Chapter 38
First Solo Mission (3)
Namgung Jun returned to Hefei together with the Yeongjun Merchant Company.
Naturally, he had once again assumed the appearance of a shabby laborer.
Upon arriving safely, Merchant Leader Jang Il-su and the merchants formally expressed their gratitude.
“It is thanks to Young Hero Namgung that we returned safely.”
“I merely did what had to be done.”
As Namgung Jun prepared to leave without hesitation, Jang Il-su hurriedly stopped him.
“Young Hero Namgung. Is there any task our merchant company might assist with? If it concerns tracking banknotes or gathering information about other merchant groups in Hefei, we can help.”
“You may draw Hyeongjung Sect's attention and suffer for it. It is dangerous.”
Yet Jang Il-su's eyes did not waver in the slightest.
It seemed he had already made his decision after much deliberation.
“The moment we refused their offer, we already earned their displeasure. Did Blood-Bead Sword not come after us? Since things have reached this point, there is no turning back. Helping you bring down Hyeongjung Sect is the best option available to us.”
After glancing at Namgung Jun, Jang Il-su asked cautiously,
“Young Hero, forgive my rudeness, but... are you planning to oppose Hyeongjung Sect alone?”
“Hmm. It appears so.”
Ordinarily, simply obtaining proof that Hyeongjung Sect was committing atrocities would have been enough.
But judging by how things are developing, the longer this drags on, the worse the situation may become.
If Namgung Jun reported the matter to headquarters via messenger pigeon and waited for reinforcements, not only the Yeongjun Merchant Company but other innocent victims might suffer during that time.
He could not ignore that possibility.
At that moment, Namgung Jun realized this was exactly the situation Kang Mong had spoken of when granting him authority to act.
After a brief moment of thought, he nodded.
“Yes. For now, that seems likely. Of course, I will still report the situation and request support.”
In other words, he would be acting alone for the time being.
Yet Jang Il-su seemed entirely unbothered.
“If you believe it can be done, then I trust you.”
His eyes were filled with confidence in Namgung Jun.
“It will take time to trace the banknotes and secretly gather testimonies and evidence from those harmed by Hyeongjung Sect. What do you intend to do meanwhile?”
“I will investigate Hefei myself and observe Hyeongjung Sect's activities firsthand.”
“I see. Please be careful.”
Namgung Jun added,
“The same goes for you, Merchant Leader. Since the Yeongjun Merchant Company returned safely, they will undoubtedly be watching closely.”
“Do not worry. When it comes to secrecy, merchants are no less capable than martial artists. We have to be, if we want to make money.”
Watching Jang Il-su depart with a resolute expression, Namgung Jun organized his thoughts.
Thanks to them, I can save a tremendous amount of time.
Geo Jeong-do and Jang Il-su.
Without their assistance, he would have had to spend considerable effort gathering clues and evidence against Hyeongjung Sect from the items Blood-Bead Sword had left behind.
Having survived once already, they could have easily withdrawn and no one would have blamed them.
The fact that they chose to step forward despite that filled him with gratitude.
I cannot waste this opportunity.
Namgung Jun intended to leave certain matters to them, but he had no intention of remaining idle.
He would investigate Hyeongjung Sect from another angle.
***
Hefei, Anhui Province
A land where heading north brought one to the grandeur of the Huai River, while heading south led to the mighty Yangtze.
It was a strategic hub linking the Central Plains and Jiangnan, and a fertile region capable of producing all manner of crops.
Naturally, such a place attracted countless interests and businesses, with numerous sects entangled in constant competition.
Especially during chaotic times like these, the swords of martial artists became frighteningly cheap.
People were willing to draw steel over the smallest and most trivial benefits.
Standing amid all of it was a boy wearing a black bamboo hat.
No matter when I visit, this city is always full of life.
Namgung Jun slightly lifted the brim of his hat.
Just as in his previous life, Hefei remained prosperous and crowded with every kind of person imaginable.
Ordering a bowl of noodles from a street stall, he quietly observed the passersby.
Countless people flowed back and forth through the streets, yet nothing escaped his eyes.
Among them, several individuals caught his attention.
Every one of them carried weapons.
Some even displayed them openly over their shoulders.
At the sight, ordinary civilians instinctively avoided eye contact and gave them a wide berth.
Those must be disciples of Hyeongjung Sect.
Namgung Jun narrowed his eyes as he ate his noodles.
Behind the Hyeongjung Sect disciples followed a group of children.
Their ages and genders varied, but they all shared one thing in common.
Each carried farming tools.
Hyeongjung Sect has its hands in many places.
Finishing the strand of noodles hanging from his chopsticks, Namgung Jun calmly rose to his feet.
He quietly followed behind them.
Yet not a single Hyeongjung Sect disciple noticed they were being tailed.
“So this is the place.”
He lifted his bamboo hat slightly, widening his field of vision.
Hefei was a region of endless rolling hills and low mountains.
The terrain was known as the Huadong Hills.
The mountains and hills forming those ridges were remarkably fertile, often yielding abundant harvests.
Of course, such harvests required an equal measure of sweat and labor.
“Move faster!”
“If you fail to meet today's quota, don't think you'll be going home!”
The Hyeongjung Sect disciples stationed throughout the fields and farmlands scattered among the hills shouted constantly.
The way they drove the children was brutal.
If a child worked too slowly, a disciple would jab their waist or back with a scabbard.
If the soil was not turned properly, they would strike the child across the backside.
Even so, the children could only endure their tears and continue working.
They knew all too well that they could never oppose the disciples of Hyeongjung Sect.
“Huff...”
Unchan paused briefly to catch his breath as he swung the sickle.
His thighs ached as if they were about to burst, and his back throbbed as though every bone in it were being ripped out.
Even so, he gritted his teeth and continued moving his hands.
He had no choice.
“Hyung... my hands won't move anymore.”
“It's too hard...”
At his younger siblings' quiet cries, Unchan forced a faint smile.
“We're almost done. I'll help finish things up, so rest little by little when no one's looking.”
Subtly shifting his position, Unchan shielded his exhausted siblings from view.
His own clothes were drenched in sweat, but he paid it no mind.
“The sun's almost down! Move!”
Unchan never got a chance to rest.
He simply lowered his head and continued working.
Only after sunset were the children finally allowed to return home.
Yet all they carried back was a tiny amount of grain.
Bastards. They mixed sand into it again today.
Once the sand beneath the grain was removed, barely half would remain.
It wasn't even enough to cook a single proper meal of thin porridge.
Just then—
The shabby door of the hut swung open.
A boy stepped inside.
At most, he appeared only two or three years older than Unchan.
Yet there was an indescribable pressure about him that instantly silenced the room.
“A sword...”
After staring blankly for a moment, Unchan snapped back to reality.
The instant he noticed the sword hanging at Namgung Jun's waist, he stepped in front of his siblings.
“We don't have anything worth taking!”
“I seem to have given the wrong impression.”
Seeing the determination on Unchan's face, Namgung Jun set down the bundle he was carrying.
The first to react were Unchan's younger siblings.
The rich scent of food wafting from the bundle immediately stimulated their hunger.
Smiling faintly, Namgung Jun opened it.
Various dishes purchased from an inn appeared one after another.
“It's meat!”
“There are dumplings too! More than ten of them!”
There were more than five different dishes.
Not only the children but even Unchan's eyes widened.
Just as the younger children rushed toward the food, Unchan grabbed them roughly.
“Stop!”
“Listen to me! Stay where you are!”
The children froze at his shout.
After calming them down, Unchan glared at Namgung Jun.
“What do you want? Why bring us food all of a sudden?”
“You're quite cautious.”
“You can't trust people who carry swords.”
Even now, Unchan's gaze remained fixed on Namgung Jun's weapon.
Namgung Jun let out a bitter smile.
So this is how ordinary people view martial artists.
That is exactly why power must be accompanied by responsibility.
Judging solely from Unchan's eyes, he could already imagine what kind of existence Hyeongjung Sect had become in Hefei.
To avoid frightening the children, Namgung Jun removed the sword from his waist and placed it behind him.
Then he sat down and offered the food to Unchan.
“I'd like to hear your story.”
“What story?”
“The story of Hyeongjung Sect. And yours. Everything.”
Unchan stared at him for a long time.
His eyes don't waver. They're straight and honest. He doesn't seem much older than me, so how can he possess eyes like that?
Though he was still young, Unchan had met enough people to trust his own judgment.
He had seen countless martial artists.
None had possessed eyes as clear as Namgung Jun's.
The lightning-like gleam in them was utterly pure.
After glancing between Namgung Jun and his siblings, Unchan finally spoke.
“Last year, a terrible famine struck Hefei. It was unlike anything people had seen before, and the damage was enormous.”
Even those with money could not obtain food.
Everyone in Hefei suffered, but the ones who suffered most were the orphans.
They had nowhere to rely on.
There was no work.
Even begging on the streets yielded nothing.
As they slowly starved to death, one group extended a helping hand.
Hyeongjung Sect.
“They opened their granaries and distributed food. Of course, even then it wasn't free.”
The sect made the orphans work in exchange for grain.
At the time, the children were simply grateful to receive food.
“The problems began afterward.”
“After the famine ended?”
“That's right.”
The labor was supposed to be payment for food.
But the tasks Hyeongjung Sect assigned were often far beyond what children should have been doing.
The work was grueling.
There were no proper meals and no rest breaks.
It was slave labor in all but name.
Once the famine passed, some orphans tried to find different work or return to their former lives.
But Hyeongjung Sect thoroughly prevented anyone from leaving.
Once they got their hands on laborers, they refused to let them go.
“If we try to find other work, they interfere until we're forced to stay under them.”
Some children complained.
Some tried to run away.
They were beaten.
Or one day, they simply disappeared.
As Unchan continued his story, his voice gradually began to tremble.
“And then they kept reducing what they gave us. Less food. Food on the verge of rotting. Or grain mixed with sand and dirt...”
“I see.”
Namgung Jun's eyes turned cold.
“Could you not seek help from another orthodox sect in Hefei?”
“Officially, it looks like they're paying us and employing workers legally. Besides, Hyeongjung Sect is too powerful. Other sects don't want to get involved.”
Unchan's fists trembled.
“And they deliberately targeted orphans. People like us who have no one to rely on.”
“I understand.”
Namgung Jun silently watched Unchan's siblings devouring the food.
Then he rose to his feet.
“You've worked hard protecting your younger siblings through all of this.”
Unchan's eyes widened.
The words came from a boy who wasn't much older than he was.
It was a simple statement.
Yet it felt as though an adult had finally acknowledged everything he had endured.
His emotions surged unexpectedly.
“Endure just a little longer.”
Unchan stared blankly at Namgung Jun as he fastened the sword back onto his waist.
“What... what are you planning to do?”
Namgung Jun, now wearing his bamboo hat again, turned his back completely.
Though Unchan could no longer see his face, a strange certainty came over him.
His expression must be twisted with anger right now.
He couldn't explain why.
He simply knew.
Click.
Namgung Jun placed a hand on the hilt of his sword.
A chilling sound echoed through the hut.
“They need to be held responsible.”
Unchan wanted to ask more.
But before he could—
Namgung Jun vanished.
As though he had been speaking with a ghost.
Lowering his gaze, Unchan looked at the warm food still remaining in the hut.
The lingering warmth proved that Namgung Jun had not been a ghost at all.
***
When Namgung Jun returned to the Yeongjun Merchant Company, Jang Il-su hurried toward him.
“Young Hero, Hyeongjung Sect has sent an invitation to a banquet.”
“A banquet?”
“But it doesn't seem to be an ordinary one.”
Namgung Jun personally read the invitation Jang Il-su handed him.
From the contents, it appeared that nearly every major force in Hefei had been invited.
“Both those who submit to Hyeongjung Sect and those who oppose them have received invitations.”
“Hm.”
“What shall we do?”
Namgung Jun's lips curled into a cold smile as he read the line containing a veiled threat toward anyone who refused to attend.
“Let's go and see it for ourselves.”