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Chapter 21: Crushing a Problem with a Shovel Instead of a Hoe
The Sky Shaker Swordsman, Lee Muryang, became a recognized master in Henan Province thanks to the Liuhe Sword Technique of the Mount Hua Sect. Although it was a basic technique, even the disciples of the main sect had difficulties understanding its depth. After mastering it, Lee Muryang became the Great Daeju of the Namyang Commerce Chamber.
Naturally, he did not expect that his opponent, who seemed defensive from the start, could block his attack.
Clang!
The sound of metal grinding filled the air.
Lee Muryang’s eyes widened at the clash of the swords.
Blocked?
The sword and blade of Yeon Jeokha were firmly joined, sparking with force.
“Ah, surprising!”
Yeon Jeokha shouted as he forcefully moved his blade in all directions.
It seemed random, but there was a pattern in his movements. It was the technique he learned last year from Tak Gomyung.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Lee Muryang retreated, defending himself from the attacks.
The power of the blade was so great that he felt his hands were going to break.
But Lee Muryang focused more on the blade than his own hands. He felt that if he received the blade head-on, his sword would break.
After a barrage of attacks, Lee Muryang sighed in relief, thinking his opponent had finished his technique.
Normally, the first attack is the hardest, and the second is easier to handle.
While thinking this, the tip of Yeon Jeokha’s blade pointed to the ground again.
‘Ah, again!’
Lee Muryang silently channeled his inner energy.
Having seen the technique once, he thought he could find an opening to counterattack this time.
Yeon Jeokha’s blade rose slowly at a diagonal angle.
Suddenly, the wind stopped. It seemed like soft thunder sounded somewhere.
He realized that the blade had risen straight up before.
‘What is this pressure?’
In the next moment, the blade traced an arc in the air and fell on Lee Muryang’s head.
‘Oh no! Wu Wei Wubian?’
No, Wu Wei Wubian contains a thousand changes in one movement. But now, the blade falling on his head had three distinct trajectories. The terrifying thing was that each contained a thousand changes.
“Ahhh!”
Lee Muryang raised his sword to protect his head and involuntarily screamed.
He even raised his sword’s scabbard with his left hand to protect his head.
Clang!
A clear metallic sound resonated above his head.
‘Am I alive?’
At the moment he felt relieved, blood spurted from his arms.
The three trajectories of the blade were not an illusion.
Afterward, he felt sharp pain in his arms, and they began to fall limp.
He tried to channel his energy to regain strength, but something blocked the flow in his shoulders. It seemed that the blade had not only cut his skin but also his bones.
Yeon Jeokha approached the dazed Lee Muryang.
With a desperate expression, Lee Muryang asked:
“What do you plan to do with me?”
“What do you want me to do? You said you would cut down everyone, regardless of age or gender.”
Lee Muryang quickly responded.
“Please, spare me.”
“Promise you will not attack the Five Peaks Mountain again.”
Yeon Jeokha had no intention of killing him as he did not harbor great resentment.
“I promise.”
“It would be better if you keep your promise, old man.”
“I will.”
Yeon Jeokha gestured for him to leave.
With his arms hanging, Lee Muryang walked slowly towards the warriors of the Namyang Commerce Chamber.
After a few steps, Lee Muryang stopped, remembering something. He wanted to know the name of the last technique his opponent used.
But he did not dare to ask and continued walking.
The warriors of the Namyang Commerce Chamber, who had witnessed the defeat of the Great Daeju, quietly packed their belongings.
When the Namyang Commerce Chamber left, the bandits began to emerge one by one from the broken boards.
Soon after, confirming that the Namyang Commerce Chamber had descended, the bandits shouted in joy.
“Damn! We are the owners of the Five Peaks Mountain!”
“Never come back, bastards!”
“Hurray!”
The shouts of joy from the bandits echoed throughout Five Peaks Mountain.
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Mansu Commerce Chamber, Suju County.
Early in the morning, Daehengsu Gwak Wonho hurriedly ran to the Bangju’s office.
“Bangju!”
“What’s happening so early?”
“Our infiltrators in the Haga Village have returned.”
“The result?”
“It seems they failed.”
Bangju Gwak Jayi frowned.
“What do you mean ‘seems’ they failed?”
“They left Haga on the second day with a gloomy atmosphere after suffering five injuries on the first day.”
“Were there more dead or injured?”
“No. Everyone who went up on the second day left unscathed.”
“That’s strange.”
“Yes, it is. Considering the gloomy atmosphere, there should have been more casualties.”
“Was there no communication from the Namyang Commerce Chamber about this?”
“No. Out of pride, even if they failed, they won’t tell us.”
“Tsk! This is ambiguous.”
“The thugs in Haga Village are already saying that the Namyang Commerce Chamber lost. By the circumstances, it seems they are right.”
“Was the Sky Shaker Swordsman defeated by that young bandit? It’s incredible. Did you say he is only seventeen?”
“I believe so.”
“Wow! Is it possible at seventeen? Is that boy perhaps the Master Bodhidharma?”
“Not even Bodhidharma was that impressive. Do you still plan to send the Great Daeju to the Wudang Sect? Or...?”
Gwak Wonho left his sentence unfinished.
That young master was so impressive it caused some unease. He didn’t care if the Five Peaks Mountain was just a group of ordinary bandits, but Nokrim was a concern.
“Or what? Are you suggesting we bow to the Five Peaks Mountain?”
“Today, I suddenly thought that the young bandit might have some connection with the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord of Nokrim. Could it be possible that he is a person of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord? How could he be so skilled otherwise? He appeared just when the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord was expanding his territory...”
“Do you think that young man could be a secret disciple of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord?”
“There are few people in Nokrim who could train such a skilled young warrior.”
“Hmm! It’s not a far-fetched assumption. But we can’t make important decisions based only on assumptions. The Sage of Heaven and Earth, the Master of the Great Daeju, could find out if that young man is a disciple of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord.”
With these words, Gwak Jayi took a sealed letter from his desk drawer.
“This is a request for assistance for the expedition against the Five Peaks Mountain. Send it to the Wudang Sect through the Great Daeju. Make sure to provide the 500 taels of silver.”
“Yes. But are you sure about this? If that young bandit is part of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord...”
It would be like hitting a hornet’s nest. The Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord wouldn’t stand by.
“Don’t worry too much. The Sage of Heaven and Earth won’t publicly kill a disciple of the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord. If Nokrim rises, it will also be a problem for the Wudang Sect. They will probably reach a compromise.”
Gwak Wonho’s expression finally relaxed.
He had feared they were using a shovel to cover a problem that could have been solved with a hoe.
But the Bangju’s words reassured him.
A master of the caliber of the Sage of Heaven and Earth would know how to handle the situation.
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Mid-April.
Mount Wudang in Hubei Province.
The Wudang Sect Leader, the Enlightened Grand Master, summoned the Sage of Heaven and Earth to his palace.
The Enlightened Grand Master smiled as the Sage of Heaven and Earth took a sip of tea and asked:
“This Longjing Tea from Xihu was brought to me as a gift. I heard you enjoy tea, do you like it?”
“The aroma is subtle, and the aftertaste is clean. I like it.”
“If you like it, I will give you a package.”
The Enlightened Grand Master took out a package of Longjing and handed it to the Sage of Heaven and Earth.
“Haha, I can’t accept such a valuable gift without more. I suppose you have something to tell me.”
“Oh! Have you read my mind? The man who gifted the tea is Sang Mucheon from the Mansu Commerce Chamber. I heard he is your disciple.”
“Yes, I trained him briefly about twenty years ago. He came to visit me yesterday to pay his respects.”
“I see. I heard there are bandits in the Five Peaks Mountain causing trouble for the merchants.”
“I’ve heard it too, but I’ve been too busy with the headquarters' affairs to address it.”
“How about taking a breath of fresh air with your secular disciple? Someone else can take care of the Taihua Palace for two months.”
“Haha, two months of rest? Is it really okay?”
The Sage of Heaven and Earth took the tea package with a satisfied smile.
A package of Longjing Tea in exchange for two months of rest was an offer he couldn’t refuse.
That afternoon, the Sage of Heaven and Earth, accompanied by his secular disciple, descended from Mount Wudang. After ten years without traveling through the Murim World, he felt excited as he walked.
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Five Peaks Mountain in Bohyeon County, Henan Province.
Five Peaks Mountain was bustling with unusual construction activity. A month ago, the Namyang Commerce Chamber had burned down the access roads and cabins, and now they were rebuilding them.
Initially, only two cabins had been destroyed, but Pung Yeoncho wanted to build five. More and more people were joining the bandit gang.
With so much money flowing, Pung Yeoncho hired carpenters from Haga Village. Now, both bandits and villagers came and went through the base.
Pung Yeoncho watched with satisfaction the new houses under construction.
The new buildings, made by carpenters, looked like real houses.
Having houses and not shacks in such a remote mountain!
It was like a dream to build something like this, something only the great bandit gangs could afford.
While smiling in the yard, Tak Gomyung approached.
“Boss, aren’t you getting too excited?”
“Haha, why? Don’t you like it?”
“Tsk! Don’t get too excited; they could burn down at any moment.”
“Come on, man! People could die at any moment, but they keep fighting to live. Be positive. You, who have even eaten monk’s food, why are you so pessimistic?”
Tak Gomyung, with pursed lips, mockingly said:
“Yeah, right. Since we are building new houses, how about also building a dining hall and hiring a cook? There are so many people to feed that it seems like a big problem.”
“Oh! It’s a good idea. I’ll ask the village chief if there’s any woman willing to work as a cook.”
“Wow! Boss, I was just suggesting it. Do you really think any sane woman would want to work in a bandit base?”
“Why not? The carpenters and workers come to work and take their pay. How many people in Haga Village do you think haven’t received money from us lately?”
Tak Gomyung scratched his head.
Now that he thought about it, what the Boss said made sense.
The bandits spent a fortune in the taverns and restaurants of Haga.
Pung Yeoncho, with a determined look, said:
“Today I will meet with the village chief and ask him to find a cook. Suddenly, I feel like having a decent meal. Make sure to tell the camp not to bother the cook. Anyone who dares to touch her will lose something very valuable.”
“Really? Wow, that would be great!”
The two bandits chatted excitedly, unaware that dark clouds were coming from Mount Wudang.