Sichuan's Mad Dragon (Novel) - Chapter 31 - Grandmaster Ju-seong

Chapter 31 – Grandmaster Ju-seong

===================

Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

“So you are saying the Green Wood Lotus folk are pursuing that sexual predator?”

These were the words of the Southern Commerce Association Chief, Kang Un.

He was the leader of the Hasub Merchant Group, which had grown powerful through trade with the Southern Barbarians for generations.

Though not a martial artist, his well-composed bearing and cold gaze had enough presence to subdue the spirits of any mediocre martial world folk.

He was middle-aged, but aside from a deep furrow between his brows, he had no notable wrinkles, revealing a face that showed how vigorously he lived.

He sat at the head seat of a long tea table, while the heads of renowned merchant groups and escort agencies in Yunnan sat lined up along the sides.

The Flying Tiger School Master, Wu Gwan-hyeok, cleared his throat lightly and spoke.

“Ahem, ahem. Recently, I heard some fellows called the Yellow-White Twin Tigers appeared in Qingling County, and they committed hostile acts against this martial school. They may have been hired by the Green Wood Lotus, so investigation into them seems necessary as well…”

At Wu Gwan-hyeok’s words, the Southern Commerce Association Chief Kang Un raised one eyebrow and quietly chided him.

“Flying Tiger School Master, that is not what we are discussing right now. After having people look into it, it was just a brawl that broke out, and the escort from the Holyeon Escort Agency under the Green Wood Lotus who came the next day was simply sent away. Why are you trying to escalate your son’s defeat from a fight he rashly started into a matter for the entire Southern Commerce Association?”

“…I shall be more prudent. My apologies, Association Chief.”

The Flying Tiger School Master was a simple and quick-tempered person. Just the right caliber and temperament for running a martial school in the borderlands.

But perhaps for that very reason, he was easier to handle.

Kang Un tapped the tea table with his finger and spoke.

“Let us set that matter aside for now. I was too harsh in reprimanding you, School Master. Hostility toward the Flying Tiger School is also hostility toward the Southern Commerce Association. After this current matter is concluded, we shall consider how to deal with them.”

The Flying Tiger School Master’s face brightened slightly, and he raised his voice.

“Thank you, Association Chief!”

Kang Un sighed inwardly. Leading such an alliance was truly like the extreme childrearing of raising multiple brats at once.

His wife at least had the help of servants and maids, but he right now was no different from a common housewife with several children.

He was unable to get properly angry at such a half-wit and had to soothe him carefully.

Kang Un thus settled the Flying Tiger School Master’s complaints and continued the matter at hand.

“In any case, because of the fact that the Green Wood Lotus is pursuing that sexual predator, the mood among the people of Yunnan Province is not looking good. In short, they are asking why we, the Southern Commerce Association, are sitting idle.”

“Those who can only see what is in front of their eyes… Is the Green Wood Lotus lot even searching earnestly? They are just poking around here and there asking if anyone has seen this fellow…”

These were the words of Flying Swallow Blade Ho Sang-cheol, pavilion head of the Flying Swallow Pavilion, a martial faction under the Southern Commerce Association.

Kang Un sighed inwardly and said.

“What the Pavilion Head says is also true, but the problem is that public opinion is such. Since the power of the Green Wood Lotus and ours is hard to distinguish, this is ultimately a battle of justification, you understand?”

“Mm, I understand.”

“So we too must join in the pursuit, I am saying. If we sit idle, we will fall behind in justification. The one called Flower-Snapping Laughing Killer has earned considerable infamy even in the Central Plains. Who captures him first will determine who holds the justification in Yunnan Province.”

Flying Tiger School Master Wu Gwan-hyeok spoke with a doubtful tone.

“Can catching one sexual predator really…”

“He is no ordinary sexual predator!”

-Thud.

Kang Un pressed down on the table and raised his voice slightly.

“He is not just a sexual predator, but a killer ‘being pursued by the Green Wood Lotus’! Do you not understand? If the Green Wood Lotus and Southern Commerce Association had both been indifferent to him, that would be one thing, but since the Green Wood Lotus has started pursuing him, we must pursue him too!”

“I understand, this School Master was short-sighted. Please calm yourself, Association Chief.”

“Phew… There is also the particularity of this Yunnan. If he had slipped into places like Guizhou, Zhejiang, or Fujian that are havens for evil path practitioners, it would be different, but here it is a big deal.”

Yunnan was not a place where martial world public enemies of that level of notoriety commonly appeared. Thus, capturing the sexual predator was an opportunity for great merit.

To the extent that the balance of power between two forces maintaining a standoff could shift.

“The escort agencies and martial factions under the Southern Commerce Association shall henceforth commit at least fifteen percent of their forces to tracking that sexual predator. Do you agree?”

“I agree.”

“The Association Chief’s wisdom is correct.”

“Let us do so.”

The executives of the Southern Commerce Association each expressed agreement, and the meeting for the day thus concluded.

* * *

A man wearing a bamboo hat and wrapped in a traveling cloak stood still, looking at a wanted poster on a wall.

He jerked his head violently, like someone with a compulsion, repeating the motion frequently.

Such behaviors as periodically making strange sounds, shaking one’s head, or constantly clearing one’s throat were symptoms that occasionally appeared in ordinary people.

In the case of martial artists, since they had strong control over their bodies, they rarely had such habits. In the first place, since such quirks made it easy to identify them, most corrected such peculiar habits.

But this man exuded an atmosphere that was clearly that of a martial world person, yet kept twisting his head back and forth.

“Damn it, persistent bastards, is the Martial Alliance on my tail? Or the government? I was sure I had thrown them off.”

Red lips chewed on white teeth. He was a person who, even while hiding here and there, faithfully applied makeup and brushed his teeth.

He glanced around, then with snake-like quickness, tore off the poster.

“Fucking terrible drawing.”

He quietly chewed out curses as he walked away.

His face, revealed under the bamboo hat, had thin lines like a woman’s and emanated yin energy. In contrast, his body, trained in martial arts, showed a sturdy frame beneath the traveling cloak.

By appearance alone, he looked like a handsome man who might make women cry, but somehow he gave an impression that made one reluctant to approach.

Ghost fire seemed to flare in his eyes, and on his smooth face, unnatural fine wrinkles clustered around his eyes and mouth.

On top of that, he kept jerking his head violently. If a woman saw this man, she would feel strangeness before attraction to his handsome face and flee.

Naturally, because of his flashy appearance and characteristic habit, he soon fell into the surveillance net of martial artists who had their senses heightened.

Moreover, as if he had lost his mind, he went around tearing down his own wanted posters everywhere.

Since his location was identified in Pogang County of Wongang Prefecture, which was within Green Wood Lotus territory, the Green Wood Lotus was the first to pursue him.

The county magistrate of Pogang County also offered to mobilize government forces to capture him, but the martial factions dissuaded him.

Seo Hwi-jeong, the head of the Holyeon Escort Agency which held influence in that area, said.

“Magistrate, this is a matter of the martial world. That man is a considerable expert, so it would be difficult to stop him with government forces. To capture him would require high masters from the military to be mobilized. The constables are all someone’s fathers and sons, so please value their lives and leave this matter to us.”

Unlike the military, which was staffed with experts who could handle most martial world masters, the forces the magistrate could command were mostly commoners.

A magistrate was also called a “parent official” as he was like the parents of the people.

It was natural that no parent would waste their children’s lives needlessly, and doing so risked turning public sentiment against him.

‘This is what they mean by separation of government and martial world.’

It was a golden rule often used in the martial world, meaning the government and the martial world do not interfere with each other.

This was not simply a phrase used when martial factions stubbornly refused government control.

It was also frequently used when officials who had responsibility but lacked the martial force to back it up, typically those between county magistrate and prefecture, wanted to save face.

Sometimes, when a terrifying martial artist rampaged through their jurisdiction but the government forces could not handle it, officials did not want to stir up their superiors by asking the military for help.

It also applied when no massacre or major harm to people’s livelihoods had occurred, so it was not a matter for higher authorities to notice.

In such cases, they turned a blind eye when martial factions stepped forward to privately punish evildoers. And overlook some fighting among themselves or slightly unsavory activities.

The public order of lower administrative areas was, in fact, handled by martial factions for more than half.

‘The Holyeon Escort Agency will not suffer too much damage, right? They are folks who have been slipping me decent bribes…’

The county magistrate of Pogang County finished his calculations and stroked his beard as if regretful, nodding.

His expression looked as if he wanted to capture the evildoer himself to protect the people’s livelihood, but he was yielding because his power did not reach that far.

“Hmm, hmm. Very well. I shall trust only you, Escort Head Seo. Please capture that evildoer and restore stability to the people’s livelihood. I hear there have been frequent complaints from mountain villages about maidens being kidnapped lately… I have no doubt that you and the heroes of the Holyeon Escort Agency can surely capture him.”

“Thank you for your trust, Magistrate. We shall surely not disappoint you.”

The Holyeon Escort Agency head answered in a trustworthy voice, without knowing what kind of fight awaited him and his escorts.

* * *

“Brother, I hear the Flower-Snapping Laughing Killer was spotted in Wongang Prefecture to the east, and the Green Wood Lotus tried to kill him, but absolutely all the martial artists they deployed died. About thirty of them? All dead. You remember the Holyeon Escort Agency that came to see us? Their base happens to be in that area, so the Holyeon Escort Agency was nearly ruined, so many died.”

“The man is insane. When he should be hiding and fleeing, he is practically advertising his presence. What level does his martial arts appear to be?”

“When he was being chased in the Central Plains, I heard he was at the beginning of peak level, but this time he showed the skill of the great perfection of peak level.”

Great Perfection meant roughly being completely filled, referring to a state where one had gathered all insights of that realm.

Until now, every time Ju-seong crossed a realm, he reached the great perfection of that realm in a short period, and this was thanks to his exceptionally outstanding comprehension.

But that was only possible until first-rate. From peak level onward, it was a different story. Literally, it was a realm that ordinary martial artists spent their entire lives pursuing and climbing to, so it was impossible to traverse that realm in a short period.

“Well, seems like he is a guy with a lot of problems.”

Ju-seong muttered indifferently. If he had raised his realm that quickly, there must inevitably be some kind of side effects.

Red Beggar seemed already restless and grabbed Ju-seong, shaking him.

“Ah, Brother. Should we not go now? What if the fellow escapes while we are like this?”

“Relax. Do you think the martial artists of Yunnan Province are idiots? If they have any sense, they will drive him south like a rabbit hunt. We can wait a few more days, then leisurely head south. I have some things to prepare personally too.”

“What things?”

“Never you mind. Something good for the body.”

He had been spending time lately visiting all the pharmacies in the area. This was to prepare for the fight in his own way.

Currently, Ju-seong was sitting leisurely in the courtyard of the abandoned manor that was the Qingling County Beggars’ Sect headquarters, throwing needles, and this too was training in preparation for fighting a higher-level master.

“By the way, what are those needles? They do not bend or dull even when stuck in the stone wall.”

Ju-seong had already been doing this for a week.

During all that time, whenever he was not doing his breath cultivation or visiting pharmacies, he practiced sticking needles into the wall like this.

-Thwap! Thwap!

At first there had been a tak, tak sound, but somehow the sound had decreased to thwap, thwap sounds.

That meant they were embedding deeper and flying faster.

Ju-seong spun three long acupuncture needles between his fingers and answered.

“These? They are one of Master’s treasures. I tried to steal them on my way out and got caught, but he just threw them to me and told me to take them.”

This wooden box that Ju-seong had tried to sneak out and was caught by the Divine Physician was precisely this.

“My, trying to steal your sect’s treasures on your way out. How impressive.”

“Sect? I do not have anything like a sect. Master just took me in and is teaching me martial arts. That is why I call him Master and not Teacher.”

“Ah, it is like a reclusive eccentric raised you as a disciple? How romantic. Single-line transmission! Not to be transmitted to non-persons!”

“That is right. Though he feared the dirty dust of the chaotic martial world would stain his robes, so he secluded himself in the deep mountains, he saw a man with world-opening talent, me, and decided to take me as a disciple. The successor of the world’s most mysterious sect is none other than me, Ju-seong.”

At Ju-seong’s flowing boasts, Red Beggar chuckled and retorted.

“For a disciple of the world’s greatest sect, you seem a bit weak. You are about the same as me. And I am a beggar.”

Ju-seong quietly fixed a needle between his index finger and thumb and turned his head.

“Oh dear, patient. Your complexion has turned dark, so one needle to the glabella…”

“I am a beggar so my face is dirty from grime. Put that thing away!”

“Watch your mouth, beggar.”

Ju-seong turned his head back and focused on throwing needles.

Having nothing to do, Red Beggar sprawled in the seat beside him and watched, then commented.

“Well, you throw well.”

The speed and sharpness of the needles flying kept increasing. Some needles even flew in curved trajectories.

Ju-seong was developing his own hidden weapon technique.

Various hidden weapon techniques already existed in the martial world, but since Ju-seong did not know them, he had to create his own.

Creating martial arts was not actually a remarkable thing.

Even creating one new practical combat technique that had never existed before could be considered creating a martial art.

What Ju-seong was doing was exactly such work. He was not creating high-level martial studies, but refining the hidden weapon skills he had become familiar with to a level that could be called a martial art with practical utility.

Throwing three needles at once, throwing two needles on the same trajectory with quick hand movements, throwing with a slight curve, throwing exceptionally fast…

Anyway, there were no elegant technique names; they were all like that.

Since he was not a rising star of an orthodox famous sect who would shout technique names during sparring matches, it was better to throw one more needle rather than spend time naming techniques.

Ju-seong was not yet at a level where he could name the techniques and martial arts he had created.

Only those who had endlessly contemplated and studied based on high achievement would have such qualification.

Ju-seong threw the needle, vowing that someday he would give a name to the hidden weapon technique he had created. When that time came, he would be a martial artist fitly called a grandmaster.

‘Grandmaster, Ju-seong.’

“Heh heh.”

A foolish laugh suddenly escaped from the corner of Ju-seong’s mouth. Red Beggar was looking at him as if he were a madman.