5. Sweet Plum Martini (2)
5. Sweet Plum Martini (2) – A trivial story.
“I’ve confirmed that the three million credits have been paid. It’s a promissory note, but it’s a City Universe battlefield promissory note, so there’s no need to worry about it being eaten up.”
“oh······.”
Seolyeong exclaimed in admiration as she looked at the numbers printed on the panel. Sunja was smiling so brightly that it was almost sparkling, and Robert was pinching his cheek with a dumbfounded expression, not knowing if this was a dream or reality. Only Mokjin, who didn’t know how much three million credits were, was blinking his eyes.
“Okay. So now there’s no debt between us?”
“Is there anything you would like to do, Mr. Gauguin? I am always welcome as long as you pay my price.”
Seolyeong smiled brightly in response to the words of the Cheonryong Sangdan Sodanju, who spoke with a cold expression. It was a stark contrast to the way he had been beating her with the intent to kill her just yesterday. Naturally, the Sodanju, who was the one who got hit, made a disgusted expression as he looked at Seolyeong like that.
Looking at such a small shareholder, Sunja asked with a puzzled expression.
“But is that okay? Even though Lord Seocheongeom is the eldest of Baekdo, she is the mother of the Black Panther who chased you until yesterday.”
“It’s okay. Lord Seocheongeom is not the type of person to abandon the justice of Baekdo for personal reasons.”
Sodanju decided to leave Seryeong and his group and entrust his personal soldiers to Seocheon Sword Marquis. For her, who was being chased by the Demonic Cult, there was no better breakwater than Seocheon Sword Marquis, who was renowned as one of the pillars of Baekdo. And in fact, as she said, Seocheon Sword Marquis Kim Yeonhwa had heard her situation separately and declared to her son, Kim Seongbeom, that he would protect her.
“If possible, I would like the great swordsman over there to provide escort······.”
The small group leader glanced at Mok Jin and trailed off. If Mok Jin, a strong warrior who could defeat the Seocheon Sword Lord, were to provide his escort, would he be afraid of even one of the Demonic Cult’s parishes?
But Mokjin shook his head firmly.
“It is inevitable that a martial artist will become entangled in the grudges of the martial arts world, but is it simply because of wealth? I do not have a great desire for wealth, so I cannot grant your request.”
In some ways, it was a pure statement, and in other ways, it was a cliche. Nevertheless, in her view, it seemed to fit the man named Mokjin.
That type of person should be moved by something other than money. And at least for now, she had nothing to offer. I thought about appealing to sympathy, but when I think back to when she first got beaten by Se-ryung, I don’t think it would be very effective.
The bright-eyed Sodanju bowed his head, shaking off his attachment to Mokjin.
“Aside from the contract, I’m sorry for sneaking onto the spaceship and getting you involved in the incident. I didn’t have many options at the time.”
“Well, it’s okay since you didn’t die and you got the money. You’re going to have a hard time from now on since you’re involved with those demonic guys, but don’t die and do well.”
Seolyeong unexpectedly saw off Sodanju coolly and even cheered him on in her own way.
I couldn’t tell if it was because of the three million credits in her account or because she was just letting off steam from all the slaps.
– Please come visit me sometime. The situation is not convenient right now, but I hope to have a meal with you sometime in the future and talk about swords.
Yeonhwa said that and saw Mokjin and his party off. If possible, she would like them to stay on her spaceship for a few days and talk leisurely, but her daughter Elena was still recovering.
Mokjin looked at the spaceships of Seocheongeomhu and Nokrim moving away beyond the cockpit of the spaceship. The small lights of the spaceships twinkled as they disappeared into the black space.
It was truly an eventful time. I met Seryeong and his party, witnessed the universe, saw the Cheonma Shingyo hordes at Hwail Guesthouse, had a chase with the space pirates Nokrimchae, and encountered the martial arts of a new era. After that, I competed with the master of Hwagyeong, Seocheon Sword Marquis, and declared my allegiance to the universe martial arts world. Despite the fact that I had only been open my eyes for a little over two days, the series of events was quite a series.
‘Did I act too hastily?’
Mokjin suddenly had that thought.
It was only a day ago that I thought that since I still do not know this era, I would take my time and assess the martial arts of this era. How long has it been since I made up my mind to do that and now I am telling the martial artists of this era that I was wrong?
But Mokjin soon shook his head.
He was certain. He was certain that their method of relying on a device called the Internal Energy Drive was wrong. If he had been before he entered the realm of life and death, he would not have been able to make such a statement, but he was different now.
The internal drive is nothing more than an obstacle or foreign substance in reaching the realms of ascension such as Hwagyeong or Hyeon-gyeong.
And a clear example of this is the number of absolute masters living in this era.
Robert said that the scale of the martial arts world has grown to an unimaginable degree compared to the past.
But has the number of masters who have reached that level of success increased?
No, that’s not true.
The number of masters who have officially reached the realm of the virtuous is at most about ten. Even including unofficial masters, the number will never exceed thirty. And that number is not much different from the time of Mokjin.
If so, there is only one conclusion.
It has become more difficult to reach the state of ascension than in the era of Mokjin.
The institution that was created to make martial arts easier and more convenient to use ended up preventing people from reaching higher levels.
Instead of gaining power easily and quickly, it is more difficult to get over walls. Ironically, the design concept of this internal energy drive is surprisingly similar to the fundamental concept of magic.
This is why it is so hard to reach the realm of ascension. Mokjin, who has mastered the Mokryocheonrashinkong, which is halfway to the realm of magic, knows better than anyone how difficult and lonely it is to overcome the wall. From Mokjin’s perspective, he wanted to give a round of applause to those who have reached the realm of Hyeon-gyeong from such an unfavorable foundation.
‘Well, it’s not like the martial arts world of this era has been just playing around for thousands of years.’
But it is not that it is not. To follow the easy path and forget even the basics of nothingness. What a miserable time this is.
That is why Mokjin did not regret his actions. It was a statement that contained the ambition to change the world of martial arts, so what could be a more appropriate declaration of war?
When the lights of the spaceship were no longer visible, he felt a presence behind him as he looked out the window. Mokjin asked without looking back.
“What’s going on, Serin?”
“Sir, can I talk to you for a moment?”
Mok-jin turned his head and faced Se-ryeong. His face was somewhat serious. Mok-jin seemed to know what Se-ryeong was trying to say to him. Mok-jin nodded.
“Okay. Go ahead.”
“To put it bluntly, thanks to you, sir, things got a lot more difficult.”
Since the martial arts world is a place where strange things happen every day, most people would just let it go, but sometimes there are people who really fall for Mokjin’s provocation. Of course, there are some who even Seolyeong can’t handle, and Mokjin can’t cover all of those situations alone. No, from Mokjin’s perspective, Seolyeong and his party would be a burden. Seolyeong was picking on that fact.
“I’m really grateful that this job has helped me make a lot of money, but… honestly, it’s burdensome. I can’t handle any attention.”
Perhaps the story he told at the Hwail Guest House that he was a Heavenly Horse could be true. Seeing the unimaginable power he displayed in the fight with Seocheon Sword Lord, it seemed as if Mokjin’s passing remark might have been true. Of course, his identity was of no concern to her. Whether he was a Heavenly Horse or the leader of the martial arts world, he was a great burden to her.
“Even if we could handle it, it’s a problem. We’re bounty hunters. We have to work regularly to earn money. We can’t just keep getting dragged around by the old man’s work, right?”
Seolyeong let out a sigh as if grumbling, then looked straight at Mokjin. Her eyes were determined.
“Let’s just wrap this up and then go our separate ways. I think that’ll be better for both us and you.”
It was something Mokjin had vaguely expected.
Certainly, it was a decision that had to be made as the leader of the group. Mok-jin fully understood the situation. Mok-jin remained silent for a moment and then answered.
“If that’s what you want, then I understand. Let’s do that.”
I had somewhat expected that this would happen. Even to Mokjin, the limitations of Serin and her group were clear.
The only significant power is Seolyeong, who is somewhere between first-class and peak. Robert is at the level of a second-class unmanned person, and Sunja, an android, is completely out of power. It was an unbalanced combination for Mokjin, who said that he would only be able to compete if he was at the level of an absolute master.
“Okay, what should we do now?”
“If you add up the commission fee received from the owner of Cheonryong Sangdan, the prize money taken from Heukpyochae, and the settlement money received from Seocheon Geomhou, it’s pretty lucrative.”
All together, it’s about 5 million credits. It’s not a very salty amount, but it’s a huge amount of money considering the two days of hard work.
“Well······. Most of it belongs to the old man, so we should give it to him, but we should also get our share.”
To be honest, it would be a lie to say that it wasn’t harsh. However, Seolyeong wasn’t brainless enough to cheat without thinking about the consequences when he was an absolute master who could easily subdue even the Seocheon Sword Master.
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Even if you just eat this much and get out, it’s enough to hit the jackpot. The experience of Serin, who has been a bounty hunter for several years, has taught him to restrain his excessive greed.
“Do as you wish.”
Of course, it wasn’t that important to Mokjin, who thought he could make money at any time. After spending decades as the supreme leader of the Cheonmasingyo, who could take whatever he wanted, why would he care about that little thing?
Seolyeong felt a little disappointed at Mokjin’s seemingly disinterested response. It was somewhat of an expected reaction, but since money was involved, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Seol-ryeong said, feeling a lot less worried.
“Yesterday, the old man said that he would repay Gu Myeong-ji’s debt. In fact, we also know that what we did wasn’t that great. Why don’t we just consider it as repayment with this?”
“Okay then. Then when can I get off?”
“We will arrive at Shaanxi Province in about three days, so let’s part ways at Huashan. Thanks to you, Robert has saved up all the money he was aiming for for his wedding. He’s been doing well for a year, so it’s time to say goodbye to him.”
Robert originally came into the world of martial arts to earn money for his wedding. He somehow ended up working as a temporary employee for Nachael. In any case, he was steadily saving up money for his wedding.
But this time, thanks to Mokjin’s efforts, a lot of money came in, and the target amount was achieved.
That’s a real slope. Mok-jin nodded. Ah, you should get married when you’re young. Mok-jin, who missed the right time to get married because he was busy learning martial arts and getting involved in all sorts of incidents, was secretly envious of Robert.
“More than that, it’s a volcano······.”
“It’s a nice neighborhood. It’s bustling, safe, clean, and there’s a lot to see… With the money you’ll receive, you could probably spend it lavishly for a few years and do whatever you want.”
“Hehe, do I look like an old man looking for a place to recuperate?
“From the way you speak, it seems like you’re an old person.”
Mok-jin, who was at a loss for words at Se-ryeong’s words, closed his mouth. Se-ryeong giggled.
Well, I’ve said all I wanted to say, so I’ll go. She shrugged and stood up.
She was about to leave when she suddenly stopped in front of the door. She hesitated for a moment without looking back, then whispered in a small voice.
“······Thank you. Thanks to you, I’m getting pretty close to my goal.”
A sincere gratitude unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. Mokjin thought for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“I heard from Robat. He’s saving up money to buy a good internal energy drive.”
“······That guy is always a problem because he has a bad mouth.”
Seolyeong let out a loud voice. Of course, it wouldn’t be pleasant to hear her story coming out of someone else’s mouth.
Mokjin continued speaking without paying attention.
“I personally recommend that if you want to become stronger, learn Naegong Qigong instead of Naegong Drive. If you find it difficult to learn Naegong Qigong, I can help you with that, so don’t worry too much.”
Haa. Se-ryeong let out a sigh at Mok-jin’s words. It was something she could only say because she knew nothing. That was why it was even more painful.
Seolyeong calmed down her angry emotions for a moment.
‘That guy doesn’t know anything. That’s why he’s like that.’
Mokjin literally said it out of kindness. Seryeong knew it well, so she didn’t blame him.
“Excuse me, Master, I have been training for decades and I don’t want to get stronger. I need strength right now.”
But it couldn’t be helped that there was a bit of coldness in that voice. Se-ryeong answered without looking back at Mok-jin.
“I don’t know what martial arts mean to you, sir, but to me it’s just a means. Do you think this will answer your question?”
Mokjin kept his mouth shut. It wasn’t because Seolyeong’s tone had become a little rude. It was because he had read the cold emotion in her voice.
A feeling he once had. A devil’s elixir that draws strength from life. A path he must walk, even though he knows its end.
Mok-jin projected his past self onto Se-ryeong, who had turned her back, and asked in a calm voice, hiding his bitterness.
“······It’s revenge.”
Serin answered.
“Well, it’s a trivial story.”
Her expression was not visible as she turned her back and lowered her head. However, Mokjin seemed to know what kind of expression she was making.
information)
Elena woke up a week later. She was very sad that she couldn’t fight Mokjin like her sister.
If you transplant the internal energy drive, even those without talent can become martial artists, and with effort, you can even compete with top-tier masters. From the peak level, it is an area that requires a certain amount of talent.
If you transplant your internal energy drive, it is really difficult to reach the realm of ascension (above the realm of fire). This is because the amount of effort required to reach the realm of ascension is overwhelmingly greater than in ancient times.
The fundamental idea of the internal energy drive is very similar to the idea of magic power, which is that ‘it is difficult to become great while becoming strong quickly.’
In this era, those who have risen to fame and fortune are those who have truly achieved greatness through talent, hard work, and luck.
After seeing the fight with Seocheon Sword Lord, Seolyeong realized that she could not handle Mokjin.
Seolyeong is more ruthless than expected, so she can’t treat Mokjin in a completely businesslike manner.
Robert’s hometown is a volcano.
Mokjin never married. However, he did have a lover.
After hearing from Serin that he spoke like an old person, Mokjin asked Robert to download a lecture on correcting his speech.
Mokjin gave his advice with sincerity and good intentions. It just didn’t fit with Seryeong’s purpose.
Mokjin was once obsessed with revenge.
Serin wants power for revenge, so time-consuming Naegigong is out of the question.
The target of Serin’s revenge is a group.
