The carriage I rode in continued racing down the road without stopping.
Luoyang was a fairly large city in its own right, so an official road connected it directly to Beijing.
That made traveling by carriage relatively convenient.
We had set out early, since I wasn’t traveling with only the escort guards this time.
With so many others accompanying us, we couldn’t simply race across the land on River-Crossing Horses, so we had left ahead of schedule.
“By the way… you said you were going to Luoyang because of the Murim Grand Assembly, correct?”
Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du, who was sitting across from me, nodded at my question.
“That is correct.”
“Is there a particular reason you need to attend?”
He looked puzzled and answered my question with one of his own.
“Does a martial artist need a reason to attend the Murim Grand Assembly?”
Ah…
Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du truly was a martial artist to his bones.
Even though his father had died because of the Murim Alliance, that was apparently a separate matter from the gathering itself.
“Do you have somewhere to stay once we arrive?”
“Yes. My clan owns an estate in Luoyang, so you need not concern yourself with that.”
Right. I had even visited it before, yet it had completely slipped my mind.
There was no chance Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du would lack a place to stay when the clan owned an estate of that size.
Come to think of it, I was a little envious.
Having a residence in Luoyang meant he wouldn’t have to go through the trouble of finding an inn.
It wasn’t as though the Eunhae Merchant Group lacked a Luoyang Branch, but the building wasn’t large enough to accommodate our entire party.
That wouldn’t do.
I needed to expand the Luoyang Branch as well.
Luoyang was a major city, so investing in a larger branch there certainly wouldn’t result in a loss.
If the Eunhae Merchant Group was going to become the greatest merchant group under heaven, the Luoyang Branch needed to be every bit as impressive as the Beijing Branch.
After traveling for several days and nights, we finally reached Luoyang.
“We’ve arrived!”
At Escort Guard Seo Wu’s announcement, we climbed down from the carriage.
We had arrived at the Yeonpung Inn, where we had stayed during our last visit as well as during the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering.
“Welcome.”
One of the inn’s servers came forward to greet us.
“It is good to see you again.”
“Yes, it certainly is.”
“The guests from the Eunhae Merchant Group arrived yesterday.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
Of course, I already knew that the people from our merchant group had arrived.
A carriage bearing the Eunhae Merchant Group’s emblem was parked nearby.
It was the carriage my father, the Merchant Lord, used.
Mother had most likely come with him.
As soon as we entered the inn, Father, who happened to be sitting on the first floor, noticed us and came over.
“You’re finally here. You must have had a difficult journey.”
“The official road was well maintained, so the trip was comfortable. You and Mother must have had the harder journey.”
“Haha. I see you’ve been doing well. That is a relief.”
A faint smile rested on Father’s face.
Now that I thought about it, it truly had been a long time since I last saw him.
“Is everything peaceful at home?”
“Everything is fine, so there is no need to worry.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
I continued.
“Has Brother Jeong-ho reached Headquarters?”
“I crossed paths with him on my way here. He was traveling with your master.”
“Yes. He happened to come to Beijing on an escort mission, so I asked him to accompany Master on the return journey.”
“You did well.”
“Where is Mother?”
“She went out. She said she was meeting the mistress of the Gwangjun Merchant Group.”
“I see. Then, by any chance…”
Father smiled knowingly before I could finish.
“Deputy Merchant Lord Bok Yun is here as well.”
“I see!”
The Murim Grand Assembly was an invaluable opportunity for merchants who needed to build connections.
For merchant groups located on the empire’s distant frontiers, such as the Gwangjun Merchant Group, it was an opportunity they could never afford to miss.
Originally, Brother Jeong-ho should have attended in my place, but several circumstances had resulted in me coming instead.
I was the one who had received the right from the Alliance Leader to claim whatever seat I wanted, and I also had far more connections within the martial world.
It would be much easier for me to establish ties with the martial artists attending the gathering.
“Father, there is someone I would like to introduce. This is Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du of the Zhuge Clan. He will be designing the Martial Arts Academy our merchant group is constructing in Beijing.”
“Ah! I heard the news through your letter. I am Eun Gil-sang, the Eunhae Merchant Group’s Merchant Lord.”
“I am Zhuge Cheon-du of the Zhuge Clan.”
I needed to introduce him to Father, which was why I had brought him to the inn instead of sending him directly to the Zhuge Clan’s estate.
The two exchanged polite greetings.
“I ask that you spare none of your wisdom or talent in designing the Martial Arts Academy we will be constructing.”
“I will merely fulfill the duty entrusted to me, so there is no need for you to worry, Merchant Lord.”
I turned to Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du.
“Come. I will escort you to the Zhuge Clan’s estate.”
“That will not be necessary. I can go alone.”
“Please don’t say that. You are far too important for me to treat you so casually. Besides, I have business at the Zhuge Clan’s estate as well, so accompanying you will not inconvenience me.”
“In that case, very well.”
And so, the escort guards and I accompanied Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du to the Zhuge Clan’s estate.
The estate wasn’t far from the Yeonpung Inn, so it didn’t take long for us to arrive.
“What business brings you here?”
The guards stationed at the Zhuge Clan’s estate questioned us as they approached.
Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du belonged to a cadet branch and had only recently returned to the clan, so it was understandable that they didn’t recognize him.
He showed no sign of taking offense and calmly pulled an identity plaque from his sleeve.
“I am Zhuge Cheon-du.”
After examining the plaque, the guards offered him a cupped-fist salute.
“Please forgive our discourtesy.”
“There is no harm done.”
“And the gentleman beside you?”
“This is Deputy Merchant Lord Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
“What?”
The guards were startled and hurriedly bowed their heads.
“It is an honor to meet the Handsome Young Hero.”
“Please, come inside.”
Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du tilted his head when he saw them treating me with more respect than they had shown an actual member of their own clan.
I noticed his confusion but deliberately pretended not to.
It wasn’t a particularly pleasant matter, and I had no desire to spread gossip about another clan’s affairs.
If it was something he needed to know, the Zhuge Clan’s other members would explain it to him.
A servant appeared after hearing the bell and guided us to the reception room.
We were being served tea when it happened.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
Someone came running toward us in a frantic rush, and the door flew open.
“Great Hero!”
It was Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a.
“Ah, greetings, Young Clan Lord.”
“I’m so happy to see you again sooner than I expected!”
“The pleasure is mine.”
Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du tilted his head and spoke.
“Can you not see me?”
Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a laughed and responded with a question.
“Are you a guest, Uncle?”
“…I suppose not.”
Their light uncle-and-niece banter made me laugh as well.
“Did the Grand Clan Lord and the Clan Lord come with you?”
“Yes. They went out to meet some other guests.”
“I see.”
I nodded before continuing.
“I believe I heard that you were planning to participate in the Murim Grand Assembly. Has that decision remained unchanged?”
“Yes.”
“Then please be careful and protect yourself.”
“Thank you for worrying about me.”
I held out a small bottle.
“This is a gift. I hope it helps keep you safe.”
“What is it?”
“If you apply it to a serious wound, the injury will heal much faster. It is extremely valuable, so save it for when you truly need it.”
“Thank you.”
I had prepared it for Young Lady Zhuge Yu-a because her continued survival was directly connected to the Eunhae Merchant Group’s future prosperity.
I had already invested an absurd amount of time and effort into building a relationship with the Zhuge Clan. She needed to remain safe so I could squeeze every last bit of value out of that investment.
The fact that the bottle contained Geumryeong’s saliva, however, would remain a secret.
It would probably make her uncomfortable if she knew, but that stuff was surprisingly expensive to obtain.
Geumryeong demanded payment in silver before drooling for me.
Simply jingling the silver tael was enough to make Geumryeong drool, but if I didn’t actually hand it over afterward, Geumryeong would sulk.
“I should be going now. You appeared to be in the middle of training, and I shouldn’t continue interrupting you.”
As I rose from my seat, Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a grabbed the edge of my robe.
“Wait!”
“What is it?”
“Since you’re already here, please spar with me.”
When I looked into her eyes, I saw anxiety and unease.
She had seemed so confident before… It must have been a bluff.
I could spar with her, but honestly, it sounded rather troublesome at the moment.
“You wish to spar with me? My realm isn’t particularly high, so I doubt I would be of much help.”
“Don’t lie to me. Who was it that broke my arm again?”
“…”
Ah. That was me.
Though I hadn’t truly broken it. I had only made it look as though I had.
I scratched my cheek. It seemed I had no choice.
“I will not be using a real sword.”
“They say a blade of grass in an expert’s hand is deadlier than a real sword in a novice’s.”
She wasn’t wrong.
“Come with me. I’ll show you somewhere you can change your clothes first.”
“Young Clan Lord!”
I glanced over my shoulder.
Young Lord Zhuge Cheon-du, whose presence had been completely forgotten, raised his hand high in the air.
“I would like to watch as well!”
“Do as you please, Uncle.”
.
.
.
A short while later.
After changing clothes, I arrived at the training grounds.
The facilities were spotless and the grounds spacious. It appeared to be a private training area reserved for the clan’s highest-ranking members.
“Only the Clan Lord and I are permitted to use this training ground, so you can fight without worrying about anyone else.”
“Is it truly all right for an outsider like me to be here?”
“Of course. You’re here as my sparring partner. It wouldn’t make sense if you weren’t allowed inside. That’s also why the guards didn’t try to stop you earlier.”
“That makes sense.”
I looked at her and asked a question.
“Why did you choose me? With the Zhuge Clan’s reputation, it should not be difficult for you to find a sparring partner.”
“That’s true, but finding an opponent like you is difficult.”
“An opponent like me?”
“Someone who isn’t merely skilled in martial arts, but knows how to use those skills at exactly the right moment and thinks carefully throughout a fight.”
“You overestimate me.”
She shook her head.
“My grandfather made the same assessment. Besides, finding anyone else is harder than you might think. The people around my age who are skilled enough to face me will also be participating in the Murim Grand Assembly.”
“I see. That does present a problem.”
Her reasoning made sense.
If she sparred with another participant immediately before the Murim Grand Assembly, she would give that person an opportunity to study her techniques.
“But the same could be said about me.”
“You wouldn’t use what you learned against me, Deputy Merchant Lord.”
“How can you be so certain?”
“Because you know exactly where your interests lie.”
“…”
I had nothing to say to that.
Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a had grown considerably.
She had actually managed to beat me in an argument.
“Draw your sword.”
At my words, she drew her sword and assumed an opening stance. I raised my own sword and did the same.
We slowly circled one another, searching for an opening.
Young Lady Zhuge Yu-a had only recently entered the Peak realm.
Her clan’s secret arts and Elixirs had undoubtedly played a role, but her accomplishment was still the result of grueling effort.
Her realm was high even among others her age, which was most likely why the clan hadn’t tried to stop her from participating.
With her current abilities, she had a genuine chance of bringing honor to the Zhuge Clan.
And that expectation was precisely what frightened Young Clan Lord Zhuge Yu-a.
She was terrified that she wouldn’t be able to live up to it.
Then how much should I hold back?
I considered the question for a moment before reaching a decision.
If the experience of fighting me could one day provide the clue she needed to escape a crisis in the arena, then this spar would be more than worthwhile.
“Hah!”
I charged toward her first.
Whoosh!
My wooden sword shot toward her.
The fourth form of the True Snow Twelve Form Sword – Snow Wind.
Since the form shared its name with Snow Wind Palace, it embodied the True Snow Twelve Form Sword’s principles particularly well.
It was also a Swift Sword technique.
Swoosh!
The sound of my wooden sword cutting through the air rang out with startling clarity.
Clack–!
Just as I had expected, she knocked my wooden sword aside and immediately slashed toward my shoulder.
I bent backward using the Iron Plank Bridge, spinning my body through a complete turn.
At the same time, I checked the material beneath my feet.
Bluestone.
Once I confirmed that, I began targeting Young Lady Zhuge Yu-a’s legs.
She evaded my attack, and my wooden sword struck the ground instead.
After exchanging several moves, I began to understand her approach.
She focused on defense, lulling her opponent into lowering their guard before launching a fierce counterattack meant to end the fight in a single blow.
However, she should have wondered why I continued to target her legs.
Skid!
“What?”
She suddenly lost her balance.
She managed to remain standing, but in a spar between martial artists at the Peak realm or higher, even the briefest mistake led directly to defeat.
She stared at the wooden sword resting against her throat and sighed.
“…I lost.”
I withdrew my wooden sword and offered a cupped-fist salute.
“It was a good match.”
“Thank you for indulging my selfish request.”
She returned the salute before tilting her head.
“I didn’t sweat very much during the fight, so why was the floor so slippery?”
I pointed toward the ground.
“Touch it yourself.”
She crouched down and pressed her hand against the floor, only to recoil in surprise.
“I–ice?”
“My martial art is an Ice Art. I lightly froze the floor to force you into making a mistake.”
“Ah…”
Her eyes lit up.
“I knew asking you to spar with me would be worthwhile.”
“I am glad I could help.”
“I should leave now. It has already grown quite late.”
“Wait, just one more round…”
I shook my head and answered firmly.
“If you fight another match without first reviewing and absorbing what happened in this one, it will not help you much.”
“…”
“I understand how heavy the burden on your shoulders must feel. Even so, I believe you will perform well, Young Clan Lord.”
At my words, she nodded.
.
.
.
I left the Zhuge Clan’s estate.
My parents were probably starting to worry.
I was hurrying back toward the inn when I heard someone shouting.
“Even a dog in heat has more restraint than you, you bastard! Doesn’t the thing between your legs feel ashamed to belong to you when you live like this?”
What? That familiar venomous tongue and voice…
I hurried toward the sound and found a young woman dressed in Emei Sect robes clutching a bloodied man by the collar and violently shaking him back and forth.
The moment I saw her, an instinctive terror rose from deep within me, and I unconsciously took a step backward.
“Why are you backing away?”
–TL Notes–
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