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1.
“Ughhhhhh…….”
The number of iron rings increased again.
From the wrist to the elbow.
From the wrist to the knee.
“You bastards! How can you call that the Divine Technique when you move so heavily! Why don’t you at least set up signposts for where you’re going!”
Jin So-un complaining about the deep footprints left on the ground every time he steps to unleash his divine technique.
The four of them glared at Jin So-un with sulky faces. “What am I supposed to do if it’s heavy?” “Then just unlock these damn shackles.” “Ah, it’s hard. It’s so, so hard.” “… …” You make my body feel like a thousand pounds, and then tell me to run lightly.
What kind of nonsense is this?
However, I couldn’t voice my dissatisfaction.
Under the exact same conditions, there was someone who followed the Senior Brother’s absurd orders perfectly.
Papapapapapak!
Only faint traces remained of the more than three hundred footprints he had stepped on.
It makes you wonder if that is really the state where he is wearing so many iron rings.
“Great job, Eunho!”
“Ah… yes… thank you. Senior Brother.”
“If these brats had chased after Eunho even half as closely, they would have already returned to the sect with the elixir and made a triumphant homecoming! Ugh! Ugh!”
As Jin So-woon subtly defended Eun-ho, the three men’s resentment turned toward the innocent Eun-ho. “‘I didn’t know you would do that.’ ‘Sister, I’m so hurt right now.’ ‘Eun-ho hyung is an idiot!'” Although he could clearly see them cursing him with their eyes, there was nothing else Eun-ho could do.
I’m sick and tired of being insulted and beaten up.
“Senior Brother, why don’t you loosen the iron ring a little? Then we’ll go a bit faster. Don’t you also want to hurry back and see the elders?”
Eunho spoke while trying his best not to offend his senior brother.
Because ever since I heard a few days ago that I ‘tried to run away,’ I have been tormented to the point where I couldn’t even sleep at night.
At the very least, they had to provide a justification that they were not avoiding training.
However, Jin So-un did not even blink.
“What are you talking about? There are still more iron rings to wear.”
“What is that…….”
“How many iron balls do you think can fit in a bundle?”
Jin So-un shook the large bundle he was carrying.
Clatter clatter.
The sound of iron clanging echoed ominously from inside the bundle.
Crazy, how many are you carrying?
Eunho suddenly came to his senses.
I’m sorry to others, but I have to step back for now.
Because that damn senior disciple might lose his temper again and add more iron rounds to himself.
Eunho skillfully changed the subject.
“Ah! Senior Brother, but didn’t you clearly say you were taking the elixir on the way back to Taeeulmun?”
That’s right.
But why do I keep feeling like I’m heading north?
Because the destination is in the north.
“yes?”
To get from Wuhan to Hefei, you must move east, cross Hubei Province, and go to Anhui Province.
But what do you mean, the North?
“Ah… then it seems the elixir is somewhere south of Henan Province, right?”
As long as you don’t cross Hubei Province, you can reach Anhui Province quickly, even if you have to take a roundabout route.
Eunho constantly tried to keep his positive mindset running so as not to offend his senior brother, but…
No, the final destination is Xi’an.
“West Coast?”
He eventually tilted his head at the incomprehensible answer.
Was there a city called Xi’an in Hubei Province?
Since there are so many different city names, ordinary people cannot memorize the names of every city in the world.
And Jin So-woon, who was far from ordinary, wore a meaningful smile.
There might be something.
Oh, I’m learning something new again today.
Eunho forced a smile to please his senior brother.
However, at the words that followed, he eventually frowned deeply.
But the place we are going is Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.
Shaanxi… … ? Xi’an… … ?
Eunho checked his location by unfolding a map in his head and let out a scream of disbelief. ‘You crazy bastard! It’s the exact opposite direction!’ Of course, he couldn’t bring himself to swear out loud.
“How is it? Exciting, aren’t you?”
“…….”
Because I didn’t want to be struck by a beating from the sky by my senior disciple, who was like the heavens. #Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.
Winter in Xi’an is cold.
Especially in winter, outdoor life becomes difficult due to the influence of sandstorms blowing from the desert.
For this reason, people in Xi’an do not go out much when winter comes, and consequently, merchants close their shops early.
Moreover, even the footsteps of visitors seeking incense and flowers at Mount Hua and Mount Zhongnan come to a sudden halt.
Mount Hua, known as one of the Five Sacred Mountains, is a rugged mountain that is difficult to climb even in midsummer, so naturally, no one was brave enough to attempt to climb it in the middle of winter. Conscious of Mount Hua, which does not welcome winter visitors, Zhongnan had been refusing guests on the grounds of training in the bitter cold.
Therefore, it is only natural that Xi’an becomes quiet when winter comes.
however.
“Why are there so many people coming and going?”
A merchant tidying up his stall stops at the number of people filling the street.
“I know… it was like that yesterday, and it’s happening again today.”
“……
Doesn’t it seem like there are a strange number of people carrying weapons?
“Hmm… what should I do?”
The innkeeper ran over from afar and spoke.
“Hey guys! What are you doing! Of course we have to keep doing business!”
“Oh come on, with this many people….”
“I’m on my way from the South Gate right now. The South Gate is packed with people trying to get into Xi’an!”
“really?”
Should I make a fuss after eating such a precious meal!
At the innkeeper’s words, the others also opened their stalls again and called back the waiter they had sent home.
Although the sudden overtime work was tiring, the smile remained on his lips.
It wasn’t just the silk merchants who were thrilled by the unexpected crowd.
“let’s go!”
“four!”
At Osam’s words, the beggars lined up in unison and began to follow him.
There were four knots tied at his waist, and his clothes were neat for a beggar.
Passersby cannot help but look surprised as they catch a glimpse of the knot peeking out from under his waist.
Whether it was because of that or not, Osam felt his gait become more confident and his shoulders straighten out. ‘Hmph, I’m on the younger side for a Four-member sect.’ Considering that his fellow beggars of the same age were still stuck at the Two-member sect, it was practically as if he were rising through the ranks within the Beggar Sect. ‘In just a little while, I’ll become a Five-member sect member, and then…’ he could become the youngest branch leader.
Of course, I will have to complete my mandatory service with the Murim Alliance in the meantime.
As that thought crossed my mind, I involuntarily furrowed my brow. ‘Ugh… If only I had gone to the academy.’ Compulsory military service amounts to nothing more than a record of serving as a low-ranking samurai.
Although the period is short, starting with the monthly salary, the treatment received at the Murim Alliance is distinctly different.
Moreover, being from an academy is a symbol of success in the current martial arts world.
Even if I just opened the Open Academy, I could easily skip two ranks upon returning after completing the course. Alternatively, staying in the Martial Arts Alliance and doing the Alliance’s work wasn’t a bad option either.
“If it were me, I would have risen to the position of Grand Master at the very least.” “Those old geezers with nothing but knot holes in their eyes.” Osam was certain that he was a talented individual destined to enter the academy.
Judging by the growth of his martial arts skills and the fact that he had established his base in Xi’an, Shaanxi, he had a background that was second to none.
However, for some reason, Osam was excluded from this school exam.
Of course, even though there are no restrictions on eligibility for the regular exam, who in their right mind would take the test without the help of a gang?
I heard that the lousy guys from the open school who enrolled in my place couldn’t actually take proper control of the school.
What is so special about that insignificant academy, which has neither Yong So-ah, nor Il-myeong, nor Dang Seo-hui, that it cannot even control that?
Moreover, when I heard the news that Jin So-un of a sect called Taeeulmun, which I had never heard of before, had become its representative, I was shocked, just as if I had heard the sun rising in the west.
Anyway, you idiots.
“yes?!”
“no.”
It’s actually for the best.
If I meet Jin So-un someday and defeat that guy, I will be able to prove that I am superior to the guys who attended the academy.
Osam wished that someday he could meet that guy with the ominous nickname, the Black Flame Dragon.
“There’s no way a hothouse flower like him would make it this far. Tsk.”
Thinking about things that won’t happen will only give you a headache.
Because the situation currently unfolding in Xi’an was already becoming serious enough.
Osam shook his head to clear his mind of thoughts and gave an order to his subordinate.
“Record this meticulously. Among those who came here, there is bound to be someone who secures the Oryeong Seonhwa Yu.”
“Um…”
“why?”
“Wouldn’t it be better for us to go in and secure it at this hour instead?”
Osam chuckled at the beggar’s ridiculous question.
Anyway, there are stupid people everywhere.
Do you know what Oryeong Seonhwa Yu is, and you think you can go in to look for it?
“If you send it, I will definitely……!”
Osam smacked the beggar’s head.
“You fool! Have you forgotten what happened at the Maryeong Plateau? Even if that weren’t the case, the whole world shakes every time a single elixir appears. How on earth do you think a nobody like you can obtain an elixir?”
I, I’m sorry.
“Of course, the best strategy is to bring it in when no one knows. However, if you go in to take an elixir like the Oryeong Seonhwayu, whose release time is predetermined, you are 100% dead. Do you understand?”
The beggars, frozen solid, answered in unison.
“””four!”””
“Moreover, there isn’t just one or two elixirs that have appeared this time. If you go in to look for them one by one, you’ll miss the others.”
As Osam grumbled and spoke, the beggar, noticing the situation, cautiously asked a question.
“Then why are you telling us to record it? If we aren’t the ones going to go in, it won’t be easy to secure anyway.”
“Tsk tsk tsk… That’s why you only have two knots.”
Osam, who had been glaring at the beggar with disgust, continued speaking.
“What kind of organization are we?”
“Well, it is to put the chivalry of the Jianghu into practice…….”
Fuck.
“Not that. I’m asking what the biggest thing we actually do is.”
Well, uh, well, it is information gathering.
Osam clicked his tongue in frustration.
“That’s right. We are an intelligence agency. Our comrades are spread across the world, and eyes and ears are everywhere. Therefore, no matter who comes out with the miraculous elixir, it will eventually fall into our sight.”
Ah, then stealing the elixir later using a sneaky method… … .”
Bang!
The beggar could not continue speaking due to the pain that exploded in the back of his head once again.
“Watch your mouth. That is what you call a stratagem, a stratagem!”
“Is, is that so?”
“okay.”
The beggar who asked the question ultimately did not get the answer he wanted, but he did not say anything more. After all, if he did, the back of his head would not be spared.
But a hero always appears from another place.
“But the big boss…….”
“Why! Again!”
Another beggar began with a confused expression.
“Um… by any chance, do beggars also need to fill out a separate form?”
“These crazy bastards! The beggars of the Beggar’s Sect wouldn’t have any reason to go in looking for the elixir, so why bother!”
“No. It’s not that. It’s just that I think he’s a beggar who doesn’t belong to the Beggar Association………”
Osam’s brow furrowed deeply.
How dare you, a mere beggar, claim not to be affiliated with the Beggar?
How many beggars of countless generations of beggars were broken to lay this foundation?
But how dare you eye this place?
“Where! Where is it! Where are those arrogant beggars who dare to covet the realm of openness!”
“Um, over there…….”
The place the beggar who asked the question timidly points to.
There, five figures were approaching, piercing through the thick sandstorm.
“They really do look like beggars I’ve never seen before… … .’ Huh?” As the figures drew closer, Osam involuntarily recoiled.
Even to me, who was second to none in my experience as a beggar, the appearance was quite strange.
Not only were his clothes covered in dirt, but his face was also covered in grime, as if he hadn’t been able to wash for days.
His hair was disheveled, and dried traces of saliva were visible. ‘Damn it, what are those things attached to his arms and legs…?’ Above all.
He had strange iron rings hanging from his arms and feet like shackles.
And with every step, it left footprints all around, and the distance traveled was very short compared to the speed at which it left footprints.
It looks like they are truly acting like complete idiots. ‘They look like they are in such a serious condition for just being beggars.’ There are no beggars these days who maintain such an unsanitary appearance.
Because even begging evokes a sense of repulsion, reduces efficiency, and, above all, often becomes a cause of infectious diseases.
As the saying goes, the most important rule for beggars these days was hygiene above all else! Hygiene!
But… ‘What’s with that guy again…?’
Among them, there was one who walked calmly, unlike the other four.
He was walking normally, as if he had nothing to do with the other four, while the four men making a scene were glaring at him with murderous eyes. ‘Are they slave traders?’ the beggar asked just as Osam had roughly figured out who the suspicious people were.
“Boss, what should we do?”
“Bring him here for now. I need to talk to him.”
If he is a real beggar, he should be taught a lesson, and if he is a slave trader, he should be beaten to death on the spot.
How many common people were enslaved by bandits every year?
Osam’s heart burned with heat, and it felt as if Tagubong was heating up.
However, the beggar who had gone to the suspicious guys spoke to someone who looked like a slave trader, but the slave trader waved his hand as if he were annoyed.
The beggar, who had spoken a few more times, returned again with quick steps.
“Um… they said not to worry about it?”
What an idiot… … just because I said that, you’re saying he should come?
Did you reveal my identity?
“ah!”
ah?
What, ah?
Ha, seriously, what am I going to do with these idiots?
Osam gritted his teeth to suppress his surging anger.
“Crunch, go tell them quickly and come back.”
“Yes, yes!”
The beggar, noticing that Osam was upset, quickly ran over and repeated the message.
As if he had heard the story, the slave trader looked back and forth between the beggar and Osam, then waved his hand again.
Then the beggar returned with quick steps. ‘Th-what a fool…!’ Unable to bear it any longer, Osam took out his batting stick and strode toward the slave trader.
“Wow, boss!”
puck!
“Stay out of this, you idiot!”
Osam, who had knocked out a beggar with a single punch, stood before the slave trader with a menacing look.
“You bastard, even chewing you up wouldn’t be enough! Do you know who I am?!”
The slave trader who doesn’t respond to Osam’s threats.
Then, he soon glares at Osam with one eye squinted.
Ha, fuck. It’s clearly a dry look, but why do I feel like my knees are going numb for no reason?
Osam, whose pride was hurt, took a deep breath, puffed out his chest, and shouted.
“I’m Wu San, the boss of Yisheng Sect in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, you bastard!”
He deliberately pushed four knots forward.
If I were to give an introduction like this, an ordinary martial artist would be unable to hide their surprise and their face would harden.
However, the slave statue in front of me frowns intensely, as if it had tasted feces.
“What the hell is that damn beggar from Xi’an saying?!”
What is this reaction?
Osam was dumbfounded.
Judging by the weapon he is wielding, he must be someone with enemies in the Jianghu. Does he not know the Beggar’s Sect?
If you know about the Beggar, you must surely know that you should not mistreat the beggars belonging to the Beggar.
The power of openness stems from the scale of a hundred thousand beggars, but the information gathered by those hundred thousand beggars is the true power of openness.
In the end, this guy could be seen as someone who might have learned some martial arts, but knew nothing about the ways of the Jianghu.
You can tell just by looking at their face. Their skin is so smooth, as if they have never suffered a single hardship.
“This damn brat…….”
“Hey, you beggar. Get lost while I’m still being nice. Before I smash that batting stick or whatever it is, and that beggar’s bowl, to pieces.”
The slave trader waves his hand dismissively as if annoyed.
Seeing that, Osam’s patience finally reached its limit.
“Today, I will catch a bastard and restore justice to the martial arts world.”
“What are you talking about, you idiot?”
Osam infused his bet into the batting stick and swung it in one swift motion.
I will definitely teach this idiot a lesson…
“?!”
However, the opponent blocked the Tagubong, imbued with the power of the Seven Stars, still in its scabbard.
He even yawned as if he were insignificant.
Is that all?
Then, with a glint in his eyes, he spins his wrist around.
You definitely started it first. You beggar.
Just as I thought something was wrong.
for a moment!”
“If you’re going to say you’re sorry, then put that aside…….”
“That’s not it! What’s your name!”
What would a beggar do with knowing that?
“Is it, as expected, that you fear the repercussions of opening up?”
The slave trader smirks at Osam’s desperate struggle.
“Bullshit…….”
Then he answered confidently.
It is Jin So-un.
Jin So-un-ara. Hmph, even the name sounds just like a slave trader… … huh?
“jin……
Soun? … …
Black Flame Dragon?!?”
“Black Flame… Hmph, yeah. That’s me, you bastard.”
Surely, hadn’t he desperately wanted to meet Jin So-un?
However, he realized that the atmosphere was very different from what he had expected.
Especially the four people next to Jin So-un.
His heart began to pound violently as he noticed that the four people who had been rolling around like slaves were somehow looking at him with immense pity.
Ah, damn, am I screwed?
