The Beginning of My Journey (3)
I started by recruiting twenty members for the sword squad.
Recently, positive rumors about the Byeok Clan’s swordsmanship had been circulating, so over a hundred people showed up when they heard about the recruitment. Since it was known that I was running this small squad, fewer people came compared to the last recruitment.
Still, it was more than I had expected. Many who had failed to join last time returned, along with a lot of new faces.
Gwangdu was visibly excited as he looked at the gathered martial artists in the courtyard.
“Young master! It looks like more than a hundred have come!”
The ages varied, and surprisingly, there were quite a few women among them.
“Are you going to recruit women too?”
“If they’re capable.”
“Oh! Let’s recruit them all! Women, I mean!”
“Do you like women that much?”
“Isn’t it better than being surrounded by just men?”
My reason for recruiting women wasn’t as simple as that. Running the Martial Alliance had taught me the importance of female martial artists. They were invaluable in operations requiring disguise, whether as a couple or a mother and daughter.
Investing in them was worthwhile for many reasons. Of course, they would be selected based on their skills, fairly and squarely.
“Alright, let’s begin.”
One by one, they came forward to demonstrate their techniques.
We skipped the sparring tests. Just watching how they handled their weapons was enough to gauge their skills.
From the applicants, I initially selected forty who showed promise.
I then interviewed each of the forty individually.
How could a few words truly evaluate a person? Yet, I had met enough people to trust my instincts.
“Why do you want to join the sword squad?”
The answers varied. Some were honest about wanting to earn money, others aspired to become renowned martial artists, and some simply respected their fathers.
In truth, I wasn’t focused on their answers.
I was looking for sincerity. Those who lied were easy to spot. Even if they weren’t lying, answers given just for the sake of answering were obvious.
I chose those who spoke from the heart over those who were merely eloquent. Even if someone was highly skilled, I avoided those with difficult personalities.
As I had told Gwangdu, the most important thing for the squad was a sense of belonging. That comes from being able to get along well with fellow squad members.
I planned to continue growing the squad. Those who developed well among them would become future leaders and captains. I intended to expand from one squad to ten, even twenty.
That afternoon, I stood before the twenty final recruits. Eighteen men and two women.
I didn’t hide my aura. In fact, I projected it more forcefully. In this first meeting of hierarchy, there was no need to conceal my presence.
In a martial organization, a good leader isn’t just a nice person. A good leader is skilled, cold-headed, and capable of protecting their subordinates.
“I know you’ve heard various rumors about me.”
From being a scoundrel to having turned over a new leaf, the rumors must be diverse.
“I have only one thing to say. Forget them all. From now on, judge me by what you see and experience.”
“Yes, understood!”
The voices of the squad members were strong. They must have sensed that I was different from the rumors.
I was once the person with the most subordinates in this world.
But this was my first time facing lower-level martial artists like this. I had gone from being the best in the world to becoming the leader of an alliance.
Could I lead them well? My heart was pounding too.
Teaching Gwangdu was my first experience in teaching someone, and now, leading these subordinates was also a first.
“I will never forget this meeting today.”
To them, it might have sounded like a cliché, but it was my genuine feeling.
I intended for this day to be remembered as the start of history.
“Now, let’s choose a captain.”
Everyone tensed. Who became the captain would greatly affect their lives.
I walked over to a young man standing among them.
“Gwanhui.”
“Yes!”
He was someone I had my eye on.
His name was Gwanhui. Twenty-three years old. He had been an instructor at a martial arts school before applying, and his martial arts foundation was solid.
What caught my attention was his answer during the interview.
“Why do you want to join the sword squad?”
“I want to succeed as a martial artist.”
“Do you think joining our squad will make you successful?”
“May I speak frankly?”
“Of course.”
“I heard rumors. That you’ve changed, sir. From a scoundrel to quite a decent person. I want to learn that secret. If I can change like that, I believe I can succeed.”
His words were bold and confident.
Of course, it wasn’t just because of that answer. For his age, his martial arts were solid, and he answered other questions clearly and concisely. He said only what was necessary and didn’t waste words.
“From now on, you’re the captain of our small sword squad. Can you handle it?”
“Yes! Leave it to me.”
Gwanhui answered without hesitation.
“Good! That’s all for today.”
I took them to their accommodations. There was still plenty of room. The Byeok Clan had housed far more people during its peak.
As I left the accommodations, Gwangdu was waiting.
“How do you feel?”
What more needed to be said?
“Let’s have a drink.”
Just like my father and Seojung used to, I drank with Gwangdu late into the night.
It was a promising start.
The next day, we began the full-scale training of the sword squad.
With advice from Seojung, I was able to plan the training properly.
Each squad member had their own martial arts skills. My role was to help them maximize their potential.
Rewards and punishments were clear. It’s the most important factor in managing an organization.
When they achieved good results in training, I praised them and gave rewards. Sometimes I gave cash, and other times I bought good weapons from the ironworks as prizes.
Conversely, if they fell behind, I imposed penalties.
But those penalties weren’t humiliating. They were within limits everyone could agree on, and they encouraged personal training.
Once I established these clear principles, the atmosphere among the squad members improved.
In my experience, the most important thing in an organization is principles. Subordinates struggle not because the work is hard, but because of superiors who are inconsistent and unpredictable.
Of course, while training them, I didn’t neglect my own training.
I never forgot.
The most important thing is me.
I knew better than anyone that if I faltered, everything could end in an instant.
No matter how well I trained the squad, if I died, it would be over.
Thinking of the enemies I had faced, it was clear.
No matter how well-trained the elite forces were, once their leader was defeated, they crumbled easily. When the head is cut off, even the fiercest beast dies after a final struggle.
So becoming stronger was not only for myself but for everyone.
“How do you have such stamina?”
Gwanhui asked, panting, as we trained together.
“If you run, roll, and train for three hours at dawn, you’ll be like this too.”
“Three hours of stamina training?”
“To succeed in anything, there needs to be a time when you bury your efforts in time.”
“Bury efforts in time? What do you mean?”
“There needs to be a period when you’re obsessed with one thing and focus solely on it. A time you can look back on and say, ‘I worked really hard then.’ You said you want to succeed as a martial artist, right? Then bury your efforts in your time. The deeper you bury them, the greater your success will be.”
Gwanhui’s eyes sparkled. I could tell he would start running at dawn from tomorrow.
“Thank you for the valuable lesson.”
He bowed and ran off.
As I watched Gwanhui with a satisfied expression, Gwangdu approached me quietly.
“Aren’t you getting too close?”
“What do you mean?”
“You didn’t give me such advice.”
“Did I?”
Gwangdu looked incredulous.
“That’s really unfair!”
“Are you jealous?”
Gwangdu flinched at the direct hit.
“Jealous? I’m a man! A real man who’s done it all!”
“Don’t worry. He’s not funny, is he?”
Gwangdu’s expression hardened instead.
“Does that mean if I’m not funny either…”
I turned and walked away without answering. Even without looking back, I could imagine Gwangdu’s expression.
“Young master, you’ve changed!”
I intended to make Gwangdu compete with Gwanhui.
When people become close, they tend to lose the tension in their relationship. Eventually, they make mistakes. I believe it’s good to maintain a certain level of tension, even with close people.
The competition with Gwanhui would likely keep Gwangdu on his toes.
It would help Gwangdu grow, and in turn, strengthen our relationship.
Sure enough, from the next day, Gwanhui began his dawn training.
The squad’s training was already tough, so personal training wasn’t easy.
But Gwanhui wasn’t an ordinary guy.
He was determined and had a fierce spirit. Plus, he had the ambition to be a good captain.
Before heading out for my dawn training, I quietly checked the courtyard where Gwangdu trained.
As expected, I was right.
Gwangdu was also up early, training.
I smiled.
It would be good for both of them.
Yes, become obsessed. That’s how you achieve something.
Three days after Gwanhui started his personal training, another squad member joined the dawn training. Two days later, another joined.
Thanks to Gwanhui, a diligent atmosphere was taking hold.
The squad was running better than I had hoped.
The problem was with me. I currently had about 3,500 nyang.
Considering the monthly wages for the twenty squad members and other expenses, I couldn’t afford to be complacent.
While pondering how to earn money, the chief steward paid me a visit.
He clearly had something to say but started with unrelated topics.
“Are you managing the squad properly? You’re not wasting money on unnecessary things, are you?”
“How could I be doing well? I’ve never managed money properly before.”
“I knew it.”
The chief steward clicked his tongue repeatedly, but his demeanor was noticeably softer than before.
“Taking someone under your wing is no easy task,” he grumbled.
“Yeah, I’m starting to see that,” I replied.
The chief officer shared various bits of advice, though he couldn’t help but deliver them with a grumble, like a string of complaints. Yet, each word was invaluable, offering insights that would stick with me.
Just as he was about to leave, he paused, as if remembering something.
“You asked me before, didn’t you? If I knew any promising young men.”
It was something I had inquired about when I visited him regarding the Shandong Trading Company.
“Do you still need someone?”
I realized that this was the real reason for his visit.
“Absolutely.”
“There’s one fellow who might fit the bill…”
“Who is he?”
“He’s not much more than a bean counter, but…”
I knew better. If the chief officer was personally recommending someone, they had to be worth it.
“Head to Zoucheng and look for Kong Suchan.”
Zoucheng was just south of Qufu, not too far away.
“Thank you.”
He waved off my gratitude as if it were nothing and left with a parting shot.
“Don’t waste your money!”
The next morning, I set out with Gwangdu.
“If I fall behind in training because of this, it’ll be your fault, young master!”
“Are you worried?”
“Of course! I’m on the verge of being cast aside like an old hunting dog.”
I chuckled.
“You’re supposed to say it won’t happen, not laugh!”
Don’t worry, kid. You won’t fall behind.
The martial arts Gwangdu was learning, the Namhae Seven Techniques, were leagues beyond what most warriors practiced. He just hadn’t realized it yet because he hadn’t faced others in combat. He was already stronger than the swordsmen gathered for this mission.
Before heading to Zoucheng, I bought him two sets of martial arts uniforms.
“You’re working hard in your training, so consider it a reward.”
Gwangdu beamed with joy.
“Thank you, thank you so much!”
Even in his excitement, he chose a more subdued color than mine, not wanting to outshine me.
“I don’t think I can bring myself to wear these. I’ll just hang them in my room!”
“Do you like them that much?”
“This is the first time anyone’s ever given me clothes as a gift.”
A wave of emotion hit me, but I kept it to myself. Gwangdu had shared his first drink with me, slept in the same room with me for the first time, and now received his first gift of clothing from me.
Yes, all the things you’ve missed out on, let’s experience them together.
I’ll make sure you get to live them all.
“By the way, who are we going to meet?”
“Someone who might just take care of our financial problems.”
“Wow! They must be really important!”
Indeed, they were.
I was curious to see who the chief officer had recommended.
With that, Gwangdu and I arrived in Zoucheng.
After asking around, we finally found Kong Suchan’s home.
It was a small, shabby thatched cottage.