Chapter 17

"Gak."

A death rattle burst from Tang Cheol-yeong's mouth. An escort who couldn't bear to watch from behind had struck the back of Tang Cheol-yeong's head with the spear he was holding. Tang Cheol-yeong, whose senses were dulled by fatigue, failed to notice this despicable and cowardly act and took the full blow to the back of his head. Tang Cheol-yeong's vision went black.

'Gak... Even if I don't wish for poison, if only I had at least one hidden weapon...'

Tang Cheol-yeong's body slowly fell forward. The escorts swarmed around the fallen Tang Cheol-yeong.

"Hey, stomp him."

"Let's teach him a lesson."

"I'll make him into a pancake."

"I like scallion pancakes better..."

"You're being silly, fish pancakes are more delicious."

And then they surrounded the fallen Tang Cheol-yeong and began to beat him. Had about 7.5 minutes passed? Gang Jang-han, who had been diligently and brutally beating Tang Cheol-yeong and venting his anger, said.

"Hey, pour water on him."

An escort brought a water bucket from the water carrier Tang Cheol-yeong had taken off and poured water on him. Looking at Tang Cheol-yeong, who was about to regain consciousness slightly, Gang Jang-han said.

"Hey, beat him until dust flies!"

Gang Jang-han began to incite the kids.

"Alright, let's experiment and see how much you have to beat a wet body for dust to fly."

The escorts surrounding him began to respond. Again, they all surrounded Tang Cheol-yeong and began to kick his body. There was not even a speck of mercy to be found, no matter how hard you looked. Thinking this was their chance, they were all taking their revenge for being hit earlier to their heart's content. There was even a guy who was striking his head with the butt of a spear shaft. His limbs were being stomped, his back was being struck, and his stomach was being kicked... After diligently beating Tang Cheol-yeong's body for about 15 minutes, the escorts, whether they were tired of beating him any longer or to finish him off, all stopped their movements.

This was because Gang Jang-han, who had been leading the charge and beating Tang Cheol-yeong the most severely, had stopped them. Tang Cheol-yeong was lying on the ground as if dead, without any further movement, and there was not a single part of his body that was intact.

"Should we kill him!"

An escort with slanted eyes asked. After having been beaten to a pulp and made unable to even move, the only thing he said was 'Should we kill him?'. A murderous intent appeared in the eyes of Gang Jang-han, whose one eye area was red and who had blood in his mouth, as he looked at the subordinate who had offered a good opinion that deeply resonated with his own heart. How many subordinates had been taken down by this guy? There was not a single person around here who was unharmed. It was because they had all been hit by this guy in at least one place.

'A guy who was staggering from the beginning. Ugh... Just kill him!'

A murderous intent boiled up. The body that had been beaten earlier ached. Since he had fought this guy one-on-one, he had far more places that were not intact than the others. The blow he had received from that strange-named martial art, what was it, that Three Dog Days Dog Body Nourishing something-or-other, was severe. If his subordinates hadn't helped him, he might have been in the other world by now.

Strength entered the hand holding the sword. The hand holding the sword was trembling. But then, Gang Jang-han put the sword back into its scabbard. He couldn't just do as he pleased just because he was angry. He clenched the hand that had just held the sword tightly. And then he shook his head.

"We can't commit murder on Mount Emei. That's enough, this bastard must have come to his senses after being beaten this much. Let's just go."

That's right. This was not just any mountain, but Mount Emei, and on top of the mountain was the Emei Sect, which proudly occupied a spot among the nine great sects. To get into a fight and kill the other party on Mount Emei, which was the territory of the Emei Sect, was an act that completely ignored the face of the Emei Sect. There was no way the Emei Sect would just let a murder by sword fight on Mount Emei slide.

If a murder case occurred in front of the main gate of the Emei Sect, which worships Buddha who teaches mercy, how could they just let it pass, given their face? They would try to solve the case no matter what. There was no way Emei would just let go of the guys who had tarnished the name of the Emei Sect. He couldn't afford to be hated by the Emei Sect. If he killed this guy and got caught, it was a given that the escort bureau would close down, and if it was serious, his own neck might be on the line.

So he suppressed his murderous intent and just gathered his men and began to descend the mountain. Behind them, Tang Cheol-yeong, who was lying unconscious, was left alone. But since he had been beaten like that, his body, bones, and mind were not intact, so if he was left like that, his fate was to choose one of two things: become food for beasts or freeze to death.

---

• The Fate of the Jungyang Escort Bureau, Like a Candle in the Wind

Next to the fallen Tang Cheol-yeong, only a broken water bucket and a broken carrier pole lay forlornly. The sun had now hidden its form in the mountains, and as the cloth of darkness began to spread across the night sky, a cold night was approaching.

"Gasp, gasp, Master, we have a big problem."

"What is it, making such a fuss."

Namgung Sang ran up, panting, and said without hiding his urgency.

"Gasp, gasp, Tang Sam, Tang Sam..."

"What about Tang Sam? Did Tang Sam's father pass away or something? You're going to run out of breath."

"W-well, Tang Sam's father is fine, but Tang Sam himself is currently on the verge of passing away. He looks like he's about to die at any moment."

"You're joking, right?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked with a smiling face, thinking, 'No way.' But the tip of his right eyebrow was twitching.

"I'm serious."

Namgung Sang answered with a serious expression. His facial expression was shouting, 'This is no joke!'

"Hwiik."

Like a flying tiger riding the wind, Bi Ryu-yeon launched his body towards the lodging. Behind him, Namgung Sang was chasing after him in a hurry.

"What happened?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked in an urgent voice.

"Yes, Yeong-ho and I, who went to look for him, found Tang Sam collapsed on the mountainside and carried him here."

Hyeonun stood beside him and answered the question. The girls were now surrounding Tang Sam and nursing him. His whole body was covered in blood, and he was lying quietly as if dead, looking as if it wouldn't be strange at all if a corpse that had died a few days ago asked to be friends.

"He was beaten and collapsed?"

"Yes."

"..."

"So he lost?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked as if confirming.

"Yes."

"A disciple of mine fought someone and lost!"

Bi Ryu-yeon slammed his fist on the floor. The stone floor caved in with a sound like the earth sinking. He seemed to be furious.

"Judging by the traces around, it seems a group of more than ten people attacked him all at once. Judging by the footprints, except for one, they were not figures of a great level, but Tang Sam was very tired from the afternoon training, so it seems he couldn't block the simultaneous attacks of many. Judging by his condition, it seems he was beaten by a group for a considerable amount of time. It's a miracle he's not dead. They didn't deliver the final blow. That's why he's alive."

The crucial and important mission entrusted to Hyeonun now was to calm down some of his master's anger. It was a tense, touch-and-go situation where it was unknown what kind of accident might break out.

"...tor..."

"What?"

"Call a doctor!"

Bi Ryu-yeon shouted so loudly that the night sky rang.

A disciple came back after being beaten. No, he had gone to fetch water and there was no news, so he sent disciples to look for him, and they found him lying as if dead on the mountainside, hurriedly brought him back, called a doctor, and he was now being treated. Whether he liked him or not, he was a disciple under his name. But one of the disciples entrusted to him had gone out to work, was beaten by a group, came back, collapsed, and was now being treated by a doctor. Seeing the bruises and some sword wounds all over his body, it was clear that several people had attacked him at once. Every single trace was distinct.

It was a miracle that there were no broken bones. It seemed that even if there were cracks, there were no broken bones. But no matter how much his movements were restricted by wearing the ink rings, he was not a guy who would be defeated by riffraff. It seemed he had been defeated by a warrior of considerable skill. Of course, even so, he was a guy whose skills were far inferior to Tang Sam's, but it was clear that while fighting, they had hit him on the back of the head when Tang Sam was momentarily off guard, knocked him down, and then beaten him as a group. Strength entered his clenched fist.

The only person in this world who can touch a disciple is the master. No, it had to be that way. But some other guy had dared to touch his disciple without permission. This was a matter of pride.

'Who dares? To touch my disciple and put him in this state.'

Bi Ryu-yeon's anger flared up.

"Sreureuk."

The door opened, and the renowned Doctor Seo and Hyeonun, who was acting as his assistant, walked out. The room was filled with the smell of medicine, and Tang Sam was lying on the bed as if dead, wrapped in bandages all over his body.

"How is he?"

Bi Ryu-yeon asked carefully with a worried look. Doctor Seo, not to be outdone, also answered softly and carefully.

"Well, the treatment fee is going to be quite high."

"A discount?"

Bi Ryu-yeon carefully asked back.

"Not possible."

"Installments?"

"Also not possible."

"On credit?"

"Even more not possible."

"Can't you just give me a little discount? A bright smile towards the customer and providing various conveniences for the customer guarantees a bright future and profit through continuous transactions with potential customers!"

"Absolutely not. Not even a single coin, absolutely!"

Doctor Seo shook his head firmly. What's not possible is not possible. He was also doing this to make a living, so he couldn't just carelessly give a discount on the treatment fee. If he gave a discount once, they would get a taste for it and try to get another discount next time. To prevent such a thing from happening, he needed to be firm now. Doctor Seo hardened his heart.

"Then, I'll have to take it!"

Bi Ryu-yeon said, clenching his fist so tightly that it made a grinding sound. A murderous intent flickered all over his body.

"What?"

Doctor Seo's careful opinion and firm attitude determined Bi Ryu-yeon's next action. From Bi Ryu-yeon's point of view, this was not something that could be tolerated.

"You'll need to pay quite a bit of money."

It would have been difficult for Doctor Seo at this time to imagine that this one phrase from him, which held such a profound meaning, would become a statement that would decide the fate of a martial arts sect.

Two days later, in the morning, after breakfast, in the front yard of the Cheonmu Academy lodging located on a famous peak of Mount Emei. Tang Sam was now showing signs of improvement, and his consciousness was returning, albeit faintly. The old man sitting in the center of the table asked.

"It's definitely the Jungyang Escort Bureau, right?"

"Yes."

The plump young man answered politely.

"Gang Jang-han, you say?"

"Yes, even in his delirious state, he was shouting the names of the Jungyang Escort Bureau and a guy named Gang Jang-han, so it's clear it was their doing. Judging by his skill, he must be the leader among the attackers, so he's probably a Great Escort Leader. But he wasn't the Chief Escort Leader. It might be different in a small, ordinary escort bureau, but the Jungyang Escort Bureau is a famous, large escort bureau."

Those guys, the plump young man Geum Yeong-ho had just used the plural 'those guys' instead of the singular 'that guy.' This statement was meant to make one think that the Jungyang Escort Bureau was also in cahoots with the guy named Gang Jang-han. The word 'attack' was also a word that severely grated on the ears of Bi Ryu-yeon, who was sitting there in the guise of an old man.

"His teeth?"

"He was grinding them."

"Then it must be certain."

Again, the old man asked not towards Geum Yeong-ho, but towards all 15 people sitting at the table, excluding Tang Sam. His eyes shone sharply.

"Are you ready?"

"Complete."

In everyone's hands was a wooden sword carved from wood.

"Shall we go?"

The old man asked again.

"Yes!"

A group of no small number, 16 people, began to descend the mountain. In the village they were descending to, there was an escort bureau called the Jungyang Escort Bureau, which was also by no means small.

"This is the place, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, it's clearly written on the plaque here, 'Yangjung Escort Bureau'!"

"Jungyang Escort Bureau, you read it from right to left."

Hyeonun kindly corrected Bi Ryu-yeon's mistake. At this time, all the plaques in China were written to be read from right to left. Bi Ryu-yeon had read the plaque from left to right.

"What does it matter? As long as the meaning gets across."

Bi Ryu-yeon answered indifferently.

"Yes, the meaning gets across? How does it get across? There's no way it can."

Hyeonun asked in surprise, impatiently, as if a Taoist priest had so many things to be curious about.

'Yangjung Escort Bureau' how could you interpret it to make sense?

"I interpret from right to left, you see. Even if I read from left to right."

Jjeok, 15 mouths of 15 people fell open, and everyone became dazed as if their souls had left them. As if embarrassed for a moment, Bi Ryu-yeon scratched the back of his head slightly.

"If you stare at me with such a look full of respect, I'll get embarrassed. Now, let's go in."

With a bang, a crash, and a crack, the main gate of the Jungyang Escort Bureau flew away. In the hazy, fog-like dust that arose from the impact, a group of people entered. The person entering at the very front was an old man who looked to be in his fifties with a white beard under his chin, and following behind him, holding a wooden sword in one hand, was a group of young men and women in their twenties, wearing clothes that were on the verge of being rags.

Everyone's hair was disheveled, and the clothes they were wearing were shabby, but the sharp aura emanating from them was as honed as a blade. That blade-like sharp aura was a clear proof that this was by no means an easy or soft group. Of course, the old man entering at the front was Bi Ryu-yeon, who was currently smoothly carrying out his fraudulent activities with a human-skin mask on, and the group following behind him were the members of the Vermilion Bird group, who had been honorably chosen from the Cheonmu Academy and had come to the Mount Emei training camp, only to be toyed with by the heavens and now suffering for five months under a fake master. Originally, there were 16 members in the Vermilion Bird group, but the number of people here now was 15, with one spot empty. And this one empty spot was the very reason they were now opening the main gate of the Jungyang Escort Bureau very politely. The mouth of Bi Ryu-yeon, who was standing at the front, opened.

"Go and tell the Bureau Chief to come out."

It was a tone that was clearly picking a fight. With both hands on his hips, his chest puffed out proudly, and his head held high, it was an expression of arrogant confidence that guys like you were not even in his sight.

"Who are you guys?"

An escort who was guarding the bureau fearlessly drew his sword and rushed in. And of all the 16 people, he rushed towards none other than the slightly crooked and twisted Bi Ryu-yeon standing at the very front... In that instant, Bi Ryu-yeon threw a punch.

"Kwang."

"Ke-ek!"

With a strange scream, the rushing escort shot up this much and flew over there, collapsing.

"Ah, who was it... Ah, yes, tell that Escort Leader guy, whether he's Gang Jang-han or Geonjang-han, to come out too. Tell him this old man has business with him."

The emergency bell, which had never been rung before, signaling a first-class emergency, rang furiously, and all the escorts in the bureau gathered in the training ground. The place where Bi Ryu-yeon's group, who had broken through the main gate, was standing was the training ground of the Jungyang Escort Bureau. They had all gathered, each holding a weapon. And then, a middle-aged man in an attire that looked somewhat different from the clothes worn by the small fry here, as if to prove that he was a guy who had a thing or two, rushed out.

Judging by the 'Great' character and the three lotus flowers embroidered under it on the right chest of his light green overcoat, he seemed to be a person who held a considerable position in this escort bureau. This was because all the ordinary escorts of this Jungyang Escort Bureau had the words 'Jungyang' and one lotus flower embroidered on their right chests.

"He's a Great Escort Leader of the Jungyang Escort Bureau."

Geum Yeong-ho whispered to Bi Ryu-yeon, tipping him off. Since Geum Yeong-ho's family was the Geumho Merchant Guild, which would be sad to be called second in the Central Plains business world, he had acquired a lot of information through cramming education since he was young. Thanks to that successor training, he knew a lot about this field.

"Kids, attack!"

Huh? The guy called a Great Escort Leader popped out and, without any warning, ordered his underlings to attack. He was undoubtedly an ignorant guy who didn't know about seeking a smooth solution to the incident through consultation, discussion, dialogue, and compromise. Since he had ordered them to attack from above without any warning, the underlings came in to attack, and Bi Ryu-yeon and his disciples had no choice but to block. The attacking side, Bi Ryu-yeon's group, later excused themselves by saying that violence was used as a means of self-defense called blocking, and it was an unavoidable situation.

Bi Ryu-yeon was unstoppable. As if there was no need to use secret techniques or ultimate moves, he was roaming freely through the enemy lines with just his bare fists. The unfortunate souls who were caught by his hands flew over there, hit their heads on the wall, and were stuck there as if dead.

The same went for the 15 so-called disciples he had brought with him. Far from being defeated or pushed back, they beat down their opponents as they came. These were people who had proudly entered the Cheonmu Academy, which was said to be as difficult and arduous as plucking a star from the sky. Moreover, they were beings who had gone through hellish training for the past five months, being swayed and overworked by a self-proclaimed master of unknown identity, Bi Ryu-yeon. The ink rings on their hands now were not restraining them much either. In other words, there was no need to take them off for mere riffraff, unless it was a peak master of some skill. Under the wooden swords held by the 15 of them, countless escorts of the Jungyang Escort Bureau were spitting blood and fainting.