Rebirth of the Heavenly Demon

Five thousand taels for ranks one to three, three thousand taels for ranks four to ten, and one thousand taels for the rest up to rank twenty. The money was set according to each sect’s ranking.

The Blue Pine Sect Leader Gwak Tae and Nine Dragons Clan Leader Seok Mun-do took the lead in this matter.

It seemed as if the two had met with various families to discuss and determine the amounts, but I was certain. These must be amounts predetermined by Ma Jeongsu. Just looking at how smoothly things were progressing made that clear.

It was by no means a small amount. Altogether, it amounted to tens of thousands of taels. An even bigger problem was that this demand might not end with just one time.

Since Ma Jeongsu didn’t directly demand the money, his crime couldn’t be pinned down. On the surface, he had merely greeted everyone and asked for help.

The clans naturally held grievances. Not only did they have to pay money out of pocket, but more than that, their pride was hurt. They must have wondered how he could treat them like this.

But they couldn’t openly oppose it either.

In such matters, the first person to step forward usually becomes the scapegoat and gets beaten down. Unless they were determined to confront the Heavenly Blade Sect head-on, they had no choice but to go along with it.

Because this was something unimaginable when the previous Alliance Leader was around, everyone was at a loss for how to handle the situation.

Regarding this matter, Song Woo-gyeong said:

“This is a natural disaster. We can only sigh while watching the rain pour down.”

Father didn’t say anything in response.

***

Late at night, feeling stuffy in my room, I went out for a walk.

The inner courtyard of the Byeok Clan Sword Manor was well-maintained. The trees and flowers were growing beautifully, and I was told that the person managing this place was the Chief Steward. Even though he seemed to just bark orders, he had such a meticulous side.

As I was strolling through the garden, I saw someone standing ahead. It was Father.

“Father?”

“It’s late, what brings you out?”

“I couldn’t sleep. Why aren’t you resting, Father?”

“I can’t sleep either.”

Father looked very troubled. It must be because of that day’s incident. He had been humiliated in front of his child. Parents around the world don’t want to show weakness in front of their children.

He must be upset. More than any other hardship Father had experienced until now.

On top of that, Father had to say something he didn’t want to.

“We’ve decided to give support money too.”

Father’s voice trembled slightly. I understood why Father made this decision.

It wasn’t because he was afraid of the threat the bastard made to Father. He wasn’t the type to yield to such threats. But he must have been worried about the final threat involving me. He was concerned that if he alone stood firm while everyone else paid, I might suffer the consequences.

I smiled brightly and said,

“You did well.”

Surprised by my reaction, Father asked,

“Do you really think so?”

“Yes. Isn’t it in the art of war? When the enemy is strong, it’s wise to retreat for a moment. It’s not that your will and intention are retreating, is it? It’s just a tactical withdrawal.”

I wasn’t just saying this to comfort Father. It was my sincere opinion, and it applied to me as well.

“I’m grateful that you think that way.”

Because I respected Father… I couldn’t forgive that bastard even more.

Father, please endure. I will definitely take this revenge.

If you say it’s an emotional decision related to Father, then yes, I admit it.

Given how upset I felt that day, I wanted to put on a mask and go cut off his head right away.

But that shouldn’t be done. Assassinating him should be the last resort.

First, realistically, the martial arts skills of the Flower Fan Elder and Si Gon guarding him were not to be underestimated. Dealing with one would be difficult enough, but they also had a female master whose identity was unknown. And Ma Jeongsu himself was no pushover.

It was a fight where I’d only have a chance if I could separate them and launch a surprise attack.

The problem is that even if such a situation could be created, I need to be cautious.

First, I needed to find out something.

Whether this was Ma Jeongsu’s personal action or if Ma Bonggi ordered it.

Even if it was Ma Jeongsu’s personal action, if I killed him, masters from the Heavenly Blade Sect would swarm down like a pack of dogs to find the culprit.

And if Ma Bonggi ordered it, the problem becomes more complicated. Not only the Heavenly Blade Sect’s masters but also the Martial Righteous Alliance’s masters would join in.

That’s not what I wanted. Shandong shouldn’t attract their attention yet.

I need to build up more strength and solidify our foundation.

“Father, shall we have a drink?”

That night, I drank with Father until late. It was a night when Father, who rarely got drunk, became intoxicated, and I became more sober the more I drank.

***

The money collected from each clan in Shandong was delivered to Ma Jeongsu through the Blue Pine Sect Leader.

Ma Jeongsu sent gifts to each sect as a token of gratitude. They were valuable gifts worth about half of the money they had paid. Receiving such expensive gifts softened the sharp criticism towards him a bit.

Rumors spread that he might not have come just to extort money after all. Of course, the ones actively spreading these rumors were Blue Pine Sect Leader Gwak Tae and Nine Dragons Clan Leader Seok Mun-do.

Another rumor circulated. Even if Ma Jeongsu establishes a sect under the guise of a martial arts school here, it’s something we can’t prevent anyway. If it can’t be prevented, wouldn’t it be better to establish a good relationship with Ma Jeongsu? Whether willingly or not, everyone started to be mindful of Ma Jeongsu.

The bastard was clever. He knew how to use his power and how to handle people. It might not have been just his own idea. Just look at the Flower Fan Elder, who was as cunning as they come.

I thought that finding out about Ma Jeongsu was the top priority.

First, I received five thousand taels from Kong Su-chan. I had a feeling I would need to use information brokers to handle this matter.

He gave me the money he had saved for emergencies without asking about its purpose. Including the money I had, it totaled six thousand taels. I plan to use this money sparingly.

One fortunate point was that the bastard was staying at Yang Minor Faction. Yang Minor Faction is like my backyard.

First, I spent a thousand taels to buy a high-quality human skin mask. The reason I bought the mask was that I couldn’t enter and leave Yang Minor Faction showing my face, and I thought I might need a mask at least once.

Wearing the mask and a wide-brimmed hat, I went to Yang Minor Faction. Since I had sent word in advance, I was able to meet Jeong Yeo secretly.

“He’s staying in the guest house, so I brought you here. I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Rather, it’s a place that’s even more carefully prepared than the guest house.

This was a small room attached next to the room where Jeong Yeo’s bedroom was. It was originally a place where guard martial artists stayed, but it seems he had moved them elsewhere for a few days. By offering the room next to his own bedroom, he was showing that he fully trusted me.

Not only was it cleaned thoroughly, but the teapot and cups on the table, and even the bedding on the bed were all replaced with new ones. He had taken the utmost care for me.

“What is Ma Jeongsu doing?”

“He’s meeting people. He’s meeting one by one with those who were invited that day. Seeing that he asked for a separate drinking table to be prepared this evening, it seems he plans to meet someone again.”

“He’s dividing and conquering.”

“It seems so.”

It was a very clever method. After thoroughly intimidating them at the first meeting, he’s calling them one by one separately to placate them.

This means he’s not just some amateur thug blindly extorting money. He’s definitely someone with a sharp mind and good preparation.

“What about you?”

“Pardon? What do you mean?”

“The fact that he’s staying here openly means he already has some trust in you, doesn’t it?”

“He’s probably just pretending to trust me. I rather think it’s pressure. As if to say, ‘I’m doing this in your home, so don’t you dare think of betraying me.’”

He wanted me to understand his true heart.

“If it weren’t for Young Master Byeok, I would have left the sect and been wandering the martial world. I would have lived recklessly. And then died miserably. I may not be a particularly good person, but I’m not one to forget favors either.”

“I’m grateful if you think that way.”

“It’s nothing.”

“Please keep an eye on his movements.”

“Don’t worry. This is my home turf.”

“Then I’ll be going now.”

As I was about to get up, he said,

“Ah, and there’s one more thing I’d like to tell you. There’s an information broker from the Omniscient Associationn that our sect has been dealing with for a long time. Thinking you might need information about Ma Jeongsu, I’ve already asked him in advance. You can stop by on your way to check. I told him I’d send someone, so you can take this with you.”

He handed me an iron token[1] while telling me the location of the nearby Omniscient Associationn.

It was truly thankful. Thanks to Jeong Yeo, I could get information about the bastard without spending money.

In fact, I had been worried about whether I could find out information about him with the remaining five thousand taels, but that worry disappeared in an instant.

“Thank you. I’ll share any information I hear with you.”

“I’d be grateful if you do that. For now, I’ll tell my subordinates that the face behind this mask is my guest. If you show the iron token, you should be able to freely enter and exit the sect anytime. When you come, please stay in this room.”

“Thank you in many ways.”

He was taking care of me even more than I was considering him.

Looking at the long term, it’s not a bad investment for him. After all, I was also someone who repays kindness with kindness.

***

Half an incense stick’s time later, I was meeting with the Omniscient Associationn’s information broker that Jeong Yeo had told me about. Of course, I was wearing the human skin mask and a wide-brimmed hat.

The man told me what they had investigated.

“Ma Jeongsu is one of Ma Bonggi’s twenty-two children.”

Twenty-two? This old lecher really had a lot of children.

“Among them, six are considered potential successors. Among those, the one who has Ma Bonggi’s exclusive trust is undoubtedly Ma Cheol-gun[마철군(麻哲君)]]. He’s currently holding the position of temporary sect leader of the Heavenly Blade Sect. Ma Jeongsu is known to have the lowest chance of becoming the successor among the remaining five, excluding him.”

I had not only heard of Ma Cheol-gun but had also met him in person. Unlike Ma Bonggi’s son, I remember him being intelligent, bright, and having a decent personality.

“Although he’s been pushed out of the successor race, Ma Jeongsu has been very talented in various fields since childhood. His martial arts skills are no less than the other potential successors.”

“Then why was he pushed out?”

“His mother was a maid of the Heavenly Blade Sect.”

“So he had no background.”

“That’s right. He’s someone who has built up power on his own.”

In other words, it meant he was someone who had grown up harboring bitterness in his heart.

“Unfortunately, his mother died in a house fire about ten years ago. Because she was alone and only gave birth to Ma Jeongsu, now Ma Jeongsu has no one he can call blood relatives except for Ma Bonggi.”

“Do you know the real reason why he came down here?”

“He put forward the pretext of establishing a martial arts school, but it doesn’t seem to be that. It looks more like an advance guard to properly establish power in the Shandong region.”

Now I asked the most important question. It was also what I wanted to know the most.

“Is this Ma Jeongsu’s will? Or Ma Bonggi’s will?”

At my direct question, the man hesitated for a moment. Then he said,

“We couldn’t find out that far.”

From that hesitation, I could tell. He was being very cautious because it was related to the Alliance Leader.

It was still early in his term, and it wasn’t clear how Ma Bonggi would run the martial world. I thought that even if he had found out something, he might not tell me.

“Lastly, who are the masters who came with them?”

He told me about the Flower Fan Elder and Si Gon. But he didn’t know about that woman.

“We couldn’t find out anything about her.”

In other words, she was a woman who hadn’t even been caught in the Omniscient Associationn’s information network.

If so, she’s definitely not from within the Heavenly Blade Sect. And since I know all the important figures, she’s not from the Martial Righteous Alliance either. Just where could this woman be from?

“This is all our association has found out. If we discover anything additional, we’ll contact you again.”

“I understand. Thank you for your hard work.”

After leaving the information broker, I pulled down my wide-brimmed hat and slowly walked away.

Yes, there’s no need to rush. It’s about finding weaknesses to cut off the bastard’s lifeline one by one. There was an advantage for me. The bastard is exposed, while I’m hidden in the shadows.

The money he extorted from each sect alone is tens of thousands of taels. On top of that, there’s the money he brought with him. If he came to establish a foundation here, enormous funds will be mobilized. He couldn’t have raised all that money from the sects in Shandong.

Thinking about it that way made my mouth water.

The stronger and more troublesome to deal with, the more flesh there is to feast on, isn’t it?

I’ll suck out even the marrow and grind the bones to drink.