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The sword blades drawn by the warriors in unison plunge the boisterous area into silence, as if cold water had been poured over it.
“What on earth are you doing!”
Wang So-so, who had entered first, tried to boldly push her way out, but a guard blocked her way.
Soso.
I raised my hand to signal Wang So-so not to come any closer, then quietly watched the warriors.
“The one who drew the sword was…….”
The warriors glaring at me as if to kill me.
“You must have thought I was an intruder or a ruffian?”
The corners of the eyes of the warriors holding their drawn swords tremble.
A look of realization.
“But what are you doing? If you drew your sword, you should be fighting, right?”
“…….”
But that wouldn’t be possible.
Damn it, I’m a guest invited by the head of the Galaxy Merchant Guild.
“Do the guards of the Galaxy Merchant Guild not attack even when bandits raid?”
At my words, the people who had been standing in a long line began to whisper one by one.
This single action may not tarnish the reputation of the upper echelons, but isn’t it human nature to have an incredible fondness for putting others down?
You can tell just by looking at how people whisper about an upright person like me, giving me the nickname “Black Flame Dragon.”
And this was a situation that the Galaxy Merchant Group never wanted.
Click! Click! Click!
A group of men approached the entrance from inside the Galaxy Merchant Guild with military-like footsteps.
bang!
The murmuring crowd could not contain their surprise at the sight of the people slamming their spears into the ground in unison.
It’s Suseongdang!
“They say he single-handedly defeated that Chaos Fortress.”
Then where is the meteor shower?
Even as the crowd’s voices grew louder, the members of the defense party simply surveyed the venue with unwavering eyes.
The person standing at the very front scanned me with an arrogant gaze, then looked at the warriors who had drawn their swords and asked.
“What’s going on!”
“M-Master. Th-that person…… because that man suddenly resorted to violence…….”
The clan leader’s eyes pierce coldly onto my face.
“Who dares to… on the joyful day of the Galaxy Merchant Guild… Hmph! What is this!”
I reached out my hand to grab his neck.
The clan head who was speaking glares and steps back.
Tap, tap, tap!
My hand, which was about to strangle him, moves like a snake again and chases his nape.
“Stop it……!”
The head of Suseongdang, perhaps thinking that he couldn’t go on any longer, unleashes the same Geumnasu.
I don’t know about the singing skill, but Geum Na-su wasn’t very good.
Then again, even the head of a high-ranking armed group can’t compare to the head of the Murim Alliance, so I guess it’s only natural.
Then how did you defeat Chuhonchae?
I spread my White Phoenix Hand, struck his hand twice, pressed the pressure point, grabbed his neck, and lifted him up high.
“Burp burp—”
At the sight repeated once again, the warriors of the Galaxy Merchant Guild wore expressions as if they were about to faint.
“This is crazy……!”
Swish—swish—the members of Suseongdang launched themselves in unison, taking up all directions and surrounding me.
He aims the spearhead close as if he would punch holes all over my body at any moment if given the order.
Take your hands off immediately!
“Let the Master go!”
No matter what nonsense those bastards were babbling, I drew up my internal energy while holding onto the neck of the trembling clan leader.
And he shouted to the ringleader, who was somewhere inside the upper level.
“Is this how the Galaxy Merchant Guild treats its guests?!”
A voice so loud it hurt my ears.
Some of those waiting could not endure it and collapsed, clutching their ears.
It must have been heard all the way inside the upper reaches of the galaxy.
I’d guess quite a few people would have had their faces stiffen.
Wouldn’t there be at least five people who want to kill me right now?
Even so, I couldn’t stop here.
Because right now I have to be a simple, ignorant, and reckless man living as he pleases.
Right. Because I am the Black Flame Dragon, the sacred sanctuary of the Black Dao recognized by the Lord of the Black Alliance, and the joint warlord of the Black Dao.
You can’t act like you’re furious just because your pride has been hurt.
If you don’t act according to your true feelings, you have to act as if you’re itching to die.
As the dark paths are by nature.
“I came by invitation from the Merchant Guild Master!!! Is this how the Eunha Merchant Guild treats the Master’s guest! Do you think I, Jin So-woon, am that ridiculous!!!”
As I shouted while shaking the clan head in my hand like a straw, even those who had been frowning at me one by one began to look bewildered, as if they didn’t know what was going on.
It was such a wicked act that anyone who came to throw ashes on someone else’s feast deserved to be struck down on a spear immediately, yet none of them dared to step forward; they merely aimed their spears.
That is just how things are in the world.
Because if things don’t go exactly as expected, they start wanting to justify their irrational behavior by wondering if there is some reason behind it.
“Damn it!!! Who’s in charge here!!! Tell the person in charge to come out!!!”
The faces of the warriors around aiming their swords and spears contort like those of people who have unwillingly tasted feces.
I mean, why did you have to provoke someone who was glaring at you just to find fault? You really messed with me.#“What is all this commotion!”
The necks of the Galaxy Merchant Guild warriors turn in unison.
Then, he called out to him earnestly, as if he had met a savior.
“Little Master!!!”
“Oh, you have come! How dare that wicked man… at the Galaxy Merchant Guild…!”
As soon as the warriors finished speaking, the man raised his stiff hand and clenched his fist.
And everyone clamped their mouths shut as if they had been sewn shut.
Sodanju did not take his eyes off me and murmured in a low voice.
Who are you?
This rude bastard, who looks like he’s past his mid-thirties, is starting a background check without even introducing himself.
“Who are you?”
At my informal speech, veins popped up on the man’s broad forehead.
Didn’t you hear that just now? It’s Jeong So-gun of the Galaxy Merchant Guild.
As soon as Jeong So-gun revealed his name, whispering began to spread rapidly through the crowd.
“Yuseongchang, Jeong So-gun!”
“Are you talking about Jeong So-gun, the Grand Master of Hyeonmu Pavilion?”
“They say it only took ten years to become the Grand Master?”
“I heard he could have gone higher, but he came back to take over the top spot.”
People were more interested in meeting a celebrity than in the serious situation.
Well, it could be fascinating.
Because it wouldn’t be such a serious situation for the onlookers.
Actually, Jeong So-gun was busy glaring at me.
He didn’t seem to like the fact that I didn’t take any action—or more precisely, didn’t show a submissive attitude—even though I had revealed my identity.
“Are you not planning to reveal your name?”
“You must have something wrong with your ears. The entire Galaxy Carrier just screamed at the top of their lungs a moment ago.”
“……
“Look, right?”
Jeong So-gun’s eyelids trembled slightly.
It seems they don’t even learn basic manners at the academy these days.
He feigned innocence.
Do you know me?
“I’ve heard plenty of rumors that the Black Flame Dragon, the Divine Star of the Black Path, is serving as the representative of the academy. It’s something we couldn’t even have imagined back in our day.”
He subtly reminds them that he is from the school and emphasizes that they are senior and junior.
The intention is clearly revealed by such a shallow trick.
I scoff at his ridiculous attack.
You probably have never experienced a gambling game where all sorts of psychological warfare and schemes run rampant over a single missing silver coin, with people fighting to the death.
Anyway, hothouse flowers are so careless.
“Ah! So you were my senior.”
As I scratch my head and put on an innocent expression, a smile immediately forms on the corners of his mouth.
“The mistake you made today is to my comrades in the Murim Alliance………”
“But how could the warriors of the Galaxy Merchant Guild not know my true identity, which even the Senior, the Junior Leader, knows, and thus cause this mess?”
“what?”
“Is this all the level of the Galaxy Merchant Guild, known as the Four Great Merchant Guilds of the World, is, Senior?”
If he attacks me, I will attack the Galaxy Merchant Guild, which is his pride.
And at that attack, Jeong So-gun’s face turned bright red.
However, Jeong So-gun did not just sit back and take it.
His gaze turned toward my hand.
Are you planning to kill the head of Suseongdang?
There was a clan leader there, foaming at the mouth and eyes rolling back.
Tsk. I didn’t intend to go this far.
Because of that bastard Jeong So-gun, the kid ended up like this.
“If you’re not going to kill me, I’ll give it back.”
At his words, which sounded as if he were asking for an object, I threw the clan head I was holding at Jeong So-gun.
Jeong So-gun, who had taken him in like a piece of luggage, quickly assessed his condition and woke him up by pressing on an acupoint.
“C-cough. M-Master So. I-I am sorry.”
“Can you stand?”
“What? Ah! Yes! I, I can stand now.”
The head of Suseongdang, having regained consciousness in Jeong So-gun’s arms, rose to his feet with unsteady steps as if trying to quickly fulfill his role.
Then.
Pow pow pow!
“Ugh!”
In an instant, four punches left distinct marks on the clan leader’s vital points, and the clan leader, who had barely managed to stand on his own strength just moments before, collapsed spitting blood.
From the people nearby to the warriors, everyone’s eyes widened in astonishment.
“How dare you spoil the Galaxy Merchant Guild’s commemorative event! How can you call yourself the head of the Suseongdang when you couldn’t even prevent an accident like this!!!”
The clan head, who had coughed up a handful of blood at the harsh shout, forced himself to stand up again.
The head of Suseongdang hangs his head low, looking like he is about to die at any moment.
“I, I’m sorry, Sodanju!”
“What are you all doing! Get rid of this guy and everyone who failed to prevent the accident!!!”
“four!”
At the sudden command, the waiting members of the Suseongdang led the warriors blocking the entrance and the clan head inside.
Jeong So-gun spoke to me with an emotionless expression, erasing even the trace of his earlier excitement.
I apologize for any shortcomings in the execution of the event.
Jeong So-gun nodded his head at the same time.
“I thought he would at least give me some authority.” “What an interesting guy.” He seems to have figured out what the problem is and knows where the cause lies.
However, Jeong So-gun did not reprimand the warriors for failing to recognize me until the very end.
They only reprimanded me for failing to prevent the ‘accident’ I caused.
I can hear the sound of people racking their brains all the way here.
“However, just because there is a problem, you must also know that your conduct is clearly wrong for tarnishing the other person’s honor with such ruthless behavior.”
At the same time, he subtly reprimanded me for acting overly sensitive. ‘So, you’re saying that rising to the position of Grand Master wasn’t solely due to your father’s backing?’ It seemed that such things were not recorded in the Mantongbu’s documents.
“Moreover, officials from Beijing are here at the invitation of the Merchant Guild Master. How do you intend to take responsibility for causing such a disturbance?”
But the more I listen to him, the more this bastard keeps crossing the line.
Do I look like a blockhead just because I mimicked Black a little?
“Why should I take responsibility?”
Your voice is loud.
Because this isn’t something I’m saying for you to hear.
I put a little more strength into my voice, just in case there was anyone who couldn’t hear.
“You went out of your way to send your senior’s younger sibling to Taeeulmun and invited them three times, only to tell them to enter through Jungmun because they weren’t on the list. Is that really because the Eunha Merchant Guild is incompetent?”
After looking around the audience once, I curled the corners of my mouth while fixing my gaze on Jeong So-gun’s face.
Or is it to disgrace me?
“Do I really have to take responsibility?”
Jeong So-gun, who had been glaring at me in silence for a long time, finally spoke.
How reckless. To trade your future for a moment of pride.
What are you talking about?
Jeong So-gun turns away as if there is nothing more to see.
He strode over and forcefully slapped the scholar at the entrance.
match!
Before the scholar, struck like a bolt from the blue, could even get up, Jeong So-gun went inside.
“Take proper care of the guest!”
“Yes, four!”
Only then did the warriors who had drawn their swords bow their heads in unison and line up in front of me.
With a polite attitude and a hostile expression.
I followed that path and entered the Galaxy Merchant Guild as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Wang So-so also started walking right beside me.
Silence falls over the bustling Galaxy Merchant Guild, and people’s uncomfortable gazes are drawn toward us.
Wang So-so asked in an anxious voice, as if uncomfortable with the gaze.
“Brother Jin. The Eunha Merchant Group has deep connections with the high-ranking officials of Beijing……. To a degree that our Wang clan cannot even compare.”
I know what you are worried about.
Although it is a rule of the Jianghu that the government and the martial arts world do not interfere with each other, whether you run a merchant guild or a martial arts sect, you cannot be completely free from the government’s influence.
If the government decides to interfere, you never know how much trouble you will face.
but.
“Don’t worry. In the end, unless the head of the Galaxy Merchant Guild steps forward, no one will take action.”
“yes?”
“If people of higher rank than the Guild Leader had come, the Guild Leader would have come out long ago. That bastard So-dan-ju wouldn’t have resorted to violence against his subordinates as if creating an atmosphere of fear.”
180th Anniversary Celebration?
For an ambiguous event that is neither a 200th anniversary nor a 100th anniversary, one might invite a troupe of performers, but one would not invite a boss who has to be mindful of others.
If I’m not careful, someone else could end up acting like the main character at an event where I should be the star.
Conversely, this means that most of the officials participating in this event are those who need to curry favor with the merchant guild leader.
“Huh… You didn’t calculate all of this from the beginning, did you?”
“To some extent, we predict, and to some extent, we calculate in real-time.”
Wang So-so looks up at me with eyes full of astonishment.
“Wow… just like Sister Saryeon said, you really are quick-witted.”
What is this? Is it a compliment? It’s not an insult, is it?
It’s this way.
The warrior who was guiding the way points to a pavilion bustling with people.
It was obvious at a glance that it was a place where five or six people were housed in one room.
I really prepared a lot of things.
To think you went to such lengths to break my spirit.
I guess I’m a more amazing person than I thought.
“Surely this isn’t the place we’re staying, is it?”
yes?”
The warrior’s eyes shake violently.
I don’t know how elaborate the scheme was to toy with me, but the Galaxy Group made a big mistake.
“I came here at the invitation of the merchant!!! But you want me to stay in a place like this?!!!”
No matter what kind of game it is, I’m going to make a complete mess of it.
“Damn it! Who’s in charge here!!! Tell the person in charge to come out!!!!”
