Volcanic Age - Chapter 22

“It will become known among the Eighteen Strongholds of the Monsoon Rain if you miss even one of them. Who will face the consequences in that case?”

“Is it us…no, Mount Hua?”

Jang Seo Eun wasn’t sure of it so she asked carefully.

Gu Pung shook his head and turned his head.

“It’s this elder.”

“What?”

Jang Hong presented a bewildered expression as though he didn’t comprehend it.

“They won’t touch us as long as we don’t touch the Eighteen Strongholds of the Monsoon Rain. Although they would target the boat owner to vent their rage, they wouldn’t try to exact retribution simply because I murdered a few pirates.”

“What transgression did the boat owner make?”

As though that were absurd, Jang Seo Eun questioned.

“Who is right and who is wrong are not the topics we are discussing. They’re merely letting off steam.

The Nine Fleets of the Water Forest, no, the Eighteen Strongholds of the Monsoon Rain don’t walk in the black arts for anything. They are the kind of people to do so.”

The Eighteen Strongholds of the Monsoon Rain aren’t guardians or martial artists that care about prestige. They are beings that not even the four factions accept.

They are merely a group of bandits.

“If you are not going to take responsibility for the life of the captain, you better stop. Also, if rumors about that spread no boat owner will let us ride their boat as retaliation for the Eighteen Strongholds of the Monsoon Rain”

“…”

Jang Hong and Jang Seo Eun still had their shoulders drooping and weren’t saying anything as if their shock hadn’t faded away.

“I, no, everyone knows that it’s wrong but at times there are things you can’t do anything about. You will face unreasonable things like this every time you come to Kang Ho. If that time comes, think about what happened today and think before you act.”

‘Ho, I didn’t know a pinnacle master could be this rational.’

Ju Seo Cheon listened to Gu Pung’s teachings and was amazed.

Experts all had high pride and there was nothing to say about if you were pinnacle experts.

Having this way of thinking without having a trace of anger wasn’t common at all.

The Fourteenth Gallant Sword Gu Pung was used as a sacrificial lamb in the age of war and would die a few years later. It was a regretful thing.

If the future changes in this life, and if Gu Pung stays alive. Ju Seo Cheon was wondering about such things.

“The Eighteen Strongholds of the Monsoon Rain should disappear for these things to not happen. However, as you may already know their scale and strength aren’t low at all. It isn’t only Mount Hua but the Murim Association will also have to move but that isn’t plausible either. Do you know why?”

Jang Hong and Jang Seo Eun didn’t answer.

It seemed like the two of them knew something but didn’t want to say it.

Gu Pung waited silently for an answer to return.

Ju Seo Cheon couldn’t watch anymore and speak.

“It’s because the balance will crumble.”

“Elaborate on that.”

Murim still maintained peace before the age of war and that was because the forces maintained a perfect balance of strength.

The Murim Association of the Righteous Sect, and the apostles of death of the Death Faction.

The Second Generation of The Demonic Path’s blood teachings and demonic teachings.

The strength of the four powerhouses was similar and that was why no one could move rashly.

Even if they won a battle, the damages they suffered would be great because their forces were similar. So if two forces joined hands in that situation, they would be able to easily get rid of the remaining force.

A similar thing would happen if the Murim Association got the Eighteen Strongholds of the Monsoon Rain as their enemies and lost their forces.

The remaining three forces could join hands to turn the weakened Murim Association into a wasteland. They really couldn’t do anything about it.

“You know it well. And that’s why I also think you know it too. Just that you don’t want to say it out loud.”

Gu Pung looked at Jang Hong and Jang Seo Eun. The two of them agreed with the silence as if his words weren’t wrong.

They couldn’t endure the fact that they had to leave the bandits who were right in front of them and act as they pleased no matter how unavoidable it was.

They were at an age where they were overflowing with justice. It wasn’t that they couldn’t understand.

“It’s not that you don’t understand the idea but the reality is Kang Ho is especially cruel. Think about it well.”

Gu Pung laughed and that laughter seemed quite bitter. It was the laugh of an adult that had thrown away his dreams and had compromised with reality.

The boat arrived at the estuary. The group was able to cross the Yangtze river safely without fighting any pirates.

It seemed like Jang Hong and Jang Seo Eun were still in thought.

Ju Seo Cheon saw that and laughed inwardly.

‘I remember the old times. I was also like that.’

The two of them spoke a lot since 

they departed but now seemed to be filled with thoughts.

“Hm, it seems like it didn’t affect you at all.”

Gu Pung looked at Ju Seo Cheon with a strange look.

Ju Seo Cheon realized his mistake in those words. He didn’t control his expression as he was looking at Jang Hong and Jang Seo Eun.

he had somewhat acted on the boat while thinking of other things but now he had stopped acting.

“Senior uncle should also know that I have gone out of the sect when I was young.”

“Ahh, it seemed like something happened back then.”

“Yes, I already received the shock back then so it’s not that big this time.”

Ju Seo Cheon laughed awkwardly and scratched his head.

The group just crossed 

Chongqing and entered Guizhou.

‘I’m finally at Guizhou.’

He had just arrived at Guizhou but 

this place wasn’t his destination. 

The place he had to go was Kaiyang.

“Starting today you will not be allowed to use any footwork technique.”

The territories of the Righteous and Death factions inside of 

Guizhou changed a few times in a day. This land was that chaotic.

The Murim Association and the Apostles of Death weren’t at war but it was different at least here, in Guizhou. There were small and big battles every day.

The expenditure of internal energy was severe when using footwork techniques so it may become dangerous when they encountered enemies.

That’s why they stopped using the light step arts and footwork techniques and decided to walk until Kaiyang.

‘Guizhou!’

He would have already screamed excitedly if it wasn’t for the group.

There was someone he had business with, no, he had to find.

The treasury of the Three-Eyed Immoral God.

He had racked his brains every day to obtain the treasures sleeping in the treasury.

He brought up his memories the best he could and established a plan and revised it. The time it took to do that was almost three years.

He needed the help of a few people in his plans and it was estimated that one of those people was at Guizhou.

‘Merchant king, Lee Ui Chae!’

His name wasn’t known yet but he was someone that would become the best merchant in the midlands one day.

Originally he was an ordinary rice 

dealer but his life changed drastically as the age of war started.

Lee Ui Chae was a greedy person. He would form a connection with a martial artist coincidentally in the age of war.

And then obtained small information about the war from that merchant and went to a secluded region and sold the provisions of the army.

The other merchants clicked their tongues saying that Lee Ui Chae didn’t value his life.

Lee Ui Chae gathered up a great deal of money like a rake with this happening and started to increase his wealth and business.

Originally, Lee Ui Chae’s talents related to money were ghostlike to the point people said that God descended that ability upon him.

He had little capital until then and was unlucky but when one opportunity came to him, he used that and grew up at a monstrous rate.

‘The merchant king is someone I should never make an enemy of. I have to get that money-grubber by my side.’

Lee Ui Chae didn’t belong to the Righteous or Demonic Faction. He was a merchant from beginning to end and his philosophy was scary enough.

The Righteous and Demonic Faction. On top of that, the unknown forces that haven’t shown themselves yet like the Second Generation of The Demonic Path.

Lee Ui Chae employed methods to earn money from beginning to end since the age of war started. He didn’t belong to any side.

The level of his guts wasn’t normal. Who would try to make business with Murim as its opponent? He wasn’t the merchant king for nothing.

‘In addition, there’s a saying that the winner of the age of war was the merchant king.’

Through the time of conflict, Lee Ui Chae’s worthless Golden Business Group made enormous profits.

When everything came to an end, the Golden Business Group rose to the top of the merchant class and invaded the fragile calm.

People claimed he could purchase the entire planet with his cash since he was so wealthy.

“Nothing can be said about his talent. The treasure king will mobilize the treasures effectively on his own if I give them to him. He must be someone I can feel relief and trust with.”

If he left it in their hands, there was a chance that they would take the valuables with them. Lee Ui Chae, though, wasn’t like that.

A common phrase among businessmen was “Having no trust is no different from death.”

In a business, there had to be trust between the traders. Nobody would try to transact with them if that confidence was betrayed.

Because of his talent and unwavering loyalty to that trust, Lee Ui Chae was able to ascend to the position of merchant king.

If only he was given money, Lee Ui Chae would be the most trustworthy person in the entire world. On the other hand, he was an unreliable person without any money.

This meant that in a mutually beneficial partnership, the merchant monarch was the only person who could be trusted.

On the other hand, putting trust aside, it was unlikely that you would even get the chance to talk with the merchant king.

Ju Seo Cheon recognized Lee Ui Chae’s face during a previous trip to Mount Hua, but he was unable to communicate with him.

It was due to Ju Seo Cheon’s lack of physical definition as a martial artist at the time.

Lee Ui Chae had risen to such prominence after becoming one of the Five Elders that he sent his lieutenants and avoided making an appearance.

Invigorated as he approached Guizhou, Ju Seo Cheon looked forward to meeting the merchant king.