Chapter 77
Baek Mu-Gun watched the battle between Baek Cheon-Sang and Tae Gong-Pyo in the waiting room. Cheon-Sang suppressed Gong-Pyo’s initial attacks and secured the upper hand with a counterattack. At this rate, it seemed like Cheon-Sang would get an easy victory. There was no longer any need to worry about the outcome of the match. Instead, Mu-Gun paid attention to the Wind Blades that Gong-Pyo unleashed.
He saw an endless amount of possibilities in that martial art. Gong-Pyo’s current Wind Blades was still incomplete. For it to become a perfect skill, it had to be separated into a much thinner layer of qi than it was now. If it could be broken down until it was as thin as a sheet of paper, the amount of Wind Blades could be amplified. Furthermore, the thinner they were, the faster and more irregular their movements would be. It would also increase the responsiveness to the opponent’s energy.
‘Wind Blade Scales sounds nice.’
Mu-Gun decided on the name of the Wind Blades’ offensive qi even before he had improved the 18 Wind Blades Saber Art. If he informed Gong-Pyo about the Wind Blade Scales, a skill that further improved the Wind Blades, he would support the Baek Sword Sect for the sake of obtaining the Wind Blade Scales. The problem was whether the Wind Blade Scales could be perfected. However, Mu-Gun was confident he could revamp it as long as he knew the principle behind the Wind Blades.
While Mu-Gun was thinking about the Wind Blades, the match between Cheon-Sang and Gong-Pyo ended. As expected, Cheon-Sang emerged victorious. Gong-Pyo admitted his defeat with a dejected look over Cheon-Sang’s skills, which were overwhelmingly different from his. Cheon-Sang returned to the waiting room after addressing Gong-Pyo with good manners until the very end.
The second match of the semifinals took place right after, and it ended with Byeok Cheol-Gun’s victory, as many people had expected. Although he lost, Jeong Won-Hyo, like Jo Jin-Myeong, displayed a good fight until the end of the match and left a deep impression on the other patriarchs as well as the audience.
Just like that, the semifinals ended and the final match was confirmed to be between Cheon-Sang and Cheol-Gun. The people had a heated debate over who would emerge victorious. Many believed that Cheol-Gun, the current favorite, would win, but many others also believed that Cheon-Sang, who appeared as a new powerhouse, would end up winning.
Amid the growing interest in the final match’s winner, Mu-Gun visited the accommodation where the Wind Saber Sect was staying.
“What are you doing here?” Tae Mu-Gang asked Mu-Gun with an unhappy expression.
“I would like to meet the Wind Saber Sect’s patriarch.”
“He isn’t someone whom you can meet just because you want to. Stop playing around and leave while I’m being nice.”
“It’s an important matter that will determine the future of the Wind Saber Sect.”
“And what exactly is that?”
“I would like to tell the Wind Saber Sect’s patriarch about it in person.”
“If what you just said is a lie, I will make you regret it.”
“You’re welcome to do so.”
“Follow me.”
Mu-Gang led Mu-Gun into the accommodation. He made Mu-Gun wait for a moment as he looked for Tae Gong-Pyo and announced Mu-Gun’s visit. Gong-Pyo wondered about Mu-Gun’s visit, but he decided to meet Mu-Gun when he heard that it was a matter that would determine the future of the Wind Saber Sect. Mu-Gang guided Mu-Gun into Gong-Pyo’s room.
“Thank you for meeting me even though I came without notice.”
“Enough with the pretense. What is it that you want to say that’s related to the Wind Saber Sect’s future?”
“It’s about whom you support as the alliance leader.”
“So, in short, you came to visit me to ask me to support the Baek Sword Sect. However, what does that have to do with the future of our sect?”
“What you will obtain in return will depend on who you support. I assure you that it would be a better decision for the Wind Saber Sect to support the Baek Sword Sect.”
“Is that so? Seeing how confident you are makes me think you’ll be giving us something amazing.”
“I will give you a martial art that will make the Wind Saber Sect stronger.”
“A martial art?”
“To be exact, I will improve the martial arts of the Wind Saber Sect and make it reach the Upper Ascension Realm.”
“Are you making fun of me?” Gong-Pyo said in a displeased tone due to Mu-Gun’s absurd remarks.
“What did you think about the martial arts of the Justice Martial Sect’s patriarch and the Flying Lance Sect’s patriarch in the martial arts tournament today?” Mu-Gun asked without losing his nerve at all.
“It was so amazing that it made me doubt whether they were the Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect that I knew of. Don’t tell me... Are their improvements due to the Baek Sword Sect?” Gong-Pyo asked with a surprised look, suddenly coming to a realization as he answered.
“That’s correct.”
“Just simply improving the martial arts won’t result in their skills improving to that extent.”
“We also provided the two patriarchs a spiritual pill to increase their internal energy.”
“Did you just say that you offered them spiritual pills?”
“Our sect aims to make the Zhejiang Martial Alliance the strongest combat force in murim. For that purpose, not only our sect but all Ten Clans of Zhejiang has to become stronger. That’s why our sect is willing to help improve the martial arts of other clans and provide them with medicinal spills. However, if the Byeok Sword Manor becomes the alliance leader, they will only be busy pursuing their own interests instead of thinking about the entire Zhejiang Martial Alliance as a whole.”
“In other words, if our sect supports the Baek Sword Sect as the alliance leader, you will improve our sect’s martial arts and even give us spiritual pills?”
“That’s right. This is something that the Byeok Sword Manor can never do.”
“Be that as it may, it is questionable whether the Baek Sword Sect has the resources to improve the martial arts of other clans and provide them with spiritual pills.”
“You will probably find out soon anyway, but our sect was able to discover the secret cave of the Heavenly Sea God Sect by chance. My father reached the Absolute Realm through the enlightenment scriptures and the spiritual pills left behind by the Heavenly Seafarer. I also advanced into the Absolute Realm when I chanced upon miraculous enlightenment. As a result, we can now improve the martial arts of other clans. The spiritual pills were left behind by the Heavenly Sea God Sect to prepare for any threats from the Three Greatest Demonic Sects, including the Nine Celestial Demons Sect.” Mu-Gun came up with a believable explanation.
“Did you just say that not just Patriarch Baek, but you have advanced into the Absolute Realm as well?”
“Yes.”
“Becoming an Absolute Realm master at your tender age was something even the Shaolin Temple’s Divine Monk Dharma and the Wudang Sect’s Supreme Elder Sanfeng couldn’t achieve.”
Gong-Pyo couldn’t easily bring himself to believe that Mu-Gun was in the Absolute Realm.
“If you don’t believe me, I can demonstrate it.”
Mu-Gun raised his hand and manifested golden vajra qi above it. Gong-Pyo was baffled at the sight of Mu-Gun easily manifesting the Star Aura Hand.
“Wow, it’s hard to believe it even though it’s right in front of me. To be an Absolute Realm at such a young age...”
“I was lucky. You can reach the Absolute Realm as well for as long as you desire it, Patriarch Tae.”
“You mean if I support and follow the leadership of the Baek Sword Sect?”
“There is nothing to be ashamed of acknowledging and following the strong in murim. In my opinion, I dare say that our sect is more than qualified enough to be the alliance leader.”
“You said that you would upgrade our sect’s martial arts if we support the Baek Sword Sect, but how exactly do you plan to do that?”
“The core of the 18 Wind Blades Saber Art is the Wind Blades. The concept of the Wind Blade itself is excellent. However, your martial arts aren’t properly utilizing their essence. If Patriarch Tae is willing to leave it to me, I will maximize their power.”
“How can I believe you? If the Baek Sword Sect fails to upgrade our martial arts, we would only end up showing you our martial arts without anything in return.”
“With all due respect, the Wind Saber Sect’s current martial arts are not a threat to the Baek Sword Sect, whether we know about it or not. As such, even if our sect fails to upgrade it, there will be no actual damage to the Wind Saber Sect.”
“That’s a harsh remark, but it’s hard to deny it.” Gong-Pyo smiled bitterly.
“I’d like to say this again, the Baek Sword Sect wishes for all the Ten Clans of Zhejiang to grow.”
“Do you promise to give us spiritual pills?”
“Of course. However, we will only provide spiritual pills once we’ve been voted as the alliance leader.”
“Alright. I promise to support the Baek Sword Sect as the alliance leader.”
“You’ve made the right decision. What about your sect’s martial arts, though? For us to upgrade it, you should first show me the Wind Saber Sect’s martial arts.”
“I will show you since it won’t be a threat to the Baek Sword Sect anyway. However, even if our sect supports the Baek Sword Sect, it will probably not be enough to obtain more than half of the votes. Are there any other clans that promised to support you?”
“Since the Wind Saber Sect decided to support our sect, won’t the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang support the Baek Sword Sect?”
Mu-Gun did not reveal that they had already decided to support the Baek Sword Sect out of consideration of the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang.
“I can certainly help you persuade them.”
“I’ll try to convince them myself first. If it doesn’t work out, I will request your help.”
“Up to you. When should I show you our sect’s martial arts?”
“You can discuss it with me right now.”
“Will there be enough time?”
“I have a good memory. It won’t take that long.” Mu-Gun smiled and said.
Gong-Pyo knew of Mu-Gun’s talent very well, so he showed him the Wind Saber Sect’s martial arts without any complaints. After listening to Gong-Pyo’s explanation of the Wind Saber Sect’s martial arts twice, he had practically remembered them all. Then, after bidding farewell to Gong-Pyo, he left the Wind Saber Sect’s accommodation.
***
Mu-Gun wasn’t the only one who moved to win over the support of the other Ten Clans of Zhejiang. The Byeok Sword Manor also required votes from two other clans to obtain more than half of the votes. The Byeok Sword Manor completely gave up on persuading the Baek Sword Sect, as they were certain that the Baek Sword Sect was aiming for the position of the alliance leader. They had also given up on convincing the Justice Martial Sect and the Flying Lance Sect, both of which were likely to support the Baek Sword Sect.
Instead, given the fact that the Wind Saber Sect was eliminated from the martial arts tournament, they judged that there would be room for persuasion for the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang. While Mu-Gun met up with Gong-Pyo, the Byeok Sword Manor sent men to both the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang. Byeok Cheol-Gun, the Byeok Sword Manor’s patriarch, couldn’t do it himself since he had to prepare for the final match of the martial arts tournament tomorrow. Instead, he sent his two younger brothers, Byeok Cheol-Seong and Byeok Cheol-Ryong.
Cheol-Gun expected Cheol-Seong and Cheol-Ryong to return with positive responses since he promised to give 100,000 silver nyang to the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang if they supported the Byeok Sword Manor as the alliance leader. He believed that amount was enough to move those clans’ hearts. However, when Cheol-Seong and Cheol-Ryong returned from their respective meetings, they both looked grim.
“Did it not go well?” Cheol-Gun asked.
“They said that they would think about it if we gave them a 100,00 silver nyang first and that they would only support the Byeok Sword Manor if you win the final match, Elder Brother,” Cheol-Seong said awkwardly after returning from his meeting with the Kang Household’s patriarch, Kang Won-Hee.
“The Draconic Tiger Gang’s patriarch also made the same demands. It seems like they had this planned out,” Cheol-Ryong said with conviction.
“Considering that they demanded Elder Brother wins in the martial arts tournament first, it is highly likely that they also made some sort of deal with the Baek Sword Sect.”
Cheol-Gun frowned due to what he had learned. Though it was just an assumption, the Baek Sword Sect had to have presumably offered something equivalent to 100,000 silver nyang to the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang. The Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang planned to gain benefits from both the Byeok Sword Manor and the Baek Sword Sect, and they would only support one side—the winning clan—in return.
In actual fact, it didn’t matter even if the money was given in advance as long as they supported the Byeok Sword Manor as the alliance leader. However, if, on the off chance that Cheol-Gun lost in the final match, he would lose the alliance leader position as well as 200,000 silver nyang.
Cheol-Gun was confident of winning the finals match, but for the Byeok Sword Manor to become the alliance leader, they required the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang’s support. Although they made lowly demands, he had no choice but to comply since they held the upper hand.
The problem was how he was supposed to procure 200,000 silver nyang, which was to be paid to the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang. Fortunately, Cheol-Gun had a clan he could rely on—the Hangzhou Merchant Company. Cheol-Gun was well aware that the Hangzhou Merchant Company aimed to make the Byeok Sword Manor the alliance leader. Hence, they would naturally be willing to pay the 200,000 silver nyang.
The Hangzhou Merchant Company did give 200,000 silver nyang to the Byeok Sword Manor. However, they added a condition that if Cheol-Gun failed to become the alliance leader, they would immediately collect the 200,000 silver nyang. Confident he’d become the alliance leader, Cheol-Gun willingly accepted the Hangzhou Merchant Company’s terms. Afterward, he paid the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang 100,000 silver nyang each.
However, Cheol-Gun did not realize that everything was beyond his wildest dreams. It was Mu-Gun’s idea for the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang to request the Byeok Sword Manor to pay 100,000 silver nyang in advance. Mu-Gun knew for sure that the Byeok Sword Manor would make contact with the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang to coax them. In the process, he expected that the Byeok Sword Manor would tempt the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang with money since they had the financial support of the Hangzhou Merchant Company. Hence, he told the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang of this in advance and made sure that they demanded such conditions from the Byeok Sword Manor.
If Cheol-Gun became the winner, the Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang would have no choice but to support the Byeok Sword Manor as the alliance leader since they received the 100,000 silver nyang. Nevertheless, they still put such conditions on the line because they were confident that Cheon-Sang would defeat Cheol-Gun and become the martial arts tournament champion.
The Kang Household and the Draconic Tiger Gang would earn 100,00 silver nyang regardless of the outcome. What was interesting was that they were grateful to the Baek Sword Sect instead of the Byeok Sword Manor, who gave them 100,000 silver nyang each. The Byeok Sword Manor ended up doing the hard work that would benefit others and not themselves.
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