The Duel of Wills (1)
A tense standoff unfolded between Cheonma and me.
In some ways, it was even more intense than our previous duel. Yet, from the start, the outcome was never in doubt.
I was confident, and Cheonma, despite his formidable martial skills, wasn’t as adept at hiding his emotions.
Cheonma was straightforward and hot-tempered, a trait that had served him well in life.
Even if he tried to mask it with age and experience, I was no less seasoned. Eventually, Cheonma erupted.
“Damn it! How the hell did you know?”
He was never good at hiding things.
“You wanted to see how impressive the Seonhak Arts are? You already saw that in our duel, didn’t you?”
“What if I want to learn it for myself, to be sure?”
“You’re not the type to pursue the Seonhak Arts so persistently just for that. Especially when the Ma Shin’s Core is on the line. Honestly, you don’t care about your grandfather at all, do you?”
”……!”
Cheonma was struck speechless, his expression and reaction confirming my suspicions. My guess, though partly speculative, was spot on.
His words weren’t lies. The previous Cheonma might have left the sect for such reasons.
But there was definitely something he was hiding.
“Why did your grandfather leave the sect?”
Cheonma remained silent.
“I’ll ask again. Why are you so eager to master the Seonhak Arts?”
Still, Cheonma said nothing.
I asked one last time.
“Is all of this related to the Ma Shin’s Core?”
In the end, Cheonma didn’t utter a word.
He stayed silent through all three questions, but there was a subtle shift in his emotions. I could tell. Cheonma’s desire to learn the Seonhak Arts was tied to his grandfather, and it was certainly connected to the Ma Shin’s Core.
Yet, I didn’t press him further.
Even if I forced him, he wouldn’t reveal anything. Besides, I believed that when destiny calls, there are steps one must take.
I could feel it. Step by step, the fate of the Ma Shin’s Core was pulling me towards it.
Mareongin and Ju Cheolryong were drinking in a private room. This was a high-end establishment frequented by the elite of the martial world.
The daily cost of drinking here was exorbitant, a place only the wealthy could afford.
Naturally, it was Mareongin who had offered to host today.
To be honest, Ju Cheolryong didn’t like Mareongin. He wasn’t fond of Ma Cheolgun either, but Mareongin was even worse. He disliked Mareongin’s sly demeanor, as if he’d weathered every storm despite his young age, and his unabashed wickedness.
Yet, he accepted the unwelcome invitation because Mareongin now held the position of Cheondo Munju.
After a few rounds, Mareongin dismissed the women from the room.
“My brother wants you to deal with Ju Danju.”
Ju Cheolryong blinked and looked up, the alcohol-induced warmth vanishing instantly.
“What do you mean? Deal with him how?”
“He wants you to destroy Ju Danju.”
“What?”
Ju Cheolryong’s expression hardened. It was too extreme to be a joke.
“Did he really say that?”
“Haha, of course, he didn’t say it directly. My brother likes to pretend he’s a gentleman.”
“What exactly did he say?”
“He asked me to use you to find out who’s behind him. It seems he’s planning to wipe them out with the Myeolma Group.”
Ju Cheolryong scoffed. Whether it was true or not, if it was, both Ma Cheolgun for making such a request and Mareongin for revealing it to him were truly despicable.
‘What a bunch of insufferable bastards!’
Ju Cheolryong disliked the Ma family joining the martial alliance.
Though he had betrayed Galsaryang’s intentions after Cheonhajin’s death by siding with the forces behind the scenes, the alliance felt genuine when Cheonhajin was around.
He had accepted the Ma family because they were backed by those forces, but if he had a choice, he would never have chosen them.
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Perhaps because I like you more than my brother?”
Ju Cheolryong couldn’t fathom Mareongin’s intentions.
Meanwhile, Mareongin was studying how to handle Ju Cheolryong. He was exceptionally skilled at dealing with people.
“You may not know, but the leader is a stubborn man. Once he sets his mind on something, he sees it through. I don’t know how much trust Ju Danju has with them, but… do you have as much value to them as my brother?”
Ju Cheolryong’s heart sank. His body had already answered.
Mareongin continued.
“If it were me, I could confidently say I don’t have as much value as my brother. They would see it that way. In other words, if my brother tried to kill me, they wouldn’t stop him. If the same goes for you…”
Mareongin asked with a somber gaze.
“Shouldn’t we find a way to survive together?”
After leaving the Seonhak Cave, I used my lightness skill to return directly to the safe house in Wuhuan.
Galsaryang was waiting for me with some news.
“How did it go?”
“Thanks to your concern, it went very well.”
“That’s a relief.”
Galsaryang began with news from the martial alliance.
“The martial alliance has completed the formation of the Myeolma Group. Judging by their revealed strength, they’re much stronger than the Important Three Groups.”
“Who became the leader?”
“Jeong Ilgeom, Ma Jungyeol. He’s a figure of great skill and reputation, so he was appointed without much opposition.”
“He must be one of Ma Cheolgun’s people.”
“Yes, precisely. He’s closely associated with General Noh. This makes the Myeolma Group a force for Ma Cheolgun. Moreover, Mareongin is on the move. It seems he’s acting on Ma Cheolgun’s orders.”
The situation was increasingly favoring Ma Cheolgun, which was exactly what I wanted.
“What about the movements of the forces behind the scenes?”
“They’re quiet.”
The failure of the Ihon Technique must have dealt them a significant blow. But they wouldn’t end their schemes so easily.
I felt it was like the calm before the storm.
Galsaryang nodded in agreement.
If we couldn’t stop the storm, we at least had to avoid being swept away by it.
“Oh, and I’ve investigated Seong Wangbo in the meantime.”
Galsaryang shared what he had learned about Seong Wangbo.
“He’s currently the head of the Central Merchants’ Union and the leader of the Continental Trading Group. He’s a powerful figure in the commercial world, always involved in any significant business matters.”
The conclusion of the investigation was this:
“After examining the flow of funds from Seong Wangbo and the Continental Trading Group, we concluded that they alone aren’t sufficient.”
“Then?”
“So we’re currently investigating all three major trading groups in the Central Plains.”
The three major trading groups were Seong Wangbo’s Continental Trading Group, the Gangbuk Trading Group, and the Hwangryong Trading Group.
“On the surface, they compete and are rivals, but internally, they might be allied.”
Galsaryang held back further comments. If we dug deep enough, we could uncover their connections.
“How can we approach Seong Wangbo?”
“I’ve heard that the Central Merchants’ Union is hosting a Grand Merchant Banquet in a few days.”
“A Grand Merchant Banquet?”
“The Grand Merchant Banquet is a kind of festival for members of the Central Merchants’ Union. It’s smaller in scale than the previous Golden Banquet but much more focused and specialized in business matters. Seong Wangbo will be attending.”
“This banquet is our chance to approach him.”
In power struggles, money battles are as crucial as physical ones.
It’s time to either cut off their funding or take it for ourselves.
“Attend as the leader of the Taeseong Trading Group.”
That evening, Gwangdu arrived at the safe house.
“Young masterrrrr!”
Seeing Gwangdu charging towards me like a mad bull, Cheonma flinched. He had been sulking and silent since leaving the Seonhak Cave, but he couldn’t ignore this situation.
[Who’s that?]
[That’s Gwangdu.]
[So that’s Gwangdu.]
It was Cheonma and Gwangdu’s first meeting.
Gwangdu leaped into my arms. Normally, I would have dodged, but with Cheonma watching, I embraced him.
[Good grief! What are you doing, hugging another man?]
[Why not? It’s full of affection.]
[Ugh.]
[Are you jealous?]
[What? You crazy fool! Shut up!]
[Strong denial is often…]
[Shut up!]
Cheonma was truly an easy target for teasing, much like Gwangdu here.
“Young master, I’ve missed you so much.”
“I’ve missed you too. We’re about to enter a real fight…”
Gwangdu flinched and quickly stepped back.
“Surely, you don’t mean you need a human shield, do you?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“I’m not ready for that.”
“That’s why you’d be the shield.”
“Ah! Please, stop!”
“Hahaha.”
It felt good to banter with Gwangdu after so long.
Seeing me laugh, Gwangdu suddenly burst into tears. The overwhelming joy of our reunion was too much for him to contain.
[Huh? He’s crying. How can someone cry so suddenly?]
[He’s just so happy.]
[Crazy. How can you cry from happiness?]
[Have you ever felt that way?]
[No. I’ve never cried at all.]
Cheonma answered firmly.
[And you?]
Come to think of it, I had never cried out of joy at seeing someone. I had shed tears mourning death, but that was different.
[No, I haven’t.]
[See, it’s just how we are.]
As he said, we were warriors from an era where tears were distant. A time when crying was seen as a sign of shame.
We attached the word “trivial” to tears, believing that such weakness couldn’t survive.
Yet, watching Gwangdu cry in front of me, I couldn’t be sure what was truly natural.
“Hey, stop crying. I’ll use you as a shield next time.”
Gwangdu wiped his tears and grinned.
“The tear strategy worked, didn’t it?”
“Haha, yes. A great success.”
“You must have heard by now, but I’ve formed the Taeseong Sword Unit.”
“I did hear. How’s it going?”
“When I first met each of them, I was so nervous I thought my heart would burst. I doubted if I could really lead them.”
“And now?”
“Still the same, but I’ve gotten used to it, so it’s better than before.”
“Adapting is like training. The more you do it, the better you get.”
“Yes, I suppose that’s true.”
“And the sword unit members?”
“They’re on standby at the Infinite Trading Post.”
“Have them wait not far from where the Merchant Gathering is held. Only you, I, and Chief Gong will attend.”
[Four of us.]
The Merchant Gathering was held in Huanggang, not far from Infinite.
Huanggang was home to the main base of the Donghu Trading Group, one of the leading trading groups in Hubei. This gathering was hosted by Donghu with support from the Central Plains Merchants’ Union, to which Donghu also belonged.
We checked into an inn in the bustling streets of Huanggang. We didn’t have a safe house here.
“Do you have any rooms available?”
“You’re in luck. We were fully booked, but a room was canceled this morning.”
“Only one?”
“Yes. You won’t find it easy to get a room at another inn either.”
Gwangdu, who was talking to the innkeeper, turned to me.
“There’s only one room.”
“We can share it.”
He glanced at Gong Suchan, who nodded, showing he didn’t mind.
The one who did mind was Cheonma.
[Good grief. Are you saying we should share a room with those lowly beings?]
[Lowly?]
[We are of noble status.]
[You might think so, but I don’t. I don’t see myself as better than them.]
[Pretending to be humble and kind. It’s sickening.]
[Your pretense of nobility isn’t very appealing either.]
[Hmph!]
After settling in, Gong Suchan approached me.
“There’s a place I’d like to take you.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
I stood up without asking where we were headed. It seemed trivial, but it was a significant gesture. It meant I would follow him anywhere without question.
Sometimes, such trust deeply moves subordinates, and those moments of emotion build into great loyalty.