Ep409 - I Became a Drunkard in a Martial Arts Novel.

The vast plains are home to countless tribes, each finding their own place to inhabit. Among them was the Jagaltai tribe. A small, insignificant tribe with fewer than thirty members. Constantly living in fear of being conquered by larger tribes, they endlessly sought favor from neighboring chiefs. "Chieftain!" "What is it?" "A nearby tribe has sent us tribute!" "Oh..., what commendable fellows. I shall reward them with one of Jagaltai's weapons." "How shall we convey it?" "Hmm..., a spear would be suitable." "Yes, Chieftain!" They had transformed into one of the few major tribes on the plains, wielding immense influence over the surrounding areas. The Jagaltai had grown to become the chief of a massive tribe, with hundreds of warriors at his command. Within a gigantic yurt visible from miles away, he reminisced about the past while nestled in the embraces of his ten newly-wedded wives. "Heh heh heh." An irrepressible laugh escaped him. One of his wives asked, "Is something making you happy?" "I was just recalling the past." Reflecting on the past occasionally comes to him during his daily struggles for a happy life. It started with the sudden arrival of young martial artists. As a mere chief of a tiny tribe, he bowed his head to them to ensure his survival. He became their guide across the plains, despite their ignorance of the nomadic ways. "Who would have thought those events would bring me such fortune?" For reasons unknown, these martial artists who subjugated tribes one by one suddenly disappeared. They left behind a greatly expanded tribe. Jagaltai, who lacked physical prowess but excelled in cunning strategies, quickly organized the chaotic tribe and ascended as the chief of the great tribe. And now, at this very moment. "Chieftain! Tribute has arrived from the Wugulu tribe." "From the Abalo tribe as well...!" Numerous tribes were sending their collections of tributes in the hopes of gaining his protection. "Haha, hahahaha!" He was blissfully happy to the point of madness. He was admiring the stockpile of food and weapons filling his storehouse yurt when— "Chieftain!" "Hmm...? Where is the tribute coming from this time?" "No tribute this time, Chieftain; a person has come to visit." "...A person?" Jagaltai cocked his head in curiosity as a warrior answered. "He's a young Han, demanding to meet you without delay." "What an insolent fellow." Jagaltai frowned. The Han were their enemies. He wanted nothing more than to capture and punish him, but: "Persuade him to leave peacefully." "Understood." The Jagaltai tribe had established trade relations with a Han merchant group. This Han-led merchant caravan provided them with food at a low price under the condition that they not raid or oppress the Han. "Tsk... It's a pity, but there's no helping it." Even though his blood boiled with youthful vigor as the chieftain of a great tribe, he restrained himself. Feeding his tribespeople through stable trade with the merchant group proved to be more efficient. As he made his way to his yurt, hoping to console himself by patting his wives, he heard a thunderous explosion from the village entrance. "What... What is happening?" "I'll find out immediately!" Warriors who were resting quickly grabbed their weapons and headed towards the origin of the sound. Moments later, another explosion echoed through the air. "What on earth...!" This didn't seem like a raid by another tribe. To raid his tribe, they'd need to bring at least several hundred warriors. "Something's not right." Feeling an unusual unease, Jagaltai swiftly headed towards the entrance. And then he saw it. A young, handsome man, with an appearance anyone would envy, was effortlessly dispatching warriors charging at him and making his way inside. "Uh...!" Jagaltai involuntarily gasped, not believing his eyes. "No, this can't be...." A familiar man, who was once both a disaster and a blessing when he unexpectedly visited the then-chief of the small tribe. Upon spotting him, the man smiled brightly and waved his hand. "Jagaltai, hello?" It was certain now. He was the martial artist from the Central Plains who rapidly subjugated surrounding tribes and then vanished. "Baek Woo-jin...!" He had returned. * * * Before heading to the plains, Baek Woo-jin had listened to Mo Ryong-bin explain the power dynamics of the plains. It wasn't anything extravagant. Just the current location of the massive tribe ruling the plains and the name of their chieftain. "There's a large tribe led by someone named Jagaltai, the closest one to Liaoning." Upon hearing this, Baek Woo-jin couldn't believe his ears. "Who... did you say?" "Jagaltai." "......" It was a name he remembered. Wasn't it the name of the chief he had visited for information about the plains back when the tribe was a small one? Suddenly, he thought it was fortunate. Though unsure how it came to be, if Jagaltai was now the chief of a major tribe, perhaps he could seek his assistance. And so, he arrived there. There was a bit of friction along the way, but— "Wow, Jagaltai, you've grown a lot. Now you're even the chief of a great tribe." "Hehehe... I owe it all to you, Great Warrior Baek Woo-jin." Everything had returned to its rightful place. Jagaltai set aside his authority as a chief of a grand tribe to welcome Baek Woo-jin and his followers. Inside the yurt, away from the gazes of his people who might see his humility, he rubbed his hands together and asked Baek Woo-jin and his group: "Why have you come this time...?" "Oh, it's nothing much." As Baek Woo-jin began to speak, Ja Gal-yeon continued. "I heard that recently, tribes on the plains are searching for the King's Tomb." "The King's Tomb...? Ah! You mean the tribes that have allied with the Demonic Sect." "Yes, exactly." With their mention, Jagaltai's expression crumpled as he complained. "Those scoundrels have made quite a ruckus on the plains. Searching high and low for the King's Tomb that's only been spoken of in legends for hundreds of years, they're causing chaos everywhere!" Their relentless digging all over the plains was causing numerous issues. Aside from minor problems, the major concern was the destruction of land. "They dig wherever they think something might be, then abandon it if they find nothing." "They don't fill the holes?" "Exactly! They just leave the holes as they are after digging. Do they expect their ancestors to fill the dirt back in for them?" Jagaltai fumed in frustration. Listening quietly, Baek Woo-jin asked him, "Why not retaliate? With your tribe's strength, you could probably take on most other tribes." At this, Jagaltai's face turned somber. "We did consider it, but... our shoulders were held high, confident in leading the large tribe at the time." They set out with warriors to punish those bandits digging up the plains, but— "They have another large tribe backing them." "A large tribe..." "Additionally, there are masters from the Demonic Sect among them; we ended up being utterly defeated." Their forces were evenly matched, but the masters from the Demonic Sect decimated their warriors. Since then, both sides have turned a blind eye to each other. No matter how much they tore through the plains, they pretended not to see. His mood still downcast, he subtly lifted his head to ask: "So why are you asking this...?" He harbored a glimmer of hope in his heart. Could Baek Woo-jin and his followers have returned to remove this thorn in his side? To this, Baek Woo-jin replied, "I've come to dig as well." "...What?" He came to dig. "Digging, you say... Are you here to find the King's Tomb as well?" A suddenly ominous thought crossed his mind. "Could it be that you too are from the Demonic Sect...?" Before he could finish, the aura surrounding Baek Woo-jin and his crew surged. "Ah, no, of course not. There's no way you would be like those demonic scoundrels, absolutely not!" As his words changed, their aura quickly diminished. Once again, he had survived walking the tightrope. "Anyway, they've been tearing up the land, you say." It was a headache for Jagaltai, but not bad news for Baek Woo-jin. After all, it meant the locations they dug held no King's Tomb. "Fewer places to check now, that's good." Though still akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. "I'll need to change my approach." Initially, he intended to leverage the mobillized Jagaltai tribe to search for the tomb, but upon learning that rival tribes had even sent Demonic Sect masters, his strategy shifted. "Jagaltai." "Yes, Warrior." "Prepare for war." "W-War...?" "Yes, war." First, eliminate the competitors searching for the tomb. Take down the Demonic Sect's masters supporting them and subjugate all remaining tribes. With Jagaltai, a superb chief of a large tribe, leading the charge. "How about becoming the king of the plains, Jagaltai?" "E-Excuse me...?" Jagaltai's face turned pale at the foreboding suggestion. "No, scratch that—I'm saying just do it." "Ah, yes..." There wasn't even a choice to begin with. Author's Note I'll see you in the next chapter. Thank you always for reading. Have a pleasant night. (_ _)