Where Did This Wind Come From? (1)
After eliminating Seo Jong-hui, the morale of our sword squad soared to the skies.
Surprisingly, it didn’t make as much of a splash outside as when we took down the Beast Squad. Perhaps because our opponent was the Black Society, and Seo Jong-hui was only known for holding them back.
But that was fine. At this point, internal strength was more important than external fame.
This incident further solidified the unity within our squad.
There are many factors that contribute to internal cohesion, but the leader’s role and presence are among the most influential.
When a leader demonstrates strong political acumen or, as in this case, formidable strength, the organization becomes more centered, and its internal bonds grow stronger.
Following someone worthy of respect is, in itself, a worthy endeavor.
Gwan-hwi came to deliver some news.
He said that when the squad members gather, they express a desire to be like me. The number of people joining the dawn training sessions has noticeably increased.
It seems the example I set has become a guiding light for the squad members.
Several more people came to learn the secret blade technique. Including those who had already learned it, nearly all the members had come to study.
I was more than happy to teach them. There are always those who are eager to learn first, and those who come later.
I held no grudge against those who didn’t come to learn. It’s possible they simply weren’t interested. Both learners and teachers need to have open hearts.
Gwang-du was particularly diligent.
Even though he started learning the secret blade technique later than Gwan-hwi, he was showing faster progress.
It wasn’t just due to effort. Gwan-hwi wasn’t slacking off either. Gwang-du simply had more natural talent.
Within a few days of learning, Gwang-du could hit the target with one out of three throws from twenty paces away. At this rate, he might hit all three within a month or two.
But not everything was going smoothly.
The incident we feared finally happened.
A fight broke out between our sub-squad members and the main squad members.
By the time I arrived, the brawl was over.
It seemed they had exchanged blows, but our side had taken more damage. The members from both squads were now engaged in a heated argument.
“Just because you’re a senior?”
“This punk still doesn’t get it!”
“Technically, you’re not even our senior, are you?”
The hot-headed one was Yang-gu. Having grown up in a security agency, he was no ordinary character.
But as soon as I appeared, the fiery Yang-gu lowered his head and calmed down.
“First of all, let me clarify: that person is indeed your senior. They are from the main squad of the Byeok Clan, and we are the sub-squad. Understand?”
Yang-gu replied weakly, “Yes.”
Hearing this, the expressions of the main squad members softened slightly. These matters are sensitive and need to be addressed clearly.
“What was the fight about?”
Yang-gu hesitated to answer.
“Do I need to ask twice?”
“No! It was my fault.”
“I’m not asking whose fault it was. I’m asking why you fought.”
“Well… I was looking elsewhere and bumped shoulders with him.”
“So it was your fault for not watching where you were going?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did you fight?”
“I was about to apologize, but he cursed at me first.”
I turned to the main squad member.
“Is that true?”
“It wasn’t anything serious. Just a reflexive remark.”
I looked back at Yang-gu.
“That’s what he says.”
Yang-gu sighed deeply and said, “When I saw his face… he looked like the bandit who killed my comrade.”
Everyone watching reacted with disbelief.
Especially the main squad member who fought with Yang-gu looked utterly baffled.
“Is this guy crazy?”
Honestly, he had a point.
But I saw the grief in Yang-gu’s slumped shoulders, a sorrow only someone who has lost a comrade would understand.
I addressed the main squad member who fought with Yang-gu.
“What do you want to do? Fight this madman some more, or should I have him apologize?”
“No, it’s fine.”
The member turned away. Though he called him crazy, he couldn’t say more after hearing about the loss of a comrade.
Everyone dispersed, leaving just Yang-gu and me.
“What kind of friend was he?”
“A fellow recruit from the security agency.”
“I see.”
“That friend…”
Yang-gu took a deep breath and continued with difficulty.
“…died because of me. I was too tired to wake up that day… He stood guard alone, letting me sleep longer…”
Yang-gu couldn’t continue. He bowed his head, clenching his fists, his shoulders and back trembling. He was holding back tears.
I looked up at the sky.
A clear sky without a single cloud. How could it be so clear when it couldn’t even offer rain?
Yang-gu spoke in a voice choked with emotion.
”…I killed him.”
I watched the bowed figure and said softly, “Maybe.”
Yang-gu’s trembling intensified.
I spoke calmly, “You, I, or anyone else might think so. But there’s one person… that friend wouldn’t think that way.”
Tears fell from Yang-gu’s eyes.
I saw the tears hit the ground but pretended not to notice. It’s not polite to hold onto a man who’s crying.
“You made a mistake, so you should be punished, right?”
“Yes! I’ll accept it willingly.”
“Run fifty laps around the training ground without using your inner strength!”
“Yes!”
Yang-gu ran towards the training ground.
I understood him, but I imposed this punishment for his own sake.
Once word got out that he had been properly punished, the main squad member and their comrades would let the matter go. They weren’t the kind of group that couldn’t understand this much.
I watched Yang-gu run around the training ground for a while.
What was he thinking about now? Probably about his deceased friend.
I knew that feeling better than anyone. In that long war, I lost too many people. That unbearable sense of loss, the miserable experience of becoming numb as you lose more and more.
I hoped that one day Yang-gu would come to me and suggest we have a drink together. So that his heart might find some peace.
Gong Su-chan came to me with a joyful expression.
“We’ve had an unexpected success with an investment. We were expecting a return of 1,200 nyang, but we made a profit of 4,500 nyang. Considering the additional income from the Dongpyeong Trading Company, we might be able to recruit not forty, but eighty new members next year.”
“Oh, that’s excellent news.”
I shared in his joy, but I didn’t accept the proposal.
“However, I plan to recruit only forty more members as originally planned.”
Gong Su-chan gave me a curious smile.
“Why are you smiling?”
“I’m relieved you’re not being greedy. I was hoping you’d say that, even though I came running with excitement.”
That’s something I should say to him. He’s been steadily growing our funds without making reckless investments.
There’s a saying that an old horse asks for more beans. It means that as one ages, greed increases.
During my time as a leader, I witnessed countless instances of old greed. The elders of the council were prime examples. Their insatiable desires were beyond comprehension.
I was wary of becoming like them, given my similar age. I used them as a cautionary tale.
The desire to improve and greed are different things.
I will grow without being greedy.
I advised Gong Su-chan not to make overly risky investments. To always invest steadily and diversely.
“Even if we take it slow, step by step, the important thing is to keep moving forward.”
Gong Su-chan bowed respectfully.
“I will keep that in mind.”
I felt that our relationship was also gradually improving.
Under the last rays of August sun, just days before September, the squad members were training with their swords.
I watched their training from the sidelines.
It’s been five months since the squad was formed. Thanks to my focused management, our sub-squad was now fully established. To an outsider, it might seem like we’ve been around for years. In reality, we were demonstrating skills and unity comparable to squads that had been around for years.
After the missions with the Beast Squad and the Dongpyeong Trading Company, our squad completed three more missions.
I accompanied them once, and the squad members handled the other two on their own. Some members were injured during those missions, but they completed them safely. And, of course, we made money. The three missions brought in 4,500 nyang. Not a small sum.
More than the money, these real-world missions were a significant motivator for the squad members.
Experiencing real combat, they felt a sense of belonging and the need to improve their skills. They realized that in the martial world, those without skills are the first to die.
Their growing respect for me was evident without needing to be said.
My personal achievements weren’t bad either.
In the five months since I began seriously cultivating my inner strength, I accumulated four years’ worth of it. I now possessed twenty-four years’ worth of inner strength.
My goal was to reach thirty-six years of inner strength.
At this rate, I could achieve it in four more years. If I were lucky enough to find a rare elixir, it could happen even sooner.
Not only my inner strength but my physical stamina had improved to an incomparable degree, and I could now freely use the first three forms of the Baekwol Sword Technique, the martial art of my family, and my unique martial art, the Chuhon Sura Sword Technique.
Despite these achievements, there were times when I felt a sense of futility.
No one in the inns talked about my death anymore. It seemed natural, yet there was an inexplicable bitterness.
Yes, it’s fine. Everyone fades away like that, I told myself, but there was something I truly couldn’t understand.
Mabonggi had become the leader of the martial alliance, yet not a single soul seemed worried. It was almost unsettling how calm everything was. The world I saw as the former leader was so different from the one seen by ordinary people.
I decided to view all of this in a positive light.
The old Cheonhajin was truly dead.
Now, I was truly Byeokridan.
Yes, in my later years, I lived like a fossil trapped in a frame. It’s time to live anew.
The breeze now felt refreshingly cool.
Summer was coming to an end.
The signs of a storm appeared in an unexpected form.
Yang Sobangju, Jeongyeo, came to me in secret.
“Someone from Cheondomun has arrived.”
“From Cheondomun?”
“Yes, a man named Majungsoo. He’s one of Mabonggi’s many sons.”
With so many children, I couldn’t remember who he was.
One thing was clear: the nature of their internal succession battle had changed.
The official successor wouldn’t just inherit Cheondomun but the entire martial alliance. It would be more intense and ruthless.
“Majungsoo met with the leader of the Shandong branch and asked to gather all the heads of the sects here.”
“For what reason?”
“He didn’t specify…”
Jeongyeo trailed off, and I nodded.
“It can’t be for a good purpose.”
If it were for a good cause, the methods wouldn’t be so unsettling. Mabonggi’s faction was already exerting its influence over the martial world.
“The Shandong branch leader refused.”
“Refused?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of person is the Shandong branch leader?”
“From what I know, he’s quite an upright individual.”
Indeed, not all martial alliance members were corrupt like Gongjong.
“Afterward, Majungsoo came to our main branch, pressuring us to host a banquet. He said he’d contact us again and then rushed here. What should we do?”
After a moment of thought, I replied.
“Agree to host it.”
If not Yang Sobang, the next target would be the Song family. Refusing would be a problem, and so would accepting. It’s better to handle it within Yang Sobang, where I can have some influence.
“Understood.”
“Have you secured control over Yang Sobang?”
“Yes. You needn’t worry.”
“In the future, there’s no need to come in person. Send the most trustworthy person you have. If you trust them, so will I.”
I knew well how a single word could profoundly change a person’s heart.
A word could turn loyalty as soft as tofu into steel, or it could sever existing bonds. The essence of politics is in words.
“If you need anything, contact me anytime.”
“Understood.”
When I first appointed Jeongyeo as the leader, I hadn’t planned to use him actively.
But seeing the current situation, the importance of Yang Sobang was growing. Even in this matter, it was proving to be a great help.
After sending him off, I pondered over the situation.
Was this a sign of a typhoon?
Or just a passing breeze?
Soon enough, I would find out what kind of storm it truly was.