Reincarnated Sword Ghost

Chapter 49 : Myriad Gold Merchant Guild

Myriad Gold Merchant Guild

"What do you mean...?"

When Jin Seoyeon asked with a puzzled look, Jeong-un answered.

"I've heard there are places known as 'neutral territories'. I just asked in case this was one of them."

The martial world in Murim was not necessarily divided strictly into two factions.

There were many places that walked their own paths, without aligning with either the Righteous or the Evil Faction.

As long as they did not oppress the people, even the Murim Alliance typically left them alone.

"There are no martial sects calling themselves neutral in Dangyang County. Most claim to follow the way of righteousness. The Wei Sword Clan is the same."

"......"

At those words, Jeong-un quietly recalled the people of the Wei Sword Clan.

A martial sect walking the righteous path?

'Except for that Wei Jinmyeong.'

The problem lay with his attendants. Some of them were definitely emitting sinister vital ki.

Had it not been for Huayeon Gate, Jeong-un would have drawn his sword then and there.

It was easy for him to just leave, but these people would continue to live here.

Unless he was sure he could uproot those villains completely, he shouldn't use his sword recklessly.

Otherwise, he'd only put them on alert, force them into hiding, and bring calamity upon others when he wasn't around.

"What kind of place is this Myriad Gold Merchant Guild?"

"We honestly don't know much about them. I just heard they used to do big business in Hangzhou... Hangzhou is a huge city, so I didn't think much of it."

Zhejiang's Hangzhou was counted among the largest cities in all of the Central Plains.

Commerce thrived there along the Yangtze's waters.

If they ran a major business even there, they would be considered a large merchant guild.

'Such a guild relocating all the way out here?'

Dangyang County was a small locality reached only by traversing treacherous mountain ranges from Yangyang.

Compared to Hangzhou, its population was insignificant.

It didn't make sense for such a large merchant guild to relocate all this distance on purpose.

"Have you ever personally met anyone from the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild?"

"The merchant guildmaster's son is about my age. He's close friends with Young Master Wei from the Wei Sword Clan, and he often shows up at the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."

'Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?'

Now that it was mentioned, he had heard of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. Wei Jinmyeong was said to be its host, too.

Even Jin Seoyeon before his eyes had expressed her intention to participate.

"What exactly is the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering?"

"That is..."

Just thinking about it seemed to make her head ache, as she lightly touched her forehead with her hand and closed her eyes slightly.

Deep traces of fatigue suggested she'd suffered from this for some time.

"It's a gathering of rising stars from the Dangyang County area. They hold a meeting twice a year, sharing their thoughts on martial arts and exchanging in duels."

"Sounds good, doesn't it? If they're called 'dragon and phoenix', they must be exceptionally talented rising stars."

When Jeong-un asked with a clear expression, Jin Seoyeon smiled slightly.

"The name sounds grand, but honestly, all the rising stars in the region gather regardless of their skills. In fact, this assembly didn't exist until after the Wei Sword Clan gained influence, when Young Master Wei Jinmyeong took the lead and started it."

"You seem reluctant to attend, miss Jin."

"Yes, that's right."

Jin Seoyeon nodded.

"It's not a martial arts exchange at all—just a stage for the Wei Sword Clan and the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild to flaunt themselves. They also use it as a chance to see if anyone dares to oppose them. With the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild's wealth, everyone in the area is wary of upsetting them, so they bow and scrape in their presence. I hated seeing that, so I never went myself, but..."

Then even her expression darkened.

"Not long ago, Young Master Wei Jinmyeong asked my father for my hand in marriage."

"A marriage proposal...?"

"There was never any such sentiment between us, so I was very shocked. When he suddenly made that demand, of course I refused... and that's when the retaliation began."

"Retaliation?"

"They never openly harmed us. The Wei Sword Clan is aware of outside scrutiny since they host the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering. Instead, they manipulated the merchant guilds and security agencies that used to deal with us, pressing us financially."

"Ah..."

At that, Jeong-un fell silent.

Until recently, he himself had enjoyed their generous hospitality as a guest.

And yet, they were enduring financial pressure.

He couldn't help but feel regret.

"I had no idea..."

But Jin Namjung shook his head with a gentle smile.

"It's not your fault. Even if you had another mouth to feed, it wouldn't make a difference. You hardly even eat that much! In fact, your small appetite makes me worry sometimes."

"You eat so little. Seeing how you haven't grown any thinner, I find it quite amazing."

"......"

With light jokes, they tried to keep Jeong-un from feeling burdened.

They were good people—rare in the martial world.

"Besides, it's not as if they're suffocating us completely. All they do is prevent us from gaining more influence, but let us manage to survive as we are."

"You mean they're doing it on purpose."

"They're sending us a message: we live only because they allow it out of kindness. At the same time, it's a warning that they could destroy us any time if they wanted."

"......"

Should he recognize this as a small mercy, since at least they allow them to catch their breath?

No, looking at just their intentions, it was worse.

Security agencies and merchant guilds ultimately moved for money.

No matter how long their relationship with Huayeon Gate, when a great power like the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild exerts financial pressure, they have no choice but to yield.

They were trying to control Huayeon Gate with ease, using their greatest strength.

'Even in such a small county...'

The Central Plains were so vast that "expansive" was an understatement.

Even under the single name 'Ming,' local customs and lifestyles varied everywhere.

In a region like this, it may as well have been its own small martial world.

But the problem was that this was not merely a power struggle between martial arts sects.

Jeong-un was sure he sensed sinister energy among Wei Jinmyeong's attendants.

It was not simply the crude internal energy forcibly packed into the lower dantian by rough breathing methods.

'It was definitely an evil energy.'

It was similar to that he'd felt among those who built up true ki by eating corpses.

If there was a difference, it was that Wei Jinmyeong's attendants at least knew how to contain and hide their energy.

Had it not been for Jeong-un's exceptional sensitivity, even he might not have noticed.

'So they've learned martial arts in some kind of systemized way.'

He had already heard there were Evil Faction groups with their own martial arts systems.

The Demonic Cult that once struck Beijing was a typical example.

'This isn't something to be taken lightly.'

They had approached this land and formed an alliance with a martial sect—intentionally.

Now, they were systematically crushing rival sects and taking control of the area.

Could such people be considered just another Evil Faction mob?

They were clearly different from the brutes who kidnapped commoners, killed them, and devoured their bodies.

Though their nature was similar, their actions were far more cunning.

"Whatever the case, you seemed so sincere I gave you a thorough answer. But you really don't have to worry about it. Just eat well, take care of yourself, and go on your way when you're ready."

Jin Namjung spoke with a gentle smile.

'Not something I need to worry about...'

He wasn't wrong.

Jeong-un was an outsider, after all.

As Jin Namjung said, once he'd recovered enough true ki, he could simply leave.

'However...'

But he could not.

Though he hadn't told them, he was, in fact, a martial artist affiliated with the Heavenly Martial Hall.

And wasn't it the very mission of the Heavenly Martial Hall to eradicate those kinds of villains?

He could still remember Jo Yoo-hyeon's explanation on the day he joined.

"To eat well and recover—yes, that is important. I haven't taken good care of myself lately. Which is why I ask..."

Jeong-un nodded.

"...?"

At his unexpected words, Jin Namjung and Jin Seoyeon looked at him uncertainly.

Jeong-un nodded slightly and spoke.

"Would it be all right if I stayed a little longer?"

* * *

The black martial attire he'd worn was neatly folded and placed in a corner of the room.

Yet, judging by the rips and tatters everywhere, he must have been knocked about on the rocks, swept along unconscious in the current.

'Should I say it's a relief?'

Thanks to that, the golden thread on his left sleeve was also torn off and missing.

Now, it looked simply like a much-worn, ordinary black martial outfit.

They readily agreed when he asked if he could stay longer.

Rather, they seemed relieved that Jeong-un wouldn't abruptly leave in response to Wei Jinmyeong's rude behavior earlier that day.

'He said he'd keep an eye on me.'

Jeong-un remembered Wei Jinmyeong's veiled threats, and the mention of a marriage proposal to Jin Seoyeon.

He could not have approached with merely personal motives.

The Wei Sword Clan was originally a native martial household in this region.

Since they were familiar enough with Jin Seoyeon to have known her previously, they must have once been just another modest rural sect.

'Myriad Gold Merchant Guild, huh.'

Then, that was where he should investigate.

The odds were high that they were pressuring the Wei Sword Clan and pulling the strings from behind.

To the locals, it might look like nothing more than a powerful merchant guild joining hands with a sect to dominate Dangyang County.

If that were all, the Heavenly Martial Hall would have no reason to intervene.

Power struggles among martial arts sects were commonplace.

But Jeong-un had actually felt their sinister energy with his own body.

If his sensitivity was correct, this was no mere power struggle.

Perhaps a faction of the Evil Faction was planting roots and gathering strength here in earnest.

If so, this was a whole different issue.

"This could be a bigger problem than I thought."

He'd heard that, since joining hands with the Myriad Gold Merchant Guild, the Wei Sword Clan's martial arts skills had improved.

If they'd gone as far as to provide secret manuals for newly learned techniques, it could be that they intentionally sourced righteous martial arts to provide support.

'Wei Jinmyeong's actual abilities didn't seem very high, though.'

That much puzzled him.

He was supposed to be the successor to the Wei Sword Clan—a young family head.

Surely he'd had exclusive access to the household's most treasured martial arts.

Suddenly, he remembered the Yu household's Ascending Dragon Sword Technique, from a family of similar standing.

"......"

Nodding to himself, Jeong-un settled cross-legged and introspected on his body.

Now, the unfamiliar internal energy filling his lower dantian no longer felt awkward.

Yet, the amount of true ki he'd recovered was less than half what it ought to have been.

Still, his efforts over the past few days had not been entirely fruitless.

'I can't move it freely, though.'

When he drew on his true ki with One Illumination Movement Technique, a small part of that unfamiliar internal energy would circulate through his veins along with it.

The sensation was undeniably foreign, but did not cause any trouble.

'They always said holding two types of true ki in the dantian was like suicide.'

Hadn't they said that internal energies of different natures would never mingle? Still, it didn't feel like a critical issue right now.

Maybe, because the internal energy he had built up was so pure, the new energy could merge without conflict.

But that was the extent of it.

There were no problems, but manipulating it as if it were his own ki was impossible.

At most, he could forcibly drag it along with the true ki of One Illumination Movement Technique.

Conversely, this also meant his original internal energy was inhibited by the unfamiliar one.

'Can I handle a whole group alone in this condition?'

He was used to chaotic combat by now.

Yet, he was far from being in perfect shape.

Sssk.

After checking his body, he stood and changed back into his original black martial attire.

It was torn in many places, but sufficient to conceal him in the darkness.

'... Well, when was I ever at a hundred percent?'

Complaining was a luxury. At any rate, he was still alive.

That meant he had to do whatever he could.

Muttering thus, he opened the door.