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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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It was a time when I was diligently laying the bricks of life, one by one, focusing on self-improvement and the growth of my business, sweating with a sense of fulfillment.
Suddenly, ominous rumors began to spread.
They were like whispers of the apocalypse. After deploying the members to gather information, I pieced together the gist of it.
People in a neighboring village were supposedly massacred.
Or rather, they had all become Shiki and were roaming around.
And then there was talk of a Golgakgwi army of unimaginable scale appearing.
On top of that, there were rumors that the Bull Demon King had defeated General Shang Yuchun and was advancing into the Central Plains. Even stranger rumors circulated about the Heavenly Demon, Köke Temür, being resurrected as a Golgakgwi along with the one million soldiers of the Great Yuan Empire, sweeping across the Central Plains.
“What are these rumors? Serin, Ha-yeong, why are these rumors suddenly spreading?”
“I’m not sure, but it seems something big has happened.”
“Do you think so too?”
“Yes. If I were at my family home, I would have received accurate information… but since I’m not, I can’t make a judgment. It’s best to be cautious for now.”
I had this conversation with Serin. I was a bit worried, but I didn’t think it would become a serious issue.
But the very next day.
An official announcement came from the government.
“A large army of Shiki had appeared! Currently, one district and numerous villages have fallen to the Shiki, and this massive army of monsters is heading this way! The Emperor has ordered the extermination of the monster army! Therefore, military conscription will be implemented! Those who refuse will be beheaded!”
It was a shocking announcement. Upon closer examination, it turned out that an army of Shiki, essentially undead, had suddenly appeared and caused chaos.
A strange disease and plague had spread in a nearby district. The victims suddenly transformed into Shiki, biting those around them, explosively spreading the Shiki disease.
Before the government and the martial world could react, the entire district was destroyed, and the mass-produced Shiki scattered everywhere.
“What, are they zombies?”
Shiki is a classification of monsters. It includes things like Golgakgwi, which are skeleton monsters. Ghouls, which are not much different from zombies, are also included in this category.
Anyway, a huge number of these things appeared and caused chaos.
As a result, the government army and the martial world mobilized simultaneously.
“Geun-hyeop, this isn’t good.”
Serin said after gathering information.
“The Shiki plague suddenly broke out and a whole district fell in an instant. This is not normal.”
“Um… Serin, I don’t really know much about this, but are Shiki common?”
“They appear from time to time.”
Surprisingly, zombies occasionally appear in this martial world.
“However, the government and the martial world strictly monitor Shiki. It’s unbelievable that an entire district could become a Shiki den in just a few days.”
“Really?”
“Furthermore, I heard that a Golgakgwi army has been sighted.”
“Golgakgwi, could it be?”
“Yes. The Martial Arts Alliance believes this is the work of the Four Heavenly Maidens.”
“Oh my god…!”
The Four Heavenly Maidens!
To think I’d hear that ominous name again!
“So, you’re saying the Four Heavenly Maidens spread some kind of Shiki plague through a conspiracy and destroyed an entire district?”
“That’s right.”
“How could they!”
I’d only heard that the Four Heavenly Maidens were evil, but now I truly understood. They turned a district with tens of thousands of people into a zombie den?
That’s insane…!
It was so horrifying that I couldn’t breathe. I trembled, and Serin patted my back and said,
“They’re not called enemies of the Central Plains for nothing. Therefore, it’s highly likely that warriors from the Geumuiwi or Dongchang will come down here to deal with this situation.”
“What!”
Geumuiwi and Dongchang!
Isn’t this getting too big?!
“And that’s not all. The Martial Arts Alliance will dispatch all sorts of combat units.”
“No way!”
“Not only the surrounding government troops, but even the Great Ming Empire’s army will come. And that’s not the end. I think even the general fighting the Bull Demon King’s forces in the north might come down here as reinforcements.”
The scale of what Serin was saying was so large that it didn’t quite register. I racked my brains to understand the current situation.
“Well, to summarize…”
Ha-yeong, who was lying on the bed with her head propped up, sucking on a candy, spoke.
“Isn’t it just that all sorts of factions will be flocking to this area? All the powerful ones, too. Goodness. Geumuiwi, Dongchang, the Great Ming Empire army, the northern army, and the Martial Arts Alliance combat units. That’s a lot.”
I was speechless.
These were forces too large for Kim Geun-hyeop, who was just about to become a first-rate warrior, to handle. Could I really survive with these whales appearing?
“Guys, what should I do in this situation?”
“Well, we should be careful, right? We’ve established a righteous sect, so it’s better than being a black Path faction, but we need to be mindful of our actions. We don’t know what might happen.”
I’m scared to death.
“Geun-hyeop, focus on managing the Nachalbang rather than expanding it.”
“I should do that.”
“But, don’t worry too much. Who am I? I’m the Jade Flower Sword Namgung Serin. I, the flower of the righteous Martial World, will be on Geun-hyeop’s side no matter what, so rest assured.”
Serin said, placing her hand on her chest with a confident expression!
“Serin…! I’m so touched!”
Kyaaaak!
“Alright!”
There’s no need to cower just because something big has happened!
“In times like these, we need to be even more alert! That’s what a true hero does!”
I’m not alone anymore. As the head of the family, I can’t afford to waver. From now on, I’ll stay focused and respond to the situation.
I think that with so many factions gathered in one place, incidents will inevitably occur. I have to make good decisions to avoid getting caught up in them.
“Heheh, good. Geun-hyeop, I really like that about you.”
“I’ll set a good example as the head of the family.”
“Hmm, you’re reliable, indeed. This is definitely a big deal, but being scared won’t help. I actually think this could be an opportunity for us to grow even stronger.”
“Wow! As expected of our Ha-yeong!”
Her mindset is excellent!
“That’s a great attitude! So, everyone! This situation is certainly a tragedy, but that doesn’t mean we should stop growing! Let’s handle this wisely and elevate our level!”
“Yes.”
“I agree!”
Serin, Ha-yeong, and I are all martial artists with a desire to improve. The three of us will complement each other and become even stronger.
After a thorough discussion, we decided on the Nachalbang’s stance.
Halt expansion and focus solely on management. Absolutely no involvement in external conflicts, and business protection will be carried out discreetly. Simply put, if we need to beat someone up, we won’t do it openly but drag them to a quiet place and then beat them.
Also, there was talk of conscription from the government, and I think that since we’re a righteous sect, we’ll be assigned some role in this situation.
“Currently, many commoners are being conscripted, not only their property but also their labor. I heard that “…Even mid-sized righteous sects have had their combat units conscripted. At this rate, our Nachalbang won’t be able to avoid conscription either.”
As I spoke, all the Nachalbang members looked at me with tense faces.
“Accordingly, we will organize units.”
We will form three units.
First, I’m the leader of the Nachalbang, so I’m exempt. Serin, Ha-yeong, and I will move as a set, acting as representatives.
The rest, quite naturally, will be divided into a unit led by Jaemison and a unit led by Galbijong.
We organized the units in this way.
Our Nachalbang is a newly established, small sect. Even if they conscript us, they won’t scrape the bottom of the barrel. We can send one unit and have the other unit support them while managing our businesses.
“Ugh… Shiki causing trouble. This is serious. I think this is definitely the work of the Four Heavenly Maidens.”
“Ah, I should have told you sooner. The Martial Arts Alliance seems to think so too.”
“No way!”
Galbijong jumped in surprise at the mention of the Four Heavenly Maidens.
Wait, but isn’t this guy the one who admires vicious and cruel, evil great masters? Why is he so scared?
“Galbijong, don’t you like evil people?”
“No, no! Even I don’t like the Four Heavenly Maidens! Even the evil great masters of the unorthodox sects, who massacre civilians like it’s nothing, are just kind-hearted, helpful neighborhood fools compared to the Four Heavenly Maidens!”
“What kind of crazy analogy is that?!”
That’s a truly insane analogy!
“Keuk keuk, what a mess. Anyway… if a Shiki army attacks, there will inevitably be a battle. It would be good to train for that.”
“As expected of Jaemison. Your mind works well.”
“And also, people will start deserting our sect. We need to apprehend them and make an example of them.”
“That’s right! In times like these, we must establish military discipline!”
Wow! Having people with good minds makes planning so much easier!
With that in mind. Conscription by the government began.
It seemed they were really planning to fight the Shiki army.
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