Chapter 156 :

<Black Flame Dragon Who Quells the Chaos> 

“It’s … it’s over.”

Jin Taesan’s voice was thick with emotion.

The dark shadows beneath Wang Geumsan’s eyes had reached his chin, but his expression was that of a man who had gained the whole world.

“Now I can properly call you the master of a merchant guild.”

“Shouldn’t you, too, be called the master of one of the Two Great Merchant Guilds instead of one of the Four Great Merchant Guilds, Estate Lord?”

“Ah! Is that so, Guildmaster Jin?”

“Of course, Lord Wang.”

“Bwahahahaha!”

“Hahahaha!”

It had been a difficult time.

To transform the Changgung Merchant Guild, which had suddenly fallen into his hands, into the Daecheon Merchant Guild, Jin Taesan had spent more nights awake than asleep.

Wang Geumsan, meanwhile, had barely slept as he managed the guild’s branches across the realm, whose numbers had doubled because of the newly opened trade routes to the Western Regions.

On top of that, Wang Soso had proposed a plan to expand their commercial reach in Jiangxi by having the Daecheon Merchant Guild and the Wang Family’s businesses work together.

It all began with Taeul Sect’s iron mine.

Taeul Sect’s iron mine had the largest iron reserves in Anhui Province. Through it, the Wang Family controlled iron prices across Anhui and Jiangxi, expanding its influence over trade.

“Starting today, I’m going to do nothing but sleep for a whole week.”

“Guildmaster Jin, are you the same? I don’t plan to leave my house for half a month.”

Jin Taesan, who had been sharing drinks with him, brought his hands together in a respectful fist-and-palm salute.

“In any case, the Daecheon Merchant Guild was able to establish itself so quickly thanks to you, Estate Lord.”

“Think nothing of it. If Taeul Sect hadn’t supplied us with iron, we wouldn’t have been able to expand our influence so greatly.”

Wang Geumsan spoke modestly, but Jin Taesan knew just how much he had done for Taeul Sect.

Why would a man like Wang Geumsan leave the Wang Family Estate to work at the Daecheon Merchant Guild in Hefei if he had nothing to gain?

“I really must thank you again.”

“Haha, I appreciate you saying so. In any case, I feel much more at ease knowing I’ve repaid my debt.”

It had already been two years, but whenever Wang Geumsan drank, he still couldn’t stop praising Jin Sowoon.

‘That damn brat.’

Even though he was praising his own son, Jin Taesan’s teeth clenched on their own.

It was all well and good, but Jin Sowoon was the reason they had all been worked so hard.

“Now, shouldn’t the Daecheon Merchant Guild start expanding its influence?”

As Wang Geumsan said, the well-established Daecheon Merchant Guild was being overwhelmed with work and urgently needed to expand.

But Jin Taesan lacked both people and time. He had no desire to push himself to the limit again.

“My sect is still under a ban on outside activity, so I plan to expand at a leisurely pace.”

Wang Geumsan clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, tsk. Business is all about momentum. If you’re this lazy, how do you expect to make the Daecheon Merchant Guild the greatest in Anhui Province?”

“ …”

Jin Taesan gave Wang Geumsan a stern look, but Wang Geumsan kept going.

“Gyeryong Merchant Guild has collapsed, hasn’t it? You should hurry and take its place. Merchants these days have no guts, no guts at all. Back in my day …”

“ …Wang Soso wanted to start trading with the Martial Alliance. Why did you stop her?”

“ …Hm?”

“Didn’t Soso want access to the volume and reliability of goods moving throughout the country through the Martial Alliance? Why did you stop her?”

Wang Geumsan coughed.

“A great merchant like me has a hard time if he makes enemies by taking sides with either the righteous or the heretical factions.”

“That’s why we said the Daecheon Merchant Guild would help you. Besides, if Taeul Sect’s children go to the Alliance …”

“Enough! I can’t put Taeul Sect any further in my debt!”

Wang Geumsan was adamant.

But Jin Taesan didn’t back down either.

“Our Taeul Sect won’t think of it as a debt! You’ve already done so much for us!”

“I said I can’t take on more debt! Owing a debt to my benefactor goes against my principles!”

As the two men huffed and puffed, each trying to find work for the other, a servant came in.

“Guildmasters.”

At the servant’s call, both men answered at once.

“What is it?”

“What’s the matter?”

“ …”

The servant glanced nervously at the tense atmosphere, then looked at Jin Taesan.

“A guest has arrived.”

“A guest?”

“Yes. He asked me to tell you that he came on behalf of Young Master Jin Sowoon.”

The two men answered at the same time again.

“Sowoon sent that fellow?”

“You’ve come to see our Jin Sowoon?”

Wang Geumsan cleared his throat, and Jin Taesan told the servant to bring the guest in.

“Ahem. Then, Guildmaster Jin, I’ll be off …”

“Surely you’re curious, too. Why don’t you stay and meet him?”

“Even so, I’m an outsider …”

“You have things to discuss, so stay!”

“Fine … I’ll stay.”

A moment later, an elderly man entered.

“Are you Guildmaster Jin Taesan?”

Strangely, the old man recognized Jin Taesan as soon as he saw him.

“That’s right. How did you know?”

“You look exactly like that rascal Sowoon. How could I not recognize you?”

The old man gave a hearty laugh, then apologized.

“Ah, forgive me. We’ve known each other for so long that I spoke too familiarly.”

Jin Taesan nodded and showed him to a seat. As soon as the old man sat down, he took a promissory note from inside his clothes.

“ …What’s this?”

“It’s the money I promised Sowoon.”

“Money?”

“Huh?”

Jin Taesan hurriedly opened the note. It was for sixty nyang in gold.

“Our village has only just come back to life, so that’s all the profit we’ve made so far.”

“ …?”

At the strange atmosphere, the old man continued.

“Did he perhaps not tell you?”

“Tell us what?”

“I said I’d give you a share of the profits from Cheukryong County.”

“Heukryong County?”

“If you mean Cheukryong County …”

Jin Taesan and Wang Geumsan looked at each other.

Recently, Twin Curtain Stronghold, which had been wreaking havoc near Mount Tianmu, disappeared, and Twin Dragon Stronghold took its place.

Twin Dragon Stronghold charged only a reasonable toll and even provided escorts to travelers passing through the area around Mount Tianmu. As a result, merchant caravans that had once gone far around the mountain were gradually returning.

There were rumors that the nearby villages had also benefited from the boom in merchant traffic and developed new markets.

Cheukryong County was one of those villages.

“I did hear something like that …”

Jin Taesan had also considered expanding into the area around Mount Tianmu, but the large mountain stronghold of Twin Dragon Stronghold right next door had made him hesitate.

So hearing, out of the blue, that he would receive a share of the profits from there left both Jin Taesan and Wang Geumsan bewildered.

“Could it be that Sowoon didn’t tell you?”

“He promised that he’d give Taeul Sect a share of the profits from the villages of Cheukryong County, Geumpyo County, Eunho County, and Dongryong County.”

“ …”

“Oh, he named the villages after those children for that reason, too.”

Jin Taesan and Wang Geumsan’s mouths fell open.

They’d assumed the names were a coincidence, but were they actually connected to Taeul Sect?

“What on earth happened?”

The old man gave them a detailed account of what Jin Sowoon had done during the Martial Examination. After hearing the whole story, Jin Taesan ground his teeth.

“That damn brat …”

He could let it go that Sowoon had taken his junior disciples into danger. But if something that important had happened, why hadn’t he told them sooner?

“Heh, it seems Sowoon didn’t take our offer of a share very seriously.”

“ …I’m sorry. I failed to raise my son properly.”

Jin Taesan bowed his head. The old man was startled and waved his hands.

“Please don’t say that. If it weren’t for Sowoon, neither my family nor our village would be living as well as we are now.”

“ …”

Embarrassed by the old man’s praise, Jin Taesan couldn’t raise his head. Wang Geumsan, however, nodded proudly as if the praise were meant for him.

“Then you came all this way to honor that promise?”

At Wang Geumsan’s question, the old man waved his hands.

“Oh, please don’t call a country bumpkin like me ‘Elder.’ Just call me Old He. I came to keep my promise and pay my respects. But Taeul Sect is under a ban on outside activity, so I couldn’t enter. That’s why I came here instead.”

“Haha. Elder He, you have a fine character. Do you like liquor? Care to have a drink?”

And so, the three of them began drinking together, with Village Chief He joining them.

“I heard you’re in the merchant business. Would you consider opening a branch in our village?”

“A branch?”

“Yes. With more goods passing through and more people coming and going, some are trying to buy up land and buildings in the village. But since Taeul Sect has its own merchant guild, wouldn’t it be better if you moved in?”

Just as Jin Taesan was about to refuse, thinking this would only give him more work, Wang Geumsan jumped in eagerly.

“Oh! That’s an excellent idea. The Daecheon Merchant Guild has been looking for places to invest.”

“ …Lord Wang, what are you—”

Before Jin Taesan could refuse, Old He eagerly chimed in.

“Oh! Is that so? We’ve kept the best location in the village vacant just for this.”

“We could use it as a starting point and expand our business from there. Hahahaha!”

“The villagers will feel much safer knowing someone from Taeul Sect has come in person.”

The matter was settled before Jin Taesan could stop them. Wang Geumsan looked at him with a smug expression.

“ …”

Dizzy at the thought of being buried under a mountain of work again, Jin Taesan felt his resentment naturally turn toward the person responsible.

Crack.

‘Jin Sowoon, you brat!’

“Ah!”

At my sudden cry, Seong Moran’s eyes widened.

“What’s wrong?”

“My ear suddenly started itching. Is someone talking about me?”

“You scared me!”

Perhaps it was the eerie atmosphere, so different from the dock and the busy streets. Seong Moran and Namgung Seonhwa rubbed their startled chests.

“This way.”

Following Jang Ujae’s lead, our group entered Yujang Sect.

“ …!”

I swallowed back the curse that sprang to my lips at the sight before me.

“Damn it.”

The scene before my eyes stirred my memories, and my time at Taeul Sect in my previous life came flooding back with painful clarity.

Had my expression turned too grave? Jang Ujae explained himself.

“These children were born and raised at Yujang Sect. I tried to send them to an orphanage or children’s home for a while, but no one would take them …”

The children looked too young to have even reached puberty. They held True Swords that didn’t fit their bodies, their faces tense with fear.

I was about to answer Jang Ujae when vivid memories surged up and stopped me.

—The children of Taeul Sect were afraid of the real swords they had been given for the first time.

“Mukhyul Gang is known for its ruthless and relentless methods. We’re prepared for the worst, too.”

The adults of Yujang Sect had torn cloth into strips and tied their swords to their hands.

—Each of Taeul Sect’s adults had a Blood Explosion Pill in one hand as they prepared to fight.

“If a war begins, we won’t last a day.”

Large braziers had been lit throughout Yujang Sect. Broken pottery had been smeared with mud and fixed to the tops of the walls.

The women of Taeul Sect made rice balls and carried them from place to place inside the sect. Each of them took no more than one rice ball.

The mud beneath the calm surface churned, clouding the lake of my memories.

At the same time, sharp screams that pierced my eardrums came back to me.

—Aaaagh!

—P-please, spare me!

—Gah!

The screams and images of Taeul Sect members dying at the hands of the Demonic Cult in my previous life were so vivid that my head began to throb.

While I remained silent, Namgung Seonhwa asked carefully:

“ …Aren’t you going to surrender?”

“We considered it, but …”

“ …?”

“Sinjeong Sect and Hyeonsin Martial Hall already surrendered, but they were annihilated.”

“Even if they are heretical factions …”

“We can’t understand the situation either. It’s gone far beyond what anyone would consider normal.”

This wasn’t a mere show of force. It was a war.

“Even so, I don’t think the children should be dragged into the fighting. What if we sent the children to the Changgung Merchant Guild for now—”

Jang Ujae was astonished.

“ …You’d do that for us?”

“I’d been thinking of it ever since Young Master Jin said he’d come with us. And the Changgung Corps of the Changgung Merchant Guild will send support, too.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much.”

Jang Ujae bowed several times.

A short while later, we met the sect leader and elders of Yujang Sect in the main training courtyard.

Like the other warriors of Yujang Sect, their faces were full of worry.

“Father, I’m back.”

“Yes. How did it go?”

“Unfortunately, the Righteous Path Association said they couldn’t help.”

“Ah … How could they …”

The sect leader of Yujang Sect sank into his chair as if crushed by despair.

“They have their limits.”

The sect leader shook his head.

“No. Even this means we owe you a debt we can never repay. If Yujang Sect survives this war, I’ll never forget the debt we owe the Namgung Family for the rest of my life.”

The sect leader’s words made the atmosphere solemn once more.

Jang Ujae quickly arranged for the children to be sent to the Changgung Merchant Guild.

After the brief flurry of activity, I gathered with my companions, Jang Ujae, and the Academy students.

“Jang Ujae, how many people does Yujang Sect have?”

“Just under three hundred, not counting the children.”

How could even the numbers be so similar?

“Exactly a five-to-one difference.”

Mukhyul Gang had more than fifteen hundred people. Their ranks included everyone from peak experts to third-rate warriors, but with such a gap in numbers, their individual skill hardly mattered.

‘Yujang Sect was never a sect with many experts to begin with.’

No matter how much they fought back, they didn’t have the numbers to stand against them.

Judging by the broken pottery fixed to the walls, they had no traps or strange formations, either.

“Representative.”

“ …By the way, who are these people?”

“Ah, yes. This is our Academy representative, Representative Jin Sowoon.”

“I am Jin Sowoon of Taeul Sect. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“The Black Flame Dragon!”

“So that’s him?”

I’d never once called myself by my title, but it seemed the Bloodflame Dragon had well and truly taken root as my name in the martial world.

Truly remarkable, Lord of the Four Emperors Peak.

“Pleased to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you that my ears are tired of it. Thank you for coming.”

“Think nothing of it. Of course I had to come.”

“I’m grateful you feel that way, young man. You came rushing here, too.”

The sect leader’s face was still filled with worry.

Jang Ujae quickly stepped in.

“Father, this is Young Lady Seong Moran of the Iron Sword Sect, and Young Lady Namgung Seonhwa of the Namgung Family. Young Lady Namgung has offered to send the Changgung Corps to support us.”

Exclamations rose from the people around the sect leader.

“The Changgung Corps!”

“We can’t thank you enough!”

“Thank you, Young Lady Namgung.”

The intense reaction from Yujang Sect left Namgung Seonhwa feeling awkward.

“I want to help as much as I can, but I can only send a hundred people at most. With all of Yueyang in turmoil, the number of people I can spare—”

As everyone turned to Jang Ujae, he answered with an even darker expression.

“Mukhyul Gang has gathered even more than that.”

“I hear they’ve sent word not only throughout Hunan Province but to the neighboring provinces as well, calling in their experts.”

If Jang Ujae was right, the heretical factions in Yueyang had annihilated even those who surrendered to test the Martial Alliance’s response.

Now that they were sure the Martial Alliance wouldn’t act, they planned to swallow all of Yueyang at once.

“ …This really won’t be easy.”

“ …”

Perhaps he’d heard me mutter to myself.

Jang Ujae’s face darkened. I quickly tried to reassure him.

“Don’t worry too much, Jang Ujae. I know the Yueyang Branch Leader well. If we mediate through him, we may be able to negotiate to some extent.”

“Really?”

If the Yueyang Branch Leader, who came from the Tang Clan, joined Young Lady Namgung, the heretical factions would feel the pressure, too.

That might calm the fighting in Yueyang a little.

‘Yueyang will fall into the Martial Alliance’s hands again someday anyway. The blood they shed now is meaningless.’

I turned to the gathered group.

“I’ll go to the Martial Alliance’s Yueyang Branch for now.”

“Right now?”

Every hour mattered. It was hard to tell day from night in this urgent situation.

“Mukhyul Gang will probably try to move as quickly as possible. So before they—”

Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!

The sound of a loud bell rang throughout Yujang Sect.

Jang Ujae and the other warriors of Yujang Sect all sprang to their feet.

I turned to Jang Ujae.

“What is it?”

With a deathly pale expression, he stared toward the source of the bell.

“ …It’s the signal that the enemy is coming.”

“The enemy?”

Just then, a tremendous battle cry rang across the night sky.

“Waaah!”

“Attack! Leave no one alive!”

“Waaah!”

The bloodthirsty shouts drew closer and closer.