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chapter 14
“Why are you quitting?”
“I’m planning to go somewhere else.”
Jumryeong returned to the Gangnam Escort Agency and told Chief Seonamchun that he wanted to resign.
“Somewhere else? Which escort agency wants to take you?”
“It’s not like that. I want to travel across the Central Plains, as I originally intended.”
“Travel?”
“Yes. I want to see all of the Central Plains.”
“That’s not an easy task. The world is dangerous, and there are many who would target a handsome young man like you.”
“It’s fine. I’m a master; I won’t fall for it easily.”
He didn’t miss a beat emphasizing that he was a master.
“Is it because your allowance is small?”
“No. I have plenty of money now, so it doesn’t matter whether it’s a little or a lot.”
Seonamchun tilted his head in curiosity.
“Is that so? Well, goodbye, then. Thank you for everything.”
Having said his piece, Jumryeong turned and walked out of the Gangnam Escort Agency.
Seonamchun watched him leave and called after him a moment later, but Jumryeong had already vanished. He shook his head.
“Is he really a master?”
While Seonamchun was still wondering, Jumryeong was at the Continental Battlefield, retrieving the deposit slips he had entrusted there.
Because he wanted to withdraw a large sum at once, the branch manager came out to talk to him.
“Sir, do you mean to withdraw everything you deposited?”
“Yes. Since I’m leaving this place, I want to deposit it somewhere else.”
“Somewhere else? Is there another place you’ll be dealing with?”
“No. There isn’t. But now that I’m leaving…”
“Then you can keep it with our battlefield…”
“If I need money, wouldn’t I have to come all the way back here?”
The branch manager blinked at Jumryeong’s words, then smiled.
“Sir, there’s no need to worry. Our Continental Battlefield has branches in every city, provincial capital, and even village in the Central Plains. You can deposit or withdraw money anytime, anywhere.”
“You have branches in every city of the Central Plains?”
“Exactly. So keeping your money with us is safer than carrying a large sum and risking disaster. Moreover, if you deposit for a period, it will accrue interest and grow…”
The manager explained in detail how the battlefield works, and Jumryeong nodded thoughtfully.
“You’re not planning to cheat me out of my money, are you?”
“Of course not. Our battlefield’s life depends on credibility.”
“I’m a martial arts master. If you cheat me, your battlefield will be destroyed that very day. Understand?”
The manager gave a slightly incredulous look but smiled, thinking better of it.
“Of course.”
“Then let me withdraw only a small amount. I need travel expenses.”
“How much?”
“How much would it take to get from here to Bulsan?”
“Hmm… roughly ten silver coins should suffice.”
“Is that so? Then give me twenty silver coins.”
“Twenty?”
“Better safe than sorry.”
“Understood.”
‘Seems like a rich young master who knows nothing of the world came here for a bit of fun,’ the branch manager thought.
He walked over to the counter, instructed a clerk, and soon returned with twenty silver coins in his pocket.
“Here are your twenty silver coins.”
“Thank you. I’m in a hurry, so I’ll be going…”
Jumryeong left the battlefield and set his course toward Bulsan, where the Bulsan Stronghold was located.
“What? Nonggo is dead?”
“Yes. He was mortally wounded, vomited blood, and died, and his death resembled the children from Wangaksan Stronghold.”
“Resembled?”
Sono frowned and muttered, thinking.
“Wasn’t Wolyeongseonja back at Wolyeong Gate?”
“Yes.”
“Then the culprit couldn’t have been Wolyeongseonja, right?”
“What happened could have occurred after Wolyeongseonja left Honghang. Let’s see…”
Sono stroked his chin beard thoughtfully with his right thumb and index finger.
Ogu stood silently until Sono had gathered his thoughts.
“The Wangaksan Stronghold had a dispute with Gangnam Escort Agency. When Gangnam arrived, the bodies were already there. But the same method was used on Nonggo, who went to kill the people working at Gangnam… Ogu! Doesn’t that ring any bells?”
Ogu spoke reflexively:
“It seems related to Gangnam Escort Agency.”
“Right?”
“Could there be a tremendous master hiding?”
“Even I don’t know that.”
Dada dada!
A loud pounding came from outside, echoing through the hall.
“This bastard…”
Ogu flinched.
“I specifically told the kids not to run…”
“Chief! It’s serious!”
Usually, one would enter, greet, and then speak, but now the urgency was obvious even before they reached the door.
“Hey, how do you educate these kids? No wonder people call us ignorant, uncultured Green Forests!”
Sono shouted, and Ogu lowered his head.
The door opened, and someone entered: one of the twelve captains, Jusu Yukman.
“This kid, after all his learning…”
“Chief! The enemy has invaded. He’s massacring our children!”
At the mention of “enemy,” Sono rose instinctively.
“Who?”
“Unknown. About sixteen or seventeen years old, but ruthless.”
“What? A sixteen or seventeen-year-old kid is slaughtering our children?”
“Yes.”
“Are you joking?!”
Sono shouted, and Yukman, frustrated, said:
“Our kids are being cut down by his sword. You must get to safety.”
Sono grabbed his neck in exasperation. To flee from a mere sixteen- or seventeen-year-old raised his blood pressure.
“We’ll talk later.”
Sono grabbed his weapon, the Geobeokdo, and went outside.
Kraaak!
The screams suggested a fierce battle. When Sono stepped out, he narrowed his eyes at the scene before him.
His subordinates, though not masters, were elite enough, about a hundred of them. Now, they lay sprawled in blood.
Among them, a young man with a sword stood tall—about sixteen or seventeen, strikingly beautiful—Jumryeong.
“What are you? Do you have a grudge with this stronghold to commit such atrocities?”
“This is where the Green Forests’ leader in Guangdong is, right?”
Sono narrowed his eyes. That Jumryeong came intentionally showed confidence.
He saw the cold smile on Jumryeong’s face and immediately regretted coming here. He should have fled as Yukman had said.
“So you’re the leader, huh?”
“You brat… short-spoken, aren’t you?”
Ogu shouted beside Sono.
“You brat? What if I were a master of Anti-Aging Transmutation?”
The three froze. Jumryeong wasn’t literally a master of Anti-Aging Transmutation, but he was at a higher level. Even Cheon Namyeon, once called the greatest, couldn’t match Jumryeong at the end.
Having learned all three of their martial arts, Jumryeong didn’t even know his own strength. He had yet to meet someone at his level.
“Are you really practicing Anti-Aging Transmutation?”
Yukman asked.
“No, just an expression.”
“This brat!”
Ogu, thinking he was being mocked, charged, swinging his sword with his best move, the Wall Breaker Strike, aiming for Jumryeong’s waist.
They expected Ogu to cleave Jumryeong in two, but they were mistaken. Jumryeong kicked Ogu’s hand, changing the sword’s trajectory, exposing a gap.
Jumryeong jumped and spun, striking Ogu’s jaw with his other foot.
Crack!
Ogu’s head snapped back violently, hitting the wall, and he died instantly.
“They’re all weak. How can they lead the Green Forests?”
Jumryeong tilted his head. There were few true masters in the Green Forests; most top masters had no need to act as bandits. The Green Forests were numerous but lacked real masters and avoided clashes with martial artists.
“Why did you attack us?”
“You tried to kill me.”
“We tried to kill you?”
“I know you sent people to kill Gangnam Escort Agency workers, including one man—he died by my hand too.”
Sono finally realized the mastermind was standing before him.
“So it’s you. The one who annihilated Wangaksan Stronghold.”
“Exactly. Grandma Jeon told me to act righteously to earn people’s praise.”
“Chief! This guy’s gone crazy from martial arts!”
Yukman said. Though powerful, Jumryeong seemed lacking in reason.
“Seems so.”
“I can hear everything you two are whispering. And I’ve decided to kill all of you. Don’t bother with schemes; Grandpa Ghost said that any leniency will backfire.”
Jumryeong struck first. Sono swung his Geobeokdo, but it was useless.
Chaeaaang! Whirrrr!
The sword clashed with Jumryeong’s, broke in half, and the shattered piece pierced Yukman’s abdomen.
“Damn…”
Yukman died without swinging a proper strike.
Sono’s expression hardened. One clash was enough to realize he couldn’t match Jumryeong.
“Once you’re all dead, the others will understand what happened.”
“They will. Chief will surely take you down.”
“Good enough.”
“What do you mean?”
“You won’t be able to find me, Chief.”
Sono felt light pierce through him, spinning his vision.
‘Is this death?’
Darkness consumed him.
After wiping out the Bulsan Stronghold alone, Jumryeong scanned for survivors, finding none, then entered the stronghold. His ruthlessness reflected the teachings of Ghost Master:
“If you draw your sword to fight, show no mercy. Personal sentiment will become a poisoned dagger against you later. Distinguish friend from foe; never forgive an enemy. Weak tolerance will be the dagger aiming at your neck.”
Jumryeong emerged with a cloth bundle on his back, filled with the stronghold’s money, deposit slips, and jewels.
“The Guangdong leader sure had wealth.”
Since the Continental Battlefield had branches everywhere, he planned to deposit the haul in Gwangju.
