Chapter 06 …
I Am the Greatest Martial Artist in the World
Wu Jingchang Gong Myeongdo was a martial artist of middling rank, known to some extent in Guangdong Province.
Though he was technically a mid-level martial artist, in many ways, he was closer to being a ronin.
Despite this, he had appeared in Hong Kong. And the place he was headed to was none other than the Kangnam Escort Agency.
It was Jin Seol who had summoned him to Hong Kong.
They were going to retrieve the tribute that had been stolen by Wangak Mountain Fortress, and it was wise to have a safeguard in place.
Gong Myeongdo had been called as that safeguard, with the plan to go together to Wangak Mountain Fortress, negotiate with the fortress master, Ak Jeong, and recover the stolen tribute.
“Thank you for coming. I am Jin Seol, head of this escort agency,” Jin Seol said, bowing deeply as he greeted Gong Myeongdo in front of the agency.
Gong Myeongdo ignored Jin Seol’s courtesy, merely nodding as he spoke:
“I’ve skipped meals to get here quickly. Prepare a proper feast for me.”
Jin Seol’s expression flickered briefly before returning to normal.
“Of course, we’ll do that. Please come inside.”
Being powerless brought untold humiliation; Jin Seol accepted it as just another part of the world.
He escorted Gong Myeongdo to a separate building.
Passing them, Sword Spirit Geomryeong stepped out of the agency to begin his work.
“Why waste money hiring people to go somewhere that only has corpses? If they want money, they can hire me,” he muttered, walking toward the market.
“Wu Jingchang… A name not in the lineage, but the title sounds impressive,” Geomryeong said.
The lineage he mentioned referred to the top 100 martial artists of the martial world.
Having heard about many martial artists from his three masters, he knew their names, titles, abilities, strengths, and weaknesses. But to Geomryeong, anyone outside the top 100 martial artists was insignificant.
And Wu Jingchang Gong Myeongdo, who hadn’t even been mentioned by name to the three masters, was hardly worth his attention.
Yet Geomryeong was unaware of one crucial fact: the three masters had been active in the martial world fifty years ago.
“Well, it’s none of my concern,” he thought.
Upon arriving at the market, the first thing Geomryeong did was head to the Continental Exchange.
There, he deposited the vouchers he carried. The clerk at the counter scanned him up and down with a suspicious look.
“Why are you looking at me like that? Do you think I stole these?”
The clerk flinched but quickly forced a smile and issued a receipt.
Narrowing his eyes, Geomryeong took the receipt and said:
“Make that face again, and I’ll withdraw all my money and deposit it elsewhere.”
“I’m sorry, sir!”
In fact, the amount Geomryeong had deposited was considerable, significantly boosting the exchange’s performance. Any displeasure from him could cost the clerk his job, so he made sure to smile and bow sincerely.
Geomryeong, pretending to be nonchalant, left the exchange and went to find the butcher, Mr. Wang.
Geomryeong finished his assigned tasks in a single hour and returned to the Kangnam Escort Agency.
He saw Jin Seol preparing to leave for Wangak Mountain with Wu Jingchang Gong Myeongdo, talking with him. Behind them stood the escorts, ready to transport the tribute safely once received.
Since Jin Seol had to handle the negotiations and return with the tribute, it would take considerable time.
Geomryeong walked across the courtyard to Chief Officer Seo Namchun and handed over the vouchers he had collected. Having seen Geomryeong finish tasks quickly over several days, Seo Namchun no longer said anything.
“Should I come along?” Seo Namchun asked.
“If you go, who will manage the market and the streets? And since we’re short-handed, you’ll have to handle other tasks from today onward.”
Some staff had to step in as escorts when others were injured, so someone was needed to manage the tribute inside.
“That’s not my concern. I move fast so I can finish my tasks quickly and rest. You said I only have to handle my own work, right?”
While it might sound cold, the tasks Geomryeong handled would take an ordinary person a full day to complete.
“What choice do we have in this situation?” Seo Namchun sighed.
“Then pay me overtime, and I’ll help,” Geomryeong said firmly.
Seo Namchun was taken aback.
“You’ll regret it if you insist like that!”
Most people would reluctantly agree after such a threat.
“Fine, I’ll look for other work then. Mr. Jeon suggested working together; I’ll find him.”
Seo Namchun’s jaw twitched.
“Pay him what he’s earned so far,” Geomryeong insisted.
Reluctantly, Seo Namchun agreed:
“All right, I’ll pay you overtime. Ten iron coins per hour.”
Given Geomryeong’s unmatched efficiency, it was better to pay him than risk losing such a capable worker.
News that Wangak Mountain Fortress had stolen tribute from Kangnam spread throughout Hong Kong. But when it became known that Jin Seol had gone to retrieve it, people flocked to the agency again to deposit tribute.
One man against a hundred! That was Geomryeong.
No matter how many deliveries he made early in the morning, he would finish within an hour and return to organize the deposited tribute more quickly and accurately than other escorts.
Seo Namchun, working alongside him, noticed Geomryeong’s extraordinary memory. Once taught, he rarely forgot anything. Moreover, he organized items efficiently, making Seo Namchun’s own work easier.
“Geomryeong!”
“Yes?”
“Why not officially join our agency and learn the trade?”
Seo Namchun often suggested it, but Geomryeong shook his head.
“I want to travel freely across the Central Plains, unbound. Working now is just to earn travel funds.”
Despite Seo Namchun trying to explain the harsh realities of life, Geomryeong remained unmoved.
“My grandfathers and grandmothers told me to live freely, not like them.”
Seo Namchun realized he would need time to persuade the young Geomryeong. He planned to slowly convince him without hurting his mood.
“Think about it.”
“Yes, I will only think about it.”
After finishing his tasks, Geomryeong would always play with Jin Seol. Sometimes Geomryeong would tease Jin Seol first; other times it was the reverse.
They clashed daily but enjoyed the playful back-and-forth.
“I sprayed sword energy across five floors, and Grandfather Ghost used Dimensional Shift to evade my attacks!” Geomryeong recounted his training in the Dark Shadow Isle to Jin Seol.
Feeling the killing intent from behind, he used Dimensional Shift to create distance and continued.
“So I barely managed to win,” he concluded.
“Wow, sir, you tell stories so well! You could be a comedian!”
Geomryeong only blinked silently.
“Comedian?”
“Yes! Sometimes wandering troupes perform in the market, with comedians telling entertaining stories. Yours are even better.”
Geomryeong felt his shoulders relax.
“You still think I’m lying, don’t you?” he asked.
“Of course I do. How could I believe someone who can execute Dimensional Shift with sword energy?”
Though Jin Seol hadn’t formally trained in martial arts, he had heard enough to know how incredible Geomryeong’s feats were.
“I told you, I’m the greatest martial artist in the world. Someone who can’t do this can’t be the greatest,” Geomryeong said.
“When did you say you were the greatest? You said martial artist, not the world’s greatest. You lie all the time.”
Ah, he realized he hadn’t explicitly claimed to be the greatest.
“It’s the same. A top martial artist or the greatest in the world, it’s the same thing.”
“How is that the same? The martial world has the top 100, but only one greatest in the world!”
Jin Seol explained what he had heard.
“Fine, who is this person? I’ll go find them and defeat them!”
