Chapter 224: Standing Tall Once More Beneath the Fallen Sky (3)

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Jiaonan was a port city located on the coast of Shandong Province. Countless fishing boats and merchant ships anchored in its harbor. Shirtless fishermen and armed martial artists were common sights along its streets.

Until a decade ago, Jiaonan was just an ordinary port city. Most of its residents were fishermen who struggled to make ends meet in utter poverty.

Everything changed ten years ago when the Ironblood Fortress, a sect founded by the Ironblood Martial Emperor Jae Hyuk-Shim of the Four Northern Pillars, established itself on Yihuo Island, a small island off the coast of Jiaonan, reachable by boat in about two hours.

After the Ironblood Fortress arrived, Jiaonan developed at a dazzling pace. Merchant ships sailed into a harbor that was once filled only with fishing boats, and people flocked in by the thousands. As a result, Jiaonan flourished, coming to rival any other city in prosperity.

Over the past ten years, Yihuo Island had become a veritable iron-walled stronghold.

It was inaccessible without a boat, and even those who drew near found the island surrounded by sheer cliffs. The only entrance was the docking area. Without prior permission, no one could set foot inside the Ironblood Fortress.

The innkeeper grumbled to himself, when suddenly, the door opened and someone stepped in. A smile spread across his face as he rushed over.

From the harbor in Jiaonan, the fortress looked like a candlestick rising out of the open sea. For this reason, some people called it Candlestick Island.

Although the fortress lay just off the coast of Jiaonan, very few had ever been inside. Ordinary people, in particular, were never given the chance to enter. Still, the harbor was always packed with people hoping to catch a glimpse of the fortress, even from afar.

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The Nine Bends Inn was a small inn located on the Jiaonan coast. While most other inns catered to outsiders who came to see the Ironblood Fortress, the Nine Bends Inn mainly served local fishermen.

Despite being old and shabby, the inn was always bustling with customers thanks to its affordable prices and delicious food. Normally, a few customers would have arrived by now, yet today, the inn stood completely empty. With no customers to wait on, the innkeeper sat at the best table with a view of the sea and yawned repeatedly.

"Uwaah! This is killing me. How can there not be a single customer?"

The place was strangely deserted. Even on the slowest of days, business had never been this bad.

The innkeeper grumbled to himself, when suddenly, the door opened and someone stepped in. A smile spread across his face as he rushed over.

"Welcome!" he greeted the customer with a broad smile.

"Any seats?"

"As you can see, we've got plenty. Hehe!"

The customer was a portly man in his late forties. He gave off a gentle impression, but his eyes were rather sharp.

A merchant.

The innkeeper had run his business in Jiaonan for many years and prided himself on his ability to read people. He knew instinctively that the customer was a merchant. Most merchants who passed through Jiaonan carried a similar air.

The merchant dropped into the very chair the owner had just vacated. "Ah, it's hot."

The merchant shook his head.

"Hehe! What can I get for you?"

"A plate of dumplings and one of your better fish dishes."

The innkeeper bustled off into the kitchen.

"Will you be dining alone?"

Merchant ships sailed into a harbor that was once filled only with fishing boats, and people flocked in by the thousands.

"My companion will be along soon. Prepare enough for two and bring a bottle of wine."

"Understood. The food will be out shortly, so just sit tight."

He had stayed by Jin Mu-Won's side through every trial.

The innkeeper bustled off into the kitchen.

The merchant smiled as he watched the owner's back, then turned his gaze toward the sea. In the distance, the towering shape of the Ironblood Fortress was visible.

"What a ridiculous place to build a fortress. Why would anyone build a defensive structure in the world's safest location?" the merchant muttered, wiping the sweat from his brow again and again. His handkerchief soon became soaked.

The inn door opened, and a tall man in a gray cape entered. He had a plain, unremarkable face, the kind you might see anywhere.

The merchant waved at him. "Hey, over here!"

The man walked straight to the merchant's table and sat down. Up close, his face was truly ordinary. Anyone who didn't know him would forget what he looked like the moment they looked away.

The man had been smiling more naturally lately.

The merchant grinned. "Hehe! That face suits you well."

"You think so?" The man touched his face and smiled faintly.

The merchant looked surprised. The man had been smiling more naturally lately.

Their conversation continued casually, with nothing out of the ordinary.

This would have been unthinkable in the past. Even when the man smiled before, a stiff air had clung to him. Now, though, there was no trace of awkwardness. The man carried himself with an easy confidence, free of tension or unease.

Most of its residents were fishermen who struggled to make ends meet in utter poverty.

Though that only makes him all the more frightening.

"You're here early."

"Am I? I thought I was taking my time, enjoying the view along the way."

Now, though, there was no trace of awkwardness.

"What did you see?"

"I passed through Gansu, Shaanxi, and Shanxi provinces."

"So you've seen it all?"

The man nodded silently, his expression darkening.

The merchant pressed him. "How was it?"

The place was strangely deserted.

"More devastating than I expected."

"Right. It's a living hell."

The merchant sighed. At least Shandong Province had been spared the war and held onto some measure of peace. The other regions, however, had sunk into a state too wretched for words.

A heavy silence settled between them.

Despite being old and shabby, the inn was always bustling with customers thanks to its affordable prices and delicious food.

The innkeeper brought out their food. "Thank you for waiting. Here's my Nine Bends Inn specialty, braised fish with tofu and dumplings. The alcohol is well-aged Shaoxing wine. Please enjoy."

"This is as close as the boat can get," he said.

"Oh! This braised fish with tofu looks promising. We'll eat well." A smile touched the merchant's lips.

Braised fish with tofu was made by stir-frying fish and tofu together. Not only did it demand delicate heat control, since it required fresh fish, it was rarely seen in inland regions.

The merchant and the man enjoyed their meal alongside their wine. Their conversation continued casually, with nothing out of the ordinary.

The innkeeper watched the two for a moment before heading back into the kitchen.

Without turning around, Jin Mu-Won said, "This is more than enough."

The merchant smirked. "It's the same here. The entire population of Jiaonan serves as the eyes and ears of the Ironblood Fortress."