The situation was over.
I looked at Zhuge Gyeong, who had turned into a lifeless husk.
As I stared at him, a sigh escaped my lips, caught in a tangle of emotions too complicated to explain.
Still, I finally felt a bit of relief.
The revulsion I’d felt toward him just moments ago had vanished.
Could it be I couldn’t feel it anymore because he was dead?
I’d have to ask Master about it.
And when the time was right, I needed to ask about the formation, too.
.
.
.
“Grandfather! Are you alright?”
The Grand Elder was sitting collapsed on the ground. I quickly rushed over and asked,
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine.”
But despite his words, the Grand Elder’s face was deathly pale.
“I’m alright, so don’t worry, all of you.”
“But…”
At Zhuge Yu-ah’s concern, he continued.
“It’s just that I’m a bit short on Qi. It’s rare for me to be so depleted.”
“Then that formation… was it really that powerful?”
To her question, the Grand Elder replied,
“It was.”
He looked at me with a curious gaze.
Why was he looking at me like that?
“Thank you, young master, for rushing here for our clan and helping us.”
“Think nothing of it. It was only natural.”
“I figured you’d say that. But gratitude is still gratitude.”
He went on.
“If there’s nothing urgent waiting for you back home, would you mind staying at an inn for a while? I’d like to have you remain here, but as you know, we’ll be busy cleaning things up, and I’m afraid we wouldn’t be able to treat you properly.”
“I understand. I’ll do as you ask.”
“Thank you.”
.
.
.
The Zhuge Clan arranged for me to stay in the most luxurious room at the finest inn in the area.
They really didn’t have to go this far.
Still, I wondered how Chief Administrator Yu was doing on his way back.
Having realized that there was another shadow behind all of this, I knew I had to return to the Zhuge Clan as quickly as possible.
So I couldn’t bring Chief Administrator Yu with me.
The journey had to be made at full speed, and that would’ve been too much for someone of his weaker constitution.
Besides, it would’ve been problematic if his time away from the merchant group stretched any longer. There was bound to be work piling up.
So I asked Master to escort him.
In any case, Master’s current escort mission would take him past our merchant group’s territory.
Just as I expected, Master agreed without hesitation and said they’d depart at dawn.
Two more days passed like that, and I spent the time exploring the area diligently in my own way.
There was something I needed to do now that I had the time after coming here.
.
.
.
On the third day,
I received a summons from the Grand Elder.
But instead of his personal residence, I was guided to what could be called the central hall of the Zhuge Clan.
The Hall of the Crouching Dragon (臥龍殿).
As I entered the massive structure, someone came to greet me.
“Lady Zhuge Yu-ah.”
“Welcome, young master. Everyone’s waiting for you.”
I asked her,
“So, you’re done with the act now?”
“There’s no need for it anymore. And it’s all thanks to you.”
“I didn’t do anything. It was the effort and sacrifice of the clan members that made it possible.”
I entered the Clan Lord’s office.
Inside were the Grand Elder, the Clan Lord, and several others.
“I’ve come at your summons.”
I offered a respectful cupped-fist salute, and the Grand Elder said,
“Raise your head.”
“Yes.”
As I lifted my head, the Grand Elder stood and said,
“Thanks to you, Young Master Eun, our Zhuge Clan escaped a great crisis. We’re truly grateful.”
Then he returned the salute and bowed his head to me. The others followed suit and did the same.
To think I’d receive a gesture of thanks from the Grand Elder of the Zhuge Clan!
I waved my hand to stop them.
“Please, there’s no need. I didn’t do anything.”
“No, you did much for this clan.”
He continued,
“Before anything else, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Yes, go ahead.”
“How did you know something would happen to our clan? I heard from my attendant that you warned us of danger and said a formation would be used?”
“Yes, that’s true.”
I’d expected the Grand Elder to ask, so I answered calmly.
“Actually, I met him when I visited the Institute of Tranquility.”
“Yes, you mentioned that you went there.”
“Right. At the time, he was unusually wary of me. It went beyond what you’d expect for a mere outsider. It was… as if he was hiding something.”
“Hiding something, huh…”
“Yes. Even at the end, he kept his guard up and disappeared. I grew up in a merchant family where you’re taught to always watch out for both external threats and internal traitors. That’s why I was able to read his expression, and it made me suspicious.”
“But just from that…”
“What clinched it for me was a memory I recalled only after I left the Zhuge estate—after a meal at the inn. When someone from the same clan is revealed to be the poisoner, how would a normal person react?”
“They’d be shocked.”
“But he was calmly walking somewhere without a care in the world. That’s when I realized there was still danger lurking within the Zhuge Clan.”
“I see. And the formation?”
“Well, isn’t it obvious? He was a member of the Zhuge Clan too, wasn’t he?”
“Hmm…”
“I returned simply to warn you out of unease, but by then, it had already begun, and I was just as shocked.”
“I understand. That explains it well.”
That concluded the questioning.
Truthfully, I found it a little odd. He hadn’t asked the most important question.
The one about the Lion’s Roar.
It had snapped people out of the formation’s illusion when they were turning on one another, so it was only natural to be curious about what happened.
Yet he hadn’t brought it up.
Why?
He’s not someone who would forget such a thing.
As I watched the Grand Elder for a moment, the Clan Lord spoke up.
“And so, our clan would like to offer you a proper reward. Ask for whatever you wish.”
“No! I don’t want anything.”
At my reply, the Grand Elder said,
“Hoho, don’t be shy. Speak freely.”
“There truly is nothing I want. I didn’t do this expecting any reward.”
I continued,
“When people are in danger right before your eyes, how could you just stand by and do nothing? I acted because I had to. It wasn’t for any reward, so how could I now ask for one?”
Honestly, if I wanted to claim a reward from the Zhuge Clan, there were plenty of things I could demand.
Still, I only wished for the Zhuge Clan to endure.
That way, the Murim Alliance wouldn’t so easily reveal its ambitions.
So this would serve as a foundation to restrain the Alliance in the future.
But it seemed my answer had left quite the impression.
“Hoho! A true gentleman stands before us!”
At the Grand Elder’s words, the Clan Lord nodded.
“Indeed. Though still young, the young master truly bears the character of a gentleman.”
The others also nodded at that.
“But refusing a request from my father is also impolite. So speak freely, no matter what it is.”
Pressed by their unspoken insistence, I let out a sigh and said,
“In that case, I have one request.”
“What is it?”
“In truth, our merchant group’s Chief Administrator Yu So-ak became our Internal Chief Administrator due to various complicated circumstances. But before all that, he’s someone who truly enjoys composing and reciting poetry. He greatly cherished the time spent with the Grand Elder during your invitation. So I ask this favor.”
I offered a cupped-fist salute as I continued,
“Please continue being a friend to him in poetry and literature.”
At my words, the Grand Elder’s eyes turned red with emotion.
Huh?
Why’s he suddenly tearing up?
“Khmm! How can you always manage to move me like this?”
“…Excuse me?”
“Have you forgotten? Young master, Chief Administrator Yu is already my sworn brother. Which makes him, by extension, Yul’s uncle.”
The Clan Lord added,
“Just as Father said. Chief Administrator Yu So-ak is henceforth our honored uncle.”
In other words, should anyone try to harm Chief Administrator Yu, the Zhuge Clan wouldn’t sit idly by.
With that, he now had a powerful shield behind him.
All I asked was for them to keep in touch with our merchant group moving forward…
“Is there truly nothing else you want?”
At Lady Zhuge Yu-ah’s question, I nodded lightly.
“No.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Truly?”
“Yes.”
Then the Grand Elder spoke.
“Now that I think of it, your group’s Pavilion Lord Yeon is currently moving to personally acquire Tieguanyin in Anxi, Fujian, isn’t she?”
“You knew?”
“I happened to hear about it. Actually, our clan owns a tea plantation in Fujian.”
“I see.”
“I noticed before that you, too, have quite the interest in tea. So, as a token of gratitude, I’ll grant your group the exclusive distribution rights to the Tieguanyin harvested from our plantation in Fujian.”
“What?”
From what I knew, the Tieguanyin plantation owned by the Zhuge Clan was massive.
In the future I experienced, the Murim Alliance had swallowed it whole.
If our merchant group secured the distribution rights to the tea harvested from that vast estate, the profit would be incalculable.
“The term is indefinite.”
“I-I couldn’t possibly accept such a thing.”
“You’ve more than earned it. The entire Zhuge Clan, myself included, owes you a debt of life.”
“But still…”
“Just take it, please. I’d love to give even more, but who knows—one day you may need our help. Let’s save the rest for that day.”
And so, through this affair with the Zhuge Clan, I received something completely unexpected.
A result of the life I’d rewritten.
I still didn’t know where this altered future was headed, but for now, everything had wrapped up nicely.
It was time for me to return.
“Then, I’ll take my leave now. I, too, have duties to fulfill and can’t be away any longer.”
“Yes, of course.”
At that moment, Zhuge Yu-ah spoke.
“Young Master Eun.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you. Truly. If there’s ever anything I can do to help you personally, I’d be happy to.”
Since this was a gathering of the clan’s elders, I couldn’t bluntly refuse her goodwill.
“I’ll remember your kindness, my lady. Please stay well.”
At my words, her cheeks turned slightly pink.
Just then, the Clan Lord interjected.
“Hrm, hrmm. Young master, do you happen to be engaged?”
“Not yet…”
“Is that so? I see.”
…What was the meaning behind that question?
Regardless, I offered a cupped-fist salute to everyone.
“Then, be well. Grand Elder, Clan Lord, and all of you—thank you for your generous hospitality.”
Now, it was truly time to go home.
The Grand Elder watched Eun Seo-ho’s departing carriage grow smaller in the distance.
His eyes were filled with warmth.
‘Was that young master’s visit to our clan a blessing from our ancestors? Or perhaps Heaven’s will that our clan must not fall just yet?’
He slowly pulled a small jade token from his sleeve and stared at it in silence.
It was a keepsake once shared between him and an old friend.
That friend’s clan had been renowned for their pure and serene Qi, but it was no more.
They were annihilated in an instant by a Demonic Cult.
When he’d heard of his friend’s death, he was overcome with grief…
But something didn’t sit right. So he secretly investigated the matter.
That was when he discovered a letter his friend had left behind.
And finally, he understood.
It had been the work of the Murim Alliance.
Partly out of loyalty to his friend’s grudge, and partly out of growing suspicion toward the Alliance, he had kept his distance ever since.
This time, the reason he hadn’t fallen under the Mist of Delusion Formation’s influence was because of the jade token his friend had given him.
It contained his friend’s serene, pure Qi, which had neutralized the formation’s chaotic nature.
And he had felt that same clear and serene Qi from Eun Seo-ho.
Which meant, somewhere out there, his friend’s bloodline had survived in secret.
That was why he hadn’t asked anything about Eun Seo-ho’s Lion’s Roar.
It was also to protect the one who had saved his clan.
‘I’ll have to alter a few records regarding this…’
It looked like he’d be busy for a while.
Upon returning home, I headed straight for Father’s office.
“Your son has returned safely from the journey.”
“Did you enjoy yourself?”
“Yes. It was a joyful and meaningful time.”
“I heard from Chief Administrator Yu. Something happened at the Zhuge Clan, and you had to return there urgently?”
“Well, actually…”
I explained the whole story to Father, and when I finished, he let out a sigh.
“So that’s what happened.”
“Yes.”
“But still, you’re still…”
I quickly handed him what I was holding.
“And Father, this is something from the Zhuge Clan.”
“Hm?”
“They insisted I take it, so I did… but I’m not sure if I really should have.”
Father accepted the documents and opened them.
He counted them carefully, one by one. Three in total.
–TL Notes–
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