After the duel between the Sect of the Bell and the Yongmyeong Merchant Guild ended, the Sect Master of the Bell hastily left the guild, bringing with him the warriors he had led and the injured So Un.
The other guests, however, remained at the Yongmyeong Merchant Guild until the end of the banquet to offer their congratulations—mindful of building ties with Cheon Wuha, who might someday become the greatest swordsman in Xi'an.
Thus, after the award ceremony concluded successfully and all the visitors had departed, Cheon Myeonghak summoned Cheon Wuha to his office.
"Wuha."
Cheon Myeonghak, sitting across the desk piled high with papers, began to speak in as gentle a tone as he could manage.
"I think you owe me an explanation for what you did today."
The question carried many meanings, but what he wanted to know was obvious.
Cheon Wuha, keeping his composure, gave the answer he had prepared.
"Five years ago, you asked me whether I wished to study the sword or pursue learning, didn't you?"
"I did."
"At the time I said I would pursue learning, but I continued to train a little on the side. I thought it wouldn't hurt for self-defense."
"You mean you've been practicing the martial arts you learned five years ago… all by yourself, until now?"
"Yes."
"Hm…"
At Wuha's answer, Cheon Myeonghak let out a quiet breath.
It was an answer he had more or less anticipated.
The only time Wuha had touched martial arts was five years ago, when he trained briefly with Cho Mudo and Jang Uibo.
If he had not continued since then, no matter how gifted, Wuha could never have produced the result they saw today.
But still—
To defeat the young master of the Sect of the Bell with just five years of sporadic training…
And not in a narrow contest, but in an overwhelming, one-sided fashion.
Even to Cheon Myeonghak, who was almost a stranger to martial arts, this was clearly not something ordinary talent could achieve.
"…Wuha."
"Yes."
"There's one thing I want to ask you. Will you answer me honestly?"
At his father's gentle, coaxing tone, Wuha's brow lifted.
Had he done something suspicious without realizing it?
Cheon Wuha felt a touch of nervousness as Cheon Myeonghak cautiously continued.
"I know you've been studying in order to succeed me as guild master. But seeing you wield a sword today, a thought occurred to me."
"…"
"Could it be… that what you truly wanted to pursue was martial arts?"
"Ah…"
At last, Wuha realized his father's concern, and gave a bitter smile.
Even in this situation, he worries for me first…
After all, because of today, the Yongmyeong Merchant Guild had made an enemy of the Sect of the Bell.
From the guild master's perspective, there could only be anxiety.
And yet, instead of dwelling on that, he worried about his son.
Wuha felt a warmth in his chest, and nodded.
"…Please don't worry. I truly do want to study learning more."
"Then I'm relieved."
At his son's answer, Cheon Myeonghak sighed in relief, a faint smile on his lips.
"Still… isn't it a waste to bury such talent?"
"Not at all."
Wuha shrugged lightly.
"A life spent gambling with one's sword for survival doesn't appeal to me."
This was the truth.
He had lived that life enough in his past existence.
From the moment he set foot in the martial world until he reached the pinnacle, it had been nothing but endless challenges and rivalries, surviving by staking his life at every step—that was the fate of a martial artist.
"Practicing martial arts from time to time is plenty. What the guild master needs to grow the guild isn't martial strength, is it?"
"…I see. I understand your intention."
Cheon Myeonghak nodded, smiling faintly at his son's reply.
"Forgive me for speaking out of turn. It's just that, seeing your ability today, I couldn't help but wonder—whether it was right to bind someone who might have flourished as a great martial artist to the future of a small guild."
"If it's small, then we can make it big."
"Hm?"
"Right now we're one of the five great guilds of Xi'an. But someday, why not the five great guilds of Shaanxi—or even of the entire Central Plains? Wouldn't raising the guild to that level be far better than merely becoming a great warrior?"
"…!"
Cheon Myeonghak's eyes widened at his son's unexpected answer.
Then he broke into hearty laughter and nodded.
"Haha! Of course. I was the foolish one. Yes, if it is small, we can raise it to fit your measure."
Satisfied with Wuha's answer, he laughed for a long while before looking at his son with affectionate eyes.
"You make me ashamed. Today you officially became the young guild master, yet you already carry yourself more like a guild master than I. To leave you an inheritance worthy of pride, I'll work even harder."
"Yes. But please, don't overstrain yourself."
"Haha, yes, yes. You must be tired after such a day. Go and rest. And on your way, see your mother as well—she must have been quite shaken today."
"Yes, Father."
Wuha bowed and was about to leave when a thought struck him. He turned back.
"Ah, there's something I want to ask."
"What is it?"
"What will you do about the Sect of the Bell?"
At that, Cheon Myeonghak's face darkened.
But in a moment, he smiled as though untroubled, gazing steadily at his son.
"Wuha."
"Yes?"
"You don't need to worry about such things. You've just become the young guild master, and you've already done more than enough today."
"But still…"
"It's fine. Isn't it for your father to handle such matters? Don't worry. Go and rest."
At his father's gentle words, Wuha finally left the office.
But the brief glimpse of heavy worry he had seen on Cheon Myeonghak's face weighed on his mind as he walked back to his quarters.
Thud.
"Haa…"
Only after sunset did Wuha finally return to his quarters.
Changing into comfortable white garments, he sat down on his bed.
On his way, he had visited Myeoryeong's quarters. There, he faced almost the same questions as with Cheon Myeonghak, and gave the same answers.
The difference was that Myeoryeong tried several times to check whether he had been hurt anywhere.
She had begged him not to do anything dangerous ever again.
After dinner with her, Wuha finally left her quarters.
…Strange.
It was certainly a troublesome situation, and yet he didn't feel as much resistance as he thought he would.
Smiling wryly at this unexpected change in himself, he was about to lie down when—
Throb.
"…!"
As he propped himself on the bed, a sharp pain flared from his hand.
Frowning, Wuha lifted his right hand.
From beneath his sleeve, a dark red bruise was revealed.
It was the injury he had sustained while blocking So Un's final strike during their duel.
"…Absurd."
The words slipped out unconsciously.
It wasn't that he lacked inner power.
The innate cultivation method he had mastered did not allow for rapid accumulation of vast inner strength, but in terms of purity, no other method could compare.
It was a fundamental technique based on pure breathing, the very foundation from which all Taoist methods could be cultivated.
And yet, even with that pure energy, he had been unable to withstand the clumsy blow of a wandering youth.
…This body is shockingly frail.
In his past life, he had benefited from a body blessed by heaven.
In this life, things were different.
To regain even a fraction of his former strength, there were only two paths:
To shed his mortal shell, or to temper the flesh.
But achieving rebirth of the body required inner power on a scale he could not yet dream of.
Who knew how long that would take?
Which left only one path: to temper his body.
If I'd known it would come to this, I should have learned some proper external techniques in my past life…
All he knew now were the theoretical basics of physical training.
Whether that would yield results was uncertain, but he would have to try.
Already he was planning what to begin from tomorrow when—he caught voices outside his window.
"Haha! Then from today, I'll call you Brother Jang, Hero Jang!"
"Of course! We're already family in the Yongmyeong Merchant Guild! Wahaha!"
Drunken laughter of warriors who had not yet let go of their victory's joy.
Among them were the voices of Cho Mudo and Jang Uibo, both of whom had been seriously injured.
They're in as much of a hurry as I am…
Wuha was, after all, the young guild master.
He could not always step to the front whenever such incidents occurred.
The more his strength was revealed, the more attention and caution it would draw.
Just as important as training himself was finding those who could serve as the guild's swords in his stead.
"…I'm going to be very busy."
Muttering to himself as the noise drifted in from outside, Wuha lay down slowly.
Whatever happened, it was his choice to step forward.
Having chosen to act, he could not afford half-measures.
He began planning tomorrow's tasks as he drifted into rest.
"…And so, three merchant guilds including the Tongwon Guild are demanding a complete review of the protection contract's terms."
"Damn it!"
Crash!
The Sect Master of the Bell slammed his fist onto the wooden desk as he listened to his chief steward's report.
The steward, pausing, asked cautiously.
"What should we do?"
"What should we do? We've already been humiliated publicly across Xi'an! If worse rumors spread, how could we endure it?"
"Then…"
"You're the chief steward! Can you not even placate those we've dealt with all this time?"
"…Understood. I'll do what I can to block these renegotiations."
"Phew…"
At his steward's yielding answer, the Sect Master let out a long sigh, trying to calm his emotions.
He knew the truth.
In times when a sect's prestige falters, it is no easy task to handle merchants who are always seeking profit.
"…Forgive me. I lost my temper at you for no reason."
"Not at all. This was something I should have handled, but I thought you needed to know the situation."
"Just endure for a little while. Soon enough, when those merchants see what becomes of a guild that defies the Sect of the Bell, their minds will change."
"Do you… have some plan?"
The steward's eyes shone.
The Sect Master gave a peculiar smile and nodded.
"Soon, you'll need to visit the Yongmyeong Merchant Guild."
"I should go to them?"
"Tell them the protection contract between the Sect of the Bell and the Yongmyeong Guild is ended. From now on, the Sect of the Bell will take no part in their affairs."
"What? But isn't that a huge loss for us?"
"For now, yes. But after we were defeated so publicly, would it not look ridiculous for us to still stand as their protectors?"
"That… is true, but still…"
The steward faltered.
He couldn't deny the logic.
To continue protecting the guild after such humiliation might make them a laughingstock.
But even so, the Yongmyeong Merchant Guild was rapidly growing.
To end a contract with such a promising partner, just for pride's sake, was hard to accept.
"You don't seem to understand my decision."
"…Honestly, I don't."
"In time, you will. To tame a dog, it's not always the master's whip that's needed."
"…Sir?"
"You'll understand once you see."
The Sect Master's eyes gleamed as a meaningful smile spread across his lips.
"A world where the dog bites its master and is cast beyond the fence… is not as kind as it seems."
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