Light Compliant Ear Na Junghae. Age 45. Occupation: Information Merchant.
He holds the grand position of being the owner of Hall of Favorable Winds[1], the largest private information trading organization within the Nanchang area.
When it comes to Hall of Favorable Winds, it is an information trading organization that has steadily built its foundation within Nanchang Fortress, where dragons and tigers are said to roar fiercely, based on its iron-clad credibility and excellent information power. Its scale is publicly rumored to be the best within Nanchang Fortress.
The person who oversees the management and operation of Hall of Favorable Winds is none other than Light Compliant Ear Na Junghae, who is right in front of their eyes. People commonly refer to him as Favorable Winds' Midwife, Big Ears' Mr. Na[2].
Originally, Wind-Catching Ears[3] refers to someone who picks up all sorts of rumors, and the nickname was given because he has multiple Wind-Catching Ears in various places. His original nickname, Light Complaint Ear, is derived from an ancient tale, where Confucius is said to have entered the state of 'Compliance' at the age of fifty, where he could discern what others were saying. However, it was created by distorting and manipulating the story rather than merely quoting it.
However, true to his artificially manipulated nickname, his state is also a distorted and crooked one. When he gathers and listens to other people's stories, he does discern them, but in Na Junghae's case, he discerns them based on whether they are stories that make money or not, which is why the character for light, gyeong (輕)[4], is added in front.
Moreover, his ears are as big as his nickname suggests. Their size is so large that they could serve as an older brother to Liu Bei Xiande from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. From a distance, it looks like he has two bags hanging on either side of his face, giving him a comical appearance. Some people jokingly call him 'Double-bag Ears'[5]. Of course, he deeply dislikes the nickname 'Double-bag Ears', and if anyone carelessly mentions it, they would have a hard time keeping their limbs intact due to his outburst.
Nanchang is the birthplace and front yard of the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy, known as the greatest force in the martial arts world. Therefore, someone like Na Junghae, who belongs to a small to medium-sized sect, has limitations in expanding his power due to the overwhelming influence of the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy. At best, he is likely to be reduced to a supporting role for the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy.
So, even if he is the leader of an organization, it is difficult to break free from the limitations of being a small-scale information merchant in Nanchang. However, based on his innate cleverness and wit, Na Junghae has not only acquired the reputation of being the best information organization in Nanchang but also has some connections within the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy. As such, the amount of information he currently handles and possesses is so vast that it defies the speculation of the world.
Despite being a recognized expert within Nanchang, Na Junghae is currently kneeling with the utmost respect and courtesy at the lower seat of his office. His face, which already gives a thin and narrow impression, is covered in beads of sweat that seem like they could fall at any moment, and his long, wide ears, resembling money bags, are drooping lifelessly.
Beneath his thin and pointed nose, his rat-tail-like mustache is trembling like the tail of a wet mouse, showing how extremely tense he is, to the point of being pitiful to see. In the upper seat in front of him (the very seat where he usually works, organizes information, calculates income, and issues orders), a middle-aged man with a fierce appearance, dressed entirely in red, is sitting with an air of great authority. His red hair, red eyes, and red eyebrows, along with his strong and sturdy appearance reminiscent of the grandeur of the Five Sacred Mountains, exude an enormous aura and presence that could suffocate anyone who looks at him.
This middle-aged man, who seems to have deliberately emphasized his identity one by one throughout his entire body, is none other than Blazing Blade Gwak Yeonghee, someone that Na Junghae, who works in the information industry, cannot possibly be unaware of, even if he tries. Even if one is not involved in the information industry, anyone who is part of the Nine Provinces and Rivers would never be unfamiliar with Blazing Blade.
However, what is striking is that despite his tremendous and terrifying skills, there is one person sitting shoulder to shoulder with Blazing Blade, who is known for his poor social skills and preference for acting alone. It is a strange young man in his early twenties, with thick, long black hair and bangs that reach below his eyes, making it difficult to discern his facial features. The fact that a seemingly insignificant and scruffy-looking young man is sitting in an equal position right next to Blazing Blade, who exudes a terrifying aura, is something that Na Junghae, who is performing a full bow but has a well-functioning head, finds hard to believe and completely incomprehensible.
Moreover, to make matters worse, the strange young man is sitting in a very arrogant posture, resting his chin on his right hand and crossing his legs, as if he has three or four extra lives prepared. This made Light Compliant Ear Na Junghae's surprise even greater. To be honest, his eyes nearly popped out, his heart was pounding as if it would burst, and his liver was repeatedly expanding and contracting due to the intense shock.
'Has hair grown thickly on my heart, and has my liver popped out of my stomach, saying "catch me and eat me"?'
It was because he could not even imagine, even in his dreams, that there could be someone who could sit in such a manner, lacking even half an eyeball's worth of courtesy, next to the world-renowned Blazing Blade. The reason he himself is kneeling pitifully, bowing his head, and being apprehensive is all due to the overwhelming presence and notorious temper of Blazing Blade, isn't it? The secret nickname that quietly circulates in the martial arts world, "the burning mad dog," was not given to him for no reason.
Yet, there is someone sitting next to Blazing Blade, who is famous for his fiery temper, in such a posture and still maintaining his life, safety, and intact limbs. Curiosity about this person couldn't help but rise. Indeed, one cannot deceive their profession. Hundreds and thousands of question marks repeatedly flickered in the sea of his thoughts. His brain was spinning fiercely to the point of being twisted and tangled, and his thoughts were crawling through his mind like snakes.
However, no matter how much he racked his brain and sifted through the information, he couldn't find even a shadow of someone like the strange young man. Just as he was intensely and passionately turning his mind, the strange young man's mouth opened, interrupting Light Compliant Ear Na Junghae's thought process. In an instant, the question marks that were completely messing up his mind disappeared as if they were a lie.
The identity of the strange young man was none other than Bi Ryu-yeon, the self-proclaimed master of Blazing Blade. However, Bi Ryu-yeon seemed to be in a very bad mood right now, with signs of dissatisfaction hanging all over his face.
"It's over, you say?"
It was a reaction to the answer Na Junghae had given to his earlier question. But somehow, the reaction seemed unusual. Na Junghae had a very uneasy feeling.
"Yes, it's just as I said."
Cold sweat naturally drenched his spine and passed. For now, Na Junghae answered politely. When dealing with an unidentified individual, there was nothing bad about being cautious and extra careful for one's health and longevity. Especially for someone involved in the martial arts world, self-control, caution, and prudence were the three essential virtues.
"I'm pretty sure I heard that the exam day was tomorrow. Isn't that why everyone is being noisy and bustling in preparation for it? But you're saying it's already over? Does that even make sense?"
Bi Ryu-yeon's face, who was shouting with bulging veins so loudly that the office seemed to shake, instantly crumpled. It was a sign reflecting his current mood. His mood was probably crumpled just like his face right now, and not only that, it must have been twisted as well. Whether he knew or not about his mood, Na Junghae continued to speak.
"Yes, let me tell you once again. While it's true that the Ascension Martial Arts Festival will be held tomorrow, the registration for participation has already ended a month ago. The Heavenly Martial Arts Academy entrance exam, also known as the Ascension Martial Arts Festival, is famous for being difficult and demanding! As it is an exam to select people who will be admitted to the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy, which guarantees the best martial arts training environment, status, honor, and reputation, the number of applicants is countless. It is practically impossible to test all those numerous applicants one by one. Therefore, after the registration, they take a month to first weed out the less qualified ones. It's like pulling out weeds in a field. As a result, there are countless people who fail the document screening during this one-month period and can't even participate in the preliminaries."
Na Junghae mobilized all the knowledge and information he knew and provided a detailed explanation, summarizing it in a way that even a stupid person could easily understand. However, whether Bi Ryu-yeon knew or appreciated his efforts, it didn't make any difference to him. It seemed like he had no intention of listening to and understanding the story from the beginning. It was confirmed that his constant efforts were completely in vain. Na Junghae thought to himself that Bi Ryu-yeon really had a dog-like personality. Of course, he never expressed it outwardly…
At noon today, Light Compliant Ear Na Junghae was about to enjoy a meal with a happy and grateful heart in front of a table set with so much food that it could bend his legs. But what was this? A bolt from the blue on a clear day, a humiliation suffered in broad daylight! Just as he was about to pick up his spoon and take a bite, the door that was standing perfectly fine in front of his eyes shattered into pieces, and two figures entered through the gaping entrance. One of them, judging by his appearance that looked like an evil spirit drenched in blood from head to toe and his rough and terrifying aura like a blazing flame, was definitely Blazing Blade Gwak Yeonghee, the owner of the reputation that had been ringing in his ears all this time.
On the other hand, the other rude visitor who barged in with him was a strange young man in his early twenties whom Na Junghae had never heard of or seen before. These two easily knocked down the eight guards protecting the exterior of the Hall of Favorable Winds's main building, and not only that, they roughly and savagely smashed the intact door that could be easily opened and entered. And the first thing they said was,
"Hey, listen up. How do I get into the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy?"
So Na Junghae answered. Some people might curse at him, asking if he simply answered, "Ah, it's like this and that," to the two unwelcome guests who had thrown his sect into chaos without any consideration. There would probably be many. Isn't living by honor the way of Gangho? However, the identity and status of the unwelcome guests were such that they could go beyond his resistance and annihilate it, so Na Junghae gave up on opposing them too easily. It was because of his will to survive, to maintain the lifeline of the sect and to make a living. Na Junghae obediently answered the question.
"You have to take the exam and pass."
Because of this one sentence, Na Junghae almost ended up in a coffin that day. Perhaps his failure to properly read the atmosphere was the factor of his failure. Bi Ryu-yeon asked Na Junghae again, who was rubbing his bruised eyes on both sides.
"Take the exam and pass? I know that too. What I want to know is more accurate, detailed, and definite information about taking the exam. How do I participate in that Ascension Martial Arts Festival exam, and how do I pass? You said the exam is tomorrow, right? What do I need to know to apply and take the exam? That way, I can pass and enter the Heavenly Martial Arts Academy!"
"Well…"
As if there was something difficult to answer, Na Junghae hesitated for a moment at Bi Ryu-yeon's question. He seemed to be trying to avoid Bi Ryu-yeon's question.
"Well… what's next? You don't know? Don't stall and tell me quickly."
Unable to bear Na Junghae's hesitation for even a moment, Bi Ryu-yeon retorted. His temper was still impatient.
"Well… so if you want to participate in the Ascension Martial Arts Festival, you have to wait another y-year."
"What, a year? Am I crazy? Do I look like I'm crazy? How can I wait another year? Why? Didn't you say that Ascension Martial Arts Festival or Seungcheon Munje exam is definitely tomorrow?"
"I apologize for telling you this, but although the exam is tomorrow, the registration for participation ended a long time ago, a month ago."
Instantly, Bi Ryu-yeon's eyes grew as big as lanterns, blinked twice blankly, and then became small again. Then, as the next step, Bi Ryu-yeon's facial muscles twisted strangely and crumpled like a piece of paper thrown in the trash can. He took a posture that could vividly show with his entire body that he was in a very dirty, unpleasant, and displeased state, and then remained silent for a moment.
This was the whole story of what had happened up until just now. Then, Bi Ryu-yeon broke the chilly silence that lasted for a while, forcibly relaxed his twisted facial muscles, and asked again in a subdued voice. Next to Bi Ryu-yeon, who was sitting with a frown on his face, his facial muscles twisted as much as they could, Blazing Blade, who had been sitting silently all this time, spoke up with his bright eyes shining.
"So you're saying it can't be done?"
"…"
Na Junghae couldn't answer his question. He only hesitated with a restless appearance.
"I guess it can't be done."
As if he was angry, Bi Ryu-yeon's cold expression instantly turned into a suspicious smile.
"There's no way?"
"…"
Bi Ryu-yeon's fingers fiddled with a writing brush stuck in a brush container, looking very dissatisfied. At a glance, it seemed like nothing, but Na Junghae suddenly felt an ominous sign from his appearance. It was the sharp intuition of an information merchant who had honed his skills for over 30 years.
"The registration ended yesterday?"
"…"
Still remaining silent, Na Junghae still couldn't find the words to say and sat there miserably with his head bowed like a mouse in front of a cat. He really couldn't think of a solution. So he had nothing to say in response to Bi Ryu-yeon's question. He was also going crazy with frustration. He was beginning to doubt whether he was really the leader of Hall of Favorable Winds, the number one private information trading group in Nanchang, or if it was a misunderstanding. If things continued like this, it was possible that the signboard of Hall of Favorable Winds would be taken down today. This persistent silence also made Bi Ryu-yeon feel annoyed. And finally, it erupted.
"Swish!"
Along with the sound of the air being cut, a chilly energy brushed past Na Junghae's large ears. A few strands of hair were cut off by the wind pressure generated at this moment and fluttered in the air.