Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 88

088. Numerical Superiority

Jang Gyeong-gyu finally understood the tense atmosphere, thanks to the merchant’s words, which carried a subtle weight.

“I… I apologize.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu shrank back, looking sheepish. The elderly merchant smiled and said,

“Don’t worry too much. If the Yangtze River becomes too dangerous, the Murim Alliance [a coalition of martial arts clans] won’t stand idly by, will they?”

“Ah-ha!”

The merchants’ dark expressions instantly brightened.

“That’s right. The Murim Alliance…”

“Indeed. The Murim Alliance wouldn’t just sit back at that level.”

The merchants nodded in agreement.

In the past, during the war between the Orthodox and Demonic factions [two opposing sides in the martial arts world], the Yangtze River was the boundary line between them.

The Yangtze River Pirate Alliance profited from both sides by exploiting this geographical advantage.

After the Murim Alliance was established, the Yangtze River Pirate Alliance and the Green Forest [another group of bandits and outlaws] were among the first to be targeted for suppression.

There was sufficient justification, plenty of resentment, and they were the perfect opponents to demonstrate the Murim Alliance’s solidarity and power.

The devastating blow they suffered at that time meant that the Yangtze River Pirate Alliance and the Green Forest barely managed to survive.

Therefore, as long as the Murim Alliance existed, the Yangtze River pirates would not dare to act recklessly.

“Goodness, you. You scared me for nothing.”

“That’s right. You’ll have to buy dinner tonight as punishment for scaring us.”

The atmosphere regained its liveliness.

The merchants joked with Jang Gyeong-gyu and began to drink again.

However, Un-hyeon was still unable to calm his worried heart.

‘Could this possibly lead to trouble?’

It was true that he had sent a letter to the Moryong Family. However, it was definitely not a strange letter.

Moreover, he had never sent even a single note to the pirates, so he was worried that he might be wrongly accused.

‘Should I have conveyed the Young Palace Lord’s words to the Murim Alliance?’

The Young Palace Lord had told him to be mindful of the Dark Heaven Demon Emperor, the Azure Dragon Sword Master, and a man called a merchant.

That was clearly a warning to the Murim Alliance, not just to Un-hyeon, but he had not passed it on.

Firstly, his reputation was on the line, and secondly, he wasn’t in the mood to do so at the time.

However, he began to worry that things might escalate if he continued to keep quiet.

“Have a drink, too.”

Un-hyeon’s thoughts were interrupted by the merchant’s voice.

“Tsk, tsk, you don’t look good. Don’t pay too much attention to that guy’s nonsense.”

“Hey, it’s not nonsense.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu protested, but his voice lacked conviction.

The drinking party became more and more lively, but Un-hyeon’s mind was troubled by various thoughts.

Swaaaaa.

There is always wind on the ship going up the Yangtze River.

At first, the sound of the water was deafening, and the wind was so strong that it stung the eyes, but after a few days, it became just another part of everyday life.

The unchanging wind of the Yangtze River was now scattering the hair of a beautiful young lady wearing the Namgung Family’s uniform into the air.

“Still looking?”

Jang Gyeong-gyu’s voice suddenly came from beside her.

Un-hyeon gave an awkward smile, and Jang Gyeong-gyu fiddled with his glass as he spoke.

“Be careful. Murim people are scary. No matter how pretty a girl is.”

His voice seemed to contain some regret.

Un-hyeon said to Jang Gyeong-gyu, who was drinking his alcohol,

“I heard you were in a Murim family. You seem to have had a hard time.”

“Well, it wasn’t really that hard…”

Jang Gyeong-gyu trailed off.

However, Un-hyeon decided to ask what he was curious about since the topic had come up.

“You mentioned the Moryong Family earlier…”

“Yeah, I did. Why? Are you curious?”

Un-hyeon nodded honestly.

“Well, there’s nothing to hide, really.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu took another drink.

“Actually, I was a strategist at the Cheol Family in Hanam. That famous Hanam where the Shaolin Temple [a famous Buddhist monastery and martial arts school] and the Moryong Family are located.”

There was no way Un-hyeon wouldn’t know.

Wasn’t his motive for sending a letter to the Moryong Family the martial arts contest between the Cheol Family Head and the Moryong Family Head?

“After failing the civil service examination three times, I joined the Cheol Family as a strategist, feeling like I had nothing to lose. The Cheol Family was very small at the time, but they still hired me.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu continued his story.

He told the story of how he and Cheol Mu-woong raised the Cheol Family together, and how they once dominated Hanam, although it was a bit exaggerated.

The story of the martial arts contest with the Moryong Family Head was also included.

Even the part where the Cheol Family lost in the rematch, which they had accepted with great enthusiasm, and how they tried to pressure the Moryong Family by gathering the sects of Hanam.

“But you know, there are real martial artists in this world. People who never bend their will, no matter how unfavorable the situation.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu said with admiration.

“The Moryong Family Head was also such a person, but the Outer Hall Lord, Moryong Mi, was really amazing. The people who looked down on her because she was a woman couldn’t say a word. Hehehe.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu smiled as he recalled what happened back then.

Un-hyeon also recalled Moryong Mi’s appearance at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.

“Hoo, the world is a strange place.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu sighed.

“Seeing that, I felt, ‘Ah, that’s a real martial artist.’ And at the same time, I realized that I could never become a martial artist.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu seemed to have received a very strong impression from Moryong Mi.

“After that, I packed my bags without any regrets. The Cheol Family was already on the verge of collapse anyway… And I met that elder and became a merchant.”

The ‘elder’ he gestured to was the elderly merchant.

“That man takes good care of the people around him. He also has excellent insight. I’m still lacking, but I’m trying to become a merchant like him someday.”

Even to Un-hyeon, the elderly merchant seemed to have a quality that drew people to him.

“You will be.”

A smile spread across Jang Gyeong-gyu’s face at those words.

“Thank you.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu, who was drinking his alcohol, seemed to have said everything he wanted to say.

However, what Un-hyeon wanted to know had not yet come out.

“Um, well…”

“Yeah?”

“I think you mentioned earlier that the Moryong Family received some kind of letter…”

“Ah, that?”

Jang Gyeong-gyu replied as if he had just remembered.

“It’s already a public secret among the sects of Hanam. Everyone who knows anything knows that the Moryong Family is looking for the person who sent the letter.”

Un-hyeon’s heart sank.

He was hearing for the first time that the Moryong Family was looking for the person who sent the letter.

“Well, there’s no need to worry about it. Aren’t there always rumors like that in the Jianghu [the martial arts world]?”

However, Un-hyeon couldn’t help but worry.

‘If this goes wrong…’

His worry that he might be framed as the culprit behind the strange letters that were disturbing the Jianghu deepened.

“Don’t be too discouraged.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu offered some comfort to Un-hyeon, who had a dark expression.

“You can fail the civil service examination. There are many paths besides government service.”

Un-hyeon gave an awkward smile.

“You could open a private school. If you’ve made it to the provincial examination, you’ll attract quite a few children, won’t you? Or you could become a merchant like me.”

Jang Gyeong-gyu said with a smile.

“If you ever think about becoming a merchant, come find me. I’ll help you with all my strength.”

“Thank you.”

Un-hyeon sincerely thanked Jang Gyeong-gyu.

Of course, he had no intention of visiting, but he was grateful for his kindness.

Chwaaaaa.

The sound of the water hitting the side of the ship was unusually loud.

Un-hyeon raised his head.

The midday sun was setting, and the Yangtze River was being dyed in the sunset.

However, the merchants had no intention of getting up.

It seemed they were going to turn it into a full-fledged drinking party since they had nothing else to do anyway.

It was then.

“A ship! A ship ahead!”

A sailor’s cry suddenly echoed across the deck.

At the same time, a tense atmosphere began to flow among the sailors.

Tak tak tak tak.

The sailors moved in an orderly fashion.

People noticed that something was wrong and began to stir.

“This is bad!”

The merchant next to Un-hyeon jumped up.

However, he soon staggered.

He was already quite drunk.

“What’s going on?”

Un-hyeon asked Jang Gyeong-gyu.

However, judging from his expression, he didn’t seem to know what was going on either.

The elderly merchant was the one who answered.

“If it were just a passing ship, they wouldn’t be shouting like that. Something must be wrong.”

His face was also quite grim.

Un-hyeon leaned against the railing, craned his neck, and looked ahead.

He wanted to go to the bow of the ship, but the sailors and Murim people had already taken their places.

‘What’s going on?’

Several ships were visible in the distance across the red-tinged Yangtze River.

Although they were still far away, Un-hyeon could clearly see one thing.

The markings that merchant ships always had were not visible on their sails.

Un-hyeon’s expression hardened.

‘Could it be…’

However, the situation was already clear.

They were the infamous Yangtze River pirates.

***

“Vice-Chief, something’s strange?”

Jang Sam-chae, the Vice-Chief of the Carefree Sect, frowned at his subordinate’s report.

“Hey! Do you have to ruin this sacred moment of starting a business? What’s so strange?”

The business he was talking about was extorting money by threatening passing ships.

It was a tense moment, so it was natural for him to react curtly, but the subordinate still had something to say.

“Well, Wang Nun-al says he sees people who look like Murim people besides the sailors.”

Wang Nun-al had good eyes and was in charge of scouting business targets.

Of course, he had a separate name, but the pirates just called him Wang Nun-al.

“What? Murim people?”

Jang Sam-chae’s face contorted.

“Didn’t the Chief say not to mess with Murim people? What should we do? Should we just pass by?”

“What, you punk?”

Harsh words suddenly came out of Jang Sam-chae’s mouth.

“Pass by what! We’ve brought all this out here, how can we just pass by? What kind of joke is that? Do you think we came out here to entertain those guys?”

“But…”

“Shut up!”

Jang Sam-chae yelled. And he gritted his teeth with a heavily frowned face.

“If you’ve drawn your sword, you have to cut something, even if it’s just a pumpkin. We have to have something to show for it even if we go back empty-handed. Stop talking nonsense and just go for it!”

‘Tch, he’s just trying to impress the Chief because he’s a newcomer.’

The subordinate, who had been scolded for no reason, grumbled inwardly.

Vice-Chief Jang Sam-chae had joined the Carefree Sect late, so his position among the other Vice-Chiefs was precarious.

As a result, it was always the subordinates who suffered.

However, since his life was precious, he couldn’t say it out loud, so the subordinate quickly turned his head and shouted loudly as if to vent his anger.

“Business staaart!”

The phrase ‘business start’ was also a code word that only worked within the Carefree Sect.

The Chief was always coming up with strange things to improve the quality of the pirates, which made the subordinates suffer.

However, whatever the jargon, the three or four ships simultaneously slowed down and began to approach the merchant ship with the Hoam Merchant Guild’s markings.

***

“Hey, what’s going on?”

The merchant next to Un-hyeon asked Un-hyeon anxiously.

However, there was no way Un-hyeon could know what was going on.

All he knew for sure was that the ships that were approaching were blocking the merchant ship’s path, causing the ship to move slowly, almost as if it had stopped.

“It seems…”

Un-hyeon swallowed his words.

As the distance narrowed, the rough-looking men filling the deck on the other side began to come into everyone’s view.

“Still, there are people from the Namgung Family…”

Someone among the merchants said.

However, no one was comforted by those words.

The Namgung Family had come to protect the Hoam Merchant Guild’s ship, not to protect the lives and property of the merchants.

Rather, the presence of the Namgung Family would inevitably lead to a conflict.

When they could have just paid the toll and passed by quietly.