Genius Martial Arts Trainer

Wise Strategist

The southwestern part of Zhejiang Province housed the Xianxialing Mountains.

These mountains were a crucial path connecting Zhejiang, Fujian, and Jiangxi Provinces.

Given its strategic location, the mountains were home to Fenglin Village, the stronghold of Chongpyo Paja, a pillar of the Green Forest among the Seven Great Pillars.

Today, a guest arrived at Fenglin Village to meet Chongpyo Paja.

“What brings a filthy merchant to the territory of us mountain men?”

“I am here to deliver a message on behalf of the Hui-ju.”

Xihu Black Market in Zhejiang Province, the largest black market in Zhongyuan, was managed by the Hui-ju of the Amcheonhoe.

Despite its proximity to Hangzhou, the provincial capital of Zhejiang, and relatively close distance to Beijing, where the imperial court was located, maintaining such a large black market showcased the undeniable capabilities of the Hui-ju of the Amcheonhoe.

The Hui-ju managed this vast black market by bribing high-ranking officials from all over the continent who visited the famous Xihu, and by providing various illicit pleasures.

Of course, Chongpyo Paja, the leader of the Green Forest, held no respect for such a Hui-ju.

“As expected of a cowardly wretch. He’s afraid of losing his head, so he sends a subordinate instead. Ha!”

Despite Chongpyo Paja’s blatant provocation, the Hui-ju’s representative showed no change in expression.

“It seems Chongpyo Paja, who is so dull-witted, has forgotten the agreement with Sa-doryeonju.”

“What did you say? It sounds to me like you’re asking to have your head cut off because it’s aching.”

Even as Chongpyo Paja threatened, reaching for an axe lying nearby, the representative continued speaking without concern.

“A few days ago, the black market in Guilin, Guangxi Province, was destroyed by bandits. Have you forgotten the agreement among the Seven Great Pillars not to attack each other?”

“Are you accusing our Green Forest just because it was bandits?”

“Who else should we suspect? Our Amcheonhoe warriors in the Guilin black market were annihilated. If bandits with such skills aren’t from the Green Forest, then where are they from?” R̃ÄΝÓᛒËs

“Humph. It might have been some other scoundrels disguised as bandits.”

Chongpyo Paja snorted, feigning ignorance. In truth, he was unaware of the incident.

But the representative, indifferent to Chongpyo Paja’s situation, pressed on.

“Then, may we handle this matter as we see fit? We will investigate the truth and proceed with damage claims through Sa-doryeon.”

The implication was clear: inflate the damages and inflict great losses on the Green Forest.

Such manipulative tactics were easy for those managing the black market.

Chongpyo Paja was not someone who would comply just because of a financial claim, but the problem was Sa-doryeonju.

“Damn.”

Chongpyo Paja, who outwardly acted as a simple and brave mountain man, was actually shrewd and well-aware of the complications Sa-doryeonju’s involvement would bring.

“Fine. We will personally investigate who dared to commit this act under our name. However.”

As he accepted the demands, Chongpyo Paja abruptly stopped speaking.

Slash!

The axe swung by Chongpyo Paja stopped right in front of the representative’s neck.

The sharp blade left a slight cut on the representative’s neck, causing a small trickle of blood.

“What gives you the confidence to speak so freely in my presence, as a mere representative and not the Hui-ju himself?”

It was an outburst, but the representative seemed uninterested in responding to such a tantrum.

“Killing me won’t gain you anything. The Hui-ju has promised to send a large sum of money to my family as a reward for handling this matter. And if I die, he will immediately investigate and inform Sa-doryeonju of this incident.”

Seeing the unwavering gaze of someone unafraid of death, Chongpyo Paja threw his axe aside in frustration.

“Chuh. Killing a corpse-like person only ruins the taste. Leave now.”

The representative, unaffected by the threat, offered a polite bow before departing.

After he left, fierce energy began to swirl around Chongpyo Paja.

“Hoo. I don’t know who these bastards using our name are, but I’ll make them beg for death.”

With a murderous glint in his eyes, Chongpyo Paja called his subordinates.

* * *

Mu-jin, aware of the severity of the situation at Cheongsu Dojang, forced himself to focus on more immediate concerns.

After fully subduing the surviving disciples of So-cheongmun and the So-cheongmun Master, Mu-jin approached Baek Ga-hwan.

“I apologize for the commotion.”

“…No, it’s fine. Considering my sister and I could have been sold off without knowing anything, the current situation is much better.”

“Have you considered what to do once you leave So-cheongmun?”

Baek Ga-hwan pondered for a moment before shaking his head.

Relieved, Mu-jin spoke again.

“Then, would you join us?”

“With you all?”

“Yes. We are not from this region. We plan to return home soon, and in our homeland, there may be better treatment for your sister.”

“Is that true? Where are you heading?”

“We plan to head to Jiangxi Province first.”

Baek Ga-hwan looked surprised but seemed deeply troubled at the mention of Jiangxi Province. He glanced at his sister, Baek Ga-ryeong, who nodded slightly and whispered in a small voice.

“Mantangjiguk. Saryangchimju.”

Puzzled by the unfamiliar terms, Mu-jin tilted his head. Baek Ga-hwan, understanding his sister’s message, looked at Mu-jin with a determined expression.

“My sister thinks it would be best to go with you. We will follow you, if you don’t mind.”

“…Does ‘Mantangjiguk Saryangchimju’ mean agreement?”

“Mantangjiguk means a situation like the end of the Tang Dynasty, and Saryangchimju is from the story of Xiang Yu, similar to burning one’s bridges.”

“…What?”

“I was worried if my sister could travel to Jiangxi Province. She sensed my concern and suggested taking a life-risking gamble, as staying here would only lead to ruin like at the end of the Tang Dynasty.”

“I see…”

Feeling slightly overwhelmed, Mu-jin shook his head to clear his thoughts.

In any case, they agreed to join.

‘Now, what to do next…’

Taking Baek Ga-hwan and Baek Ga-ryeong along wasn’t an issue.

Mu-jin glanced at the others in So-cheongmun.

Thirteen children originally from So-cheongmun, including Baek Ga-hwan and Baek Ga-ryeong, and seven they rescued from the Guilin black market.

A total of twenty people.

Could they manage to escape with such a large group?

At first, there was only one carriage, and even if they could find more, it would be impossible not to attract attention with so many children and women traveling together.

Furthermore, they had already caused significant trouble with the Yongbongji Conference, the Bukpoong Escort Agency, Geumwang Village, and the Gyerim Black Market. Even Mu-jin had killed someone in the cannibal inn, claiming to be the son of a local noble.

They might already be being pursued, and it was certain that they would be chased soon.

Therefore, it was crucial to stay as inconspicuous as possible on their journey to Jiangxi Province.

However, it wasn’t feasible to leave behind everyone except Baek Ga-hwan and Baek Ga-ryeong.

‘Sigh. If that were the case, we shouldn’t have attacked here in the first place.’

The children, now without the protection of the So-cheongmun, wouldn’t be able to survive in this hellish territory of the demonic cult.

On the other hand, if the So-cheongmun had remained intact, the children could have lived happily here for several months to years.

Even if the So-cheongmun were bad people, if they weren’t going to take responsibility for the children, it would have been better to leave them be.

Perhaps noticing Mu-jin’s concerns.

“There is a way for all of us to sneak to Jiangxi Province together.”

As expected of the future strategist, Baek Ga-hwan spoke confidently.

“What is that method!?”

In response to Mu-jin’s question, Baek Ga-hwan looked proudly at his sister before speaking.

“My sister mentioned ‘Yoo Dae-in, Do-eun-mak-gan.’”

Hearing Baek Ga-hwan’s words, Mu-jin looked at him as if to say, ‘What nonsense is that?’

Fortunately, Baek Ga-hwan soon explained the meaning.

“Yoo Dae-in is someone who was supposed to come here tomorrow, and after looking through the ledger a moment ago, it seems that Yoo Dae-in is a slave trader. Do-eun-mak-gan means to hide rice between barley. If we capture Yoo Dae-in and disguise ourselves as slave traders, we won’t attract attention.”

“……”

Mu-jin was rather dumbfounded.

‘How did he come up with such a plan from those two words?’

In the novel, Baek Ga-hwan often praised his sister, but seeing his actions now, even deducing such a plan from a few words showed that Baek Ga-hwan wasn’t normal either.

* * *

Mu-jin’s group decided to follow Baek Ga-ryeong and Baek Ga-hwan’s plan and started to tidy up the So-cheongmun.

Anyway, Yoo Dae-in was supposed to come only after sunrise, so they needed to spend time here waiting for him.

They calmed the children who had come outside at night, sent them back to their rooms, cleaned up the corpses, and confined the captured So-cheongmun Master and his disciples in a corner.

“Kids, let’s go back inside now!”

“Ooki! Ookikiki!”

“Hmm. Don’t worry. We’ll soon go to a better place together.”

The task of comforting the children was mainly handled by Mu-yul, Ling-ling, and Baek Ga-hwan.

Thanks to Baek Ga-hwan, who had always been like an elder brother to the children, and Mu-yul’s innocent, harmless appearance, the children began to calm down a bit.

After the children returned to the hall, Mu-jin and Mu-gyeong started cleaning up the corpses, while Mu-gung confined the captured So-cheongmun disciples in a secluded room and guarded them.

Lastly, in the case of the Cheongsu Dojang, he was meditating in a secluded place within the So-cheongmun.

To be precise, he was treating the internal injuries caused by a sudden attack of Qi Deviation.

However, the Qi Conducting Technique initiated for treating the Qi Deviation naturally led to meditation.

Unintentionally, the scene from a few days ago resurfaced in Cheongsu Dojang’s mind.

The memory that had been sealed away for over a decade.

* * *

Cheongsu Dojang.

No, Cha Sun-il was a simple child growing up in a quiet village in Qinghai.

His father was just an ordinary herbalist, and his mother passed away early.

For Cha Sun-il, his daily life consisted of playing with the few other children in the village during the day and spending time with his father, who returned from work, in the evening.

The misfortune that befell the small village of less than fifty people occurred after an outsider visited.

The outsider left after resting in the village for a day, but a few days later, he returned with a band of marauders.

Of course, a rural village with less than fifty people had no treasures that would attract a band of marauders.

“It’s her!!”

However, there was a beautiful woman in the village, more valuable than any treasure.

She was six years older than Cha Sun-il and had taken care of him whenever his father went out to work.

“Heh heh heh. We can’t just take one person from here! Kill everyone except those who seem valuable!”

As soon as the marauder leader gave the order, his men spread out and started killing the villagers.

“Aaaaah!”

“Sa-save me…”

“P-please, at least spare my child!!”

They began dragging away the women and children who looked even slightly attractive.

Cha Sun-il’s father hid with him in a corner of their house, but they were eventually discovered by a marauder searching the house.

Cha Sun-il’s father took out the emergency sword he had kept and fought back to protect his son, but he was no match for a marauder accustomed to plundering.

“Heh heh heh. You look like you could be sold.”

Although Cha Sun-il was a boy, his appearance was attractive enough to have market value for those with perverse desires.

The marauder grabbed young Cha Sun-il by his left arm and tried to drag him away.

Sreung.

Witnessing his father’s death directly, Cha Sun-il, with a dazed expression, grabbed the sword his father had held.

“Heh heh heh. Are you trying to resist?”

The marauder laughed, seemingly enjoying the futile resistance of a child.

However, at that moment, Cha Sun-il was overwhelmed by a strange sensation he had never felt before.

Though it was the first time he had ever held a sword, it felt like a lifelong friend in his hand.

“Guh…”

Cha Sun-il, mimicking the marauder’s sword technique he had seen only once, thrust the sword into the marauder’s abdomen.

The marauder, caught off guard, only realized that the child had stabbed him after the sword was embedded in his belly.

The movement was that natural.

However, the human body has countless muscles, and for a mere ten-year-old child to pull out a sword embedded in a body was an impossible task.

“Damn it…”

The marauder, feeling the pain of his intestines spilling out as the sword was removed, clutched his abdomen and soon collapsed to the ground.

And that was Cha Sun-il’s last memory.

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