Chapter: 21
Several days later, late in the evening.
Namgung Cheon returned to the Golden Jade Pavilion once more.
Normally, the place should have been packed with customers at this hour.
They’re not doing business.
Not only was there not a single customer in sight, but even the lanterns remained unlit.
Well, they have something more important to deal with now.
If they could completely seize control of Anhui’s underworld, a mere tavern meant nothing.
Thinking that, Namgung Cheon pushed open the doors of the Golden Jade Pavilion.
The instant the doors opened, countless razor-sharp killing intents hidden within the darkness focused on him all at once.
But as soon as they recognized who had entered, every trace of hostility vanished as though it had never existed.
The guards emerging from the shadows bowed deeply.
“…Please proceed to the top floor.”
Namgung Cheon nodded and crossed the darkened first floor before heading straight upstairs.
Unlike the silent first floor, the higher he climbed, the clearer the sounds of voices and hurried footsteps became.
Soon, he arrived outside the Guild Master’s office.
Creak.
Opening the door, he found Baek Dugwang and Naeng Cheolsan arguing fiercely over a massive map spread across the table.
“I’m telling you! We have to open up this river route! Do you know how much those Jiangxi bastards make from controlling that one passage?”
“Guild Master, why are you talking about river routes now? Do we even have the money? We’ll be operating at a loss.”
Absorbed in their argument, the two only belatedly noticed Namgung Cheon standing at the doorway.
“Gah!”
The color drained from Baek Dugwang’s face.
Throwing aside the brush in his hand, he rushed over with unbelievable speed and threw himself flat at Namgung Cheon’s feet.
“Oh, Young Master! What an unexpected honor! You should have sent word before coming.”
Behind him, every subordinate in the room immediately dropped to one knee.
Ignoring the commotion, Namgung Cheon calmly walked to the seat of honor and sat down.
“Report.”
As though he had been waiting for that command, Naeng Cheolsan stepped forward and opened a ledger.
In an emotionless voice, he began his report.
“First, we have completely taken control of Anhui’s unorthodox martial world. Most of the remaining resistance has also been eliminated.”
Pausing briefly, he pointed toward a heavy chest sitting in one corner of the room.
“…And this is the first tribute payment for the Four Black Alliance.”
Namgung Cheon’s brows narrowed slightly.
The last time he had visited the Gold Coin Guild had been before negotiating with the Black Wind Captain.
At that point, he had never ordered any tribute payments to the Four Black Alliance.
Just then, Baek Dugwang stepped forward.
“Young Master, I may not be an educated man, but I’ve spent many years surviving in this business.”
Scratching his lantern-like bald head, he continued.
“The Blood Sword Division used to rule Anhui’s unorthodox world. If our Gold Coin Guild is replacing them, then naturally we also have to replace them in paying tribute to the Four Black Alliance… unless we want to die.”
Naeng Cheolsan opened another ledger and added his explanation.
“Yes. Following the Guild Master’s judgment, we used the Hao Clan to investigate the exact timing and amount of tribute the Blood Sword Division used to pay the Four Black Alliance. We’ve prepared everything without even the slightest discrepancy. The payment is due the day after tomorrow.”
Namgung Cheon nodded.
Not bad.
Baek Dugwang had grasped the essence of the situation.
Naeng Cheolsan had executed it flawlessly.
Rather than merely waiting for orders, they had understood his intentions and acted one step ahead.
I didn’t expect them to be this useful.
While he was thinking that, Naeng Cheolsan pointed toward a far more ornate red sandalwood box beside him.
“And this… is the Gold Coin Guild’s token of sincerity for you, Young Master.”
“A token of sincerity?”
Namgung Cheon asked.
Smiling obsequiously, Baek Dugwang replied,
“We intend to present you with ten percent of our total monthly income. Naturally, you’ll also be allowed to inspect the ledgers.”
Hearing that, Namgung Cheon reassessed them once again.
They’ve exceeded my expectations.
It wasn’t because of the money.
It was because they clearly understood what they needed to do to prove their loyalty.
Moreover, they had cunningly chosen the perfect amount—ten percent.
Neither excessive nor insufficient.
He liked it.
Namgung Cheon remained silent for a long moment.
Baek Dugwang mistakenly took that silence as dissatisfaction.
Cold sweat streamed down his back.
“Young Master!”
He hurriedly pleaded.
“Is… is it because the share we’re keeping is too large? Then… twenty percent… no! Thirty percent! We’ll give you thirty percent!”
Namgung Cheon looked indifferently at the man bowing desperately before him before speaking.
“Deposit it anonymously at the Nine Dragons Bank and bring me the certificate token. Continue depositing it there from now on.”
“…!”
Those few words instantly froze both the flattering Baek Dugwang and the normally expressionless Naeng Cheolsan.
The Nine Dragons Bank.
The largest banking house south of the Yangtze River.
But that was merely its public face.
Having dealt with money for decades, Baek Dugwang knew its true nature.
It stored countless funds of unknown origin from across the martial world.
It never asked who the owner was.
It was the ultimate underground bank.
How does he know…?
Baek Dugwang swallowed hard.
The certificate-token transactions…
Was the Young Master actually familiar with that secret method known only to people like them?
No… someone from the Namgung Clan could certainly know.
But knowing about it and casually making use of it were entirely different matters.
The young master of the Namgung Clan…
The foremost righteous family beneath heaven…
A model of the orthodox path…
Using an underground bank?
Without even the slightest hesitation.
Just who…
Before he realized it, Baek Dugwang had lowered his head once more.
He could no longer tell whether the figure before him was truly a twenty-year-old young master…
Or something else merely wearing that face.
Ignoring their shock, Namgung Cheon asked calmly,
“Anything else to report?”
“Huh? Ah… no! Nothing at all!”
Baek Dugwang answered hurriedly.
“Then.”
Leaving only that single word behind, Namgung Cheon rose from his seat.
Thud.
The door closed behind him.
Silence filled the Guild Master’s office.
Only after a long while did Baek Dugwang cautiously lift his head.
“…Has he gone?”
“He has.”
At Naeng Cheolsan’s reply, Baek Dugwang finally relaxed and collapsed onto the floor.
“Whew… I thought my heart was going to stop.”
Wiping away the cold sweat, he got back to his feet.
Then, as though nothing had happened, he proudly slapped Naeng Cheolsan on the shoulder.
“Did you see that? The Young Master entrusted everything to me! As expected, only someone with my courage can handle great responsibilities! But what are you doing?”
His gaze shifted toward Naeng Cheolsan.
Naeng Cheolsan was flicking beads across an abacus.
“I was calculating the thirty percent we’ll offer the Young Master. Hmm… after deducting the tribute to the Four Black Alliance and operating expenses… we’ll be running at a deficit almost immediately.”
Baek Dugwang’s expression froze.
“You idiot! Were you actually going to take that seriously?! Ten percent! Stick to the original ten percent!”
After returning to the Namgung Clan, Namgung Cheon made no separate report about what had happened.
He already knows.
Clan Head Namgung Mugang.
He undoubtedly knew everything Namgung Cheon had done in Hefei.
Even the details of his conversation with the Black Wind Captain.
What he needs isn’t his son’s trivial reports.
Only results.
And I brought him results.
There was no reason to cheapen them with unnecessary explanations.
Eventually, he arrived at his residence.
There, he noticed Mujin, who had returned ahead of him, still awake.
He was standing before the storage shed beside Namgung Cheon’s quarters.
Originally it had been used to store firewood.
Namgung Cheon had temporarily allowed Mujin to stay there.
Leaning against the shed, Mujin gazed quietly at the moon overhead.
There was an inexplicable loneliness about him.
As Namgung Cheon approached, Mujin greeted him.
“Did everything go well?”
Namgung Cheon nodded.
“It’s finished.”
Mujin stretched and yawned.
“Ah… you’ve worked hard. Then get some rest. I haven’t properly slept for almost two days, so I don’t even know if I’ll be able to spar tomorrow.”
With that, he turned around and pushed open the creaking shed door.
Inside there was nothing but a pile of cold straw and a single worn blanket.
It was an unbelievably shabby place for even one person to stay—
Especially a guest of the Namgung Clan.
Watching silently, Namgung Cheon’s brows drew together ever so slightly.
I went a little too far. He’s still a guest.
No.
More importantly…
He was now one of his own people.
He deserved treatment befitting that.
I’ll have someone prepare him proper quarters.
With that thought, Namgung Cheon entered his own residence.
Inside the room, he stood silently in the darkness, reviewing everything that had happened over the past few days.
Especially his encounter with the Black Wind Captain.
Our martial abilities weren’t that far apart.
If they fought, his experience from his previous life would guarantee his victory.
But…
It’s not enough.
To be merely comparable to someone like the Black Wind Captain…
The image of Namgung Mugang from the Clan Head’s Hall surfaced in his mind.
That overwhelming presence that dominated the entire room simply by sitting there.
A boundless sky whose limits couldn’t even be imagined.
I’m still far away.
Just remembering that enormous gap caused his fighting spirit to surge.
If I want to reach that realm even a little sooner, I have to keep pushing myself.
Besides, he currently couldn’t use demonic arts.
He had to increase his strength through the Namgung Clan’s martial arts—or through methods unrelated to demonic cultivation.
In that case…
Namgung Cheon immediately sat cross-legged in the middle of the room.
His breathing slowed.
His senses gradually turned inward.
His consciousness sank into the deep darkness of his inner world.
When he opened his eyes once again…
He stood before an enormous pair of magnificent gates.
A place where the strongest being existed…
Aside from Namgung Mugang.
The Heavenly Demon Palace.
Creeeak—
Namgung Cheon pushed open the gates and stepped inside.
The vast palace stood empty.
Yet the murderous aura permeating every corner weighed heavily upon the entire space.
At some point, Changcheon was already in his hand.
Then…
Martial artists dressed in crimson robes appeared before him as though materializing from thin air.
The Blood Shadow Squad.
The elite force of the Demonic Cult.
Standing at their front was the Blood Shadow Spear Demon, holding his spear diagonally while staring at him with utterly emotionless eyes.
The Blood Shadow Squad.
Defeating them…
As the current Namgung Cheon.
That was his first objective.
He stepped forward.
Whoosh!
At that instant, ten swords streaked toward him in icy arcs.
In his previous life…
A mere wave of his hand would have reduced them all to dust.
But now…
I have to block them.
Namgung Cheon swung Changcheon.
Clang!
Slash!
“Ghk!”
Too slow.
He managed to deflect three swords.
The fourth carved into his shoulder.
Blood sprayed into the air.
My body is far too heavy.
Before he could recover, a saber rushed toward his left flank.
He hurriedly blocked it with Changcheon.
But he couldn’t withstand the tremendous internal energy behind the strike.
Boom!
His sword was knocked aside.
A sickening sound of flesh tearing rang out.
His vision turned crimson.
When he opened his eyes again…
He found himself seated once more upon the jade throne within the Heavenly Demon Palace.
Not a single wound remained on his body.
Yet the pain he had just experienced felt completely real.
Namgung Cheon neither raged nor despaired.
Instead, he calmly analyzed his defeat.
The movements of the Boundless Sky Sword Art are engraved too deeply into my body.
Every movement of the Boundless Sky Sword Art carried immense weight.
Steady.
Solid.
Without openings.
But in chaotic melee combat like this…
Those very qualities became shackles.
The memories of the Heavenly Demon demand the irregular movements of the demonic path, but my body still moves with the straightforwardness of the Namgung Clan.
He had to bridge that gap.
His foundation would remain the Namgung Clan’s Cloud-Soaring Step.
But he had to fuse the unpredictability of demonic movement into it.
Whoosh!
This time he dodged three swords from the Blood Shadow Squad and redirected an incoming saber with Changcheon.
But he failed to avoid the spear that followed.
Death came again.
Then once again…
The Heavenly Demon Palace.
He died dozens of times.
Reliving the final battle of his previous life within his mental world…
He came to understand, with painful clarity, the limits of his current body.
He died.
Again and again.
His arm was severed.
His neck was cut.
His heart was pierced.
The pain never dulled.
If anything…
It became even more vivid.
Yet amid that hellish repetition…
His sword slowly began to change.
The instincts of survival and battle that had once defined the Heavenly Demon gradually seeped into Namgung Cheon’s body…
And into the Namgung Clan’s martial arts.
Whoosh!
A sword aimed at his left arm.
Instead of retreating, Namgung Cheon stepped half a pace forward and entered his opponent’s guard.
Slash.
The enemy’s blade grazed his shoulder, scattering blood.
At the same moment…
Changcheon sliced cleanly through the enemy’s neck.
Sacrifice one.
Take two.
It was the very essence of demonic survival.
The battle continued.
The number of enemies he cut down steadily increased.
And finally…
As the Blood Shadow Squad’s formation collapsed, the Blood Shadow Spear Demon stepped forward.
At the same instant—
Whoosh!
Without so much as a preparatory stance, his spear shot straight toward Namgung Cheon.
Namgung Cheon twisted his body slightly, allowing the spearhead to graze his side.
Then…
His feet moved in a strange pattern.
The Namgung Clan’s Cloud-Soaring Step.
Ordinarily, it was a heavy, direct footwork technique.
But the Cloud-Soaring Step beneath his feet suddenly bent at a right angle, slipping into his opponent’s flank with an unpredictable trajectory.
Tap!
His body glided through the empty space left by the passing spear.
Then—
Thrust!
The tip of Changcheon pierced straight through the Blood Shadow Spear Demon’s heart.
Thud.
As the giant collapsed…
The remaining Blood Shadow Squad members froze for a single instant.
Namgung Cheon did not let that opening escape him.
His body shot toward the survivors.
Boom!
His body moved on pure battle instinct.
His feet never stopped.
His sword never stopped.
Then—
Slash.
The final Blood Shadow warrior’s head fell.
Beyond the hellscape filled with corpses and blood…
Upon the throne at the deepest part of the palace…
The man seated there slowly rose to his feet.
In an instant, the blood that had boiled throughout Namgung Cheon’s body turned ice cold.
Blood dripped from the tip of his sword.
His breathing came in ragged gasps.
Forgetting everything else, Namgung Cheon fixed his gaze on the figure descending from the throne.
The man who had once stood at the summit of all demons and ruled the martial world.
The wall he would one day have to surpass.
And the source of everything he was.
With cold eyes, Namgung Cheon looked at him and spoke.
“The Heavenly Demon.”
