Days of Growth (2)
The heavy iron door creaked open, and Ma Cheol-gun stepped inside. The small, cramped room, barely a few square meters, held Ma Ryeong-in. He was trapped here, his pressure points sealed to prevent him from using his martial arts.
“You skipped your meal?”
“The food’s terrible. Either get a new cook or let me out.”
“You should eat, regardless.”
“What’s with the cheap sympathy? Do you think I feel like a condemned criminal?”
Ma Cheol-gun neither confirmed nor denied it.
“Tell me who ordered you.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Tell me who’s behind you. Cooperate, and I’ll spare your life.”
Of course, Ma Cheol-gun considered the possibility that Ma Ryeong-in acted alone. The fact that Ma Ryeong-in tried to kill him didn’t surprise him. That was just who Ma Ryeong-in was.
“So, you’re saying you’ll kill me if I don’t talk.”
“You don’t understand the gravity of the situation. You attempted to kill the head of Cheondo Clan.”
“An acting head, at best. And the only evidence is that secret letter. Unless this so-called Nameless Hero confesses, you can’t pin anything on me.”
Ma Cheol-gun’s eyes turned cold. It was infuriating, but Ma Ryeong-in wasn’t wrong.
Moreover, when they interrogated the guards who had been with him, they found the manor where they had stayed. But somehow, it had burned to the ground, leaving only ashes.
“You’ve been like this since you were young. Always scheming. To be honest, I never liked you.”
“I knew that.”
“I could kill you right here.”
“Go ahead, then.”
“Do you think I won’t?”
Ma Cheol-gun exuded a murderous intent, one that seemed ready to kill at any moment. Yet Ma Ryeong-in remained unfazed, even smiling as if he knew Ma Cheol-gun wouldn’t follow through.
Just then, someone knocked on the door from outside.
“Master, I have something to discuss.”
The voice belonged to No Seonsaeng, who served as a military advisor.
Ma Cheol-gun stepped out, and No Seonsaeng led him to the end of the corridor.
No Seonsaeng looked tense.
“What’s the matter?”
“A message has arrived from the Martial Alliance. They want you to bring the young master to the alliance immediately.”
“What?”
Ma Cheol-gun was taken aback.
“How did Father find out that he’s imprisoned?”
It was possible, of course. The operation wasn’t entirely secret. But he hadn’t expected it to be discovered so quickly.
No Seonsaeng spoke gravely.
“Do you think the order really came from the Alliance Leader?”
Ma Cheol-gun’s expression mirrored No Seonsaeng’s concern.
“Someone’s pulling the strings.”
I returned to the Shandong home with Gwangdu and Gong Suchan.
Seeing the house in the distance filled me with a strange feeling. I felt a sense of peace and relief that I hadn’t realized I missed. In my youth, I never appreciated the value of home. I felt more at ease leaving it.
But now I understood what it meant to return home, what that feeling was like.
Father and Mother were unchanged, just as they were when I left.
“Did you have a good trip?”
Father’s gaze held a trust that was incomparable to before.
“Yes, thanks to your concern, everything went well.”
“And the task?”
“It’s been handled.”
“That’s good to hear. You haven’t forgotten, have you?”
“Of course not. I always try to respect and consider those beneath me.”
“That’s all I ask.”
Father added something he didn’t usually say.
“I believe that a life is supported by gathering such principles, one by one. I may have only set one standard, but you should create many better ones.”
His words were filled with humility. How could Father have only one principle? He emphasized it because he thought it was what I needed most now.
As time passes, I feel the depth of this teaching.
A person who can genuinely consider others has already mastered their own heart. In other words, to truly uphold that principle, one must be able to govern oneself.
After our conversation, Mother took my hand and led me outside.
“Son, come here.”
“What is it?”
“I heard Hwarin stopped by Wuhuan?”
“How did you know?”
“I ran into Gwangdu on the way.”
Ha ha. Gwangdu, with his loose lips, must have told her everything the moment he saw her. Well, both Mother and Gwangdu were strong supporters of Song Hwarin.
“She came while I was out, so we missed each other.”
“That’s what I heard. You must have been disappointed?”
She subtly watched my reaction.
“Yes, I was.”
It wasn’t just to appease Mother. I was genuinely grateful to her and felt the loss.
“You’ll see her later, right?”
“Once I finish dealing with the Sword Squad matters, I plan to visit her.”
“Yes, take care of your work first. But remember this: it must have taken great courage for Hwarin to come all the way to see you.”
I smiled, understanding what Mother meant.
“Yes, Mother.”
The Sword Squad cheered when they saw me after a long time.
Even Gwan Hwi, usually so reserved, was at the front, shouting. It showed just how enthusiastic their welcome was.
I was moved. It was a feeling I hadn’t experienced even among hundreds or thousands of other martial artists.
“Have you all been well?”
“Yes!”
“Have you been training hard?”
Their confident faces answered with a resounding yes.
“A martial artist doesn’t explain past deeds with words! You know that, right?”
Before I even finished speaking, the Sword Squad dispersed to create space.
The squad members took turns sparring with me, showing more progress than before. They were improving by leaps and bounds.
After watching a round of training, I spoke.
“I’m truly proud of you all.”
My praise was sincere, and they felt it.
They were all delighted. After pushing themselves to their limits in training, they finally felt rewarded.
It was time for the Sword Squad to take a step forward.
“I’m thinking of recruiting new members.”
Their faces were filled with excitement and anticipation.
Initially, I planned to recruit only forty members. Back then, finances were tight, and I wanted to avoid drawing attention.
But now, the situation had changed.
The Sword Squad had improved significantly, and our financial situation was stable.
“I’m planning to recruit eighty more members this time.”
The enemy’s forces were far stronger than I had anticipated. It wasn’t the time to take slow, cautious steps. We needed to stride forward boldly.
Of course, we couldn’t afford to stumble. Recruiting eighty members at once would undoubtedly draw attention.
So, I came up with a plan.
“You want to join forces with me to form a sword squad?”
Song Hwarin looked at me with wide eyes. I had barely finished sharing the joy of our reunion when I made the unexpected proposal.
My plan was this: to create and run the sword squad with Song Hwarin, or at least let it be known that way.
People would then think the Song family was backing the endeavor. We had the pretext of being engaged, which would deflect suspicion about where the funds came from while allowing us to grow our influence.
“Of course, the recruitment and operation of the squad will be entirely my responsibility.”
“So, you just want to borrow my name.”
“That’s right.”
“Why?”
“To avoid drawing attention.”
“Why?”
Typically, when sects recruit, they exaggerate their numbers to show off their strength. They claim to have recruited twenty when they’ve only gathered ten. They strive to recruit more, not less. That’s the way of the martial world.
“I want to quietly build strength.”
She might have been offended, thinking I was using her. And in truth, I was.
Surprisingly, she agreed readily.
“Alright, let’s do it.”
I was the one caught off guard.
“You’re deciding so easily?”
“It doesn’t seem like a difficult decision. Isn’t this the crux of the matter?”
“What?”
She looked at me steadily before speaking calmly.
“Whether I trust you or not.”
She had pinpointed the heart of the issue.
“You’ve decided to trust me?”
She nodded, her expression more assured than any vigorous nod could convey. I could feel it. She truly trusted me now.
“Thank you.”
“If you’re grateful, buy me a drink.”
I was taken aback, and she laughed.
“I promise I won’t get drunk today.”
We shared a drink.
She no longer had any reservations about drinking. Her past wounds had healed.
We talked about many things, but I didn’t mention the existence of the other two women. Yet, I didn’t feel guilty about it.
She, I, and the other woman—our emotions were flowing and changing. Where the currents of our relationships would lead us, I couldn’t say.
“I can guess why you want to grow the sword squad, but I still want to ask. Why do you want to expand it so much?”
It wasn’t a question seeking the obvious answer of gaining power.
“I think this martial world isn’t normal.”
I hadn’t yet told her about the forces behind the Martial Alliance Leader. The issues with Ma Bong-gi and Cheondo Clan were enough to explain.
“I believe chaos is coming. I’m preparing for it.”
“What kind of chaos?”
“A great chaos. I fear the weak will have to live like slaves to the strong.”
That was the way Ma Bong-gi lived. Those who sought to use him were likely no different. They were merely biding their time, hiding their claws in the shadows.
Realizing I was speaking sincerely, she asked seriously.
“What should I do?”
“Aren’t we already working together to form the sword squad?”
She chuckled softly at my words.
That day, we talked about many things, mostly about the future. We drank late into the night, and she didn’t get drunk or cause a scene.
I met Jin, our informant, at the newly established contact point in Gokbu.
“Did everything go well with your task?”
“Thankfully, it was handled smoothly. You look like you’ve lost some weight.”
“Not at all.”
“Make sure to take care of yourself while working.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
I had already briefed him on the situation with the Ma-ryeongin. I instructed him to keep an eye on how this was being handled within the Cheondo faction and to gather information on the Chugajang and Jeongjumugwan.
“We haven’t uncovered anything about the Ma-ryeongin yet. They’re keeping it highly confidential.”
Naturally. If any information were to leak now, it would be suspicious.
“Keep monitoring it.”
“Understood. Also, the Chugajang and Jeongjumugwan have already closed their doors.”
Given the incident with the Nameless Hero, that was to be expected.
“Soo is investigating the Namhyeon Pyo-guk. It’s taking time due to the cautious approach, but we’ll have a report soon.”
Namhyeon Pyo-guk was the name we found in Im Yeonjeong’s research notes, our only clue to uncovering the mastermind behind it all.
“Tell Soo to be careful.”
“Yes, I will.”
Jin then reported on the information network we were building. We named it Samangak, meaning “Three-Eyed Pavilion,” to signify an additional eye beyond the usual two.
“We’re establishing branches of Samangak in major cities across the central plains. So far, we’ve set up fifteen branches.”
“Fifteen already?”
I was taken aback. I knew Jin and Soo were capable, but I hadn’t expected them to move so swiftly.
“Right now, they’re small branches. Some have two or three members, and some just one. We plan to expand gradually.”
I understood that the strength of an intelligence network wasn’t in numbers alone.
According to Jin, the heads of these branches varied widely: innkeepers, clerks at fabric shops, low-ranking martial artists in the Murim Alliance, and even martial arts instructors. They lived among ordinary people, gathering information as they went about their lives.
Following the Black Panther Squad, Samangak was also beginning to take shape.
The Byuk Clan’s sword squad began actively recruiting martial artists.
It was announced that Song Hwarin was lending her support. Rumors of a broken engagement had shifted to whispers of an impending marriage.
Neither Song Hwarin nor I paid any mind to the gossip. We had an unspoken agreement not to discuss that topic.
Instead, I was more concerned about her father, Song Woo-gyeong. I worried that this might cause him trouble, but he was genuinely pleased. He still hoped for our marriage.
With rumors of a collaboration with the Song family spreading, a flood of martial artists applied.
Seeing the swarm of applicants, Kwan-hwi and the existing squad members were visibly tense. The turnout far exceeded their expectations.
I looked at them and said, “Don’t be nervous.”
“Yes, sir!”
But they were still on edge.
“Those guys are more nervous than you. Remember your first day?”
A few chuckled, and their expressions relaxed a bit.
I led the way, saying, “Let’s see how many promising ones we’ve got here.”