Chapter 26. Twin Swords of the Wind and Clouds (1)
"Hahaha, no way. Don't make jokes like this." As if denying reality, Chae Young-Ryong forced a smile.
However, Jo Mu-Jae was not smiling. Chae Young-Ryong had just made an unforgivable mistake in front of the Palm Martial Emperor, and that seriously pissed off Jo Mu-Jae. He said, "You think I'm joking? I saw him with my own two eyes when he was dueling yesterday."
"No way!"
'Is he really the Palm Martial Emperor? Do you think I'm going to be fooled? If it's true, what will happen to me?'
At that time, the Blue Spear suddenly stepped forward and offered a hand-and-fist salute to Baek Sang-Woon.
"The insignificant Blue Spear greets the Palm Martial Emperor.” The voice of the Blue Spear was trembling. His back was damp with cold sweat.
The Eight Emperors and the Six Rising Challengers were at the peak of the murim. They achieved the Absolute level that anyone who learned martial arts dreamed of. They reversed time with Restoring Youth and were able to fight armies by themselves... They were Absolute Masters who transcended nature itself.
'A mere wandering martial artist is standing in front of such a grandiose figure. But... I'm in a very precarious situation because of that damn bastard.'
The Palm Martial Emperor said that Woo-Moon was his grandson. The Palm Martial Emperor's grandson was the young master whom he and his sworn brother, the Red Spear, had attacked fearlessly. It was a frightening fact.
The Palm Martial Emperor smiled and walked to the Blue Spear. The Blue Spear bowed, not even daring to stand straight in front of him.
Baek Sang-Woon made the Blue Spear straighten up with his qi, grabbed him by the shoulders, and arranged his messy clothes. "Your shoulders are slightly tilted to the left. Because of this imbalance, your techniques are less powerful than they should be. If you fix this, you can become a First Class master. I used to be a wandering martial artist as well, you know?"
The Palm Martial Emperor kindly organized his clothes and even gave him valuable advice, but the Blue Spear was shivering and sweating, almost suffocating from the pressure.
Baek Sang-Woon said, "Well, I heard my grandson caused you some trouble."
"No trouble at all, sir!" the Blue Spear shouted out loud.
Strangely, however, his voice wasn't as loud as he had expected. This was because the Palm Martial Emperor was suppressing his voice with qi.
"My ears are a little sensitive, so don't make too much noise. Then, no...? Hmm. That's too bad. I was going to give you a little reward, because today is a joyous day. I'm going to meet my daughter after a long time, hehe."
"It's...fine, sir. It is an honor just to see the Palm Martial Emperor's face!"
"Are you sure you're okay?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Haha! You're a hearty guy. Now come on, scram."
The Blue Spear bowed to the Palm Martial Emperor and turned around to throw one of the two pouches of silver taels that he had received earlier to Chae Young-Ryong.
"The other pouch is for my sworn brother's treatment!"
'We almost died because of you,' the Blue Spear thought to himself. He wanted to add a "do you want to die?" but the Palm Martial Emperor was still there, and the only thing he wanted right now was to be as far away from the danger zone.
Chae Young-Ryong was the one who always dealt with others the way he wanted, and he had never found himself in the opposite situation. That was why he was in a panic now.
'Is it my turn now? No, no....'
Fear and pressure overwhelmed him.
The man known as the Palm Martial Emperor was looking at him. Nothing more—all he did was look at Chae Young-Ryong, and the young man's legs began to shake. He felt that this was going to be the end of his life.
"I'm, I'm sorry!" Even though Baek Sang-Woon didn't say anything, Chae Young-Ryong threw himself on the ground, bawling.
"Forgive me! I didn't know you were the Palm Martial Emperor, please spare me! I will never do an evil act again! Please, spare me!"
Seeing a grown-up young man cry like a child and beg for forgiveness, Baek Sang-Woon scratched his head and looked at Woo-Moon.
"Hey, kid. The hell did I do just now?"
"Well, didn't you shoot formless qi at him or something?"
"What? No. Why would I do something like that to a little puppy like him?"
"You did that last time, though. I think that disciple of the Kunlun Sect ended up with internal injuries because of you."
The Palm Martial Emperor smirked. "That's right. You were watching then, weren't you? It was fun, wasn't it? But this time, I really didn't do anything."
However, Chae Young-Ryong was simply not listening to them, and he continued to cry and beg for his life. "Spare me, Palm Martial Emperor."
"For some reason, I feel like I'm not the Palm Martial Emperor, but the notorious boss of an evil cult or a bandit group. Hmm...that doesn't feel good. Hey, get up!"
However, Chae Young-Ryong, half out of his mind, didn't listen to him. In the end, Baek Sang-Woon used his qi.
"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! My body, my body!" Chae Young-Ryong's body rose into the air.
"Get some sleep already, will ya?" With these words, Baek Sang-Woon sealed Chae Young-Ryong's sleep acupoint, using telekinesis. He would stay unconscious for the next full day.
"Huh. I was going to scold him, but the guy's mind is quite weak. If I force him a little more, I think he'll go crazy," Baek Sang-Woon said, looking at Woo-Moon.
"That's alright. I'll personally pay back the grievances I've suffered today with blood and broken bones."
Baek Sang-Woon liked the answer.
'How can people live just being nice? If they are attacked, they should retaliate.'
The Palm Martial Emperor himself had lived his life with that philosophy so far. Well, he was probably a bit excessive at times, which was why he was considered in-between the Righteous Faction and the Evil Faction.
'Speaking of that... the people of the Kunlun Sect might say something later in regards to this.' Baek Sang-Woon had forgotten the incident back then because it was so trivial, but he remembered it when Woo-Moon mentioned it.
Yu Mun-Gwang had been cocky due to his status as a disciple of the Kunlun Sect, and Baek Sang-Woon had given him an incurable internal injury in return.
'Well, he was the one who started it. It's unlikely, but if the Kunlun Sect has a problem with it, I might as well go there and start a ruckus.'
Baek Sang-Woon suddenly thought of a funny idea.
'Wait, by then, my grandchildren will be very strong, won't they? Should I order Woo-Moon to go there in my stead? It wouldn't be as fun if I were to go there myself, hehehe.'
Si-Hyeon was quietly watching as Baek Sang-Woon giggled alone, plotting ahead on his own. After a few moments, however, she stepped forward and said, "It's a great honor to see the Palm Martial Emperor, whose fame is spreading in the world. I'm Yeon Si-Hyeon, the master of the Leebi Merchant Guild."
While no one else around them dared to even twitch, pressured as they were by the Palm Martial Emperor's presence, Yeon Si-Hyeon unhesitatingly greeted him without even trembling. Of course, inside, she was also just as surprised and nervous as the rest of them.
'Oh, this girl is quite outstanding. On top of that, she's also really beautiful.'
The Palm Martial Emperor spoke with deep admiration. "So, you're the guild master. This guild will go all the way to Unhan, won't it?"
"Yes, the residence of our guild is there. It would be a great honor if the Palm Martial Emperor could accompany us."
Si-Hyeon had a quick eye and a good sense of judgment. Even though Baek Sang-Woon didn't bring it up, after recognizing his purpose, she was considerate of his reputation and invited him first.
'My grandchildren are stupid because they are men, so what if I get this child as a foster daughter?'
Si-Hyeon's eyes were clear and her energy felt righteous. She had been raised as the daughter of the Leebi Merchant Guild Master, yet it was clear at the first glance she lived more upright than anyone else. In addition, she was indeed intelligent, so it wasn't unreasonable for Baek Sang-Woon to be fond of her at the first meeting.
"Yeah, sure. Even if you didn't ask me, my grandson said he was indebted to you, so I was going to go with you to pay back the favor."
"Thank you!" Si-Hyeon lowered her head and forced herself to hold back a cry of joy. She was really, really happy.
'This is a great success. No, not just a great success, but an absolute miracle to forge a relationship with the Palm Martial Emperor. Also...'
Si-Hyeon's eyes turned to Woo-Moon. 'Woo-Moon... I can't believe that he was the Palm Martial Emperor's grandson.'
They weren't that close, but she felt like the distance between the two of them grew further apart, and at the same time, she felt somewhat disappointed and betrayed. Woo-Moon was the Palm Martial Emperor's grandson, and from what she saw earlier, his martial arts seemed to be outstanding. She found out that he was incomparably higher in status than the daughter of a small merchant guild owner in a rural village like herself.
'But he was the first person I opened my heart to, aside from my uncle and my family....'
Her eyes met with Woo-Moon's coincidentally, but she looked away as if nothing had happened.
"How long are you going to stay here? Let's go to Unhan," the Palm Martial Emperor said cheerfully.
"Ah, yes, let us hurry and depart," replied Si-Hyeon.
Jo Mu-Jae shouted at the rest of the caravan to get ready to leave.
The whole Leebi Merchant Guild was excited. The caravan would be traveling together with the Palm Martial Emperor, a living legend. But there was someone who couldn't share the emotions of the guild that was chatting loudly with excitement. It was the guild's cook. He looked as if he was going to cry.
'Oh no, I'm dead now, I'm so fucking dead. It was because of the food, wasn't it? I wonder if he'll forgive me if I give him ten times more rice than I give others in the future...'
The cook was entertaining a pretty ridiculous train of thought...though, considering Baek Sang-Woon's personality, it wasn't really that unreasonable.
"Huh! I can just walk."
"No, sir. To let the esteemed Palm Martial Emperor walk, who is respected by all people, would not be proper. Also, it would be improper for a young person such as myself to be the one riding alone in a carriage."
"Hmm... Okay. If you say it like that, I will listen to your request and ride in the carriage."
Unable to deny Si-Hyeon's request, Baek Sang-Woon got on the carriage and instructed Woo-Moon and Woo-Gang.
"You two keep walking. Young people need to go through hardships"
"... Yes."
"Yes!"
Unlike Woo-Moon, who seemed slightly dissatisfied, Woo-Gang answered in a loud voice.
Si-Hyeon turned to look at Woo-Moon. "Young master, why are you still carrying the luggage on your back?"
'Young master?'
Woo-Moon had never been called "young master" by anyone, and it was all the more awkward to be called that by Si-Hyeon.
"I'm a porter hired by the guild, so of course, I have to pick up my luggage. Or... Did I get fired for being late earlier?"
"Ah..." Si-Hyeon smiled without even realizing it. Woo-Moon turned out to be a martial artist and was also found to be the Palm Martial Emperor's grandson, but he didn't seem to have changed at all.
'Was it a misunderstanding? But considering Woo-Moon's answer just now...'
"Then, are you saying that you want to continue working as a porter at our guild?"
"Yes."
Si-Hyeon felt warm inside, but she shook her head. "But this doesn't make sense. I can't make the Palm Martial Emperor's grandson continue to work as a porter."
Baek Sang-Woon cut her off, however. "Don't worry about me and leave him be. He's working elsewhere for the first time in his life, and he needs to complete what he started."
"I see."
The grandson of the Palm Martial Emperor worked as a porter for her guild. This was big news. That fact alone would allow the guild to grow significantly. But Si-Hyeon didn't want this.
'How can this little guild hold the grandson of the Palm Martial Emperor? The fact that the guild is close to the Palm Martial Emperor, the fact that they are being accompanied on this business trip by the Palm Martial Emperor, and the fact that the guild hired the Palm Martial Emperor's grandson as a porter... these alone were more than enough. Our guild will surely be different from what it has been before.'
There was no one around the two people walking. Woo-Moon was the grandson of the Palm Martial Emperor. In addition, Woo-Gang was said to be the Plum Blossom Swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect. It was natural for people to find him hard to approach. However, some guild members were unable to restrain themselves in the end.
"Hello! Hello, Plum Blossom Swordsman of the Mount Hua Sect!"
"Who are you?"
"Ah! I'm Yoo Mi-Ryeong, the daughter of the chief officer of the Leebi Merchant Guild."
After the courageous young woman greeted Woo-Gang, two more came up and greeted him as well.
"Hello!"
"Nice to meet you!"
"Ah, yes... Hahaha."
Woo-Gang had been one of the most famous, most brilliant youngsters of Mount Hua even before it was known that his grandfather was the Palm Martial Emperor. Therefore, he was bound to be an object of desire for girls.
Woo-Gang greeted them with an awkward smile. Although he was a disciple of Mount Hua, where worldly matters and Daoism intertwined, he was always careful about his behavior in front of others because he was taught strictly by the sect in regard to courtesy, despite not being a monk.
Of course, no matter how strict the sect was, there was always a rascal, like Yu Mun-Gwang of the Kunlun Sect.
Seeing that Woo-Gang responded more positively than they thought and didn't act annoyed, more and more people flocked to him. They were all people who wanted to make a connection with this brilliant youngster of the Mount Hua Sect. On the other hand, no one approached Woo-Moon.