Palgap watched me for a moment before asking what was wrong, and I silently pointed ahead.
He followed my finger, flinched, and slowly began backing away.
“What are you doing?”
“Lady Hyang-ok scares me too, you see.”
Unlike in my previous life, my martial prowess now far surpassed Cousin Hyang-ok’s.
But there was nothing I could do about this instinctive fear.
Especially when she was violently shaking a blood-soaked man by the collar.
Between the vicious insults Cousin Hyang-ok was hurling at him and the other Emei Sect disciple standing beside her with a bright red face, it wasn’t difficult to figure out what had happened.
That man must have tried something indecent with the Emei Sect disciples.
The murmurs from the surrounding crowd only confirmed it.
“Tsk, tsk. Of all the women he could have harassed, why did he have to pick the heroines of the Emei Sect…?”
“And with the Snow Sword Heroine among them, no less.”
The Snow Sword Heroine.
That was Cousin Hyang-ok’s epithet.
And at that very moment, she was proving exactly how well she deserved it.
Pweee! Pweet!
Just then, a group came running over at the sound of whistles.
Judging by the matching uniforms they wore, they appeared to be one of the patrol teams the Murim Alliance had organized to maintain order.
For some reason, one of the team members looked familiar… Oh, damn it!
The moment he spotted me, his face lit up.
“Well, look who it is! Aren’t you the Handsome Young Hero?”
“Hahaha. I-It’s been a while.”
“Yes, it has. Have you been well, Great Hero? To think I would meet you here! If this isn’t a meeting ordained by the heavens, then what else could it possibly be?”
“You’re embarrassing me. In any case, are you serving with the patrol during this Murim Grand Assembly?”
“Yes. We had to expand the patrol force beyond what we used during the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering, so I was assigned to it as well.”
“I see.”
I quickly continued before he could say anything else.
“Your timing couldn’t have been better. This is my older cousin. She is currently training with the Emei Sect.”
Cousin Hyang-ok had already released the man she’d been shaking by the collar. She straightened her posture and introduced herself with perfect decorum.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Hyang-ok of the Emei Sect.”
Cousin…
Even when you speak that demurely, it’s hard for you to look demure with another man’s blood splattered across your face.
Still, I wisely kept that thought to myself.
“I am Won Eop, Sixth Team Leader of the Dragon Fang Division. I am also a member of the Huangshan Won Clan, whose home is Mount Huang.”
After they exchanged greetings, Cousin Hyang-ok asked him a question.
“You seem to be acquainted with my younger cousin.”
“Yes. We once carried out a mission together. Thanks to the Great Hero’s efforts, we were able to complete it safely.”
Nothing good would come from letting that story drag on.
I immediately changed the subject.
“Team Leader Won, this man dishonored my cousin. Isn’t that right, Cousin?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Cousin Hyang-ok nodded.
“We were walking down the street when he started making lewd remarks at us.”
Tsk, tsk.
No matter where you went, there was always at least one bastard like that.
Team Leader Won glared coldly at the man before cupping his fist toward us.
“Leave him to me. I will make certain that this lecherous fiend receives the punishment he deserves.”
“Thank you.”
I continued.
“You should have wanted posters drawn for men like this and plaster them all over Luoyang.”
“You are absolutely right. Then I will take my leave and deal with this man.”
He dragged away the man Cousin Hyang-ok had beaten within an inch of his life and returned to the Murim Alliance.
“By the way, Seoho. You came again this time.”
“Yes. That’s how things worked out.”
“I heard you went to Sichuan because of Cousin Jeong-ho. They said he nearly lost his life?”
She must have been talking about the time Brother Jeong-ho fell into the water while trying to save Young Lord Seong Yu-jin of the Myeongmyeong Merchant Group.
“He did.”
“I’m glad you managed to find him before it was too late. I heard you played a major part in that too. I knew we could count on you.”
“Thank you for the praise.”
I smiled, cupped my fist, and cautiously asked Cousin Hyang-ok a question.
“Are you participating in the Murim Grand Assembly as well?”
“Of course!”
“Please be careful. By the way, did you come with Divine Nun Haecheong again?”
“Yeah. My master and the Sect Leader both came.”
As expected of the Murim Grand Assembly.
It truly was an event where the greatest figures in the martial world gathered.
Held once every nine years, the Murim Grand Assembly was the martial world’s largest event, bringing together the leaders of countless sects and martial clans.
Naturally, it lasted for quite a long time. During the assembly, the leaders held meetings to discuss major issues, while the younger generation competed in martial matches.
Of the two, the younger generation’s martial competition received far more attention.
Though that was probably intentional, since it kept people from scrutinizing the results of the leaders’ meetings too closely.
Unlike the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering, the Murim Grand Assembly placed no restrictions on who could participate.
As a result, plenty of people entered despite being nowhere near qualified.
Most opponents showed mercy and simply knocked such people out of the arena, but there were always those who either refused to hold back or lacked the skill to do so.
That inevitably led to severe injuries and even deaths.
Because of that, it had become customary for only Peak-level martial artists or stronger to participate.
The Murim Grand Assembly had originally been created to promote friendship through martial competition, but at some point, it had turned into a battleground for the pride of every sect and martial clan.
There was no age restriction, yet it had similarly become customary for each faction to send members of its younger generation.
Regardless, the enthusiasm surrounding it was so intense that even the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering paled in comparison.
In other words, I had a chance to make an absolute fortune this time!
I must have started grinning without realizing it, because Cousin Hyang-ok tilted her head.
“Why are you grinning like that?”
“I’m simply happy to see you, Cousin. In any case, please be careful.”
“Don’t worry about me.”
This wouldn’t do.
I would have to give Cousin Hyang-ok some of Geumryeong’s specially made medicine as well.
“Which inn are you staying at?”
The Emei Sect didn’t have a manor or any other permanent residence in Luoyang, so its members had to stay at an inn.
“The same inn as before.”
“The Yuwol Inn, right?”
“That’s right. Our sect has a contract with them.”
Ah! So the Emei Sect handled its accommodations by signing a contract with an inn.
“Understood. Then I’ll come and visit you again later.”
I returned to the Yeonpung Inn.
When I entered, I found my father, my mother, and the other members of our merchant group seated on the first floor.
Come to think of it, it was already time for dinner.
I immediately approached my mother and greeted her.
“Mother, you must have had a difficult journey.”
“You’ve been through quite a lot yourself. But didn’t you say you were going to the Zhuge Clan? You came back rather late.”
“Yes. Our conversation lasted longer than expected. I also ran into Cousin Hyang-ok on the way back.”
My mother’s eyes lit up at my words.
“Oh my, did you? Then Hyang-ok must be competing this time too.”
“That’s right.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Yu Dae-ik whispered something into my father’s ear, and the two of them left together.
“Come and sit down. Let’s talk before dinner.”
“Yes, Mother.”
I obediently took a seat across from her.
“I heard you’ve been involved in all sorts of incidents. Apparently, you were the one who caught the culprit behind the murder at Beijing’s Poetry and Prose Competition.”
I gave my mother a brief account of the things that had happened to me.
Of course, I left out everything that needed to be left out.
Some matters were confidential, and even if they weren’t, telling her everything would only make her worry.
My mother had come to Luoyang for much the same reason as my father.
People from countless sects and martial clans attended the Murim Grand Assembly.
Naturally, most of the Merchant Lords from the Hundred Great Merchant Groups Under the Heaven attended as well.
They gathered in Luoyang to establish connections with one another and negotiate new business deals.
Their wives usually accompanied them, mingling among themselves and forming their own social connections.
Those gatherings had to be exhausting in their own way…
My mother tilted her head as she looked at me.
“Why are you making that face?”
“Pardon?”
“You suddenly looked so concerned.”
As expected, I couldn’t hide anything from my mother.
“It suddenly occurred to me how much hardship you endure, Mother. Had you not married Father, you could have become the lady of a martial clan and lived in comfort and respect.”
“Don’t say such things. I have never regretted marrying your father. Besides…”
My mother smiled brightly.
“I have a very impressive son who makes things much easier for me.”
“Pardon?”
“You’re the Handsome Young Hero, aren’t you?”
Ah! So that was what she meant.
I understood her meaning immediately.
At that moment, for the first time, I felt truly proud to bear the epithet Handsome Young Hero.
Just then, my father returned.
“Shall we have dinner now? Have you ordered the food?”
“Ah, not yet.”
I called over a waiter and ordered a few simple dishes.
It seemed everyone else had already placed their orders.
“Ah, I nearly forgot to tell you something.”
“Yes? What is it?”
“Do you know Young Lord Yun Seong-jin of the Jinso Yun Clan?”
“Ah… He’s someone I rescued recently.”
He was one of the people I had found imprisoned in the Black Cat Sect’s underground prison on my way to the Zhuge Clan.
Since I had just told my mother about that incident, I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
I would have been in serious trouble if I hadn’t mentioned it beforehand.
“His clan sent us five hundred silver taels. They said it was a reward for saving him.”
“I see.”
I had expected them to send the reward to our merchant group, so I calmly nodded.
However, my father’s next words caught me completely off guard.
“I deposited it under your name at the Geumsan Money House.”
“Pardon?”
“Several other clans and sects sent rewards of several hundred silver taels each. Together, they came to more than ten thousand taels. I deposited all of that under your name as well.”
“You didn’t use it as operating funds for the merchant group?”
“Those rewards were given to you personally. They belong to you, not the merchant group.”
My father’s expression was utterly serious.
Well, when you put it that way, I’m certainly grateful.
.
.
.
Two days later.
I headed to the Murim Alliance with my father.
Today was the day the locations within the commercial district would be assigned.
When we arrived at the Murim Alliance and approached the gate, the guards crossed their spears and blocked our path.
“What business brings you here?”
My father answered.
“We have come for the commercial district site selection.”
“Please show us your identification plaques.”
We each took out our identity plaques and handed them over, and the guards carefully examined them.
However, the guard inspecting mine suddenly made a strange face and muttered under his breath.
“Eun Seoho… Why does that name sound so familiar?”
He must not have worked at the Murim Alliance for very long.
Anyone who had been stationed here for more than a few years would have recognized my name immediately.
I wasn’t trying to brag, but I was fairly famous.
It was then that a voice rang out.
“Well, look who it is! Aren’t you the Handsome Young Hero?”
Someone came rushing toward us from inside.
Who was that?
Ah! I remembered him.
He was one of the men who had been sent to summon those involved in the Golden Buddha Statue theft.
He had tried to drag me away by force, only for me to trick him into stepping on the Alliance Leader’s letter and compel him to start treating me with respect.
What was his name again?
Since I couldn’t remember it, he probably hadn’t introduced himself at the time…
Well, it didn’t matter. All I had to do was smile and greet him.
“What a pleasant surprise to see you here!”
“What brings you to the Murim Alliance?”
“This.”
I showed him the notarized document bearing the Alliance Leader’s seal, on which his footprint was still clearly visible.
“Gasp!”
He recoiled in horror and immediately broke out in a cold sweat.
“Th-That was… You see…”
“There is no need to worry. I am not the sort of man who cannot overlook a simple mistake.”
“Thank you, Great Hero. But who is the gentleman beside you?”
“He is my father.”
“Your honored father! It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Wang Gu, Third Team Leader of the Murim Alliance’s Tiger Justice Division.”
Ah, so he was Team Leader Wang Gu.
This was the first time I had ever heard his name.
“It is a pleasure to meet you as well. I am Eun Gil-sang, Merchant Lord of the Eunhae Merchant Group.”
Team Leader Wang saw the guards still holding our identification plaques and immediately roared at them.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“We are conducting an entrance inspection!”
“An entrance inspection? Do you have any idea who this man is before you spout such nonsense? This is the Handsome Young Hero, the hero of the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering! His very identity is proof enough, yet you still demand an entrance inspection? An entrance inspection?!”
The guards flinched and hurriedly returned our plaques.
“W-We apologize.”
“Please forgive us for failing to recognize you!”
Perhaps this was why people said that nothing mattered more than making a name for yourself.
My father and I reclaimed our plaques and entered under the guards’ exceedingly respectful gazes.
“Ah, what happened to that thief?”
Team Leader Wang answered my question.
“We still haven’t found him. He even sent a letter announcing that he intended to steal a treasure from the Namgoong Clan, so part of the Tiger Justice Division was dispatched there. In the end, it was a complete waste of time.”
“How unfortunate.”
“On top of that, the investigation has effectively been suspended because of the Murim Grand Assembly.”
“Huh. I see. Have you truly failed to uncover even a single clue?”
His expression darkened as he nodded.
“Yes. We have no idea who the culprit could be. At this point, our only guess is that a thief who has reached the realm of a Thief God (盜神) has appeared.”
“Considering what happened, I can understand why you would think that.”
“That is why people have begun calling the culprit the One-Stone Thief God.”
All I did was leave behind a single pebble, and somehow it led to that.
– Geumryeong, rejoice. You now possess the epithet One-Stone Thief God (一石盜神).
– Kui? Kui! Kui!
Ah…
You don’t like having a pebble in your epithet?
But diamonds, jade, and rubies are all just stones too, you know.
“I should return to my duties now. I hope you enjoy your time here.”
“Then we’ll see you again.”
Once he had walked away, my father quietly asked me a question.
“How did you become acquainted with that man?”
“I’ll explain later.”
.
.
.
Before long, we arrived at the hall where the commercial district sites would be assigned.
When we entered, we found many merchants already gathered inside and waiting.
We exchanged greetings with the people we knew.
There were a few people my father and I had to approach first, but far more came over to greet us of their own accord.
A short while later, several Escort Guards entered with a scholar.
I suppose the man who handled the site assignments during the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering lost his head.
Then again, he was caught embezzling the Murim Alliance’s money. It would have been more surprising if he were still alive.
“We will now begin assigning the commercial district sites for the Murim Grand Assembly.”
The scholar explained several rules and precautions.
“You will each draw a numbered token from the container. Before we begin, however…”
He looked toward my father and me.
“In accordance with the Alliance Leader’s promise, the Eunhae Merchant Group may select its location first.”
–TL Notes–
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