Book 1 Chapter 18

The fate of the Jungyang Express Agency, like a lamp in the wind.

Beside the fallen Tang Cheolyeong, a broken water bucket and

a snapped carrying pole lay in desolate silence.

Now the sun was hiding its face behind the mountains,

and as a veil of darkness began to spread across the night sky,

a cold night was drawing near.

"Huff, huff, Master, something terrible has happened."

"What is it, making such a fuss?"

Namgung Sang ran up, out of breath, unable to conceal his urgency.

"Huff, huff, Tang San, Tang San…"

"Tang San what? Did Tang San's father pass away? You'll suffocate."

"Well, Tang San's father is fine, but Tang San himself is on the verge of death. He looks like he could die any moment."

"You're joking, right?"

With a smile of disbelief, Billyeon asked, but the tip of his right eyebrow twitched.

"It's the truth."

Namgung Sang replied with a serious expression. His face screamed, "This is no joke!"

"Whee!"

Like a wild goose riding the wind, Billyeon hurled himself towards the dormitory. Namgung Sang followed him in a hurry.

"What happened?"

Billyeon asked urgently.

"Yes, Youngho and I went to look for him, and we found Tang San collapsed on the mountainside and brought him back."

Hyun Woon stood nearby and answered the question. The girls were now surrounding Tang San, tending to him. Lying there, covered in blood, as still as death, he looked as if a corpse dead a few days ago would find it perfectly normal to ask him to be friends.

"He was beaten and collapsed?"

"Yes."

"……"

"Then he lost, didn't he?"

Billyeon asked as if confirming.

"Yes."

"My disciple lost a fight to someone else!"

Billyeon slammed his fist onto the floor. The stone floor caved in with a sound like the earth collapsing. He was clearly furious.

"Judging by the traces around, it seems a group of over ten people attacked him. From the footprints, except for one person, the others were not of a particularly high level, but Tang San was very exhausted from his afternoon training, so he couldn't fend off the simultaneous attacks from multiple opponents. Judging by his condition, it seems they beat him for a considerable amount of time. It's a miracle he's alive. They didn't deliver the final blow. That's why he survived."

Hyun Woon's crucial mission now was to calm the Master's anger, even if only a little. The situation was extremely tense, with the potential for an accident to occur at any moment.

"…Doctor…"

"Yes?"

"Call a doctor!"

Billyeon shouted, his voice echoing through the night sky.

His disciple had been beaten. No, when he didn't return after going to fetch water, he had sent disciples to look for him, and they had found Tang San collapsed on the mountainside as if dead, and hastily brought him back to call a doctor, who was now treating him. Like him or dislike him, he was a disciple under his name. And one of the disciples entrusted to him had gone out for work, been beaten by a group, and returned collapsed, now receiving treatment from a doctor. The bruises and a few cuts on his entire body clearly showed the marks of multiple people attacking him at once. The traces of each were distinct.

It was a miracle that nothing was broken. Even if it cracked, nothing seemed to have broken. But even with the iron restraints limiting his movements, he wasn't the type to be beaten by common thugs. It seemed he had been attacked by a skilled warrior. Of course, even so, they were still far less skilled than Tang San, but it was clear that while fighting, Tang San had momentarily let his guard down, and they had struck him from behind, knocking him down, and then beaten him as a group. His clenched fist tightened with force.

Only a Master in this world could touch his disciple. Or rather, he should be able to. But another person had dared to touch his disciple without permission, arrogantly. This was a matter of pride.

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

Billyeon's rage boiled over.

"Creak."

The door opened, and the renowned Doctor Seo, along with Hyun Woon, who was acting as his assistant, walked out. The room was filled with the scent of medicine, and Tang San lay on the bed, wrapped in bandages all over his body, looking like death.

"How is it?"

Billyeon asked cautiously, his eyes full of worry. Doctor Seo also replied in a low, cautious voice.

"Uh, the treatment fee will be quite high."

"Discount?"

Billyeon asked cautiously.

"No."

"Installments?"

"Still no."

"Credit?"

"Even more so, no."

"Can't you give a little discount? A bright smile to the customer and various conveniences provided to the customer ensure a bright future and profits through continuous transactions with potential customers!"

"Absolutely not. Not even a single coin!"

Doctor Seo shook his head resolutely. What couldn't be done, couldn't be done. He was also doing this for a living, so he couldn't just arbitrarily cut the treatment fees. If he cut it once, they would get used to it and try to cut it again next time. To prevent such things, he needed to be firm now. Doctor Seo hardened his resolve.

"Then, I have to accept it!"

Billyeon said, clenching his fists so hard they creaked. Killing intent emanated from his entire body.

"Huh?"

Doctor Seo's cautious opinion and resolute attitude determined Billyeon's next action. From Billyeon's perspective, this was a level of offense that could not be tolerated.

"You might need to pay a significant amount of money."

Doctor Seo's words, carrying such a profound meaning, were something he could hardly have imagined would determine the fate of an entire sect.

The morning of the day after tomorrow, in the front yard of the Heavenly Martial Academy dormitory, located on a prominent peak of Mount Emei, after breakfast. Tang San was now showing signs of regaining consciousness, albeit weakly. An old man sitting in the center of the table asked,

"It's definitely the Jungyang Express Agency, right?"

"Yes."

A plump young man replied respectfully.

"Gang Janghan?"

"Yes, even in his confused state, he was muttering the names Jungyang Express Agency and Gang Janghan, so it's clearly their doing. Judging by their skill, he's the leader among the attackers, so he's probably the representative. However, he wasn't the head courier. If it were a small, ordinary express agency, maybe, but Jungyang is a well-known, large express agency."

"Those guys." The plump young man, Geum Yeongho, had used the plural "guys" instead of the singular "guy" in his previous statement. This remark made it seem like the Jungyang Express Agency was also in cahoots with Gang Janghan. The word "attack" was also something that greatly grated on Billyeon's ears, who was currently in the guise of an old man.

"Your teeth?"

"I was grinding them."

"Then it's certain."

The old man asked again, not to Geum Yeongho, but to all fifteen people sitting at the table, excluding Tang San. His eyes shone sharply.

"Preparation?"

"Completed."

Everyone held wooden swords carved from wood.

"Shall we go?"

The old man asked again.

"Yes!"

A group of no less than sixteen people began to descend the mountain. In the village they were descending into, there was the Jungyang Express Agency, also a not-so-small express agency.

"This is it, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, the plaque clearly says 'Gukpyoyangjung'!"

"Jungyang Express Agency, read from right to left."

Hyun Woon kindly corrected Billyeon's mistake. At that time, plaques in China were all written to be understood from right to left. Billyeon had read the plaque from left to right.

"Whatever. As long as the meaning gets across."

Billyeon replied nonchalantly.

"Yes, the meaning gets across? How? It's absolutely impossible!"

Hyun Woon asked in surprise, as if impatient, wondering why there were so many questions.

How could 'Gukpyoyangjung' be interpreted to convey meaning?

"I interpret it from right to left. Even if I read it from left to right."

Crack! Fifteen mouths opened wide, and everyone stared blankly, dumbfounded. Billyeon, perhaps feeling awkward for a moment, scratched the back of his head.

"Don't stare at me with such eyes of admiration. It makes me embarrassed. Let's go in."

Boom and crash, with a creaking sound, the main gate of the Jungyang Express Agency flew off. From the dust cloud created by the shockwave, a group of people entered. The person leading them was an old man in his fifties with a white beard under his chin, and behind him followed a mixed group of men and women in clothes that were almost in tatters, carrying wooden swords in one hand.

Their hair was messy, and their clothes were shabby, but the sharpness emanating from them was honed like a blade. That blade-like sharpness unequivocally proved that they were not an easy or ordinary group. Of course, the old man leading the way was Billyeon, who was currently engaged in a successful confidence trick, wearing a human-faced mask. The group following him, the Zhuque members, who had been honorably selected from the Heavenly Martial Academy for their alpine training, but were now suffering for five months under a fake master due to heavenly intervention. There were originally sixteen Zhuque members, but the number of people present was fifteen, with one seat empty. And that one empty seat was precisely the reason they were entering the main gate of the Jungyang Express Agency so respectfully. Billyeon, who was at the front, opened his mouth.

"Go and tell the chief to come out."

His tone was clearly provocative. With his hands on his hips, chest puffed out, and head held high, it was an expression of arrogant confidence that showed he didn't care about the likes of them.

"Who are you?"

A fearless courier guarding the agency drew his sword and charged. Out of the sixteen people, he charged at Billyeon, who was a bit crooked and had a bad temper… In an instant, Billyeon threw a punch.

"Boom."

"Kek!"

With a strange scream, the charging courier flew forward and crashed down.

"Ah, who was it… Oh yes, tell that head courier, Gang Janghan or Jianzhanghan, to come out too. This old man has business with him."

An emergency alarm, never sounded before, rang furiously, and all the couriers inside the agency assembled in the training ground. The place where Billyeon and his group, who had broken through the gate, were standing was the Jungyang Express Agency's training ground. They all came in armed with weapons. And then, as if proving he was someone important, a middle-aged man, dressed differently from these riff-raff, rushed out.

Judging by the large character '大' carved on the right chest of his green robe and the three lotus patterns below it, he seemed to be a person of considerable standing in this agency. The ordinary couriers of this Jungyang Express Agency all had the word 'Jungyang' and one lotus flower embroidered on their right chest.

"He's the representative of the Jungyang Express Agency."

Geum Yeongho whispered to Billyeon, seeing him. Geum Yeongho, being the only son of the Geumho Trading Company, which was second to none in the Central Plains' business circles, had acquired a lot of information through rote learning since childhood. Thanks to such heir training, he knew a lot in this area.

"Kids, attack!"

Huh? The representative, who suddenly appeared, immediately ordered his subordinates to attack. He was undoubtedly an ignorant person who didn't know about seeking solutions to conflicts through consultation, discussion, dialogue, and compromise. He ordered them to attack, and the subordinates moved to attack, while Billyeon and his disciples could only defend. The attackers, Billyeon's group, later excused their use of violence as a necessary means of self-defense.

Billyeon was unstoppable. He moved through the enemy lines with bare fists, as if he didn't even need to use secret techniques or profound arts. Those unfortunate enough to be caught by his hands were sent flying and crashed headfirst into the wall, as if dead.

The same was true for the fifteen self-proclaimed disciples he had brought. Instead of being defeated or pushed back, they knocked down their opponents one by one. These were people who had proudly entered the Heavenly Martial Academy, an institution as difficult to enter as plucking stars from the sky. Furthermore, they had undergone hellish training for the past five months, manipulated and overworked by a self-proclaimed master of unknown identity, Billyeon. The iron restraints they wore did not significantly curb them. In other words, they didn't need to take them off for mere thugs, let alone skilled masters. Under the wooden swords of these fifteen, countless couriers of the Jungyang Express Agency were bleeding and fainting.

As the number of people crashing into the walls increased, the top-tier experts of the Jungyang Express Agency appeared.

"Who are you!"

Forgetting the previous unsaid line, the one with three lotuses finally uttered it. When strangers, or elderly, or young men and women, or unmarried couples, or pregnant women, or the elderly, or the weak, trespassed into one's own sect, the standard procedure was to first maintain a standoff and then ask, "Who are you!" to initiate dialogue with the opponent. However, because the representative who appeared first did not say this, the fight continued without reaching a stalemate.

"May I humbly request you to explain the noble and pure reasons why you have trespassed into our humble and insignificant agency to us foolish ones, after introducing yourselves first. These kids nowadays have no manners and are utterly incorrigible."

Billyeon became even more upset because the opponent spoke to him in a familiar tone from the beginning, without politely questioning him. However, he uttered that long speech instantly, without a single breath, and for a moment, the surroundings fell silent. Blue veins bulged on the forehead of the middle-aged man standing in the center.

"Where do you come from?"

He showed no intention of listening to Billyeon's words. At least, Billyeon had expected something like "Where do you come from?" but the answer fell short of his expectations.

"Over there."

Billyeon pointed a finger at the mountain. The mountain's name was Emei. The chief tilted his head.

'It doesn't seem like they're from Emei. There wouldn't be a band of bandits on Mount Emei, and which band of bandits would dare to steal within the domain of the Emei Sect?'

The chief's doubts piled up.

"Yes, why have you come?"

"Why have you come? That's a very good question. That question is a very useful and crucial question that can resolve this delicate and complex situation we and you are in. You should have asked that from the beginning!"

"Isn't it difficult to speak without commas like that?"

"Of course it's difficult."

The chief asked with concerned eyes, and Billyeon replied with an expression that asked why he was asking something so obvious. Billyeon's words were long, fast, breathless, and convoluted to the point where the listener's mind would become confused. However, it seemed the conversation was finally getting to the point.

"I hear there's a man named Gang Janghan or Jianzhanghan working as a courier at your agency. Is that true?"

Billyeon thought he was asking politely. He had used fewer familiarities than usual…

"That's correct. A person named Gang Janghan holds the position of representative in our agency."

"Has that person visited Mount Emei in the last three days?"

"Yes, he went to offer gifts to the 'Emei Sect'."

The chief particularly emphasized the words 'Emei Sect'. It was an unspoken threat, implying that behind them stood the Emei Sect, so they shouldn't act rashly. In the land of Sichuan, especially at the foot of Mount Emei, who wouldn't fear or respect the 'Emei Sect'? With that calculation, the chief emphasized the words 'Emei Sect'. However, there are always exceptions. The chief's expectations did not yield results. To Billyeon's ears, the 'Emei Sect' was of no interest.

"That's right! It was indeed that head courier Gang Janghan and his gang who were your couriers. On their way down from Mount Emei, they found a trivial reason to gang up on one of my disciples, more than ten of them, and inflict collective violence on my beloved(?) cherished(?) precious(?) disciple, beating him within an inch of his life. That's why I've come. He's been brought back covered in blood and is now lying in bed receiving treatment. As a result, my disciple has suffered severe injuries requiring two months of absolute rest, three months of intensive care, and six months of regular treatment, with a high risk of after-effects. Consequently, it seems an enormous and substantial amount of treatment costs will be incurred. Furthermore, that Gang guy, finding himself unable to handle my disciple alone, should have retreated as was natural when his skills were insufficient, but instead, he resorted to overwhelming numbers, surrounding my disciple and committing collective violence. Therefore, I demand punishment and disciplinary action for that Gang guy. I also demand compensation for the mental and physical damages suffered by my disciple and myself."

Again, the speech was without commas and periods, but the last words were the most important, and the reason for coming this far. It was about money and revenge.

"Hey, wasn't it one month of absolute rest?"

Geum Yeongho expressed his doubt.

"Intensive care was for one month, I think…"

Hyun Woon said.

"Yes, and regular treatment was for three months."

Namgung Sansan said.

"The risk of after-effects was extremely minimal. Absolutely no worries."

"I heard the doctor say that with his hand pounding his chest, with such confidence…"

Namgung Sang honestly testified about the situation he had witnessed.

"Hmm, I heard that too… Did I mishear?"

"When did Tang San's condition worsen? I didn't hear anything about that…"

The disciples murmured from behind, but Billyeon ignored them as if he hadn't heard.

"That's impossible. Chief Gang is a renowned figure in our agency. He wouldn't do such a thing."

Although he said that, the chief's mind was filled with the image of Chief Gang returning covered in wounds two days ago after visiting the Emei Sect. Although the wounds were minor, the full-body injuries were unusual, leading him to have suspicions. The wounds resembled those one would get from being beaten defenselessly by common thugs, not from weapons. If their words were true, it would tarnish the name of the Jungyang Express Agency. This was no ordinary matter.

"Where is Chief Gang?"

The chief asked the superintendent beside him.

"He's out right now."

"Find him immediately!"

Then he said to Billyeon and his entourage,

"Since he's out right now, why don't you wait until Chief Gang returns?"

"We will do so."

Billyeon replied leisurely.