The moment I returned, I had to throw myself into work without even catching my breath.
The unexpected trip to Luoyang had cost me more time than I could afford.
Seriously, the Murim Alliance never did a single thing to make my life easier!
I was silently cursing the Murim Alliance as I worked when–
“Seo-ho!”
The door opened, and Brother Jeong-ho strode inside.
Ever since I returned, Brother Jeong-ho had been looking better with each passing day.
“What?”
At my curt response, he gave a quiet laugh and held out a letter.
“Father sent a letter.”
“Hm? From Father?”
Ah, so this was about that.
After returning from Luoyang, I had sent Father a letter through Geumryeong.
The right the Alliance Leader had granted me–the right to choose any location I wanted in the merchant district–was far too important to handle casually.
This was probably Father’s official reply.
I accepted the letter and unfolded it.
[Seo-ho, read this. As I already told Jeong-ho, the Murim Grand Assembly will be held in Luoyang this Tenth Month. The Eunhae Merchant Group will also conduct business in the merchant district there.]
I chuckled.
There was nothing particularly new in the letter since Geumryeong had already brought me a reply, but Father’s excitement practically leaped off the page.
It was as though the entire letter were shouting, Let’s make a killing at this Murim Grand Assembly!
[Also, since I must personally travel to Luoyang this time, I cannot leave this place without someone in charge. Therefore, it seems Jeong-ho will need to return to Headquarters for the time being.]
Ah, so this was the real point.
It couldn’t be helped.
Things had been so convenient while he was here, too.
“What is it? Why are you making that face?”
At Brother Jeong-ho’s question, I gave an awkward smile.
“What face?”
“You look disappointed that you won’t be able to work me to the bone anymore.”
Damn, he caught me.
Brother Jeong-ho could be surprisingly sharp.
“Oh, come on. What are you talking about? I’m not that shameless.”
“Really?”
I smiled awkwardly and changed the subject.
“So when are you heading back?”
“In about a month, I suppose.”
“That’s a relief.”
Brother Jeong-ho glared at me.
“What exactly is a relief?”
I grinned.
There was one thing I had realized because of this recent incident.
I needed to learn the Disguise Art.
Escort Guard Jin Yu and Lady Seohyang both had reasons to conceal their identities.
And there were times when I needed to hide my own rather memorable face.
That was why I had remembered the Disguise Art Master used during the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering.
The Disguise Art he had learned from a friend was nothing short of astonishing.
It could even alter the Qi a person gave off.
Of course, it couldn’t conceal the fundamental purity of the Supreme Yin Ice Sea Divine Art from someone who practiced the same martial art.
That very day, I sent Master a letter, and Geumryeong soon returned with his reply.
“Kui! Kui!”
Geumryeong scrambled through the window, and Palgap, who spotted it, quickly reached out and caught it.
“Kui?”
Using Palgap’s hand as a springboard, Geumryeong lightly bounced into the air and landed snugly in my arms.
I chuckled and stroked Geumryeong’s back.
“Did you have a good trip?”
“Kui!”
Watching that, I finally understood why Geumryeong always insisted on coming in through the window.
“You wanted me to praise you, didn’t you? Is that why you always come through the window?”
“Kui?”
“Hm? That’s not it?”
“Kui! Kui! Kui!”
“Uh… so you’re saying passing through walls makes you hungry faster?”
“Kui!”
“And you’d be willing to come through the wall if I paid you more?”
I laughed.
“Just keep using the window.”
“Kui…”
Geumryeong’s ears drooped. Still chuckling, I untied the letter fastened to Geumryeong’s tail.
[As it happens, I met my friend during my last merchant journey and received permission to pass the Disguise Art on to you. I will travel to Beijing and teach it to you personally. I expect to arrive there in a few days.]
A smile spread across my face when I read that Master would be coming to Beijing himself.
That meant I wouldn’t have to leave my post.
Brother Jeong-ho would be pleased.
“Kui!”
“All right, I know.”
I gave Geumryeong one silver tael.
I had forgotten to give Geumryeong the three gold taels I owed last time, though that was partly because Geumryeong had never reminded me.
So when I finally handed over the three gold taels, I asked why Geumryeong hadn’t pestered me for them.
According to Geumryeong, once the payment date passed, it had planned to start charging me interest.
I sat at the table and watched Geumryeong happily lick the silver tael.
This little creature was no ordinary pet, was it?
.
.
.
Some time later.
Master arrived at the Beijing Branch.
He had only brought a handful of people with him, so it seemed he had been on an escort mission that demanded speed and secrecy.
Every person accompanying him was also an exceptional expert.
I respectfully cupped my hands in salute.
“This disciple greets Master.”
“It is good to see you again.”
“Are you on your way back after completing an escort mission?”
“I am.”
Master nodded.
“Beijing was the destination of this escort mission.”
“I see.”
I continued.
“I have prepared accommodations inside the branch so you can stay in comfort.”
“I won’t refuse your hospitality.”
“Had you refused, this disciple would have been deeply saddened.”
Master laughed at my answer.
I personally escorted him to his quarters.
“You may stay here.”
His accommodations stood on the site of the manor near the Beijing Branch that we had purchased long ago, only for it to collapse.
We eventually rebuilt it and connected the property directly to the branch.
It was meant to house family members, employees dispatched to Beijing, and honored guests.
I could have housed Team Leader Won and his group here as well, but I hadn’t felt like it, so I didn’t.
“This building is yours to use.”
The place I showed Master was a detached guesthouse.
It was fully furnished, spacious, and comfortable–the sort of lodging we reserved only for truly important guests.
“Such splendid accommodations! Thank you.”
“There is no need to thank me. This is only natural for a disciple, so please make yourself at ease, Master.”
“Very well.”
“Please rest comfortably. I will send someone for you at dinner.”
When evening came, I headed to the banquet hall.
I had arranged a feast for Master and his companions.
I sent Palgap to fetch them, and before long, Master’s entire party arrived at the banquet hall.
“I’ve brought them, sir.”
“Good work.”
I greeted Master.
“You must be weary after traveling such a long distance, so I prepared a modest feast. I hope the food is to your liking.”
“There is no need to worry. We can eat just about anything.”
Why did that sound so painfully sad?
Then again, they had never had the luxury of being picky about food.
They had survived by eating whatever they could find.
We took our seats at the table and began the meal.
“It is rather nice to have a wealthy disciple.”
“I’ll earn even more and make certain you live in luxury.”
The whole world already knew I was Master’s disciple, so there was no longer any reason to hide it.
Once everyone had finished the satisfying meal, Master and I moved elsewhere to speak in private.
“I was shocked when I received your last letter. I had suspected the Murim Alliance might be responsible, but to learn that it was actually true…”
After hearing the full story from the Zhuge Clan’s Grand Clan Lord, I had immediately sent Master a letter.
“You had already suspected them, Master?”
“I had.”
Master nodded.
“When you travel from place to place on escort missions, you hear and witness far more than most people would expect. That allowed me to learn of the Murim Alliance’s movements as well. Their actions never quite sat right with me, so I had already begun to suspect them.”
Master continued.
“Thanks to you, I no longer need to scour the martial world in search of the culprit.”
“But Master, the true problem is their reason. Unless we learn why they did such a thing to Snow Wind Palace, we cannot guarantee the palace’s safety.”
“I agree.”
Why had the Murim Alliance needed to wipe Snow Wind Palace from existence?
And why had they gone so far as to burn everything to the ground?
“Still, now that I have been able to turn suspicion into certainty, I can only be grateful to the Young Palace Lord.”
“That’s embarrassing. I hardly did anything.”
“Hardly?”
Master smiled.
“My fist nearly moved on its own just now, so please be more careful with that modesty.”
Yikes!
There was no way I could block one of Master’s punches.
“Yes. I’ll be careful.”
Master took a sip of tea, then finally raised the main subject.
“I understand why you wished to learn the Disguise Art, but why now?”
“Didn’t you tell me before, Master? At the Peak realm, one can only alter a small part of the face. To use the art properly, one must reach at least the Profound realm.”
“You remembered. Then again, your memory has always been exceptional.”
“I believe I have finally adjusted to my current realm and stabilized it, so I decided this was the right time to ask.”
I continued.
“And recently, I had to act under the Alliance Leader’s orders…”
“What? The Alliance Leader’s orders?”
Ah…
I hadn’t told Master about that yet.
“The matter was urgent at the time, so I could not inform you beforehand. Please forgive this unworthy disciple.”
“There is nothing to forgive. If the Deputy Merchant Lord chose to do so, you must have had good reason. In any case, it seems you returned without serious trouble.”
“I returned safe and sound.”
I continued.
“To be honest, something about the Alliance Leader felt wrong from the moment I first met him. And after what Escort Guard Jin Yu told me, I became even more wary of him.”
After all, Escort Guard Jin Yu was an assassin the Alliance Leader had secretly raised.
“I am aware of that matter.”
Then there was no need for a long explanation.
I gave Master a detailed account of everything that had happened.
I told him how Team Leader Won had arrived carrying a letter from the Alliance Leader, and how the entire assignment had actually been a test.
I also explained my conversation with the Nine Rocks Sect Leader on Mount Tai and even how I had stolen the Golden Buddha Statue.
I could admit that I had quietly stolen the statue because Master was someone I trusted that deeply.
Besides, Master and I were bound together by the same fate.
“…And that is what happened.”
“You came dangerously close to disaster.”
“I did. Even so, things never strayed too far from the plan I had prepared, so I managed to resolve everything safely.”
“You must still be cautious. His suspicions may have weakened, but once a person has doubted you, that doubt can always return.”
“I will remember that.”
I continued.
“That is why I asked to learn the Disguise Art now. I want to be prepared for the next time I become entangled with the Murim Alliance.”
“Then you intend for both the Deputy Merchant Lord and your escort guards to learn it?”
“Yes. Lady Seohyang must learn the Disguise Art as well, but…”
I let the sentence trail off.
Lady Seohyang had only begun learning the Heavenly Flow Art recently, and her realm was not particularly high.
Master nodded thoughtfully.
“At present, Lady Seohyang–no, since she has agreed to become my niece, I will simply call her by name.”
“Yes. Please do.”
“What realm has Seohyang reached?”
“She is around the Second-rate realm.”
“How long did you say she has practiced the Heavenly Flow Art?”
“About two years… I believe.”
“She reached the Second-rate realm after only two years of practicing the Heavenly Flow Art… Hah! The Deputy Merchant Lord may not realize it because you are a genius yourself, but for an adult who began learning martial arts so late in life to progress that far is astonishing.”
“Uh…”
Now that I thought about it, my own realm and those of my escort guards were all so high that I had failed to notice.
By ordinary standards, Lady Seohyang could certainly be called a genius.
“Still, no matter how talented she may be, that speed is extraordinary… Has she ever consumed an Elixir?”
“No.”
I shook my head as one possibility came to mind.
Could it be because she possessed the Ice Crystal Eyes, making her naturally compatible with ice-based martial arts?
Lady Seohyang also possessed exceptional comprehension and was extraordinarily diligent.
Those qualities had probably combined to produce her current achievements.
But I couldn’t tell Master that.
I needed the North Sea Ice Palace Lord’s permission before revealing anything about the Ice Crystal Eyes.
“Her future will be worth watching.”
“Yes.”
“In any case, at her current realm, she will not be able to make any major alterations. She should still be capable of slightly changing the shape of her lips or ears, or perhaps creating a beauty mark.”
“That will be enough.”
“And Escort Guard Jin Yu… He appeared to be at the Peak realm. Is that correct?”
“Yes. That is my understanding.”
After thinking for a moment, Master spoke.
“I should examine Escort Guard Jin Yu in person.”
I summoned Escort Guard Jin Yu, and he soon arrived where we were waiting.
“You called for me?”
I addressed him.
“Master said he wished to see you, Escort Guard Jin Yu, so I asked you to come.”
“I see.”
Master silently studied Escort Guard Jin Yu for a moment before speaking.
“It seems you have made considerable progress in cultivating your mind recently.”
Perhaps because the two already knew one another, Master spoke to him without formality.
“!”
Escort Guard Jin Yu flinched at Master’s words, then readily explained.
“In truth, when my lord traveled to Mount Tai and Luoyang, I was granted leave. I devoted that time to meditation.”
“That was the correct choice. Your martial arts and your insight have finally come into harmony.”
The instant Master finished speaking, he abruptly moved.
Thud! Wham! Thud! Crack! Thud!
Master’s fists struck Escort Guard Jin Yu in several places, and the final blow buried itself in his abdomen.
“Guh! Cough!”
Escort Guard Jin Yu vomited blood, collapsed, and lost consciousness on the spot.
Master had moved so quickly that neither Jin Yu nor even I had been able to react properly.
“M-Master!”
Why had he suddenly done that?
–TL Notes–
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