Reincarnated Sword Ghost

Chapter 100 : Audience

Audience

Sensing the internal energy that flows through nature is a talent entirely innate.

While some people learn it instinctively without anyone teaching them, there are others, born to the most renowned noble houses, who take years just to master a single mind method.

The sense needed to manipulate true ki was so foreign that it defied expression by the five senses.

It was an entirely new realm of perception, one touching upon intention and will.

It surpassed introspecting the inside of the body; it was a superhuman skill that affected even the external world.

That was why one's natural gifts were crucial.

Some people spent their entire lives as mere low-rank practitioners even after learning advanced martial skills, and conversely, there were those who were called experts despite only using mediocre internal energy mind methods that others dismissed as trivial.

In this sense, those classified among the dark path of the martial world were very ambiguous existences.

They barely managed to form a dantian within their bodies but never properly learned any martial skills.

After picking up all sorts of miscellaneous skills without a system, their limitations were clear.

It was paradoxical, considering how the elite disciples of upright sects received systematic martial training from childhood—yet often found themselves shackled by those fixed ideas and unable to progress beyond a certain level.

But such was the world of the martial arts, a domain impossible to clearly define by human logic.

The fact that inscrutable figures appeared each year was proof of this.

And Jeon Seok-gyeon knew this fact very well.

Once nothing more than a thug from Kaifeng's back alleys, he formed his dantian using a martial manual he chanced upon at a general store.

Some might call that a twist of fate, but there was nothing all that special about it.

The manual itself was low-level and could be found almost anywhere.

Yet it was enough for him to realize the tremendous power true ki brought.

In an instant, his entire life changed.

Afterward, he searched far and wide for ways to further enhance his martial skills, but it was all in vain.

He was already too old to become a disciple of an orthodox sect, and he was far too fearful to become an evil faction martial artist who would gnaw away at his body and mind.

Creating his own martial skills and becoming a patriarch was out of the question due to his utter lack of talent.

Honestly, becoming just a run-of-the-mill martial world thug was not all that bad as an option.

After all, that alone was enough to live a far better life than most commoners.

But Jeon Seok-gyeon was fiercely ambitious.

He might not have been graced with remarkable talent, but he certainly possessed ambition and the resolve to act upon it.

He leveraged his martial skills to seize leadership of a small group he once belonged to as a former thug.

The wealth he gained was spent entirely on bribes to carefully expand his influence.

In this way, he grew his power base step by step.

Its peak, without a doubt, was becoming the Kaifeng District Head.

He lived like a king within a vast territory—a man who, in truth, could have been mistaken for royalty, living with most people beneath his feet.

The very day he managed to create a slim connection with that person, he offered up all his assets for years.

He made the connection firmer, helping himself accumulate even more wealth from his position.

He took great care, until even the district head regarded the money he paid as a matter of course.

After that, things became easy.

He let it be known, subtly, that he was close to the district head. No one in Kaifeng dared lay a hand on him.

In a flash, he dominated the city's dark path martial world.

Those he once admired as a mere street thug couldn't even meet his eyes anymore.

But Jeon Seok-gyeon still wasn't satisfied.

The limits of being a half-baked martial artist remained.

- I must become a master.

It wasn't that he lacked the martial world's typical drive for improvement.

In fact, his unique ambition only intensified his thirst for martial skills.

He was now past middle age, but if anything, his desperation had grown.

He never considered stepping into the evil faction's martial skills; he never wanted to become an evil faction martial artist obsessed with blood and carnage.

So he searched for all kinds of elixirs and secret manuals.

However, such treasures could not be bought with money.

Being called priceless treasures wasn't enough to describe their value.

Thus, time passed with little to show for his efforts.

'At last...'

Jeon Seok-gyeon, sitting alone in his room, had his eyes gleaming as he gazed at the wooden box before him.

"It's finally in my hands."

His face was filled with joy. Squinting as if dazzled, his eyes flashed sharply.

His fingers twitched as if wanting to immediately grab the object inside the wooden box, yet he couldn't quite bring himself to touch it, even though it had passed entirely into his hands.

'Not yet, not yet.'

The object before him was none other than the Human-shaped Ginseng.

Also called Thousand-year Ginseng, it was a legendary herb, so rare that it was labeled a spiritual being.

'To think it would actually come into my possession...'

Even just gazing at it, he could feel a powerful energy swirling against his skin.

Its appearance truly suited the name: it really did resemble a person, so much so that it was eerily strange.

He didn't know if it had actually grown for ten thousand years underground, but it surely looked the part of the rarest of rare spiritual treasures.

'Heaven's luck is with me. The heavens have recognized my efforts.'

In the vast Central Plains, there were ways for the powerful and wealthy to trade critical information.

The rumor of the Human-shaped Ginseng's appearance was part of that information network.

To confirm the truth of that rumor and acquire the item, Jeon Seok-gyeon had to exhaust all the assets of Musan Group.

Even so, he did not regret it.

He was painfully aware of his own meager martial abilities.

He believed only elixirs and secret manuals could break his limits.

There was a reason he didn't immediately consume such a treasure even after barely obtaining it.

In his heart, he wanted to shove it straight into his mouth and force it down his meridians.

Even that would have given him ample benefit.

But he wanted more assured results.

He'd heard that immense cultivated power given by such treasures could even reconstruct one's body.

In that case, he would also need a suitable internal energy mind method.

With his current third-rate martial skills, he wouldn't be able to absorb even half of the Human-shaped Ginseng's energy.

'Soon, I'll have the secret manual as well. When that happens...'

Of course, the royal family possessed martial arts secret manuals.

Everyone knew the rumor: every royal learned martial skills and became a master.

Anything less would be stranger in this world.

The royal family's library contained more than a few manuals left gathering dust.

Not because they lacked value, but because they were from either the evil faction or other lineages.

Being of noble blood, the royals were choosy even when it came to martial arts.

After paying countless silver coins and gold, he finally got a chance to sneak one of them out.

It was a capital crime, but he didn't care. National laws had never felt real to him.

Jeon Seok-gyeon was desperately awaiting the secret manual said to have been authored by a former peak expert.

'But then...'

Jeon Seok-gyeon's face stiffened a little, as he recalled a recent event.

Some guy had appeared and taken control of three sects under Musan Group, cutting off the heads of their gate leaders in the process.

Word had it that he seemed like a noble-born youth from a martial clan.

If that was the case, it made sense.

He would have learned martial skills from childhood, aided by all kinds of elixirs.

And if he really was that young, he was probably relishing his first debut in the martial world, eager to show off his martial skills.

He must be having a great time.

Just think—after cutting down his competition and seizing their seats with the skills honed in his clan, how thrilling the sense of accomplishment must feel at his fingertips.

'You snot-nosed brat...'

At that thought, he ground his teeth.

This kind of person was one he hated most; someone born lucky, enjoying things others never even dreamt possible.

In an ordinary case, such a thing could never happen.

There was no one in Kaifeng who could dare lay a hand on him.

Occasionally, an ignorant martial artist from the outside world would appear, but such people were swiftly removed using others' hands.

But this time, it all happened too fast for him to react.

In just a few days, the upstart had beheaded three gate leaders and taken their seats.

The letter confirming this had only arrived yesterday.

Truthfully, Jeon Seok-gyeon held little attachment to what he'd built in Kaifeng.

These were merely stepping stones toward his goal.

The moment he became a true martial artist, he planned to abandon it all without hesitation.

But right now, he simply wasn't ready.

"Someone, come in!"

After carefully closing the wooden box's lid and placing it in a hidden spot, Jeon Seok-gyeon called out.

Soon footsteps came from outside, and the door opened.

"You called, Lord!"

A sturdy man bowed his head and answered with vigor.

His name was Cheol-gon, one of few truly trustworthy people, and Jeon Seok-gyeon's guard for several years.

"When did that guy ask to meet?"

"Tomorrow evening."

No specific person was mentioned, but Cheol-gon answered without hesitation.

After serving beside him for years, he had developed that intuition naturally.

"Tomorrow, make sure you kill him. Prepare everything."

"Understood."

Again, Cheol-gon answered without any delay. He didn't ask about the purpose, reason, or even the method.

Jeon Seok-gyeon gave the order; the execution was Cheol-gon's responsibility.

"Set up a thorough defense. Call in every man available."

"Yes, understood."

After Cheol-gon left, Jeon Seok-gyeon clenched his teeth, picturing the unknown brat in his mind's eye.

So you want to be recognized as successor for taking over?

Ridiculous.

The upstart who barged in and started a bloodbath now wants official approval by letter?

He was clearly being taken lightly.

"Arrogant fools see nothing before them."

I'll show him there's always a higher sky.

Jeon Seok-gyeon paused to contemplate exactly how he would kill the youth.

That brought him some relief.

Really, had there ever been a time without such trouble?

As always, he would deal with it cleanly, obtain the martial secret, and then consume the Human-shaped Ginseng.

Jeon Seok-gyeon took out the hidden wooden box and studied it again for a long while.

*

"Have we received a reply?"

When Jeong-un asked, Soo Il-san bowed his head and answered.

"Tomorrow morning, you may go to the residence where the group lord is staying and pay your respects."

"He gave the location?"

"Yes. Although he has several residences and moves daily, whenever he has an audience scheduled, he always lets people know in advance where to wait."

Hearing Soo Il-san's words, Jeong-un nodded.

Perhaps it was a bit improvised, but he had managed to arrange a meeting with Jeon Seok-gyeon just as planned.

Things had gone very well so far.

Soo Il-san hesitated a bit before speaking again.

"Congratulations, gate leader."

"What?"

"You're about to take the successor's seat in Musan Group. From now on, the road ahead will be smooth..."

"Did the letter actually say that? The reply we got—did it officially say so?"

"Pardon?"

Jeong-un's reply made Soo Il-san widen his eyes in surprise.

"I'm asking if it actually said he recognizes me as successor."

"T-that wasn't written, but isn't it obvious? You ascended to Iron-blood Gate Leader and pushed out the other leaders... There's no one left to oppose you..."

There was no one left to stand against him. He had proved his overwhelming might single-handedly.

Even the Iron-blood members who had quietly abstained from helping could only accept it.

The quick-witted ones hurried in this morning to bow their heads in submission.

"Killing the others in one swoop and gaining the qualifications of successor—is that enough to be satisfied? I could just as easily go ahead and cut off Musan's head and seize his seat for myself."

"Pardon?"

Soo Il-san's eyes grew round.

"A-are you planning to do that?"

"Even if that's not what I intend, Musan's group lord will assume as much."

"... I don't follow."

"It's absurd to speak of succession in this kind of dark path sect. What, I'm supposed to quietly sit beneath the group lord until he dies? Seriously, how many people could do that? I've heard that the current Musan Group lord himself seized his position by killing the former leader."

"......"