<Chapter 7> 06. Operation Black Brush Clan Extermination
A month-long hiatus.
Anticipation for the continuation of Jin Un’s story, left hanging at the end of Volume 3, was reaching fever pitch. The delay of Volume 4 was agonizing for readers.
Meanwhile, news reached the ears of the Wudang sect and other martial artists.
News of a group illegally copying and distributing manuscripts.
“What?! Illegal copies?!”
“Yes, Sect Leader.”
Hyun Seong-Ja’s face turned red and then white as he listened to Mu Jin-Ja’s report.
The sight of their usually calm and collected sect leader fuming with rage was a rare spectacle, even for the Wudang elders.
However, most of them shared his anger.
Volume 4 of The Wudang Sword Hero was delayed!
All because of some scoundrels distributing illegal copies!!
“Mu-Cheon!”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
“Take the Seven Swords with you! Descend the mountain and apprehend every last one of those audacious criminals who dared to distribute illegal copies!”
The Seven Swords referred to seven renowned swordsmen within the Wudang sect.
They were the elite of the elite, seven peak masters representing the pinnacle of Wudang’s martial prowess.
This was the first time since Hyun Seong-Ja became sect leader that he had ordered the deployment of such a formidable force.
It was a clear indication of his fury.
The elders gathered in the hall understood the reason behind his anger. They, too, were avid readers of The Wudang Sword Hero.
However, acting on emotions alone wouldn’t solve the problem.
“Sect Leader, please calm yourself. We must approach this rationally.”
“Hmm!”
“Senior Brother Mu-Jin, what course of action do you suggest?”
The one who spoke was Mu-Cheon-Ja, the Medicine Master and another member of the Three Masters of Wudang.
Mu Jin-Ja responded to his fellow master’s question.
“Even with our sect’s vast influence, we cannot scour the entire land, Sect Leader.”
They couldn’t act blindly without knowing whether those responsible for the illegal copying were a large organization, a loosely connected network, or simply individuals.
Mu Jin-Ja’s suggestion was a valid one.
Even with the Wudang sect’s power and their connections with numerous secular factions, they couldn’t single-handedly investigate the entire Murim.
It was an impossible task.
“Then what do you propose, Mu-Jin?”
“We should seek assistance from the Murim Alliance.”
“The Alliance?”
Hyun Seong-Ja’s question was met with a nod from Mu Jin-Ja.
Mu-Cheon-Ja spoke.
“Then let us inform Mu-Gung and request him to petition the Alliance Leader.”
Mu-Gung-Ja, the youngest of the Three Masters of Wudang and the Tiger Master, was currently representing their sect within the Murim Alliance.
Through him, they could directly petition the Alliance Leader. Of course, there were certain procedures to follow, but Mu-Gung-Ja would surely understand the urgency of the situation, especially since it involved The Wudang Sword Hero.
Master Su-Gyeong, the author of The Wudang Sword Hero, was considered a benefactor of the Wudang sect.
While they didn’t openly declare it, most of the Wudang disciples believed it to be true.
“Issuing a Murim Decree would be the fastest way to resolve this, Sect Leader.”
“The Murim Decree! Of course!”
Hyun Seong-Ja slapped his knee as if he had just remembered something crucial.
The other elders also brightened at Mu Jin-Ja’s suggestion. By issuing a Murim Decree, they could enlist the help of their fellow martial artists and apprehend those responsible for the illegal copies with greater efficiency.
Hyun Seong-Ja declared, “Mu-Jin! Contact Mu-Gung immediately! Inform the Alliance that we are issuing a Murim Decree and request their assistance!”
“Yes, Sect Leader!”
Mu Jin-Ja responded resolutely and rose to his feet.
As the elders dispersed after the meeting, their faces were etched with anger, their eyes burning with a fiery intensity that rivaled the stars in the night sky.
And so, the seeds sown unintentionally by Baek Su-Gyeong began to take root and grow, transforming into a powerful force.
The first operation to apprehend those responsible for the illegal distribution of The Wudang Sword Hero, later dubbed the “Operation True Reader Extermination” by Baek Su-Gyeong himself, had begun.
The distribution of The Wudang Sword Hero involved several stages.
It wasn’t unusual for any commodity, not just novels, to go through various steps during the distribution process.
First, Baek Su-Gyeong would write the manuscript and create a separate copy for So Ssang-Ah. She would then distribute copies of this master copy to the bookstores she had contracts with. These bookstores would then create additional copies and deliver them to So Ssang-Ah on a set date. Finally, she would distribute these copies to the bookstores that had exclusive agreements with the Gyeong-Un Merchant Group.
However, human greed often interfered with this process, leading to individuals stealing copies along the way.
These individuals, driven by the desire to profit from the novel’s popularity, would sell these stolen copies to illegal copying rings.
The desire to read The Wudang Sword Hero before anyone else.
This insatiable desire had given rise to a network of individuals who sought to profit from it.
And thus, the Black Brush Clan was born.
“Master, we’ve been hit again! The Black Brush Clan…”
“Again?!”
So Ssang-Ah, who had been wrestling with a mountain of paperwork, slumped back in her chair with a sigh.
The emergence of illegal copies distributed by the Black Brush Clan had drastically reduced the number of people buying legitimate copies from bookstores.
She couldn’t face Baek Su-Gyeong like this. She had boasted about her ability to handle the situation, yet she had failed to deliver.
“Ugh…”
So Ssang-Ah groaned.
The merchant assisting her bowed.
“I-It seems the martial artists are also outraged, as Master Su-Gyeong has cited those criminals as the reason for the delay of the next volume.”
“The martial artists?”
The Gyeong-Un Merchant Group hadn’t fully recovered their former wealth, but they were no longer a small operation. They had expanded their workforce significantly in the past few months.
All thanks to the unexpected success of The Wudang Sword Hero.
If it weren’t for the novel’s popularity, the Gyeong-Un Merchant Group wouldn’t have been able to recover from their financial downfall.
So Ssang-Ah was eternally grateful for that.
“Yes. I heard that Hyun Seong-Ja of the Wudang sect was furious…”
“Ah.”
So Ssang-Ah knew of Hyun Seong-Ja.
He was the current sect leader of the Wudang sect, known as the Gentle Sage Hyun Seong-Ja.
He was one of the Five Sages of Wudang, the only elder who hadn’t retired and remained to protect the sect. True to his title, he was not easily angered.
“The Wudang sect is involved. I should have anticipated their anger, considering it’s their name on the line.”
“I fear for Master Su-Gyeong’s safety.”
“We can’t let anything happen to him!”
Baek Su-Gyeong was her savior.
If she hadn’t met him after settling in Hubei three years ago, the Gyeong-Un Merchant Group wouldn’t exist today.
He was the one who had shown her kindness when she was struggling to make ends meet as a peddler, traveling the land and selling her wares. Yet, he was also a man of principle, never compromising his integrity when it came to business.
So Ssang-Ah, despite her years of hardship, had remained an honest merchant thanks to Baek Su-Gyeong’s unwavering commitment to his values.
“Shopkeeper Baek is my benefactor. We must protect him at all costs!”
“Of course, Master.”
The merchant knew that So Ssang-Ah’s feelings for Baek Su-Gyeong went beyond mere gratitude, but he wisely kept his observations to himself.
A girl only truly blossomed into a woman when she acknowledged her own feelings.
Though So Ssang-Ah was remarkably oblivious in that regard.
‘Master Su-Gyeong is also quite oblivious himself.’
The merchant chuckled inwardly.
“First, we need to investigate the Black Brush Clan…”
“Yes! That’s it!”
So Ssang-Ah jumped to her feet, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
She had an idea.
“Focus on the bookstores we have contracts with. I’m sure there’s someone among the scribes who’s leaking copies to the Black Brush Clan.”
They had deliberately chosen to work with smaller bookstores that lacked the resources to use woodblock printing, making it more difficult for them to produce large quantities of copies.
Who would have thought that someone among these scribes would betray their trust?
Perhaps they had underestimated the power of greed.
The merchant responded, “It won’t be easy to catch them, Master.”
“But we can’t give up! We need to nip this in the bud before the damage spreads.”
The merchant nodded in agreement.
So Ssang-Ah bit her lip.
“I thought we were prepared for illegal copies by using woodblock printing, but I never imagined this would happen. It’s my fault for not being more careful.”
“The availability of woodblock printing might be making it easier for them to distribute illegal copies. We should expand our investigation to include larger bookstores as well.”
“…Yes, you’re right. But we need to narrow down the scope first. The leak is most likely coming from one of the bookstores we have contracts with. If not…”
“Then we’ll expand the investigation. Understood, Master.”
The merchant bowed.
However, where there were originals, there were bound to be forgeries. What if the Black Brush Clan started selling their own versions of The Wudang Sword Hero, passing them off as Baek Su-Gyeong’s work?
The consequences would be disastrous.
The Wudang Sword Hero and Baek Su-Gyeong had changed Murim. No one could predict the fallout if he were to stop writing.
The merchant spoke with determination.
“…We will find the Black Brush Clan, no matter what.”
“Gasp… gasp…”
The man scrambled up the mountain, his breath ragged and his movements frantic.
He had no idea how many hours he had been running since fleeing Luoyang, the ancient capital of Henan. All he knew was that he had to escape.
“Damn it, I have to deliver this to the boss.”
Blood trickled down his shoulder from a wound.
He had never expected the Wudang sect to show up.
What crime had he committed by copying and selling a novel written by some nameless scholar?
The man gritted his teeth.
“Those damn gossipmongers!”
Dozens of flickering torches, casting an eerie orange glow, pursued him relentlessly. Glancing back, he quickened his pace.
“There he is!”
“Catch him!”
“He’s a Black Brush Clan lackey who’s been copying and selling Master Su-Gyeong’s work! Don’t let him escape!”
The man twisted his body, narrowly dodging a streak of sword energy. He spotted a Wudang swordsman leaping high into the air, silhouetted against the moon.
The swordsman’s eyes blazed with a terrifying intensity, almost bordering on madness. He unleashed a torrent of sword energy from his weapon.
The man gasped in horror.
“Are you insane?! Attacking without even asking questions?!”
Even the rogue monks of Shaolin wouldn’t resort to such reckless violence.
The man dodged another attack, shouting, “You crazy Taoist! Trying to kill me over a few copied books?!”
“Silence!”
“You cannot escape the Heavenly Net!”
“You’re all mad!”
The Wudang sect, the Murim Alliance, they were all insane.
That was the man’s conclusion.
“Copying a single book is a crime worthy of death?! Copying a story written by some nameless scholar?!”
“I said silence!”
“Argh!”
A beam of sword energy, sharp as a laser, pierced through the man’s left shoulder.
The excruciating pain and the force of the blow sent him spinning like a top, crashing to the ground.
He coughed, choking on dust and dirt.
Despite his wounds, both shoulders pierced and his arms rendered useless, he struggled to get up. A Wudang swordsman’s blade stopped inches from his throat.
“Cease your futile resistance. You will be escorted to the Murim Alliance and face justice for your crimes.”
“Master Su-Gyeong will be arriving soon. He will personally judge your transgressions! Prepare to face his wrath!”
“Damn you! Let me go! I said let me go!”
The Wudang swordsman struck the back of the man’s neck, knocking him unconscious. His expression was cold and unforgiving.
“Bind him.”
“Yes, sir!”
Several Murim Alliance members approached and tied the man up securely.
The Wudang swordsman nodded in satisfaction.
“Escort him to the Alliance headquarters.”
“Yes, sir!”
“How are the other teams doing?”
“No news yet, Elder Mu-Gung. The signal hasn’t been activated, so they must be encountering difficulties.”
The Wudang swordsman frowned slightly at his subordinate’s report.
He was an imposing figure, his stern face framed by a long, white beard that gave him a sage-like appearance.
It was Mu-Gung-Ja, the Tiger Master, one of the Three Masters of Wudang, a figure renowned throughout Jianghu.
“Split the team. We don’t know how far the Black Brush Clan’s influence extends, but there are rumors of connections to the underworld. Proceed with caution.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Fifteen swordsmen will follow me. The rest will escort this criminal to the Alliance headquarters!”
“Yes, sir!”
“Let’s go!”
Mu-Gung-Ja took the lead, his body a blur as he activated his lightness skill. Fifteen Murim Alliance members followed closely behind, while the remaining members carried the unconscious Black Brush Clan member.
The bright moonlight bathed the departing figures as they disappeared into the night, each heading towards their designated target.