The Massacre - 2
In the office, Mookhyang and Bang Daein were listening to the administrator read out the list of the goods seized in the recent raid. Mookhyang disliked calculations, but he had to be present to hand over what he had retrieved to Bang Daein.
"The amount recovered this time is as follows: 85,000 nyang in silver coins, 50 nyang in gold coins, twelve gold ingots worth 10 nyang each, so that's 120 nyang in gold. Two pearl necklaces, worth a total of 1,100 nyang in silver. Nine gold rings with gemstones, worth a total of 1,200 nyang in silver. Two gold necklaces with gemstones, totaling 1,150 nyang in silver. All the other miscellaneous valuables add up to 8,430 nyang in silver. Among the bandits' weapons, a treasured sword worth 500 nyang in silver, a top-grade dao (saber) worth 40 nyang in silver, and two top-grade swords worth 100 nyang in silver combined. So far, the total is 100,920 nyang in silver."
"And what else?" asked Bang Daein.
"Additionally, if we combine all the other weapons, it adds up to roughly 12,350 nyang. Fifty rolls of top-grade silk, valued at 50 nyang each, which is 3,000 nyang. One hundred and twenty rolls of silk valued at 384 mun each, amounting to 4,608 nyang. One hundred rolls of lower-grade silk, valued at 25 nyang each, making it 2,500 nyang. Two hundred and forty rolls of high-quality cotton valued at 12 nyang each, so 2,880 nyang. One hundred and twenty rolls of cotton valued at 10 nyang, making it 1,200 nyang. One hundred and fifty rolls of lower-grade cotton valued at 8 nyang each, making 1,200 nyang. Three hundred seok (approx. 1,800 bushels) of rice, which amounts to 11,520 nyang. And all the other grains and meat add up to 4,750 nyang. In addition, the loose change gathered from the bandits' camp totaled 83,456 nyang. In total, everything adds up to 127,464 nyang. So, that's 663 nyang and 168 nyang combined... In total, we have 101,583 nyang and 168 nyang in silver."
Hearing the administrator's report, Mookhyang felt somewhat relieved.
"Huh, looks like you've just about broken even. Congratulations, Bang Daein."
"No! Considering the bribes paid to the authorities and military to cover this up, the cost of locating the bandits' camp, and the fact that three men ran away with 5,000 nyang each, it's not even close to breaking even! If we catch them soon and recover some of the silver, maybe it'll work out. But if not, it'll be a big loss. Yoo Pyodu!"
"Yes!"
"Those men took off with 5,000 nyang each, so they're probably carrying it on horses or mules. We have to catch them before they exchange the silver for silver certificates at the money exchange. Have you given orders to your subordinates?"
"Yes, as soon as we identified the missing silver, I issued the orders. We'll start by tracking those who exchanged large amounts of silver at the money exchange. We've also instructed them to monitor anyone carrying heavy loads. After all, 5,000 nyang in silver weighs about 50 kan, so it'll be hard for them to cover their tracks."
"They might not be so easy to catch. They could have buried the silver deep in the mountains and are wandering around empty-handed. If that's the case, it'll be a big problem."
Bang Daein, after responding to Mookhyang, gave further instructions to the administrator.
"Quickly turn everything into cash and start transporting it by the end of the day. Sell everything, and for the goods that don't sell quickly, go to the money exchange – the one we run, of course – and borrow the amount against them. As for the weapons, distribute them to the escort warriors and guards, and sell any that aren't useful to the blacksmith. Now, move quickly!"
Bang Daein then turned back to Mookhyang and spoke respectfully.
This time, Mookhyang and Bang Daein were listening to the general manager reading the list of goods that had been seized. Though Mookhyang disliked calculations, he was present because he had to hand over the goods he had brought to Bang Daein.
"The amount recovered this time is as follows. 85,000 nyang of silver coins, 50 nyang of gold coins, twelve gold bars equivalent to 10 nyang of gold coins, so 120 nyang in total. Two pearl necklaces, worth 1,100 nyang of silver, nine gold rings with jewels attached, totaling 1,200 nyang, two gold necklaces with jewels attached, amounting to 1,150 nyang of silver. Various other treasures, totaling 8,430 nyang of silver, one precious sword from the bandits, worth 500 nyang of silver, one high-quality blade, worth 40 nyang, and two high-quality swords, totaling 100 nyang. So, in total, that amounts to 100,920 nyang of silver."
"And what else?"
"When adding all the remaining weapons, it amounts to approximately 12,350 nyang. 60 bolts of high-quality silk, priced at 50 nyang each, totaling 3,000 nyang. 120 bolts of silk priced at 384 mun, totaling 4,608 nyang. 100 bolts of low-quality silk priced at 25 nyang, totaling 2,500 nyang. 240 bolts of high-quality cotton priced at 12 nyang each, totaling 2,880 nyang. 120 bolts of cotton priced at 10 nyang each, totaling 1,200 nyang. 150 bolts of low-quality cotton priced at 8 nyang each, totaling 1,200 nyang. And 300 seok of rice, totaling 11,520 nyang. Additionally, various grains, meat, and other miscellaneous items, totaling 4,750 nyang. The loose change we gathered from all over the bandit hideouts amounts to 83,456 nyang. Adding it all together, the total is 127,464 nyang! Therefore, the total silver amount comes to 663 nyang and 168 nyang… In total, the total sum comes to 101,583 nyang and 168 nyang."
Mookhyang, after hearing the general manager's calculations, felt slightly relieved.
"Whew, it seems like you've at least broken even. Congratulations, Bang Daein."
"No! After factoring in the bribes to the government and military, the costs of locating the bandit hideouts, and the fact that three of our men ran off with 5,000 nyang each, we're still in the red. If we catch them and recover some of the money, that might help, but if we don't, we're taking quite a loss. Yoo Pyodu!"
"Yes?"
"Those men took off with 5,000 nyang each, so they're likely hauling it on horses or donkeys. You need to catch them before they exchange the silver for bank notes. Have you already given the order?"
"Yes, we identified the missing silver and gave immediate orders. We will start by tracking down anyone who has exchanged a large amount of silver at the exchange markets. I've also ordered them to search for anyone carrying heavy loads. After all, 5,000 nyang of silver is about 50 kan, so they'll be easy to track."
"Maybe not. They might bury it deep in the mountains and wander around freely, which would make things difficult for us."
Bang Daein, after replying to Mookhyang, gave orders to the general manager.
"Quickly gather the funds and start the transport today. Sell everything off, and for the items that don't sell immediately, borrow the equivalent amount from the exchange market—of course, the one we run ourselves. As for the weapons, distribute them to our escorts and guards, and sell the useless ones to the blacksmiths. Now, get moving!"
Bang Daein then turned to Mookhyang and spoke respectfully.
"This time, Yoo Pyodu will personally lead a group of about ten men to escort the goods. Though it took some time, we've secured the cooperation of the marshal's office, so there shouldn't be any major issues. Also, ask the general manager to give you twenty barrels of good liquor as a gift to accompany the goods. Hand them over along with the goods, and apologize to them with the liquor."
"Understood!"
After this event, the credibility of the Cheonryeong Escort Agency increased even further. Despite having their goods stolen, they had managed to recover them by raiding the bandits' hideout and transporting them safely. They also smoothed things over with their clients by presenting them with small gifts and sincere apologies for the two-month delay, resolving the situation completely. This was the story that spread through the martial world.
However, what wasn't known was that they had never given any of the goods to the bandits. Instead, they had launched a surprise attack and killed them all to avoid paying the penalty fee—double the transport costs in case of failure. To cover this up, they had spent nearly 200,000 nyang (equivalent to about 1,040 nyang of silver) on bribes. Though the transport had been delayed, the large-scale recovery and transport were completed cleanly, leading to a flood of new business, which allowed them to make up for the losses within two months.
As three years passed since Mookhyang had arrived in Luoyang, he learned a great deal about the escort business and the art of transporting goods. The Cheonryeong Escort Agency didn't just passively defend themselves against bandits. After this incident, they actively deployed skilled martial artists to clear out bandit hideouts. As a result, it became rare to see bandits around Luoyang.
The profit from clearing out bandits was considerable, and large-scale bandit groups in the north disappeared. While some small, impoverished bandits still remained, they no longer had the strength to challenge the escorts or steal the agency's goods.
As the Cheonryeong Escort Agency's business in the Luoyang branch stabilized, their ability to transport and store goods increased. Over the next three years, they expanded their control over 60% of the city's trade. As the business grew more stable, Mookhyang found himself with little to do and began devoting all his time to martial arts training. His dedication to training was so intense that Soyeon, the girl under his care, rarely saw him. Although Soyeon's mother saw Mookhyang when he came to massage Soyeon after she had fallen asleep, Soyeon herself was unaware of this.
Soyeon grew into a healthy, beautiful, and lively young lady at the age of sixteen, adored by the escorts. The rough escort guards treated her with the utmost respect, calling her "miss," largely because Mookhyang had cared for her almost as if she were his adopted daughter. On her fifteenth birthday, Mookhyang had gifted her a pony, and she spent her time riding around. With the guards eagerly teaching her martial arts, Soyeon had reached a level where she could defend herself, though to Mookhyang, her efforts seemed more like child's play.
Promotion
One summer day, during the peaceful daily routine, Bang Daein suddenly called Mookhyang, who was practicing martial arts in the training hall. When Mookhyang hurried over, he found Bang Daein drinking tea with a middle-aged man dressed in black. The man appeared to be a high-level martial artist, exuding a subtle demonic energy, indicating that he was likely someone sent from the central sect.
"I've come at your call, sir," Mookhyang greeted him with the customary formalities, only for Bang Daein to look startled and bow in return.
"Congratulations on your promotion, sir. Please have a seat."
Confused, Mookhyang sat down, and the middle-aged man in black bowed his head.
"How have you been? I bring news from the central sect. They are highly pleased with your recent accomplishments. Please read this."
Mookhyang opened the letter, which contained an order to return to the central sect, along with an appointment as a Centurion of the Cheonrang Corps and an insignia to accompany the promotion. The Cheonrang Corps was a group commanded by Iron Extreme Light, also known as Cheonri Dokhaeng (One Who Travels a Thousand Miles Alone), ranked 12th in the Demonic Sect. During the 30 years that Mookhyang had spent training and handling external affairs, many people had been replaced in the sect. Numerous old masters had either died or retired.
Six years ago, Iron Camp became the leader of the Cheonrang Corps, earning the title "One Who Travels a Thousand Miles Alone" due to his incredible speed. His real name was Iron Extreme Light, signifying his mastery in light-footwork techniques. The Cheonrang Corps is composed of over 1,000 elite martial artists, with positions of centurions and decurions within the group. Being part of the Cheonrang Corps, one of the five most powerful combat units in the Demonic Sect, was a great honor, and those belonging to it wielded tremendous authority and power. Among them, being appointed as a Centurion was an even more prestigious position, ranking far higher than the branch chief.
It was natural for the two people to speak to Mookhyang with respect.
"When should I report to the central sect?"
"You'll probably need some time to settle things, so you can come within two months."
After hearing this, Mookhyang tucked the letter into his robe and stood up.
"Then, I'll see you at the central sect."
"Understood."
"And, Bang Daein."
"Yes."
"Do you have some spare money at the moment?"
"What do you need it for?"
"I'm thinking of setting up the mother and daughter I'm looking after to live independently. What's the best way to go about it, and how much money would it cost?"
"The safest way for them would be to purchase a lot of land and lease it out. They could live off the rent. The place they are living now is fine, but if you don't like it, you can buy a new house in a safer area. It wouldn't cost too much."
"Let's do that. Can you take care of it?"
"Yes, leave it to me."
Mookhyang slowly walked back home. When he arrived, Soyeon was not there, as she had gone out to play on her pony. Although they lived in a small house, they lived in comfort. Whenever Soyeon wanted something, she would wait until Mookhyang returned home late and whisper her requests in his ear. If her mother overheard, she would scold her, so Soyeon would always sweetly whisper her wishes, and they were always granted. Besides that, whenever Mookhyang saw something he liked while walking around town, he would buy it and have it delivered home, so even though Soyeon lived in a humble thatched house, the clothes she wore were no less fine than those of a young lady from a noble family.
When Soyeon returned at dusk, the three of them gathered to have dinner. It had been three years since Soyeon's mother and Mookhyang had started living together, and although they didn't sleep together and she always addressed him as "sir," in every other way, they were essentially like a married couple. As they had dinner together after a long time, the three of them stayed up late, chatting warmly. As Soyeon was about to go to bed, Mookhyang spoke to her.
"Tomorrow, we're going out together, so don't go outside."
Soyeon whined playfully, exaggerating her dismay.
"Aww, but I promised to meet my friends…"
"There's nothing I can do about it. Tomorrow, we have somewhere to go together, so don't go out," Mookhyang said firmly, which was rare for him. Soyeon had no choice but to obediently agree, as Mookhyang was the head of the household.
The next day, near lunchtime, a guard from the escort agency arrived. He handed Mookhyang a thick envelope and a chest, then took Mookhyang and the mother and daughter to see their newly acquired farmland, where he introduced them to the tenant farmers. Afterward, they entered Luoyang city. The four of them had a late lunch at a restaurant and then, led by the escort, visited a tiled house. Though not large, it was a charming house with a well-kept garden. There was even a maid, whom Bang Daein had urgently arranged for them, someone trustworthy.
As they looked around the house, Soyeon asked Mookhyang, "Is this going to be our house from now on?"
"Yes, you can pick a nice room for yourself. Now that you're grown up, you can't share a room with your mother anymore, right?"
"Wow!" Soyeon shouted with joy as she rushed inside to choose her room.
After Soyeon had gone, Mookhyang handed a thick envelope to her mother and spoke softly.
"These are the deeds for the house and the land. Take good care of them."
"Yes, sir."
"You can either bring the things from the old house or buy new furniture and household items. The money from the tenant farming will be more than enough to live on. And since we'll need to arrange Soyeon's marriage eventually, it would be wise to save a little as well."
"Yes, sir. But starting yesterday, your expression has seemed different than usual. Are you feeling unwell?"
"No. You can arrange the rooms as you see fit, and there's a small stable behind the house where you can keep the pony."
Mookhyang handed her a small box and a purse filled with money and added, "The money in this purse will be enough to last until the next harvest. And inside this box are three gold coins. Keep them safe and use them for Soyeon's wedding."
The three gold coins were a tremendous amount of money. They were worth 60 taels of silver, and considering that the yearly living expenses for a typical family didn't exceed five taels of silver, it was an enormous sum. For Soyeon's mother, it was only natural to be shocked after hearing Mookhyang's words, as she had never even seen, let alone touched, such a large amount of money in her lifetime.
"Sir, why are you suddenly doing this?"
"I am leaving tomorrow. It is unlikely that we will meet again. But don't worry—I'm not going to die. It's just that I will be going to a place completely isolated from the outside world, so I can't take you and Soyeon with me. I've made enough preparations, so you should be able to live comfortably for the rest of your lives. You and Soyeon should stay here. The escort agency will bring over all the things from the thatched house. Take care."
"Sir... huff..."
"Could you call Soyeon for me? I'd like to say goodbye."
A moment later, Soyeon and her mother came out together. Her mother was still wiping away tears.
"Soyeon, I'll be going on a long journey this time. It might take several months, so be sure to listen to your mother and behave well, alright?"
"Yes."
Since Mookhyang often went away for a few days or even weeks under the pretense of hunting bandits, Soyeon took his words about a long journey at face value. Smiling brightly, she waved to Mookhyang as he left, and he waved back in response.
Mookhyang then returned to the escort agency, where he received the money and horse he needed for his journey from Bang Daein. Shortly after, he set off on his path.
Martial Arts Competition
Upon returning to the main base, Mookhyang faced a monotonous routine. The responsibilities of the members of the five main organizations, which formed the backbone of the Asura Blood Sect, were always the same—training, training, and more training. Whether it was individual practice or group formations to prepare for battles, the drills were relentless. Everyone endured this because advancing within the sect required possessing stronger martial skills than others.
They practiced the Ten Supreme Demon Sword Formation with ten members daily, the Hundred Wolf Sword Formation with one hundred members three times a week, and the Thousand Wolf Sword Formation with a thousand members once a week.
Having always trained alone, Mookhyang initially found much to learn. But after a few days, he understood everything and became uninterested. He felt it was a waste of time, preferring to continue his solitary training. However, to maximize the sect's collective strength in critical situations, even seemingly unnecessary training had to be consistently maintained. Moreover, if he withdrew, the other one hundred members he was supposed to lead during the Thousand Wolf Sword Formation would be left without direction.
One day, Mookhyang summoned his lieutenant and gave an order.
"From now on, you'll lead the main group during the formations. I'd also like you to handle the routine training."
His lieutenant hesitated, expressing his reluctance.
"But Commander, that would be against the rules. The men who have always taken orders from me might not coordinate well with you in actual combat."
"It's fine. Even then, you'll continue leading, and I'll step back."
"But..."
"Enough! Just do it. I've got too many thoughts swirling around in my head to focus right now!"
"Understood, I'll follow your orders."
However, Mookhyang's plan quickly unraveled. He thought his absence wouldn't be noticeable, as everyone wore the same uniform. But the sharp eyes of Cheolgeukgwang, known as Thousand Miles Lone Walker, immediately caught on. After the training session, Cheolgeukgwang summoned Mookhyang, and even before approaching, Mookhyang sensed the man's fury.
Carefully, Mookhyang greeted him.
"Commander."
Cheolgeukgwang, clearly struggling to keep his anger in check, addressed him.
"What were you doing?"
"Pardon?"
"What were you doing during the scheduled training?"
"I was practicing."
"More important than the sword formation drills?"
"…"
"Answer me quickly!"
"Yes."
"Hmph, then I shall evaluate how considerable your pathetic training really is. Follow me."
Cheolgeukgwang headed toward the training ground where the Thousand Wolf Sword Formation had been demonstrated. Mookhyang and his subordinates had no choice but to follow.
That old man seems really angry. What should I do?
In the middle of the training ground, Cheolgeukgwang slowly drew his sword and coldly shouted, "Now, quickly draw your sword."
"Mookhyang respectfully requests a duel with the Commander."
"Stop with the nonsense and draw your sword!"
Cheolgeukgwang, apparently furious to the point of boiling over, reacted irritably even to Mookhyang's formal greeting. Mookhyang slowly drew Mookhon.
"Now! Show me what kind of power the sword technique you've been training in has. If it shows some strength, I might forgive you."
Hearing the word "forgive," Mookhyang hesitated no longer and gathered his inner energy. As he did, the sword buzzed like a dragon, and a bluish mist began to spread around him.
Cheolgeukgwang gasped in shock as the sword's aura slowly extended beyond three meters. The bluish mist obscured Mookhyang's figure, making it barely visible. As the powerful aura approached him, Cheolgeukgwang could hardly remain calm. Although he felt something was off, he had no choice but to proceed. He lifted his sword and infused his energy to strike at the extending aura. Sparks flew as he struggled to cut through part of it, but it quickly rejoined and continued to extend outward.
Cheolgeukgwang jumped back two steps and, with a fierce shout, unleashed his sword technique.
"Yah!"
The technique he unleashed was the flow of the Cloud Blood Dragon from the Celestial Dragon Sword Art, executed with a tenth-level mastery. Red blood dragons, numbering over ten, clashed against the powerful auras Mookhyang had created. The collision produced an immense roar, and a vortex of energy erupted, yet in the end, Cheolgeukgwang's blood dragons could not penetrate the thick blue barrier of energy.
Fuming with rage, Cheolgeukgwang poured more energy into his attack, sending even larger blood dragons flying. Suddenly, from within the blue barrier, Mookhyang charged forward and struck at the blood dragons with Mookhon.
At that moment, Mookhon emitted a bluish glow, and the blade radiated a fiery aura approximately 15 centimeters thick. The red dragons, which could pierce anything, collided with the glowing Mookhon, producing a thunderous sound as they were repelled.
Seeing this, Cheolgeukgwang widened his eyes in astonishment and let out a breathless exclamation.
"Even the Sword Mastery…"
The sword aura, known as the sword energy, is created by condensing the tangible energy from the sword. Its power is stronger than both sword qi and wind. The only way to block this sword energy is through another sword energy or sword mastery. Sword mastery is a technique that only those who can completely control their sword can execute, extracting all the capabilities of the sword using their inner energy. This legendary skill can cut through iron like tofu with an ordinary iron sword.
There is also a slightly inferior technique called the Spirit-Penetrating Sword Technique, which fills the sword with energy to attack the opponent. While it does not produce the same fiery glow as sword mastery, it can vary in brilliance depending on the practitioner's level, and its power is weaker than that of sword mastery. When sword mastery is invoked, nothing can withstand its cutting power, and if a superior or divine sword is wielded, it can potentially counter sword mastery with the Spirit-Penetrating Sword Technique. However, if the opponent also utilizes a divine sword with sword mastery, it becomes challenging to defend, as sword mastery extracts more power from the sword, making it increasingly formidable.
As one becomes more proficient in swordsmanship, they can use true energy to unleash the sword techniques while maintaining the sword style, allowing them to attack even masters hundreds of feet away at will. This is called the Energy-Controlled Sword Technique and holds the highest position in swordsmanship. Together with the Heart Sword, it represents the pinnacle of sword techniques. The destructive power of this technique is on a different level compared to the Energy-Moving Sword Technique, which involves ordinary martial artists controlling true energy to move their swords and injure people. Without the same sword style or sword power, it is impossible to block a sword coming at you using the Energy-Controlled Sword. However, sword power merely collides with the opponent's sword and lacks sustained force, meaning that, practically speaking, only sword techniques can block other sword techniques. If anything can overcome sword techniques, it would be only one thing: the Heart Sword, which is a legendary technique and a higher level of martial art than sword techniques. This also requires immense inner strength, while sword techniques maximize the sword's capabilities, leading to much less consumption of true energy.
Mookhyang, regardless of whether Cheolgeukgwang was astonished or not, thrust straight toward him using sword techniques. Now, Cheolgeukgwang had only two options: to block the incoming sword or to thrust forward, facing Mookhyang and achieving mutual destruction. However, unless it was the Divine Sword, blocking the sword coming in with sword techniques was impossible. Thus, Cheolgeukgwang gritted his teeth and charged forward. Seeing Cheolgeukgwang's sword coming, Mookhyang quickly twisted his body and used the momentum to slice toward the opponent's lower body. In response, Cheolgeukgwang also quickly turned his body to stab at Mookhyang's lower abdomen.
As the close-quarters battle began, every second was filled with the potential for mutual destruction. Cheolgeukgwang could endure this much against Mookhyang's sword techniques thanks to his terrifying body techniques. If his body technique had been even slightly slower, he would have already admitted defeat. Although Cheolgeukgwang did not verbally acknowledge it, he deeply felt that he was already defeated. While he was sweating and breathing heavily, Mookhyang remained calm, focusing intently on each of his attacks.
After 30 seconds of close combat, Mookhyang jumped backward, creating some distance, lowered his sword, and said, "Your swordsmanship is truly remarkable, my lord. I have realized much. Thank you for your teachings. Might you forgive me now?" Cheolgeukgwang understood that if the close combat continued, one of them would be seriously injured or lose their life, and it was most likely going to be him. Even as Mookhyang used sword techniques with his sword shining, he moved with incredible flexibility and speed, reacting to Cheolgeukgwang's movements rather than following a predetermined pattern. As Cheolgeukgwang bowed low in recognition, he noticed Mookhyang had retreated. Reluctantly, he slowly sheathed his sword as a gesture of gratitude.
"Hmm… I wasn't aware your swordsmanship had progressed to this level. I'm sorry I didn't realize you weren't at a level to be under me. From now on, you won't need to participate in all the training."
"My lord, thank you for your consideration."
"Let's go…"
With that, Cheolgeukgwang led his subordinates back to his lodgings. He knew that the results of this duel would be reported to the sect leader today. Within the sect, there were many eyes and ears of the sect leaders hidden. If their reports reached the sect leader, Mookhyang might rise to a position even higher than his own. Therefore, he had yielded in the softest tone possible. If their relationship was already strained and later Mookhyang were to be promoted above him, it would be quite a headache.
Two weeks after that incident, Mookhyang received a summons from the sect leader.
"I am here to see the sect leader."
"Oh, I've heard you've been training diligently lately. I've called you this time to assign you a task."
"Just give me your orders."
"Hmm, let's have you explain."
Then, Hyeokmusang, who stood next to the sect leader, began to speak. Elder Hyeokmusang was someone who had been appointed after the retirement of Prince Jeokmyeom Yeom. By a strange coincidence, both he and the prince had mastered Jeokhyeolsuram Gong, which gave them the common trait of having red-tipped eyebrows. Regardless, due to his smile, which seemed to reveal his inner thoughts on how to deal with opponents, he earned the nickname Jeokmyeosalso and was praised as the greatest intellect born from the sect.
"You've probably experienced this in Luoyang, but our sect has recently been secretly trying to expand its influence. Rather than creating unnecessary disturbances, we are expanding various businesses. Among them, starting from Luoyang, we've opened three more branches with quite good results. Various businesses are also being initiated under different names. However, by a very coincidental opportunity, our business collided with the Jeoryeongmun. Although Jeoryeongmun is a small faction with about two hundred members, its leader is quite formidable. You may not be familiar with the martial world, but it's a faction led by the Thunderbolt Sword Emperor, who is among the Three Emperors and Five Kings. As time passes, it is highly likely that this faction will notice our sect's intentions to root ourselves in the area. Therefore, I'm asking you to handle this."
"Do you mean to eliminate the Thunderbolt Sword Emperor?"
"Exactly. Use any means necessary to get rid of him within a month. Once the leader is gone, their influence will crumble. Although there are about twenty powerful masters in that faction, without their leader, they will surely be weakened."
"However, if I assassinate such a powerful master, the aftermath will be..."
"You don't need to worry about that. Among the top masters of the righteous factions, there are only a few who are easy to identify. Therefore, for the sake of our sect's reputation, it is necessary to eliminate him. The martial world is vast, and even if there are masters who rival the Three Emperors and Five Kings hiding, it's hard to know about them. This mission must succeed as a warning to them as well. Do you understand?"
"Understood!"
"To support your retreat, I will assign four of our sect's masters to you. Take them with you."
"That won't be necessary. I can manage on my own. I will take my leave now."