Master’s words made me realize something I hadn’t truly been aware of until now.
Once someone trained in the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art, they developed something called Evil-Sensing Qi.
It was an instinctive rejection of anything impure, and it was also proof that the person was standing at the threshold of the Peak realm.
I had heard that the person who helped found Snow Wind Palace possessed a similar ability, but nothing had been passed down about their descendants.
That Evil-Sensing Qi was one of the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art’s defining traits, and according to Master, there seemed to be no other Cultivation Method that reacted this sharply to Unorthodox Qi.
“Then, the reason their eyes turned red…”
“That is a characteristic of the Blood Eye Art, a martial art practiced by Blood Cultists. Once they reach a certain level, their pupils turn bloodred.”
“But I was told that her eyes only turned red that one time. And the moment she died, the bloody stench of Unorthodox Qi vanished as well.”
Master let out a low hum and fell into thought, then shook his head.
“I am not certain about that either. I will look into it separately.”
“Please do. But don’t push yourself too hard. If anything happened to you, Master, I would be truly devastated.”
At my words, Master looked deeply pleased and patted me on the shoulder.
“Just hearing you say that is enough to make me happy. And it reassures me as well. Because our Young Palace Lord is you, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“This disciple is still lacking in every way.”
“You are not lacking at all. And I will be careful, so please do not worry. I know better than anyone that I must move with caution.”
“Yes.”
“Now that I think about it, I heard you will be going to Beijing soon.”
“That’s right. Beijing is my main post from now on. Ah, and there’s one more thing I wanted to ask you.”
I continued with an awkward smile.
“Please tell the people guarding me not to overdo it. I run around all over the place as it is, and ever since I started riding the River-Crossing Horse, it must be exhausting for them to keep up.”
The people Master had assigned for my sake.
But they had never once needed to step forward.
After all, I was strong enough, and so were my escort guards.
On top of that, ever since I obtained the River-Crossing Horse, simply following us must have become a serious ordeal.
At my words, Master gave a faint laugh and nodded.
“…Very well.”
.
.
.
After seeing Master off, I returned and sank into thought.
Blood Cultists…
When I visited the Wudang Sect before, there had been that ridiculous incident where the imprisoned Blood Cult Leader died after eating poisonous herbs.
Now that I thought about it, I had sensed that bloody stench quite often whenever I encountered Unorthodox Sect members connected to the Murim Alliance. Did that mean all of them were Blood Cultists?
Publicly, the Blood Cult was known to have been destroyed.
And yet if people connected to the Blood Cult kept appearing before my eyes, did that mean the Blood Cult hadn’t truly been wiped out?
No, more importantly, what the hell was the Murim Alliance scheming that made them use the Blood Cult?
But I couldn’t reveal any of this to the world.
Other than the bloody stench I could sense because of the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art, I had no clear evidence.
Not only could I not reveal the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art’s existence, but if I took one wrong step, I could end up being accused of being a Blood Cultist or a public enemy of the martial world instead.
The Murim Alliance had enough power to make that happen.
That meant I had to approach this carefully.
It was also why I was growing stronger for my revenge. I needed power if I didn’t want to be crushed.
That was what my earlier warning to Master had been about.
And Master had understood.
If I kept eliminating those bloody-smelling Unorthodox Sect members, I would eventually learn something more.
After organizing my thoughts that way, I washed up, changed clothes, and headed for the dining hall.
It was time for breakfast.
Gwak Myeong-hyeon left the Eunhae Merchant Group and was about to return to the escort bureau when he turned around.
‘Blood Cultists…’
He remembered what his father had once told him.
Beware the Blood Cult.
And then he remembered the Heavenly Flow Ice Sword, the martial art the North Sea Ice Palace Lord had passed on to Eun Seo-ho.
The owner of that martial art, Extreme Heaven Sword Gwak Hun, was a hero who had rendered great service in the war against the Blood Cult two hundred years ago.
Perhaps it was not a coincidence that the martial art had been passed on to Eun Seo-ho.
“First Snow.”
At his call, a man appeared before him and knelt.
In truth, First Snow did not refer to just this one man. It was also the name of the organization he led as team leader.
There were five members, including him.
“You called for me?”
“Yes.”
Now that he looked closely, First Snow’s face had grown much thinner than before. It was proof of how hard he had been working.
It had been about five years since Gwak Myeong-hyeon ordered him to protect Eun Seo-ho.
In the end, that protection had turned into observation, but even that must have begun straining them several years ago.
“You have all worked hard.”
“Not at all. Is he not Snow Wind Palace’s future?”
Unlike when Gwak Myeong-hyeon first gave the order, First Snow now truly acknowledged Eun Seo-ho as the next Palace Lord.
“I’m not just saying that out of politeness. I really mean you must have suffered quite a bit.”
“…”
“The Young Palace Lord said not to push yourselves too hard.”
“…!”
A faint look of surprise crossed First Snow’s face, but he soon nodded. At Eun Seo-ho’s level, he must have already noticed they were there.
“So I will change the order. Protect him only within reasonable limits.”
“But…”
“Use your own judgment and act accordingly.”
“Understood.”
“To be honest, you may sometimes wonder whether you can truly be of any help. But once in ten million times, that one time will decide Snow Wind Palace’s future.”
“I will keep that in mind. However… thanks to this, our Lightness Skill has improved considerably. Because of the Young Palace Lord, we often have to run as if our lives depend on it…”
“…”
It was the end of the Second Month, and the day had come for me and my companions to leave for Beijing.
This winter had certainly been eventful too.
My entire family came out to see us off.
“Be careful on the road. Please, take care of yourself.”
“Yes.”
“Uncle, I’ll see you next time.”
“Play with us again.”
“Of course, of course.”
I paid my respects to the adults, then said goodbye to my two brothers and my sisters-in-law.
Lastly, I exchanged farewells with Geon-hyeok and Bo-yeon.
Then I approached Father.
“Father, you remember what I told you, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then I will see you then.”
After that, I headed toward Warrior Yong Min.
This time, he had been placed on the list of those who would rotate in to replace the Eunpoong Division escort guards stationed in Beijing.
“Please take good care of my son.”
“Do not worry. I will look after him well.”
“Brother, I’ll be in your care.”
“I should be saying that. I’ll be counting on you for this voyage as well.”
“That goes without saying.”
“And looking after Captain Yong’s brother also goes without saying, so please do not worry too much.”
The Yungang Man Clan Lord also decided to travel with us this time.
He had chosen to return to the Yungang Man Clan’s main house in Shandong.
His son, Archer God Man Jeong, would remain here to train the archery unit.
And so, we departed for Beijing.
We were riding River-Crossing Horses, but since we had companions traveling with us, we took our time and moved at an easy pace.
Even while traveling, I set aside time every day to learn Great Yue Language from Warrior Yong Min.
On the way, we stopped in Shandong, escorted the Yungang Man Clan Lord home, and set out for Beijing again.
“Welcome.”
“We have been waiting for you.”
When we arrived at the Beijing Branch, Branch Chief Eun and the Beijing Branch staff welcomed us.
“Was your journey comfortable?”
“There were a few obstacles, but overall, it was comfortable.”
At my answer, the Branch Chief asked in surprise.
“Pardon? Obstacles, sir?”
“We ran into a band of mountain bandits.”
“Oh no! Was there any damage?”
“None at all.”
As I said that, I glanced back at the Eunpoong Division escort guards.
Mountain bandits were ruthless by nature, so the way to deal with them was simple.
We only had to be ruthless in return.
My guards had performed well, and among the Eunpoong Division, Warrior Yong Min’s performance had been especially dazzling.
I was able to confirm once again that he displayed his greatest skill when he held a sword and had to kill someone.
And just as I suspected, with a sword in hand, his ability was comparable to a Peak warrior.
The Eunpoong Division escort guards who saw it also came to understand Warrior Yong Min’s true strength.
“You must be tired, so please come inside.”
“Yes.”
I headed to my quarters, but instead of resting, I washed up briefly and went straight to the Virtuous Wind Department.
Deputy Chief Yeo Chang-ui came out to greet me.
“Department Chief, you have arrived?”
“Yes. You have worked hard in my absence.”
“Not at all. Then will you begin work immediately?”
“Yes.”
“If you wait in your office, I will bring the documents that need your approval.”
I nodded and headed to my office.
When I entered, Deputy Gal Hyeon, who had been busily writing documents at the desk beside mine, hurried to his feet.
“Gasp! Deputy Merchant Lord, you’re here?”
“Yes. Thank you for all your hard work.”
Saying that, I sat down at my desk.
Soon, Deputy Chief Yeo Chang-ui entered while pulling a cart piled high with documents.
“Are all of these… things I have to review?”
“Yes.”
That was when Deputy Gal spoke.
“Ah, Department Chief. There are more things you need to review besides those.”
“That’s a problem.”
“Pardon?”
“There are two more matters I have to personally oversee.”
First was the Poetry and Prose Competition.
At least I had handled that before, so it would not be a major problem.
The problem was the new matter I intended to start.
I sent a letter to Warrior Jin Yeong’s residence. It was a letter saying I wished to meet His Majesty the Emperor.
Of course, since I had a Permanent Entry Pass, entering the Imperial Palace was not an issue.
But meeting the Emperor was a different matter.
Unless the Emperor summoned me, I couldn’t just go and see him whenever I felt like it.
The day after I sent the letter through Escort Guard Lee Pil…
“Welcome, Warrior Jin Yeong.”
“It has been a while.”
Warrior Jin Yeong visited the Beijing Branch.
But his presence felt somewhat different from when he had visited the Eunhae Merchant Group’s headquarters before.
Ah!
I cupped my fist and congratulated him.
“Congratulations on your achievement.”
“You noticed right away, as expected! Hahaha, I’m embarrassed.”
Warrior Jin Yeong had become a Peak warrior.
“It was entirely thanks to your advice that I was able to cross the wall. Didn’t you tell me to stop thinking about everything and simply swing my sword at the ice?”
I had indeed given him that advice.
Thankfully, it seemed my suggestion had come at just the right time.
“I asked the others for their understanding, took charge of one section, and focused only on breaking the ice without thinking. Before I knew it, I fell into a state of selflessness and gained enlightenment.”
Warrior Jin Yeong continued.
“I truly thank you. When I think about it, I owe you so much. You helped the Embroidered Guard gain merit and raised our standing, saved my life in Lanzhou before, and now you have even helped me raise my realm… I don’t know how I will ever repay this debt.”
“You are too kind. Haven’t I also received help from you in many ways, Great Hero?”
Warrior Jin Yeong needed to continue feeling grateful to me.
Only then would he provide me with various conveniences.
To be honest, how reassuring and convenient was it to have someone in the Embroidered Guard who supported me?
All the more so when that someone held a high position within the Embroidered Guard.
Of course, the Emperor himself stood behind me, but that was a little frightening.
“Ah, we should not be standing around like this. Let us depart. His Majesty the Emperor is waiting.”
“Yes. Let’s go at once.”
I headed to the Imperial Palace with Warrior Jin Yeong.
After entering the Imperial Palace, I was soon able to meet the Emperor.
I paid him the highest formal respect, and the Emperor spoke in a voice filled with dignity.
“Raise your head.”
“Your imperial grace is boundless.”
I quickly offered my thanks once more.
“I gratefully received what Your Majesty bestowed upon me through Warrior Jin Yeong.”
“Yes. Make good use of it.”
The hidden weapon Master-Returning Flower, which the Emperor had bestowed upon me, had been made to recognize me as its owner.
“So, why did you ask to see me? I doubt it was merely to thank me for that.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. That is correct.”
I continued.
“Before holding the Poetry and Prose Competition, I would like to open one event first.”
“What event is that?”
“A Liquor Tasting Competition, Your Majesty.”
“A Liquor Tasting Competition? You mean an event to judge liquor?”
“That is correct.”
I continued.
“Thanks to Your Majesty’s Imperial Order, we can now brew liquor for foreign trade. But if we are going to sell it, should we not sell it at a high price?”
“You mean to hold a competition to distinguish fine liquor and raise its value.”
“That is correct, Your Majesty.”
As expected of the Emperor. He understood immediately.
“And you want to grant the honor of having the Emperor recognize it?”
“In this empire, what greater honor could there be than being recognized by Your Majesty the Emperor?”
“Then what benefit comes to me?”
“Entry fees and public sentiment.”
“You want me to collect entry fees and use them to supplement the imperial finances?”
“As expected of Your Majesty.”
I continued.
“There are many liquors produced throughout the empire, so the entry fees alone should amount to a considerable sum.”
“Hm. Not a bad idea.”
If the Liquor Tasting Competition raised the value of liquor, we merchants would benefit by selling it at a higher price, and the imperial family would benefit by collecting entry fees.
“But public sentiment? Ah! You little…”
The Emperor looked at me with a satisfied expression.
“Good. Proceed with it.”
His Majesty the Emperor had granted permission.
“But you do not wish to handle this alone, do you? Tell me, is there a suitable merchant group?”
“Yes. There is.”
I answered immediately.
When it came to liquor, there was one merchant group more famous than any other.
The Cheongsu Merchant Group of Guizhou.
Even their merchant group’s name meant clear water.
However, because of the Prohibition Decree, they were currently in an extremely difficult situation.
That meant this opportunity would be like desperately needed rain in a drought for them.
In my previous life, they had been used to fatten the Murim Alliance’s belly, but this time would be different.
At last, I could repay the debt I owed them.
–TL Notes–
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