Chapter 36. A Fight Over a Loan Shark (6)

While dishes and bowls were flying at my head, it was a disadvantage for me, but it wasn't necessarily an advantage for Dan Eun-cheon either.

—Clang!

“Gah!!!”

The bowl got caught on Dan Eun-cheon's sword and shattered. The support fire from Duk-gu and Gae-sung's wife was actually hindering the intricate sword techniques of the Fung Kwong Shih Pa Chui.

“Just stay still!”

“Yeah! Just stay still!”

Dan Eun-cheun's shout barely managed to stop the support fire, but by then he already looked exhausted. He had consumed a lot of physical and mental energy.

‘I'm not in a position to criticize, though.’

I had also taken a bowl to the head, which had greatly drained my mental energy. The gourd was extremely painful. Both of us were heaving, our backs heaving with each breath.

“Haa... Haa...”

“Huu... Huu...”

At that moment, I saw Dan Eun-cheun grip his sword tightly, as if he had made a decision. It seemed his physical strength and patience were reaching their limits.

‘This time, something big is going to happen...’

Just then, an urgent whisper reached my ear. It was the voice of Wi Ji-yeon, whom I had been waiting for so desperately!

[Use the Spiral Backflow Sword (螺旋回流劍)!]

I wanted to ask where she had been, but there was something I was more curious about first.

‘What was that again...’

I remembered hearing it, but the memory was vague. As I desperately tried to recall it, another whisper came.

[Turn around with the sword on your back!]

Hearing that, I remembered. The Spiral Backflow Sword was a move from the Blue-Red Sword Technique.

It involved turning around with the sword on your back to deflect the opponent's attack while simultaneously stabbing them with the sword in your left hand. I remembered seeing Wi Ji-yeon demonstrate it when she showed me the Blue-Red Sword Technique.

‘So that’s it...’

—Swish!

Before I could finish my thoughts, the sword came down from the air. It was a downward slash, slicing through the air like lightning.

Without thinking, I turned around with the sword on my back and received his downward slash.

Originally, I should have countered with the sword in my left hand, but since I only had one sword, I could only defend. I couldn't deflect it, so I just took it.

“Gah!”

The moment I received the attack with the sword on my back, a ton of force hit my spine.

It was so powerful that I wondered if my spine had broken. If I hadn't learned the Iron Body Technique, it might have really broken.

However, I wasn't cut.

Thanks to the sturdy sword left by Baek Seung-il, it didn't break and served as a support.

“Grit!”

Dan Eun-cheun, whose attack was blocked, let out a short groan and tried to raise his sword again, but—Whoosh!

“Gah!!”

At that moment, a stone flew towards Dan Eun-cheun's shoulder, and the unexpected impact made him stagger.

“What?!”

Without responding to Dan Eun-cheun, another stone flew. This time it hit his shin. Dan Eun-cheun lost his balance and tumbled to the ground. I looked at him and said,

“Wi Ji-yeon?”

I looked in the direction the stone had come from. There stood Wi Ji-yeon. She looked slightly embarrassed, having run over in a hurry and breaking into a sweat.

“It's fortunate I'm not too late.”

***

“An array?”

“Yes. It's not very advanced, but... it was designed to make you lose your way if you didn't follow the correct path.”

When Wi Ji-yeon arrived, we immediately tied up Gae-sung's wife, the servant Duk-gu, and Dan Eun-cheun. When I asked why she was so late, Wi Ji-yeon explained.

An array... Now that I think about it, when I followed them with my eyes blindfolded, they made me turn in circles a few times. That was because of the array.

An array is essentially a maze. Think of the Stone Formation from Romance of the Three Kingdoms, where someone almost turned into a skeleton after entering.

Looking at him with a disapproving gaze, I asked, and Dan Eun-cheun replied in a weak voice.

“Did you set that up too?”

“...Yes. It's a family secret.”

It turned out that the Dan family often set up such arrays near the warehouse to prevent outsiders from intruding.

That's why they had their house in a quiet suburban area.

However, according to Wi Ji-yeon, the level wasn't very high, only enough to make thieves lose their way. It was ironic that the one who set it up was a thief.

“I would have noticed it right away, but my senses were dulled, so I was a bit late. By the time I realized, I was already trapped in the array.”

“Well, there's nothing we can do about that.”

“I insisted on following, so... I'm sorry.”

“No, I didn't expect such a person to be here either. If Wi Ji-yeon hadn't followed, we would have been in trouble.”

Wi Ji-yeon looked embarrassed and I reassured her. Dan Eun-cheun, watching us, said weakly,

“...There really was a master.”

“That's what I said.”

“How can I trust a liar who lies with his mouth open?”

I kicked Dan Eun-cheun's ass without a word.

“Ow...”

Dan Eun-cheun let out a painful groan. Gae-sung's wife, watching us, said in a hurried voice,

“If you give us money, we'll let you go!”

Without responding, I gave Gae-sung's wife a few spicy honey punches to the head. She let out a strangled duck-like scream and fell silent.

With that, the incident was settled.

When we tried to hand over the bound loan sharks to the Youth Leader, Wi Ji-yeon, feeling guilty, wanted to help. However, I thought it would be better not to show her to the Youth Leader, so I persuaded her to go back first.

I dragged the bound loan sharks to the Youth Leader alone.

When Gae-sung's wife regained her senses and saw the Youth Leader, she started to struggle, but after I gave her a few more spicy honey punches, she quieted down. It was the price for throwing a bowl at my head.

By accident, I infused my inner energy, causing Gae-sung's wife to faint with a wet spot. But that's a different story.

In any case, another case was resolved.

***

Two days later, I received a call from the Alumni Association and headed to the headquarters. It was my first time going there. The Youth Leader patted my shoulder when he saw me and said,

“This time, you really went through a lot.”

“No, it's nothing.”

“Thanks to your efforts, we were able to recover all the money for the loan sharks and the women's association. It's really fortunate. Oh, and about that Dan family troublemaker.”

“Yes.”

“I found out there was a bounty on him. Did you know about it?”

“...I did know.”

But I didn't know it was still up.

Usually, such private bounties are dropped after a year or so because the money goes to the underworld, but it seems the Dan family didn't give up. Whether it was because he was family or they wanted to torture him, I'm not sure.

The Leader continued,

“Well, I'll take care of the bounty part later. In any case, I reported this to the Chairman, and he highly praised you.”

“Highly praised... Just hearing it makes me feel good!”

“Haha. Here, take this first!”

He then handed me a box. It was the perfect size for a ring. He couldn't be proposing to me, so what was it?

“Open it.”

I opened the box, and inside was a dark, broken piece that looked like a crushed Biqquedan.

“What is this?”

“It's the Shao Lin Divine Pill, also known as the Summoning Pill.”

The Summoning Pill!

I was so shocked that my mouth dropped open.

“Is this the famous Shao Lin Summoning Pill?”

“Yes. The Chairman decided to give you this as a reward for your efforts.”

“This... I'm really grateful.”

I bowed to express my gratitude and asked,

“But where is the rest of it?”

“What do you mean?”

“This.”

I pointed to the Summoning Pill in the box. The Summoning Pill in the box was... not a whole one but about a tenth of it. The other nine-tenths were nowhere to be seen. The Leader replied with a serious expression,

“That's all of it.”

“Pardon?”

“That's all of it. One-tenth of a Summoning Pill. That's the reward for this job.”

“...If you're going to give it, why not give the whole thing?”

“What nonsense... A whole Summoning Pill is worth at least a thousand silver taels!”

“So this small piece is worth a hundred silver taels?”

I was shocked by the price of the Summoning Pill. In modern terms, this piece is worth about 15 million won.

“A piece can save a person and give them half a decade of inner energy. Of course, it's worth that much.”

“I see.”

It was an unexpectedly generous bonus.

After all, I had recovered a thousand taels, so I felt this was a fair reward. The Leader asked,

“Have you ever taken other elixirs before?”

“A few months ago, I took a Ten-Year Ginseng. It's been about two months.”

“That should be fine. Taking the Summoning Pill shouldn't cause any major problems.”

Elixirs don't automatically turn into inner energy just by taking them. If that were the case, I would have bought 60 Ten-Year Ginsengs and become a master, conquering the world. There are reasons why I didn't do that.

Elixirs are highly toxic as well as potent. Taking them recklessly can lead to liver failure and a painful death.

Therefore, it's common to take a break of several years to several decades between each elixir. For the Ten-Year Ginseng I took, it's best to avoid similar elixirs for about a year for health and longevity.

Another important point is to balance the yin and yang. Taking too much of a yin or yang elixir can lead to immediate death from internal imbalance.

The Shao Lin Summoning Pill and the Great Revitalizing Pill are famous and expensive because they go through a Shao Lin refining process that minimizes toxicity, reducing liver burden and shortening the break period. They also balance yin and yang, making them very convenient to take.

Seeing my excited expression, the Leader gave me some advice.

“Before taking it, try to get help from a master. This piece contains three years of inner energy, so taking it carelessly can be dangerous.”

“Of course.”

The more potent the energy in an elixir, the harder it is to digest. Especially if the elixir's energy is stronger than your own, it can be even more difficult. Occasionally, people become mentally impaired after taking an elixir without knowing better.

Therefore, it's best to have a master guide the flow of your inner energy when taking an elixir.

After taking a Ten-Year Ginseng, I had a cruise on the Jordan River, but that was because I didn't have a master to guide me.

‘I can ask Wi Ji-yeon.’

I carefully put the one-tenth piece of the Summoning Pill in my pocket. The Leader said,

“Now, let me tell you about the second gift.”

“There's a second gift?”

I was already wide-eyed from the piece of the Summoning Pill. A whole one would have been better, but... I can't have everything. What could the next gift be?

“The second gift is a business partner.”

“A business partner?”

Is that a gift?

I didn't understand and asked him.

“The Chairman said to give you a big push.”

“A big push... Within the White Cloud Escort Agency?”

“Yes. From what I see, you have potential. With our full support, you can quickly rise to a high position in the White Cloud Escort Agency. At least to the branch manager level.”

But I've only been here for a few months.

I responded with an awkward smile. The Youth Leader said,

“Think about it. Since you joined the White Cloud Escort Agency, how many major tasks have you completed in such a short time? You eliminated Baek Seung-il and Yoon Jun-seop, and I heard you saved the Pang family's daughter. You're a new recruit who will go down in the history of the escort agency.”

Hearing my achievements listed by someone else made me slightly embarrassed. But it's true that I've achieved a lot for a new recruit.

“If the White Cloud Escort Agency has eyes, they won't overlook a talent like you. We're going to speed up the process. That's why I gave you the Summoning Pill.”

“I see.”

The White Cloud Escort Agency is a martial arts business. Without basic martial arts skills, it's hard to rise. Of course, some people rise without them, but they are rare.

As I nodded, understanding the meaning of the Summoning Pill, the Leader handed me a pouch filled with silver taels. When I opened it, there were about a hundred silver taels.

“This is...”

“First, use this to invest in the White Cloud Escort Agency in your name. Acquiring shares within the agency will speed up your promotion. It will make you look like a loyal escort agent.”

I remembered that Gang Pyo-doo had mentioned something about investing before. I nodded, and the Leader continued,

“And about the business partner, do you know the Mu family?”

“Mu... I've never heard of them.”

“They're not very famous in the martial arts world, but they're very famous in politics. They used to be in the government, and at one point, they held the position of Chief of the Jin Yi Wei for three generations, showing their significant influence.”

“The Jin Yi Wei... Quite a formidable family.”

The Jin Yi Wei was like the Central Intelligence Agency of old, located under Namsan. If they held the position for three generations, it gives an idea of their high status.

“The Mu family runs a large estate in Hubei Province, which requires a wide variety of goods. I'll try to transfer one of their transportation contracts to the White Cloud Escort Agency.”

He then showed me a document listing the approximate quantities of goods used by the estate each year, such as seeds and farming tools.

The scale was larger than I expected. Just handling this one contract would bring in a significant amount of money.

After a rough calculation, a surprising amount came up.

“At this scale, it would generate at least a thousand silver taels in transactions every year.”

“Exactly. Isn't that tempting?”

It would be a lie to say it wasn't tempting. It's like getting a regular contract worth 15 billion won per year. With that, promotion is almost guaranteed.

“Negotiations are still underway, so wait about ten days.”

“I understand. Thank you, Leader.”

“Of course. You've done a lot for us. And one more piece of advice: start building your network now. It will help when you rise to a higher position.”

“Is that from your experience?”

“Of course.”

The Leader's advice was valuable. In any organization, to rise to a position of power, you need people to support you. Whether it's a superior who pulls you up, a close colleague, or a trusted subordinate.

Having people who will stand up for you when something happens makes it easier to rise in the organization. On the other hand, even if you do a good job, without connections in the company, you can easily be politically outmaneuvered