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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 7
Chapter Title: Sword-Bearing Porters
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"By any chance... do you know martial arts?"
Dan Hyeong-u turned to look at Jo Seol-yeon again at her cautious question.
"I know how to wield a sword, how to breathe, and how to move my body."
Dan Hyeong-u answered nonchalantly as he rummaged through his memories. Come to think of it, they had called it martial arts. But the memory was too old and hazy to be sure.
"If my memory serves me right, it was something called the Three Talents Sword Art."
Jo Seol-yeon nodded at Dan Hyeong-u's words. She was familiar with the Three Talents Sword Art herself. No, anyone involved in the martial world probably knew it.
The Three Talents Sword was an excellent foundational sword art for beginners. It helped in understanding advanced techniques later on, so most swordsmen in the martial world learned it.
Even those who didn't specialize in the sword made a point of picking it up at least once as the basics of the basics.
"I know the Three Talents Sword Art well too. I trained really hard in it."
Jo Seol-yeon said with a smile. Dan Hyeong-u nodded as he listened. It made sense that others might know it too.
There was no rule saying others couldn't learn the sword art he had picked up. Back when he first learned it, a hundred people had started together, after all.
"Uncle Sama said that mastering those thirty-two forms would be a huge help. I think so too, of course."
Dan Hyeong-u couldn't help but be surprised by that.
"Thirty-two forms?"
"Yes. Why? Don't tell me..."
Jo Seol-yeon realized her mistake. She hadn't even considered that Dan Hyeong-u might not have mastered the entire Three Talents Sword Art. She worried she might have offended him by getting ahead of herself.
"I only learned three forms."
Jo Seol-yeon fell silent at Dan Hyeong-u's words. The Three Talents Sword Art was so simple and straightforward. With just three forms, there was no room for variation or application.
"I-it's okay! I'll teach you the rest!"
Jo Seol-yeon said energetically. What was so hard about the Three Talents Sword Art? She could teach it easily enough.
"Don't worry. It's not that difficult. And later, you'll have a chance to learn the Escort Bureau's martial arts too. The Henan Escort Bureau's techniques are truly remarkable—they'll definitely be a big help."
Dan Hyeong-u looked at Jo Seol-yeon for a moment.
"It took me three years just to take my first steps with those three forms."
Dan Hyeong-u hadn't felt the need to learn the rest. Those three forms alone had gotten him out of hell alive. And he had made them completely his own.
What good were powerful forms if they weren't truly yours? Forms that didn't belong to you could even become poison. He could tell just by looking at Jo Seol-yeon. She claimed to know all thirty-two forms, but she didn't look strong at all.
But Jo Seol-yeon took his words entirely differently. Three years to learn just three forms of the Three Talents Sword Art? That was absurd. No matter how little talent someone had, this was too much. She was convinced Dan Hyeong-u must have misunderstood something.
"I-I'm sorry."
The words slipped out of Jo Seol-yeon's mouth reflexively. Dan Hyeong-u stared at her blankly. When their eyes met, her face flushed red.
"Don't say that again. Ever."
Dan Hyeong-u's tone was firm and unyielding. Jo Seol-yeon nodded vigorously without thinking.
And right on cue, Sama Cheol approached.
"There you are. Follow me. I'll show you to your quarters first."
Dan Hyeong-u nodded at Sama Cheol's words. Jo Seol-yeon just stared blankly at Dan Hyeong-u's back as he walked away with Sama Cheol.
Sama Cheol walked with Dan Hyeong-u trailing behind, lost in thought for a moment. Three years to learn three forms of the Three Talents Sword Art? That was beyond excessive.
'I was going to teach him some martial arts for Seol-yeon's sake and make him an escort, but that won't work.'
Sama Cheol led Dan Hyeong-u toward the porters' quarters.
3. Sword-Bearing Porters
Hubei Province, Wuhan. Home to the Martial Alliance, the pillar of the orthodox martial world. Naturally, its influence loomed large, whether openly or in the shadows. And now, Wuhan was abuzz with rumors related to the Martial Alliance.
With the Martial Alliance there, it drew all sorts of martial artists, and many stayed in the area. Those hoping to join as guards, of course, but also spies from groups like the Demonic Alliance that walked a different path. That meant far more martial artists than anywhere else.
Among them, rumors spread like wildfire that the Martial Alliance had recently acquired the Heavenly Qi Master's treasures.
There were three treasures: a world-shaking martial art, a poison anyone could control, and the world's greatest weapon—the specifics were circulating freely.
The Martial Alliance already wielded immense power, so it was no wonder people were stirred up over them gaining the Heavenly Qi Master's treasures too.
With the rumors rampant, the Alliance was at a loss. Denying it only fanned the flames.
"Sigh, this is so frustrating. Who the hell blew this up so big?"
The Alliance Leader Dugun Un sighed, and the nine elders sat silently. There had been plenty of chances for rumors to spread—plenty of people had been involved. But this was over the top. Exaggerating non-existent facts only put the Alliance in a bad spot.
"There must be someone behind it. No way rumors like this blanket all of Hubei so quickly otherwise."
Dugun Un nodded vigorously as one elder spoke.
"I think the same. So who could be pulling the strings?"
Everyone fell into thought. Then Jegal Jung-cheon spoke cautiously.
"Come to think of it, there are a lot of suspicious points about this incident. The Demonic Alliance and Greenwoods Bandits knew and moved first..."
Dugun Un and the elders' eyes sharpened at Jegal Jung-cheon's words. Indeed. The Heavenly Qi Master wouldn't have made multiple treasure maps.
"So someone is plotting to plunge the martial world into chaos."
The elders stirred at Dugun Un's words.
"Alliance Leader, isn't that a bit of a leap?"
"Yeah, how can you jump to conclusions from that?"
Dugun Un's expression didn't change at the elders' objections.
"Is it? If we hadn't brought the Black Tortoise Unit when searching for the Heavenly Qi Master's martial arts, we'd have been in big trouble. The Demonic Alliance and Greenwoods weren't after the martial arts. They wanted to wipe us out there."
Jegal Jung-cheon nodded and added detail.
"They showed no intent to enter the place."
The elders fell silent. It was true. If the Victory Dragon and Azure Dragon Units had been annihilated and even the Leader killed—unlikely as it was—the martial world would have descended into the chaos of a righteous-demonic war.
No, perhaps such a war was inevitable. They'd already clashed big once.
"And this rumor too. No matter how fast they spread, blanketing all of Hubei overnight doesn't add up. At this rate, it'll cover the whole land soon. Someone's deliberately spreading them."
"But what chaos can mere rumors cause?"
Dugun Un fixed his gaze on the elder who spoke.
"The rumors aren't entirely fabricated. And we can't ignore what the Heavenly Qi Master left behind."
On the desk before Dugun Un sat a small wooden box and a stack of papers like rubbings. The elders had already read them all.
"Sigh, it's the Heavenly Qi Master himself who left it. Hard to dismiss. And a Blood Demon? Never heard of him."
The papers warned of a world-shaking figure, the Blood Demon, plotting to throw the martial world into chaos—stop him. To that end, the Heavenly Qi Master had raised a hundred peerless experts. To command them, use the Yin-Yang Gu in the box wisely.
Everyone had checked the box's contents: a single small worm, the Yang variant that controlled the Yin ones.
"And it said there were no martial arts or hundred experts there—just ruins..."
The elders' faces changed mid-sentence.
"Th-then someone might have found it before us?"
Dugun Un and Jegal Jung-cheon nodded gravely.
"Then the Yin-Yang Gu might be useless too?"
Dugun Un shook his head.
"Not this one. They probably didn't find it. It might be the only way to stop those potential hundred peerless experts out there."
"Then..."
"It was very well hidden. Probably only I could have found it."
The elders looked puzzled, but Dugun Un was full of conviction.
"The Heavenly Qi Master arranged it so only someone who cultivates the Forbidden Demon Art could naturally discover it. As you know, it's a unique heart method. I'm the only one in the world who practices it now."
The elders nodded. Truly the Heavenly Qi Master—they admired. Whether coincidence or not, the Yang Gu to control the Yin ones was in the Martial Alliance's hands.
"They only got half. They wouldn't leave a hundred peerless experts unchecked. But they can't control them."
Everyone nodded at Jegal Jung-cheon's words. The picture was coming together. They acknowledged someone was working in the shadows. That someone might use the hundred experts to sow chaos, even without full control. It was enough.
"Then we should suspect the Jo Family Manor that brought the treasure map too?"
Dugun Un and Jegal Jung-cheon nodded heavily at the elder's question.
"The Manor Head isn't the type, but caution never hurts. Send someone discreetly to monitor them."
Everyone nodded at Jegal Jung-cheon's suggestion. Most elders suspected the Jo Family Manor anyway. Not the mastermind, perhaps, but possibly an arm of it.
After that, things proceeded smoothly.
The Leader was chosen to absorb the Yang Gu, as its properties synergized best with Dugun Un's Forbidden Demon Art.
Of course, that was per the Heavenly Qi Master's notes. He hadn't only written on the cave wall. The box with the Yin-Yang Gu had a letter detailing its use and a plea to protect the martial world.
Dugun Un absorbed the Yang Gu. For the dispatch to Jo Family Manor, they decided on junior experts from the Victory Dragon Unit. In the end, the two vice-leaders, Namgung Jin and Paeng Cheol-yeong, headed out.
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The porters of the Henan Escort Bureau fell into two categories. One was full-time porters who lived and worked at the bureau. The other was temporary hires brought on when business boomed.
Naturally, full-timers got better treatment. But with so many people, there was a hierarchy.
And hierarchies were usually established through violence. The Henan Escort Bureau's was stricter than most, but so were the perks.
Entering the main gate, a vast courtyard greeted you first—big enough for dozens of wagons. All work happened right there.
The porters' quarters were in the corner of that yard, closest to the action for quick starts.
Sama Cheol personally took Dan Hyeong-u there. Never before had the Chief led a single porter himself.
"Gasp, Chief!"
The porters lounging in their quarters jumped up and bowed hastily at the sight of Sama Cheol. To them, he was like the sky itself—the man who held their livelihoods.
Sama Cheol scanned them. He'd met countless people over the years and trusted his eye. Instantly, he spotted who led the porters.
He stared piercingly at one with a subtle gaze, then spoke.
"It's you. What's your name?"
The porter who met Sama Cheol's eyes flinched and trembled slightly—guilty conscience. Surprised to be singled out, but he had to answer.
"Jong Chil, sir."
Sama Cheol nodded and introduced Dan Hyeong-u.
"New guy. Take good care of him."
Jong Chil, still shaking, bowed so low his head nearly touched the ground.
"Leave it to me."
Sama Cheol nodded and added,
"He's lived in the mountains his whole life, so he's clumsy with everything. Teach him properly."
With that, Sama Cheol turned and left. Dan Hyeong-u glanced at his back once, then stood still.
The porters sighed in relief as Sama Cheol exited and resumed lounging. But Jong Chil, tasked by the Chief, couldn't.
"Damn, this complicates things. What's your name?"
"Dan Hyeong-u."
Jong Chil's eyes narrowed at the curt reply.
"Short-tempered, huh?"
Jong Chil clenched his fist.
As Sama Cheol predicted, Jong Chil ran the porters—unofficially, but even escorts and leaders acknowledged it. Made their jobs easier.
He'd risen to the top through long experience, but mostly raw strength.
Countless rookies had tried showing off, but none topped Jong Chil.
Of course. He was secretly learning martial arts from one of the bureau's escorts. His goal: become an escort for the great Henan Escort Bureau. Strongarm porters were no match.