Chapter 124: Bandits Are Dangerous (1)

A crater the size of a human head had formed on the ground where the Unyielding Dragon’s Full Sky strike landed.

While it would have been more impressive to showcase the combined power of the Three Harmonies and the Tai Chi Dantian, such a display might have been more discouraging than inspiring due to the vast difference in skill. Thus, I chose to reveal only this much.

“I have yet to fully master the Soaring Dragon Emperor Sword. With continued diligence, who knows how far we can go? I hope everyone takes pride in our family’s martial arts and continues to strive forward.”

The words of Yong Hwarin instilled a renewed determination in the members of the Heavenly Central Flying Dragon Unit.

They now had a clear purpose.

The aspiration to reach such a level of mastery had taken root.

At that moment, three women entered the Heavenly Central Sect.

Given the structure of the sect, where the training ground was directly connected to the main gate, Yong Hwarin could immediately see who was arriving.

Assuming they were the Three Chivalrous Sisters, he looked up.

While they were undeniably beautiful, their figures and faces were entirely different.

As soon as they passed through the main gate, the women approached Yong Hwarin.

Believing they had come to see him, he prepared himself and waited.

However, they headed towards Mo Biyoung.

‘Huh?’

Facing Mo Biyoung, they clasped their fists and said,

“Nice to meet you. We are the Three Sword Maidens from Anhui. We’ve come because we heard the Heavenly Central Sect is recruiting guests.”

The Three Sword Maidens were renowned female swordswomen from the Anhui region.

“We’ve long admired the Single Flower of the Central Plains.”

Their arrival caused the members of the Heavenly Central Flying Dragon Unit to light up with excitement.

However, this wasn’t the first time female heroes had visited.

Just as Yong Hwarin’s fame had spread from the Bamboo Forest, so too had Mo Biyoung’s reputation.

Mo Biyoung had become an idol for female heroes throughout Henan.

This led to an unusual phenomenon.

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Thanks to her exploits in the Bamboo Forest, there wasn’t a person in Henan unfamiliar with her name.

As a result, the number of guests increased, all of whom were women.

In the martial world, there were quite a few women who trained in martial arts.

However, the only sects for women were the Mount Emei Sect and the Plum Blossom Palace, and the former was a Buddhist sect, making it less accessible.

Moreover, the Plum Blossom Palace, one of the mysterious sects, was so elusive that its location remained unknown, rendering it almost mythical.

Since one couldn’t join the Mount Emei Sect without becoming a nun, secular disciples were extremely rare.

Female heroes from not only Henan but also neighboring regions like Shaanxi, Hubei, and Anhui gathered, forming a community.

The diligent training of the Heavenly Central Flying Dragon Unit was partly due to the presence of many female heroes watching them in the training ground.

They endured the hardships of training to impress these women.

Therefore, Yong Hwarin welcomed the influx of female warriors, believing they would invigorate the sect—and they truly did.

Consequently, a new hall was being constructed.

It was intended for the female heroes.

Interestingly, as the number of female warriors increased, so did the number of male warriors seeking to become guests of the Heavenly Central Sect.

These men were either acquaintances of the female warriors or admirers.

They followed the women they liked who had become guests of the sect.

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The Three Chivalrous Sisters were not pleased with the growing number of female warriors.

Before their arrival, they had been quite popular within the sect.

All the men hovered around them, eager for a chance to speak.

However, with the influx of female warriors, they were no longer the center of attention.

Jeong Daji, feeling envious, muttered,

“I heard later that Young Master Yong used a very petty trick.”

“What trick?”

Jeong Suji asked, prompting Jeong Daji to share the rumors she had heard.

“Apparently, it was Young Master Yong’s idea to attract female warriors.”

“Really? How did he manage that?”

Jeong Suji was genuinely curious.

“He secretly spread a rumor through the merchant guilds that the Heavenly Central Sect possessed an incredible elixir that allowed women with internal energy to maintain their youth. Specifically, that Mo Biyoung, the Single Flower of the Central Plains, retained her youthful appearance thanks to this elixir.”

“What? Seriously? That’s why the female warriors came?”

Jeong Suji looked at Jeong Daji in disbelief.

“Yes, I heard it directly. Young Master Yong deceived them. Once the rumor spread, female warriors flocked here.”

Jeong Minji nodded in agreement.

“He exploited women’s psychology. Think about it—if a woman with internal energy believed there was an elixir to maintain youth, who wouldn’t want to learn it? And it didn’t stop there. As the female warriors gathered, the men who admired them followed. Now, the Heavenly Central Sect has over twenty female warriors and more than fifty male guests who came after them. Just a month ago, there wasn’t a single person wanting to become a guest. To understand and leverage women’s psychology at his age to achieve his goals—he’s truly resourceful.”

“Hmph! He’s just a playboy; that’s why he knows such things.”

Jeong Suji grumbled disapprovingly.

Jeong Minji smiled gently at her younger sister.

With the influx of guests, Yong Hwarin realized that more funds would be necessary and hastened preparations to depart for the Three Gate Alliance.

He first pondered an excuse to go.

Given the recent assassination threats, Yong Biyang was reluctant to let his son leave the clan.

However, with the increasing number of guests and the need to complete the Heavenly Martial Formation, substantial funds were required.

Moreover, the timing of a potential war with the Dabie Sect was uncertain.

Even if there were no immediate signs, the future had already begun to change, so waiting idly was not an option.

When Yong Hwarin mentioned his intention to go to the Three Gate Alliance, Yong Biyang firmly opposed it.

He repeatedly insisted that even if it was necessary, someone else should be sent, refusing to grant permission for Yong Hwarin to leave.

No matter how much Yong Hwarin was the heir, he couldn’t proceed against his father’s orders.

While he was contemplating this, an unexpected visit provided a suitable excuse.

Representatives from the River Center Escort Agency arrived.

“Originally, our agency planned to send about ten escorts, but due to a sudden major escort mission, we can no longer spare them.”

The River Center Escort Agency was still small and lacked a large number of escorts.

The largest escort agency in Henan was the Sky Ocean Merchant Union’s Sky Ocean Escort Agency.

Overshadowed by them, Hajeong had yet to establish a significant presence.

“We would like to hire warriors from the Heavenly Central Sect for this escort mission.”

When escort agencies lacked sufficient escorts for a mission or had to traverse dangerous regions, they often hired warriors from affiliated martial families to guard the cargo.

While they sometimes employed wandering warriors, such individuals occasionally stole the cargo, so they were generally avoided.

Ho Cheongun offered a substantial sum for the escort mission.

“Where is the cargo’s destination?”

“To the Namgung Clan in Anhui.”

Yong Biyang contemplated various thoughts.

Escorting cargo to the Namgung Clan in Anhui could cover several months of the sect’s operating expenses.

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This indicated the cargo’s significance.

Moreover, the Namgung Clan in Anhui was a prestigious family, ranked among the top martial clans.

Establishing connections between such a clan and his son seemed advantageous.

Additionally, while he was uneasy about his son going to the Three Gate Alliance, accompanying him to the Namgung Clan seemed acceptable.

“My son, you shall take responsibility for this escort mission.”

Yong Hwarin initially intended to decline, believing it wasn’t the time for leisurely escorting cargo.

He needed to go to the Three Gate Alliance to find the treasure ship.

Then, a memory from his past life surfaced.

‘That’s right, the River Center Escort Agency’s sudden rise occurred after this incident.’

Yong Hwarin was well-acquainted with the River Center Escort Agency.

Since the Sky Ocean Merchant Union was its competitor, he was informed about their details.

‘It was peculiar. After that single escort mission, the River Center Escort Agency absorbed other small agencies and increased their escorts. I recall everyone being surprised that the newly added escorts were all first-rate martial artists. Also, the source of the sudden influx of money was never revealed. Escorting cargo to the Namgung Clan alone couldn’t have generated that wealth. Something must have happened then.’

Yong Hwarin concluded that following the River Center Escort Agency would be more beneficial than going to the Three Gate Alliance.

Furthermore, his father preferred him going to the Namgung Clan over the Three Gate Alliance.

“Understood. I will take ten of our sect’s elite warriors and complete the escort mission.”

“Thank you. We will compensate you generously.”

Ho Cheongun expressed his gratitude by bowing to Yong Biyang.

From Sect Leader Yong Biyang’s perspective, this escort mission was advantageous in many ways.

They could earn money through the escort, strengthen ties with the Mount Hua Sect, and establish connections with the Namgung Clan.

It was a triple benefit, prompting him to actively support the mission.

Yong Hwarin selected ten members from the Heavenly Central Flying Dragon Unit for the escort.

After instructing them on tasks to be completed during his absence, he departed through the main gate.

However, besides the ten members of the Heavenly Central Flying Dragon Unit, additional companions joined the group.

“Three Chivalrous Sisters, where are you headed?”

“We plan to accompany Young Master Yong.”

When the Three Chivalrous Sisters decided to join, Yong Hwarin did not refuse.

He understood their reasons for joining.

The other companions seemed pleased that the beautiful Three Chivalrous Sisters were part of the escort.

After all, no man disliked the company of beautiful women.

“Is our group sufficient?”

Ho Cheongun believed that with the addition of Poong Imso, Sa Jeokwoo, Sa Ilhyang from the Mount Hua Sect, one escort leader and five escorts from the River Center Escort Agency, ten warriors from the Heavenly Central Sect, Yong Hwarin, and the Three Chivalrous Sisters, the group was adequate.

Having witnessed Yong Hwarin’s capabilities, everyone regarded him as someone who could match the prowess of dozens of escorts.

Having such a skilled individual in the group was reassuring and dependable.

Therefore, they abandoned plans to hire additional mercenaries and decided to proceed with this modest group.

The cargo received in Luoyang by Ho Cheongun was substantial.

It amounted to ten high-quality carriages’ worth.

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Since the carriages were considered part of the cargo, the River Center Escort Agency handled them with utmost care.

Moreover, the carriages were designed to prevent unauthorized access.

Secured with sturdy locks, only individuals with significant internal energy could open them.

Even the escort agency was restricted from inspecting the contents.

Transporting these ten carriages to the Namgung Clan came with a hefty transportation fee.

While curiosity about the cargo’s contents was natural, showing interest in the cargo during an escort mission was considered impolite and could jeopardize future trust and commissions.

Many small and medium martial families relied on escort commissions from local merchant guilds or escort agencies for their livelihood.

Losing trust could result in a complete lack of commissions, forcing them into self-sufficiency.

Yong Hwarin saw no reason to be curious about the escort agency’s cargo and strictly advised his companions against it.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep