning to believe was clearly mixed into their answers.
“What move of the Five-Tiger Single-Gate Blade have you reached?”
“We can perfectly execute up to the fifth move.”
“Then execute the fifth move as we travel until we reach the Northern Alliance. Once we arrive there, you shall begin the sixth move, Ten-Direction Sweep.”
Yugwang and Mijin raised their heads and looked at Seonu.
How did this man know the Five-Tiger Single-Gate Blade?
Their grandfather also knew it, but due to his infirmity, he could not demonstrate it for them.
Yet this man said he would teach them the sixth move.
Was he truly the “Heavenly Five Thousand” rather than the “Heavenly Four Thousand” that Grandfather had spoken of?
They still did not know.
On the first day, they ran relentlessly without using internal energy.
After running for a day and assessing them, Paeng Yugwang and Paeng Mijin’s lower bodies were more stable than expected.
From the next day, they ran using qinggong.
They ran briefly, and when a suitable place appeared, they performed blade techniques with the thirty-geun great blade.
They shortened the time spent traveling each day using qinggong, and spent the remainder training in blade techniques.
Then, when evening came, they used qinggong again to find an inn and rest.
Lunch was simple dried meat, and dinner was eaten late.
After moving continuously like that for several days, Paeng Yugwang and Paeng Mijin were utterly exhausted.
They had expected it to be difficult, but it far surpassed their expectations; they felt as though they might die.