From time immemorial, the ancient sages had said things like this.
"The best way to make money is to earn it doing what you're best at."
If someone asked Moo-jin what he was best at, he could answer without a moment's hesitation.
"Breaking things and smashing them to pieces."
To Moo-jin, who had beaten a Fire Drake to death with his bare hands in the Linked Qi Realm and chewed through Ironclad's bones like rebar, martial combat was life itself.
So, couldn't he make money through this martial prowess of his?
His thoughts having reached that point, Moo-jin once again turned his gaze toward the Mount Hua Sect warrior.
Money... no, the way Moo-jin now looked at Cheong-sang, one of Mount Hua's New Swords, was completely different from before.
The indifference had vanished from his eyes. At a glance, they almost seemed to sparkle with gold coins.
"…?"
Even Cheong-sang sensed the change and tilted his head in puzzlement.
"Young Hero Kang?"
"Hm?"
"Don't worry too much. My sword has mercy in it."
Thinking Moo-jin looked terrified, Cheong-sang put on a kindly expression and stroked the scabbard adorned with plum blossoms.
"I'm just here to show you the true sword of Mount Hua. I have no intention of bullying or harming you—I'm declaring that openly!"
Those words, which sounded overflowing with justice at first listen, drew admiring sighs from the people standing behind him.
"Ooh, they say Mount Hua's New Swords are righteous and upright. It's true."
"As expected of the Nine Great Sects and One Gang. They're on another level."
"Isn't he so cool? As expected of Instructor Cheong-sang... So polite, and so skilled too."
Kang Soo-yeon, listening to their reactions, tilted her head.
Wasn't it rude to barge in while they were eating and challenge him to a fight out of the blue?
"I can do it. But on one condition."
"A condition? What condition? As I said earlier, if you're worried about getting hurt..."
"Make it a public duel."
"…?"
Cheong-sang tilted his head, wondering if he'd misheard.
"What did you just say?"
"I said, let's make it a public duel."
"…Ha, hahaha. Very well."
He was a bit taken aback by the unexpected proposal, but Cheong-sang readily nodded.
From his position, there was no reason to refuse a public duel.
He had brought all these people here precisely to openly declare that the true sword of Mount Hua was different.
And now, to invite even more spectators?
'Suits me just fine.'
Cheong-sang asked with a satisfied expression.
"How about two days from now?"
"Sure."
"Good. Then we'll meet again in two days."
Having agreed on the duel for two days later, Cheong-sang turned to leave with the people he'd brought, retracing his steps.
"Heh."
His steps back to the inn he'd made his temporary lodging were lighter than ever.
'I've heard he's gained some fame lately. Cocky fool who doesn't know the height of the heavens. But it's actually good for me.'
Cheong-sang hadn't come all this way simply to restore Mount Hua's tarnished honor.
In truth, his greater desire was to make his own name known.
It was obvious that defeating Kang Moo-jin, who had recently risen to fame in Taiyuan, would elevate his own obscure name even higher.
'Then I can push that punk Cheong-kyeong aside and claim the fourth spot instead of scraping the bottom.'
A flicker of greed passed over Cheong-sang's eyes, filled more with personal ambition than noble purpose for Mount Hua.
"Ah!"
His steps halted as he returned to the inn he'd chosen as lodging.
"What is it?"
"I forgot to set the time."
"…."
Cheong-sang hurriedly returned to the Diamond Escort Agency and rescheduled for the Hour of the Sheep.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Boom-!
The front gate of the Silver Push Sect, which had been installed just two days prior, was utterly demolished. The gatekeepers, startled by the thunderous crash, screamed in terror.
"Aaaagh!"
"F-Fuck!? What the hell?"
"A-An ambush?!"
"The authorities? Did the magistrates fire a cannon?!"
The panicked Silver Push Sect disciples dodged the flying wooden shards, leaping over the walls or jumping down from the three-story pavilion.
They were ready to flee on pure instinct.
"It's not an enemy! You idiots! Stop running!"
Ma Du-gwang, the Silver Push Sect leader—who had screamed first but somehow kept his composure—bellowed at his fleeing underlings.
"N-Not an enemy!? Then what lunatic would smash our Silver Push Sect's front gate..."
"It's Young Hero Kang."
"He can smash it to bits. I was thinking we needed to replace the gate anyway."
Seeing his underling switch to a sycophantic grin—like a corrupt official hearing the name—Ma Du-gwang sighed deeply.
"We replaced it two days ago, you moron."
"Hey, Ma Du-gwang."
Ma Du-gwang bowed at a perfect right angle, head low, upon seeing the massive black bear—no, Kang Moo-jin—approaching him.
"You've arrived, big brother!"
"…Why the hell am I your big brother, you punk."
Anyone overhearing might think the Diamond Escort Agency's youngest young master had joined a black path organization. Moo-jin hurriedly scanned the surroundings and set up a qi barrier.
"In our line of work, anyone we serve is big brother. Big brother."
"No, I don't need... whatever. Fine, never mind."
Feeling it was best to skip the trivial chatter for later, Moo-jin dispelled the qi barrier around them and got to the point.
"You. Do a job with me."
"A job? Oh! Sure. What kind?"
Ma Du-gwang, who had been gloomy about buying a new gate, brightened and asked.
'I've had no decent gigs since quitting King Yama Branch. Perfect.'
Ma Du-gwang looked at Kang Moo-jin with eyes full of expectation.
As a former retainer of the once-famous Diamond Escort Agency, whatever job he brought wouldn't be ordinary, he figured.
What could it be? Escort run? Bodyguard? Beatdown?! Or bounty hunting?!
"Maybe raiding a righteous sect's treasury..."
"You know about duel betting, right?"
"…Pardon? D-Duel betting?"
"Yeah. Spread the word through the betting dens. Say there's a public duel coming up soon and lay down some bait."
"…?"
Moo-jin briefly explained what had happened with Mount Hua's fourth-generation disciple.
Seeing Ma Du-gwang tilt his head in confusion, unable to comprehend,
"Ah... I see."
"Yeah. Can you do it?"
"O-Of course. No problem. I have plenty of connections there."
"Good. Oh, and you bet too. Bet every penny you have on me. I'll throw in all the money I have left, so bet that on me too."
"…Understood."
"Hold on."
Moo-jin, who had been pondering with a serious expression, added one more thing.
"If you put up your estate as collateral, we could make even more, right?"
"…."
Ma Du-gwang blinked in shock at Moo-jin's audacious disregard for righteous and evil distinctions.
'What a refreshingly mad... no, bold guy.'
Moo-jin's idea was certainly a surefire way to make a killing.
It was just... so brazen and reckless, in a very black path way?
'Wasn't this guy the son of a Shaolin lay family lineage?'
He wondered if a son of a Shaolin lay family should be doing this, but Ma Du-gwang didn't voice it.
"I have a treasured sword I received as a gift. I'll put that up as collateral too."
It was too much money for him to nitpick over such things.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of the public duel arrived.
The large open field in Taiyuan, where the duel was to take place, was already packed with people.
It was the result of Ma Du-gwang spreading rumors far and wide through betting dens, inns, and taverns.
"Tch. To think I'd have to step out for something this petty."
Jin-sang, who had come as the official referee, clicked his tongue in a voice too quiet for others to hear.
He owed Cheong-sang a small debt, so he'd had no choice but to serve as referee, but he couldn't shake the feeling it was a waste of time.
'To make such an obvious outcome so public.'
Jin-sang shook his head at the commoners whispering excitedly about who would win.
It might seem thrilling to those ignorant of martial arts, but as a disciple of mighty Mount Zhongnan Sect, the victor was crystal clear to him.
'No way an escort agency brat who only knows Shaolin's basic arts can beat a direct disciple of grand Mount Hua Sect.'
Of course, Shaolin was an impressive sect.
They called it North-Revered Shaolin, South-Honored Wudang—Shaolin stood above the Nine Great Sects and One Gang in prestige.
'But he's still just a lay disciple.'
Not even inheriting Shaolin's true arts. Just a lay disciple who'd half-learned the basics before descending the mountain to start an escort agency.
Even if the lay disciple himself came down from Shaolin proper, he'd be crushed miserably. And this was his grandson?
'He might last one technique.'
Jin-sang had heard the rumors about Kang Moo-jin too.
Stuff like taking down a black path thug in one hit, knocking out a Mount Hua lay disciple from the Plum Blossom Six Swords in a single exchange—utter nonsense.
'The grander the rumor, the emptier the substance.'
This young Mount Zhongnan warrior was convinced the foolish third young master of the Diamond Escort Agency wouldn't even block a proper sword strike before defeat.
To face Cheong-sang—who was among Mount Hua's top later-generation disciples and had already built fame by crushing black path warriors in numerous righteous expeditions—you'd need a warrior from the Nine Great Sects, Eight Great Families, or similar.
'Laughing in ignorance. How foolish.'
Jin-sang's gaze turned to Moo-jin, who was grinning smugly on the opposite side of the temporary duel platform.
"Heh heh heh. What's the payout ratio?"
"9 to 1."
"Perfect. Just perfect."
Moo-jin couldn't wipe the smile from his face.
He knew he should look serious since the duel was about to start, but seeing those odds made him keep bursting into grins.
A whopping 9 to 1. And so much money had been bet that he wondered if half of Taiyuan's residents were gambling.
This was more than enough capital for whatever business came next.
"Well done. You actually proved useful."
"…? Thank you."
For a moment, Ma Du-gwang wasn't sure if that was praise or an insult, but he brushed it off.
His mind was fully occupied with visions of the massive fortune they'd soon rake in—no room for stray thoughts.
"Big brother... but... you sure about this? You'll win... right?"
Unease made Ma Du-gwang's pupils tremble slightly.
If Moo-jin lost, he'd only lose his pooled money. But for Ma Du-gwang, it was different.
The Silver Push Sect's land deed, his treasured sword, and even the hard-earned cash he'd forcibly taken from his underlings were all on the line.
'If big brother loses here... I'm done for.'
His subordinates were already disobedient lately; if they found out he'd lost their money too, it could spark a revolt.
Seeing Ma Du-gwang's darkening face, Kang Moo-jin clicked his tongue.
"Tch. Don't worry. It'll be over quick."
"Quick loss?"
"Quick win."
"…Big brother. Take this."
In his anxiety, Ma Du-gwang pulled out a hidden dagger he'd prepared and handed it to Moo-jin.
"What's this?"
"A poisoned dagger. Press the end of the hilt, and a needle coated in acid poison shoots out. If things look bad, use it without mercy."
"…."
Moo-jin stared at Ma Du-gwang in disbelief.
Is this punk... seeing me as some black path bastard right now?