Upon receiving a Hundred Herb Pill from Baek Mu-Gun, Jeong Ho-Gun and Jo Won-Yee immediately consumed it. They fully absorbed the internal energy it contained through an entire day of circulating their qi. If they had used their previous internal energy cultivation method, they would have only been able to get up to sixty or seventy percent of its internal energy. However, they managed to absorb most of it thanks to Mu-Gun, who enhanced and increased the efficiency of their internal energy cultivation methods.
Even though they only gained ten years’ worth of internal energy, the two felt a significant change in their martial arts. In fact, the increase in their internal energy allowed them to advance to the Upper-intermediate First-rate Realm.
Mu-Gun revamping their sect’s martial arts was also what ultimately allowed them to elevate their martial arts to another level. If they continued to devote themselves to training, they would be able to reach the Peak Realm—a league beyond the First-rate Realm.
Ho-Gun and Won-Yee became confident that they could really become masters, just as Mu-Gun had told them. That sliver of hope naturally led them to develop a desire for martial arts training. However, personal training alone would only slow down their martial arts’ growth. On the other hand, sparring regularly with martial artists of a similar level while also devoting themselves to personal training would allow them to accelerate it.
Mu-Gun could act as their sparring partner, but he couldn’t always be around them. They required an opponent with whom they could spar at any time even in his absence. Fortunately, they had a suitable sparring partner—Mu-Gun’s six followers.
Having advanced into the First-rate Realm after consuming the Hundred Herb Pill, they had become good enough to be Ho-Gun and Won-Yee’s sparring partners. The six would also benefit from this since the sparring’s effectiveness could be maximized, considering they had never faced off against Ho-Gun and Won-Yee’s martial arts.
Mu-Gun introduced his six subordinates to Ho-Gun and Won-Yee. The two trained with the Six White Wolves and frequently duked it out with each other. As the young patriarchs of their families, Ho-Gun and Won-Yee could have been displeased that they had to train with the Six White Wolves, who were only members of the Baek Sword Corps, but they didn’t have such thoughts at all. Although the fact that Mu-Gun treasured them very much played a role, the Six White Wolves' skills were by no means inferior to theirs. Since ancient times, the qualification of a warrior did not lie in his status but in his martial arts. They thought the Six White Wolves were fully qualified to train with them.
Ho-Gun and Won-Yee did their best in their martial arts training. Considering they were training with the Six White Wolves, Mu-Gun no longer had to intensively guide the two. All he had to do now was check the results of their training once every few days and correct any steps they did wrong. They had to make their own efforts from now on, but Mu-Gun believed they would work hard on their own accord even if he didn’t supervise them.
He believed in their determination, and having the Six White Wolves around them served as a great stimulus to them. The Six White Wolves worked harder than anyone else on their martial arts training. If Ho-Gun and Won-Yee watched them training from the side, they wouldn’t be able to bring themselves to rest and would inevitably train alongside them. Mu-Gun hoped they would be rivals and compete in good faith with the six, thus helping each other grow in the process.
While Ho-Gun and Won-Yee were training with the Six White Wolves, Mu-Gun visited the Eun Merchant Group. Mu-Gun had sent a visiting request a few days ago and scheduled it in advance, so he met Eun Ye-Sang, the Eun Merchant Group’s young mistress, without having to wait too long since his arrival.
Unlike the male attire she wore before, Ye-Sang appeared wearing an extravagant outfit. She even had makeup on. She was extremely beautiful, proving she deserved the title of Wenzhou’s greatest beauty. Ordinary men would have shown signs of astonishment, but Mu-Gun wasn’t impressed by her beauty at all. To Mu-Gun, she was just the young mistress of the Eun Merchant Group. She wasn’t even a woman in his eyes. Hence, her beauty couldn’t catch his attention at all.
“Long time no see. How have you been?” Mu-Gun casually greeted her.
Ye-Sang frowned when Mu-Gun seemed to be completely unaffected despite seeing her dolled-up appearance. She dressed up today to waver Mu-Gun’s heart with her beauty, only to have her pride hurt by Mu-Gun’s gaze, which didn’t seem to change in any way between when she dressed up as a man and when she dolled up. She couldn’t reveal her true feelings, however, so she forced herself to smile and greeted him back.
“It’s been a while. Thanks to the Baek Sword Sect escorting our mercantile journey, we’re doing well and haven’t had any troubles. How have you been, Young Patriarch Baek?”
“I’ve been doing well, too,” Mu-Gun answered briefly.
“Why did you want to see me today?”
“I came to commission the Eun Merchant Group for a job.”
“Commission us?”
“I want to buy medicinal herbs through the Eun Merchant Group.”
“You want to buy medicinal herbs?”
“Is it possible?”
“Hmm, our merchant group does not deal with medicinal herbs, but we can purchase them through another merchant group that specializes in that trade. What kind of medicinal herbs are you hoping to obtain?”
“There are quite a few that I’d like to buy. The larger the quantity, the better.”
“How many kinds are we talking about here?”
“It will be easier if you refer to this list.”
Mu-Gun showed Ye-Sang a list of medicinal herbs that made her look puzzled. It had more than one hundred kinds of medicinal herbs. Moreover, most of them weren’t commonly available to purchase.
“Where on earth do you plan to use all these medicinal herbs for? The Baek Sword Sect isn’t trying to set up a pharmacy, is it?”
“Do I have to reveal where I plan to use it?”
“No, I’m just asking out of curiosity. If it’s hard to answer, you don’t have to tell me.”
“Can you purchase the medicinal herbs listed?”
“It won’t be easy, but it’s possible. What matters is what our merchant group will get by mediating the purchase of these medicinal herbs. We’re merchants. Even if it’s a favor for the Baek Sword Sect, we won’t move if there’s nothing to gain.”
“Of course, we’ll pay the brokerage fee. If the Eun Merchant Group takes charge of buying these medicinal herbs, we will pay you ten percent of the total purchase price as a brokerage fee. However, if you purchase at a price that is much higher than the market price, the fee will be reduced by half.”
Mu-Gun put out conditions in case the Eun Merchant Group tried to intentionally raise the purchase price to receive more from brokerage fees.
“Shouldn’t you increase it if we buy at a lower price than the market price, then?”
“Alright. If you do, I will double the brokerage fee.”
“Great. We accept your purchase commission. However, it may take some time.”
“Understood, but it will be troubling if it takes too long.”
“We will try to be as quick as possible.”
“We plan to continue purchasing these medicinal herbs for the foreseeable future, so please keep that in mind.”
“Understood.”
“Thank you for accepting our request. I’ll be on my way now.”
“Are you leaving already?”
“Is there anything else you want to discuss?”
“No. However, you’re still a customer, so it bothers me to send you away like this.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s fine.”
“Alright. Be safe.”
Mu-Gun immediately got up and left the Eun Merchant Group without showing any interest in Ye-Sang, which hurt her pride greatly. If she could, she wanted to ignore him in the same way, but it didn’t go as well as she wanted it to. Mu-Gun occupied her mind without her realizing it. She even wanted to look good in front of him.
In fact, the reason she decided to take on the medicinal herbs commission was that she wanted to look good to Mu-Gun. Although she was also angry with him for not showing interest in her, she was even more furious at herself for caring about Mu-Gun and trying to look good in front of him.
“Let’s not think about it. Let’s ignore it.”
Ye-Sang tried to divert her train of thought, but the more she did, the more Mu-Gun appeared in her mind.
***
The next day after returning from the Eun Merchant Group, Mu-Gun headed to the Baek Sword Sect’s grand training hall, where 123 orphans were brought over from all parts of the Zhejiang Province two days ago. However, there were only 108 orphans now.
The Baek Sword Sect made sure to inform them that they would enter the Sea Dragon Archipelago and receive martial arts training for a period of three to five years, and they also mentioned that they wouldn’t be able to leave the Sea Dragon Archipelago until they had achieved the desired level that the Baek Sword Sect had in mind. They were then given a day to make a final decision. Those who were confident about being confined in the Sea Dragon Archipelago and undergoing severe martial arts training could remain at the Baek Sword Sect, whereas those who weren’t were asked to leave.
As a result, 15 out of the 123 orphans gave up and went back to where they came from. There were two reasons why the others decided to remain at the Baek Sword Sect. The first was that they admired martial artists, and the second reason was that not only would they not starve during training, but they could also receive monthly wages.
All men wanted to become martial arts masters. It was no different for the orphans. For the general public, martial arts masters were objects of admiration. If they could become a martial arts master, they would be able to obtain wealth, honor, and women as beautiful as flowers.
However, becoming a martial artist was by no means an easy task. There were few clans willing to take in orphans as disciples and pass on martial arts to them. The Baek Sword Sect was a well-known clan within the Zhejiang Province at the end of the day, so being able to become a part of it was a sweet offer for the orphans who admired murim.
The Baek Sword Sect also promised to provide the orphans with meals and lodging if they were to become its disciples. Furthermore, even if it did not amount to how much official members earned, the Baek Sword Sect would also pay them a fixed monthly wage. For these orphans, who had no place to call home and suffered to live day by day, those alone were enough reasons for them to remain.
Mu-Gun entered the grand training hall, where all 108 orphans gathered.
“This man is the Baek Sword Sect’s young patriarch. Everyone, greet him politely!” Baek Jin-Won, the White Bear Squad Leader and the head instructor in charge of training the orphans in the Sea Dragon Archipelago, shouted at the orphans.
Ten other instructors were selected to assist in training the orphans in martial arts along with Jin-Won.
“We greet the Young Patriarch!”
The orphans bowed at Mu-Gun in their own disciplined way. It seemed like Jin-Won had quickly educated them before Mu-Gun came.
“Raise your heads.”
The orphans did as Mu-Gun instructed. Mu-Gun took a look at the orphans staring at him in one fell swoop and continued.
“Nice to meet you all. I am Baek Mu-Gun, the Baek Sword Sect’s young patriarch. I understand you have all lived all your life alone in this world. However, from this moment forward, you are no longer alone. The Baek Sword Sect will be your home, and the sect’s disciples will be your brothers. Keep one thing in mind: the Baek Sword Sect does not retain those who do not work hard. If you want to call the Baek Sword Sect your home and family, you will have to work hard to prove that you are qualified. However, once you do, the Baek Sword Sect will care for you and look after you more than anyone else. Can you all do that?”
“Yes!”
“Good. I will put my trust in you. We will leave for the Sea Dragon Archipelago immediately. Make the necessary preparations now.”
“Instructors, lead the members you are in charge of to Wenzhou Port,” Jin-Won ordered the instructors as soon as Mu-Gun finished speaking.
The instructors led their members to Wenzhou Port. Mu-Gun came with them since his eyes were required to pass through the Sea Dragon Archipelago’s Fantasy Fog Array.
Two ships had been prepared at the Wenzhou Port. The instructors divided the orphans accordingly, having been informed beforehand. Mu-Gun boarded the one that would be at the forefront. Once everyone had boarded and a headcount had been done, the ships immediately departed from Wenzhou Port.
They safely passed through the Fantasy Fog Array and arrived at the Sea Dragon Archipelago a day later, and the orphans couldn’t help but be amazed by the place’s splendor. The instructors assigned them to lodgings that were converted from the buildings previously used by the Sea Dragon Gang’s pirates.
Three people were assigned to each room to allow the orphans to share their joys and sorrows and develop chemistry from the very beginning. This prepared them for the Three Absolute Soul Crushing Formation, a joint attack formation they would come to learn in the future. Each room was more than comfortable and large enough for three people to stay in.
The orphans’ new environment made them feel how much the Baek Sword Sect was trying to take care of them. In fact, while they were on their way to the Sea Dragon Archipelago, some orphans suspected that the Baek Sword Sect simply coaxed them and was taking them to a strange place. However, the Sea Dragon Archipelago and their new accommodations cleared away all their doubts. After being assigned to their rooms, the orphans rested comfortably for the rest of the day.
The training began in earnest from the next morning onward. They underwent various exercises that were meant to improve their strength, agility, and endurance, ultimately building their physical foundations. The orphans struggled with the unfamiliar exercises, but they trained with all their might as per ordered by the instructors. Mu-Gun appeared to be satisfied upon witnessing the orphans training hard even though they hadn’t gotten the hang of it yet.
The Baek Sword Sect’s martial artist fostering project had begun.
Upon receiving a Hundred Herb Pill from Baek Mu-Gun, Jeong Ho-Gun and Jo Won-Yee immediately consumed it. They fully absorbed the internal energy it contained through an entire day of circulating their qi. If they had used their previous internal energy cultivation method, they would have only been able to get up to sixty or seventy percent of its internal energy. However, they managed to absorb most of it thanks to Mu-Gun, who enhanced and increased the efficiency of their internal energy cultivation methods.
Even though they only gained ten years’ worth of internal energy, the two felt a significant change in their martial arts. In fact, the increase in their internal energy allowed them to advance to the Upper-intermediate First-rate Realm.
Mu-Gun revamping their sect’s martial arts was also what ultimately allowed them to elevate their martial arts to another level. If they continued to devote themselves to training, they would be able to reach the Peak Realm—a league beyond the First-rate Realm.
Ho-Gun and Won-Yee became confident that they could really become masters, just as Mu-Gun had told them. That sliver of hope naturally led them to develop a desire for martial arts training. However, personal training alone would only slow down their martial arts’ growth. On the other hand, sparring regularly with martial artists of a similar level while also devoting themselves to personal training would allow them to accelerate it.
Mu-Gun could act as their sparring partner, but he couldn’t always be around them. They required an opponent with whom they could spar at any time even in his absence. Fortunately, they had a suitable sparring partner—Mu-Gun’s six followers.
Having advanced into the First-rate Realm after consuming the Hundred Herb Pill, they had become good enough to be Ho-Gun and Won-Yee’s sparring partners. The six would also benefit from this since the sparring’s effectiveness could be maximized, considering they had never faced off against Ho-Gun and Won-Yee’s martial arts.
Mu-Gun introduced his six subordinates to Ho-Gun and Won-Yee. The two trained with the Six White Wolves and frequently duked it out with each other. As the young patriarchs of their families, Ho-Gun and Won-Yee could have been displeased that they had to train with the Six White Wolves, who were only members of the Baek Sword Corps, but they didn’t have such thoughts at all. Although the fact that Mu-Gun treasured them very much played a role, the Six White Wolves' skills were by no means inferior to theirs. Since ancient times, the qualification of a warrior did not lie in his status but in his martial arts. They thought the Six White Wolves were fully qualified to train with them.
Ho-Gun and Won-Yee did their best in their martial arts training. Considering they were training with the Six White Wolves, Mu-Gun no longer had to intensively guide the two. All he had to do now was check the results of their training once every few days and correct any steps they did wrong. They had to make their own efforts from now on, but Mu-Gun believed they would work hard on their own accord even if he didn’t supervise them.
He believed in their determination, and having the Six White Wolves around them served as a great stimulus to them. The Six White Wolves worked harder than anyone else on their martial arts training. If Ho-Gun and Won-Yee watched them training from the side, they wouldn’t be able to bring themselves to rest and would inevitably train alongside them. Mu-Gun hoped they would be rivals and compete in good faith with the six, thus helping each other grow in the process.
While Ho-Gun and Won-Yee were training with the Six White Wolves, Mu-Gun visited the Eun Merchant Group. Mu-Gun had sent a visiting request a few days ago and scheduled it in advance, so he met Eun Ye-Sang, the Eun Merchant Group’s young mistress, without having to wait too long since his arrival.
Unlike the male attire she wore before, Ye-Sang appeared wearing an extravagant outfit. She even had makeup on. She was extremely beautiful, proving she deserved the title of Wenzhou’s greatest beauty. Ordinary men would have shown signs of astonishment, but Mu-Gun wasn’t impressed by her beauty at all. To Mu-Gun, she was just the young mistress of the Eun Merchant Group. She wasn’t even a woman in his eyes. Hence, her beauty couldn’t catch his attention at all.
“Long time no see. How have you been?” Mu-Gun casually greeted her.
Ye-Sang frowned when Mu-Gun seemed to be completely unaffected despite seeing her dolled-up appearance. She dressed up today to waver Mu-Gun’s heart with her beauty, only to have her pride hurt by Mu-Gun’s gaze, which didn’t seem to change in any way between when she dressed up as a man and when she dolled up. She couldn’t reveal her true feelings, however, so she forced herself to smile and greeted him back.
“It’s been a while. Thanks to the Baek Sword Sect escorting our mercantile journey, we’re doing well and haven’t had any troubles. How have you been, Young Patriarch Baek?”
“I’ve been doing well, too,” Mu-Gun answered briefly.
“Why did you want to see me today?”
“I came to commission the Eun Merchant Group for a job.”
“Commission us?”
“I want to buy medicinal herbs through the Eun Merchant Group.”
“You want to buy medicinal herbs?”
“Is it possible?”
“Hmm, our merchant group does not deal with medicinal herbs, but we can purchase them through another merchant group that specializes in that trade. What kind of medicinal herbs are you hoping to obtain?”
“There are quite a few that I’d like to buy. The larger the quantity, the better.”
“How many kinds are we talking about here?”
“It will be easier if you refer to this list.”
Mu-Gun showed Ye-Sang a list of medicinal herbs that made her look puzzled. It had more than one hundred kinds of medicinal herbs. Moreover, most of them weren’t commonly available to purchase.
“Where on earth do you plan to use all these medicinal herbs for? The Baek Sword Sect isn’t trying to set up a pharmacy, is it?”
“Do I have to reveal where I plan to use it?”
“No, I’m just asking out of curiosity. If it’s hard to answer, you don’t have to tell me.”
“Can you purchase the medicinal herbs listed?”
“It won’t be easy, but it’s possible. What matters is what our merchant group will get by mediating the purchase of these medicinal herbs. We’re merchants. Even if it’s a favor for the Baek Sword Sect, we won’t move if there’s nothing to gain.”
“Of course, we’ll pay the brokerage fee. If the Eun Merchant Group takes charge of buying these medicinal herbs, we will pay you ten percent of the total purchase price as a brokerage fee. However, if you purchase at a price that is much higher than the market price, the fee will be reduced by half.”
Mu-Gun put out conditions in case the Eun Merchant Group tried to intentionally raise the purchase price to receive more from brokerage fees.
“Shouldn’t you increase it if we buy at a lower price than the market price, then?”
“Alright. If you do, I will double the brokerage fee.”
“Great. We accept your purchase commission. However, it may take some time.”
“Understood, but it will be troubling if it takes too long.”
“We will try to be as quick as possible.”
“We plan to continue purchasing these medicinal herbs for the foreseeable future, so please keep that in mind.”
“Understood.”
“Thank you for accepting our request. I’ll be on my way now.”
“Are you leaving already?”
“Is there anything else you want to discuss?”
“No. However, you’re still a customer, so it bothers me to send you away like this.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but it’s fine.”
“Alright. Be safe.”
Mu-Gun immediately got up and left the Eun Merchant Group without showing any interest in Ye-Sang, which hurt her pride greatly. If she could, she wanted to ignore him in the same way, but it didn’t go as well as she wanted it to. Mu-Gun occupied her mind without her realizing it. She even wanted to look good in front of him.
In fact, the reason she decided to take on the medicinal herbs commission was that she wanted to look good to Mu-Gun. Although she was also angry with him for not showing interest in her, she was even more furious at herself for caring about Mu-Gun and trying to look good in front of him.
“Let’s not think about it. Let’s ignore it.”
Ye-Sang tried to divert her train of thought, but the more she did, the more Mu-Gun appeared in her mind.
***
The next day after returning from the Eun Merchant Group, Mu-Gun headed to the Baek Sword Sect’s grand training hall, where 123 orphans were brought over from all parts of the Zhejiang Province two days ago. However, there were only 108 orphans now.
The Baek Sword Sect made sure to inform them that they would enter the Sea Dragon Archipelago and receive martial arts training for a period of three to five years, and they also mentioned that they wouldn’t be able to leave the Sea Dragon Archipelago until they had achieved the desired level that the Baek Sword Sect had in mind. They were then given a day to make a final decision. Those who were confident about being confined in the Sea Dragon Archipelago and undergoing severe martial arts training could remain at the Baek Sword Sect, whereas those who weren’t were asked to leave.
As a result, 15 out of the 123 orphans gave up and went back to where they came from. There were two reasons why the others decided to remain at the Baek Sword Sect. The first was that they admired martial artists, and the second reason was that not only would they not starve during training, but they could also receive monthly wages.
All men wanted to become martial arts masters. It was no different for the orphans. For the general public, martial arts masters were objects of admiration. If they could become a martial arts master, they would be able to obtain wealth, honor, and women as beautiful as flowers.
However, becoming a martial artist was by no means an easy task. There were few clans willing to take in orphans as disciples and pass on martial arts to them. The Baek Sword Sect was a well-known clan within the Zhejiang Province at the end of the day, so being able to become a part of it was a sweet offer for the orphans who admired murim.
The Baek Sword Sect also promised to provide the orphans with meals and lodging if they were to become its disciples. Furthermore, even if it did not amount to how much official members earned, the Baek Sword Sect would also pay them a fixed monthly wage. For these orphans, who had no place to call home and suffered to live day by day, those alone were enough reasons for them to remain.
Mu-Gun entered the grand training hall, where all 108 orphans gathered.
“This man is the Baek Sword Sect’s young patriarch. Everyone, greet him politely!” Baek Jin-Won, the White Bear Squad Leader and the head instructor in charge of training the orphans in the Sea Dragon Archipelago, shouted at the orphans.
Ten other instructors were selected to assist in training the orphans in martial arts along with Jin-Won.
“We greet the Young Patriarch!”
The orphans bowed at Mu-Gun in their own disciplined way. It seemed like Jin-Won had quickly educated them before Mu-Gun came.
“Raise your heads.”
The orphans did as Mu-Gun instructed. Mu-Gun took a look at the orphans staring at him in one fell swoop and continued.
“Nice to meet you all. I am Baek Mu-Gun, the Baek Sword Sect’s young patriarch. I understand you have all lived all your life alone in this world. However, from this moment forward, you are no longer alone. The Baek Sword Sect will be your home, and the sect’s disciples will be your brothers. Keep one thing in mind: the Baek Sword Sect does not retain those who do not work hard. If you want to call the Baek Sword Sect your home and family, you will have to work hard to prove that you are qualified. However, once you do, the Baek Sword Sect will care for you and look after you more than anyone else. Can you all do that?”
“Yes!”
“Good. I will put my trust in you. We will leave for the Sea Dragon Archipelago immediately. Make the necessary preparations now.”
“Instructors, lead the members you are in charge of to Wenzhou Port,” Jin-Won ordered the instructors as soon as Mu-Gun finished speaking.
The instructors led their members to Wenzhou Port. Mu-Gun came with them since his eyes were required to pass through the Sea Dragon Archipelago’s Fantasy Fog Array.
Two ships had been prepared at the Wenzhou Port. The instructors divided the orphans accordingly, having been informed beforehand. Mu-Gun boarded the one that would be at the forefront. Once everyone had boarded and a headcount had been done, the ships immediately departed from Wenzhou Port.
They safely passed through the Fantasy Fog Array and arrived at the Sea Dragon Archipelago a day later, and the orphans couldn’t help but be amazed by the place’s splendor. The instructors assigned them to lodgings that were converted from the buildings previously used by the Sea Dragon Gang’s pirates.
Three people were assigned to each room to allow the orphans to share their joys and sorrows and develop chemistry from the very beginning. This prepared them for the Three Absolute Soul Crushing Formation, a joint attack formation they would come to learn in the future. Each room was more than comfortable and large enough for three people to stay in.
The orphans’ new environment made them feel how much the Baek Sword Sect was trying to take care of them. In fact, while they were on their way to the Sea Dragon Archipelago, some orphans suspected that the Baek Sword Sect simply coaxed them and was taking them to a strange place. However, the Sea Dragon Archipelago and their new accommodations cleared away all their doubts. After being assigned to their rooms, the orphans rested comfortably for the rest of the day.
The training began in earnest from the next morning onward. They underwent various exercises that were meant to improve their strength, agility, and endurance, ultimately building their physical foundations. The orphans struggled with the unfamiliar exercises, but they trained with all their might as per ordered by the instructors. Mu-Gun appeared to be satisfied upon witnessing the orphans training hard even though they hadn’t gotten the hang of it yet.
The Baek Sword Sect’s martial artist fostering project had begun.
