Chapter 30: Silver Flower Trading Company
‘Not a son… must be a grandson?’
Judging by the age, that seemed to be the most likely case.
The name Gal Pyeong confirmed it—he was of Gal Yoon’s bloodline.
Then everything fell into place. Hiring the Autumn Soul Assassination Sect to pursue him with Sang Mun-cheon’s help, the disappearance of the Cloud Sword Sect—everything.
Gal Pyeong had tried to swallow the Cloud Sword Sect whole in the first place. After his death, the sect became useless, so it was simply discarded.
Jang Woo-hyun conveyed what he had deduced to the other two.
“That’s a very plausible scenario.”
“Then it’s safe to assume they’re connected with the Asura Sword Sect.”
The destruction of the Cloud Sword Sect had been through the power of the Asura Sword Sect. Given that Sang Mun-cheon had formed a sworn brotherhood with them, it was likely he had aided them from the shadows.
After assessing the full situation, Jang Woo-hyun made up his mind about his next steps. Besides pursuing the traces of the Demonic Deity Alliance, he had to head to Guangxi Province to repay the favor Sang Mun-cheon had bestowed. He wasn’t the kind of person to just let someone who tried to take his life go unpunished.
Once it became clear that a member of the Ten Demonic Paths was involved, Hwang An and Jin Ha-un tensed up. The Asura Sword Sect was not a name to be taken lightly—this was the expected reaction.
The two fell into deep thought, and just then, Jang Woo-hyun sensed someone approaching the door.
Just as he had felt, someone knocked.
“Who is it?”
“Sir, someone has come to see you. May I open the door?”
It was the inn's attendant who responded.
“Let them in.”
When the door opened, beside the attendant stood Shangguan Jung-hoo, the young master of the Shangguan Family.
“It's good to see you again.”
He offered a slight bow as he entered, holding a long wooden box in his arms.
“Shangguan Gongja, what is that?” asked Hwang An.
Shangguan Jung-hoo’s gaze turned to Jang Woo-hyun. With a small smile, he placed the box on the table.
“I'm glad you're still here in Changsha. If you had left already, I might not have been able to deliver this.”
When the box was opened, it revealed layers of luxurious fabric, and atop them lay a single sword.
“I heard your sword was broken during the battle with the Demon Cult. This is to replace it.”
He pushed the box toward Jang Woo-hyun.
“Hwang Dae-hyeop once mentioned that you use not one but two swords. I don’t know if it’ll suit you, but it’s a gift from our Shangguan Family, so I sincerely hope you’ll accept it.”
Shangguan Jung-hoo and Hwang An got along well, having shared drinks several times. It was during one of those conversations that he had learned this. He had wanted to prepare something during their previous stay at the family residence, but couldn’t find a suitable sword—until now.
Jang Woo-hyun reached for the sword resting inside the box.
With a clear ring, the sword slid out smoothly.
It was light in weight, and the blade was narrow. Yet it felt sturdy enough not to break easily.
Near the base of the blade, where it met the hilt, a name was inscribed.
“Flying Swallow.”
A fitting name for its appearance.
“This is good.”
Shangguan Jung-hoo smiled at Jang Woo-hyun’s reaction. It felt rewarding to offer something valuable to someone who had once saved his life.
When Jang Woo-hyun tapped the blade with his finger, a resonant ching sound filled the room. It was clearly no ordinary weapon.
‘Of course, if it were just a common blade, they wouldn’t have gifted it to me.’
Unlike Mugya, this sword was well-suited for using the Swift Sword technique. After examining it a few more times, Jang Woo-hyun sheathed the sword.
“Thank you. I’ll put it to good use.”
“No, I should be thanking you again. The Shangguan Family won’t forget what Jang Dae-hyeop and the others have done for us.”
After chatting a bit more, Shangguan Jung-hoo left. The party, having received new information from the Hao Sect, packed their belongings and left the inn.
Their destination was the Silver Flower Trading Company in Guangxi Province.
* * *
Son Ji-pyeong, the Vice-Leader of the Silver Flower Trading Company, pressed his temples out of habit as the pain in his head flared.
“Why did he go off alone again…”
His father, who often wandered off on his own, had gone to the Shangguan Family's auction house—and died there. At the hands of a member of the Demon Cult, as destructive as any natural disaster.
Talk about terrible luck. Who could have expected to run into Demon Cult bastards out of nowhere?
The grief of losing his father was quickly overshadowed by a growing crisis.
“Damn that bastard Wang Wi-an…”
The Silver Flower Trading Company was a merged organization consisting of the Silver Flower Trading Group and the Silver Flower Financial Hall. Son Ji-pyeong came from the trading side, while the current troublemaker, Wang Wi-an, was from the financial hall.
As soon as Wang Wi-an heard of the company leader’s death, he bared his claws, aiming to seize the now-vacant seat.
If he had used legitimate business tactics or internal influence, Son Ji-pyeong wouldn't have been so worried.
But Wang Wi-an had brought in outside forces.
The Asura Sword Sect.
One of the Ten Demonic Paths. A massive, infamous sect.
And not known for their good reputation, either.
They had long been eyeing the Silver Flower Trading Company, waiting for an opportunity to tighten their grip on Guangxi Province. Wang Wi-an had opened the floodgates.
As if they'd been waiting, the sect began slowly closing in.
Son Ji-pyeong wanted to stop the Asura Sword Sect’s advances—but it wasn’t easy.
To block one of the Ten Demonic Paths, one needed the help of another equally powerful sect. But there were no such sects nearby willing to lend a hand.
The Xuanwu Alliance in Hunan Province was busy cleaning up the recent auction incident. The Hengshan Sect, which, while not one of the Nine Sects or Ten Demonic Paths, was still a sizable force, hadn’t responded despite repeated contact attempts.
That left only one option—a sect from Guangdong Province that was also one of the Ten Demonic Paths.
But they were even more dangerous than the Asura Sword Sect.
‘It’s like calling a tiger to chase away a fox.’
The sect in Guangdong Province was Paecheonmun, known as the Paecheon Sect.
Said to be the most powerful among the Demonic Paths and even compared to Shaolin within the orthodox Nine Sects.
At present, the Paecheon Sect was on the verge of a succession war between the Ten Prodigies of Paecheon. If Son Ji-pyeong got involved now, he might be dragged into something far worse.
Sure, it could deter the Asura Sword Sect—but the risk of being devoured instead was high.
“Haaa, this is driving me crazy.”
No matter how he looked at it, there was no answer. But he couldn’t let Wang Wi-an, backed by the Asura Sword Sect, take over the company either.
He had initially blamed his father for going off alone—but now realized how futile that was. It was already in the past. Even if he’d brought guards, they wouldn’t have stood a chance against those Demon Cult bastards.
“Ugh…”
Nearly tearing his hair out in frustration, he was interrupted when a subordinate entered his office.
“Vice-Leader, someone’s here to see you.”
“Again? Those bastards…”
He frowned, thinking it was more visitors from the Asura Sword Sect, but then realized that wasn’t the case.
If it had been the Asura Sword Sect, the subordinate would have said so directly. Instead, they had only said “someone.”
“Who? Who came?”
“They’re carrying a letter from the Shangguan Family’s patriarch. They claim to be the one who killed the Demon Cultist that attacked the Leader.”
“What?”
At the unexpected news, Son Ji-pyeong shot to his feet before he even realized it.
“Wh—where are they? This way… No, I’ll go see them myself. Where are they?”
Still brimming with excitement, Son Ji-pyeong rushed out of his office.
* * *
When the people from the Shangguan Family brought back his father's body, he had heard a brief account of what happened at the auction.
A transcendent master from the Demon Cult—and the one who had subdued him.
On top of that, the Shangguan Family head had reached out a few days ago, saying the person who defeated the Demon Cultist would be coming to see him.
Right now, Son Ji-pyeong felt like clinging to even a straw. And perhaps this man could actually help.
“What do you mean it’s my fault we were late? It’s your fault!”
“How is it my fault?”
As he approached the guest reception area, he heard two people arguing.
“We got delayed because you kept stopping to help everyone. If we had come straight here, we’d have arrived much sooner.”
“Well, excuse me! I can’t just ignore people in need—especially given where I’m from. If I can help, I should.”
“Wow, listen to this self-proclaimed hero. And thanks to you, it took over a month to get here!”
Passing through a small gate that led into the guest reception garden, he saw the two men mid-argument.
One was a handsome man in his mid-twenties, with a refined presence. The other looked to be around thirty, with small eyes and a pug nose.
Standing quietly beside them was another man.
He appeared to be in his mid-twenties, with pale skin. His appearance was ordinary, but his eyes were piercingly sharp.
When their eyes met, Son Ji-pyeong immediately recognized that this man was the center of the group. He didn’t know how to assess martial strength—but his years as a merchant, dealing with countless people, had sharpened his instincts.
Son Ji-pyeong stepped forward and greeted the man first.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Son Ji-pyeong of the Silver Flower Trading Company.”
“My name is Jang Woo-hyun.”
As expected, his guess had been correct.
The man who had remained silent until now was Jang Woo-hyun—the one mentioned by the Shangguan Family.
With his greeting, the two who had been bickering lightly also offered theirs.
“The Shangguan Family’s lord had already sent word ahead. That you personally defeated the villain who harmed my father. I’m truly grateful. We are deeply indebted to you.”
As Son Ji-pyeong spoke, he bowed deeply toward the group.
Several more awkward thanks and greetings followed. After a bit of time passed, Son Ji-pyeong asked the question that had been burning in his mind.
“May I ask what brought you to our company? Ah—look at me. Please, come inside first. Let’s sit and have some tea as we talk.”
Just as Son Ji-pyeong turned to lead them inside—
“You can’t! I said you can’t! The Vice-Leader is with guests right n—ugh!”
A scream echoed, followed by a group of people swaggering into the garden of the reception hall.
“Vice-Leader! Long time no see!”
Crunch.
As the man in front offered a casual greeting, Son Ji-pyeong clenched his jaw. He had seen that face just yesterday, and yet the man pretended like they hadn’t met in ages—his smug demeanor was intolerable.
He wasn’t the only one frowning.
“Ah, damn.”
Cursing under his breath, Hwang An moved beside Jang Woo-hyun and whispered.
“See that emblem on his left chest? That’s a Sword Yaksha of the Asura Sword Sect.”
Engraved on the man’s chest were six swords—an emblem representing the Sword Yakshas of the Asura Sword Sect.
The Sword Yakshas were the core martial force of the Asura Sword Sect. Their name carried weight in the Martial World, and their skill was exceptional.
To someone like Jin Ha-un, still lacking experience, or Hwang An, whose skill was lacking, they were formidable opponents.
“Looks like you were in the middle of a conversation. Haven’t seen these folks before… Looks like you brought in some wandering warriors. Hahaha!”
As the man laughed crudely, the men behind him followed suit with mocking laughter.
Son Ji-pyeong disliked the behavior, but he couldn’t easily throw them out. The issue wasn’t just the Sword Yaksha’s martial power—it was the Asura Sword Sect standing behind them.
They came nearly every day, spewing nonsense and then leaving.
They were there to pressure him, backing Wang Wi-an from the Silver Flower Financial Hall. Their goal was to force Son Ji-pyeong to hand over the seat of Trading Company Leader.
“Huh, still, one of them’s quite skilled. To be that strong at such a young age—you must’ve spent a fortune. But honestly, I wonder what you expect to accomplish with just three people.”
“Sir, do you think they came here to fight?”
“What nonsense. Sure, I’d welcome it—makes things easier for me. But would the Vice-Leader make such a foolish move?”
“Maybe he has others prepared.”
“Nonsense! Our Vice-Leader would never do such a thing. I’m approaching him so amiably—he wouldn’t stab me in the back. And who with a brain would even try that? Do you know who we are? Right?”
The man played along with his subordinate’s banter, his words full of mockery.
At that, one of Son Ji-pyeong’s guards couldn’t hold back and stepped forward.
“Red Branch Master, don’t you think your words are going too far?”
“Too far? What are you talking about? It’s the Silver Flower Trading Company that’s going too far. Do you think I’ll keep coming and going like this forever?”
As he spoke, the man called Red Branch Master tapped the sword at his side.
It was always like this. He never spoke directly, just threw around vague words about “rational judgment” or spewed pointless talk before leaving again.
Jang Woo-hyun stepped forward to Son Ji-pyeong’s side, whose fists were clenched tightly in rage.
“Vice-Leader, it seems you’re in a difficult position. May I make a proposal?”
“A proposal…?”
“I’ve heard your father had a collection of rare martial manuals. If I deal with these guys, let me take a look.”
Before Son Ji-pyeong could answer, the man called Red Branch Master reacted instead.
“Deal with us? ‘These guys’? Are you insane? Hey, you! Come over here!”
The man spoke not like a martial artist, but like some street thug. Jang Woo-hyun paid him no mind and kept his gaze on Son Ji-pyeong.
“I don’t think you understand the situation. These people are from the Asura Sword Sect. The ones here aren’t the only problem.”
“Jang-hyung, wait. Don’t go charging in yet. We just got here—this wasn’t the plan.”
Originally, the idea had been to get what they needed from the Silver Flower Trading Company and leave. But they had run into the Asura Sword Sect far too soon.
Hwang An tried to stop Jang Woo-hyun before things escalated—but they weren’t the only ones here.
“Hey, bastard! The Branch Master’s calling you! You think this is a joke or something?!”
One of the Asura Sword Sect martial artists drew his sword and approached.
“Hey, hold on! No, stop! I said don’t come any closer! You’re going to regret it!”
It was right before the fight erupted. Hwang An tried to stop it, regardless of sides.
“The hell are you yapping about, you little punk? ‘Don’t come closer’? Who do you think you’re talking to?!”
Ignoring Hwang An’s pleas, the man advanced.
And before Hwang An could say the words ‘Jang-hyung,’ Jang Woo-hyun had already drawn Black Wolf Fang and struck.
A massive slash flew through the air—far faster and more powerful than anything from before.
“Huh?”
The approaching martial artist had only a moment to be stunned.
But it was too late. The slash tore through him and targeted the ones behind as well.
Chaaaak!
In an instant, the attack cut down three members of the Asura Sword Sect, including the man called Red Branch Master.
Kwaaaang!
The slash didn’t slow down even after cleaving through one, then three—it continued, slicing through several trees in the garden before finally crashing into the surrounding wall.
Ruuumble. Boom!
As the shattered wall collapsed, everyone snapped out of their stupor.
Mouth agape, Son Ji-pyeong and his guard stared at Jang Woo-hyun in shock.
“Ah…”
“Wah!”
Hwang An and Jin Ha-un were just as stunned.
But the one most surprised by what had happened—
“…Huh?”
—was Jang Woo-hyun himself.
“…What the hell was that?”
It had been his own attack, but the power behind it was overwhelming—even to him.