ISS-Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Are you leaving now?”

I chuckled and nodded at my subordinate’s bitter question as he looked at me.

“Yeah. I’ve accomplished my goal at the Alliance.”

“You don’t necessarily have to go all the way down to your hometown. Even at the Alliance, your goal as Corps Commander…”

“No, I’m sick of it now.”

I’ve done so much.

I left my family that didn’t recognize my talent, joined the Murim Alliance, and rose to the position of Corps Commander based on the martial arts I newly created. It’s been 12 years since I joined the Alliance.

It was simply time to decide on retirement for my dream.

“I’ll miss you.”

“Yeah. I’ll miss you too. There aren’t many who understand what I say as well as you do.”

I chuckled softly and patted the slender Deputy Corps Commander’s shoulder before turning around. Then Deputy Corps Commander Moyong Hyeyeon asked from behind me.

“Corps Commander.”

“What?”

“May I… may I also come find you after retiring from the Alliance?”

“Retirement, huh. What about your family?”

“If I return, I might be poisoned to death. I’m also a cast-off child like you, Corps Commander.”

“That’s true too.”

Was Moyong Hyeyeon twenty-seven years old?

After calculating briefly, I chuckled and dismissed the thought.

“If you really have nothing to do after retiring, come find me. I’ll at least help you find a job.”

“Where… where should I look for you?”

“Hwayonghyeon in Hubei.”

That place is my mother’s hometown. And it’s also where I’ll unfold my second dream.

“Hwayonghyeon in Hubei… I understand.”

“But don’t retire too quickly. I need time to establish myself too.”

“Understood. Please travel safely.”

Leaving behind Moyong Hyeyeon who was seeing me off curtly, I slowly walked and exited through the Murim Alliance’s main gate. Then came the realization.

Year 13 of the Gangreung Era.

This year marks the end of my Murim Alliance life, and I will walk a new path.

The path as a ‘Sect Master.’

***

Two weeks after leaving the Murim Alliance in Hebei.

I entered Hwayonghyeon and took a deep breath.

“Great location, great access!”

Hwayonghyeon.

I heard many stories when my mother was alive. She said it was a place with good people and beautiful scenery.

To the southeast, it borders Dongting Lake, and to the north, it borders the Yangtze River, so the movement of goods is abundant. The land is also fertile, so agriculture has developed. At this point, one would expect the Unorthodox Sect forces coveting these interests to be rampant, but.

“The prime Unorthodox Sect members are all gathered at Dongting Lake.”

The Janggang Suro Sippalchae firmly controls the Yangtze’s waterway, and other major Unorthodox Sects are busy fighting each other at Dongting Lake. It’s not that there are no Unorthodox Sects here, but since the influence of the giant Unorthodox Sects reaches here, their scale must be small.

There couldn’t be better conditions for establishing a new sect.

“Hehehehe. I saved my entire salary for 12 years.”

I smiled wickedly while feeling the money pouch jingling at my waist. How much I suffered to save this money.

Even when the corps members went out to play at taverns after missions, I ate the free meals for lower martial artists at the Alliance’s cafeteria. I never even went near expensive pleasure houses.

Even when we went on a mission to Beijing, Moyong Hyeyeon sighed at my eating only noodles and bought me Peking duck with her own money, so you can imagine how much I’d been waiting for this day.

That’s right.

In my money pouch are one Gold Yuan Bao and five Silver Yuan Bao!

“With this money, I’ll buy a manor, hire servants and maids, and establish a sect.”

I can’t teach the martial arts I learned from my family at my sect, but when founding a new sect, it’s not like I didn’t think about that. Of course, I’ve created martial arts one by one.

That’s right, I will establish a sect in this Hwayonghyeon and become the founder of a great sect!

“Hehehehe. Hahaha!”

With a loud laugh, I walked with confident steps.

Wait for me, Hwayonghyeon. I’m coming!

***

One shichen later.

“…What did you say?”

“I said you can’t buy it.”

I gaped at the merchant who was shaking his head with a regretful expression.

“Why, why can’t I buy it?”

“The housing prices here are extraordinarily high. With the money you have, you can’t even buy land to build a manor on, let alone hire servants or maids.”

“…Really?”

“Why would I lie about something like this? I need to sell to make a living too.”

I let out a hollow laugh hearing the words of the well-dressed merchant as he picked up and put down his brush.

So.

“You’re saying I can’t buy even one manor with the money I earned over 12 years? Really?”

“That would be correct. Yes. That’s right.”

“Son of a…”

I shook my head, grabbing my reeling mind. Right. Thinking about it, isn’t that so?

I’ve made frugality and thrift a way of life. And because I made frugality and thrift a way of life, naturally, I don’t know the market prices of luxury goods or expensive items.

I had looked into housing prices around the Murim Alliance, but that was in one of Hebei’s leading major cities. I heard that even with the same area, land prices could differ by dozens or hundreds of times, so I thought it wouldn’t be that bad here.

‘But who knew I couldn’t even buy land!’

“Are there no slightly smaller manors?”

“There are as many properties for sale as you want, but with your salary… at best, it would be about this size.”

I let out a hollow laugh after looking at several manors the merchant showed me. All of them were embarrassingly small to call manors.

Of course, they might be splendid if I go see them in person. This is just the size on the map. But if I use this as a martial hall…

At best, it would become a weak sect with around ten disciples. And one without proper facilities at that.

“Are you saying there’s really nothing else? If there’s a good property, please give me a hint. If I establish a sect, I’ll definitely patronize your company.”

At my earnest request, the merchant awkwardly scratched his temple and smacked his lips.

“I’d also like to build connections with a Murim Alliance martial artist. But what can’t be helped can’t be helped, right? Even if I remove all the profit I take, there’s no manor you can actually buy.”

“…There’s really nothing? Really?”

“Huh.”

The merchant looked at my desperate expression, let out a sigh, and cautiously spoke.

“Actually, there is one property you can buy with your money. This manor here…”

“This, this manor?”

“Yes.”

I blinked looking at the manor the merchant pointed to on the map. On the map, it was an unexpectedly large manor.

“You’re saying I can buy this?”

Isn’t this even bigger than the manors I first saw?

At my question, the merchant who had been pondering for a moment lowered his voice and spoke.

“You can buy it. Or rather, you’ll have change left over. But the thing is, it’s a cursed property.”

“Cursed property? Someone must have committed suicide here.”

“All the buyers died. And their hearts stopped without any external injuries.”

“…What?”

What does it mean that no one killed them, but their hearts stopped and they died?

“I heard they all died on the night of the first day after purchasing and entering the manor. Rumors are rampant that it’s haunted.”

“Did you try a Daoist?”

“If you go see it, you’ll know, but the manor is extraordinarily good. Since it’s that level of manor, naturally they tried everything to sell it. They hired guards and called Daoists. But even the renowned Daoists from Mosanpa came, shook their heads saying there was no ghostly energy, and left not knowing what was wrong, so what other method could there be?”

Hearing the merchant’s words, I pondered briefly and examined the map.

Manor. A manor.

“…How much?”

“Are you really going to buy it? It’s awkward to say this as a merchant, but you’d better not buy that manor. No matter how cheap it is, isn’t life precious?”

“It’s fine, just tell me. How much?”

“Huh, since you insist on buying a problematic property… The price is five Silver Yuan Bao, but first look around before deciding. It’s not that far from here.”

I watched the merchant get up from his seat and exit the company building after speaking, then followed behind him while lost in thought.

‘If I can buy a manor like that for five Silver Yuan Bao, it’s a huge profit.’

Ten Silver Yuan Bao make one Gold Yuan Bao. And with just one Silver Yuan Bao, an ordinary family can barely eat for five years. But ten such Silver Yuan Bao would be left over?

‘That means I can establish the sect’s foundation more clearly with the remaining ten Silver Yuan Bao!’

Of course, it’s dangerous. Since a manor of this caliber became a problematic property, how hard must they have tried to revive it?

But I’m fine. Because.

‘I don’t see the red aura.’

Right.

I have an extraordinarily good intuition.

‘Until now, before any incident occurred, red energy definitely flowed over related things.’

Five years ago, when it was said that the tomb of the Sword Demon from 200 years ago was discovered in Jinan, Shandong, I defied the Murim Alliance’s upper management’s decision to dispatch my Changcheon Corps for the first time. The reason was the red aura, the Red Energy, flowing over the face of the superior giving that order.

I defied orders just because of intuition. Naturally, I was demoted from Changcheon Corps Commander to a regular corps member, and my salary was also reduced. But the result?

‘It was all a trap by Hyeolgyo.’

Fifteen hundred martial artists from the Murim Alliance, Sado Alliance, and Demonic Cult were buried underground. And after that incident, I could return to the Corps Commander position with the full support of the corps members.

Not only that. Ten years ago, twelve years ago, twenty years ago, whenever there was something that seemed to threaten my life, red energy always flowed before that in my vision.

That’s why I can rather feel at ease now. At least red energy isn’t flowing from this merchant’s face.

‘I’m probably fine.’

It’s a judgment without any basis. But isn’t it worth trying?

They’re practically giving this away for free!

“This is the place.”

“Mm.”

At the merchant’s words, I snapped to attention and stopped walking, and a huge manor revealed itself before my eyes. The manor appeared somewhat old due to lack of maintenance.

“It’s big. Didn’t you maintain it separately?”

“Since it’s said to be a haunted manor, there’s no one willing to maintain it even with extra money. If someone lives there, it would improve somewhat, but all the people who purchased the manor until now have died…”

“That’s true too.”

Entering inside and touring the manor, the merchant followed behind and slowly continued explaining.

“Including the main building and annexes, there are a total of forty-five rooms, and five training halls in total. There are four small training halls and one large training hall, so you can divide them according to use.”

“What sect was this originally? It’s unusual to have five training halls.”

“I don’t know that much either. This manor is quite old… However, if you’re going to newly establish a sect, you’ll see great effects with just a little modification.”

I nodded while touring with the merchant. It certainly seemed that way.

A manor with forty-five rooms, five training halls, and buildings like kitchens and dining halls existing separately.

At this level, it’s not much inferior compared to medium-sized sects’ manors. Being able to buy this with this money is no small benefit.

“There’s nothing more to consider. I’ll sign the contract.”

“Really? But still…”

“It’s fine. If I die, the company can take this manor back.”

At my bold declaration, the merchant who seemed to ponder briefly sighed deeply and pulled out a bamboo slip from his bosom.

“This is the manor’s deed. The price is five Silver Yuan Bao, but…”

“But?”

“Since it’s a cursed property, I’ll knock one off as a token for you to survive. Give me just four.”

“Oh, really?”

“No matter what, isn’t a person’s life more important than money?”

“You’re generous. What’s your name? If I survive, I’ll definitely patronize your company.”

“It’s Lee Ryang of Haun Merchant Company.”

“I’m Baek Riyun. Let’s get along well from now on.”

I smiled broadly and paid four Silver Yuan Bao to settle the account, and merchant Lee Ryang handed me the bamboo slip. And at that moment.

[Confirmed transaction of deed .]

[Confirmed purpose of actual residence.]

[Beginning suitability assessment.]

[Assessment period is one day.]

I blinked at the semi-transparent something that suddenly appeared before my eyes.

“What is this?”