When I went out at Palgap’s word, I saw a familiar face standing there.
It was Clan Lord Peng’s Deputy.
“The Clan Lord has asked that you come to Jade Star Hall.”
.
.
.
A little while later, I was facing the Clan Lord in Jade Star Hall.
“You’re leaving today?”
“That’s right.”
“Well, I can’t keep you here any longer. You’re a busy man too.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
The Clan Lord quietly stared at me.
“Even if you only did it for the sake of a deal, I’m grateful.”
His words carried some weight, so I cupped my fists and bowed my head.
“If you ever need to make another deal in the future, please come to me.”
“I will.”
The Clan Lord nodded, then picked something up from the desk and flicked it toward me.
“Take it.”
Whoosh—!
He’d put a bit too much Qi into it, which made it feel a little… personal.
Tap—!
I easily snatched it out of the air.
It was a small box.
“What is this?”
“What else would it be? It’s a deal. You told me to come find you if I needed one, didn’t you?”
“Huh?”
“It’s an elixir. A very good one, strong enough to save your life once even if you’re on the brink of death.”
At that level, it was an elixir so valuable I could hardly put a price on it—and he just called it a deal?
I grinned, cupped my fists, and said,
“What do you want in return?”
“My second son, Peng Seong. Find that brat for me.”
“What?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
I really hadn’t seen that request coming.
“You mean your second son, the one who was driven out by your eldest…”
“That’s right.”
So it was the same request as Young Clan Lord Peng Gang-un’s.
But there was one difference from when he had asked me to find his uncle.
Back then, Peng Gang-un had looked uncertain, but the Clan Lord’s eyes now held firm conviction.
“But even if I try, I don’t know if I can actually find him. To be honest, I’m afraid he might already have passed…”
“No! That brat is alive.”
The Clan Lord spoke with absolute certainty.
What was this? Was he clinging to the belief his son was alive out of guilt?
That question was answered almost immediately.
“Because I was the one who helped him escape safely.”
“…What?”
That, I really hadn’t expected.
I had thought he was the kind of father who just watched his two sons fight and did nothing…
“The only reason I kept quiet even after learning of Peng Mun’s atrocities was because Peng Seong wanted it that way. He said he didn’t want to cause turmoil in the clan… that he just wanted to disappear from it and live as if he were barely even there.”
“Then do you at least know where he is now?”
“If I knew that, would I be hiring you and handing you that pill?”
“…”
The Clan Lord let out a sigh.
“One day, Peng Seong vanished from the safe house I had prepared for him. Then a warrior came to deliver a message. Peng Mun had attacked, but he managed to escape safely.”
That must have involved the attendant named Chuseon.
“And… that warrior delivered a letter to me.”
The Clan Lord sighed again.
“He asked me to forgive him for leaving without even saying goodbye. He wrote that, if by some chance we ever met again, his appearance might have changed so much I wouldn’t even recognize him as my own son.”
In other words, he’d decided to change his appearance.
“Then how am I supposed to find him? If even his own family wouldn’t recognize him…”
“First of all, you just need to see his back. There’s a mark on it that only I know about, one even he doesn’t know is there.”
Sounded like he had carved some sort of mark into the child’s back right after he was born.
“And he told me of another mark. He said that would be proof he was Peng Seong… since he had no idea about the one I carved into his back.”
“Then could you show me that mark?”
He nodded, drew something on a sheet of paper, and then flicked it at me just like before.
Snap!
I caught it and unfolded it.
“Got a good look at it?”
After maybe ten seconds of staring at it, the paper in my hands suddenly burst into flame at the Clan Lord’s words.
“Clan Lord! That’s dangerous.”
“Letting that sheet leak out would be far more dangerous.”
“Ah… right.”
Still, what exactly was his intention, telling me both about the mark on his second son’s back and this agreed-upon sign?
As if he’d read my thoughts, the Clan Lord spoke up.
“I trust you. Even under my pressure, you absolutely refused to spill the details of your deal with Gang-un.”
“That was only because you were lenient with your pressure, Clan Lord.”
“Lenient?”
The Clan Lord gave me a look like he’d just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
“Back then, I was completely serious when I released my Qi. No matter how you’re at the Peak realm, most people would spill every little thing they know when faced with that.”
Seriously… this old geezer?
Good thing Geumryeong moved then. Otherwise I’d have ended up putting on a really pathetic show.
Well, if I’d opened my mouth back then, I probably wouldn’t be standing here right now anyway.
But… even if Geumryeong hadn’t stepped in, I still wouldn’t have talked.
Trust is a merchant’s lifeblood.
“That’s harsh. I’m just an honest merchant, you know.”
“How would I know that? Whether you’re actually honest or just pretending to be.”
“…”
I had nothing to say to that.
“In any case, I hope you’ll live up to my trust.”
“Understood.”
If I ever let this leak, I probably wouldn’t be allowed to die a clean death.
Not that I had any intention of doing that.
“So that’s why you’re sure he’s still alive.”
“Of course! With that brat’s skills, I’m sure he’s out there taking good care of himself.”
“Then if I do manage to find your second son, should I bring him back here?”
“No.”
What was that supposed to mean now?
“What I want is for you to confirm he’s living well, and to pass on my words to him.”
“…?”
“What I want you to tell him…”
The Clan Lord picked up an envelope lying on the desk and threw it at me.
Whoosh—!
Thump!
“It’s written in there.”
That made three times now he’d thrown something at me packed with Qi…
At this point, he had to be doing it on purpose, right?
Grumbling inwardly, I examined the envelope.
This time it was completely sealed, the kind of seal that would definitely leave traces if opened.
“Understood. And I have something to ask, if I may.”
“Why? What else are you curious about?”
“Those people we caught this time—have the interrogation results come out?”
“And why are you asking about that?”
“I did contribute a fair bit to capturing them. I figured that gives me the right to hear about it.”
The Clan Lord nodded.
“Fair enough. We haven’t gotten anything out of them yet, but if we learn something, I’ll have it sent to you.”
“Thank you. And there’s one more thing I’d like to ask.”
“What now?”
“The warrior who delivered your second son’s letter back then—where is that person now?”
“Haven’t you already met?”
“…Sorry?”
“The one always stuck to Gang-un’s side—that warrior.”
“…”
So that was why Young Clan Lord Peng Gang-un treated that attendant so strangely politely.
“I see. Then, one last question, if I may.”
“What is it?”
“What is this pill called?”
.
.
.
Leaving Jade Star Hall, I had to fight hard to keep the corners of my mouth from creeping up.
Hard not to be in a good mood after getting such an incredible elixir as an advance payment.
Its name was Life-Tuning Pill (製律丸).
Apparently it had been made by one of the Five Great Divine Physicians.
It couldn’t have been easy to acquire… but I suppose someone like the Hebei Peng Clan’s Lord could manage it.
I headed back to the detached residence where I’d been staying as Young Clan Lord Peng Gang-un’s guest.
Young Clan Lord Peng Gang-un was waiting for me, and I greeted him.
“I’ve been well taken care of. I’ll be heading out now.”
At my words, Peng Gang-un cupped his fists and bowed his head.
“I won’t forget the kindness you’ve shown me.”
There were a lot of eyes on us. Talking openly about our deal in a place like this would be foolish.
I cupped my fists in return and said,
“All I did was show a bit of sincerity to the hero who personally attended my birthday banquet.”
“If I could, I’d ask you to stay longer. I feel like I haven’t treated you properly yet.”
“Even if you say that, I have to decline. I need to get back to my own work now.”
“That’s exactly why I can’t keep you here.”
“Please don’t forget that the Eunhae Merchant Group will always be behind you, Young Clan Lord.”
I sent him a Voice Transmission.
— It means, don’t forget our deal.
He flinched slightly at my Voice Transmission, then soon looked at me with a smile.
“Of course. I won’t forget.”
Peng Gang-un’s eyes were filled with sharpness and conviction.
Leaving him behind, I departed from the Peng Clan estate.
.
.
.
My temporary residence in Beijing was closer to the Peng estate than I’d thought.
So the trip only took about half a day.
As soon as I arrived, I ran into an unexpected face.
“Oh? Warrior Jin Yeong?”
“Hahaha! You’ve finally arrived.”
“What are you doing here?”
“His Majesty ordered me to wait here and take you straight into the palace the moment you arrived.”
Couldn’t I at least sleep for just one hour first?
Obviously, I had no choice but to just quickly show my face to Brother Jeong-ho and then head to the imperial palace with Warrior Jin Yeong.
.
.
.
As we stepped into the imperial palace, Warrior Jin Yeong asked me,
“That little gathering you proposed last time. Were you maybe using us?”
Well, you’d have to be an idiot not to notice that.
I admitted it without resistance.
“My apologies.”
“You should’ve at least said something, man! Do you know how shocked we were?”
“I have no excuse. So this time, I’ll throw a real, full-blown feast with no hidden agenda.”
At that, Warrior Jin Yeong grinned.
Huh? Why is he smiling?
Smack—!
Then he smacked me on the back and said,
“Ha! That’s not like you at all!”
“Huh? What do you mean, not like me?”
“What you’re like? Let’s see… brazen, shamelessly smooth-talking, and somehow never taking a loss?”
Is that supposed to be an insult or a compliment?
“Hahaha. Relax, will you. Thanks to you, His Majesty had a great time with all this. You think we’d hold a grudge over it?”
“Still, I’m still sorry for it.”
“Hehehe, that’s exactly why I like you. Even so, you’re a very upright person. That’s why they call you the Handsome Young Hero.”
Urk!
The sudden ambush with that ridiculous title made me scrunch up my face before I realized it.
“Anyway, I’m guessing that’s why His Majesty is calling for you this time too.”
Soon after, I arrived at His Majesty’s office.
An eunuch announced me inside, and the doors opened shortly after.
I walked in slowly, stopped at the proper distance from the Emperor, and bowed in salute.
“Your humble subject Eun Seo-ho greets Your Supreme Majesty. Ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand ten thousand years!”
“Raise your head.”
“Your grace is boundless.”
I raised my head and looked at the Emperor.
“So then, why did you go to the Peng Clan this time?”
Straight to the point, huh.
“The truth is, during my birthday banquet…”
I told the Emperor everything honestly.
Why? Because His Majesty has eyes and ears all over the empire.
There was no way he didn’t already know.
As expected, he wasn’t particularly surprised even when I mentioned putting up a reward to make the assassin group destroy itself.
“So that’s how you managed to return safely with that Peng brat to his clan. And you even mobilized the Embroidered Guard in the process?”
“Still, things played out exactly the way Your Majesty wanted, didn’t they? All of this was out of my sincere loyalty to you.”
“You little brat, you do talk well.”
Looks like… Warrior Jin Yeong might have been right about me being brazen and shamelessly smooth-tongued.
“So I’ve decided to overlook the whole matter this time. In the end, you handed me a very great gift.”
That was true.
Thanks to all this, the Emperor had been able to get exactly what he wanted with almost no effort: the Hebei Peng Clan’s support.
In fact, despite the Peng Clan having been trusted by the late Emperor, and they had not supported the current one.
Moreover, when the current Emperor began heavily favoring the Hwangbo Clan, they seemed to get stubborn and reacted even more lukewarmly to his policies.
Of course, that didn’t mean they were plotting rebellion or anything—just that they didn’t actively support him.
There were people from the Peng Clan working in the Embroidered Guard, but you can’t really do anything about an individual’s personal leanings.
As it was, by using this incident as a pretext, the Emperor had gained the Peng Clan’s support as well, securing the backing of both of Beijing’s great martial clans.
As a result, his authority was growing from unstoppable to practically invincible under heaven.
“So next time you plan something like that, give me a heads-up first. If I weren’t as clever as I am, I might have let this opportunity slip right by.”
“…”
I was briefly at a loss for words at His Majesty’s self-praise.
“You look very tired.”
Yes, because someone dragged me to the palace before I could even rest.
Anyway, whenever he says that, it’s usually the prelude to sending me away.
Can’t have that happen!
I’d been dragged here the moment I arrived in my Beijing residence; I refused to leave with nothing but a few words of praise.
I cupped my fists and spoke up.
“I’ve been running all over the place to prepare the gift I offered Your Majesty, so I haven’t really had time to rest. On that note, did you like the gift I gave you?”
“Yes, I did.”
I lifted my head and gave a small smile.
“In that case… isn’t there a little cut for me?”
“Hm?”
“Even at a gambling table, when you win money you give the people around you a little cut.”
“From what I’ve heard, the reason you give them a cut is because they’ll cause trouble for you if you don’t.”
“Surely I would never harbor such disloyal thoughts, Your Majesty.”
“Hahahahaha!”
Looking at me, the Emperor burst into hearty laughter.
“You’re probably the only person bold enough to demand a cut from me.”
Amused, the Emperor looked at me and asked,
“So, what do you want?”
At that question, I put on a sly act.
“Well, I believe that’s something Your Majesty should decide and bestow as you see fit.”
“Impudent brat.”
His Majesty fell silent for a moment in thought, then finally opened his mouth to speak.
–TL Notes–
Tired of seeing Ads? Then please support me on Patreon! Any tier of subscription will make it so you won’t get any ads!
If you want to support me or give me feedback, you can do it at patreon.com/InsanityTheGame
Join my Discord! https://discord.gg/BWaP3AHHpt