Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 295

295. The Dragon’s Whereabouts Unknown

Zhuge Giho, the General Military Officer overseeing the Taepyung Alliance, looked at Mo Yongmi and thought,

‘Perhaps the Mo Yong Clan has chosen the right path in some ways.’

The Mo Yong Clan was carefully expanding its power while solidifying its internal affairs.

On the other hand, the Zhuge Clan’s aggressive expansion policy was creating numerous side effects.

Physical conflicts were inevitable, checks and balances were severe, and the financial costs were enormous.

The same was true for the Tang Clan.

Despite the extreme backlash and criticism from other sects, the Tang Clan was expanding its power as if it were insane.

Naturally, enormous side effects were occurring.

The reason they were expanding their branches so aggressively was clear.

It was because they couldn’t do it if not now.

Gongseon Clan asked for help for the struggling clans, but in reality, the Tang Clan and the Zhuge Clan were also running desperately.

This Martial Arts Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, which was virtually a war between factions, was also an attempt to formalize the dominance of the Tang Clan and the Taepyung Alliance.

‘By the way, isn’t the tournament name too cliché?’

The Taepyung Alliance Martial Arts Dragon-Phoenix Gathering was too similar to the Martial Arts Alliance’s Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, wasn’t it?

In fact, mentioning the Martial Arts Alliance within the Taepyung Alliance was a tacit taboo.

The Taepyung Alliance had been acting as if the Martial Arts Alliance had never existed.

But to name such an important tournament the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?

Considering Tang Seol-yeon’s personality, it was a truly unusual decision.

“Did you have some precious memories at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Zhuge Giho muttered to himself.

But no one heard him.

***

A high-end brothel in Hangzhou.

Youngho-jun came down to the dining hall in disheveled clothes late in the afternoon.

Hyecheon of Shaolin frowned as he sat at the table.

“Esteemed Benefactor.”

Hyecheon said to Youngho-jun, who plopped down across from him.

“It has already been three days since we arrived in Hangzhou. But why do you keep staying in this brothel?”

Pouring tea, Youngho-jun replied nonchalantly.

“Well, the food here is better than begging, and the cozy beds are much more comfortable than sleeping in the open.”

Hyecheon frowned.

Having grown up in Shaolin from a young age, Hyecheon had no common sense of the secular world.

For him, it was natural to beg for meals, sleep in graveyards, and wear clothes made from the shrouds of the dead.

Therefore, Hyecheon left Shaolin without any money or even a change of clothes.

Of course, Youngho-jun was horrified.

Using the pretext of being a senior in the martial arts world and all sorts of reasons, Youngho-jun seized control of the journey and went straight to this brothel in Hangzhou.

But a brothel could not be comfortable for a monk like Hyecheon.

Just wearing his monk’s robes, he was receiving all sorts of attention.

“Didn’t we come to Hangzhou to gather information about the Heroes Alliance?”

“Of course, we did.”

Clack.

Putting down the teacup, Youngho-jun said,

“All the high-end information in Hangzhou gathers here.”

Hyecheon frowned, as if he couldn’t believe it.

Youngho-jun, unconcerned, called a waiter and ordered a simple meal.

As the waiter disappeared into the kitchen, Youngho-jun continued, as if reminiscing.

“Do you know? The charm of Maehyang here was amazing. Her slightly nasal, seductive voice was so attractive that even a stone Buddha would turn around. She’s now the concubine of a high-ranking official in Beijing. Come to think of it, where did those two go?”

The two he was asking about were his junior, Jin Haseong, and Hyecheon’s junior, Wonjeong.

Just as the Mount Hua Sect had Youngho-jun accompanied by Jin Haseong, Shaolin had Hyecheon accompanied by Wonjeong.

“The two of them went to gather information about the Heroes Alliance. More than that, the information that Great Hero mentioned sounds like information about high-end courtesans.”

It was only natural that Hyecheon didn’t easily believe it.

For the past three days, Youngho-jun had literally been mingling with courtesans day and night.

Hyecheon, Wonjeong, and Youngho-jun’s junior, Jin Haseong, had no choice but to stay in their rooms.

As monks and Taoists, they could not be near women.

But Youngho-jun didn’t care.

“Hearing only what you want to hear is worse than not hearing at all. Just as everyone should be able to come and go freely on a road, how can you say you are truly listening if you only hear what is pleasing to your ears?”

Hyecheon frowned.

The words seemed right, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that it was an excuse.

In the meantime, the waiter brought a simple dish.

Youngho-jun picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

“So, did you hear anything important?”

“They say the Taepyung Alliance is holding a Martial Arts Dragon-Phoenix Gathering.”

“Martial Arts Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?”

“Yes.”

Youngho-jun nodded, chewing his food.

“Well, I guess they’re trying to establish themselves as the only legitimate force in the martial arts world. They also want to be officially recognized for the power they’ve expanded. Ah, have you ever been to the Martial Arts Alliance’s Dragon-Phoenix Gathering, Monk?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“I see. Ah, come to think of it, those were good times.”

Youngho-jun, even stopping his chopsticks, looked into the distance as if lost in thought.

“Those carefree young days, spending dreamlike days with flower-like young ladies. Their skin seemed to have a fragrance. Well, I later found out it was all poison.”

“For ascetics, women are naturally poison.”

“No, that’s not what I meant……”

“I’m not interested in Great Hero’s womanizing tendencies.”

Hyecheon said firmly.

“More than that, tell me more about the Taepyung Alliance.”

“That’s all there is to the Taepyung Alliance.”

Youngho-jun busily moved his chopsticks again, and Hyecheon frowned.

“……Is that the high-end information you were talking about?”

“I heard that a strange guest came to the Heroes Alliance recently.”

Youngho-jun said, munching on his food.

“Four officials and one scholar came to the Heroes Alliance early in the morning. Oh, this is quite delicious, isn’t it?”

Youngho-jun put a piece of meat in his mouth and exclaimed.

Unlike the Wudang, which forbids meat even among Taoists, Mount Hua was relatively lenient, so he wasn’t exactly breaking the sect’s rules.

But at least it wasn’t something to do in front of a Shaolin monk.

“Ahem. Officials, that’s certainly strange.”

“The strange one isn’t the officials, but the scholar.”

Youngho-jun continued nonchalantly.

“That scholar had a private meeting with the leader of the Heroes Alliance. Just the two of them, without anyone else.”

The leader of the Heroes Alliance was the Iron-Blooded Death King, Yeom Jungbu.

If he was meeting someone alone, it meant they were usually important people.

“……Did a courtesan know even that?”

“That’s why it’s high-end information. And men are all fools. Fools who think they’re smart.”

Hyecheon wasn’t interested in Youngho-jun’s views on men and women.

“If officials accompanied him, that scholar might be a high-ranking official from the court. Could it be that the Heroes Alliance is trying to get in with the government?”

“Tsk, tsk. That’s the limit of people who can’t properly interpret information.”

Youngho-jun clicked his tongue.

“That’s not interpretation, it’s observation. Who can’t say such things? You have to combine other information to create new value, and that’s what you call interpretation.”

Youngho-jun, who had rebuked him, continued.

“Think about it. How many people in the world would the proud and vain Iron-Blooded Death King, Yeom Jungbu, have a private meeting with? Officials? That’s ridiculous. If they were martial artists, you could literally count them on one hand……”

Youngho-jun, who was pretending to fold his fingers, looked at Hyecheon.

“If they were scholars, there’s only one person.”

“Who is it?”

Clatter.

Youngho-jun picked up a long strand of greens and said,

“……The dragon whose whereabouts are unknown.”

Hyecheon frowned.

Was Youngho-jun trying to say that the greens were in the shape of a dragon?

Thud.

Youngho-jun put the greens in his mouth.

“I heard that the scholar left Hangzhou the next day. I don’t know where he went, but he headed north.”

“Are you saying he’s the Azure Dragon Sword Lord?”

“Oh, you knew?”

“No, but I’ve heard so many rumors……”

The only one who can stand against the Heroes Alliance is the Azure Dragon Sword Lord.

He didn’t know how many times he had heard that rumor on his way to Hangzhou.

The more the Heroes Alliance rampaged, the more widely the rumor spread.

“Was he a scholar?”

“Didn’t you hear it from Abbot Wabul?”

“The Abbot is a man of few words……”

“Then you probably didn’t hear about his seniority either.”

He couldn’t have heard it.

The former Great Abbot Wabul didn’t care about such things at all, and the other monks of Shaolin would be reluctant to even mention it.

“I’m a disciple of Mount Hua, and you’ve only received teachings, but I heard that he received the Abbot Wabul’s inner teachings.”

Hyecheon’s expression changed.

If he had received the inner teachings, it was no exaggeration to say that he was a formal disciple.

Whether he had left home or not, his seniority would not change.

“Th, then……”

“Yes. He’s the Shaolin Abbot’s martial uncle. To you, he’s probably a grand martial uncle?”

The sudden honorifics were probably meant to tease Hyecheon.

But Hyecheon had no time to care about that.

A Shaolin Abbot’s martial uncle was a serious matter, especially in Shaolin, where master-disciple relationships were strict.

“Well, we’ve seen enough of the Heroes Alliance……”

Youngho-jun said with a bright expression.

“We should take a look at the Taepyung Alliance too, right?”

Youngho-jun smiled as if he was quite enjoying it.

Watching Hyecheon, who was still frozen, was more enjoyable than he had thought.

***

After several days of travel, Woon-hyun and his party arrived on the outskirts of Beijing.

It was the moment the long journey from Guangzhou, at the southern tip of the continent, to Beijing came to an end.

“Wow, that’s amazing!”

Dam Soha, riding a horse, exclaimed.

It was understandable, as over three hundred soldiers, dozens of cavalry, and five carriages were waiting for Woon-hyun.

Moreover, they were all brandishing spears and swords, making it seem like something terrible had happened.

“It’s only natural.”

Royal Inspector Jo Gwan said.

“They must have received the Great One’s letter, so they should do this.”

Woon-hyun, who knew that it was Eunuch Park who had purged King Moon’s forces in the court, sent him a letter to be careful about his safety.

Naturally, he couldn’t help but worry about Woon-hyun’s safety as well.

Clatter, clatter.

A military officer with sharp eyes rode up.

Royal Inspector Jo Gwan also rode his horse towards him.

“Are you Royal Inspector Jo Gwan?”

The military officer asked, bowing lightly.

Jo Gwan also nodded slightly and replied.

“That’s right. I am Royal Inspector Jo Gwan, belonging to the Office of the Censor-General.”

Jo Gwan took out his identity plaque.

The military officer also took out his identity plaque and handed it to Jo Gwan.

The two carefully checked each other’s identity plaques before returning them.

“Where is the honored guest?”

“He’s in the carriage.”

Thud.

The military officer dismounted and approached the carriage.

And he bowed respectfully.

“Honored guest, I will escort you from here. Please get out of the carriage.”

Click.

Woon-hyun opened the door and got out of the carriage.

“I am Woon-hyun. Thank you for your hard work.”

The military officer only bowed his head and did not answer.

Woon-hyun turned his head and looked at Royal Inspector Jo Gwan.

“Thank you for your hard work, Royal Inspector.”

Jo Gwan smiled.

“It was an honor to serve the honored guest.”

Woon-hyun thanked Hang Jang-ik, Dam Soha, and Jin Yelim, and followed the military officer to the prepared carriage.

And he got into one of the five identical carriages.

“Let’s go!”

With the military officer’s shout, the procession of over a hundred people slowly began to move.

Clatter, clatter, plod, plod.

The sound of footsteps and hooves shook the ground, and dust rose.

The large procession soon split into three or four groups, heading to Beijing here and there, either quickly or slowly.

The five identical carriages also scattered in all directions, and now it was impossible to know which carriage Woon-hyun was riding in.

Jo Gwan and his party were silently watching the scene.

“……He’s gone.”

Dam Soha said with a sigh.

Rather than the relief that the long mission from Guangzhou to Beijing was over, the regret that she would no longer see Woon-hyun was greater.

How often would she get involved with an honored guest invited with imperial courtesy, especially a great master like Woon-hyun?

Jo Gwan looked back at his party and said.

“Everyone has worked hard.”

“Thank you for your hard work, Royal Inspector.”

Hang Jang-ik said with a smiling face.

Jo Gwan said to Hang Jang-ik.

“I’ll go to the Office of the Censor-General and come back, so you guys can have a meal or something.”

He had to report to the Office of the Censor-General and hand over the escort troops.

There would be enough time to have a meal.

Hang Jang-ik looked at Dam Soha and Jin Yelim and said.

“Well, it’s been a while since we’ve been to Beijing, so shall we go to a fancy place to eat?”

“Okay! As expected, Hang hyungnim [older brother] is the best!”

Dam Soha couldn’t hide her joy.

Jin Yelim, who was riding a horse, had a somewhat regretful expression.

But that feeling didn’t last long.

Woon-hyun had clearly said that she could decide her future slowly.

“Let’s go. Let’s eat a lot today!”

“Yes, sir!”

Listening to Hang Jang-ik and Dam Soha, Jin Yelim chuckled.

And soon, she rode her horse into Beijing with the two of them.