The Wizard Who Endured the World of Murim - Chapter 23

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Surviving in the Martial Realm as a Mage: Episode 23
“Ah! You’ve arrived at last, Master Jang Geo.”
“Hmm. It seems everyone is prepared for departure. Has anything troublesome occurred?”
He, who had transformed seamlessly from Song Gwang-sik into Jang Geo-i, blended naturally among the Ronin Guild members.
“Well, there was some minor commotion, but nothing particularly different from usual.”
A small-framed man with a weathered, gentle expression.
So Il-hyeon, the Pyo Kingdom’s Blade Master.
He was a first-rate expert of considerable renown among the Ronin Guild members.
With his easygoing temperament and lack of sharp edges, he earned decent respect even among the rough-and-tumble ronin.
“Those fellows have been at it again today.”
“…I can see that.”
During the brief rest stop for lunch while the Pyo Kingdom’s caravan halted, they had apparently already clashed.
Yang Cheon-jo, the Crimson Wind Spear master, lay sprawled on the ground, gasping for breath.
“By the look of it, he lost again.”
“Ha ha, indeed. The legendary Crimson Wind Spear proved no match whatsoever.”
Over the past six days.
Yang Cheon-jo had persistently thrown himself at Ilhyang.
Whenever Ilhyang told him to address him as father, he made various excuses instead.
He engaged in martial bouts with Ilhyang while omitting the proper form of address.
This was the epitome of pettiness that a loser in a wager could display.
Yet surprisingly, Ilhyang simply accepted without complaint and matched him evenly.
And.
‘Until today, six losses and six defeats.’
From the first day onward.
Yang Cheon-jo steeled his resolve and tried again with weapons, but lost.
The next day, he fought barehanded, but lost again.
Later, he made a cowardly agreement to refrain from using inner energy and fought once more.
Yet he was beaten pathetically by a mere ten-year-old child.
And whenever Yang Cheon-jo lay defeated like this.
Ilhyang’s lectures would pour down upon him as he remained sprawled on the ground.
“Surely you haven’t already forgotten the principle of filial piety from the Three Bonds and Five Relationships I taught you last time? It seems your father must kindly explain it to his incompetent son once more.”
“….”
The Three Bonds and Five Relationships—the fundamental moral principles of Confucianism.
Filial piety—the principle that children must serve their parents.
These were words Yang Cheon-jo had never heard before in his life.
Yang Cheon-jo trembled throughout his entire body as Ilhyang’s lectures resumed.
Though he lay defeated, grinding his teeth in frustration, he dared not protest.
‘A loser, by nature, has nothing to say.’
Having lost six consecutive times to the same opponent.
Though he felt indignant now.
I had inwardly conceded to this ten-year-old Kid.
The other party was merely wearing the Kid’s shell on the outside.
He was a complete monster.
“…Do you understand what I’m saying right now?”
“Y-yes, haha, of course, Father.”
“Is that so? Then explain what filial piety and familial affection mean.”
“Uh…?”
Over the past six days.
I’d explained so many things—how was he supposed to remember every single one?
Yang Cheon-jo’s wolf-like sharp eyes trembled for a moment as if an earthquake had struck.
Ilhyang exhaled a sigh.
Watching Yang Cheon-jo stammer, he flicked a chestnut at his head.
Crack—
“Ow!”
It was just a simple flick, but it hurt terribly.
As Yang Cheon-jo clutched his forehead in pain that felt like his crown was splitting open and writhed about.
“Sigh, didn’t I explain this before? In the relationship between parents and children, filial piety and familial affection are what matter. I teach you these wise words of the ancient sages over and over again—how dare you let them go in one ear and out the other?”
“….”
Teaching? That’s all nonsense.
This was clearly harassment.
Simply harassment without direct violence.
Whenever he threw out questions like this without warning, if you couldn’t answer properly, he’d use that as an excuse to flick your head repeatedly while nagging.
‘Damn it! I’d rather just take a proper beating—that would be a hundred times better!’
In this part of town, beating someone as “discipline” was considered common sense.
But Ilhyang never used such crude methods.
“Hmm? Keep your eyes respectful, son. Or you’ll regret it.”
“….”
Yang Cheon-jo unconsciously lowered his rebellious gaze.
This was a form of sophisticated harassment he’d never experienced before.
‘Is this really harassment?’
Yang Cheon-jo was confused.
It was certainly unbearable.
But without direct violence, he was starting to feel uncertain about it.
In any case, Ilhyang gently told stories of great ancient sages.
Throughout the journey, he gradually tamed Yang Cheon-jo.
There were certainly results.
Yang Cheon-jo, who had no interest in learning whatsoever.
Had begun to memorize the Three Bonds and Five Relationships, little by little.
‘Rote education truly is the best method.’
Ilhyang felt a sense of satisfaction.
After all, this was an outstanding educational method verified through countless Disciples of the Magic Tower over many years.
Suddenly, the faces of numerous past Disciples flashed through my mind.
Then, unexpectedly, my last Disciple came to mind.
‘I wonder if he’s doing well there, Lian?’
That fellow had been brimming with talent of legendary proportions.
Recalling those eyes burning with ambition, Yang Cheon-jo standing before me suddenly looked like a fool.
“You need to study, my boy?”
Yang Cheon-jo’s face contorted.
And looking at such a sight, the Ruffians’ faces naturally curved into satisfied smiles.
“They seem to get along well, don’t they?”
“Indeed they do.”
When observing the two people huddled close together, conversing in hushed tones from a distance.
It did appear quite familiar, after all.
‘Damn it, when exactly are those bandits going to attack? Why haven’t they come!’
Over the past six days, the escort journey had been remarkably uneventful.
That only drove Yang Cheon-jo further to madness.
“Huh? Your eyes are wandering elsewhere again?”
Smack—
“Ugh!”
“Focus. What did I just say?”
“That, that a human must understand the precise concepts of the Three Bonds and Five Relationships to know propriety between people and perform their proper roles and ethical duties, Father.”
As Yang Cheon-jo answered while grinding his teeth quietly, Ilhyang spoke with a slightly surprised expression.
“Oh? Then do you remember what I said about filial piety and paternal affection?”
“…There must naturally be affection between parents and children!”
Yang Cheon-jo answered appropriately while trembling throughout his entire body.
Ilhyang clapped with a genuinely astonished expression.
“My, my! Our son. How admirable! You’re far cleverer than I thought!”
“…”
Though somewhat absurd.
Yang Cheon-jo honestly felt a bit pleased by Ilhyang’s exaggerated praise.
‘But what on earth did this bastard think of me normally?’
Yang Cheon-jo felt both indignant and irritated, yet simultaneously pleased.
His head spun with this strange ambivalent emotion.
‘Damn it, what can I do.’
In this harsh Kangho, the strong reign supreme.
In any case, the Jinseong Escort Agency proceeded without incident through the evening of the sixth day.
What had been considered the greatest crisis of this escort mission.
We arrived at Weishan Port on the Liu Chang River, the lifeblood of Myeong Province.
“From here, we must travel another five days by ship.”
The Jinseong Escort Agency had arranged passage in advance.
The Ronin Guild members actually had little to do here.
They simply idled about.
Subcontracted jobs like this were, as mentioned before, a form of insurance.
Unless a major incident occurred, the Escort Bureau handled everything themselves.
“Sigh, I wish every job was like this.”
So Il-hyeon, the Radiant Sword, climbed onto the deck and spoke with a wry smile.
Jang Geo-i and Song Gwang-sik, the Bright Moon Sword, unconsciously nodded in agreement.
“I concur.”
“Haha, there was a time when I envied the bounty hunters for their steady income, but moments like this make me reconsider.”
Song Gwang-sik turned his head slightly at So Il-hyeon’s words.
He gazed at the bustling bounty hunters and fell into contemplation.
The Jinseong Escort Agency had made considerable preparations for this assignment.
Six peak-realm masters brought in from outside—including Namgung Min, the Heavenly Sword.
Four peak-realm masters the agency possessed internally.
Additionally, forty newly recruited first-rate masters had joined.
Combined with the twenty first-rate masters they already had.
That made a total of sixty first-rate masters.
An overwhelming force for a rural escort agency to possess.
They had truly mobilized every external connection to gather every first-rate master available.
The remaining thirty not included in this force
were hired personnel—third-rate to second-rate masters who had trained in martial arts.
‘In conclusion, the Jinseong Escort Agency had wagered everything on this transport mission.’
To attack an escort mission with such preparations would require either fools
or otherwise.
‘An extraordinarily powerful faction.’
Because of this, Song Gwang-sik anticipated there would be almost no chance of an attack.
In any case, the Jinseong Escort Agency’s transport mission arrived at Weishan Port and rested for a day.
The following day, they prepared to depart again.
From early morning, the bounty hunters and hired personnel busily loaded cargo onto the sailing ships, which had two massive sails each.
There were four sailing ships in total.
Overall, people and provisions were distributed across the sailing ships.
Of the four ships,
two were designated separately to carry the transported cargo.
The visible cargo included silk and premium spirits.
Coconut oil, coral, pearls, gemstones, and more.
Mostly expensive luxury goods.
Among the sailing ships carrying people, one
was a notably larger command ship that carried the most important cargo of this mission.
An iron carriage of unknown origin was loaded aboard.
According to what Song Gwang-sik had heard from Jochang, the senior bounty hunter,
‘I had given strict and repeated instructions to remain vigilant at all times, as there was a very, very important and expensive cargo to escort.’
Though I never revealed what that cargo actually was.
The Ronin Guild members nodded in agreement.
From their perspective, the lavish goods openly displayed certainly commanded considerable value.
Yet the sheer number of guards accompanying this shipment seemed disproportionate to the price of such items.
The Ronin Guild members, curious about the true nature of the cargo, peppered me with questions from every angle.
But Jochang, the senior bounty hunter, ultimately confessed that even he knew nothing about the cargo.
Song Gwang-sik believed Jochang’s admission was genuine.
‘Since this is a special mission from the Main Family House, the cargo must be extraordinarily precious.’
It was merely conjecture, but the item was likely the sort of rare treasure that money alone could not procure.
Indeed, throughout the entire escort operation.
Not only the Celestial Sword Namgung Min, but also the Lord of Jinseong Escort Agency and his three sons never strayed more than a certain distance from the iron carriage loaded onto the command ship.
The problem was that Song Gwang-sik himself had no idea whatsoever what lay inside that iron carriage.
‘Should I have casually asked about the cargo yesterday?’
Song Gwang-sik entertained that thought for a moment before shaking his head.
What good would knowing about a special mission accomplish?
All that mattered was performing his assigned duties well.
As Song Gwang-sik boarded the ship designated for the Ronin Guild members and organized his thoughts.
Ilhyang, who had likewise boarded the vessel.
Sat perched atop the railing, which towered above his own height, and narrowed his eyes.
‘But how on earth did they obtain that cargo?’
Ilhyang turned his gaze toward the iron carriage.
The most crucial element of this entire escort mission.
Initially, Ilhyang too had no idea what lay within the iron carriage.
Some special technique had sealed the entire carriage.
But just moments ago.
While separating the carriage from the horses and loading it onto the sailing ship.
A violent impact sound—”Boom!”—erupted from within.
And a faint aura seeped out from the iron carriage.
The aura quickly dissipated into the air.
But Ilhyang, observing from a distance, was startled.
Because the aura was unmistakably familiar.
“Hey! You there! Be careful! The carriage is tilting!”
“You! The foothold! The foothold’s about to collapse, so support it with your hands!”
“Pull it up from the front! Are you out of your mind?”
“You fool! Have you done this once or twice before? Do you understand how much this is worth? Treat it as more precious than your own body!”
The bounty hunters and their leaders bickered and cursed as they carefully transported that iron carriage.
Boom—
Finally, the iron carriage was safely loaded onto the command ship, the largest of all the sailing vessels.
And Namgung Min, the Celestial Sword, could not tear his gaze away from that iron carriage.
“Now that we’re traveling along the Liu Chang River, there shouldn’t be any major dangers, Namgung Min. Please don’t worry too much.”
“Hmm… truthfully, I’m concerned about the movements of the river pirates on the Yangtze.”
Namgung Min, the Sword of Heaven’s Wrath.
He gazed at the iron carriage being lowered into the cabin below deck.
His expression was clouded with anxiety.
Inside that iron carriage lay everything.
His entire future depended on it.
If this escort mission succeeded, I could position myself at the forefront among the next generation heirs of the Namgung Clan.
The cargo was that significant.
But if it failed?
‘Then I’m finished.’
Ordinarily.
This was work that should have been handled by an elder-tier master of the highest caliber.
But I had insisted and pushed for it.
Taking it on as a special assignment instead.
Because of that, Namgung Min was still somewhat nervous.
“Haha, please don’t worry so much. No matter how chaotic the river pirates on the Yangtze may be, haven’t we also specially invited masters of the highest caliber for this escort mission? Trust us.”
The Lord of Jinseong Escort Agency.
Jin Yu-seong was confident in the perfect transport of the cargo.
He had sent urgent messages to the outside world for this commission.
And specially invited those proud masters of the highest caliber.
The Escort Agency had scraped together all the money and connections it had accumulated over the years and mobilized everything.
‘With me included, there are a full ten masters of the highest caliber here—what could there possibly be to worry about?’
In most martial sects.
Masters of the highest caliber receive treatment befitting elders or sect leaders.
And there were a full ten such masters.
Moreover, all the bounty hunters and escort captains were first-rate masters as well.
Even the sailors had been hired exclusively from those trained in martial arts.
Honestly, with this level of force, we could reduce even mid-sized sects to ash in about thirty minutes.
“…I will simply trust you, Lord Jin.”
“Haha, do trust me. I will repay that trust with safety!”
Lord Jin Yu-seong struck his solid chest heartily and answered with a voice full of confidence.
Namgung Min, the Sword of Heaven’s Wrath, finally relaxed his expression, which had been rigid throughout.
And turned his gaze to the side.
The very front of the sailing ships.
The deck of the sailing ship carrying the Ronin Guild members.
Song Gwang-sik, who happened to be there, was also looking toward the command ship.
The two men’s eyes met briefly, and they nodded at each other.
Though they had encountered each other by chance while performing different missions.
He was honestly the most trustworthy person among everyone here.
‘That’s right—with Chusal Daeju here, whatever problems arise, we’ll find a way through them.’
The head of the Namgung Family Assassination Unit was no ordinary position; only those of exceptional skill dared shoulder such responsibility.
The family had subjected candidates to rigorous selection upon rigorous selection, and Song Gwang-sik—the Assassination Unit commander—was the elite talent they had chosen.
Yet Song Gwang-sik himself harbored the same thought.
Should any unforeseen crisis emerge, he believed Namgung Min, the Sword Saint of Heaven, would find a way to resolve it.
‘He’s one of the Main Family House’s remarkable heirs, after all. Surely nothing will go amiss?’
The two men drew comfort from each other in this way, completing their final preparations on the deck with measured deliberation.

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