Emperor’s Sword [EN]: Chapter 34

Humiliation!

Pa Cheon and his group were having lunch. The meals served in the inner courtyard of the Jiangnan First Pavilion were not only a collection of the finest delicacies from around the world, but also prepared by chefs brought directly from various regions. Their taste, aroma, and presentation were all considered top-notch.

There was deer placenta paste from Jilin, twice-cooked pork from Sichuan, bear paw (from Changbai Mountain bears) from Beiping [Beijing], mutton, chrysanthemum-fried fish slices, Peking duck, squirrel-shaped mandarin fish soup from Suzhou, and steamed soft-shelled turtle with peony decorations. For dessert, there were candied fruits and Beijing white pears.

Attendants stood by, serving food and brewing tea. The tea was Longjing tea, a green tea from the mountains and slopes around West Lake in Hangzhou, especially the top-grade Mingqian tea, picked within three days before the Qingming Festival [a traditional Chinese festival].

The group focused on their meal in silence. Gwangmajon and Muyeongjon were wary of the Martial Alliance’s eyes around the Jiangnan First Pavilion, while So-gun was preoccupied with the swordsmanship she had learned from Pa Cheon. Murin, being a quiet woman, was naturally silent, and Pa Cheon was solely focused on enjoying the food. Although the group was quiet, Gwangmajon’s mind was not.

[My lord, if those guys are watching us, it won’t be easy to contact the Demonic Cult. Should I go out and chase them away?]

[Don’t worry about it. I was planning to go out after the meal anyway. Since they’re showing interest in us, we should give them a treat.]

Pa Cheon savored the deep flavor of the Longjing tea. Taking a sip, the aroma was subtle and pleasant.

It was often said that Longjing tea had four perfections: its color was as green as jade, its fragrance was as subtle as an orchid, its taste was sweet and smooth, and its shape was like a sparrow’s tongue. This was the true taste of tea. Similarly, people may not know the depth of a relationship at first, but as their nobility and character gradually emerge, the relationship becomes genuine. That’s why old friends feel comfortable, and even without trying to understand each other, they naturally connect.

After finishing their meal, they were chatting and joking casually when Jang Woon-hyung, the head of the Geumhwa Trading Company, arrived. He greeted Pa Cheon respectfully and sat down at the seat Pa Cheon offered.

‘So? Did you receive any news?’

‘Yes, young master! The two heads of the family said they will arrive here tonight.’

‘Tonight?’

‘Yes, that’s correct.’

‘Oh, this is a problem. Do the two old men know about this place?’

‘No, they don’t know you’re staying here yet.’

‘Then, let’s do this. When the two old men arrive, have them wait at the Hangzhou branch of the Geumhwa Trading Company. I’ll make time to visit tonight, so tell them to wait.’

‘Is there any particular reason for that?’

‘It’s nothing special, I just have something to take care of beforehand.’

‘Yes, I will pass on the message.’

‘By the way, do you know where the Martial Alliance branch is located?’

‘Are you referring to the Hangzhou branch?’

‘Yes.’

‘Yes, I do.’

‘Good. Please take me there now.’

‘Now?’

‘Yes, now.’

As the two got up, Gwangmajon and the others also rose. Seeing this, Pa Cheon said to them,

‘No, you don’t need to come. I’ll go alone, so if any guests arrive in the meantime, tell them to wait for a bit.’

…

Gwangmajon looked disappointed at Pa Cheon’s words that he would go alone. However, his reply was still clear.

‘Yes, I understand.’

★ While riding in the carriage, Jang Dae-in introduced Pa Cheon to the Martial Alliance as much as he knew.

‘The Hangzhou branch was newly established not long ago. Originally, this place was controlled by the Demonic Cult, but after the Martial Alliance branch was established, they disappeared without a trace. It’s located on OkHyeon Road in the western market of Hangzhou. I heard that the branch leader is from the Northern Sword Society.’

He was relatively well-informed about the martial world compared to ordinary people. The business world and the martial world were originally inseparable. The influence on the business world was significant depending on how the martial world changed. Although some martial forces remained as protectors of businesses, most of them directly entered the business world, making it difficult to operate a business without paying attention to their relationships.

‘Especially since the Martial Alliance was established, our Geumhwa Trading Company, being a large-scale trading company, is not affected, but small-scale local merchants are suffering enormous damage. The Martial Alliance is extending its reach in various directions with its vast organization and power, and their methods are so cunning that those who oppose them are doomed to ruin. No one dares to stand against them.’

‘The problem is that they should stop expanding at some point, but for some reason, they continue to increase their size. If this continues, I’m worried that they will take over not only Hangzhou and the nearby Suzhou, but also a significant portion of the commercial districts in the Central Plains.’

‘And yet, the wealthy merchants are not rebelling at all?’

‘That’s not true. Rumor has it that some wealthy merchants are joining forces with forces from outside the world or the Demonic Cult that has gone underground, and they are also buying up ronin [masterless samurai] or renowned masters with money.’

‘Hmm… The Martial Alliance is making a big enemy. They are fools… But why hasn’t Geumhwa Trading Company been affected?’

‘Our Geumhwa Trading Company has deep roots, so the Martial Alliance can’t dare to touch us. In fact, the trading business doesn’t actually interfere with the commercial world, but rather lends money to them, manages their assets, and generates profits, so there’s not much conflict. There are several large-scale trading companies in the Central Plains, but none can compare to our main branch. We don’t care who our trading partner is as long as it’s profitable. We only compete with other trading companies.’

‘What if the Martial Alliance interferes with the trading business?’

‘Would they do such a foolish thing? The moment they interfere with the trading business will be the moment they fall.’

‘Hmm, that’s a great confidence. To have this much confidence means they have already secured a unique territory.’

While the two were talking, the carriage arrived at a manor. As soon as Pa Cheon got out of the carriage, he looked at the plaque on the front gate of the manor. The words ‘Martial Alliance Hangzhou Branch’ were powerfully written in a dragon-like script.

Jeon Chil, the gate guard, didn’t think anything when he heard the name of the visitor and rushed inside. He went straight to the chief manager. Because he didn’t even invite the visitor inside and ran off in a hurry, Pa Cheon had no choice but to stand outside the gate. About an hour later, the chief manager of the Hangzhou branch came running out with a pale face and guided him inside.

Looking around the reception hall, Pa Cheon could see that it was quite large for a branch. It could accommodate at least 2,000 people. Well, it was the center of the Demonic Cult, so they must have paid attention to it. But why isn’t he coming? The chief manager ran off to fetch the branch leader, and two attendants were bustling about, bringing tea and fruit.

Even after half an hour, the branch leader did not come.

‘Are these guys trying to make a fool of me?’

He was secretly getting angry. What was his status? Even in the righteous faction, he had the former leader of the Beggars’ Union, Gae Wang, as his subordinate, and he was the highest-ranking member of the Gujeongryeon [Nine Righteous Sects]. The head of the Northern Sword Society had once offered Pa Cheon the position of second-in-command, so he was not someone that a branch leader could make wait. An attendant came in and changed the tea. Pa Cheon asked her a question.

‘Has the branch leader gone out?’

‘Huh? I don’t know.’

Her face turned red, and she hesitated.

‘Do you know the name of the branch leader here? You must know that, right?’

‘Yes… I know. I, a lowly servant, cannot dare to speak it.’

‘It’s okay. I’m not an outsider, so don’t hesitate and tell me.’

The attendant, seeing even the chief manager trembling, carefully opened her mouth at Pa Cheon’s words.

‘His name is… Woo… Hyun… Chung, sir.’

‘What?… Woo Hyun-chung?…!!! Are you talking about the Small-Faced Sword, Woo Hyun-chung?’

‘I don’t know about that…’

How could this be? No matter how many strange connections there were in the world, could there be such a bizarre coincidence? The Small-Faced Sword, Woo Hyun-chung, was the head of the Northern Sword Society’s disciplinary unit and the 17th in the Northern Sword Society’s hierarchy. He was an unfortunate man who had become Pa Cheon’s eternal fool after being severely defeated by Pa Cheon at the Junghwaru in Gaebongbu. And now, they were meeting again in such a place…

‘Ah, now I understand. This guy is trying to avoid me, but if I didn’t know, it would be fine. But now that I know, there’s no way. You rascal!’

Pa Cheon jumped up from his seat. Then, he said to the attendant!

‘Lead the way to the branch leader’s quarters!’

★ ‘Oh my… How can this be? What sins did I commit in the heavens that this devil keeps following me wherever I go?’

Indeed, it was the Small-Faced Sword, Woo Hyun-chung. The chief manager was standing in front of him, fidgeting.

‘If you keep waiting for him to leave, what if Great Warrior Moon gets angry…’

‘Shut up. Do you want to see me humiliated? Do you know why I volunteered to come here? If I stayed at headquarters, I would surely encounter that guy again. No, rather than being afraid… it’s more like I’m annoyed, so I came here. I was going to leave him alone until he got tired, and then you would say that the branch leader’s return is delayed and that it wouldn’t be possible today.’

‘Yes… Branch Leader.’

‘Ugh… What kind of bad karma do I have from my past life that I’m so entangled like this? I’ll just…’

‘Could it be that I am that guy?’

This voice?

The Small-Faced Sword turned his head in fear and saw Pa Cheon’s smiling face. And he

‘Eek!’

As if he had seen something he shouldn’t have, he was startled and stepped back, and unfortunately, he tripped over a chair and fell backward, showing a disgraceful sight.

‘Oh, Great Warrior Woo. Even if you’re happy to see me, you shouldn’t do that. How can you maintain your dignity as a branch leader? Surely, you don’t mean that you’re not happy that I came?’

The Small-Faced Sword, who had gotten up as if he had never fallen, waved his hand with a servile smile on his face.

‘Absolutely not… If Great Warrior Moon were to come, I would run out ten miles barefoot to greet you. If you think of me as such a petty person, I’m very disappointed.’

Then, he pointed to a seat. It must have been an invitation to sit down. At that moment, Pa Cheon could see it. The tips of the Small-Faced Sword’s fingers were trembling slightly…

‘So, you’re happy to be the branch leader here?’

‘Yes? Of course. A martial artist should be on the front lines. Isn’t it in a place where blood splatters and flesh tears that a martial artist’s blood boils?’

After the chief manager left, the Small-Faced Sword’s face was pitifully pale, and he didn’t dare to make eye contact with Pa Cheon.

‘Even so, you would have enjoyed all sorts of luxuries if you were at headquarters, but you came to such a harsh place. So…’

‘Haha, no. All of this is for the sake of the martial world…’

‘The reason I came here is that I’m staying in the inner courtyard of the Jiangnan First Pavilion, and for some reason, suspicious people are spying on me. I think… they might be remnants of the Demonic Cult. I wanted to let you know that. I’m going to wipe them out on this occasion. How dare they spy on the place where I am…’

He rolled his eyes as if he was angry. Seeing this, the Small-Faced Sword’s heart was burning more and more. He had received a report that there were suspicious martial artists who had rented the entire annex of the Jiangnan First Pavilion. And wasn’t he the one who ordered them to be monitored?

‘If that devil finds out about that… Oh no… That day will be my death anniversary. I have to withdraw them quickly. How could that guy be there… Heaven, please let this moment pass quickly.’

‘Do you have any idea who they might be?’

‘Huh?’

The Small-Faced Sword, whose heart had dropped, probably had his lifespan shortened by a few hours.

‘Ah. No, it must be a mistake. Would the remnants of the Demonic Cult be so blatant? Perhaps you are mistaken, Great Warrior.’

‘Is that so? I’ll have to go and check. If I interrogate them, I’ll find out. Whoever gets caught, I’ll break their legs first and cut off all their nerves. Then, I’ll soak them in poison and make them die from itching.’

While Pa Cheon was speaking, the color was gradually disappearing from Woo Hyun-chung’s face. He was trembling and said to Pa Cheon.

‘I, this humble one, have an urgent need to use the restroom, so may I go out for a moment?’

He said.

It was truly a moment when he forgot his position as the branch leader of the Martial Alliance. No matter how urgent it was, to call himself ‘this humble one’ and ask for permission to use the restroom…

‘Go ahead.’

‘You rascal, this is your punishment for making me wait for half an hour.’

Woo Hyun-chung quickly went outside. And after going a relatively long distance, he called the chief manager.

‘Hey… go… go… now and quickly… quickly…’

‘Yes?’

The chief manager didn’t understand what he was saying and asked again.

‘Hey, you idiot, go quickly… and withdraw the guys at that Jiangnan, whatchamacallit, First Pavilion.’

‘Yes? There are suspicious people there…’

‘Withdraw them, I said withdraw them. And don’t let anyone go near there. If anyone gets caught there, I swear… even if it takes my whole life, I will exterminate their entire family.’

Does he think he’s an emperor?

The chief manager didn’t quite understand the branch leader’s order, but he couldn’t help it. He just had to follow the order, and all the responsibility was on the branch leader…

The Small-Faced Sword, with a somewhat brighter face, entered the inner room, and Pa Cheon looked at him.

‘Oh, why did you take so long to use the restroom?’

‘Ah, yes… I have a bit of constipation…’

‘So, how is the martial world doing these days?’

‘With the establishment of the Martial Alliance, the Demonic Cult has gone underground. We seemed to be in chaos at first, but now we are gradually establishing a foundation. Under the leadership of the Alliance Leader, we are keeping the original purpose.’

‘The original purpose? If you’re talking about the annihilation of the Demonic Cult, isn’t that a failure?’

‘The goal was not simply the disintegration of the Demonic Cult. It was to cut off the roots of the demonic path. The speed at which the Martial Alliance is advancing into the business world is gaining momentum these days. The Alliance Leader’s idea was not to destroy the Demonic forces immediately, but to eliminate their base by placing the commercial districts under the Martial Alliance and controlling and checking their space. Anyway, so far, everything is going as planned without any problems.’

‘Huhu, it’s like planting a flag in an unclaimed land. The flag is planted, but it’s originally an empty mountain, so there’s no resistance, and the Demonic Cult is trying to seize the flag from below, preparing their forces. I wonder if the goal was not the annihilation of the Demonic Cult, but the seizure of the commercial districts. I don’t know if it’s just my thought.’

Pa Cheon made a sharp remark.

‘I… I don’t know about that. I’m just… following the Alliance Leader’s orders.’

‘Are there any conflicts within the Martial Alliance?’

‘Of course, there are conflicts. The Gujeongryeon [Nine Righteous Sects] and the Oryeonhoe [Five Alliance Council] are constantly trying to push the Alliance Leader. However, since all the forces except them are already under the Alliance Leader’s control, it’s not a big problem. The Alliance Leader still has the justification, so even if they have complaints, they can’t openly oppose him.’

‘It’s going to be interesting. The enemies will continue to increase, and I wonder what they will use to shut their hands and mouths at that time?’

‘Great Warrior Moon, are you not going to the Alliance?’

The Small-Faced Sword asked cautiously.

‘I was planning to go there in a few days.’

‘The Alliance Leader would welcome you with open arms if you helped. The Demonic Cult’s resistance has been considerable recently. However, there is no suitable person in the main alliance to handle this matter, so it seems they were trying to create a special organization, but there has been no progress because they are trying to put their own faction’s people in charge.

I think that if Great Warrior Moon were to take that position, no one would be able to oppose it. It would be a relief for the Alliance Leader.’

‘Hahahaha, I didn’t know that the branch leader thought so highly of me. How could I be qualified?’

‘If Great Warrior Moon is not qualified, then who in the world is qualified? Please take care of me in the future. I know that even the Alliance Leader cannot handle that position carelessly, so please look after me.’

He was subtly trying to win Pa Cheon’s favor with flattery.

‘Have there been any rebellions from the wealthy merchants?’

‘How dare they rebel against the Martial Alliance? Isn’t power something that can’t be bought with money? The power of the martial world comes from strength, so they can’t say anything. If they incur our displeasure, they will lose everything they have, so they may curse us in their hearts, but they can’t say anything.’

‘They don’t seem to know yet. Looking at this, it seems that their intelligence network is not very dense. According to Branch Manager Jang, they seem to be gathering considerable forces, and they might inflict a major blow on the Martial Alliance. Moreover, if they join hands with the Demonic Cult with that power, they might lose the flag.’

‘Well, then, I should go now. I’ll come back later. I have to go and beat up those guys now. They must be remnants of the Demonic Cult.’

As Pa Cheon went outside, he followed him.

‘Ah, it’s okay. The branch leader must be busy with official duties, so you don’t have to come out. Well, then, let’s see each other again later.’

‘Ugh… I need to apply for a transfer to another place as soon as possible.’

‘Yes, then please be careful. I will inform the headquarters of your visit.’

In his heart, he was grinding his teeth, but the Small-Faced Sword’s face still had a spring breeze on it.

Subject: [Serial] Emperor’s Sword 36. Messenger of the Demonic Cult. Related Materials: None [59905]

Sender: Lim Sam-yeol (logos333) 2001-01-05 00:19 Views: 2377

-Emperor’s Sword-