The Mad Dog Inspector of the Martial Alliance

Chapter 88 : Pacifying the Western Great Mountain (1)

The swordsmen of the Huashan Sect first learn the basic sword art, the Four Directions Sword, and when they reach a state of mastery, they learn the Plum Blossom Sword Art. The Plum Blossom Sword Art exists from the first form to the twenty-fourth form, and as the number of forms increases, its brilliance, mystery, and profundity are multiplied.

An ordinary person would have to devote their entire life just to learn the Four Directions Sword. And even a person with some talent would find it difficult to learn the fifth form of the Plum Blossom Sword Art before their life was over.

The Plum Blossom Sword Art was something that could only be learned by gathering only the talents of the world and repeating harsh training. The title of 'Plum Blossom Swordsman' was given to those who had achieved the tenth form of the Plum Blossom Sword Art.

Since many Plum Blossom Swordsmen had passed away in the Great War against the Demonic Cult, the number of Plum Blossom Swordsmen currently existing in the Huashan Sect was at most ten in total.

Among them, there was only one young person like the man in front of him.

The one who had shown outstanding skill at the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly and had obtained the nickname 'Sword Dragon'.

The best rising star produced by the Huashan Sect, Myeongseong Jinren, Song Baek.

He was a peerless talent who was called a 'Jinren' for his sword skills alone, despite his young age of just turning 30 next year, the age of establishment.

Why on earth was this person here? Why, while reeking of alcohol in an inn?

Jang So-gil, while inwardly tense, did not show it and naturally asked back.

"Who are you, brother?"

"Just a passing, ordinary Plum Blossom Swordsman."

"Oh my, I'm sorry for not recognizing you."

"It's alright. Since you're from out of town, you might not recognize the plum blossom pattern."

"I saw the plum blossom pattern, but since a long-nosed Daoist reeking of alcohol couldn't possibly be a Plum Blossom Swordsman, I thought you were a wandering entertainer. I apologize once again."

"Ha, you bastard..."

The two, smiling and narrowing their eyes.

It must be no ordinary dirty temper.

As they say, a master recognizes a master, and they recognized each other's temperaments.

Song Baek, who quietly showed his teeth and growled, 'Lower your eyes before I gouge them out, you bastard.' and Jang So-gil, who replied lowly, 'Your mouth reeks of alcohol, so why don't you shut it, you son of a bitch,' were both men with considerable spirit. At their suffocating exchange, the guests of the inn glanced at them and slowly began to get up from their seats.

If it was the Sword Dragon Song Baek, he was a well-known complete scoundrel in Huashan. He was a real long-nosed Daoist who drank all day and enjoyed gambling and betting.

And yet, the common people did not dislike him much. It was because, as a Plum Blossom Swordsman of the Huashan Sect, he was a person who was flawless as a sword that protected the common people.

Even if he drank, he paid his bills diligently, and even if he made a bet, he settled the score diligently if he lost. When a villain appeared, he stepped up faster than anyone else to solve it, so the common people rather liked this quick-tempered and magnanimous complete scoundrel.

But who was that young man in front of him? Wasn't he the inspector of the Martial Alliance of the world, who made a commotion wherever he went these days? The places he raided were devastated, a complete scoundrel who swept away corruption like a typhoon and a flood.

And yet, the ordinary common people did not fear him. It was because he was a typhoon that one would not meet unless one committed tax evasion and embezzlement.

Such a complete scoundrel of Huashan and a complete scoundrel of the Martial Alliance had met. He didn't know what it was, but there would be trouble now.

The common people, guessing so, were leaving their seats to avoid getting involved.

"Heoheum."

But an accident did not happen right away. It was because there was still not enough alcohol to cause an accident.

Song Baek smiled and waved his hand at the common people who were leaving their seats one by one.

"You were telling an interesting story earlier, won't you explain it?"

"If a Daoist is so interested in the affairs of the secular world, will you be able to ascend to immortality? How about you mind your own business and go on your way?"

"Oh my, the hunting dog of the Martial Alliance is even concerned about my ascension. I'm so grateful."

The two, growling as if they were about to hit each other. But then, they both clicked their tongues and observed each other.

As expected, Jang So-gil was much faster at organizing his thoughts.

'The Sword Dragon Song Baek, famous as the scoundrel of Huashan. But the honorific 'Jinren' is not just given.'

Even if there were many long-nosed Daoists in the world who drank behind the scenes and gambled, there was only one such complete scoundrel in the main mountain of the great Huashan Sect.

Moreover, he was not even doing it secretly. So even though everyone knew of Song Baek's actions, he was still Myeongseong Jinren.

'He must be a person who moves according to his own sense of justice. Otherwise, the upper echelons of Huashan would not have left him alone.'

Why did he come to find me? Did the Huashan Sect send him?

No. It was too fast for a reaction from those heavy-assed Daoists.

'Besides, seeing that he reeks of alcohol like this, he didn't come down from Huashan. It seems he was playing around, drinking in the secular world, and when someone talked about me, he came to find out the situation.'

Since he was a long-nosed Daoist tainted by the secular world, he must have many acquaintances in some merchant guild. Probably, the fellows who were obviously going to be beaten by Jang So-gil soon had clung to Song Baek and made a dying sound.

Saying that an inspector of the Martial Alliance had suddenly appeared and was tormenting them, who were living well, and extorting money, and asking him to do something about the complete scoundrel.

It was not yet the Huashan Sect that had responded. Since the common people were appealing for their suffering, the sword that protected the common people had stepped up.

Then what was this person planning to do after finding me?

'First, he would try to confirm whether what the merchant guild was saying was true or false. This point is very much like the orthodox sect. The point of trying to find out the truth before swinging a sword.'

If it were the Unorthodox Faction, they would have stabbed first and then thought. This must be why the orthodox sect is the orthodox sect.

The moment Jang So-gil clicked his tongue.

Song Baek was contemplating.

'You bastard, your guts are no joke. You're not scared even when I'm like this? You have huge guts. I was going to make him confess why he was doing such a dog-like thing by just yelling at him, but it won't work at all.'

Should I challenge him to a duel and press his nose down?

It was when Song Baek was having a very martial-artist-like thought.

Jang So-gil called the waiter and ordered a bottle of clear rice wine. He placed it in front of Song Baek and then brought up the subject.

"You seem to be quite curious, well, alright. I'll tell you."

"What's this wine?"

"It would be boring to just listen to someone else talk without anything. Drink that while you listen."

At the sudden goodwill, Song Baek was dumbfounded.

But unlike his consciousness, his body was honest, and his hand unconsciously went to the clear rice wine. It was because he had never once refused free wine in his life.

"Uh, this makes me feel very sorry... Would you like a drink?"

"I'm fine. Drinking cheap clear rice wine will only spoil my palate."

Jang So-gil said so and continued to drink the wine he had been drinking.

Seeing that, Song Baek's eyes shot open.

It was because the clear rice wine he had just ordered was a 20-wen wine, and the 'White Dew Wine' that Jang So-gil had been drinking until now was a 2-silver-tael wine.

While he was drinking expensive wine himself. He deliberately ordered cheap wine for his guest?

"No, what kind of person is this!"

"Hey, are you picky about wine while getting free wine? The faces of the Huashan guys are really thick."

"Wow. This bastard is really no joke."

"I'm not in a good mood either, being called a bastard after buying you a drink."

"Hey, really... You're the first guy like you since Ugly Dragon."

A strong enemy. This was the first strong enemy he had seen since that guy who fought while rolling around with the 'lazy donkey rolling on the ground'.

That Ugly Dragon fellow, his fighting method was dirty, but the person was not dirty.

But this fellow named Jang So-gil, the person was neat and handsome, and his appearance was like that of a nobleman. But his actions were so dirty and petty!

What was more infuriating was the current situation where if he said anything more since he was the one receiving the drink, he would become an even dirtier and pettier person. No, how did the situation become like this in a short while?

It was dirty and cheap, so he didn't want to drink it, but since he had already grabbed the wine cup, he couldn't throw it away. In Daoism, throwing away food was a taboo that should not be done.

"Well, enough with the nonsense. Drink while you listen. So you're curious about why I'm stirring up Huashan, aren't you?"

"Uh, well, that's right."

"Taxes are the country's business, so why is an inspector of the Martial Alliance running wild? The reason goes back several decades. It starts with the story of the 'Imperial Sword Unit' that existed at that time."

"Imperial Sword Unit?"

"It means the emperor's sword."

The time was when the Yuan Dynasty had just fallen and the Ming Dynasty had been established. At that time, more than half of the local powerful families and powerful clans were no different from the remnants of the Yuan, so there were a considerable number of people who longed for the Yuan and resisted the Ming.

Thus, Emperor Taizu Hongwu had suppressed the local forces in various harsh ways. And the Imperial Sword Unit was a special organization that specialized in investigating and punishing tax evasion and embezzlement among them. They mercilessly found and punished tax evaders, killed them, exterminated their three clans, and greedily absorbed the assets of the criminals.

"And as time passed, the Imperial Sword Unit was disbanded. It was because they couldn't just keep catching the local powerful families like rats. It was to make peace."

Emperor Jianwen, who ascended the throne after Hongwu, saw no need to torment the local powerful families anymore. Since they had various connections, knowledge, and experience gained while reigning for a long time. He thought it would be better to get the cooperation of the local powerful families to stabilize the country's internal affairs. The disbandment of the Imperial Sword Unit was a sign of goodwill sent to such local powerful families.

"Now, the Imperial Sword Unit is gone. And the Embroidered Uniform Guard is filling that place. What kind of people are the Embroidered Uniform Guard? They are the guards who wear golden clothes and work for His Majesty. While being responsible for the defense of Beijing, they are also busy assisting His Majesty, who is constantly leaving on northern expeditions. Do you think such people, who also have to handle the job of catching tax evasion and embezzlement, would have any spare capacity?"

In the early days of the reign, when the political situation was unstable, they could not rashly touch the tax exemption privilege of the Daoists of the Western Great Mountain.

And now, there was a shortage of manpower, but the work was a mountain. In a situation where it was difficult to solve even the given tasks, there was no room to start a new task.

"Besides, aren't the government and the martial world non-interfering? There's also the risk of causing a storm in a teacup by clumsily stirring up the Western Great Mountain in an attempt to find a tax-evading sect. Jang So-gil they're just burying it and moving on, saying it's a privilege that has been going on for a long time, and are doing other things."

So in the end, it was because of the shortage of manpower due to the disbandment of the special organization called the Imperial Sword Unit. And the non-interference of the government and the martial world. Because of these two factors, the Martial Alliance had come to investigate tax evasion instead of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which was burdened with touching the Daoist sects of the Western Great Mountain.

As he listened quietly, it was a story that could be shortened, but he was truly dragging it out.

But if the opponent had been a guard of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and not an inspector of the Martial Alliance. Even Song Baek himself thought that he would have said that since the government and the martial world were non-interfering, this matter would be handled by Huashan.

And if Huashan were to investigate it on its own, the matter would end up in smoke.

"In the end, the words are grand, but... isn't it that you're deliberately making a problem out of something that the country has postponed because they don't think it's particularly necessary or urgent? The common people of the Western Great Mountain have been living peacefully until now. Why are you suddenly making their lives difficult and making them cry out?"

Jang So-gil grinned.

Song Baek was a Daoist of the Huashan Sect who cherished the common people. He was not saying this with any bad intentions.

It was just that this was the perception of the entire Western Great Mountain, which had been formed over a long period of time.

(End of Chapter)