Chapter 27
Five days after they left Wenzhou for the mercantile journey, the Eun Merchant Group’s party arrived in Xiangshan, Zhejiang Province without any issues. They decided to spend the night there.
The martial artists of the Baek Sword Sect and Justice Martial Sect decided to split their members into three groups and take turns guarding the merchant ship overnight. After all, anyone could try to rob it while it was docked in the port. Baek Mu-Gun decided to take the lead on the third shift, staying in the accommodations the Eun Merchant Group prepared until it was time to rotate again.
The room their client gave hosted ten people, all of which were executive-level members. The rest of the crew had to settle in the cabin of the ships docked in the port. If every single member were to stay in the inn, their expenses would be enormous.
Even the Eun Merchant Group, which had a pretty high income, couldn’t do that much. Even if they had the money to do so, it was unlikely for them to take care of even the ordinary warriors. They prioritized profits, after all.
In any case, Mu-Gun and Jeong Ho-Gun were able to use the inn with their status as the young patriarchs of their respective sects.
After having a quick wash, the two went down to the inn’s restaurant to have dinner.
By the time they got there, Eun Ye-Sang, still cross-dressed as a man, and the middle-aged man whom she visited the Baek Sword Sect with were already eating. Mu-Gun bowed lightly to greet them, occupied an empty seat, and sat down.
Ye-Sang bowed her head in response, then focused on her meal again. Mu-Gun and Ho-Gun ordered food and chatted while waiting for their order. They didn’t care about Ye-Sang at all. On the other hand, Ye-Sang felt conscious of Mu-Gun as she ate. She was well aware of her own beauty, which was why she unilaterally broke up the marriage. Nevertheless, she thought Mu-Gun would at least be interested in her to some extent.
She didn’t intend to accept Mu-Gun’s attention. Well aware of his behavior for the past three years, she refused to receive the attention of a man who frequented the brothel like it was his own home. However, Mu-Gun showed no interest in her, which hurt her pride for some reason.
‘Hmph! I wonder if he can still be so indifferent if I stop cross-dressing as a man.’
Ye-Sang was confident that Mu-Gun wouldn’t be able to take his eyes off her if she took off her male attire and dressed up as a woman. She was soon dumbfounded, however, upon realizing she was too concerned about Mu-Gun.
‘Why am I even thinking about him?’
Ye-Sang didn’t want to concern herself with Mu-Gun. However, the more she tried, the more he attracted her attention. Ye-Sang unknowingly stared at Mu-Gun but quickly turned away to avoid being caught.
She then swiftly finished her meal and went up to her room, deciding to avoid being in the same space as him lest she’d involuntarily divert her attention to Mu-Gun again.
“The Eun Merchant Group’s young mistress kept glancing at you throughout her meal. She’s probably interested in you.” Ho-Gun told Mu-Gun with excitement after seeing her leave after her meal.
“Mind your own business,” Mu-Gun chided.
“Why don’t you try hitting it off with her? With her wealth and beauty, you’ve got nothing to lose.”
“Are you being serious?”
“It’s disgraceful of her to break up the marriage, sure, but with her looks, that much was totally understandable.” Ho-Gun nodded in understanding.
“Now that I think about it, you’re the kind of person to let his family go to ruin for a beautiful woman,” Mu-Gun said with a raised eyebrow.
“I wish I could meet such a beautiful woman.”
“You saw one just now, didn’t you?”
“Who do you take me for? No matter how beautiful she is, it’s an ironclad rule not to mess with a friend’s woman.”
“She’s not my woman. Not at all.”
“You guys have gone into talks of marriage. She’s basically halfway there,” Ho-Gun tried to defend himself.
“If Lady Eun heard this, she would be flabbergasted.”
“On a more serious note, won’t you need the Eun Merchant Group’s financial resources to keep the Byeok Sword Manor in check?” Ho-Gun stopped joking around.
“Since when did you think that far ahead?” Mu-Gun asked as he gave Ho-Gun a surprised look.
“I would hate to see the Byeok Sword Manor swallow the Zhejiang Martial Alliance with the Hangzhou Merchant Company supporting them from behind.” Ho-Gun shrugged.
“And it’s okay for the Baek Sword Sect to take over the alliance?”
“If someone was going to take it, I’d prefer the Baek Sword Sect does it.”
“You’re speaking as if the Justice Martial Sect doesn’t have any opinion on this.”
“That’s not it. We simply know exactly where we stand. Becoming the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s leader with the Justice Martial Sect’s current power is simply impossible.”
“But you think it’s possible for the Baek Sword Sect?” Mu-Gun questioned.
“In my opinion, it would be difficult to make that happen right now. However, depending on the steps you’d be taking, it is certainly possible.”
“It sounds like I’d have to marry Lady Eun if I want the Baek Sword Sect to become the Zhejiang Martial Alliance’s leader.”
“If you want to compete with the Byeok Sword Manor, which has gained the Hangzhou Merchant Company’s financial power, don’t you think the Baek Sword Sect should have a clear source of funds too?” Ho-Gun tried to persuade his good friend to re-consider his annulled engagement with the Eun Merchant Group.
“Well, I don’t think it’s necessary.”
“Are you saying you’re not interested in becoming the alliance’s leader, or do you mean that you are more than capable to become the leader even without the Eun Merchant Group’s financial power?”
“That’s enough. I think this is beyond what I can opine,” Mu-Gun concluded the conversation topic.
Mu-Gun was a young patriarch. Regardless of his desires, he needed to be careful of making remarks that could be considered the will of the Baek Sword Sect. Ho-Gun wasn’t the type to run his mouth, but it was better to keep his thoughts to himself as much as possible on such sensitive topics.
Mu-Gun was glad that Ho-Gun expressed his intention to support the Baek Sword Sect as the leader of the Zhejiang Martial Alliance, though. Aside from a strong combat force, they also needed support from other forces to claim that position.
Even though the Baek Sword Sect and the Justice Martial Sect had an amicable relationship, that didn’t mean they would accept and obey the Baek Sword Sect as their alliance’s leader.
However, Ho-Gun’s words implied the Justice Martial Sect was, to some extent, determined to do so. Of course, it could be Ho-Gun’s personal judgment, but he understood Mo-Gun’s position better than anyone else as the young patriarch of the Justice Martial Sect. Hence, he wouldn’t have said that thoughtlessly.
Mu-Gun was satisfied with the fact that there would at least be no conflict with the Justice Martial Sect over the leadership of the Zhejiang Martial Alliance. Their order was served not long after, so they stopped talking and focused on their meal.
The inn’s food tasted significantly better compared to its size and facilities, and Mu-Gun and Ho-Gun found their meal quite satisfactory even though the food was from a foreign region.
Afterward, they went back up to their room. Mu-Gun circulated his qi with the Heavenly Thunder Constellation Divine Art before going to sleep. He then woke up in time for his shift and watched over the Eun Merchant Group’s merchant ship with the members of the White Wolf Squad.
There was really no need for Mu-Gun to be on night watch. In a small city like Xiangshan, there weren’t any bandit gangs powerful enough to rob the merchant ship guarded by the Baek Sword Sect and Justice Martial Sect’s martial artists.
However, Mu-Gun purposely tried to take the initiative and set an example for his subordinates. Rather than choosing the comfort that came with his high status, he wanted to win their hearts by showing them he’d rather share the sorrows and joys of his subordinates.
And Mu-Gun’s actions certainly worked. His willingness to join the White Wolf Squad members, no matter how tough the situation was, impressed them. With him as the young patriarch, they thought he at least wouldn’t treat his subordinates like pawns on a chess board. Even if they were in the face of a dangerous situation, in their minds, Mu-Gun would likely fight alongside them until the very end. Naturally, a seedling of loyalty toward him slowly grew in their hearts.
***
The Eun Merchant Group’s merchant ship and the Baek Sword Sect’s two escort ships left Xiangshan early in the morning. Their fleet increased their speed after going beyond the reef zone and coming out to the open sea. Soon, they passed Mount Putuo and entered the Zhoushan Archipelago.
“We’ll be in the Four Seas Gang’s territory from this point onward! Keep your wits about you!”
Baek Cheon-Ho and Baek Cheon-Ung alerted the martial artists on board the White Tiger Ship and White Wolf Ship. The Four Seas Gang’s territory extended from the Zhoushan Archipelago to Qingdao in Shandong Province. Entering the Zhoushan Archipelago meant they could come across Four Seas Gang ships at any given moment. Well aware of that, Cheon-Ho and Cheon-Ung alerted the others in advance.
“This is suddenly making me nervous,” Ho-Gun said while taking a deep breath. After spending a few days on the sea, he no longer suffered from seasickness.
“Have you ever been in a real battle?” Mu-Gun asked while watching from the side.
“I’ve wiped out bandits before.”
“How many times?”
“Twice.”
“That’s a relief. There’s no need to be too nervous. Just think of it as fighting bandits.”
“How can small-time bandits that can’t even enter the Greenwood Brigands List be compared to the Four Seas Gang, which dominates the sea routes of three provinces, including Shandong and Zhejiang?” Ho-Gun retorted his friend for making dealing with the Four Seas Gang sound as easy as a piece of cake.
“The Four Seas Gang is indeed a force powerful enough to rule the seas of three provinces. They certainly also have many martial arts masters that are comparable to the forces of murim. However, that’s taking the entire gang into consideration. We’ll only come across a part of their organization—and those are likely to be mere pirates. With our current combat capacity, we’re more than capable enough to deal with them. Above all else, there’s little chance a battle will even occur in the first place.”
The Four Seas’ Ten Great Warships represented the Four Seas Gang’s combat forces. The Four Seas’ Ten Great Warships was a collective term for the Four Seas Gang’s ten fleets. Each of them only committed acts of piracy within their respective territories.
In other words, they would only encounter one fleet per area in these waters. Coming across two fleets at the same time in places where their territories overlapped occasionally occurred, but it was such a rare case that it only ever happened once every few years.
One would normally only meet a fleet of two to three ships, each carrying an equal number of Peak Realm masters. Based on Mu-Gun’s standards, the Baek Sword Sect and Justice Martial Sect’s combined forces outnumbered them. The pirates’ entire force could push them back, but they had more Peak Realm masters.
Hence, there was no need to be afraid even if they were to encounter the Four Seas Gang. Still, nothing good would come from actually fighting those pirates. Despite having more Peak Realm masters, a single Four Seas Gang fleet had enough people to still cause them considerable damage in combat.
Moreover, fighting and damaging the Four Seas Gang would immediately mark them as the latter’s enemy. Depending on the situation, the entire Four Seas’ Ten Great Warships could hunt them down for revenge. Hence, it was better to avoid any battles with the Four Seas Gang if possible.
What was interesting was that the Four Seas Gang would never engage in plundering acts without reason unless their strength was superior. They would only attack after determining who their opponent was.
The Four Seas Gang would plunder everything the opponent had should they conclude they were stronger. On the other hand, if they surmised that their strength was similar or inferior, they would extort a certain amount of toll fee instead.
Even if the other party was stronger than one of the Four Seas Gang’s fleet, they would usually still pay the toll fee. After all, they couldn’t risk turning the entire Four Seas Gang into an enemy.
The reason the Eun Merchant Group requested the Baek Sword Sect to escort their merchant ship was not so they could fight the Four Seas Gang and emerge victorious. It was to ensure that the Four Seas Gang would only demand a toll fee for safe passage. Paying them was a waste of finances, but it was much better than letting them loot all the goods the Eun Merchant Group had on board.
Aware of such circumstances, Mu-Gun didn’t worry much about the Four Seas Gang. Of course, there were always some people who were just crazy. Among the Four Seas' Ten Great Warships, some demanded outrageous amounts of toll fees. There were also those who put so much trust in the Four Seas Gang’s status and power that they would ignore the escort guard’s strength and attack recklessly.
In that case, they’d be left with no choice but to fight, regardless of repercussions. Mu-Gun hoped they wouldn’t find themselves in such a situation, but he wasn’t afraid of it. He was confident he could destroy the Four Seas Gang singlehandedly upon recovering his internal energy with the Medicine King Family’s help.
“What do you mean the possibility of a battle happening is very low?” Ho-Gun asked, confused.
Mu-Gun kindly explained what he meant.
“As expected, there’s always a reason for peace.” Ho-Gun then nodded in understanding.
“That’s why you shouldn’t be too nervous. That doesn’t mean you should let your guard down, though.”
“Got it.”
Ho-Gun finally relaxed a little after hearing Mu-Gun’s explanation. Mu-Gun didn’t inform the White Tiger Squad or White Wolf Squad of this fact. The possibility of a fight happening with the Four Seas Gang was low, but that didn’t mean there was no chance of it happening at all. Hence, he needed them prepared to engage in combat at any moment.
If a battle broke out while everyone was relaxed and complacent, they could suffer a lot more damage than necessary. It was far better to have their guards up even if it was for naught.
It had already been two hours since they entered the waters of the Zhoushan Archipelago. They had sped up to get out of these waters as soon as possible.
If they continued like this for another hour, they’d likely pass this region without encountering the Four Seas Gang’s fleet.
However, just before they could leave the Zhoushan Archipelago, three ships bearing the sigil of the Four Seas Gang appeared and began to approach them quickly.
“Prepare for battle! However, you are to hold your fire until an order to attack is issued!”
Cheon-Ho and Cheon-Ung gave instructions to the martial artists on board the White Wolf Ship and White Tiger Ship. The warriors equipped their respective weapons and readied themselves for a fight. Mu-Gun and Ho-Gun also did the same.
With the Four Seas Gang ships now fifty feet away, a robust man stood on the bow of the ship in the center and shouted at them.
“I am Shim Gi-Hwan, in charge of the Tenth Great Warship of the Four Seas Gang! I want to talk to your representative!”
In response, the middle-aged man accompanying Ye-Sang stood on the bow of the Eun Merchant Group’s merchant ship.
“I am Ho Jung-San, the business representative of the Eun Merchant Group. we would like to pass the route ahead for the sake of a mercantile journey, so I ask for your generous understanding, good sir of the Four Seas Gang.”
“Master Ho of the Eun Merchant Group. This is my first encounter with your organization, is it not?”
“That’s right. This is our first mercantile trip to Nanjing.”
“I see. Then I’ll kindly explain how things work here since you don’t seem aware of it. This is a sea route controlled by the Four Seas Gang, and you will have to pay a price to pass through.”
“We, the Eun Merchant Group, will pay the toll fee in respect of the Four Seas Gang.”
“You’re very straightforward, Master Ho. I’ll gladly make a demand, then. If the Eun Merchant Group wants to pass through here, you will have to pay one thousand silver nyang.”
The price flabbergasted Mu-Gun and Ho-Gun.
“Are they out of their minds? Sure, they’re the Four Seas Gang, but one thousand nyang? Are they trying to con us?” Ho-Gun complained, bewildered.
“I think they’re overcharging us because it’s our first encounter,” Mu-Gun replied.
A thousand silver nyang was equivalent to two months’ worth of the Baek Sword Corps’ monthly wages. It was a ridiculous amount to pay just to pass through the sea route.
“You have great humor, good sir. Who would want to use this route if they had to pay one thousand silver nyang just to pass by once? If this was a one-time thing, then perhaps so, but if not, how could this amount be justified?” Jung-San tried to haggle for a lower price.
“Hahaha, if the Eun Merchant Group intends to be a regular customer of the Four Seas Gang, I will give you a special discount on the toll fee.”
“We, the Eun Merchant Group, will continue to use this sea route if the Four Seas Gang is willing to open it to us. We would also like to build good relations with your organization.”
“Then I’ll reduce the toll fee by half to answer the Eun Merchant Group’s sincerity. I’ve shown you my goodwill, so I hope you also respond in kind.” The representative of the Tenth Great Armada kindly offered a discount.
Five hundred silver nyang was still a large amount. However, the profit that the Eun Merchant Group expected to gain through this mercantile journey was at least ten thousand silver nyang. Even if they paid thirty percent of the profits to the Baek Sword Sect and Justice Martial Sect, it would still amount to seven thousand silver nyang. Compared to that, five hundred nyang wasn’t that much.
The problem was that there was a chance this wouldn’t be the only toll fee they’d have to pay. After all, they could still come across two other fleets of the Four Seas Ten Great Warships before arriving in Nanjing. If they also demanded five hundred silver nyang each, the Eun Merchant Group would have to pay a total of 1500 silver nyang.
No, including their return home into the calculation, they would have to pay up to three thousand silver nyang. Thirty percent of the profits obtained from this mercantile journey would be wasted on toll fees. From the Eun Merchant Group’s standpoint, that would be too much.
It would be great if they could save on the money paid to the Baek Sword Sect and Justice Martial Sect. However, without them as escort guards, the Four Seas Gang wouldn’t just demand a toll fee. They would choose to take over their merchant ship.
On the other hand, they would make an enemy of the Four Seas Gang if they refused to pay the toll fee and a battle ensued here, ultimately making it difficult for them to use this sea route again in the future. The best move the Eun Merchant Group could make was to reduce the toll fee as much as possible.
“I will pay up to three hundred silver nyang. I refuse to pay any more than that.” Ye-Sang suddenly stepped forward while Jung-San was racking his brain.
“Who are you to stand forward thoughtlessly?” Gi-Hwan asked rudely, having confirmed Ye-Sang’s young face after she pushed Jung-San aside.
“This person is the young master of the Eun Merchant Group,” Jung-San replied.
“It seems to me the Eun Merchant Group doesn’t intend to repay my kindness. If so, we can no longer offer you our goodwill. Man, whenever I try to be kind to others, they just take it as me being a pushover instead of appreciating it,” Gi-Hwan said with a tone that seemed like he would issue an attack order at any moment. Growing anxious, the warriors on both sides fixed their grip on their weapons.
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