Lying next to the fallen Tang Cheol-young were only a shattered water jug
and a broken carrying pole, a pitiable sight.
As the sun hid behind the mountains and darkness spread across the sky,
a cold night was descending.
"Huff huff, Master, there's been a terrible incident."
"What's the matter? Why the commotion?"
Namgoong Sang, gasping for breath, ran up and spoke urgently.
"Huff huff, Tang Three, Tang Three is…"
"What about Tang Three? Did his father pass away or something? You look like you're about to die."
"No, Tang Three's father is fine, but Tang Three himself… he's almost on the brink of death. He looks like he could die any moment."
"You're joking, right?"
With a smile, suggesting disbelief, Bi Ryu-yeon asked, but his right eyebrow twitched slightly.
"I'm serious."
Namgoong Sang replied with a grave expression, his face screaming, 'This is no joke!'
"Whooosh!"
Like a flying tiger, Bi Ryu-yeon darted towards the communal living quarters, with Namgoong Sang following hastily.
"What happened?"
Bi Ryu-yeon asked urgently.
"Yes, we found Tang Three collapsed halfway up the mountain. Cheon Woo and I carried him back."
Hyun-woon explained, standing nearby. Girls were surrounding and tending to Tang Three. He was lying deathly still, covered in blood, looking as if he could be a corpse for days without arousing any suspicion.
"He was found beaten and collapsed?"
"Yes."
"…"
"So, he lost the fight?"
Bi Ryu-yeon asked, seeking confirmation.
"Yes."
"My disciple lost a fight!"
Bi Ryu-yeon slammed his fist into the ground, causing the stone floor to cave in with a thunderous sound. He was clearly enraged.
"From the traces around, it seems like more than ten people attacked in a group. Except for one, none seemed to be of significant skill. But Tang Three was extremely exhausted from the afternoon training, so he couldn't fend off the simultaneous attacks. It looks like he was beaten by the group for quite a while. It's a miracle he didn't die. They didn't strike the final blow, and that's why he survived."
Hyun-woon's critical task was to somehow soothe the master's fury in this tense and precarious situation.
"…Call a doctor."
"Sir?"
"Get a doctor, now!"
Bi Ryu-yeon's shout echoed through the night sky.
His disciple had been beaten and brought back in. Tang Three had gone to fetch water but didn't return, so they went looking and found him collapsed halfway up the mountain. They hurriedly brought him back and called a doctor, who was currently treating him. Be it for better or worse, he was a disciple under Bi Ryu-yeon. One of his disciples had gone out on an errand, been beaten up, and was now receiving medical attention. The disciple had bruises and some cuts from swords, indicating an attack by several people simultaneously. The traces were clear.
It was miraculous there were no fractures, only some cracks. But even with the restraining weight of the weighted bracelets, Tang Three should not have been overpowered by such riffraff. It seemed a skilled warrior attacked him, though still inferior to Tang Three. It was clear Tang Three had been taken by surprise, knocked down, and then beaten up. Bi Ryu-yeon's fists clenched with force.
Only the master had the right to touch a disciple in this world. But someone dared to harm his disciple without permission. It was a matter of pride.
'Who dares to touch my disciple and leave him in this state?'
Bi Ryu-yeon was seething with rage.
"Swish."
The door opened, revealing the renowned Doctor Seo and his assistant Hyun-woon. The room was filled with the scent of medicine, and Tang Three lay on the bed, completely bandaged.
"How is he?"
Bi Ryu-yeon asked with concern. Doctor Seo replied softly.
"Well, the treatment costs will be quite high."
"Any discounts?"
Bi Ryu-yeon asked cautiously.
"Can't do."
"What about installments?"
"Also not possible."
"And credit?"
"Even less possible."
"Can't you give a little discount? Bright smiles towards customers and various conveniences for them ensure a bright future and guaranteed profits through continuous transactions with potential clients!"
"Absolutely not. Not even a single coin less!"
Doctor Seo firmly shook his head. No discounts, because it was a matter of livelihood. Once a precedent is set, they would expect discounts every time. Thus, it was crucial to be firm. Doctor Seo was resolute in his decision.
"Well then, I have to accept it!"
Bi Ryu-yeon's fist clenched so tightly it creaked, emanating a dangerous aura.
"Sir?"
Doctor Seo's cautious advice and firm stance decided Bi Ryu-yeon's next course of action. For him, this was beyond tolerable.
"You will need to pay quite a sum."
The profound implications of Doctor Seo's words would shape the fate of an entire martial arts clan, something even he couldn't have imagined at the time.
The next morning, after breakfast, at the Heavenly Martial Academy dormitory located on a famous peak of Mount Emei, Tang Three was finally showing signs of recovery, albeit still groggy. The elder seated at the center of the table asked,
"Is it definitely Central Armed Escort Agency?"
"Yes," replied a chubby young man politely.
"Kang Jang-Han?"
"Yes. Given how he kept muttering about Central Armed Escort Agency and a man named Kang Jang-Han in his delirious state, it's clear they were behind this. Considering the skills of the attackers, he was probably their leader, but not the head escort. Central Armed is a renowned large escort service, after all."
The young man, Geum Yeong-Ho, used the plural 'they', implying that Kang Jang-Han and Central Armed Escort Agency were in cahoots. The word 'attack' particularly irritated Bi Ryu-yeon, disguised as an old man.
"Sharpening your teeth?"
"They were grinding."
"Then it's certain."
The old man, not addressing Geum Yeong-Ho but all 15 others excluding Tang Three, asked sharply.
"Ready?"
Everyone held wooden swords they had carved themselves.
"Shall we go?"
The old man asked again.
"Yes!"
A significant group of 16 individuals began descending the mountain. Their destination was a village where the Central Armed Escort Agency, an equally significant escort service, was located.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes."
"Well, it clearly says 'Agency Escort Armed Central' on the signboard, doesn't it!"
"Central Armed Escort Agency, read from right to left."
Hyun-Woon kindly corrected Bi Ryu-Yeon's mistake. In this era, Chinese signboards were written from right to left, which Bi Ryu-Yeon had mistakenly read from left to right.
"What does it matter? As long as the meaning is clear."
Bi Ryu-Yeon responded nonchalantly.
"Is the meaning clear to you? How can it possibly make sense?"
Hyun-Woon, impatiently and puzzled, asked, wondering how 'Central Armed Escort Agency' could be misinterpreted.
"I interpret from right to left, even if I read it from left to right."
Jaws dropped open as the group of 15 stared in disbelief. Bi Ryu-Yeon awkwardly scratched his head, feeling slightly embarrassed.
"Stop staring at me with such revered eyes, it's making me blush. Let's go inside."
With a loud crash and the sound of breaking wood, the Central Armed Escort Agency's main gate was blown away. A cloud of dust enveloped the group as they entered. Leading the way was an old man in his 50s with a white beard, followed by a mixed group of young men and women in ragged clothes, each holding a wooden sword. Despite their disheveled appearance, the sharp aura emanating from them was undeniable.
This group, led by Bi Ryu-Yeon disguised in an unflattering mask and currently engaged in a scam, was the Vermilion Bird squad from Heavenly Martial Academy. They had come for a five-month intensive training at Mount Emei, only to find themselves under a fraudulent master. Originally 16 in number, now only 15 were present, and the missing one was the very reason for their dramatic entrance into Central Armed Escort Agency.
Bi Ryu-Yeon spoke up authoritatively,
"Go and tell the owner to come out."
His tone was provocative, hands on his hips, chest puffed out, head held high – a blatant display of overconfidence, as if dismissing the opposition as inconsequential.
"Who are these guys?"
One of the escorts guarding the escort agency fearlessly drew his sword and charged forward. Out of the 16, he headed straight for Bi Ryu-yeon, who stood at the front, slightly crooked and with a twisted disposition. In an instant, Bi Ryu-yeon thrust his fist out.
"Bang."
"Kek!"
With a strange scream, the attacking escort was sent flying back and collapsed some distance away.
"Ah, who was it again… Oh right, tell that escort captain, be it Kang Jang-han or Geon Jang-han (brawny)1, to come out too. This elder here has some business with him."
A first-grade emergency bell, which had never been rung before, resounded fiercely throughout the escort agency, and all the escorts inside assembled at the training ground. The reason was that Bi Ryu-yeon and his party had broken through the main gate and were standing right there in the Central Armed Escort Agency's training ground. Everyone had rushed in, each holding a weapon. Then, a middle-aged man dressed differently from the rest, as if to prove he was a cut above, burst out.
Judging by the large character 'Da' (大) embroidered on the right chest of his green overcoat, and the three lotus flower patterns beneath it, he seemed to be a figure of considerable standing in this escort agency. This was in contrast to the ordinary escorts of Central Armed Escort Agency, who all had the character 'Central Armed' and a single lotus flower embroidered on their right chest.
"I am a captain of the Central Armed Escort Agency."
Geum Yeong-ho informed Bi Ryu-yeon about him. Coming from a family that proudly claimed to be second only to none in the Central Plains commercial sphere, Geum Yeong-ho was the only son of Geumho Trading Company. From a young age, he had been fed a diet of intensive education, absorbing a wealth of information. This successor training meant he knew a lot in this field.
"Guys, attack!"
Huh? The captain suddenly popped out and abruptly ordered his subordinates to attack. Clearly, he was an ignorant man unaware of the elegant solutions to incidents through negotiation, discussion, dialogue, and compromise. Ordered from above to attack, the subordinates had no choice but to comply, and Bi Ryu-yeon and his disciples were forced to defend themselves. This defense, a means of self-protection, inadvertently involved violence, which Bi Ryu-yeon's group later justified as a necessary response to the attack.
Bi Ryu-yeon was relentless. As if there was no need even to use secret techniques or ultimate skills, he effortlessly navigated through the enemy ranks with nothing but his bare fists. Those unfortunate enough to get caught by him were sent flying, crashing into walls and ending up sprawled out as if dead.
The same was true for the 15 self-proclaimed disciples he had brought with him. Far from being overwhelmed or pushed back, they struck down anyone they encountered. These individuals had gained admission to the highly esteemed and notoriously difficult Heavenly Martial Academy. Moreover, they had endured hellish training under the mysterious and demanding self-proclaimed master, Bi Ryu-yeon, over the past five months. Even the dark-colored restraint bracelet on their wrists couldn't significantly hold them back. In other words, unless facing a top-notch expert, these disciples didn't even need to exert themselves fully. Under the wooden swords held by 15 of them, numerous escorts of the Central Armed Escort Agency were scattering blood and fainting.
Geon Jang-han or 건장한 means sturdy-looking or in this case, Ryu-yeon is being sarcastic, so in this context, the word 'brawny' seems more appropriate here.[ ]