A week flew by in the blink of an eye. Occasionally feeding with bait and Inner Dan under the guidance of the Black Cat, honing my martial arts… or learning the control method of Qichae while fishing for Hwari, or washing up with the Black Cat.
Aside from the moments of awkwardness when the Black Cat strolled around carefree and naked due to her diminishing wariness, it was a delightful summer getaway in itself.
Now, it was time to cut open Hwari’s belly.
Thanks to the bait introduced at regular intervals over the past week, Hwari’s caution had plummeted to nearly zero. I tossed in bait connected to Qichae.
Swoosh!
“Wow!”
The weight was so staggering it forced an exclamation out of me. I had thought it would be quite big, but I was almost pulled in an instant. Adjusting my footing and lowering my center of gravity, I manipulated Qichae. It was a difficult opponent to simply drag up using brute strength.
“Ha! Cha! Hah!”
The Qichae control techniques I had refined over the week began to shine. When Hwari tugged forcefully, I slightly loosened the line to disrupt her momentum before pulling sharply. As I skillfully eased the tension, the pulling force gradually weakened.
Right at this moment. If I pull once, I’ll haul it up in one go. The accumulated experience from catching various Hwaris over the past week whispered to me.
I infused my Inner Energy into Qichae and pulled up all at once.
Whoosh!
A massive Hwari, seemingly seven feet long, was dragged onto land. The thrashing strength was on another level. Each time it wriggled, it leapt up high enough to be the height of a person.
Despite Hwari’s desperate attempt to enter another pond, the Black Cat’s fishing rod subdued it.
“Wow, to think it grew this big in just a week… amazing.”
“Indeed.”
To see it double in size in merely a week was mind-boggling, even though I had in some way anticipated it. Is this what an Entity is?
I hurriedly sliced open Hwari’s belly. After exploring the underwater cave just once more, I realized it was nearly filled with water. I needed to be quick to exit safely.
“Oh…”
The Inner Dan had grown significantly. The result of combining twenty pieces, each as small as a pinky nail, produced something the size of a ping pong ball.
With this, the Water Attribute Spiritual Medicine was secured. Though called Hwari, it was merely a name due to the scale color resembling flames, and since it was a fish that only grew and lived in water, it naturally held the Water Attribute.
“Let’s toss out anything useless since the return trip will be quite tiring.”
“Well… I still want to take this iron fishing rod as a memento!”
“Sure.”
The water in the underwater cave had risen to quite a dangerous level. About 97 percent full? If we had stayed just one more day, we might not have been able to escape.
“Phew…!”
The water level of the Minjang River, which was almost embarrassing to call a river, had also risen significantly. After we both swam out into the river, we let out a big sigh.
“Ah~ That was fun. The weather feels much more bearable now.”
The sweltering heat had noticeably subsided. It was still a hot summer’s day, but it felt like we had passed a significant hurdle. It had been a thoroughly satisfying vacation. The Black Cat had been freed from the gaze of humans for a long time and enjoyed the retreat, fishing and playing in the water to her heart’s content.
I, too, had enjoyed the sights and gained some Spiritual Medicine, so it was a satisfying getaway.
Yet, with smiles all around, upon my return to Sacheon City…
“…What on earth is going on?”
Sacheon City was dead.
The atmosphere of Sacheon City was simply dreadful. The people wandering around the market had dropped below half, and the stalls that usually overflowed with goods were completely empty, filled instead with the heavy expressions of despair.
It was clear at a glance that something catastrophic had happened.
“Senior, I’ll stop by somewhere else to gather information and head for the Inn.”
“Alright, I got it. I’ll just head to the Inn first.”
It looked like the Black Cat planned to contact Wolbok-dang and gather information, disappearing somewhere. I was equally flustered by the current situation. Had such an event ever occurred in Sacheon City?
Upon arriving at the Outcast Inn, I learned the reason behind the dismal atmosphere of the city.
“Bandits?”
“Have you been holed up in a temple for a week or what? Four of the forty thieves are teaming together to seize the Jeongnam Mountain along Nangkyo Road, looting anything that moves.”
Since Yu Sa-yeon was absent, we had no choice but to get the current story of Sacheon City from Jeong Sam.
It was a story difficult to believe. Jeongnam Mountain was a three-day walk from this city. For an ordinary person, that meant a three-day journey, but for a peak expert who could use Qigong, it would take just a day at most to traverse this distance.
“Four peak experts, and they’ve mobilized an army of five hundred—far too many for Sacheon’s factions to handle.”
“Hoo.”
I couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. While Sacheon City had many factions, there were only three peak experts. Even if you combed through all of Sacheon City, we were outnumbered when it came to peak experts.
To think such a disaster occurred while I was out on vacation.
Through Jeong Sam’s words, I grasped the current situation. Sacheon’s factions felt a sense of urgency and tried to band together, but things didn’t seem to work out. In fact, it was absurd to think that they could chase off bandits using only Sacheon City’s factions.
“Any news about the major factions of Sacheon?”
“Well, they’ll likely step in eventually, but not at the moment.”
That was true. If the bandit incident had been going on for a week, news would have spread rapidly in Sacheon City, but it wasn’t long ago since the Hwangbo Clan, Jeomchang, Ami, Cheongseong, and Jongnam Sect had been informed.
They’d probably send in disciples to assess the situation before making any moves.
Moreover, for major factions like the Nine Great Sects or the Five Great Clans to take action would require reasonable justification. Their inclination toward justification was both a disadvantage and advantage for the righteous faction.
If there wasn’t a sufficient justification, the righteous faction wouldn’t swing their blades carelessly. Why do people trust and follow the righteous faction while keeping their distance from the outcasts? It’s because outcasts wield their power at will, driven by personal gain, whereas the righteous faction considers justifications and doesn’t misuse their strength without sufficient reason.
Considering that Nine Great Sects or Five Great Clans are the leaders of the righteous faction, they would need to weigh justifications more than others.
Ultimately, Sacheon City is still the domain of its own factions. Even if bandits appeared, storming in and annihilating them immediately would constitute an infringement of rights.
At the very least, it would take more than a week for the major factions to step in.
As I listened to Jeong Sam relay the unfolding havoc, the Black Cat finally showed up.
“Hmm… Senior, we’ve got a problem.”
“What’s the problem?”
“It’s about the Spiritual Medicine. There was a place called Cheonyusangdan that was supposed to sell Water Attribute Spiritual Medicine… but it seems it got robbed by bandits.”
“Hoo…”
I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity. I donned my robe and stood up. I thought I might as well directly meet the victim rather than indirectly collecting information from Jeong Sam regarding my spiritual medicine.
*
“So, you’re saying you’ve lost everything?”
“Yes… sigh… Until those customers step in to deal with the bandits, business is going to be hard.”
Yoo Chan’s complexion resembled that of someone on the verge of death. It made sense given he was threatened with his life and had all his goods taken by bandits.
“Yet… wouldn’t the bandits consume the Spiritual Medicine if they figured out what it was?”
“With all the dangers lurking in the world, who can carry Spiritual Medicine as is? I stored it in a cosmetic box with a double structure, so the items should have a good chance of being intact. Of course… it’s possible they were discovered, but still.”
I wanted to gather more details about the bandits, but it seemed Yoo Chan was running low on energy to continue.
In the end, the Black Cat and I had to step back, feeling a tingling regret.
“What a shame.”
“Indeed.”
An opportunity to easily acquire Spiritual Medicine was quite rare… I felt pretty disappointed. Apparently, the sudden appearance of bandits led to this situation.
In truth, there was one culprit that came to mind. Miss Yeo Il-ye.
“Could this be because of the Mo Yeobu being caught?”
“There’s a possibility. Anyway, the bandits must have appeared because one of the leaders of the Thieving Sect was taken down.”
You might wonder why Yeo Il-ye would create chaos in the innocent Sacheon City after capturing Mo Yeobu, but that’s what bandits do.
They may lack the power or courage to confront the Jeomchang Faction head-on, but they need a form of revenge, and their selected method is to plunder innocent people. They are truly a disgraceful bunch.
Yeo Il-ye and Jeomchang may not be able to touch the bandits directly, but they resort to hostage-taking of other innocent individuals.
It’s a threat that says, “If you touch us, more innocent people will suffer, so don’t do it.”
If the bandits acted too far from their main area, the message wouldn’t get across, but if they committed misdeeds right before the Jeomchang Faction, they’d be swept away instantly, which is why they’re causing troubles right in Sacheon City.
Even if the leader of the forty thieves is nothing more than a peak expert, it makes perfect sense why this bandit alliance could still be successfully operating in the first place; such reactions are why they avoid recklessly engaging with them.
“I didn’t expect them to act so swiftly.”
They didn’t wipe out an entire Thieving sect either. While the Thieving sect leader was injured, the bandits were all still intact, and their domain remained untouched.
This certain action made it clear they weren’t looking for ‘the Gang of Scoundrels’ but rather ‘Mo Yeobu.’ Despite the fact that the personal vendetta is handled differently, bandits are essentially outlaws full of grudges.
Even though Yeo Il-ye, a disciple of the Jeomchang Faction, clearly expressed her will, the Thieving sects still intervened. Furthermore, four different groups had united to blockade the road to Sacheon City.
It’s more reasonable to assume that someone is working behind the scenes rather than the bandits feeling abnormal rage.
“Well, the bandits probably have their eyes on Sacheon City too. It was bound to happen sooner or later.”
There was some truth to the Black Cat’s words.
Bandits tend to move around frequently. Travelers would not willingly pass through areas rumored to be occupied by bandits. If they did not make a decent nest, the longer they stayed in one place, the lesser their profits become.
Ultimately, since they’re bandits at their core, they probably just wanted to occupy the fertile ground of Sacheon City under the pretense of some justification.
Choosing the area near Sacheon City for their new den wouldn’t have been unusual.
Sacheon City was a city that developed day by day, so it’s only natural that they’d be tempted.
But…
“Something feels off.”
Yeo Il-ye provoked Mo Yeobu, making the bandits jump. It wasn’t surprising in the least. I could understand why such an event would unfold in Sacheon City. After all, what if the Black Cat hadn’t guided Yeo Il-ye toward Jeongnam Mountain?
Yeo Il-ye wouldn’t have been able to learn about Mo Yeobu possessing the Seven Treasures and there would have been no leads to seize for revenge.
It makes sense. It really does, but… what should I say? It feels like something significant is missing.
There weren’t enough leads to reach a conclusion.
“Phew…”
I shook my head. Once I became aware of my fatigue, my body swiftly felt heavier.
I had swam quite a long time to escape the cave, and then after tasting the heat for the first time in a while, I returned to Sacheon City. And as soon as I returned, there was no time to relax as I gathered information and met merchants.
Perhaps I was overthinking with my tired body.
“For now… let’s return to the Inn, eat something, and talk with Yu Sa-yeon.”
“Understood.”
After returning to the Inn and finally enjoying a proper meal and warm tea, my head began to clear little by little.
“This… is quite a crisis.”
As I filled my stomach and the nutrients began to flow to my brain, the information that had been stuffed inside started to digest one by one. As the gathered information began to meld in my mind, true urgency began to dawn.
The first conclusion that sprang forth in my mind was that the job of the Sacheon Outcast was in grave peril!
To ensure a first-class profession and level up my martial arts experience significantly after gathering all the Dragon Balls, now the job that was supposed to fill my wallet is on the verge of extinction!
Why do the factions hire Sacheon Outcasts? It’s because in this pristine area of Sacheon City, incidents worthy of note hardly ever occur among martial factions.
To uphold a bit of their ego through trivial incidents by defeating the unwanted outcasts to gain just a slight reputation was more of a struggle.
Thus, Sacheon City was a peaceful place.
But now, a bandit alliance had appeared. Real villains causing huge financial losses while pillaging merchants coming in and out of Sacheon City.
The actions of these bandits must have thoroughly shocked the people of this city.
The people, who had only ever raged against petty outcasts stealing their bags in the night, were now facing real threats to their lives and possessions.
How would the people of Sacheon City treat the factions that solved this situation after experiencing a genuine crisis, rather than one that was staged?
Surely, they would grant unprecedented popularity to a newly risen faction, making it the absolute ruler of Sacheon.
It would truly create the birth of the Invincible Righteous Faction.
With the merger of the bandits being too overwhelming for the smaller factions in Sacheon City to tackle, the large factions would have to step in to resolve it.
However, depending on the agreement reached by the major factions, which faction would be the first to step in for extermination, and how long the extermination would take were all uncertainties.
What wouldn’t happen is five major factions descending upon the same issue at once.
Even if they faced off against the totality of the 40 thieves, for the Nine Great Sects and the Five Great Clans, they would likely grimace at merely squaring off against bandits. The scenario of one of the Nine Great Sects joining forces with four of the Five Great Clans is not something that could save civil reputation.
In all likelihood, one sect might act as a representative.
Anyway, how the major factions negotiate the benefits is none of my business.
What is my business is that once the Invincible Righteous Faction is born, a brutal downturn will befall me as a Sacheon Outcast!
Having only dealt with petty thieves before, when the Invincible Righteous Faction takes care of the bandits, one can only wonder how valid a role I’ll have in the new Sacheon City they create afterward.
With the emergence of the Invincible Righteous Faction, the uncompetitive factions will be ousted while the position of the remaining factions will be taken over.
Once the storm of bandit extermination is lifted, the outcasts will directly disappear into the shadows, losing interest in hiring any outcasts.
In that moment, the Sacheon Outcasts will be exposed to a merciless cold wave as their very future hangs by a thread.
“Cough… right now, I need money…”
In martial arts movies or novels, there are depictions of people finding solace in secluded caves, catching wild animals, and surviving through mere waterfalls’ waters as they train. Yet, if one were to train in such a manner in this Martial World, their growth would undoubtedly hit an all-time low.
Letting all your emotional and physical necessities self-sustain is unrealistic. This is more than a minor effort. The reason such a profession is termed a “homemaker” isn’t without merit. The effort and time a person must invest to live properly are hardly insignificant.
Thus in this Martial World, money is an irreplaceable necessity.
To train alone, one requires funds. This would allow each necessity for life to be taken care of through money instead of distracting oneself from training.
To shorten training time, one must find Spiritual Medicine and martial techniques fitting for their level, all of which require money.
If the bandit situation in Sacheon City resolves, I might be able to buy the Water Attribute Spiritual Medicine. If I manage to purchase the Water Attribute Spiritual Medicine, it would practically clean me out.
“Guh.”
As a Sacheon Outcast, I could gain ample real-time experience to reach the peak. I wasn’t planning to leave this profession until I reached the peak of mastery, hence buying Spiritual Medicine to empty my pockets didn’t worry me too much.
The Sacheon Outcast profession brought about ample rewards.
“Ha-ha~ One of these days, perhaps moderate gambling would have sufficed.”
The Black Cat giggled as she teased me. If anyone among the Sacheon Outcasts wasn’t taking matters too seriously, it would be her. I wouldn’t expect every outcast to share my foresight, but people do instinctively feel a sense of urgency.
Simply put, Sacheon City is filled with smaller factions that lack the strength to handle the bandit issue. In such a time, acting without thought as a Sacheon Outcast could lead to unknown consequences, resulting in a halt on requests.
Sensing the change in the atmosphere from the bandit’s emergence, it’s no wonder the Outcasts felt uneasy.
“Senior~ try not to worry too much~ as long as I can rely on you and train martial arts, that’s all that matters~”
Being a mere freeloader off the Black Cat, I would surely end up as a living toy. Even if I had to personally go gather Water Attribute Spiritual Medicine, I would still need to retain some funds.
“There should be no commissions for a while. And considering the chaos caused by the bandits, are you planning on going outside?”
Shaking my head at the Black Cat’s suggestion,
The time required to invest is much longer for me to rise high to peak rather than for something unrelated. Continuing to stay on as a Sacheon Outcast would lead to revolutionary improvements in my training speed.
There’s no profession that allows you to focus on training at such levels, get high rewards, and gain both martial and real-world experiences simultaneously.
I can’t give up this prime job!
I would have to devise my means to keep the position of being a Sacheon Outcast from facing any major hits.
The downfall of the Sacheon Outcasts wouldn’t only affect me; it would also be a disastrous event for Yu Sa-yeon, other Outcasts, and intermediaries alike.
If we work together, maybe we’ll come up with something.
With the Black Cat’s information gathering skills, Yu Sa-yeon’s assistance, and the connections with intermediaries, we would have to find a way to resolve this.
I turned my gaze toward Yu Sa-yeon’s designated seat. The spot Yu Sa-yeon usually occupied on the first floor was currently empty.
The person likely feeling the most apprehension regarding this situation was Yu Sa-yeon, so she had to be moving swiftly.
I figured that now, having concluded my preparation, it might just be that Yu Sa-yeon was busily preparing some sort of solution. After hearing about that solution, I can decide how to act.
Just as I was organizing my thoughts and sipping tea to soothe my tired body and mind…
Creek.
The door of the Outcast Inn opened.
“Pardon my intrusion.”
Normally, there wouldn’t be any guests in the Inn, but today the somewhat tense atmosphere had settled in. A merchant absorbed in counting his money or a happy Outcast reflecting on their experience were nowhere to be seen, only those downcast due to the bandits flooded the place.
The sweet voice rang through the room, catching everyone’s attention toward the entrance.
In familiar Jeomchang Faction attire, adorned with red sable fur, a exquisite face that complemented that melodious voice, and a white hat neatly perched upon their head. A typical young noble radiated a bright smile.
So incredibly specific in appearance.
Anyone could tell they were a disciple of Jeomchang, a member of the Ten Prodigies, and undeniably part of the Okryong Sinhyeop.
“I’ve come looking for the benefactor of my master Yeo Il-ye.”
Noting the concern of my identity being exposed, the Outcasts remained silent. Amidst this silence, Hyeok Gi-rin raised her graceful eyebrows and began to scan the Outcast Inn, eventually pausing her gaze right before me.
With Yeo Il-ye having shared the story about me and the Black Cat, Hyeok Gi-rin flashed a beaming smile, facing me and the Black Cat.
“Haha, it seems you’ve been keeping your seat warm.”
The High Priest of the Jeomchang Faction. The foremost among the Ten Prodigies.
Also, a cross-dressing woman and a princess of the direct line of the Imperial Family.
Hyeok Gi-rin from the Okryong Sinhyeop came to find me.
