Chapter 60
Meeting the Green Forest (1)
Originally, the Yongbong Gathering was a meeting of rising juniors who would lead the future of each sect and noble family.
However, at some point, the meaning of that gathering became distorted, turning into a place where ranks were divided and assigned.
"Same color seats, huh. How ridiculous."
Cheon Muyang stared at the Dongsaek seating arrangement.
That so-called standard was truly laughable.
Who was judging whom, exactly.
"How utterly arrogant."
This invitation itselfβ
Was a symbol of the arrogance of the orthodox martial world.
So he intended to show them.
That it was something that should never be done.
Tap.
Tap tap.
Cheon Muyang tapped the desk with his finger, deep in thought.
"Who should I take with me?"
Cheon Muyang's κ³ λ―Ό was singular.
It was about who to bring along.
He planned to take three people under the pretense of attendants.
"Wolyeong, Neung Ryeoun, and Cha Myeonghak should be enough."
Those three would become Cheon Muyang's core confidants, so he wanted them to gain as much experience as possible.
"I should take the Wolf King as well."
This was the perfect opportunity for the three to grow.
The Wolf King's presence had pushed the three forward, so it seemed only right to ask him to accompany them.
Huuung!
Cheongwang let out a resonant cry.
A fighting spirit could be felt.
In response, Cheon Muyang gently stroked the blade of Cheongwang and said,
"That's right. You may look forward to it. In that vast Jianghu, there will surely be a sword that can satisfy your competitive spirit."
He was looking forward to it.
Even the sword Namgung Sanghyeok had shown was astonishing enough.
"If I hadn't broken that flow, it would have been an even more difficult fight."
Thus, Cheon Muyang could evaluate himself with extreme calm.
There existed rising juniors who were evaluated as being even stronger than Namgung Sanghyeok.
"I'll defeat them all."
That would become the starting signal of a new leap for the Cheon Clan.
Cheon Muyang had to immerse himself in circulating his qi and calming his boiling martial blood for quite some time.
***
A few days later, Cheon Muyang prepared to depart for the Yongbong Gathering as a representative of the Cheon Clan.
There wasn't much to prepare, more than he had expected.
In truth, it was practically a matter of just going with one's body.
Because of that, Cheon Wigang furrowed his brow.
"You could just go by carriage. Do you really intend to walk all the way?"
"Yes. Gaining experience in the Jianghu is also one of our goals, so I believe a carriage would be a luxury."
"Hm...."
What could be done.
If they insisted on doing it that way.
What bothered him, however, was Namgung Seohee.
"Will you be all right?"
"Yes. I'm fine as well. Just being allowed to stay at the clan until now has been more than enough."
"Hm...."
Sword Peak, Namgung Seohee.
The sword she displayed became a great reference for those training in the Cheon Clan's sword.
Cheon Wigang was no exception, and at some point, Namgung Seohee had come to be acknowledged not as a daughter of the Namgung Clan, but as a single swordsman.
"Come to the Cheon Clan someday. You will be welcome."
"Yes. I will, for sure."
Namgung Seohee smiled.
Just that alone made it seem as if her surroundings brightened.
"I have a reason to return."
Where that bright smile was directed, there stood women who had recently finished their treatment and had been employed by the Cheon Clan.
They had lost their emotions.
However, only to Namgung Seohee did they open their hearts and smile.
"I'll be waiting."
"Thank you for the Cheon Clan's kindness."
Namgung Seohee paid her respects to Cheon Wigang.
"Hm."
Next, Cheon Wigang gave a small clasped-fist salute to the Wolf King, who still looked displeased with the situation.
"Then, Wolf King, I entrust these children to you."
"Honestly, you could just travel comfortably, so why go through all this trouble on the road.... Just make sure to give me plenty of money."
"I would very much like to...."
Cheon Muyang's stubbornness was absolute stubbornness.
"We'll be traveling with the bare minimum of money as well."
"Oh ho. What does this brat even know about the Jianghu!"
"Then, the Wolf King can add some from his own pocket."
"Urk!"
With a single sentence, Cheon Muyang blocked the Wolf King's interference.
Leaving the grumbling Wolf King behind, Cheon Muyang bowed his head to Cheon Wigang.
"Then, we'll be off."
"Very well. Go and return safely."
Glance.
Cheon Seonhak, standing beside Cheon Wigang, came into view.
Cheon Seonhak gave a small nod and silently wished him good fortune in martial endeavors.
[Return safely.]
[Yes, Uncle.]
[By the time you return, the clan will have changed beyond recognition.]
[I look forward to it.]
[You may look forward to it. Your father is burning with motivation after a long while.]
[Even so, you must continue your training. You remember what I told you last night, right?]
[Of course.]
Grin.
The two pillars of the Cheon Clan.
They smiled at each other.
"Let's go."
"Yes!"
As if he had been waiting, Neung Ryeoun stuck to Cheon Muyang's right side.
Not to be outdone, Cha Myeonghak immediately followed and λΆμ΄ right beside Neung Ryeoun.
It seemed the debate over right arm and left arm was still not over.
"The Yongbong Gathering.... Why even bother going to a place like that."
To the Wolf King, it must have looked like nothing more than children bickering, so it was understandable.
The fact that he spoke like that meant he had seen the Yongbong Gathering before.
Cheon Muyang asked lightly,
"Do you know anything about it, by chance?"
"Just once."
"...?"
"I once watched the Yongbong Gathering."
As if recalling something, the Wolf King gazed at Cheon Muyang with a subtle smile.
"That fellow...."
"That fellow?"
"Yes. Completely different from you, but there was another one with a rather interesting sword."
Cheon Muyang's eyes lit up.
He was intrigued by someone whose sword had earned the Wolf King's admiration.
"Who was it?"
"I only know he was a disciple of Wudang. Talking about dao filling all under heaven, taiji this and that.... Even now, it gives me chills."
Just thinking about that time made the Wolf King shudder.
It was to the point that the Wolf King himself had given up on watching that man's sword first.
"Still, that bastard's sword was the real thing. I don't know if he'll come to this Yongbong Gathering or not, but if he does, it'll be worth watching."
"A disciple of Wudang...."
"Well, setting that guy aside, you should be even more wary of the Paeng Clan's dao."
"You mean the Hebei Paeng Clan?"
"Yes. That tiger family possesses a rather fierce dao. If you let your guard down, even the sky of your proud Cheon Clan could be torn apart, you know?"
The Wolf King laughed.
Before that smile, Cheon Muyang responded with a smile of his own.
"Then that's good. It has to be at least that much to make the long journey worthwhile, doesn't it?"
"No, so are you really going all the way to Anhui without taking a carriage?"
"The weather's nice. I was thinking of taking it easy."
"And is that what you all think as well?"
Neung Ryeoun and Cha Myeonghak responded with silence.
"...."
Wolyeong nodded.
"It's Young Master's will."
She expressed her agreement.
At that, the corner of the Wolf King's mouth lifted.
"You brats, you're digging your own graves. Do you still not know why I'm accompanying you?"
"...?"
"I'll say this in advance, so you'd better be prepared. From now until we reach Anhui, hellish training awaits you."
"Mm...!"
"Yes?"
The three had let their guard down.
They failed to grasp the true meaning of the Wolf King accompanying Cheon Muyang to the Yongbong Gathering.
"Don't tell me...."
"That's right, you brats. We travel during the day, and train at night."
Whoosh!
The three pairs of eyes shot toward Cheon Muyang like arrows.
However, Cheon Muyang replied with a smile.
"Ah, don't worry too much. We're planning to move slowly. Luckily, we still have plenty of time."
"...!"
"Seriously, I don't know whether you're just dense, or if you trust this guy too much."
"Young Master?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Can't we ride a carriage?"
"No."
Cheon Muyang gently patted Wolyeong's shoulders as they slumped limply.
"You need to get stronger. LookβMiss Namgung Seohee is staying quiet."
"Urk!"
Namgung Seohee was calm.
It was an expression of her resolve to go through all of this together.
"I-I stayed quiet too!"
"Did you?"
"Yes, yes!"
Wolyeong clenched her teeth tightly, as if she refused to lose.
"Then shall we set off?"
"Yes...."
For some reason, only Cheon Muyang's voice was full of energy.
***
Zhejiang and Anhui were neighboring provinces.
Because of that closeness, exchanges between them were frequent.
Recently, those exchanges had increased even more.
The long line of freight wagons stretched across the main road was proof of that.
"That's impressive."
"It really is."
If they had come by carriage, they might have arrived later than if they had walked.
"Is this what you call foresight?"
"Uh...."
The Namgung Clan was enormous.
In other words, the reason exchanges had increased was not the Namgung Clan, but the Cheon Clan.
'After cutting away all the leeches that were eating away at the family, this kind of positive effect emerged.'
Those who had been siphoning off funds in the middle were gone, and the capital that had been leaking away like water through a cracked jar had been secured.
They had also wiped out all the corrupt allied groups that had been committing every kind of wrongdoing.
'It means the Cheon Clan can finally exercise its original capabilities.'
This was the result.
A visibly increased volume of goods.
Which meant the Cheon Clan's financial power.
"I hear Zhejiang has become a really good place to live these days."
"They say the Cheon Clan treats people well."
Where money gathered, talent naturally followed.
The Cheon Clan was once again preparing a foothold for a leap forward.
Perhaps Cheon Muyang wanted to witness that vivid scene with his own eyes.
'Very desirable.'
They were the ones feeling the winds blowing from the Cheon Clan first.
That meant every fragment of conversation they exchanged reflected reality.
"It's still a bit early, but knowing this many people would gather, shouldn't they have improved the roads?"
"I know, right. Even before, the distance between villages was long, so you had to move quickly. If the roads get clogged like this too, there's no answer."
There were clearly many shortcomings.
The maintenance of the main road, the absence of intermediate stops.
Cheon Muyang was able to identify problems he had never even considered.
'If we supplement these, it'll be much better.'
He even thought it might not be a bad idea to create a village that would serve as a midpoint between Anhui and Zhejiang.
Pwooooo!
That was when it happened.
A horn sounded from somewhere.
The dull sound suggested the instrument was in poor condition.
"They're here again. Again."
"Tch! Damn bastards."
"Watch your mouth! They might hear!"
"No, things need to be said properly. What are the Namgung Clan and the Cheon Clan even doing?"
"What can you do? This is the outskirts."
"I know neither the Namgung Clan nor the Cheon Clan can step in recklessly, but that doesn't give those bandit bastards the right to run wild!"
"Hey! You! I told you to keep it down!"
"Damn it!"
The merchants clicked their tongues and busied themselves rummaging around, preparing something.
"Hm?"
Not too far away, a disheveled group appeared.
Wearing tiger skins, wolf skins, and bear skins, they were unmistakably bandits.
However, the fact that they all wore green headbands made them look anything but ordinary.
"Tch. Green Forest bastards."
The Wolf King frowned.
Given his temperament, it wouldn't have been strange for him to explode in rage and crush the bandits, but instead, he turned his head as if he didn't even want to deal with them.
"I don't even want to get involved with those bastards, so handle it yourself. Either beat them down or pay the toll."
"Well, that's fine."
He didn't pry.
He would find out when the time came.
For now, Cheon Muyang chose to remain silent and observe the situation.
"Now then! Where is everyone in such a hurry to go!"
A man who seemed to be the bandit leader approached with an arrogant grin.
'Just look at how fat he is.'
So bloated he looked like a pigβit was hard to believe he was a half-naked bandit.
"We'll be collecting a toll on behalf of the Namgung Clan and the Cheon Clan, so let's keep things pleasant."
It didn't seem like this was his first time.
The fat bandit even exchanged greetings with the merchants.
"Oh? What kind of goods is it this time?"
"Ah, th-this is ginseng brought over from far-off Haedong."
"Ginseng! Such a precious thing!"
"Hehehe. Please show some mercy...."
The one who had criticized the Green Forest most fiercely prepared gold.
"Ahem. Sell a lot."
As the bandit leader finished collecting, his gaze fixed on a certain spot.
"And where does that woman come from?"
There, Namgung Seohee was tending to the injured nearby.
"Oh ho."
Beside her was Wolyeong, helping Namgung Seohee.
"Jackpot."
What the bandit leader was thinking was written plainly on his face as he put on a deliberately hearty smile.
"That's enough."
And Cheon Muyang, having met that smile, naturally did not endure it.
Noβthere was no need to endure it.
"Who are you?"
"Me? Cheon Muyang."
"What did you say...?"
"Cheon Muyang. The eldest son of the Cheon Clan."
Huuung!
When was it?
Cheon Muyang was already holding Cheongwang.
Whiiing!
The wind blew.
Thud!
And the green headband wrapped around the bandit leader's head was strangely sliced off and fell to the ground.
"Choose. Either return the money you collected and get lost quietly, or get beaten and get lost."
.