Once he’d calmed himself down, Young Master Hang-su asked me,
“Then if I pay you, you’ll leave right away, won’t you?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it.”
I answered with a straight face.
“Your Lord gave me something to do; how could I just toss that aside and run off? I’m a merchant. And a merchant’s real wealth is his credit.”
I went on.
“Please don’t make me into some untrustworthy fellow.”
“…I’m sorry.”
At least he apologizes quickly.
“And I’m late in saying this, but… thank you.”
“Pardon?”
“For noticing Jaryeong’s symptoms and reacting so quickly.”
Hmm, that thanks was pretty late, but a magnanimous fellow like me should let it slide.
“Thank you for recognizing it.”
Once Young Master Hang-su confirmed I had no interest in Lady Jaryeong that way, he stopped asking pointless questions.
At first, when he stayed so cold even after hearing about Lady Jaryeong’s poisoning, I’d wondered if he simply didn’t care about her, but that wasn’t it.
It only looked that way on the surface – he was still a brother who cherished Lady Jaryeong deeply.
He just expressed his anger in his own way.
Still, thank goodness he’s someone who can think and act rationally.
.
.
.
After traveling for several days like that, we finally reached Changsha, the provincial capital of Hunan.
From there, we headed straight for the Hunan Commissioner of Land Affairs’s main residence.
Once we revealed our identities to the gatekeeper, he hurried to let us in.
“We’ve been expecting you. Please, follow me.”
A man who looked like an attendant greeted us and led us to our quarters.
As expected of Hunan.
Unlike misty Guizhou, where it’s muggy yet you rarely see the sun, here in Hunan the sunlight beat down harsh and bright.
No wonder the farming here is so good.
Maybe because of that, the rear garden was overflowing with all kinds of flowers in full bloom.
“What a beautiful garden. The flowers especially are lovely.”
The attendant answered my comment.
“My Lord is very fond of plants, so he pays special attention to this part of the estate.”
“I see.”
As we walked, Young Master Hang-su spoke up with a complicated expression.
“Come to think of it… Jaryeong used to love this back garden. I never understood that, though.”
“Huh?”
“Honestly, even now I don’t understand why anyone likes flowers. They just flaunt their beauty so they can reproduce, and it’s not like they actually do anything useful in everyday life, do they?”
“…”
A brief silence fell.
Even the attendant looked a little taken aback.
I smiled gently and said,
“There’s nothing wrong with liking things that look pretty, is there? Young Master Dong, Lady Jaryeong looks pretty to you, doesn’t she?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
“But Lady Jaryeong doesn’t act pretty all the time just because she wants to stay in your good graces. Even so, you like her. Is there something wrong with that?”
“…”
He fell speechless for a moment, then nodded with a face that said something had just clicked.
“Now that you put it that way, you’re right.”
Watching Young Master Hang-su like that gave me a strange sense of déjà vu.
Someone like this around me too…
Ah!
I immediately thought of Internal Chief Administrator Yu So-ak.
He hadn’t had much in the way of social skills or consideration for others either.
He’s a lot better now compared to back then, though.
Really, saying a cold person is considerate and sociable would be a contradiction in terms.
I felt like I finally understood why the Guizhou Commissioner of Land Affairs had sent me.
He’d said he was counting on my insight, but I had a feeling what he really wanted was for me to make up for this kind of shortcoming.
His coldest, sharpest son was also the one most lacking in social skills, so he needed someone who could cover for that and soften the mood.
Deputy Ji Yeong had come along too, but expecting him to play that role would be asking too much…
It sounded a bit exhausting, but thinking about the commission fee perked me right up.
If he’s asking me to handle even this sort of thing, the Commissioner will surely pay generously.
And since he’d managed to apologize and even thank me, at least he wasn’t as hopeless as Chief Administrator Yu.
Soon, we arrived at our lodging.
Since we were from the family of the Hunan Commissioner’s third son’s fiancée, we were given an entire detached residence to ourselves.
“My Lord is currently on duty at the Seungseon Commissioner of Land Affairs Office.”
Normally, someone in his position would stay in the official residence, but since his family home was nearby, the Hunan Commissioner apparently commuted back and forth.
“Once he finishes work this evening, I’ll come for you again.”
“Understood.”
When I lifted my head to look at the sky, I realized evening was already closing in.
Well, at least we wouldn’t have to wait that long.
Dinner was served around early evening, sometime between five and seven p.m.
Maybe because this was the very place someone had tried to poison Lady Jaryeong, Deputy Ji Yeong barely touched his food, worried they might try to poison us too.
I, on the other hand, ate heartily without a care.
I had the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art to fall back on, and frankly, the chance they’d resort to something like poisoning was slim.
If distinguished guests like us were poisoned here, the Hunan Commissioner’s household would have to shoulder all the responsibility.
I’d noticed back on the ship too – Deputy Ji Yeong is cautious about everything.
That aside, it was a bit surprising that Young Master Hang-su was eating without the slightest hint of suspicion.
Looked like he was thinking along the same lines I was.
Anyway, the food really was spicy.
Still, at least here it’s a sweet kind of heat. Sichuan’s dishes aren’t sweet at all – they’re just brutally intense.
It’s probably because they’re close to where sugar is produced.
Seeing them serve noodles as the main dish meant we were being treated as truly important guests.
In Hunan, rice is plentiful but wheat is scarce, so when honored guests visit, they serve noodles made from wheat.
On top of that, there’s been a bad harvest lately, so wheat must be even more precious right now.
After we finished eating and were sipping tea, the attendant came to find us.
“My Lord has returned from the office. He said to bring you to him in about an hour. If you’ll get ready, I’ll come back for you.”
“All right.”
We each went back to our rooms, straightened our clothes, and gathered again.
Chances were high we’d be meeting the Hunan Commissioner’s whole family.
About an hour later, the same attendant came to fetch us, and we followed him.
On the way, we passed several rooms that looked like reception halls, and the attendant stopped in front of the largest one.
“These are the guests from the Guizhou Commissioner of Land Affairs’s household.”
“Let them in.”
The doors swung open and we stepped inside.
As expected… my guess had been right.
The Hunan Commissioner and several people who were clearly his family were seated inside.
The man sitting at the head of the long table was the Commissioner himself.
It was our first time meeting in this life, but I’d seen him a few times in my previous one, so I recognized him at once.
The ones seated to his left were his family.
We bowed politely, greeted them, and introduced ourselves one by one.
The Commissioner nodded, accepting our greetings, then gestured for us to sit.
“Please, sit.”
“Yes, sir.”
We took our seats on the right side of the table.
“First, let me introduce my family. There are some you haven’t met yet, aren’t there?”
Exactly what I’d been hoping for.
And so we were introduced to the family.
The middle-aged woman sitting beside the Hunan Commissioner was his primary wife. Next to her sat the second wife.
Beyond them sat the eldest son, the eldest daughter, the second son, the third son, the fourth son, and the second daughter, in that order.
Six children in all.
Our Guizhou Commissioner had six children with just one wife…
Impressive in more ways than one.
“So, seeing as you’ve come in person, it must be quite a serious matter.”
“Yes.”
Young Master Hang-su opened his mouth to speak.
“Just as you said before, this isn’t something to be conveyed by letter, so I’ve come to report it to you in person.”
He continued,
“My younger sister Jaryeong’s condition has improved.”
“Oh! Has it?”
The Hunan Commissioner’s face lit up.
“I heard her illness was very serious and was worried, but it’s gotten better? Then she can make a full recovery?”
“Yes. We found an excellent physician, and thanks to them, a full recovery isn’t far off. So my father sent me to share this news with you and your family.”
“I see. I can finally set that worry down.”
The Hunan Commissioner nodded with a faint smile.
“In that case, we should start preparing to hold the wedding.”
“We’re just grateful you’ve waited this long.”
“Think nothing of it. An engagement is a promise that joins two families – it’s not something to treat lightly.”
“Thank you for thinking of it that way.”
Young Master Hang-su went on.
“That said, Jaryeong hasn’t completely recovered yet, so we’d like to ask you to wait just a few more months.”
“Of course. I’ve already waited three years – what’s a few more months?”
I found myself looking at Young Master Hang-su with fresh eyes.
He spoke a lot more smoothly than I’d expected.
Thinking that, I studied the expressions of the family seated across from us.
When they heard Lady Jaryeong’s condition was improving, their faces showed relief, joy, and so on.
But something felt off.
Why was the fourth son happier than the third son, the actual fiancé?
And my second question was this – why did I sense Unorthodox Qi coming from that very delighted fourth son?
Now that I’d reached the Profound Realm, the disgust I felt from Unorthodox Qi was much weaker.
And within that qi, I could feel something particular I hadn’t noticed before.
There was a faint, metallic stench of blood mixed into it.
Come to think of it, people connected to the Murim Alliance had carried Unorthodox Qi before too.
My guess was that the Murim Alliance was using Unorthodox Sect forces for something.
If that was true, then the fourth son had ties to the Murim Alliance…
But I couldn’t make sense of it.
If he’d poisoned Lady Jaryeong hoping she’d die, why was he so happy to hear that she was getting better?
Just then, the second son sitting across from me asked,
“When I heard the name Eun Seo-ho earlier, I wondered… are you perhaps the Handsome Young Hero everyone talks about?”
Cough!
I didn’t think I’d run into someone who actually knew that title!
He already looked so certain that denying it would be pointless.
So I obediently admitted it.
“’Young Hero’ is too much. It’s just an empty reputation.”
“Oh! I knew it was you!”
At that, the Hunan Commissioner’s eyes lit up as he looked at me.
“Even I’ve heard of the Handsome Young Hero’s fame as the hero of the Dragon–Phoenix Martial Gathering. To think that was you! Remarkable!”
He went on,
“But what brings you traveling together with Young Master Dong?”
I answered without letting my surprise show.
“I once received a great favor from the Guizhou Commissioner, so I couldn’t refuse when he asked me to accompany his son.”
“I see.”
I turned my head slightly.
The second son’s adoring gaze was practically burning a hole through me.
Noticing this as well, the Hunan Commissioner chuckled and explained,
“My second son actually has a foot in the martial world. He’s a secular disciple of the Mount Heng Sect.”
“Is that so.”
Honestly, when you’re governing Hunan, there are times when martial artists from the martial world kick up a fuss.
Hunan’s military isn’t weak, but problems rooted in the martial world are handled faster and easier with help from martial sects.
It seemed he’d sent his second son to Mount Heng Sect as a secular disciple so he could ask for help in times like that.
Fortunately, the second son wasn’t being forced to learn martial arts – he genuinely seemed to enjoy them.
Guizhou, on the other hand, rarely had martial artists making trouble.
Why?
Because martial artists only bother to cause a ruckus when there’s profit involved.
Honestly, you only risk getting maimed or killed in a fight if there’s something to gain.
Sure, Guizhou has plenty of medicinal herbs, but that’s about it. You can’t rake in huge profits with just that.
Even the Forest bandits only go as far as robbing merchant groups carrying herbs so they can fill their bellies. They risk their necks gathering rare herbs in the rough mountains and then sell them to merchant groups just to afford clothes and weapons.
That’s why Guizhou has no famous martial clans or sects.
The second son cupped his fists to me and said,
“If it’s not too forward of me… would you help broaden my horizons a little?”
“Excuse me?”
What is he talking about right now?
He continued,
“As a martial artist, I want to cross swords with many people and broaden my perspective, but so far the warriors I’ve met have all been more or less the same level. I’m afraid I’ll end up a frog at the bottom of a well.”
“…”
“Please, let me experience how wide the world really is.”
So basically… he’s saying he wants to spar with me?
I gave an awkward smile and said,
“I’m not nearly skilled enough to be broadening anyone else’s horizons.”
There could be people from the Murim Alliance here. Showing off my skills in a place like this would be asking for trouble.
If he got hurt on top of that, things would get really messy.
Honestly, it was just a hassle too.
Just then, the Hunan Commissioner spoke up.
“Don’t refuse him – would you humor him for a bit?”
“Pardon?”
“The truth is, my second boy spends all day loitering around Dongting Lake saying he wants to fight strong opponents…”
Ah, so that’s what this is about.
Dongting Lake is such a famous scenic spot in the central plains that plenty of outside martial artists visit.
If he ended up picking a fight with a real master there for no good reason, it would be a headache.
“I’m asking you as a favor.”
“…”
With even the Commissioner earnestly asking, I couldn’t turn them down.
We rose from our seats and headed out to the courtyard.
The attendant returned the sword he’d been holding in safekeeping for me.
“Then, I’ll be in your care.”
“No, I’ll be in your care.”
And just like that, the spar began.
Following an old custom of the martial world, I decided to let him have the first three moves.
Honestly, there’s no such thing in real combat. In a real fight, hitting first is everything.
The Hunan Commissioner’s second son charged straight at me.
Clang–!
Clang–! Clang–!
Huh?
This habit of pressing in harder after the blades first meet, instead of putting everything into the initial strike.
Yeah, I definitely knew this habit.
More than just knowing it – it was familiar and… strangely nostalgic.
–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