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Chapter 82
Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, was located on a plateau about 7000 feet (2,000 meters) above sea level. That was even higher than the peaks of many famous mountains in the Central Plains.
Contrary to expectations though, it wasn’t cold at all in Kunming. Rather, the city boasted a warm climate all year round, which made farming feasible regardless of the season. Thanks to that, life in the region was comfortable even before the arrival of the Han Chinese, when there were only a few tribes scattered around the area.
Additionally, Kunming had a different vibe from other cities in the Central Plains. It was a place where various cultures and ethnicities intersected, and people wearing the traditional clothing of different tribes could often be seen walking down the busy streets.
Or rather, that was what the city should have been like.
When the White Dragon caravan entered Kunming, the noisy, busy streets they expected were nowhere to be seen. Instead, the city was quiet and deserted, and the passersby stared at them with wary expressions on their faces. Having only recently lost several of their comrades in a battle, the caravan members were no less vigilant and somber than the city folk. The tension in the air was so suffocating, everyone could feel the rigid, crushing pressure.
Jin Mu-Won sat on his wagon driver’s seat and calmly surveyed his surroundings. Not even he was exempt from the tense atmosphere in Kunming. Once in a while, he could sense the passersby glaring at him with eyes filled with suspicion, and when he took a closer look at these people, he realized that most of them were fully-armed martial artists.
Why are there so many martial artists in this city? They’re also not dressed in any of the traditional clothing from the native tribes. That can only mean that all of these people came from elsewhere.
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Just what is going on here?
Not long ago, Tang Gi-Mun had informed him that the Tang Clan had left for Yunnan on orders from Heaven’s Summit, but Heaven’s Summit hadn’t actually given them much information on the situation. Based on the fact that they had specified his name, though, he surmised that a poison-related disaster had likely occurred there.
Just then, the two Tang Clan members stuck their heads out from the sheltered wagon cabin, right behind the driver’s seat. Compared to a few days ago, Tang Gi-Mun looked a lot healthier, a result of continuously tending to his body even after the initial treatment with the two poisons.
Tang Gi-Mun asked, “Mind if we sit next to you for a moment?”
“No, not at all.” Jin Mu-Won moved over to the side, allowing Tang Gi-Mun and Tang Mi-Ryeo to clamber onto the driver’s seat.
“Finally, I get to stretch my body.” Tang Gi-Mun’s face lit up. The inside of the wagon cabin was dark and dreary, and getting a breath of cool, fresh air felt great to him.
“How are you feeling?”
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“Thanks to you, Master Jin, I’ve completely recovered.”
“I didn’t do anything. You were the one who tended to your own wounds without rest.”
“If you hadn’t saved me, I wouldn’t still be breathing.”
Tang Gi-Mun looked toward the front of the caravan, where the leaders of the Iron Brigade and the White Dragon Merchant Association were. He hadn’t forgotten how these people had abandoned him that day. Even while they were traveling together, he never initiated a conversation with them, and when he was forced to talk to them, he’d only give them single-word replies or outright ignore them.
As a leader of the prestigious Tang Clan, and a master of his chosen field, that kind of arrogance suited Tang Gi-Mun. Yet, the way he behaved toward Jin Mu-Won was the exact opposite of how he acted toward the Iron Brigade and the White Dragon Merchant Association.
In a voice overflowing with concern, Tang Gi-Mun said, “You must be exhausted. You’ve been driving the wagon for a few days without taking a single break.”
The reason Tang Gi-Mun was so nice to Jin Mu-Won wasn’t just because the young man saved his life, it was also because he genuinely liked him. Although Jin Mu-Won was no pretty boy, his possessed a certain unique charm that attracted others to him, and above all, he was a man who sincerely cared for other people.
During their entire journey to Kunming, the young man had never once asked the Tang Clan to repay his kindness or reminded them of his deeds. From this, Tang Gi-Mun could tell that Jin Mu-Won hadn’t saved them because he wanted something of them. He’d simply followed his heart’s desire to help those in need.
We don’t see people like him very often nowadays.
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If there was one thing that bothered Tang Gi-Mun, it was Jin Mu-Won’s past. During their entire time together, the young man had never revealed any information about himself. However, the only way he could become that strong was to learn from a distinguished master or belong to a famous sect.
No, even then, I can’t think of a single person or sect who can raise someone like him. I should take the young man aside and attempt to probe him for answers later.
Suddenly, Tang Mi-Ryeo, who hadn’t said anything in a long while, asked, “Master Jin, are you going to continue staying together with the White Dragon Merchant Association now that we’ve reached Kunming?”
Although her question was simple, it was one with many implications.
“No, I plan to get my own accommodations.”
“Why?”
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“If we force ourselves to cooperate with each other despite being on bad terms, we would only end up getting in each other’s way. That’s why, from now on, I’m going to move on my own.”
“Then, why don’t you come with us?”
Surprised by her offer, Jin Mu-Won stared blankly at her.
Tang Mi-Ryeo smiled and continued, “We plan to first head over to the Tyrant Fist Sect and meet up with the other martial artists sent here by Heaven’s Summit.”
“The Tyrant Fist Sect?” Jin Mu-Won narrowed his eyes.
The Tyrant Fist Sect was the faction founded by the “Fist Demon” Jo Cheon-Woo, one of the former Four Pillars of the Northern Army. Once upon a time, Jo Cheon-Woo had been a close friend of his father’s, so much so that they had called each other brothers. To Jin Mu-Won, he had also been an uncle to be proud of.
However, on that fateful day, Jo Cheon-Woo had been the first person to turn his back on Jin Kwan-Ho and the Northern Army. As a reward for that, Heaven’s Summit had given him license to build the Tyrant Fist Sect in Yunnan Province.
“It would be a lot easier to locate your uncle if you could get help from the Tyrant Fist Sect, right?”
“Thanks for the offer, but for the time being, I don’t really want to enter that place.”
“Why don’t you want to go there?”
“There’s something I must do first, however, I will come look for you after I’ve finished my business.”
“Is that so? It can’t be helped, then.” Tang Mi-Ryeo sighed disappointedly when she heard the first part of Jin Mu-Won’s reply, but only after a short while did the full meaning of what he said register in her mind. Their parting was only temporary. A smile quickly reappeared on her face as she took out a jade token and handed it over to Jin Mu-Won.
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“Please be sure to come and see us when you’re done, okay? Just show this to the Tyrant Fist Sect, and they’ll allow you entry.”
Jin Mu-Won looked at the jade token. The word “Tang (唐)”, the symbol of the Tang Clan, was engraved on it. He immediately understood that this wasn’t something the Tang Clan handed out easily, as a token like this could be used to enter even the headquarters of Heaven’s Summit without being submitted to questioning and background checks.
“Thank you,” he said, placing the token in his chest pocket.
Off to the side, Tang Gi-Mun, who had just watched the two youngsters’ exchange, looked up at the sky and mumbled to himself, “Spring is always such a LOVELY season, isn’t it~”
Tang Mi-Ryeo’s face immediately flushed red with embarrassment.
Tang Gi-Mun then turned toward Jin Mu-Won and said, “I trust that you know what you’re doing, but please, be careful and do your best to stay safe. Right now, Kunming is no different than a den of demons. Judging by the fact that Heaven’s Summit summoned us here, it shouldn’t be hard to guess just how bad the situation is.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“One more thing, take this.”
Tang Gi-Mun took out a small wooden box and passed it to Jin Mu-Won.
“What’s in this?”
“An antidote called the Red Silver Elixir (紅銀神丹).”
“Isn’t that extremely valuable?”
“It’s okay, I made this myself. This antidote will instantly nullify most poisons, and as a bonus it will also increase your poison resistance for more than ten years.”
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“I can’t accept such a precious gift.”
“Hey you, how much do you think my life is worth? Compared to that, this is nothing. “
I guess there’s no arguing against that. Jin Mu-Won finally relented and accepted the gift, saying, “Thank you, I will definitely make good use of it.”
“I’m sure it’ll be helpful to you in an emergency, as unfortunately, this is all I can give you right now,” Tang Gi-Mun replied apologetically. However, unlike the way he put it, the Red Silver Elixir was hardly a worthless item. It was actually a project that he had heavily invested in for several decades, and had required him to collect a grand total of several dozen priceless poisons.
Even then, he’d only managed to synthesize twenty doses of the Red Silver Elixir, and after sharing them with his close friends and family, as well as the leaders of the Tang Clan, he only had five doses left. Still, he didn’t at all regret giving one to Jin Mu-Won.
As the three people talked, the caravan traveled past the main gate of the Tyrant Fist Sect, and Jin Mu-Won brought his wagon to a halt.
The Tyrant Fist Sect was no small sect. Although it could not compare to the Northern Army in its heyday, it boasted a scale and splendor that was in no way inferior to the great old sects of the Central Plains. More than ten large halls and villas towered above the high walls, while several dozen smaller pavilions dotted the landscape.
As if to make a show of the Tyrant Fist Sect’s position as a powerhouse, numerous warriors lined up perfectly from the main gate through the courtyard for no purpose other than to welcome the visitors.
Tang Gi-Mun and Tang Mi-Ryeo disembarked from the wagon, and Jin Mu-Won waved them off with a fist salute, saying, “I have to go now. I’ll see you again soon.”
“I’ll be waiting for you, Master Jin.”
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“Then, until next time.”
Tang Gi-Mun nodded in acknowledgement and strode toward the main gates of the Tyrant Fist Sect. Tang Mi-Ryeo followed closely behind him, but every few steps she took, she couldn’t help regretfully turning around and looking at a certain young man’s back as he drove off after the caravan.
At the gates, the uncle and niece revealed their identities to the gate watchers, causing a small commotion until finally a middle-aged man dashed out from within the sect to greet the two esteemed visitors.
“Welcome, I am Yoo Jung-Moon, the Chief Administrator of the Tyrant Fist Sect.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Chief Administrator Yoo.”
“You arrived much later than we expected. Did something happen?”
“On our way here, we were attacked by the enemy. The two of us managed to receive help and were saved, but sadly, the rest of our group lost their lives.”
“Oh no, I’m so sorry for your loss. You should quickly come in and rest up, then. The Sect Leader and the Young Leader are waiting for you.”
“Alright.”
Yoo Jung-Moon led the two Tang Clan members indoors. As they walked past the gates, Tang Mi-Ryeo looked behind her for the last time, but the White Dragon caravan and Jin Mu-Won’s wagon had already disappeared off into the distance.
After a journey that lasted several months, the White Dragon caravan had finally arrived at their destination, the largest inn in Kunming, the White Marble Inn. While the escorts unloaded the luggage and moved them into the rooms, Jin Mu-Won approached Gong Jin-Sung and said, “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me this far.”
“Why are you suddenly saying this?”
“I think it’s better if we moved separately from now on. I will find my own accommodations.”
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“Uhh…” Gong Jin-Sung’s expression stiffened. He had witnessed Jin Mu-Won’s strength with his very own eyes and understood that the young man was a warrior he could depend on. However, he could not bring himself to tell him not to leave.
By now, the divide between Jin Mu-Won and the caravan members had grown so wide, it was a gaping chasm. The Iron Brigade mercenaries, whose pride had been hurt, wanted nothing to do with the young man. On the other hand, the weaker escorts were afraid of him.
Most importantly, not even Gong Jin-Sung himself was confident that he could rein in Jin Mu-Won. If the young man was a cold, calculating person, he could just hire him with money, but unfortunately, Jin Mu-Won was not a man driven by such trifles. He acted solely based on his own principles and sense of justice, and was not tempted by any kind of material benefit.
That made him a very difficult person to employ.
However, even though Gong Jin-Sung had given up on hiring Jin Mu-Won, he didn’t want to completely break off his relationship with the man.
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“I respect your decision. Still, if you ever need help from the White Dragon Merchant Association, please come find me. As long as it’s something within my abilities, I will do my best to aid you.”
“Thank you, I’m extremely grateful for your offer.” Jin Mu-Won gave Gong Jin-Sung a fist salute, then turned and left.
Meanwhile, Kwak Moon-Jung, who was listening to their conversation, also bowed toward Gong Jin-Sung, saying, “Thank you for the care and consideration you’ve shown me all this time.”
“Are you going to follow him? The path he has chosen is bound to be a rough one.”
“Hyung-nim was the one who showed me the way forward, and I want to do my best to see what’s at the end of the road.”
“I see.” Gong Jin-Sung nodded. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he could understand Kwak Moon-Jung’s decision.
“One day, when I feel like I can handle the responsibility, I will return to the White Dragon Merchant Association. At that time, would you hire me again?”
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“Of course, I’ll be waiting. Now, you should really hurry up and go after him.”
At Gong Jin-Sung’s reminder, Kwak Moon-Jung hurriedly said his goodbyes and chased after Jin Mu-Won.
Gong Jin-Sung quietly watched the two young men leave. Meanwhile, Yong Mu-Sung, Jong-Ri Mu-Hwan, and Yoon Seo-In walked up to him.
“So he left, huh?”
“In the first place, he wasn’t someone we could peacefully work with.”
Jin Mu-Won’s principles conflicted with that of Yong Mu-Sung and the Iron Brigade, and as long as these two were at loggerheads, there was no way the White Dragon Merchant Association could force him to stay.
“Where on earth did that kind of person spring out from?”
Jong-Ri Mu-Hwan unconsciously mumbled, “I remember him saying that he was from the North.”
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