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Chapter 59: The Debt of a Thousand Silver Pieces
Despite his haste, as he approached the Uicheon Sect, Yang Mugi’s steps became increasingly slower.
‘Haa! How do I start this conversation?’
The mere thought of informing Virtue Swordsman Lee Yeon-ik that his daughter had been captured by Nokrim made everything seem bleak.
It wouldn’t matter as much if it had nothing to do with him.
But he had actively supported the expedition of the Five Heroes of Luoyang. Depending on how one looked at it, he was partly to blame for their capture.
‘This is madness.’
No matter how much he thought about it, he saw no way out.
With a sigh, he raised his head and saw the sign of the Uicheon Sect right in front of him.
Late at night, two people were sitting face to face in the audience hall of the Uicheon Sect. They were the Uicheon Sect Leader, Virtue Swordsman Lee Yeon-ik, and Yang Mugi.
When Yang Mugi finished his account, the Virtue Swordsman Lee Yeon-ik asked in a low voice:
“So, my daughter was captured while attacking Five Peaks Mountain along with the Chamber of Commerce?”
“I’m sorry. I should have stopped her…”
Yang Mugi didn’t dare to lift his head.
Despite the calmness in his voice, Lee Yeon-ik’s murderous intent could be felt throughout his body. Although he was known as Virtue Swordsman, even when angry, he was different from ordinary people.
Lee Yeon-ik’s biting and restrained voice reached Yang Mugi’s ears, who kept his head down. It was evident that, as a father, it was hard for him to control his emotions.
“Tell me what you saw of the Ten Heroes of the Five Peaks.”
Yang Mugi recounted what he had witnessed as faithfully as possible.
“…When that bandit wielded his sword, a gale arose, and it all ended in an instant. Seeing him reminded me of the Three Elders of Nokrim. Not just me, everyone present said the same.”
Lee Yeon-ik murmured incredulously.
“A bandit barely in his teens possesses the skills of the Three Elders of Nokrim?”
In the orthodox sects, the abilities of Nokrim are classified as follows: the strongest is the Heaven Destroyer Demon Lord, then the Three Elders of Nokrim, followed by the Twelve Demons, the Bosses of the Nokrim gangs, and the rest are simple bandits.
“Yes…”
Yang Mugi also knew that his words sounded absurd.
But what else could he do? He had to tell what he had seen.
Moreover, in this way, he justified his surrender and that of the Five Heroes of Luoyang. The Three Elders of Nokrim were opponents that only the leaders of the Seven Great Sects could face.
“Why has an expert of that caliber not been known until now?”
“It is said he appeared suddenly last year and took control of the Five Peaks Mountain. According to rumors, even the Sage of Heaven and Earth from the Wudang Sect could not handle him…”
Yang Mugi emphasized again that their opponent was comparable to the Three Elders of Nokrim. Although the Five Heroes of Luoyang were not known, the Sage of Heaven and Earth was already famous. If he could not handle them, then it was clear they were above the Twelve Demons.
“Even if your statement is correct, I do not understand. Is my daughter held by someone at the level of the Three Elders of Nokrim? Do they not fear the Uicheon Sect?”
“…”
Yang Mugi just bowed his head in silence.
He knew that anything he said would only anger Lee Yeon-ik more.
The Virtue Swordsman Lee Yeon-ik, staring intently at Yang Mugi, suddenly spoke.
“For having encountered such a strong opponent, it seems you have no injuries.”
“I am ashamed to admit it, but his skill was so overwhelming that I could not resist.”
“Weak as cotton, vulnerable to blows.” [软弱如棉花，不堪一击]
Lee Yeon-ik was criticizing Yang Mugi for surrendering without a fight.
Yang Mugi’s face turned red with shame.
‘Damn it, should I have died fighting?’
Yang Mugi felt aggrieved but endured it, thinking of Lee Yeon-ik’s feelings. There was nothing more irritating and humiliating for the leader of one of the Seven Great Sects than to have his daughter captured in a bandit’s lair.
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Nanjing, Jiangnan Province.
Headquarters of the Justice Alliance.
In the office of the Alliance Leader, two people were having a serious discussion. They were the Justice Alliance Leader, Thunder Wind Saber Jang Kangho, and the chief strategist, Jegal Seung.
“Last year, a caravan of the Suwol Chamber of Commerce in Puyang was almost annihilated by people dressed in black, correct?”
“That’s right. According to the Grand Master Gong, they seemed to be from the Dark Heaven Hall.”
“Hmm! So the Yoomyung Cult is showing its tail again?”
A deep sigh escaped Jang Kangho’s lips.
The Justice Alliance had fought against the Yoomyung Cult twenty years ago. After many difficulties, they managed to win, but they did not touch the leadership. If it had not been for the Moon-Splitting Swordsman Yeon Muryong and Sword Emperor Namgung Byeok, they would not have even known about the existence of the Lunar Fairy.
There are untold stories in Murim about the Justice Alliance and the Yoomyung Cult.
The Justice Alliance has four combat units.
The Demon Hunt Division, the Evil Annihilation Division, the Justice Division, and the Eternity Division. Each of these units, formed by the elites of the Seven Great Sects, can face an entire minor sect.
Before the Yoomyung Cult became known, the Justice Division, which was in charge of the Jiangnan region, encountered unidentified kidnappers. The Justice Division sent a message saying they would pursue them and then disappeared without a trace.
Although it has not yet been confirmed who it was, the leadership of the Justice Alliance believes it was the work of the Yoomyung Cult. There is no other group of kidnappers capable of eliminating the Justice Division.
“Alliance Leader, according to the Grand Master Gong, hundreds of monks have disappeared just in Hunan Province. We cannot imagine how many Taoists have disappeared. Do you remember what the defector from the Yoomyung Cult said twenty years ago?”
“About gaining supernatural abilities through human sacrifices? That absurd nonsense?”
“That’s right. If that is true, the Yoomyung Cult must have many experts with supernatural abilities.”
“Do you believe those words?”
“When I see how fanatically they are dedicated to human sacrifice, I think it is not entirely false. If we think of the texts on demonic martial arts, it is not that different.”
Jang Kangho nodded.
He did not fully believe the defector’s words, but the strategist had a valid point.
“Then, what is your proposal?”
“If a decapitated corpse was found in Yeoju, then there must be a base of the Yoomyung Cult nearby. Since the Justice Division is at the Uicheon Sect, why not send them?”
Jang Kangho murmured to himself.
“Tch! The Justice Division again…”
It seemed that the memory of the Justice Division disappearing more than twenty years ago was on his mind.
“If that worries you, this time request additional support from the Uicheon Sect.”
“Let’s do that. I do not want to lose the Justice Division a second time.”
“Uicheon Sect may not be enough, so I will also request help from nearby sects.”
“Good idea.”
Jang Kangho nodded.
The Justice Division was formed by the elites of Shaolin and the Uicheon Sect. For the Uicheon Sect, it was a duplicated effort, and there might be a lack of personnel.
That night, dozens of carrier pigeons flew from the Alliance headquarters with urgent messages.
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East of Luoyang.
Waryong Manor.
At noon, Baek Miju was in the main hall reviewing the accounting books when a servant approached.
“Madame.”
“What is it?”
“Just a moment ago, an unknown man left a letter for you.”
The servant handed the letter carefully.
Baek Miju took the letter and began reading it without much importance.
As she read, her face lost color.
When she finished reading, she yelled at the nearby servant.
“Go immediately to fetch Mubaek! Quickly!”
The servant, frightened by the madame’s tone, ran to fetch Yeon Mubaek.
Shortly after, Yeon Mubaek appeared.
Baek Miju threw the letter at his face.
“Read! Look at what has happened to your sister Seolju! She is trapped in Five Peaks Mountain! Do you know how much they demand as ransom? No less than a thousand silver pieces! A thousand!”
Yeon Mubaek picked up the letter and read it, unable to believe it.
Why had Seolju gone to Five Peaks Mountain, and what audacity did the bandits have to capture her?
The power of Waryong Manor already surpassed that of any common Nokrim band.
‘The rumor should have spread through Hunan via the disciples at the Baekse Chamber of Commerce, so why?’
Initially surprised and confused, Yeon Mubaek began to feel a growing anger. The idea that Nokrim had challenged Waryong Manor made his blood boil.
However, he did not show his emotions.
With his mother already upset, if he also lost his composure, there would be no one to handle the situation.
“Mother, all the Five Heroes of Luoyang are held as hostages. We must face this together. Let’s go to the Uicheon Sect first.”
“Go there? And what? Will a thousand silver pieces magically appear? What do you plan to do about your sister Seolju? Speak with that mouth of yours!”
Waryong Manor receives one hundred and fifty silver pieces a month. Of those, fifty are paid as salaries, leaving a hundred. But those hundred pieces are not net profits.
Feeding, clothing, and housing the disciples and workers cost fifty pieces a month. She saves and takes care of every penny, and in the end, is left with fifty pieces a month. They would need at least two years to gather a thousand silver pieces.
Faced with this enormous amount, Baek Miju had lost her composure.
“Tell me! Where will we get the thousand silver pieces? You are just like your father! Useless, incapable of doing anything! You pretend to take care of others, to be so noble! While your own family is captured by Nokrim bandits! That damned Yeon Family! Because of you, I cannot live in peace! I cannot!”
Yeon Mubaek felt like he was going crazy, but he endured it.
He knew those words were not really what his mother felt. She was overwhelmed with rage. Even so, her words were like knives in his heart.
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Luoyang.
Uicheon Sect.
Since early morning, the reception hall of the Uicheon Sect was filled with visitors. They were the parents of the Five Heroes of Luoyang, who had received desperate letters from their children.
Among them were the madame of Waryong Manor, Baek Miju, and the Waryong Swordsman Yeon Mubaek.
Contrary to her usual haughty attitude, Baek Miju was surprisingly quiet.
In short, it all came down to money.
The families of the Five Heroes of Luoyang could not reveal the extortion by the bandits because of the honor and future of their children. The same applied to Baek Miju. For the flourishing Waryong Manor, this situation had to be handled discreetly.
For sects like Palseon, Daeyeon, Chilyang, and Uicheon, the required sums were not a problem.
But Waryong Manor was different.
Baek Miju could not immediately gather the exorbitant amount of a thousand silver pieces.
She suffered in silence, telling no one.
Just then, Lee Yeon-ik offered to help.
Accepting help from another meant depending on them for everything.
Baek Miju, a strong woman, was beaten down like salted vegetables for this reason.
“Hm.”
When Lee Yeon-ik, the Uicheon Sect Leader, appeared and cleared his throat, the commotion in the reception hall immediately calmed down.
“We are here for the same reason. I would like to go capture those bandits of the Five Peaks Mountain immediately, but... First, we must save the people. Revenge can wait until after rescuing the hostages.”
The families of the Five Heroes of Luoyang nodded.
They also agreed that the most important thing was to save their loved ones. Although it was humiliating, their children’s lives were at stake.
“I propose that only one person from each family goes to the Five Peaks Mountain. If we go with too many, we might scare the bandits and provoke a violent reaction. If anyone has another suggestion, speak now.”
“I think it’s fine.”
“I agree. We are not going to fight.”
Everyone agreed with Lee Yeon-ik’s proposal.
At this moment, saving their children was more important than pride or honor.