CH 117

As the sun rose in the morning, the group packed up and set out on their journey. Jin Mu-Won still hadn’t returned, but none of them were worried about him. It was foolish to worry about a man of Jin Mu-Won’s strength.

They decided not to wait for him and left marks on the ground or in the trees to help him follow them later.

Yong Mu-Sung looked at Jongri Mu-Hwan, who was lost in thought. The strategist had looked gloomy since yesterday.

“Are you worried about something?”

“Oh, no, it’s not that.”

“Then why are you so upset? Our mission was a great success.”

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“That’s because…”

“Tell me.”

At Yong Mu-Sung’s urging, Jongri Mu-Hwan reluctantly said, “It’s because of Master Jin.”

“What about him?”

“To be precise, it’s because of Scholar Ha, who joined us as Master Jin’s guest.”

“Is there any problem with him?”

“He’s an amazing person. I’ve never met anyone as knowledgeable as him in my life.”

“More than you?”

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“Honestly, I don’t think I can hold a finger against him.”

“That bad, huh?” Yong Mu-Sung’s eyes widened. He knew Jongri Mu-Hwan better than anyone else. The strategist might be a little inferior in martial arts, but he had unrivaled intelligence and vast knowledge, and he was proud of it, as evidenced by the fact that Jongri Mu-Hwan couldn’t easily acknowledge Jin Mu-Won.

Yet, for the first time, he cast aside his arrogance and humbly admitted that he felt inferior to another. To Yong Mu-Sung, this was a big deal.

Yong Mu-Sung’s gaze fell on a large ox cart at the very back of the caravan. Ha Jin-Wol sat on the cart, playing go against himself.

“So you admit that he’s a genius?”

“I don’t think genius is the right word. I’ve never seen anyone with such in-depth knowledge on so many different things.”

At first, he’d thought that Ha Jin-Wol was similar to him, so he took a liking to him and joined him for drinks. However, the more they talked, the more he was overwhelmed by the scholar’s vast knowledge, to the point where he eventually felt depressed.

“Hmm…” After hearing Jongri Mu-Hwan’s explanation, Yong Mu-Sung looked at Ha Jin-Wol. Do geniuses attract geniuses? Jin Mu-Won, the martial arts genius, got another genius to follow him?

I don’t know what will come out of these two working together, but I have a feeling that it’s going to be big.

Yong Mu-Sung patted Jongri Mu-Hwan on the shoulder and said, “Don’t worry too much. You’re a genius too. To me, you’re the best strategist. You don’t have to beat yourself up by comparing yourself to Ha Jin-Wol.”

“Hyung-nim?”

“Don’t be so conscious of them. They have their path, and we have ours. We just have to be quiet and follow the path we chose.”

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“Yeah,” Jongri Mu-Hwan replied weakly.

This is a wall he must overcome by himself, Yong Mu-Sung thought, looking ahead. Regardless of how much they had actually contributed, it was true that they had accomplished their mission. As long as they made it to Lanzhou, they would receive a huge reward from the White Dragon Merchant Association. With that money, the Iron Brigade could finally work towards achieving their shared dream.

Just wait a little longer. I’ll be there soon. Yong Mu-Sung clenched his fists tightly and released a hint of killing intent.

Sensing their leaders’ intense emotions, the martial artists of the Iron Brigade gathered around them. The Iron Brigade had been together for a long time, and their bond was so strong that they could tell what each other was thinking with just a glance.

And true enough, that simple gesture was enough to calm Yong Mu-Sung and Jongri Mu-Hwan down.

Gong Jin-Sung, who was watching them, couldn’t help but marvel at the sight. They are no different from biological brothers. Is there any other sect in the gangho with such strong bonds?

Although the Iron Brigade hadn’t played much of a role in saving Yoon Ja-Myeong due to the emergence of the powerhouse that was Jin Mu-Won, their unity was a big part of why Gong Jin-Sung believed in them.

Although their numbers are small and they don’t have much influence, people like them always have a place in the gangho. We must do our best to maintain good relations with them.

After being part of the White Dragon Merchant Association for so long, Gong Jin-Sung had become a merchant through and through. However, he didn’t think it was a bad thing.

He looked at the carriage that Yoon Ja-Myeong was riding in. The Third Young Master was in much better shape now.

I wonder how happy the Old Matriarch will be when she finds out we brought him back safe and sound?

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The thought of her waiting for him at White Dragon Merchant Association brought a smile to his lips. However, his smile didn’t last long. The martial artists in the front of the group suddenly reined in their horses, bringing the entire group to a halt.

“What’s wrong?” Gong Jin-Sung rode to Yong Mu-Sung’s side, but Yong Mu-Sung didn’t answer him and only stared straight ahead, a stiff expression on his face.

Gong Jin-Sung looked in the same direction.

“Urk!” He too stiffened.

There was a large river ahead, blocking their path. However, it wasn’t the river that surprised them, it was the large rock in front of the river, or more precisely, the giant sitting on the rock.

A giant that radiated an aura of tyranny.

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Gong Jin-Sung groaned. He recognized the man. Jo Cheon-Woo, the Sect Leader of the Tyrant Fist Sect and one of the Four Northern Pillars.

For some reason, Jo Cheon-Woo stood in their way. His presence was so powerful that everyone, including the Iron Brigade, remained frozen to the spot.

Yong Mu-Sung narrowed his eyes as he looked at Jo Cheon-Woo. He didn’t like the fact that the man had him completely suppressed with his aura, but he was more interested in something else.

Why the hell is Jo Cheon-Woo here? Although the negotiations with the Tyrant Fist Sect went awry, we haven’t formed any grudges. However, judging from Jo Cheon-Woo’s intense killing intent, he didn’t come here with the intention of just talking.

Regardless, I cannot just ignore him. Yong Mu-Sung stepped forward and greeted, “Greetings, Master Jo, I am Yong Mu-Sung.”

“……” Jo Cheon-Woo didn’t reply and simply locked gazes with Yong Mu-Sung.

Pain immediately shot through Yong Mu-Sung’s eyeballs, making him feel as if they were about to burst, but he gritted his teeth and didn’t avert his gaze.

Jo Cheon-Wo’s eyes glinted dangerously. “Where is Jin Mu-Won?” he asked.

“Jin Mu-Won?” Yong Mu-Sung twitched. Is this related to the Yuxi Massacre? I’d heard that the Tyrant Fist Sect had been involved, and that they’d received a stern warning from Heaven’s Summit to shut their gates for a while, but I never expected Jo Cheon-Woo to ignore all that and personally make a move.

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Jongri Mu-Hwan and Chae Yak-Ran’s faces turned grave as they realized the gravity of the situation.

“He’s not here right now.”

“Hmph! Are you lying to me? I already know that he’s traveling with the White Dragon Merchant Association.”

“He was, but he left us last night and isn’t here right now,” Yong Mu-Sung explained.

Jo Cheon-Woo’s eyes glowed with rage as he rose to his feet like a mountain rising from the earth, spooking the horses into rearing and throwing off their riders. He was sure that Yong Mu-Sung was lying.

“How dare you lie to me, Jo Cheon-Woo?”

Behind Jo Cheon-Woo, more than a hundred elite martial artists of the Tyrant Fist Sect appeared and released their killing intent. They were usually stationed outside the sect, and had hence escaped Heaven’s Summit’s surveillance. Moreover, they had worked together with the Blizzard Squad many times, and were furious at the deaths of their comrades in Yuxi.

“What should I do to make you believe me? If you want, I’ll even allow you to search the carriages.”

“What makes you think I’ll believe you? I’m sure that you’ve already made arrangements to hide him.” Jo Cheon-Woo ignored Yong Mu-Sung and came up with a conclusion on his own. He then looked at his men and commanded, “Kill them all. We’ll see if he still doesn’t show up.”

“Yes sir!”

The elites of the Tyrant Fist Sect marched threateningly toward the martial artists of the Iron Brigade and the White Dragon Merchant Association, not bothering to hide their murderous intent.

Jongri Mu-Hwan whispered to Yong Mu-Sung, “No matter what we say, they won’t believe us.”

“I guess not.” Yong Mu-Sung gritted his teeth. He wanted to avoid fighting if he could, as it wasn’t in his nature to take risks without a reward. Unfortunately, it was impossible to negotiate when Jo Cheon-Woo had no intention of doing so.

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At that moment, Gong Jin-sung, who had been watching from the sidelines, stepped forward and politely asked, “Master Jo, my name is Gong Jin-Sung, and I am the Finance Head of the White Dragon Merchant Association. There seems to be a misunderstanding, so could you please calm down and listen to us first?”

“The White Dragon Merchant Association? Are you trying to intimidate me with that insignificant name?”

Jo Cheon-Woo’s aura intensified, inflicting internal injuries on Gong Jin-Sung and causing his face to turn pale.

The man had no desire to talk at all.

They say that good luck and bad fortune are two sides of the same coin, and that they always come together. I suppose today is the day I fight with everything I have. Gong Jin-Sung glanced at the carriage behind him. Yoon Ja-Myeong and Yoon Seo-In were looking out of the window. For their sake, he couldn’t back down.

He shouted at the top of his lungs, “Everyone, take out your weapons! Show them that the White Dragon Merchant Association are not pushovers!”

The White Dragon escorts quickly drew their weapons and gathered their chi.

“Damn it! Why does this have to happen just when I thought the worst was over?”

“Fuck!”

Some of the escorts cussed while their colleagues beside them gulped nervously. A sense of urgency like never before washed over them.

SWOOSH!

The Tyrant Fist elites pounced at the caravan members, their hands balled into fists.

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Shit! They’ve got a hundred peak masters capable of unleashing Fist Chi! We’re screwed. Where the fuck is that bastard at a time like this? Yong Mu-Sung was usually optimistic, but this time, he was the first to curse Jin Mu-Won for not being there.

As the Tyrant Fist Sect elites swooped in on the group, Jo Cheon-Woo looked at Yong Mu-Sung and grinned wickedly. “Let’s have a little fun, shall we?”

“You’re a motherfucking lunatic.”

At the very back of the caravan, Ha Jin-Wol stood up on the cart just in time to see the martial artists tangling up ahead. The Iron Brigade warriors were doing well, but as it was impossible for ordinary escorts to defend against the Tyrant Fist Sect’s elites, the overall situation was overwhelmingly unfavorable for them.

“W-Why did this happen only when he was away…” Tang Gi-Mun stammered. Jo Cheon-Woo of the Four Northern Pillars was a master who towered above supreme peak experts. No one present was a match for him.

“We’re going to be wiped out at this rate. It’s just bad luck that this happened right after I joined. No, it’s not my bad luck, it’s his bad luck. For now, I’ll just have to hold out until he comes,” Ha Jin-Wol mumbled to himself.

Tang Gi-Mun’s eyes lit up. “Hold out? Do you have any ideas?”

“No, but I’m thinking of one right now,” Ha Jin-Wol replied, grinning wickedly.