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chapter 03
“Sir! Where should I deliver it today?”
“The Sword Spirit has come. Take it across the street to the Nangajang.”
“Is there some kind of feast or something?”
Having become familiar with the market streets and the city merchants while working as a messenger at the Gangnam Pyo Bureau, the Sword Spirit approached others without hesitation, and they, in turn, treated him with the same friendliness.
“I hear the eldest son of Nangajang is having a feast in ten days. Looks like they’ll need a lot of fabric.”
“Then I suppose other people will also have items to deliver to Nangajang.”
“Perhaps. I suppose so.”
“Today’s work will be finished easily then. Take care.”
The Sword Spirit carried ten bolts of silk from the fabric shop. It looked like a lot, but not so much that he couldn’t manage it.
‘Seems like he’s watching me after yesterday…’
The Sword Spirit knew that Seo Namchun was following behind him.
“That shouldn’t be a problem.”
Huff… Huff… Huff!
Seo Namchun panted heavily, standing in the street, trying to catch his breath.
“He really is naturally strong in stamina.”
He prided himself on his physical endurance from martial arts training for self-defense, but today he struggled.
Following the Sword Spirit since morning, Seo Namchun lost sight of him in less than a single si-jin (time unit).
To be precise, he simply could not keep up.
Yesterday, the Sword Spirit had visited twelve shops, and each owner confirmed he had been there.
How could he have visited twelve places in less than a si-jin? Seo Namchun had no answer.
Well, he could have a solution, but he refused to believe it could be humanly possible.
A master of martial arts could do it, or a master of lightness skill (agility techniques) could, but he doubted that a Sword Spirit, who seemed no older than sixteen or seventeen, could be such a master.
Seo Namchun had followed him, hoping, but eventually had to give up due to his own physical limits.
“I need to build my stamina too.”
Turning back, Seo Namchun gave up following and headed to the Pyo Bureau.
“Hey! When did I ever not work? I did everything and now I’m playing!”
Narrowing his eyes at the voice of the Sword Spirit from outside the Pyo Bureau, Seo Namchun ran inside just in case.
Inside, he saw Jin Ahseol, the daughter of the bureau owner, arguing with the Sword Spirit.
“Tch, you always claim to be a martial arts master but just lie and play around. My dad said if you don’t work, you go hungry!”
“I really did finish my work. Look! Here’s the proof in these receipts.”
The Sword Spirit showed Jin Ahseol the receipts, trying to convince her.
Whoosh! A gust of wind, and the receipts disappeared—Seo Namchun had quietly appeared next to them.
He checked the receipts and widened his eyes in shock.
When he had followed the Sword Spirit, the first stop had been Mr. Jeon’s fabric shop.
The last sight he had of the Sword Spirit was him running to deliver ten bolts of silk across the street to Nangajang.
Yet somehow, in less than half a si-jin, he had visited five more locations and returned to the Gangnam Pyo Bureau. It was unbelievable.
“You really did all this?”
“Didn’t you follow me and see for yourself?”
Blinking in disbelief, Seo Namchun tried to process it.
“Hey, don’t pretend you don’t know! I saw everything… Look! Even the Chief knows I finished the work.”
Jin Ahseol pouted, seeing the Sword Spirit’s boldness.
“You’re not a liar, so I believe you. And here!”
The Sword Spirit handed her a pretty norigae (ornamental accessory).
“Wow! It’s beautiful!”
“This is a gift from yesterday’s ice treat.”
Jin Ahseol smiled widely upon receiving it. Watching the two play, Seo Namchun couldn’t think straight.
“Um, Sword Spirit!”
“Yes?”
“Did you… perhaps learn martial arts? Like lightness skill?”
Jin Ahseol interjected.
“He said he’s a master of martial arts! A master who even defeated his teacher.”
Seo Namchun looked at the Sword Spirit.
“Is that so? But shouldn’t you be going to work?”
“Uh, yes. I have to.”
Seo Namchun debated whether it could be true, but concluded it probably wasn’t.
There was no way a boy of sixteen or seventeen could be such a master.
“Ch… Is he just trying to trick me because I’m young?”
“No, really, I am a martial arts master. I was the disciple of the top master.”
“Liar.”
“Really.”
Listening to their conversation, Seo Namchun shook his head in confusion.
“Then teach me martial arts too.”
Jin Ahseol said, and the Sword Spirit hesitated slightly.
“See, since you’re not a master, you can’t teach me, right?”
“Why should I teach martial arts?”
“You said you’re a master.”
“Does being a master mean I must teach everyone? A true master doesn’t recklessly teach martial arts.”
Seo Namchun thought it best to remove himself from the confusing scene.
“I can’t make sense of this.”
“I’m not playing with you anymore!”
Thinking she was being teased, Jin Ahseol spun around and went inside.
“Hey, I said ‘brother,’ not ‘sir!’”
Those returning from the Pyo trip brought a bustling crowd to the bureau.
“This is the Sword Spirit who will be living with us. Please take care of him.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Jeon Gu.”
“I’m Lee Cheong.”
After exchanging greetings with the messengers, the Sword Spirit asked,
“I heard you went on a Pyo trip. Where did you go?”
“Gwangju.”
Gwangju was the capital of Guangdong Province.
“Still, isn’t it more profitable than working here for a while?”
“Money… just a little extra allowance.”
Although Pyo trips include allowances, messengers don’t get much.
“But it’s more than a monthly salary, right?”
“Yes, but why do you ask?”
“I want to travel around Central Plains, but I don’t have money.”
The messengers smiled faintly, thinking the Sword Spirit naive.
“Not having money won’t stop you. If you meet a kind innkeeper, you can eat along the way.”
“True, but Grandpa said a man shouldn’t beg. That’s why I want to earn money.”
“Following the Pyo trips is a good way to see the Central Plains.”
The Sword Spirit’s eyes sparkled.
“Do Pyo trips go far?”
“Yes, there’s no place around here we won’t go if there’s seafood.”
The Sword Spirit nodded.
“Then next time, please let me know when a trip happens.”
“Sure, I will.”
Black Tiger Gang was the name of a gang that controlled the markets and streets of Hyanghang.
Though they controlled the markets, none were truly skilled in martial arts. They were more of a street gang than part of the Black Path (Black Society).
Still, they were feared by the merchants of the markets.
“Mr. Jeon! I hear business is booming?”
The second-in-command of the Black Tiger Gang, Manseong, came to see Jeon, who ran a fabric shop with his brothers.
“Business… it’s okay.”
Jeon forced a smile and handed some money from his pocket to Manseong.
Manseong looked a little disappointed at the amount.
“Even though the Nangajang feast supposedly brought in a lot of money…”
Jeon’s forced smile vanished as Manseong continued.
“Don’t we all have to make a living? Even after labor and material costs, there’s nothing left for us.”
Manseong mocked him while touching the fabric displayed in front of the shop.
“How much would we lose if this gets ruined…”
Under threat, Jeon had no choice but to give a bit more money than usual.
“If we had done this from the start, no one would be upset.”
Jeon, feeling wronged, didn’t respond.
“Take care, and we’ll see you next time.”
When Manseong left, Jeon turned and cursed.
“Damn them… Huh!”
He widened his eyes, seeing a young boy in front of him.
“When did you come in?”
“I’ve been here a while. But why are you giving them money? You don’t seem to owe them anything…”
It was the Sword Spirit.
From the start, he had been watching Manseong take money from Jeon.
“You don’t need to know.”
“Even if I don’t, please tell me. I need to earn money too, and it seems they make it easily. I want to know how.”
Jeon frowned, thinking the boy was teasing him.
“Just go do your work.”
“Can’t you just tell me? Why are you giving them money?”
Jeon worried the boy might get hurt and told him to leave, but the Sword Spirit wouldn’t go.
After an hour of struggling, Jeon gave in.
“They belong to the Black Tiger Gang. They extort protection money from merchants in the markets, like parasites.”
Listening, the Sword Spirit thought they were similar to the rogue martial artists of the Black Path described by the Phantom Demon Master, Gu Yeongcheol.
“Then are they martial artists of the Black Path? I heard Black Path martial artists do that.”
“Martial artists… nonsense! They’re just a gang that bullies the weak merchants. Your Gangnam Pyo messengers are afraid of them, so they dare not provoke them.”
The Sword Spirit listened and smiled, organizing his thoughts.
“I see. But where do they live?”
“Why do you ask?”
“So if someone asks me to deliver there, I can avoid it. Otherwise, if the Chief gives me a small salary, they’ll take it all.”
Jeon found the reasoning sound and told him their base.
“There’s a place called Hongaru in the brothel alley.”
“I know Hongaru. I’ve delivered there before.”
“Yes, that’s where they hang out.”
The Sword Spirit asked again,
“Then is Hongaru theirs?”
“Yes. Hongaru is their establishment, and the workers there are either sold into it for money or…”
“Monsters that shouldn’t exist in this world. But does the government or martial arts community just leave them alone? I heard that…”
