Chapter 121 : Doubt
"Yes. What I want to ask of you, Lord Namgung Hui, is to infiltrate the Blood Cult."
Namgung Hui, doubting his own ears, asked back.
"Infiltrate, not escort the Pungun Merchant Guild?"
"Yes. There is a saying that the best defense is a good offense. I intend to turn this crisis into an opportunity and get behind the Blood Cult."
Namgung Hui saw the seemingly weak young lord before him in a completely different light.
He even felt a hint of madness in his eyes.
Indeed, one should not judge a person by their appearance alone.
"Is this something Cheongija instructed?"
"Regardless of his will, this is something I want to do. I will also take full responsibility."
"If there's a misunderstanding, you could be accused of colluding with the Blood Cult. From the outside, it looks like you're supplying goods and even dispatching people. It's perfect for looking like you're in cahoots."
"To gain great profits, one must take great risks. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world."
Namgung Hui fully agreed with those words.
There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.
Even a simple meal offered has various ulterior motives.
"Infiltration is no big deal for me. But unlike the Central Plains, Guangdong Province requires the use of Cantonese, and I don't know Cantonese."
"That's why I've prepared this. Here. Take a look at this."
Namgung Hui accepted the booklet that Kang Yuseong handed him.
The smell of ink wafted out, as if it had just been written.
[Crash Course. Cantonese Even a Carp Can Learn.]
"It is a booklet I wrote myself. If you just master that, you will have no difficulties in using Cantonese."
Namgung Hui slowly flipped through the booklet and read it.
He hadn't turned many pages before he had to admit Kang Yuseong's words were true.
'He has described everything in detail, from pronunciation to culture, customs, and behavior.'
As expected of a merchant, he had described in detail how they differed from the people of the Central Plains.
Language was one thing, but their unique way of life was not something one could easily encounter.
Unless one went there and experienced it firsthand.
"With this much, as long as I don't make a big mistake, I won't be discovered."
"But you can't go as you are. Your appearance is already eye-catching enough, so you'll probably have to go in disguise."
"That's obvious. I may not look like it, but I've learned the art of disguise. You don't have to worry about that."
"Well. I don't think disguise alone will be enough. Guangdong Province is lenient towards women, so let's take this opportunity to disguise yourself as a woman."
Funnily enough, he was supposed to be reluctant to dress as a woman, but for some reason, Namgung Hui was pleased to hear those words.
Hadn't he just recently learned about a woman's demeanor from Beak Seolhwa?
Although it was a somewhat strange lesson, it was a lesson from Beak Seolhwa, who looked like a natural-born woman, so he thought it wouldn't be a problem.
Beak Seolhwa hadn't caused any problems either, so as long as he acted like her, there would be no issue.
"I'll do something as simple as dressing as a woman. Then when should we infiltrate?"
"Right after the martial arts tournament would be good. At that time, even if outsiders sneak in, they'll be mistaken for tourists."
"Alright. Let's do that."
"Then. I will give you our contact network."
After that, Namgung Hui received information from Kang Yuseong on how to contact him and who to meet in the Blood Cult.
The more he talked with him, the more he realized that this was not just an impromptu plan.
Could it be that he had noticed the Blood Cult's movements in advance and prepared for them?
Namgung Hui had no expectations for the martial world, but meeting a prepared person like Kang Yuseong made him wonder if he had been looking down on the martial world too much.
After his meeting with Kang Yuseong, he returned to his lodgings and went to sleep.
It was a particularly moonlit night, but it was easy to fall asleep.
* * *
"Brother. You have to swing the sword like this. Lower your elbow more. Just because you raise it high doesn't mean a powerful technique will be unleashed. Accuracy is more important."
Namgung Hui was instructing Namgung Chan in swordsmanship from the morning.
Normally, one should receive teachings from their elders, but since Namgung Hui's realm was much higher than his brother's, he took the lead in teaching when the opportunity arose.
Namgung Chan's pride could have been hurt, but he readily accepted Namgung Hui's proposal and even asked to create such opportunities often.
Seeing his brother's desire for improvement, Namgung Hui had no choice but to acknowledge him.
'My brother is a truly great person. He pursues practical benefits over pride. And yet, he doesn't just chase after material things like merchants. He can be called a true great man. I don't have to worry about entrusting the family to him in the future.'
However, what he lacked was personal martial power.
If Namgung Hui continued to guide and instruct him like this, it would be difficult in an instant, but he was confident that he would gradually improve.
Because now, Namgung Hui was the one who knew the Namgung family's sword art better than anyone else.
"Hah. Hah. Little brother. How do you know the family's sword art better than your older brother?"
"Doesn't that mean you've been neglecting your training, brother? And for me, all I could do while lying down was this kind of mental training."
Namgung Hui's words were not a lie.
For 10 years, all he could do while lying in bed was train his swordsmanship in his head.
"I see. I had no interest in what my younger brother was thinking and how he was living. I'm sorry."
"Brother. If you're sorry, then lower your elbow first. You have to get rid of that habit to move forward. The enemy will surely notice the habits you show when you execute your techniques."
"I see. That could be true."
Namgung Chan, as befitting the young head of the Namgung family, had a very high level of comprehension.
Namgung Hui taught his brother with the feeling of what it would be like to teach an outstanding disciple.
The training that started in the morning ended when the sun set.
"By the way, Hui. Don't you have the next martial arts tournament schedule?"
"Today's preliminaries will be over. And since my number is 7, I have until tomorrow. Are you perhaps changing the subject because the training is hard?"
"Ahem! As if I would get tired from the training my younger brother gives me? I was just worried you might get a bye."
Namgung Hui let out a small laugh and finished the training.
In fact, excessive training is worse than not training at all.
It could lead to injury if done wrong.
And if that happened, one's martial arts could even regress.
Namgung Hui relieved Namgung Chan's blood circulation with a simple pressure point massage, then left and returned to his guest room.
Now, he planned to seriously organize his future plans and check on matters he hadn't been able to look into.
'They say the more you rush, the more you should go around. When things are this complicated and chaotic, I need to control my mind well.'
And it would be best to set priorities and handle the most urgent tasks first.
Namgung Hui took out the letters and correspondences he hadn't been able to read and placed them on the table.
[Cheon Yeohwa's Work Report]
[Letter from On Yuha of the Hao Faction]
[Martial World Ranking Record]
Namgung Hui read the letters one by one.
[Brother. As you said, I'm tracking the funds using the merchant guild. A large amount of grain is heading to Zhejiang Province.]
'Zhejiang Province would be the Heretic Alliance. Are these guys also preparing for war?'
[And the transportation is being handled by the Golden Merchant Guild. Be careful of that place.]
The merchant guild that had ruined Cheon Yeohwa's family was also the Golden Merchant Guild.
Now, among the three major merchant guilds, that was the only one he had no connection with, so he would need to pay attention to it in the future.
'Then let's look at On Yuha's letter next.'
When he told On Yuha that the Heretic Alliance Leader's disciple had died, she had immediately sent a reply.
[Junior Brother. If that corpse is really the Heretic Alliance Leader's disciple, the Heretic Alliance Leader won't stay still. He might even move himself to find the culprit. He's a person who cherishes his disciples dearly.]
This was unexpected. As far as Namgung Hui knew, the Heretic Alliance Leader was a selfish bastard who only cared about himself.
Well, there was no rule that said people couldn't change with age, so it wasn't too strange for him to cherish his disciples now.
'If the Heretic Alliance Leader comes himself, I'd welcome it. But would that cautious bastard dare to come all the way to the Orthodox Faction's camp?'
And there was a high probability that the one who killed the Heretic Alliance Leader's disciple was not an Orthodox Faction member.
It was probably the work of the Blood Cult.
Seeing the traces of the Red Lotus Sword Art, it was almost certain.
'This isn't a bad thing either. If the Blood Cult and the Heretic Alliance Leader clash, I can just take advantage of the situation.'
Then he opened the last letter, the Martial World Ranking Record.
[Martial World Ranking Record]
[10th. Wolf King: Wandering Warrior, Cheonrangdaeju]
[9th. Sichuan Poison King: Sichuan Tang Family Head, Tang Cheonsang]
[8th. Invincible Fist King: Hwangbo Family Head, Hwangbo Hocheon]
[7th. Beggars' Sect King: Dragon Head Elder, Chwi Mua]
[6th. Red-Haired Monster: Identity Unknown]
[5th. Thunder Saber Emperor: Hebei Paeng Family Head, Paeng Ucheol]
[4th. Plum Blossom Sword Emperor: Mount Hua Sect Leader, Yong Ujin]
[3rd. Flying Tiger Sword Emperor: Murong Family Great Elder, Murong Jungho]
[2nd. Taiji Sword Immortal: Wudang's First Sword, Hyeoncheon]
[1st. Shaolin Divine Monk: Shaolin Temple Abbot, Gwangak]
[Note: Unorthodox Faction and forces outside the Central Plains are excluded.]
Namgung Hui was very curious on what basis the disciples of the Beggars' Sect had determined the rankings, but considering the fame of the sects, he thought it was a fairly reasonable order.
Even during the Thunder God era, with the exception of a few sects, the rankings were often determined in that order.
However, it was a pity that he didn't see a few familiar sects, including the Namgung family.
'Not only our family, but also the Kunlun Sect and the Emei Sect are not here. Even the Sword Empress, the Moon Maiden Palace, is not here.'
During the Great War of Righteousness and Evil, there were so many absolute masters that it was difficult to select the Ten Great Masters.
Just the Thunder God alone was a hidden master who had suddenly appeared.
There were a few more mysterious masters like Namgung Hui, and they possessed martial power that was more than enough to be included in the Ten Great Masters.
But they were not interested in worldly affairs, so they did not covet such fame.
If the Unorthodox Faction and the Demonic Path were added to this, even the Twenty Great Masters would not be enough.
After all, the leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult could be considered the number one under heaven at the time.
If they were included, the rankings would inevitably change.
Besides them, there was the Mahu who had learned the Sosu Demonic Art.
The Great Duke of the Demonic Cult who had learned the Star-Sucking Great Art.
And the Radiant Left and Right Emissaries, and so on.
Even now, countless absolute masters flashed through Namgung Hui's mind.
'By the way, there's one person with an unknown identity. But the fact that he's listed in the ranking record means he's that much of a master? Red-Haired Monster. His red hair must be his characteristic. I should remember that.'
Namgung Hui folded the ranking record and put it back in his robes.
Now that his complicated mind had calmed down somewhat, it was time to make a plan.
He organized his priorities in his head, one by one.
'First, I have to win the martial arts tournament. Then the attention will naturally be on me. Whether it's a spy from the Hoicheon Association or a spy from the Blood Cult, they will approach me. At that time, I'll track them in reverse.'
It would also be good to bring in the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader, Hu Gai, or other helpers in the middle to reduce unexpected variables and aim for the enemies' backs.
And there was the greatest master that the enemies didn't know about.
Beak Seolhwa was also there, so he felt extremely reassured.
'Hmm... Seolhwa will help me too, right...?'
For some reason, a sudden doubt arose, but she was the one who knew Namgung Hui's situation the best.
Hadn't they shared everything about the Hoicheon Association, the Blood Cult, the Black Tortoise Troupe Leader, and Yewol?
She even knew the internal affairs of the Namgung family.
'Why am I suddenly thinking this? Well, does it matter?'
Namgung Hui tried to ignore the slight doubt and devoted himself to studying Cantonese.
And so, the day passed, and the day of the main martial arts tournament arrived.
(End of Chapter)