NOVEL NEXT Chapter 59
Chapter 59: Just Pay It Back Later
With a handwritten reply from Jincheongyeomwang in hand, I was on my way back to the Gongdong Sect. I had my junior disciple by my side, leaving the main gate of the Seomun Family and heading back towards Gongdong Mountain.
In hindsight, the trip to the Seomun Family was quite successful.
Jincheongyeomwang had boldly tried to write a letter in front of the Confucius, only to be completely humiliated. More importantly, the duel with Seomun Cheong-ha would haunt the Seomun Family for years to come.
Jincheongyeomwang was going to become the exclusive ATM of the Gongdong Sect.
The problem was that Jincheongyeomwang had figured out that my junior disciple was a Cheonmuji-che body, but that would eventually be revealed during the duel, so it wasn’t a big deal.
“Master, I’ve created a new martial art this time…”
The problem was, who else but a rare genius could come up with a martial art in that brief moment of exchanging prayers with Jincheongyeomwang?
“…So, this martial art is still incomplete, but when finished, it might be similar to the Primordial Unity Energy Technique. But for now, I’ve named it the Primordial Unity Technique.”
My junior disciple was excitedly talking about her martial art beside me. Her eyes sparkled.
A martial art on the level of the Primordial Unity Energy Technique was created?
Well, considering my junior disciple’s talent, it wasn’t impossible at all.
The foundation of the Gongdong Sect’s martial arts was the Yin-Yang Reversal, with the ultimate goal being the Purest Life Force.
And the symbol was the Tai Chi.
The essence of Yin-Yang Reversal was based on the concept of Primordial Unity.
It represented the state of the universe before the Tai Chi. By understanding the essence of Primordial Unity, one could reverse the Yin-Yang, which, once flipped again, would yield Tai Chi.
It essentially meant that, like the Wudang Sect, one could soft-fit and redirect the enemy’s attacks using the principles of Tai Chi.
Of course, saying it was easy, but realizing this in a split second during combat and recombining the formulas to create a new martial art was something even I, at the level of Hyun-gyeong, could never achieve.
Only the monster before me, my junior disciple, could manage that.
In my past life, she had actually recreated most of the Gongdong Sect’s martial arts from fragments.
“I see. Good job, junior disciple.”
“Yeah! Thanks for the compliment! It’s all thanks to you, Master. If it weren’t for you, I might not have even grasped the essence of Primordial Unity. Should I tell you the formula for the Primordial Unity Technique?”
“Isn’t it okay if you don’t report to Master first?”
I took a half step back from my overly close junior disciple as I spoke.
Every time she came closer, a whiff of floral scent rushed in, which sent a slight chill down my spine.
After thinking for a moment at my words, my junior disciple nodded.
“Yeah, it’s fine. You’re my one and only Master.”
“If that’s the case, then great. I will open my ears and listen closely to the formula of the martial art you created.”
Upon hearing my words, my junior disciple chanted the formula repeatedly through transmission.
Surprisingly, the formula itself was simple, short, and easy to memorize.
“I’ve memorized it all.”
“Right.”
“I made the formula easy for you, so it’s a relief.”
My junior disciple smiled as she spoke.
“Thank you, junior disciple.”
I maintained a business-like demeanor while mulling over the formula she provided in my head.
The Primordial Unity Technique.
Just as I anticipated, my junior disciple’s martial art encapsulated the essence of Primordial Unity.
‘With this martial art, I might be able to use the Demon Sword Technique by achieving the Yin-Yang Reversal.’
Of course, its effectiveness wouldn’t match that of the true Primordial Unity Energy Technique, but a martial art that was once unusable had become available.
To think that I could create a martial art with just a split second of realization.
That wasn’t simply a talent of the mortal realm.
It was indeed a good decision to ride the Cheonmuji-che coin wave.
‘Once the duel with the Seomun Family is settled, I really don’t want to, but I must visit the Shaolin Temple.’
The Shaolin Temple.
The very thought of it sent shivers down my spine, a dark, sweaty monastery inhabited solely by men.
But I had to go there.
Because the Shinseung of Shaolin was protecting one-third of the Primordial Unity Energy Technique’s secret manuscript, only charred remnants remained.
Shinseung Won-geuk Dae-sa.
The first among the Orthodox Faction before the swordsman Yujinhwi, he was the one who faced the heavenly horse at Odae Mountain during the Great Battle of Justice and Evil fifty years ago, engaging in a bloody conflict that lasted seven nights and ultimately defeating the heavenly horse, leading the Orthodox Faction to victory.
By the time I firmly grasped power, he had retired after handing the position of the first among the Orthodox Faction to my junior disciple and entered seclusion; I had only come to know him through records.
That Shinseung had a connection with the Gongdong Sect Leader during the Great Battle of Justice and Evil, and he was the first to arrive at the Gongdong Blood Temple while realizing the situation. Back then, he was known as the Living Yama.
Of course, when Shinseung arrived, the main force of the Demon Sect had already crossed Gansu and was headed toward Shanxi Province, while the rear unit was left to clean up.
At that time, Shinseung ambushed the rear unit, intending to protect the secret manuscript of the Primordial Unity Energy Technique, but during that process, the manuscript was damaged by the Demon Sect.
If I were to learn the remaining one-third of the Primordial Unity Energy Technique, the risk of falling into the Condition of Deterioration Due to Reversing Heaven was a sure thing. And alongside that, remnants of the Sacred Technique. Such treasures were not to be protected by the now crumbling Gongdong Sect.
One-third of the Primordial Unity Energy Technique would be poison to the Gongdong Sect, a beautiful facade that was nothing but a burden.
Because of such circumstances, after the Great Battle of Justice and Evil, Shinseung made a pact with the previous Gongdong Sect Leader, Im Baek-cheon, to seal the incomplete Primordial Unity Energy Technique in a cave at Shaolin Temple until the Gongdong Sect found strength to be reborn.
A secret passed down exclusively to the sect leaders, and my junior disciple, still a disciple of the sect leader, did not know this.
‘If I win this Orthodox Faction Competition and turn the Seomun Family into ATM, Master will naturally suggest going to Shaolin.’
It was the same in my past life.
After defeating the Heukryongbang, my junior disciple inherited the position of the Gongdong Sect Leader and was the first to visit Shaolin, where she met Shinseung.
During that process, she received the incomplete formula of the Primordial Unity Energy Technique. For an ordinary person, mastering it would lead them to the Condition of Deterioration Due to Reversing Heaven almost immediately after starting to learn it—but my junior disciple recreated the remaining two-thirds of the formula.
It was the moment the Primordial Unity Energy Technique was reborn into a new martial art.
In many senses, without my junior disciple, the Gongdong Sect would not exist.
Anyway, I also had to obtain fragments of the Primordial Unity Energy Technique this time to roll my junior disciple and recreate the Primordial Unity Energy Technique.
“Master, do you like the Primordial Unity Technique?”
“Yes, I like it very much.”
A lot.
As I thought so, I headed towards the Gongdong Sect Main Base with my junior disciple.
*
Moments after Lee Cheol-soo and Yujinhwi arrived at the Gongdong Sect Main Base with Jincheongyeomwang’s reply, envoys from the Dangmun, Cheongseong, Ami, and Hangsang also reached the Gongdong Sect Main Base.
It was a message that all four factions would participate in the duel as official witnesses on behalf of the Gongdong Sect.
After hearing this news, Jeonyeong immediately wrote a handwritten letter and sent it to Wi Soryeon, who was staying in Hwajeong County Sayeong Hoe.
Of course, I had volunteered for that task.
It was no problem for me to deliver the letter to Wi Soryeon, unlike the Seomun Family.
‘I can’t send my junior disciple to Wi Soryeon.’
Furthermore, Wi Soryeon had already praised my junior disciple’s beauty at the mountain gate.
If I allowed my junior disciple and Wi Soryeon to meet more, it could become dangerous. There was a risk that Wi Soryeon might fall for my junior disciple.
It wouldn’t happen with anyone else, but for my junior disciple to catch the eye of such a beauty was something I couldn’t bear to see.
That’s why I took on the task of delivering the letter.
Not to mention, I had a place to stop by in Hwajeong County.
Actually, my junior disciple persistently insisted that she would go with me, but I barely succeeded in detaching her by saying it was time for training for the duel.
The Hwajeong County I saw again after a long time was buzzing with energy.
Thud thud thud.
In the plaza next to the Hwajeong County village, carpenters and workers were already mobilized to construct the martial arts arena.
As it seemed the rumors of the competition between the Orthodox Factions had spread…
“Here we are.”
Tap.
I stopped in front of the villa with the sign Sayeong Hoe hung outside.
“Are you a disciple of the Gongdong Sect? What brings you here?”
“I brought a reply from our faction to the Heukryongbang. Open the door.”
I waved the letter in front of the thug guarding the door.
The thug grumbled but opened the door.
“Follow me.”
Entering Sayeong Hoe’s villa, it was fairly luxurious.
Following the thug’s guidance, I passed through the main building and headed towards the separate wing in the backyard.
Arriving at a cozy but elegant tiled house, I finally got to see Heuksaryong again inside the separate wing.
“So, you brought a letter from the Gongdong Sect Leader?”
A girl with striking, shiny black short hair reminiscent of ebony glanced at me wearing the black martial robe embroidered with a dragon.
It was Heuksaryong Wi Soryeon.
“Right. I have word that all witnesses have been gathered.”
Receiving the letter from me, Wi Soryeon read its contents and placed it on the table.
“Cheongseong, Dangmun, Ami, Hangsang, and the Seomun Family will participate as witnesses. I see. My maid will soon be a maid of yours, so think about what you’ll do when she does.”
“First, why don’t you practice calling me ‘brother’? After all, we’re going to win this duel anyway.”
“…Ugh… Hmph. Leave. I’ll see you again on the day of the duel.”
Hearing my words, Wi Soryeon trembled and turned her head away.
What a petty revenge.
“Alright. See you next time, my cute little sister.”
I waved goodbye to Wi Soryeon with a grin.
Her face turned beet red at my words.
She shouted, “Get out!!”
As I left the separate wing, still inciting her ire, I faced the thug guarding the entrance and said, “Hey. I want to meet your sect leader.”
“Why does a disciple of the Gongdong Sect want to meet our sect leader?”
“Why do you think?”
I grinned, looking at the thug.
“I want to borrow some money. You guys lend money, right?”
The fact that Hao Mun was going to hold a betting event on the duel was 1000% true.
In fact, they probably had already opened the gambling floor.
And the fact that the Gongdong Sect would be the underdog in the betting was also true.
So, naturally, I had to make a quick profit, right?
To burst that underdog betting, a capital investment was necessary, and currently, I was broke.
The Night Pearl was already in the Gongdong Sect’s finances and couldn’t be sold.
But if I didn’t have money, I could just make some. Hence, borrowing it.
Ah, just pay it back later.
After all, if we win, these guys are all supposed to be handed over to the authorities, so the debt would be dissolved anyway.
The thug’s face contorted into a strange expression at my words.
“Are you crazy?”
“I’m not crazy, I’m perfectly normal, so hurry up and guide me. What’s taking so long? Aren’t you supposed to be customer-friendly? Don’t you know that loan sharks are a service industry too?”
“What kind of insane nonsense is this… service industry? What does that even mean?”
“Doesn’t matter if you don’t know. Just show me the way.”
With that, I was gloriously commended by the thug and met the sect leader.
“You, a disciple of the Gongdong Sect, are asking to borrow money from our sect? What kind of madman are we dealing with…”
“Do merchants care about their customers? Just confirm how much I can borrow based on my credit.”
The sect leader praised me while writing out a loan document and lent me some money.
With the Gongdong Sect as my guarantee, I borrowed fifteen taels from the moneylender.
The interest was a ridiculous thirty percent a month.
And it was compounded interest.
The loan sharks were probably crying in defeat at this murderous interest rate!
It was truly a loan shark’s paradise.
Of course, considering that I planned to dissolve the debts by handing over these guys to the authorities after the duel, I didn’t care how much interest it was.
With fifteen taels in my pocket, I headed towards the entertainment district.
It was time to place the bet on the underdog in the martial arts competition.