Chapter 158
Having decided to sign a contract with the Baek Sword Sect, the seven members of the Ten Wanderers reached Shaoxing one after another. As soon as they arrived, they visited the Baek Sword Sect and were personally welcomed by Baek Mu-Gun. Mu-Gun opened the door and entered the living room where seven men, dressed in a carefree and informal manner, could be seen sitting comfortably.
The ones present were Jade-Faced Swordmaster Lee So-Ho, Spirit Sabermaster Jang Hyun, Ink Soul Sabermaster Lim Hun, Whirlwind Fist Kwon Ho, Soul-Breaking Swordmaster Hwa So-Gun, Wind-Fluttering Spearmaster Mok In-Hyuk, and Sky-Shocking Palm Pung Il-Bang.
They were all in their mid to late forties and seemed to be around the Upper Peak Realm.
Thank you all for coming. I am Baek Mu-Gun, the Baek Sword Sects Young Patriarch. Welcome to the Baek Sword Sect, Mu-Gun greeted them politely.
The eyes of the seven wanderers shone when they learned of Mu-Guns name, having heard of him being the Thunder Gods successor. They felt admiration and curiosity toward him. Mu-Guns presence in the Baek Sword Sect was the biggest reason they were willing to sign a contract with the sect.
Now that they met him in person, they couldnt help but be deeply impressed. With their skills, they could not even accurately grasp Mu-Guns martial realm. However, one thing they could clearly see was that he possessed power that far surpassed theirs.
It is an honor to meet you, Thunder Gods successor. Meeting you in my lifetime feels like a dream, So-Ho greeted, his eyes sparking so much it was as if he just met his idol.
The other wanderers were no different. The former Thunder Gods successor, Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword Guyang Hwi, was revered as a hero in murim, but in the wandering worldthe world of the wanderershe was regarded as far more than just a hero. To them, he was a mythical being.
Even though Mu-Gun was not the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword, the seven wanderers still looked up to him because he was Guyang Hwis successor. Mu-Gun knew that the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword was like an idol in the wandering world, but he did not expect them to show him this much favor.
I did not suffer a vain death at least.
Mu-Gun realized again that the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword Guyang Hwis life was not fruitless.
I still fall far short to Elder Guyang Hwi, my predecessor, which is why I require your help. I hope you will be willing to lend me a hand in consideration of Elder Guyang Hwi, Mu-Gun politely replied
Dont worry. We have already decided to sign a contract with the Baek Sword Sect. Once that process is done, we would be willing to risk our lives for you and the Baek Sword Sect, Young Patriarch Baek, Ink Soul Sabermaster Lim Hun said in a heavy voice. The other wanderers nodded in agreement.
Thank you. I will also think of you all as family members of the Baek Sword Sect, not just as contracted vagabonds. However, we should still write a contract. The Baek Sword Sect has prepared this in advance. Please read it and feel free to let me know if you dont like any of the clauses or if you want to add anything.
Mu-Gun handed the contract he had prepared beforehand to the seven wanderers, who then accepted and read through the terms and obligations written on it.
The terms were as follows:
I.This contract is valid for one basic year(s). It may, however, be extended under mutual consent.
II.The basic monthly wage is fixed to one thousand silver nyangs, but extra wages can be earned based on the missions difficulty.
III.The missions difficulty is divided into five ranks. Missions given the highest rank will be worth five hundred silver nyangs, and the extra wages for the four lower mission ranks will be sequentially one hundred nyangs less.
After reading through the terms, the seven wanderers all looked surprised. They had gone into contracts with other factions, but none had ever offered a deal as good as this one. The terms detailed in the contract made the seven wanderers feel how important the Baek Sword Sect thought of them.
Moreover, when they looked at their obligations, they only found one clause:
I.Actively cooperate in the fight against the Nine Celestial Demons Sect. You can refuse to participate in missions that you judge to be too risky.
That, too, was a favorable clause for the seven wanderers.
These terms are too favorable for us.
It is only natural for the Ten Wanderers to receive such treatment. Mu-Gun reiterated.
According to this contract, we can simply choose not to participate in any battle with the risk as an excuse. Nevertheless, the Baek Sword Sect will still pay us a basic monthly wage of one thousand silver nyangs. In other words, we can just sit still and wait for the money to enter our pockets, Kwon Ho said.
If so, I would simply have to bear the losses as a consequence of being mistaken about the seven of you. However, I believe that you all have the pride of a wanderer.
The pride of a wanderer? Kwon Ho asked.
That you will use your ability as much as you are paid.
No wonder you are paying us a lot of money. You are telling us to work for our worth.
Thats part of what I was trying to say, but Id rather you consider it as proof of how high we appreciate your skills.
We have not even reached the Absolute Realm yet, so arent you overestimating us? I am worried that we will be seen in a bad light for not being able to work our worth later, Jang Hyun said with a bitter smile.
Then all you have to do is reach the Absolute Realm, right? Mu-Gun nonchalantly replied.
It isnt as easy as you make it seem. Well, it may be quite easy for you.
I dont think it is easy at all. However, I believe that you all can accomplish that feat. I am here to help you do just that.
Youre going to help us? So-Ho confirmed.
In addition to the regular sparring sessions requested as an additional condition for you to sign with the Baek Sword Sect, I will also help you grow to the best of my abilities, Mu-Gun added
I cannot help but be curious about your true intentions. We will leave once the contract is over anyway. Are you perhaps thinking that we will be moved by your goodwill and become a member of the Baek Sword Sect? So-Gun asked in doubt.
I know that the people of the wandering world can never stay in one place.
Then why are you willing to help us reach the Absolute Realm?
It is for murims sake.
For murim?
If you seven wanderers can advance into the Absolute Realm, murim will become equally stronger. That alone will be a great help in suppressing the threat of the Nine Celestial Demons Sect.
Just because of that?
Of course, it would be a great pleasure if you all decide to become a member of our sect. However, that is not the reason I am helping you progress your martial realm.
The way you prioritize murim is a testament to your identity as the Thunder Gods successor, So-Ho replied, feeling Mu-Guns heartfelt feelings for murim.
Anyone would want to protect murim from the Nine Celestial Demons Sect. I dont think the seven of you are any different.
Hoho, in other words, you are setting us up so that we will have no choice but to fight the Nine Celestial Demons Sect.
Even if I did not say so, you all would have wanted to protect murim against them anyway.
On another note, I am curious how you plan to help us with our martial realm advancement, Il-Bang wondered.
I cant tell you that yet, but not because I have ulterior motives. I simply dont want you all to have the mindset of opportunity makes the thief. I will tell you when you have signed the contract with our sect, Mu-Gun firmly replied.
The curiosity is making me want to sign the contract even more. Dont tell me this is exactly what you were aiming for?
I did not mean for this to happen, but Im glad it turned out this way, Mu-Gun grinned.
Fine. I, Sky-Shocking Palm Pung Il-Bang, will sign a contract with the Baek Sword Sect. Il-Bang signed and stamped his seal on the contract without further consideration.
I will also sign the contract.
Following him, the other six wanderers also signed and stamped their seals on the contracts. They came all the way to Shaoxing already determined to sign a contract with the Baek Sword Sect anyway. Yet to make things even better, the Baek Sword Sect offered extremely beneficial conditions, and Mu-Gun, the Thunder Gods successor, even said that he would help them with their martial realm advancement. Hence, they all signed and accepted the contract without hesitation.
Now, can you tell us your plan to help us with our martial realm advancement? Il-Bang asked now that the Baek Sword Sect had officially recruited them.
I plan to help increase what you lack the most.
And what would that be?
Internal energy, Mu-Gun revealed.
People who had reached the Upper Peak Realm, like the Ten Wanderers, already had quite a high martial arts enlightenment but lacked the internal energy to support it. Hence, solving that problem increased the chances that they would advance to the next martial realm.
How do you plan to do that?
I will give each of you a spiritual pill.
You are going to give us a spiritual pill? To all seven of us? Il-Bang asked in surprise.
The other wanderers reaction was no different. Procuring a spiritual pill was hard not because it was expensive but because it was rare. It was a precious product. Hence, they were naturally surprised when Mu-Gun claimed he would give each of them, who were not even Baek Sword Sect members, something so precious.
That is right. We will provide you all a spiritual pill that will help you gain sixty years worth of internal energy. Of course, we are giving it to you at no cost, Mu-Gun reassured them.
You do not expect anything in return for something such an amazing treasure?
It is not that there is no price. If the spiritual pill helps you advance into the Absolute Realm, then in return, we would like you to use that power to protect murim from the Nine Celestial Demons Sect.
Is that really all the Baek Sword Sect is asking for?
As I have already told you, as long as we can protect murim, that by itself is enough.
Your offer is truly amazing, Young Patriarch Baek. Normally, spiritual pills would be given to ones own members rather than us, who are outsiders.
I am giving the spiritual pills to you because I believe that doing so would bring out greater effects than giving them to members of the Baek Sword Sect or the Loyal Heart Alliance. However, it will take twenty days at most for the spiritual pills to be ready.
Dont worry about it. To get such a precious spiritual pill for free, we would be willing to wait even a few months.
Thats good to hear. Anyway, now that you have all signed the contract, please follow me to our Patriarch. Afterward, Ill guide you to your residence.
Mu-Gun led the seven wanderers to Baek Cheon-Sang, whom they then greeted politely. With the contract now in full effect, it was only natural for them to be respectful to Cheon-Sang, who was their superior during the duration of the contract. Even though they were in a contractual relationship with the Baek Sword Sect, Cheon-Sang warmly welcomed them anyway since they would increase the power of the Baek Sword Sect.
After a brief greeting, Mu-Gun guided the seven wanderers to their residences, which were not far away from the Four Peerless Wanderers. The seven wanderers had no connection with the Baek Sword Sect because they were mercenaries who joined sects based on contracts. In other words, they could feel left out.
Hence, in consideration of them, Mu-Gun gave them residences close to the Four Peerless Wanderers, who used to be part of the wandering world, so that they could interact with each other and have a comfortable stay during their time at the Baek Sword Sect. In fact, the seven wanderers were pleased to know that the Four Peerless Wanderers residence was nearby. The Four Peerless Wanderers were regarded as idols in the wandering world along with the Heavenly Thunder Divine Sword. The fact that the seven wanderers could meet and interact with them in person was something that the seven wanderers greatly looked forward to.
* * *
At the Qingdao Sect, Qingdao Sect Patriarch Ha Hu-Myeong listened to a report by Qingdao Vice Patriarch Ha Hu-Seong, his biological brother.
The enemy forces suddenly stopped advancing? Hu-Myeong asked in confusion when he heard from Hu-Seong that the forces of the three families stopped at Gaomi.
Yes. For some reason, they have not moved from that location at all for the past two days, Hu-Seong said.
Hmm, are they perhaps trying to bolster their forces?
I actually suspected that to be the case, but when I checked it out, we found no signs of any reinforcements leaving from the three families headquarters.
That is not something to be relieved about. Even Upper-Peak-Realm masters will find it easy to avoid our informants eyes.
That is true. Still, they cant deploy any more martial arts masters, can they? They have to pay attention to the security of their headquarters too.
Youre right, but the other Great Families or even the Nine Prominent Sects could be the ones sending them reinforcements.
You have a point, Brother. I was not able to think that far ahead. If that is truly the case, then what should we do? Hu-Seong asked.
Well, they cannot send ten or twenty masters. At most, they can only send five Absolute-Realm masters.
The three families marching toward us have deployed a total of eight Absolute-Realm masters, which means they would have thirteen masters in total. Can we really handle that many?
We should have a good chance of winning if the three outlaw groups gathered in Black Spirit Island consume Soul-Burning Invincibility Pills, Hu-Myeong replied.
To be honest, I am also worried about that. Hu-Seong spoke cautiously.
Whys that?
Those outlaws swore their allegiance to the Nine Celestial Demons Sect, yet the Nine Celestial Demons Sect has no care about those outlaws lives. What if were treated like them in the future?
Sacrifices have to be made to achieve big things. Those outlaw groups are making valuable sacrifices for the sake of the Nine Celestial Demons Sects great cause. In addition, the Invincible Clan has stated that they will not make Absolute-Realm masters consume the Soul-Burning InvincibilityPill, which means we wont have to sacrifice our lives through it, Hu-Myeong reassured Hu-Seong.
Brother, with all due respect, do you think that the Nine Celestial Demons Sect can truly conquer murim?
How can I be sure of that? All I know is that we have to do our best for the Nine Celestial Demons Sects great cause. We are basically in the same boat as them. The glory of the Nine Celestial Demons Sect is our glory. Just think of it that way, Hu-Myeong replied.
Understood. That aside, should we report the three families movements to the Invincible Clan? Convinced, Hu-Seong changed the topic.
That goes without saying. I will take care of it, though, so dont worry about it and just focus on monitoring the three families instead.
Understood.
Having judged that the three families stopped advancing simply to reinforce their personnel, it never occurred to Hu-Myeong and Hu-Seong that the three families were waiting for the Specter Slayer King to assassinate them.
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺