Chapter 431

Lee Chosu was the kind of kid who could make anyone sweat bullets with his outrageously exceptional talent that broke all common sense right from the get-go.

So people would look at him in awe and call him, “Illeumbo, Illeumbo Lee Chosu.”

Whenever Lee Chosu would spill his heart out, his face would look like someone had ripped him apart, broadcasting his grievances to the world with that oh-so-pathetic look, which came along with a voice that screamed, “I am the most wronged soul!”

And inevitably, after hearing Chosu’s lament, one couldn’t help but think, “Oh wow, this poor guy is so deeply wronged! Just look at his face and hear his voice—it’s like he’s the only innocent in a sea of guilty people!”

Before you knew it, you felt an overwhelming urge to help him out, as if you were compelled to fix this absurd situation.

It was like he had this insane power to twist the past events of his life, making it seem like he alone was pure as the driven snow—while everyone else was the real villains.

How in the world did this happen? How did the universe conspire to give rise to Lee Chosu in such a cruel reality? It felt like a cosmic injustice that absolutely shouldn’t exist!

And there he stood, bemoaning the past with a ridiculously gifted knack for theatrics, a talent that shouldn’t even be allowed among mere mortals.

This unique talent really caught the eye of the Supreme Apostle, the revered Sado Geon-a, who was now on a grand mission to illuminate the way for our dear Sado sect.

“Ryeonju-nim! It’s so unfair, so unfair, heurk, breathe, breathe, I’m sorry, keuhk! Just thinking of that femme fatale makes me so mad I can hardly breathe, ugh!”

At the head of the table, a charming young man, refined with delicate features, furrowed his brows in confusion.

“What’s this? Why’s this seemingly normal guy acting up?”

“Ryeonju-nim, you know how severe mental shock can lead to breathing difficulties and all that jazz?”

The one chiming in was none other than the head honcho of the Sado sect, the master of Nanggo-gak, the strategic genius of Sado.

“Tsk, tsk. This kid is too weak. It’s all because he lacks grit, that’s why! If you can’t power through it with sheer mental fortitude, how can you expect to survive? What’s this nonsense about mental shock? Kids these days really lack backbone! I mean, I’ve faced tough times with my muscles aching and blood vessels clogged, but I still made it! Talent? Elixirs? Divine Skills? Nah, only my grit matters—”

“Ryeonju-nim, how about we let him finish his story first?”

“Ahem, did I act like a rambling old fool again?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Well, it’s all for your own good, you know. Even if it sounds bad, those are golden pieces of advice that can really make a difference. Now that I’m older and wiser, seeing those youngsters floundering down there makes my heart ache.”

“Sure. But for now, please keep quiet and let him speak.”

“Right so. So, who’s this femme fatale anyway?”

“Cheonhwa-geom! The witch named Cheonhwa-geom!”

And thus, Lee Chosu unleashed his story.

Word was out that Cheonhwa-geom had rolled into Gwangju, and let me tell you, she was as malicious and cruel as the Hell itself! (Truth!)

At first, she hid her true colors by pretending to be some sort of priestess, skillfully maintaining her deception and garnering trust while masking her twisted nature! (Truth!)

But eventually, her viciousness came to light when she stormed right into Gwangju Seonbang, turning the place into a slaughterhouse! (Truth!)

“You won’t believe how merciless she is; she totally demolished buildings just to smash any hapless goons coming out of them like they were just moles in her way! Seriously, how can such a vile creature even exist?!”

And apparently, she got fed up with pretending to be a priestess.

While pondering how to better Gwangju and contribute more to the Sado sect, she outright ambushed and killed our esteemed strategist, Bang Jeoksa, and the Sect Leader! (False!)

“How dare she! If I think about her, ugh, ugh…”

Lee Chosu’s face turned beet red, and he couldn’t hold back the tears anymore.

At that point, you could almost consider his outrageous act an art form, something beyond just human emotion—an elevated phenomenon.

To that, the Supreme Apostle replied:

“Now hold on, why is this kid crying? Listen up! A man has only three times to cry in his life: when he’s born, when his parents die, and when he loses his clan.”

“Ryeonju-nim.”

“Oh, what now?”

“It’s not that. Losing a sect leader is akin to losing a parent—isn’t that a valid reason to shed some tears?”

“Ah. Is that so? Hm. In that case, that woman cannot be left unchecked. The little punks from the Zhengpai may throw their tantrums, but to slap the face of a Sado Geon-a directly and still linger? Absolutely not!”

Even the mighty Supreme Apostle seemed mildly shaken by Lee Chosu’s revisionist history.

But,

“On top of that, she dared to attack the sect’s strategist? We can’t afford to lose even a single smart cookie!”

“Uh, Ryeonju-nim? Bang Jeom-myeong woke up just fine this morning, didn’t he?”

“Eh? What? They say he’s dead! Cheonhwa-geom ambushed him and stabbed him, right?”

“Bang Jeom-myeong has been bunking at Nanggo-gak for about two months now because of the Martial World Tournament. I mentioned he woke up this morning, didn’t I?”

“No other strategist from the sect?”

“He’s the only one. The strategist on duty in Gwangju is a senior one. But what do you mean elixir in a box? Did you buy it yourself, Ryeonju-nim?”

“I never did that! Wasn’t it sent by the head strategist?”

“I’ve never sent that either. What kind of elixir just arrives in a box out of the blue?”

“Then maybe it’s the senior strategist? Where is he anyway?”

“In Gwangju, I believe?”

Only then did both of their gazes shift to Lee Chosu.

“What’s up with you?”

“Ryeonju-nim?”

“You’re getting locked up for now, buddy.”

“Ryeonju-nim!? There’s a misunderstanding! I’m totally innocent! I swear I was just giving you the facts, Ryeonju-nim! Ryeonju-nim!”

Lee Chosu got dragged away by the warriors of Sado.

“But really, we can’t just sit tight and not deal with this Cheonhwa-geom, can we?”

“If word gets out that she single-handedly took down three of our sects, how will the entire world view Sado Geon-a?”

“Exactly. If someone thinks they can look down on us, it’ll be a real mess. Here I was, getting riled up by the latecomers making a scene, and we just can’t let this go, right?”

“So, what’s our next move?”

“We don’t know where that strategist went. One who was supposed to be sent was here in Nanggo-gak, but then a mysterious elixir appears in a box? We need to figure out what’s going on.”

“I’ll send an investigation team.”

“No sending them off solo; I’m going with you. Something feels off, and I need to see this Cheonhwa-geom with my own eyes.”

—

However, Cheonhwa-geom was nowhere to be found in Gwangju.

She left Gwangju at the end of February, and as soon as she arrived at the location of the Seolga Merchant Association, March was all but gone, and early April was rolling in.

But oddly enough, as spring deepened, the weather grew chillier.

It was due to the vast land of the Central Plain shifting into the frigid inland climate as it moved northward.

Thus, a colossal six-horse carriage ambled its way through Jaegwi County.

It was black and unadorned—a chilling and intimidating sight compared to its interior.

And the absence of common bandits along the route was no wonder, since the very appearance of the carriage radiated a warning: “You might lose your head if you dare touch me!”

Strangely, though, the people of Jaegwi looked at the carriage with smirks and wide grins.

The gates of the Seolga Merchant Association swung wide open before the carriage even got close, and when Qing leaped out, a familiar face lit up the scene.

With a leap, Qing jumped out of the carriage and flew into Choi Riyong’s embrace like a cicada.

“Grandpa!”

“Wait, is that you? What are you doing, you grown girl, acting all shy in front of strangers?!”

But Choi Riyong’s words held no weight.

His beaming smile contradicted his words so much that anyone could see it was the old man who was over the moon.

Choi Riyong, still holding Qing, made a beeline for the dining hall.

Without even asking if she was hungry, it was like a completely natural reaction.

“And Seolga? Still hanging around in Jang An, huh?”

“Don’t even get me started. Lately, he’s been all about the idea of just quietly fading away. That Confucius over there pressed so hard for a marriage proposal that it seems like he can barely keep it together.”

“Oh wow. Seolga, the enchanting beauty.”

“Thanks to the influence of the Shaanxi First Merchant Association, he’s hanging in there, but if the government presses down any harder, who knows what will happen?”

“Wait, what? Shaanxi First Merchant Association?”

After Qing swept through Jang An, the merchants’ immorality had become a hot topic.

Before, everyone just assumed the merchant folk were all brutes who sold their souls for gold and silver and naturally acted like scoundrels.

But with Qing’s enlightenment in Jang An, a real awakening happened.

Merchants would collect all the love and care from customers only to look down on those very same customers like they were mere servants or slaves the moment they became big merchants.

Why are you just taking it lying down?

If everyone actively spread the word about their wickedness—stopping transactions entirely—then those scoundrels would sink without a trace!

A true guiding light was born from the Great Hero of the world, presenting a brand new era of merchant ethics.

The more this teaching spread, the more an association stood out:

Taecheong Sect!

Most of its members performed good deeds for personal reasons—a curious sort of self-serving charity, if you will.

Even excluding the larger projects such as relief efforts (just recite the Divine Sect’s doctrine) or free schools (with the Divine Sect doctrine attached), trivial acts like helping an elderly person with their burdens, guiding lost children, or cleaning the streets piled up, eventually creating a significant movement.

If you lived in Jang An, please use the goods from the Taecheong Sect!

If you lived in Xian, please use the goods from the Taecheong Sect!

If you lived in Shaanxi Province, please use the goods from the Taecheong Sect!

Hey, you! Didn’t you just walk out of that shop run by the Zhangxing Company? Don’t you know that’s a place founded by the son of Zhangxing? How could you buy something from such scoundrels?!

What? You think just saving a few coins makes it okay to buy from these filthy merchants? When you buy from the Taecheong Sect, you’re helping the relief efforts, supporting our children’s education, and donating to half-priced physicians, don’t you know that?!

A quintessentially Qing approach to consumer habits jumped through centuries to land in the Central Plain.

But that wasn’t all there was to it.

Listen, a little savings isn’t all there is to it. Goods from the Taecheong Sect are well-crafted with excellent quality, the ingredients and grain being carefully managed. You can trust them, and even if there’s a problem, they’ll take responsibility and resolve it, so saving a few measly coins just ain’t worth it!

And that’s because the goal of the Taecheong Sect isn’t to make profit!

But from the customers’ perspective, can you believe a merchant like that even exists? It sounds like a ridiculous fairy tale that outsiders wouldn’t buy for a second!

As a result, the Taecheong Sect started to grow at lightning speed.

Thus began the tale of the Shaanxi First Merchant Association and the Taecheong Sect.