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Thanks to the Lord of True Heaven Alliance’s sign marker, I could borrow a horse for free from the relay station. The gold sign he provided was a privilege for important members of the True Heaven Alliance, meaning they’d cover my expenses later. Plus, with this sign, most government officials would either let me pass or treat me kindly.

Because of this, I smoothly crossed into Shandong, passing through Jalgon without much trouble. After leaving Jalgon, there were hardly any rugged terrains, so it wouldn’t be long before I reached the Trade Port.

Upon arriving at the Trade Port, I received assistance from the Open Sect members. They seemed to know I was coming, as they immediately provided me with information.

“There’s a ship to Goryeo every twenty days, and the next one leaves in ten days. The merchant associations leading the trade are the Great Dragon Merchant Association and the Seogung Escort Agency, handled by an official named Jeong Gi-tae, a sixth-ranked government official. The main cargo includes artifacts, iron items, and silver. Here’s the map of this Trade Port, Qingdao.”

As I received the detailed information and the map, I was impressed. Gathering this level of information by rushing around inns or various sign offices would have taken me at least ten days. Now I just needed to find the right people to figure out how to board a ship.

“Thank you.”

Oh, and the Open Sect member also handed me a small black flute. The color didn’t seem to be from dirt.

“And if you need help, just play this flute. It’s a special sign from the Lord of Cheonryonggae, so if the sound reaches them, all the Open Sect members in Qingdao will come to assist you.”

“Got it.”

It looked like Cheonryonggae had made sure to prepare everything thoroughly. I realized that this flute wasn’t just an ordinary one; it emitted a high frequency not easily heard by humans. The Open Sect members probably had the ability to detect the sound. I examined the flute with curious eyes as I entered the depths of Qingdao.

The bustling Qingdao port looked like a lively city. Since it was a trading port with Goryeo, there were many people wearing traditional Goryeo outfits. It was my first time seeing Goryeo people, and as I passed by them, I overheard their speech, which was certainly different from that of the Central Plains. Suddenly, a realization struck me.

‘Oh… I don’t know Goryeo language well. What should I do?’

Even though I could manage basic communication using Chinese characters, it would be difficult if the language barrier prevented me from understanding them. Plus, to find the treasure known as Haein somewhere in Goryeo, communication was essential. Faced with a problem I hadn’t even considered until now, I felt a wave of confusion wash over me.

But then, I thought of a solution.

“Right, let’s hire a translator.”

This was a trading port, so there had to be someone fluent in both Chinese and Goryeo language. Surely there’d be one at the sign office. I figured that after gathering some funds, if I found a translator, we could search for clues across Goryeo together.

So, I first visited the Great Dragon Merchant Association and then the Seogung Escort Agency. They were a bit surprised to see a young boy like me, but when I showed them the gold sign from the Lord of True Heaven Alliance, their attitude changed.

Within less than a meal’s time, the head of the Great Dragon Merchant Association, his face round and oily, personally welcomed me. As expected of a leader of a grand merchant association, he was adorned with lavish robes and ornaments. He smiled and said,

“Hehe… Seeing you with the gold sign, you must be a distinguished envoy of the True Heaven Alliance! What brings you to our Great Dragon Merchant Association?”

“I would like to travel to Goryeo and additionally hire a translator.”

“That isn’t difficult. I will prepare a special VIP room for you. As for the translator…”

The merchant leader gave an awkward smile.

“I’m sorry, but if you plan to travel in Goryeo, we don’t have any translators available. It’s out of my hands.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s not about the money. Recently, the trade volume has increased dramatically, so we and the officials are busy constructing large ships. Experienced translators who are proficient in Goryeo language are valuable talents, and we cannot afford to lend them out.”

In other words, due to the booming trade with Goryeo, translators are treated as precious resources. They casually mentioned that they couldn’t just let go of their best translators even for a price. I reluctantly nodded and asked,

“Is there no way?”

“Please check with the Seogung Escort Agency or the officials. If they also can’t help, you’ll have to either find talents locally or learn Goryeo language directly.”

“Do you speak Goryeo language well?”

“Hehe. I’ve had to learn it for decades due to my position, so I can manage. But Goryeo language is quite different from Central Plains, and it takes at least a few years to become fluent.”

“Hmm…”

I exchanged polite bows with the head of the Great Dragon Merchant Association and left. I also managed to book my seat for the trip scheduled in ten days. But I was still troubled by the translator issue.

‘They probably won’t have any at the Seogung Escort Agency either…’

As expected, when I used the gold sign to meet the head of the Seogung Escort Agency, he shook his head in dismay.

“I’m sorry. We have three professional translators, but all of them will be extremely busy with this trade. I’ll be working alongside them too.”

“Can’t you do anything?”

“Didn’t you hear similar words from the Great Dragon Merchant Association? Their scale is several times larger than ours, and if they don’t have anyone left, we surely won’t be able to help either. There’s no point in visiting the officials; all you’d get is a reprimand.”

But I couldn’t just give up on his words. Regardless of whether it was a success or not, I decided to head to the government office to meet Jeong Gi-tae. Unlike the associations or the sign offices, the government office showed no reaction even upon seeing the gold sign. After a while, the Vice Commander checked the existence of the gold sign and went up to report.

Sixth-ranked official Jeong Gi-tae sauntered out after about half a meal. With nervous eyes, he glared at me and said,

“Do you dare summon people to the government office using the True Heaven Alliance’s authority? What do you martial artists think of the government?”

He seemed quite angry. Although he couldn’t ignore the power of the True Heaven Alliance’s gold sign, the fraught relationship between the officials and martial artists seemed to have him riled up. I hurriedly bowed my head, fearing things could escalate.

“My apologies, sir. Please forgive me. I’m not trying to impose but I have urgent matters that I can’t handle without your help.”

Seeing my response, Jeong Gi-tae’s expression softened a bit. He cleared his throat and replied,

“Did you say Baek Woong? If you have something to say, make it quick, as I’m busy.”

“I was wondering if I could get a translator? I can pay well for their services.”

“A translator? There should be plenty in Qingdao…”

“What I want is someone who can travel around Goryeo with me.”

Understanding my request, Jeong Gi-tae raised an eyebrow.

“Why would you look for someone like that at the government office?”

“The Great Dragon Merchant Association and the Seogung Escort Agency are short on staff, so I came here out of necessity.”

“Hmph… That part is true. Unfortunately, we can’t lend someone like that either.”

Jeong Gi-tae frowned as he said this.

“But before that, do you really think you can just travel through another country as you please?”

“Huh?”

“If you want to travel through Goryeo, you need to talk to their officials, get an official travel permit, and have it reported to the higher-ups for approval. You’ll need to coordinate with Goryeo’s nobility as well. Just that process would take at least a month, and you think you can just up and travel to Goryeo? That would be trespassing, and you’d have no defense if you got executed for it.”

“……!!”

“Heheh. I can already tell you plan to sneak aboard one of the merchant ships and land in some Goryeo village. That’s the kind of thing martial artists would do.”

Jeong Gi-tae, a bit annoyed, suddenly said,

“Just know this: I’m not so uptight that I’d stop you martial artists from moving about. But don’t drag me into your mess.”

“Huh?”

Jeong Gi-tae’s eyes suddenly flared.

“But if you do make a move, don’t get caught. If you do get caught, not only you but also the Lord of True Heaven Alliance who gave you that gold sign will end up in prison. I won’t be the only one who gets it!”

“……”

Listening to Jeong Gi-tae’s warning as I walked out of the government office made me regret my decision.

‘I should have listened to the head of the Seogung Escort Agency. Going to the government office was a bad move.’

I felt like I had stirred up a hornet’s nest. If I hadn’t gone, I wouldn’t have known of Jeong Gi-tae’s awareness of my presence, leading to a potential problem later on. I vowed to avoid the government office in the future and stepped outside.

Now, what was I supposed to do?

Reluctantly, I decided to seek aid from the Open Sect. They conducted swift information-gathering, so I hoped they could help. As I made my way to the gathering place of the Open Sect members, I spotted the one who had given me the map at the entrance.

“What brings you here?”

“I have a problem.”

As I disclosed my situation to him, he looked serious.

“What on earth were you thinking? The pact of non-invasion between the officials and martial artists is a mutual treaty. You just announced that you plan to illegally enter Goryeo.”

“I’ve got no excuse. I’m sorry.”

“Well, that aside… for a translator, you’ll have to search actively yourself. There’s bound to be someone in Qingdao who speaks Goryeo well but isn’t in a professional role.”

“Can you give me any leads? I have only ten days left.”

“Hmm… I don’t know. You’ll have to figure it out yourself.”

They seemed to be trying to avoid further involvement. Of course, while Cheonryonggae’s orders meant they would help me, they wouldn’t spare much thought for such detailed problems. With no other choice, I returned to the inn and lay on my bed, deep in thought.

‘What should I do?’

Of course, I didn’t have to find a translator within ten days. If needed, I could arrive in Goryeo and find someone who spoke Central Plains language. But that would involve significant risk, and I lacked the confidence to persuade someone to help me. Hiring a person who could speak Goryeo and accompany me for a few months felt like a wiser investment.

After much deliberation, I came to a conclusion.

“There’s no choice… I’ll just go and learn.”

My decision was to either settle down as a resident in Goryeo or naturalize. By living among the Goryeo people, I would have the opportunity to learn their language better. Unlike the ancient Oracle Bone Script, this foreign language was something I could master with time and effort.

More importantly, thanks to the blessings of the Queen Mother of the West, I had plenty of time on my hands. It might take years to learn the language, but I figured that once I got the hang of it, it would ease future travels.

Then, ten days later, I boarded the ship headed for Goryeo.

Swishhhh –

The sound of waves reached my ears.

As I sat in the special VIP room, I took the quiet time to think. Lately, I found myself reflecting more often, trying to temper my impulsive nature. I’ve realized that taking a moment to think things over when faced with a problem often leads to better solutions, making meditation even more essential.

‘Even if I get seasick, it’s not bad if I just let my body flow with the rhythm of the waves.’

I didn’t have such a weak sense of balance that I would get seasick. For several days, I quietly enjoyed the boat journey mixed in with the Great Dragon Merchant Association’s crew. Seeing the horizon of the blue sea for the first time felt refreshing.

About six days into the voyage, a scream broke the calm on the deck.

“Aaaah! Pirates!”

What?

Rushing up to the deck, I spotted a black ship approaching from a distance. The merchant fleet had a total of five ships, while there were three on the attacking side. Numerically, we had the advantage, but if that was a pirate ship, the tables would turn. Pirates would surely be armed, and if a fight broke out, the merchant fleet would undoubtedly suffer.

The head of the Great Dragon Merchant Association frantically spotted me and shouted,

“Ah, young hero! You’ve come at the right time!”

“What’s happening?”

“Those are the Blood Blade Group pirates, infamous in the Yellow Sea. Young hero, you seem to have considerable martial arts skills; please fight them off!”

Suddenly, everything made sense. I understood why the merchant head had graciously allowed me to board the ship without paying a fare and threw me into the fancy VIP room. It seemed he intended to use me to fend off trouble when the situation got dire. But if the merchant ship sank or was captured, that would be a disaster, so I had no choice but to fight.

I stared at the approaching Blood Blade Group ship and said,

“Are they martial artists too?”

“Yes. I’ve heard many possess skills equivalent to an Escort Leader or higher. I implore you to help!”

“Understood.”

Bang!

The pirate ship crashed into the side of our vessel. I was astonished that we hadn’t fired any cannons, but thinking about it, it was unlikely the merchant fleet had many cannons installed. In the end, it was going to be a boarder battle.

I spotted pirates starting to climb onto the deck one by one.

Sighing, I drew my sword.

“Ha… I’d rather not fight this one.”

For some reason, I didn’t feel inclined to engage in this battle. Perhaps it was a gut feeling that something ominous was at play. But in the next moment, my body moved like lightning, and I began to cut through the pirates. The gleam of the Thunder Blade sliced through the skies.

Thus began my first naval battle in life.

 

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