Chapter 5

If he answered, “Yes, that’s right. I was that stupid and pathetic,” then one of the swords behind him would almost certainly take Cheongmyeong’s head.

Especially that small-framed man.

There was a savage glint in his eyes... he wasn’t ordinary.

That one was probably a branch member named Han Murin...

“Master Cheong.”

A voice snapped him back to reality.

“...Yes...”

“How could I not know what’s in your heart?”

“...”

“I understand it all. That insurance contract in your hands—you only drew that up because of coercion. And while those three bastards took responsibility for it, strictly speaking, I can’t say I’m completely without blame either.”

“...But...”

“These events happened because I was too soft before. It’s only right that I take responsibility for that. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll be handing over my own head—so I intend to take responsibility in my own way. Would you care to hear it?”

It was disorienting.

He expected to be rebuked, yet instead... Seol Unwi was practically apologizing.

Seriously...

Was he insane?

Cheongmyeong swallowed hard and replied,

“I’m... I’m listening.”

“Good attitude. It’s simple. From now on, I intend to entrust over seventy percent of the Snow Compression Branch’s transportation to your company.”

It was a short statement—but Cheongmyeong wasn’t the master of a trading company for nothing. He was sharp with numbers, which was exactly why he was a company master.

He knew instantly how huge that offer was.

“...Lord Branch Master... we may be a large trading company in the Snow Compression area, but even so, I don’t think we’re capable of handling over seventy percent of the logistics here.”

“Why do you think you can’t?”

Cheongmyeong blinked.

“You’re quick with calculations, but it seems your ambitions are a little small.”

“...You’re not saying...”

“To take responsibility for Snow Compression, you’ll need to grow to the proper size. Hire people. Absorb the surrounding companies.”

He was dazed. As he stared, Seol Unwi continued,

“Those without power usually have three choices. The first is to crash into things and die gloriously in the attempt. The second is to lower their heads again and again, no matter how filthy the work. The third is to side with someone stronger.”

Seol Unwi’s face was serious, and Cheongmyeong’s expression mirrored his.

“At the very least—whether you believe it or not—I’m currently the strongest in Snow Compression. Later, if someone stronger appears, you can choose to follow them or not. That’s your decision. But for now, you should stick with me. And I’ll give you a fitting opportunity for doing so.”

“...Why... why would you grant us such a great opportunity?”

“I don’t know whether someone like you should be running a company of your current size or if you’re capable of managing something even bigger. Honestly, I have no idea. But this is how I choose to take responsibility.”

Seol Unwi stared silently at Cheongmyeong, then asked calmly,

“Earlier, I said the powerless had three choices. Do you remember?”

“Yes... I remember.”

“Then what kinds of choices do those with power have?”

“...That is...”

“They can use someone for a long time. Use them and discard them once they’re no longer useful. Give them better opportunities and test their worth. There are countless choices.”

“...”

“I’ll choose in my own way. You choose in yours.”

With that, he stood up.

“Do you need time to prepare?”

“...Yes. Please give me two days.”

“Two days... fine. And from now on, all transport operations are yours.”

“Th-thank you very much!”

“And before you begin, bring a proper insurance contract to the branch office. I’ll allow a reasonable profit margin—but if you do anything remotely like Yawoon Sang did, all my offers will be rescinded on the spot. And Cheongwoon Trading Company will be kicked out of Snow Compression entirely. And I expect you’ll leave behind a decent amount of blood.”

“...Y-you have nothing to worry about...!”

Seol Unwi gave a slight nod and turned away.

He’d handled the tasks in front of him lightly.

Now it was time to raise his martial cultivation.

As he stepped outside, he saw Cheonpung, smiling brightly with sweat on his forehead.

“You found it?”

“Yes! I found it!”

Seol Unwi took the ledger he handed over and began flipping through it quickly.

His eyes darted without pause, scanning every part with the clear intent not to miss a single detail.

Then, he stopped at one section.

Pfft.

A short laugh escaped him.

“They really pulled all kinds of crap.”

A few of the branch members flinched at those words. But Seol Unwi pretended not to notice and resumed reading.

He stopped and snorted again—three times in total.

Then, silently lost in thought, he closed the ledger with a snap and turned to Cheonpung.

“How much did we get from their quarters?”

“We recovered ten gold ingots and about five hundred silver pieces.”

It was a massive discrepancy from the amount listed in the ledger. Six years. Over the span of six years, only ten gold ingots and five hundred silvers?

That didn’t make sense.

But it was understandable.

They must have been skimming funds on a regular basis and sending the money elsewhere—no wonder the place was empty.

“What about items?”

“We found spirit pills, advanced cultivation resources, and some armaments. Everything’s been brought back to the branch—you can verify them when ready.”

Seol Unwi thought for a moment about the entries in the ledger and casually asked,

“Among the pills, were there any Iceheart Purity Pills, White Tiger Essence Elixirs, Body Reinforcement Pills, or Jade Mind-Nourishing Elixirs?”

Cheonpung thought for a moment and then shook his head.

“There’s no Body Reinforcement Pill or Jade Mind-Nourishing Elixir, but we found one Iceheart Purity Pill and two White Tiger Essence Elixirs.”

“But you mentioned advanced cultivation resources?”

“Yes. We found Patterned Grass and the Ten-Thousand Form Qi Fruit.”

Naturally, for martial artists, spiritual pills are indispensable items.

They can be manufactured, or occur naturally. They’re usually expensive and hard to acquire, but their effects are permanent.

But as previously mentioned, they’re difficult to obtain and costly, which means not every martial artist has access to them.

That’s why cultivation resources were developed.

The stark difference between them and spiritual pills is the price.

Cultivation resources are much cheaper and, while their effects are temporary, they also have virtually no side effects.

So the majority of martial artists seek out cultivation resources instead. Some are made by apothecaries; others are acquired from reclusive physician-like figures with near-mythical status.

Ordinary cultivation resources are typically only effective for martial artists in the Realm of Refined Qi. But advanced cultivation resources are a different matter.

They’re highly effective for martial artists preparing to enter the Realm of Heaven and Earth, those who’ve reached the Five Foundation Pillars, and those who are already in the Heaven and Earth realm.

“For someone barely at the level of Yang Gwang Lee Hyeon, to have acquired the highest-grade resources... What level did you say Ice Snow Sword Scar was at?”

“He’s at Three Flower Purification.”

“And the Sect Master of the Jurisdiction Sword Sect, which Ice Snow Sword Scar belongs to?”

“He’s a Five Foundation Pillar master.”

“And he’s currently in seclusion, right?”

“Yes.”

The picture started to come together.

“Cheonpung.”

“Yes, Lord Branch Master.”

“The spiritual pills and advanced cultivation resources I mentioned—deliver them to my quarters. Then summon General Manager Sung and have him begin categorizing the rest of the items.”

“Yes. I’ll take care of it.”

Seol Unwi’s gaze swept across the branch members.

It was a curious sight.

Among those who met his eyes, a few flinched as if guilty, while others wore expressions like they’d made a decision.

To anyone, it would’ve looked suspicious.

Seol Unwi smiled faintly.

“Return to your posts, all of you.”

“Lord Branch Master, aren’t you returning?”

“There’s somewhere I need to stop by.”

“...”

“Go on.”

“Yes, sir!”

Turning his back, Seol Unwi began walking at a leisurely pace.

****

The world of martial artists is cruel.

Power reigns supreme. In a martial world, the words of the strong are law, and their actions define order.

There’s one obvious, rarely contested standard used to determine who qualifies as strong:

Cultivation realm.

It begins with the foundational Three Realms of the Body, followed by the Four Realms of Refined Qi, where one learns to control energy. Next comes the Four Realms of Heaven and Earth, which involve opening the upper danjeon and manipulating natural energy. Finally, the apex: the Five Realms of the Martial God.

In the martial world, every so-called “strong” individual belongs to the Five Realms of the Martial God.

Reaching even the first of those stages, Unity of Heaven and Man, is enough to be considered a powerful figure. Those who go beyond—into Manifestation of the Infinite, Dao Transformation and True Authority, or Vast Emptiness Beyond Form—are revered wherever they go.

And the final step in the Martial God Realms, Sovereign of Primordial Oneness, is the level where contenders for supremacy over the entire world emerge. Even now, at this moment—and even at the time of my death—only about a hundred people in all the countless millennia of Zhongyuan’s history have ever reached it.

Of course, that “hundred or so” is based on what I know.

There are rumors of an even greater realm: the Three Realms of Pre-Heaven—but I know little about that.

I’ve never reached it, nor have I seen anyone who has.

Though... I’ve stirred the hornet’s nest before.

Their behavior pissed me off, so I burned their Peach Blossom Sanctum to the ground, smashed the Blood Stone the Blood Sect was ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) about to offer them, and wiped out the Thunder Vein Demon Sect that used to clean their boots.

To be honest, I did want to see them once.

But no matter what I tried, they never revealed themselves.

It’s not that they don’t move personally.

It’s that they can’t move.

That’s everything I know.

It was always their subordinates who acted in their name. Anyway, I lived like a madman—and I suppose in this life, I’ll do the same.

Saying I have no regrets is true from my own perspective, but to others, my actions probably look like nonsense.

I don’t need to justify that to anyone.

Just like now.

I saw a man ahead of me.

Around his waist was a sash.

It symbolized a First-Rank Tie of the Beggar’s Union.

A freshly initiated disciple has no sash and is called a White-Cloth Beggar. Upon promotion, they receive their first sash and become a First Tie. From there, with each rank, they receive another sash: Second Tie, Third Tie, and so on.

At Third Tie, one becomes a branch leader of a small region. Fourth Tie governs a larger district. At Fifth Tie, one manages several branches or becomes a protector of the central hall. Sixth Tie manages multiple central halls, Seventh Tie becomes an elder of the main headquarters, Eighth Tie is an heir to the sect leader, and Ninth Tie signifies the Head of the Beggar’s Union.

Exactly.

The Beggar’s Union.

An intelligence network disguised as a band of beggars, they roam every corner of the land—and the Everlasting Snow Mountains were no exception.

The First Tie beggar saw me and his eyes lit up.

“How may I help you?”

“Is your branch leader inside?”

“The branch leader? Hmm... no, I don’t think so.”

“Not here?”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure he’s not.”

“Do you know who I am?”

The First Tie looked me up and down with an odd expression, then smiled faintly.