Chapter 11 : Rewarding Merit (2)
Everyone wants to learn martial arts. But they also know that not everyone can learn it.
To learn martial arts, first, one must have talent, and second, the surrounding environment must be conducive. But people are always generous with their self-assessment and believe they have talent without any basis. So, most people find the reason they can't learn martial arts not in their talent, but in their environment.
"All the good martial arts are monopolized by the Nine Sects One Alliance or the Five Great Families. From a merchant's point of view, this is a very evil monopoly structure. It completely blocks the entry of latecomers. This way, no masters they don't know can emerge. That's why when an unfamiliar master appears, they immediately start yelling, 'It's a wicked art! It's the Demonic Cult! It's the Unorthodox faction!'"
"That's hard to deny."
Yang Gwan clicked his tongue.
It was all too natural. Martial arts were more precious than life.
The martial arts passed down in the Nine Sects One Alliance and the Five Great Families were never leaked outside. Even the Yang Family Spearmanship passed down in Yang Gwan's family was secretly transmitted only to the eldest son of the family.
The martial arts of the martial world were generally passed down in this limited way to a very small number of people.
"So, to get good martial arts, you have to enter a good sect or family as a family member, or as an adopted son or a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family, but that's not an easy thing for me."
"That's true. To enter another sect, you first need a foundation. At the very least, you have to train your internal and external skills from a young age and tirelessly repeat eye, ear, soft, and hard skills to build a foundation. I'm sorry, but Guild Master So..."
"Yes. I don't know a single thing about martial arts. So I don't even know if I have talent or not."
"Then it will be difficult. Guild Master So is only twenty, but to enter the martial world now is very late. As far as I know, there are no cases of someone who started training at Guild Master So's age and achieved great mastery."
Other things were not the problem.
If one studied the forms and moves of a martial art with bone-crushing effort, one could achieve great mastery in any martial art before old age.
But internal energy was a different story.
"To be called a master, you need to accumulate at least twenty years of internal energy, and to accumulate twenty years of internal energy, you naturally need twenty years of time. In internal energy, time is mastery. So all martial artists train their internal energy from a young age. It's natural that Guild Master So, who started late, cannot catch up."
"What if I have a supreme internal energy cultivation method?"
"Of course, if you learn a supreme internal energy cultivation method, this speed will become very fast, but... where would you get such a supreme internal energy cultivation method, and even if you get it, can you learn it right away? And even if you get it and learn it, what about the time? Let's say twenty years is reduced to ten years. Then Guild Master So would be thirty. Congratulations, at the age of thirty, you would barely enter the threshold of a master."
"A barely-a-master..."
It meant he couldn't become a first-rate master.
Yang Gwan continued to wag his tongue.
"In the first place, the Five Great Families and the Nine Sects One Alliance have been learning such supreme martial arts from a young age. Under the same conditions, Guild Master So has no choice but to be no match for them."
"Even with a really, really good internal energy cultivation method?"
"Even if it's the Purple Mist Divine Art of Mount Hua, which is called a divine art, or the Muscle-Tendon Change Classic of Shaolin, what can't be done, can't be done."
"Then what about demonic arts?"
At Jang So-gil's playful words, Yang Gwan's expression hardened.
"Are you serious?"
"I'm asking about the possibility."
"It's not impossible."
Unlike the martial arts of the Orthodox faction, which require long periods of thousands and tens of thousands of refinements with purity as a weapon, demonic arts do not require such a process. By using blood as a sacrifice, souls as nourishment, and collecting yin to supplement yang and other wicked arts, one can gather internal energy and become strong quickly and easily. So, for every one master of the Orthodox faction born, a hundred masters of the Demonic Cult are born.
"But that's all the advantages. You can become strong quickly and easily up to a certain point, but it's actually harder to break through the wall of a first-rate master. That's why the number of absolute masters is higher in the Orthodox faction. If you want to become a true master, I cannot recommend demonic arts. Above all."
Yang Gwan tilted his head and pointed to the martial artists outside with his chin. They were the martial artists of the Martial Alliance.
"Can you learn demonic arts in Luoyang, the headquarters of the Martial Alliance? You'd be lucky not to be hunted down and killed."
"They're fools who don't even know that the Demon God Pill is being traded in the escort agency right in front of them, so what would they know?"
"...Guild Master So!"
"It's a joke, a joke."
Jang So-gil giggled. Even though he was talking about pessimistic things, he seemed to be in a pretty good mood.
Why is he in such a good mood when he's being told it's impossible?
Yang Gwan frowned and looked at him.
"What are you so happy about?"
"Ah, it's nothing special. I just felt good thinking that if you think that way, the bastards of the Tang Clan will also think that way."
"What? Why is that something to be happy about?"
"It's always fun to hit the back of the head of those who are off guard. And of course, it's also fun to turn what other people say is impossible or can't be done into possible."
"Guild Master So, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Regardless of public perception, regardless of your opinion as a master, I will become a master."
Jang So-gil grinned.
"No matter what anyone says."
* * *
The Martial Alliance Headquarters. This building, built right in the middle of Luoyang, was not quite enough to surpass the Forbidden City in Beijing, which was a concentration of the talents and skills of all the architects of the time, but it had a splendor that could at least stand shoulder to shoulder with it.
How much money went into building such a building, and how much blind money was lost in the process?
Jang So-gil looked up at the building with a mixture of ridicule and regret, then shook his head.
Today, he had come to have an audience with the Martial Alliance Lord, Gu Munryong, to mark the end of the rewarding of merit.
It was a meeting to officially announce that he had received the qualification of a Martial Alliance Inspector from the Alliance Lord and to praise his first achievement.
For that, Jang So-gil dressed neatly and walked towards the headquarters.
But what was this? The guards were standing guard with their limbs trembling, and next to them, a handsome middle-aged man with a good physique was waiting for Jang So-gil, waving both his arms.
"Over here! Over here!"
"A-Alliance Lord?!"
How long had he been standing there waiting?
As soon as Jang So-gil entered, Gu Munryong ran up to him in one go and grabbed his hand.
"Welcome! I've been waiting for you, young hero!"
"I don't know where to put myself with such a warm welcome."
It was true. The distance with Gu Munryong was so close that Jang So-gil was quite flustered. He had expected him to be all formal and arrogant like the old masters of the Wudang Sect he had seen in passing, but he was excessively unpretentious.
Gu Munryong put his arm around his shoulder nonchalantly and said.
"I'm seeing the benefactor who saved us from the brink of bankruptcy, so it's only natural that I come out. Isn't that right? Guards. The silver that will go into your pockets is the money this young hero has brought. Serve him well from now on."
"W-we will serve him well!"
"Good answer. I like that you're all tensed up."
"It's an honor!"
When the guard holding a black spear shouted back, Gu Munryong grinned as if he liked it.
Jang So-gil, not unaware of his intentions, also slightly raised the corners of his mouth.
'For some reason, the Alliance Lord is favorable to me.'
The Alliance Lord had welcomed him so loudly. The guards would now never forget Jang So-gil's face until they died, and they would explain what they had experienced to their colleagues at the headquarters and spread the word about how much the Alliance Lord had welcomed Jang So-gil. If the rumor spread like that, he wouldn't have to worry about one of the problems that could arise for Jang So-gil, internal conflicts, bullying of a newcomer, or an uncooperative attitude.
'But it's not just unconditional favor. This is a rather political favor. To be able to move like this. Is this person really a martial artist?'
He seemed to understand very well what kind of political effect and ripple effect his actions had. Was it because he was the Alliance Lord? He was like a seasoned bureaucrat.
Jang So-gil was quite impressed and walked in step with him. As they headed to the inner courtyard, Gu Munryong released his arm from his shoulder and walked one step ahead.
"Thanks to you, young hero, I've saved face. I never thought, I never thought that even if the Alliance had no money, the guards' salaries would be seven days late. This is such a disgrace. Anyway, it's a truly deplorable thing. I am truly at fault."
His tone was like an old man grumbling to his grandson. But this was also a very political statement. Jang So-gil, who had noticed his intention, skillfully bowed his waist and received his words.
"Is it a rare thing for a loach to get mixed up in a great enterprise? Even if there is a rat in the granary, it would not be the great one's responsibility. Wouldn't it be the fault of the gatekeeper who was careless in his work?"
"That's right. It's a shameful thing, but that's how martial artists are. They can use a sword, cultivate internal energy, and take the heads of evil heretics, but they don't know how many bushels of rice or how many sacks of beans are in their own granary. So I left it to the merchants, and this mess happened. What should I do about this?"
The corners of Jang So-gil's mouth lifted slightly. To understand the political intention and receive Gu Munryong's words, it meant, 'Now that the Martial Alliance is on the verge of ruin, I've realized that the merchant bastards I put in charge of the household are the problem. So I'm going to cut off the heads of the merchants who were working before, so will you take care of the Martial Alliance's household affairs in place of the dead ones?'
Do the inspector's job and also take care of the Martial Alliance's internal affairs.
In other words, he was saying, forget about learning martial arts and taking revenge, and just work like a black ox until you die.
'This sly old fox...!'
His way of naturally inducing Jang So-gil's answer was quite skillful. But since he had seen such people for more than a day or two, Jang So-gil skillfully avoided the answer.
"Not everyone will work with a black heart like the Hakseo Escort Agency. It will depend on the gravity of the matter, but won't those who committed crimes with a light heart see the Hakseo Escort Agency's affair and be vigilant and restrain themselves?"
Gu Munryong's eyebrows twitched. It was because Jang So-gil had retorted quite wittily.
To interpret his words, it meant, 'If I just do my job well, the merchants will behave themselves, so don't worry.' It was also an irresponsible statement that meant, 'It's not my business even if they don't restrain themselves.'
'Look at this fellow? He's only twenty, but his tongue is quite well-oiled.'
If he had answered like that without knowing the intention, it would have been a great coincidence. The fellow knew Gu Munryong's intention well. He was slipping away even while knowing it.
He began to covet him even more. Gu Munryong cleared his throat loudly.
"The world is wide, but there are very few trustworthy people. There are only a few people in the Alliance I can trust. We haven't known each other for long, but I already like you very much, young hero. Can't you help out just a little while doing the inspector's job? Strategist Sama seems very busy these days."
Interpretation: Sama Hwi's head is too rigid, so I can't use him for internal affairs. You do the internal affairs.
"Everyone in the world has their own use, but my use is not in harmonizing and cultivating something, but in finding fault with others and pointing out their flaws. I am humbled, but since I am a petty person among petty people, I am ashamed to even discuss sharing a table with a gentleman among gentlemen like Strategist Sama. Please withdraw those words."
Interpretation: No.
"..."
"..."
A vein like a snake stood out on Gu Munryong's forehead.
"Ah, this bastard is slipping away like a loach..."
"Ahem. What do you mean?"
"Work, you fool."
"I don't want to."
"It's the Alliance Lord's order."
"It's different from the contract, isn't it? It's unfair employment."
Gu Munryong and Jang So-gil's eyes met. It was as if sparks were flying.
They looked at each other and thought.
'Ah, this mad dog-like bastard is talking back to his elders?'
'Ah, this mad dog-like bastard is trying to crush me with his rank?'
It had been a long time since he had met a strong opponent.
(End of Chapter)