Abolition of the Wicked - Chapter 218

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

#Chapter 218

“That’s a good thought. But gathering talent now and training them into masters will take quite a long time, won’t it?”
“We’ll have to think about that slowly as we gather the talent.”
“Isn’t that putting the cart before the horse? You should think first about how to train them, and then gather them.”
“Don’t worry. Somehow it will work out.”
If anyone else had said this, it would have been reckless bluster, but from Hyeolpung Saja, it would truly come to pass.
Despite Geom U-bin’s attempts to stop them, they scaled the walls of Oseong Jang-won that very night, ignoring his advice that it was too late to depart.
“Come to think of it, Jang Man-dok isn’t going with them?”
Thinking this, I stepped outside and saw Jang Man-dok standing in the courtyard.
“What are you doing there? Watching those pathetic ones leave?”
Jang Man-dok hastily turned his face away, concealing his expression.
He didn’t want that look—now the senior is mine—to show for anything in the world.
The next morning at breakfast with Geom U-bin, Jang Man-dok couldn’t wipe the smile from his lips.
Jang Man-dok piled this and that onto Geom U-bin’s rice, and Geom U-bin pushed side dishes toward him, urging him to eat more.
With three of them gone, it couldn’t have been better. Moreover, guiding Geom U-bin in his cultivation fell entirely to him.
There wasn’t much left to teach.
The brilliant Geom U-bin had mastered almost perfectly the intricate martial forms of Hyeolpung Saja’s technique.
The transitions between offense and defense with the breath were slightly awkward, but that was a problem only long cultivation could solve.
After training, he would administer the Chugung-gwahyeol treatment, share the evening meal, then drink tea and converse.
Of course, to an outside observer it would seem like Geom U-bin was talking to himself.
The occasional interruptions came from sparring with Gong Seong-tak.
Gong Seong-tak, who had realized his lifelong dream of becoming a master blacksmith, seemed to have decided to change that dream.
At some point he had begun practicing cultivation intensely, and now the sound of his limbs cutting through the air lasted longer than the hammer strikes at the forge.
“Lord Geom! Today let’s make the sparring intense!”
“Yes!”
Since Geom U-bin also enjoyed sparring with Gong Seong-tak, Jang Man-dok couldn’t stop it. And that sparring was proving invaluable for Geom U-bin, who lacked practical experience.
True to his nature, Gong Seong-tak never took sparring lightly, and Geom U-bin was no different. To any observer, they looked like mortal enemies locked in combat.
Watching their sparring, Jang Man-dok was newly impressed by Gong Seong-tak’s martial skill.
‘The Jincheon Leogak is nearly at its peak, it seems.’
When he first arrived at Oseong Jang-won, Gong Seong-tak was hovering between the eighth and ninth ranks, but now he was approaching the twelfth rank.
What was even more remarkable was that Geom U-bin held his own against such an opponent without falling behind.
He had suspected this since Geom U-bin defeated Ak-cheon-gil, the military’s greatest master, but now Geom U-bin was likely a match even for the leaders of the Gudaemun Faction.
‘If things go well, he might surpass us before turning thirty.’
Unless Hyeolpung Saja achieved a great enlightenment and became as strong as Ma Gun-ja, that would come to pass.
The two continued their sparring without pause for half a double-hour—conducting such intense, battle-like sparring for half a double-hour required not only internal energy but physical endurance as well.
In that sense, Geom U-bin was approaching a completed state.
As if by agreement, both withdrew and exhaled long breaths.
“Starting tomorrow, how about we extend the sparring time?”
“Is that alright?”
“I’m fine, it’s you I’m worried about.”
“I’m good with it too.”
“Then let’s increase the duration!”
Since it was good for Geom U-bin, Jang Man-dok agreed to give Gong Seong-tak more of his time.
While waiting for Geom U-bin to bathe and return, Jang Man-dok felt an ominous smell and presence approaching Oseong Jang-won.
‘This is!’
Jang Man-dok hurried out to the courtyard where the main gate stood and spotted someone just entering through the door.
Go Seo-bang, who happened to be passing through the courtyard, greeted Noh Dae-sul with a pleasant face as he crossed the threshold.
“Lord Bang, you’ve arrived?”
“It’s been a while. I’ve been wel—whoa—!”
Noh Dae-sul, just entering through the gate, was shoved backward with a sliding sound.
“What’s happening?”
“That’s strange. I felt something push me.”
Noh Dae-sul tried to enter again, but this time too he was pushed back a whole zhang.
And only then did he notice Jang Man-dok, whose eyes were now blazing.
“My goodness! Lord Jang! Has it been long since we last met? I trust you’ve been well?”
Noh Dae-sul didn’t know Jang Man-dok’s real name, so he called him Pa the Lord, taking the first character of his epithet “Pa-cheon Ma-gwon.”
―If I don’t see you, I’ll go mad!
Of course Noh Dae-sul couldn’t read his expression, but his instincts were sharp enough to catch the displeasure written across that face.
“Did I do something to upset you?”
If it had been a household member, perhaps—but an outsider like Noh Dae-sul monopolizing Geom U-bin’s time was something he found intolerable.
Go Seo-bang, who’d been gauging the mood, quietly slipped away inside.
Experience had taught him there was nothing to gain from inserting himself into a situation like this.
“Now, I only came to borrow a bottle of Oseong Wine—must you treat me so coldly?”
―Here, take a bottle of Oseong Wine and be on your way!
Jang Man-dok, who had scrawled something on the floor with his finger energy, went inside and returned with a bottle of Oseong Wine.
But that cursed Noh Dae-sul had already slipped in and seated himself with Geom U-bin at the Pond Pavilion.
“Jang, the Bang-ju has arrived.”
Noh Dae-sul waved cheerfully as if they’d only just met.
“Pa the Lord! Have you been in good health all this while?”
He repeated the exact same greeting he’d given before, word for word. Damnable old fool!
“My, my! Not only did you know I was coming, but you brought out Oseong Wine! You truly know how to treat a guest. Don’t you agree, Geom the Lord?”
Vowing silently to extract every remaining tooth from that old man’s mouth at the first opportunity, Jang Man-dok joined them at the table.
Geom U-bin poured Oseong Wine into Noh Dae-sul’s cup and asked, “I’m glad to see you, but you didn’t come just for the wine, did you?”
“Hah! If it were for this wine, I’d come running from the depths of hell itself! Of course, I’ll pay for my drink.”
“Pay with money?”
“What money does a pauper like me have?”
“You’re the Bang-ju.”
“I’ll give you a piece of precious information that can’t be bought with money.”
When Geom U-bin straightened his posture, Noh Dae-sul lowered his voice conspiratorially.
“The Murimmaeng is finally taking notice of Oseong Jang-won. Well, it’s not entirely unexpected—they’ve realized this place isn’t just a merchant organization.”
“If we’re not a merchant organization, what are we then?”
“Come now, with the Bloodwind Saja here, how could you be mere merchants? Why play dumb?”
“So what?”
“The Murimmaeng can’t openly station watchers here, so they’ve given the order to the Dongsi Doga instead. They figured that since the Dongsi Doga is already established in the same area, surveillance would be convenient.”
Geom U-bin stared at Noh Dae-sul without saying a word. At that, even raising the cup felt awkward.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?”
“Not that—but you might want to spit out that wine.”
“Spit it out?”
“That’s hardly information worth money. I heard it four days ago.”
“What did you say?”
“The deputy lord of the Cheongmae Dang from the Murimmaeng went directly to the Dongsi Doga and told them personally.”
“So you already knew?”
“I thought you might have brought news about my master instead.”
“I’m still actively investigating the matter of Ma Gun-ja.”
As Noh Dae-sul spoke, he quietly reached toward the wine bottle, but Jang Man-dok, who’d been watching, snatched it away.
“Now, since you’ve already been given it, it’s not right to take it back, is it?”
Geom U-bin received the Oseong Wine from Jang Man-dok and poured it, saying, “You’re truly investigating my master diligently, aren’t you?”
“Of course! Trust me! When it comes to information gathering, our Sect is the finest in the Murim! You know that!”
“I entrusted you with it on that faith, but now I’m starting to doubt.”
“Doubt? There’s something worth doubting far more than that!”
“Are you aware that disciples from the Sect’s branches in Anhui and Zhejiang got into a massive brawl?”
The hand holding the wine cup trembled slightly.
“Well, of course that much…….”
“You weren’t aware, were you?”
“Did such a thing happen?”
Noh Dae-sul was utterly at a loss for words.
“How do you know so much about the Sect’s affairs?”
“It happened in Zhejiang. News from Zhejiang doesn’t require any special effort—it finds its way to Oseong Jang-won naturally.”
In Zhejiang Province, Oseong Jang-won wielded tremendous influence over merchants, officials, and common folk alike.
It meant that every person living in Zhejiang had become the eyes and ears of Oseong Jang-won.
So no matter how trivial an incident, word came to them, and anything that happened within Zhejiang could be learned if one so chose.
For Noh Dae-sul, who had screwed up his courage and carved time out of his schedule to make this journey, it was a disappointing result.

He’d thought he could make a show of strength with this information, earn some leniency for failing to dig up anything on Ma Gun-ja, and pocket a few bottles of Oseong Wine besides. Instead, all he heard was that the Sect’s intelligence network was pathetic.
‘These worthless beggars! When I get back, I’ll have them whipped good.’
Too many of them had their eyes blinded by scraps of silver.
Noh Dae-sul’s age was showing, and everyone knew it was time to decide on a successor.
A sub-master of the Sect—standing shoulder to shoulder with the great factions—was the highest seat a beggar could reach. And so the countless renowned disciples Noh Dae-sul had gathered over the years were locked in shadow struggles, each angling for the position.
‘It’s all my failure.’
In the end, Noh Dae-sul shifted the blame onto his own shortcomings and crossed the threshold of Oseong Jang-won with slumped shoulders.
“You’ll need to take these with you.”
Noh Dae-sul’s heavy mood lifted completely the moment Geom U-bin pressed five bottles of Oseong Wine into his hands.
“Geom, you put my fumbling disciples to shame—a hundred times over. Ever thought about joining the Sect?”

***

Dong Seong-bang had spent four days wracking his brain for a solution, yet nothing suitable came to mind.
Dong Baek-jae, his clever younger brother and the chief of Dongsi Doga, found himself in the same predicament.
“We should have refused Murimmaeng’s demand.”
Dong Seong-bang regretted it, though if that moment came again, refusing Murimmaeng would be no easier.
They’d sworn a blood covenant with Murimmaeng, but there was no guarantee how long that status would hold. It wasn’t enough to simply pay and have your name inscribed—you had to prove yourself worthy of the covenant.
And the task Murimmaeng had assigned to Dongsi Doga was to keep watch on Oseong Jang-won.
Murimmaeng had stated it simply enough, but reality proved far less forgiving.
Surveilling Oseong Jang-won was tantamount to deceiving every eye in Hangju.
“What Murimmaeng wants is information on who comes and goes from Oseong Jang-won, and the movements of its members, isn’t it?”
“They also ordered us to investigate the lords’ pasts—it’s no simple matter.”
Back when Oseong Jang-won was still rising in fame, they’d conducted an investigation into Hang Ju-sa-ung.
They’d uncovered absolutely nothing.
Not their histories, not even their names—no one knew anything about them.
Like immortals who’d lived in solitary splendor in the mountains before descending into the world of men, they left no trace.
They’d failed then, and there was no reason to succeed now.
“Couldn’t we just send a few subordinates to watch from a distance?”
“Moderate surveillance, moderate reporting?”
“If we pry too deeply and friction arises with Oseong Jang-won, how do we answer for it?”
Dongsi Doga was no longer the hegemon of Zhejiang Province.
They’d remained as they were, but Oseong Jang-won had grown so swiftly it was now a giant that dwarfed them entirely.
Their wealth was formidable, but their martial might was unfathomable—and that mystery made Oseong Jang-won all the more terrifying.
“Why does Murimmaeng want us to watch Oseong Jang-won in the first place?”
“Indeed. I find it galling that Murimmaeng assigns such tasks without so much as explaining their reasons. Shouldn’t they at least tell us why?”
Dongsi Doga had expected that swearing a blood covenant with Murimmaeng would elevate their power and prestige. Instead, the only change that materialized was a steady drain on their coffers.
“We can’t refuse Murimmaeng’s demands, so let’s proceed as planned. Select a few of our best at stealth and—”
“My lord.”
A voice from outside cut short Dong Seong-bang’s words.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————