Tap! Tap!
Jang Hamun, the Sea Dragon sect leader, tapped the table with his finger.
It was a habit of his whenever he was troubled.
His worries deepened after meeting Lee Seong-hak, who had returned from his journey a day ago.
The items and information that Lee Seong-hak had shown him concerned him.
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t come up with an easy answer.
“Hoo!”
It was when he sighed,
“May I come in for a moment?”
The voice of his attendant, Woo Gunchang, called out.
“Come in.”
Upon hearing Jang Hamun’s permission, Woo Gunchang entered the room.
Woo Gunchang, who was now in his early fifties, was the one in charge of the major and minor affairs of the Sea Dragon Sect.
He was also someone who played a significant role in helping the Sea Dragon Sect reach its current status, so Jang Hamun respected Woo Gunchang a lot for it.
Jang Hamun spoke to Woo Gunchang,
“Have a seat.”
“How can I sit at the same table as you–”
“There’s no one else here, so it’s fine. Just take a seat.”
“Well, then…”
Without further ado, Woo Gunchang sat across from Jang Hamun.
“So, what’s the matter?”
“There’s a strange rumor circulating in the streets right now.”
“What kind of rumor is it?”
“There’s information that a member of the Red Bandana Association was beaten up by an old man.”
“What kind of baseless rumor–?”
“I don’t think we can just dismiss it as a mere rumor. After all, there are quite a few witnesses. They say even Master Yoo of the Red Bandana Association couldn’t last a few seconds against the old man and fell to his knees.”
“So the rumors are true?”
Jang Hamun wore an expression of disbelief.
The Sea Dragon Sect knew best about the power of the Red Bandana Association more than anyone else. Although the said organization wasn’t comparable to the Sea Dragon Sect, they were still a force to be reckoned with, capable of inflicting significant damage if underestimated.
In particular, the Red Bandana Association’s leader, Yoo Il-seok, was so strong that even Jang Hamun didn’t dare to underestimate him. If Yoo Il-seok couldn’t last a few seconds, then it was obvious that the old man was an incredibly skilled martial artist.
“Why would such a skilled martial artist…”
Jang Hamun frowned.
Unpleasant thoughts flashed through his mind.
As he struggled to clear his mind, he asked Woo Gunchang,
“What is the identity of the old man?”
“We’re still trying to figure it out. However, from his yellow hair and beard, he may be someone from outside the Central Plains.”
“Outside of the Central Plains?”
“Yes. I think he may have been on one of the ships that came in yesterday. I have called the captains to ask them about it, so I’m sure they should be able to tell us exactly where he came from.”
“Tell them to find out quickly.”
“Yes!”
Woo Gunchang replied, bowing his head deeply.
It was obvious that if an elderly person with enough power to single-handedly defeat the Red Bandana Association had come, then Jang Hamun could not afford to take such an individual lightly.
He had to figure out why such a person had come to Haimen.
There were not just one or two factions aiming for Haimen.
With the enormous amount of goods passing through Haimen every day, many factions have been greedy. That was why the Sea Dragon Sect always had to be sensitive to external threats.
If the old man happen to be by chance greedy for the city of Haimen and wanted to challenge their supremacy, then the Sea Dragon Sect had to take measures now.
“Since the situation is not looking good, let’s set up an emergency plan for now. We should be ready to move at any time.”
“Understood.”
“And just in case, be prepared to call in skilled individuals from outside, so that they can help at any time.”
“But, if we’re not careful then we could end up bringing in a tiger to avoid the wolf.”
“I know. That’s why I’m saying that we should be prepared. We never know what might happen.”
“Okay. I’ll start spreading the word.”
“Mm.”
Jang Hamun walked over to the window and opened it wide, revealing a panoramic view of the harbor.
Trading ships were still coming into the harbor.
Every time a trading ship came in, the Sea Dragon Sect would make a fortune. And Jang Hamuin had no intention of giving up such tremendous profits.
‘This land is mine. No one can take it away from me.’
* * *
Pyo-wol walked through the streets of Haimen.
Haimen is an incredibly large city. The streets were so complex that without a guide, it was easy to get lost. As a result, many newcomers ended up getting lost and wandering into the back alleys.
Of course, it was extremely rare for them to come out unharmed from those back alleys. They had to experience firsthand how cruel human nature could be and how brutal life could be for those at the bottom. If they were lucky enough to escape with their lives, it was considered fortunate.
Nevertheless, Pyo-wol didn’t mind walking around in such dangerous streets.
There were numerous people who tried to approach Pyo-wol as they saw him walking alone. Some were enchanted by Pyo-wol’s beautiful face, while others approached with the intention of robbing him.
But, not one of them managed to land a hand on Pyo-wol’s body.
“Ugh!”
Under Pyo-wol’s feet, a man was lying on the ground, groaning in pain. The man had just recklessly approached Pyo-wol a moment ago.
The man did not appear to have any visible injuries, but the man’s complexion was pale and he had bubbles coming out of his mouth.
He was the twenty-third man who had attacked Pyo-wol. He had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and demanded,
“Give me everything you have!”
Pyo-wol did not hesitate to unleash a technique he had recently learned on the man.
So this was the result.
The man was experiencing excruciating agony.
He would have preferred to lose consciousness rather than endure the intensifying pain, but the more intense the suffering became, the clearer his mind became.
Pyo-wol didn’t even spare a glance at him and walked past.
With time, the technique he had used would naturally wear off. Of course, until then, the man would continue to endure hellish pain.
Pyo-wol then continued memorizing the landmarks and terrain around him.
Whenever Pyo-wol visited a place for the first time, he had the habit of studying and familiarizing himself with the terrain.
He would analyze the terrain, distinguishing advantageous and disadvantageous areas and preparing for the worst-case scenario.
He might be more at ease than before, but this habit of his hadn’t changed at all.
Only when Pyo-wol had memorized the terrain of Haimen did he return back to the inn.
“Oh, you’ve returned already?”
As soon as Pyo-wol entered the inn, Tarha was the first to greet him. Yul Ayeon, who was by Tarha’s side, also smiled and greeted him.
“You’re back. I thought you wouldn’t return because I haven’t seen you all day.”
“I was just wandering around here and there.”
“Were you sightseeing?”
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