Book 10: Chapter 14: Way of Survival

A pitch-black night.

A group of people was moving along the highway.

Workers carrying A-frame carriers alongside carriages loaded to the brim with baggage.

Even guard forces with light armament holding torches or lamps.

By all accounts, it was a small-scale merchant procession commonly seen in the outskirts of Luoyang.

“Mmm.”

An individual clad in shabby clothes, looking anxious, toyed with the hand axe at his side and sent a telepathic message to the merchant leader.

[…Do you think it is wise to walk the highway while keeping lights lit so brightly like this?] likewise, his fellow martial heroes, disguised as guard forces or workers of the merchant group, had anxious faces.

[At this rate, we will surely be caught by the enemies' pursuit.] the exciting role of the robber band was over.

What remained now was to escape the pursuit and completely disappear.

However, that part was the final obstacle.

[It would be better for just us to pass through the forests and mountains under the cover of darkness…] the merchant leader, who had been quietly listening to the telepathic message, turned back on his horse to look at the martial heroes and smiled faintly.

“It is already too late anyway.”

[What do you mean by too late?] holding the reins with one hand, the merchant leader pointed above his head.

“Did you all not see the carrier pigeons and carrier falcons flying around above your heads since a while ago?”

Only then did the martial heroes check the sky and swallow a groan.

“…Mmm.”

Perhaps it was because their vision had narrowed due to anxiety.

Only now could they observe several birds flying through the air with clear directionality, unlike general birds.

[…It is an immense number.] the fact that they could check several birds just by looking up for a moment was equivalent to saying that news had already spread in all directions.

“Now, you all understand, right?”

The merchant leader flashed his characteristic good-natured smile.

“Anyway, right now, no matter what route or by what method you try to escape, they must have already prepared and are waiting for you to get caught.” "……."

The martial heroes shut their mouths.

However, it was an anxious silence naturally formed because they realized the disadvantage of the situation.

“Everyone looks completely miserable.”

The merchant leader burst into laughter at the martial heroes' reaction.

“Seeing those faces brighten up after the escape is precisely the charm of this profession.”

The appearance of such a calm merchant leader held some extraordinary aspect.

[Although I joined upon receiving the command to join this merchant procession…] the martial hero with the hand axe stopped the telepathic message.

For in the first place, the merchant leader was not even using such things as telepathic messages.

“Just what is the identity of your merchant group?”

Although it looked like a normal merchant group on the surface, the merchant leader who calmly spoke of secret matters in front of the workers and guard forces, and those who did not even pretend to hear and remained faithful only to their roles.

Looking inside, there was not a single ordinary corner.

“This merchant group's name is Path of Life, the Path of Life Merchant Group.”

The merchant leader winked one eye toward the martial heroes.

“It is a specialized merchant group that helps those placed in extremely unfortunate situations who can neither go here nor there.”

At those words, absurd expressions hung on the martial heroes' faces.

“…What an strange merchant group.”

“Although I have seen all sorts of professions in Luoyang until now, I have seen individual activists specializing in helping escapes, but a group doing this on the scale of a merchant group is a first.”

“Isn't it amazing?”

At their words, the merchant leader laughed once again.

“We made such an attempt for the first time even in this giant city of Luoyang. It is a source of pride in its own way. Fufu.”

He continued to speak as if boasting in that manner.

“Of course. Since we were the first to make such an attempt, many people were still unfamiliar with it, so there was a problem with credibility. It did not do as well as expected, and we almost went bankrupt.”

It was a statement that rapidly shaved off credibility.

“…The merchant leader saying that directly to the customers wouldn't seem good for credibility.”

“No, it is fine!”

At the hand axe martial hero's mutter, the merchant leader waved his hand.

“Even if it goes bankrupt, it is only the representative who takes the blame alone and ends up sitting on the street.”

In fact, in the history before Yeon So-hyeon's regression, they, the Path of Life Merchant Group, had once gone bankrupt completely.

It was a long time later that the remaining members gathered investment funds once again and succeeded in taking a leap forward. "……."

The merchant leader laughed heartily to himself, wondering what was so funny.

“Furthermore, we met kind investors this time, and they bought the majority of the shares, so they became the new owners of the merchant group, and things went very well.”

“Ah.”

By now, the martial heroes also caught onto how things were turning out.

“The Tea Fan Maidenss was the new owner of this merchant group.”

“Indeed!”

The merchant leader nodded pleasantly.

“Since the funds are solid now, the worry about employees' wages being delayed is over. In addition…”

The merchant leader, who was about to speak, shut his mouth.

He had noticed the fact that the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family was behind the Tea Fan Maidenss.

'In the world, there are things you must pretend to know even if you don't, and things you must pretend not to know even if you do.'

Unlike his talkative nature, he knew very well that there were stories that should not be spoken aloud.

“Anyway.”

Wiping his mouth clean, he spoke.

“If we break through the search network deployed by the Yeon family blood relatives and the Third Young Master's side of the Sword Family this time, our merchant group's evaluation will skyrocket.”

He laughed heartily as if feeling good just by imagining it.

“This Path of Life Merchant Group will become a very promising merchant group leading the industry in the future!”

“…I hope it goes well.”

As the merchant leader talked so confidently, the martial heroes, though half in doubt, seemed to have regained their composure in their own way.

'It is done.'

At that sight, the merchant leader narrowed his eyes and smiled.

For failing to properly attend to anxious clients, causing them to cause trouble and ruin the job, was the most common reason for failure in this field.

[If we pass through the highway like this, the biggest problem will be the checkpoint.] there was no way their Eldest Brother would entrust them to a merchant group with such a funny name as Path of Life for no reason.

[Since passing through by force is absolutely impossible.] the martial heroes who had regained their composure exchanged telepathic messages among themselves.

[…We have no choice but to trust that merchant leader.] although he looked infinitely light.

[I see the checkpoint.] at the telepathic message of the martial hero leading the way, everyone swallowed hard.

[O Primordial Heavenly Lord…]

* * *

Now, it is all finished.

The martial heroes looked at each other with bewildered expressions.

'Huh?'

The hand axe martial hero looked back.

That checkpoint, which certainly felt like an iron wall until just now was now located far behind them.

The exact same question arose in the minds of the martial heroes.

'We pass through so easily?'

The guards at the checkpoint, who seemed several times more numerous than usual, had not even pretended to see them.

The mounted patrols busy coming and going had also ignored them.

“From here on is the territory of Henan Province.”

The merchant leader, who directed to separate the spoils the martial heroes were to take, asked them.

“But why are you all acting like that?”

The hand axe martial hero spoke in a lukewarm tone.

“…Just what kind of spell did you use?”

At his words, the merchant leader burst into a pleasant laugh.

“A spell, you are truly painting gold on my face. But this is not something like sorcery.”

He smiled faintly and spoke.

“No matter how much pressure is exerted from above, the bottom has its own circumstances.”

He made a circle with his fingers and shook it.

It was a gesture commonly signifying money.

“Whether the troops are reinforced twofold or tenfold. As long as it is a human task, there are bound to be desperate ones there.”

The merchant leader winked his eyes toward the speechless martial heroes.

“Rather than finding a mystical method to escape a massive dragnet, finding a loophole among people like this is much simpler.” "……."

The martial heroes could momentarily feel even the profound mystery in his words.

“…I felt he was a figure hiding extraordinariness within lightness, but he is amazing.”

An elderly martial hero asked the merchant leader.

“You seem to be too great a figure to just be a merchant leader, may I ask what you originally did?”

“Oh, it is nothing much.”

The merchant leader waved his hand.

“I am merely a foolish person who tried to do a business well but almost went completely bankrupt.”

“…Were you the owner of this merchant group?”

“I am merely the former owner now.”

The merchant leader—no.

The former representative of the Path of Life Merchant Group showed an embarrassed smile.

“To earn my keep, shouldn't I at least act as a merchant leader directly in the field?”

When the martial heroes' gazes began to turn pitiful, he hastily waved his hand.

“Now, now. The baggage has all been distributed, so do not make a man look pitiful and leave quickly.”

The workers of the merchant group had just prepared a back pack for each martial hero.

“Inside the pack, 'valuables' will be distributed according to the prior instructions, and there will also be your new identification plaques and a map marking the destination for each of you.”

“Did you say a destination for each of us?”

The former representative of the Path of Life Merchant Group shrugged.

“Although we broke through the search dragnet, individual tracking experts might cling to you.”

Naturally, it meant you must split up and go your own ways.

“I did not inspect your maps one by one. But you will probably have to scatter all over the State of Zhongyuan, so say your goodbyes now.”

“…Indeed.”

The martial heroes looked at each other.

The moment of parting always came suddenly like that.

* * *

The Maid Captain Jeong-ah looked at Yeon So-hyeon, who was processing reports under the lamp.

After the Administration Building of Pavilion of Perfect Enlightenment began to operate, Yeon So-hyeon's burden in paperwork was greatly reduced, but even so, the final approval always had to be done by Yeon So-hyeon himself.

“Master.”

“Hmm?”

Although Yeon So-hyeon did not take his eyes off the documents, Jeong-ah asked what she was curious about.

“May I dare to ask what kind of work the martial heroes of the Spring of Luoyang, who have now completely escaped, will do in the future?”

“Did I not say that if it is the Maid Captain, you may ask any question?”

“…I am deeply grateful.”

Yeon So-hyeon thoroughly reviewed the approval documents and stamped them, and sometimes lifted his brush to make corrections to the content, while simultaneously answering Jeong-ah's question.

It was a sight that others would find incomprehensible, but it was an ability of Yeon So-hyeon that was familiar to Jeong-ah.

“They will become our foundation outside Luoyang in the future.” "……!"

Having begun to shape his power in Luoyang, Yeon So-hyeon was already aiming for the next step.

Jeong-ah, who had shown a momentarily surprised expression, asked carefully.

“…Even with the abundant funds retrieved from the Yeon family blood relatives, would it be possible with them alone?”

“Of course, it is impossible with them alone.”

“If so…?”

Yeon So-hyeon looked at the documents and smiled.

“But they are not alone.”

Yeon So-hyeon stamped the last document.

“And the martial heroes are merely those who will handle the military aspect. They will become the auxiliary, not the main.”

Yeon So-hyeon pushed the processed documents to one side and looked at Jeong-ah.

“As you know, I sent two of the Tea Fan Maidenss outside.”

He pointed to the document that had just been processed.

“Just now, I selected experienced people from the Administration Building and issued commands for them to join each region.”

Currently, Yeon So-hyeon's Administration Building was bustling with people gathering with great ambitions day by day.

“I will have to continuously dispatch personnel in the future as well.”

“Ah…!”

“And decisively…”

Yeon So-hyeon looked at Jeong-ah and smiled.

“The believers of the Fairy Cult throughout the State of Zhongyuan will cooperate with them with all their might.”

His smile reflected under the lamp grew even deeper.

“Since the reorganization of the Luoyang House of Benevolence and Love centered on the general headquarters of the Fairy Cult has reached its final stage, shouldn't the House of Benevolence and Love build up its power throughout the entire State of Zhongyuan in the future?”

For a moment, Jeong-ah's head felt dizzy at the story of such a massive scale.

“…This might be an presumptuous remark, but” she swallowed hard and asked Yeon So-hyeon.

“I do not know if securing power throughout the entire State of Zhongyuan is possible with just that.”

Yeon So-hyeon answered immediately.

“It is definitely difficult.”

He raised his hand and pointed to his head.

“However, if I am not merely employing strategy,” his eyes grew infinitely deep,

“and if I know everything that will unfold in the future, what do you think it would be like?”

* * *

The eastern sky was brightening in the distance.

At the waist of the person walking alone toward the east, a hand axe was dangling.

'…It's a strange feeling.'

Carrying the backpack containing a portion of the spoils and disguised as an ordinary peddler, the martial hero raised his hand to cover his face.

It was due to the intense sunlight of the rising sun.

'At first, we were trapped in the stadium construction site and prepared to die completely.'

Then we were rescued by the Eldest Young Master of the Luoyang Sword Family and came to serve him as our Eldest Brother and after that, we made a grand escape through the grand waterway and in the next moment, we plundered the hidden assets of the Yeon family blood relatives, and now I was walking endlessly toward the east.

'They say not knowing the next moment at all is the charm of life…'

My current situation was exactly like that.

Although parting with those reliable comrades and having to set off alone might cause anxiety, for some reason, my footsteps were only light.

Was it because of the miracle-like events experienced recently?

'No. This is surely because the existence of Eldest Brother is there.'

To think we would serve a youth who had not even reached twenty as our Eldest Brother.

It was something unimagined.

But.

Now the existence of that Eldest Brother, who was merely seventeen, was as reassuring as today's sun rising ahead.

'Now, let us go.'

Wondering what kind of event would wait next my chest swelled with anticipation for no reason.