Chapter 125: The Way of a Martial Artist
“Huuuuhk!”
Song Jae-mun woke up with a strange scream.
He did not even know how he had lost consciousness.
Writhing in pain as if his whole body was about to shatter, he briefly looked around.
“……”
Song Jae-mun’s pupils trembled violently.
On the wide riverbank, the miserable corpses of martial artists lay scattered everywhere.
‘T-the Southern Black Lotus Lord….’
Song Jae-mun frantically searched for the Southern Black Lotus Lord.
Every step he took made him feel as though his organs were twisting. He could not tell whether the pain was real or only in his mind.
Clang—!
Soon, the sharp sound of metal echoed.
With a flicker of hope, Song Jae-mun staggered toward the direction of the sound.
And what he saw was—
“…Damn it.”
The Southern Black Lotus Lord was fighting desperately against the Guest Dragon. Even someone like him, who knew nothing about martial arts, could see the outcome was already decided.
Song Jae-mun collapsed helplessly.
Everything was ruined. Just like the countless others who had gotten entangled with the Guest Dragon, he too was finished.
At that moment—
The dark riverbank suddenly lit up like broad daylight amid the commotion.
“There!”
With someone’s shout, dozens of torches illuminated Jin Seong-un and the Southern Black Lotus Lord’s battle.
Song Jae-mun gasped for breath.
It was Oh Jeong-san. His men and several merchants who had participated in the Merchant Festival swarmed in.
“L-Lord of the Southern Black Lotus!”
Recognizing him, Oh Jeong-san cried out.
The place instantly grew noisy.
Here in Hubei, the name of the Southern Black Lotus Lord carried enormous weight.
Everyone turned their eyes toward the battle.
The overlord of the Black Path in Hubei, a master renowned across the Central Plains—Southern Black Lotus Lord Jo Rae-ak—was barely managing to block the sword of a young man, his face pale.
It was the Guest Dragon.
Seeing Jin Seong-un’s face, several martial artists and merchants heaved sighs of disbelief.
“C-Chairman, what should we do?!”
One of the martial artists from the Jingzhou Merchants’ Association asked.
Oh Jeong-san watched the duel for a moment before shaking his head.
The fight was already decided. Intervening now would only tarnish Jin Seong-un’s honor.
“It will end soon.”
Oh Jeong-san spoke calmly.
Some people let out gasps of admiration at his composure.
A martial artist barely in his twenties was overwhelming none other than the Southern Black Lotus Lord.
Even while witnessing such an astounding scene, Oh Jeong-san’s unshaken demeanor made him seem all the greater.
But in truth—
‘This is insane.’
Oh Jeong-san had already noticed the corpses sprawled along the riverbank. They were undoubtedly the Hubei Thirteen Killers.
Jin Seong-un had singlehandedly slain the Hubei Thirteen Killers and was now cornering the Southern Black Lotus Lord.
He was, quite literally, toppling the Black Path of an entire province by himself.
Unlike the merchants’ admiration, Oh Jeong-san could hardly breathe, struggling to calm the terror pounding in his chest.
One could only perceive as much as one knew. And in this gathering, Oh Jeong-san was the one seeing Jin Seong-un most clearly.
While every light and gaze was fixed on Jin Seong-un and the Southern Black Lotus Lord—
Song Jae-mun, like a cat sneaking off with a fish, began to move quietly.
One step, two steps, relying on the cover of darkness.
‘If I’m lucky, I can slip away.’
Now that he thought of it, the Southern Black Lotus Lord’s death was to his benefit. If that man died, the only one left who could expose him was the Guest Dragon.
Of course, he would face suspicion and criticism. But without clear evidence, no one could punish him.
That was the way of the merchant world. And people always turned their attention to another matter after just a little time.
As he slowly distanced himself from the crowd—
Just then, Jin Seong-un, who had just severed the Southern Black Lotus Lord’s left arm, caught his breath and spoke.
“Song Jae-mun is escaping.”
“……”
Everyone’s gaze shifted back, and some torches turned with them.
Song Jae-mun froze on the spot, caught sneaking away with his back bent.
Half of the stares directed at him were filled with scorn and contempt, the other half with disbelief and astonishment.
“Seize him!”
At Oh Jeong-san’s order, the martial artists of the merchants’ association rushed at him.
Song Jae-mun had no way to resist.
One martial artist struck the back of his neck with his fist—an utterly primitive way of subduing someone.
Song Jae-mun went limp like boiled greens.
Some even stomped on his already unconscious body, pretending it was accidental.
Meanwhile, the Southern Black Lotus Lord, now missing one arm, looked utterly haggard.
Already suffering severe internal injuries, he could barely keep his balance with one arm, and the excessive blood loss blurred his vision.
The Southern Black Lotus Lord glared at Jin Seong-un from a short distance away.
Jin Seong-un gazed at him for a moment before speaking in a calm tone. It was something he had long wanted to say.
“Why did you raise your son that way?”
“……”
Inside his head, the Southern Black Lotus Lord tore Jin Seong-un apart countless times. But in reality, all he could see was his own death.
His eyes shifted to the merchants and martial artists around him. They looked at him with faces full of contempt.
That was always the way of the Black Path.
The Black Path always rose by trampling others. And naturally, as the greatest Black Path master in Hubei, the Southern Black Lotus Lord had made countless enemies.
“Heh-heh, your eyes are all vicious.”
His voice, mixed with a metallic rasp, oozed gloom.
The crowd’s contempt grew fiercer.
Regardless, he looked at them and spoke.
“In the end, aren’t we all the same? If there’s anyone here who rose without stepping on others, then step forward. You, me, all of us lived that way. So who are you to look at me with those eyes—”
The words never finished.
A sword pierced through his heart.
Clutching the blade with one hand, the Southern Black Lotus Lord spewed blood.
He opened and closed his mouth toward Jin Seong-un as if trying to say something. He seemed to have final words to leave behind.
What words would a man who once ruled the Black Path of a province want to leave at his death?
Jin Seong-un had no more curiosity.
So, he simply pulled out the sword that had been lodged in his chest with a calm demeanor.
Splat, splat.
Blood dripped helplessly.
Soon, the body of the Southern Black Lotus Lord toppled backward.
Jin Seong-un threw the sword he had been holding to the side.
Clang! A sharp metallic sound rang out, followed by a stretch of silence.
He stood still for a while, replaying the fight in his mind. The Southern Black Lotus Lord had been a master on par with the Vice Leader of the Heavenly Poison Alliance, an unorthodox faction in Sichuan.
But compared to when he had fought Sa Ryeong-geuk, this battle had been much easier.
It was likely because Jin Seong-un, while carrying out the Divine Thief’s mission, had come to display an even higher level of movement arts.
Thinking that, Jin Seong-un gave a slight nod. Everyone else just held their breath and stared at him.
Song Jae-mun had awakened for the third time that day.
First, upon the bed.
Second, by the riverside.
And now, what came into view was the wide square where the Merchant Festival was most lively.
He was on his knees, his limbs bound.
Someone had apparently splashed cold water on his face, for his hair was dripping wet.
On either side stood the martial artists of the Merchants’ Association.
Before him, several merchants and martial artists looked on at Song Jae-mun as if watching a spectacle.
Song Jae-mun rolled his eyes for a moment.
Either way, since he was still breathing, he had to try anything and everything he could.
After pondering his words for a long time, Song Jae-mun finally opened his mouth.
“It's a misunderstanding.”
The words were aimed at Oh Jeong-san.
After all, the host of this Merchant Festival was Oh Jeong-san. If he could persuade him, things would become much easier.
Oh Jeong-san looked at Song Jae-mun for a moment, then pulled a letter from his robe. Without even deeming Song Jae-mun’s words worth responding to, he began reading the information written on the paper aloud.
“Exactly eleven years ago, is there anyone here who remembers the Uiseong Escort Agency, located in Uiseong, Hubei?”
Several merchants raised their hands.
Among those present was also the man who had once been the owner of the Uiseong Escort Agency.
Even those who knew of the Uiseong Escort Agency did not recognize his face. Ten years had aged him far too much.
Oh Jeong-san cleared his throat and recounted the events that had taken place at the Uiseong Escort Agency.
The merchants’ expressions changed by the moment. Some harshly denounced Song Jae-mun, while others wore expressions of discomfort.
At one point, Song Jae-mun suddenly burst out.
“There’s no proof, is there! And you condemn me based on that madman’s words…!”
“Strike his acupoints.”
Then, the martial artists of the Merchants’ Association beside Song Jae-mun began beating him with clubs.
They didn’t know how to strike acupoints. But they knew beatings could cure insolence.
When Song Jae-mun fell quiet, Oh Jeong-san continued.
It wasn’t just the Uiseong Escort Agency. There were one or two more escort agencies and trading companies that had been ruined in a similar way.
This was only what they had managed to uncover in the past few days.
Of course, strangely enough, not a shred of actual evidence had ever been left behind.
Only the distinct method—and coincidentally, the result was always that Song Jae-mun or someone connected to him took over the escort agency or trading company.
And such cases had been repeating with disturbing consistency.
“So do you have proof then…?”
After being beaten for a long while, Song Jae-mun muttered to himself. He spoke as though if there was no evidence, then the past itself ceased to exist.
Oh Jeong-san looked at him and said.
“There is no proof. Not yet.”
This time, Oh Jeong-san took out another letter. It was one sent from Seong-un Inn by Jang Gwang.
“Originally, the delivery of Red Cliff Escort Agency’s goods almost never reached the Merchant Festival. The escort convoy nearly got slaughtered by the river bandits of the Yangtze, and all the goods nearly stolen.”
Oh Jeong-san continued with the contents of the letter.
It detailed the plot the Shui Band had planned against the Red Cliff Escort Agency, and the characteristics of the one who had commissioned them.
All the merchants were seasoned enough to instantly grasp the gravity of what had almost happened.
The method described was exactly the same as the one “suspected” to be Song Jae-mun’s doing in the earlier incidents.
The failed escort mission of Red Cliff Escort Agency.
And the Jo-yang Escort Agency of Song Jae-mun, which would monopolize the large-scale escort mission to the Western Regions next month.
Since everyone present was involved with escort agencies, trading companies, or business, they instantly empathized with what the Red Cliff Escort Agency had nearly suffered, and they denounced Song Jae-mun in unison.
Meanwhile, Oh Jeong-san deliberately emphasized the final words written in the letter.
“…But such a calamity was prevented! For Guest Dragon Jin Seong-un, in his battle against the Shui Band, suffered great losses, but in doing so the scheme was foiled.”
At that, exclamations of admiration erupted everywhere.
Everyone turned to Jin Seong-un, showering him with praise, and even Bang Man-bok, the master of Red Cliff Escort Agency, bowed his head to the young man.
“Thanks to the righteous actions of Guest Dragon, I was able to preserve my precious wealth. I, Bang Man-bok, master of Red Cliff Escort Agency, swear before everyone here that I shall repay this grace without fail!”
The wealth he spoke of included people, trust, goods, and the very future of the Red Cliff Escort Agency.
Jin Seong-un scratched his head awkwardly, then quietly approached Oh Jeong-san and asked.
“…Did it really say that?”
No matter how he thought about it, knowing Jang Gwang’s personality, it didn’t seem like something he would have added.
But Oh Jeong-san handed him the letter, as if to prove it was true. And indeed, those very words were written at the end.
Eh hey, brother. Since the great brother is at the Merchant Festival, you’ve got to add words like this too.
Jang Gwang had originally intended to send only a plain factual reply, but Won Hu-hyeok, who had just become Chief Escort Captain, had scrawled the words in crooked handwriting at the end.
Perhaps it was the difference between Jang Gwang, who had lived all his life as a stronghold leader, and Won Hu-hyeok, who had always been second-in-command.
For a while, the praise for Guest Dragon continued to flow.
Then Jin Seong-un, in his characteristically plain tone, spoke.
“Chairman, I have one question.”
The words were light, but the hall immediately fell silent. Everyone pricked their ears to his words.
After a short breath, Jin Seong-un continued.
“The Merchant Festival is certainly a festival for merchants. Song Jae-mun is also a merchant, and I too attended not as a martial artist, but as the innkeeper of Seong-un Inn.”
“Yes, that is true.”
Oh Jeong-san seemed to be guessing what Jin Seong-un was about to say.
Jin Seong-un nodded and said.
“But Song Jae-mun summoned the unorthodox Southern Black Lotus Lord and caused trouble. At that time, I too had to put aside being a merchant, and as a martial artist, I exchanged blades with the unorthodox fighters.”
“That is also true.”
“Then.”
Jin Seong-un’s gaze slowly shifted toward Song Jae-mun.
“Should the conclusion between me and Song Jae-mun be resolved in the way of merchants, or in the way of martial artists?”
Song Jae-mun flinched.
He had already witnessed what Jin Seong-un meant by the “way of martial artists” by the riverside.