Chapter 300: Variable (3)

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I could not understand it. The Hebei Peng Clan was among the most illustrious orthodox houses. For demonic qi to come from a daughter of such a Peng house was extremely hard to accept.

This was not energy mastered in a short time. It was energy welling up from the deepest, most hidden place within Peng Chae-hyang. As for demonic qi, there was no greater expert in the Central Plains right now than me.

Moreover, Peng Chae-hyang clearly did not know about this. Even I, who had known Peng Chae-hyang quite a long time, had not known.

Peng Chae-hyang’s innate true qi, and within it, the essence sealed inside. That had been demonic qi.

Suppressed until now, it seemed to have responded to my demonic qi the moment she fell asleep. Then again, nothing like this had happened while Peng Chae-hyang slept beside me before.

The demonic qi that had burst forth from Peng Chae-hyang in response to my demonic qi flowed back into her body. Before long, Peng Chae-hyang opened her eyes.

“Huh, did I really fall asleep?”

“Yes.”

Peng Chae-hyang shot up.

“I really did not mean to. I was just so comfortable……”

Peng Chae-hyang’s face flushed red. I smiled so she would not feel awkward.

“It is fine. I understand.”

I meant it sincerely. Now I knew why Peng Chae-hyang and I felt at ease with each other.

It was because of the demonic qi hidden in the deepest part of Peng Chae-hyang. That was why Peng Chae-hyang and I felt comfortable together.

Suddenly my thoughts turned to Peng Gyeong-seung, Peng Chae-hyang’s father and Clan Head of the Hebei Peng Clan, and their relationship.

In my eyes, Peng Gyeong-seung was usually quite fair-minded and handled affairs well as a clan head. Yet the moment he saw Peng Chae-hyang, he looked ready to devour her, and Peng Chae-hyang had been hurt by that as well.

If Peng Chae-hyang carried demonic qi in her deepest self, then Peng Gyeong-seung, who had built orthodox internal energy, would instinctively have recoiled from Peng Chae-hyang.

Peng Gyeong-seung would likely have taken some measure with Peng Chae-hyang if he had known this as well. That would mean I was the only one in the Central Plains who knew demonic qi was in Peng Chae-hyang’s body.

“Um, Chae-hyang.”

“Yes.”

She seemed not to know anyway. Peng Gyeong-seung seemed not to know either. That left only one person I could roughly guess.

“What was your mother like?”

“I do not know her well. She passed away after giving birth to me. But from what the servants say, she was a very kind and benevolent person. I also heard she was someone who could gently rein in my rough father.”

“I see.”

That was as far as the question went. It was sensitive family talk. Rather than wound Peng Chae-hyang, I felt more at ease investigating on my own.

“Why all of a sudden?”

“Your sleeping face was pretty, so I wondered who you resembled.”

I brushed it off casually. Peng Chae-hyang’s already flushed face turned red enough to burst.

“P-please do not make jokes like that.”

“……Right. Sorry.”

I felt sorry because she was more flustered than I had expected.

In any case, one more worry had been added to my mind.

Then someone knocked on the door of the master’s chamber.

“It is Hwi. Brother.”

The one knocking was Namgung Hwi. I answered casually without thinking.

“Yes, come in.”

“Wait, Gaga.”

Peng Chae-hyang hurriedly tried to stop me, and I too realized my mistake then, but it was already too late. Namgung Hwi opened the door and froze for a moment.

He had seen us sitting pressed together in the same chair.

“Ah, um.”

Peng Chae-hyang shot up and stood beside me. But that too was already too late.

“……It seems I interrupted for no reason.”

“No, no. Young Hero Namgung. It is not like that.”

Peng Chae-hyang tried to explain, but Namgung Hwi nodded as though he understood everything.

“You need not hide it even from me. We are all family anyway. In any case, congratulations.”

“Congratulations for what. It is not like that.”

I cut it short and hurriedly changed the subject.

“So why did you come?”

“Ah, a letter came to your private chamber, Brother.”

The private chamber Namgung Hwi spoke of meant the Gwan Seo-ye side. Naturally I could not reveal the Demonic Cult, so I had told Namgung Hwi it was a personal intelligence organization I managed.

“Let me see.”

Namgung Hwi handed me the letter.

Written there in Gwan Seo-ye’s gentle hand were these words:

—We have found Mun-won, son of the Heavenly King Sect Leader.

I read through the letter with startled eyes.

The Demonic Cult’s intelligence network was truly admirable.

In a way, the timing was even appropriate. Finding Zhu Mun-won was close to a personal matter for me, and handling it while the situation was in stalemate like this was better.

‘But things in this world are not always that easy.’

If he were hiding in some mountain it would be one thing, but according to the Demonic Cult’s information, Zhu Mun-won had taken refuge with the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company.

The Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company was headed by Yeo Bul-jin, with whom I was not on good terms. I was not on good terms with his eldest son, Yeo Hong-won, either.

The only person at the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company who was on my side was Yeo Hong-yang, more or less. She was my fellow lay disciple from the Wudang Sect.

I had not forgotten the promise I made with Yeo Hong-yang. As a merchant, one must take responsibility for one’s own words. I had definitely intended to make Yeo Hong-yang the next master of the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company.

And this could be that opportunity.

“Chae-hyang.”

“Yes?”

“Let us step out for a little while.”

At my sudden words, Peng Chae-hyang looked dazed, but Namgung Hwi nodded with a look that said, of course. If anything, the misunderstanding seemed to deepen rather than clear.

* * *

The Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company was in Nanjing, Jiangsu. But with Peng Chae-hyang and my qinggong, it would not take very long.

Even if we could not move freely right now, we were not so relaxed as to stroll about enjoying scenery. We had to save as much time as we could, since we did not know when the situation might explode.

“Why are we going to the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company all of a sudden?”

“I just have business there.”

“The Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company is the place that directly handles the Palace of Heavenly Worship’s supplies now, is it not? I understand the Imperial Palace shows them quite a lot of favor as well.”

I had somehow expected as much. The Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company had considerable ties with the Imperial Palace.

“That is fortunate.”

“Hm?”

“If not, one of the reasons I am going would disappear.”

“……Uh, I am not sure what you mean.”

“You will understand when we get there.”

I smiled. Peng Chae-hyang tilted her head, clearly without a clue.

Right now we were at an absolute disadvantage. Naturally we lacked money compared to the Imperial Palace, and our faction was smaller in scale. As for strength, it would be more accurate to say we did not know.

I too did not know how strong the martial world’s Peach Garden was, set against the Imperial Palace’s Immortal Realm.

Even if the martial world would be decided by the logic of power, we were fighting over the entire Central Plains. Money, supplies, people, and legitimacy mattered. We had to lay sufficient groundwork for all of that.

Before long, we entered Nanjing, where the main headquarters of the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company stood.

“Nanjing is still splendid.”

“It always has been.”

“But did you tell the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company we were coming?”

“No.”

Peng Chae-hyang looked at me. Her eyes said this was absurd.

“You came without even making an appointment?”

“Yes. To be exact, I deliberately did not make one.”

“Why? What if they refuse to see you? They could be away on business.”

“Then we wait a few days. If they know I came, they will hurry back. How many figures like me are there in the Central Plains right now?”

“……It feels a little odd hearing you call yourself a major figure, Gaga. Though it is not wrong.”

Peng Chae-hyang gave a hollow laugh.

“But did you really need to deliberately avoid contact?”

“The Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company is clearly an enemy right now. Who announces they are storming an enemy’s door? We gain more if we fluster them even a little.”

“Is that so……”

Even though I answered that way, she still looked as though she did not understand.

There was no need to explain at length here. She would understand everything once we went in.

I left Peng Chae-hyang behind and went to the main headquarters of the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company. Naturally, martial artists stood guard before the main gate of the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company headquarters.

As I approached the main gate of the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company, the martial artists grew wary.

“What is it? Business at the company?”

“That is right. I have business with the Company Lord of the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company.”

At the mention of the Company Lord, Yeo Bul-jin, their wariness deepened further.

“What we heard today is that the Company Lord has no visitors.”

“Since I came without notice, that is only natural.”

“Our Company Lord is not someone easily met without prior contact. If you came to beg, you have come to the wrong place.”

“Beg? Look at the clothes I am wearing.”

I lifted my collar. Naturally it was the finest silk. When I showed off my clothes, Peng Chae-hyang turned her head away as though embarrassed.

“Look at the friend behind me as well. Does she look like someone who came to beg?”

I put the embarrassed Peng Chae-hyang in front. The martial artists, who had been looking only at me, startled when they saw Peng Chae-hyang. After all, as martial artists of the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company, where else would they see someone this beautiful?

“Um, ah, I suppose not.”

“That is right. So will you let us in now?”

“Young lady or young hero, we could tell you are no ordinary people. But without prior appointment, you still cannot meet the Company Lord.”

“Go inside and say it.”

I met their eyes and spoke.

“Tell them the New Justice Association Leader has come to call upon the master of the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company.”

“……The New Justice Association Leader?”

The martial artists’ complexions changed completely. They could not have known my face, so of course they had not known I was the New Justice Association Leader.

“You mean Young Master Muk Hui-yeong?”

“That is me.”

I shrugged. The martial artists were thrown into chaos. It was only natural, since they were effectively facing the Imperial Palace’s foremost enemy.

“W-wait.”

One of the martial artists shot inside. A visit from the New Justice Association Leader to the Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company was an emergency in itself. Even outside the main gate, I could hear the commotion inside.

Before long, the martial artist who had gone inside came out dripping sweat.

“Please enter. The Company Lord is waiting.”

“Thank you.”

I gave a slight smile and went in. As I passed, the martial artists’ backs straightened.

Even when I was Company Lord of the Radiant Crystal Merchant Company in my previous life, I had received such high treatment from important people, but this was a little different. Then it had been simple awe. Now it was closer to fear than awe.

A steward with a stiff expression, much like the martial artists at the main gate, guided us. He had clearly heard my identity as well.

“Please go this way.”

“Thank you.”

I gave a rough martial salute and entered the Company Lord’s chamber. I had been here before, but the reaction and treatment had not been like this. It was a true sense of how much the times had changed.

When I entered the Company Lord’s chamber, Yeo Bul-jin was there, looking not greatly changed.

“……Heh heh. So it really was you.”

“It has been a while. Company Lord.”

Yeo Bul-jin laughed as though bewildered.

“I truly did not think you would come looking for me yourself.”

“Did you? There was no particular reason not to.”

“There is even less reason to, is there not?”

“That is also true.”

I smiled. Things had clearly changed. Yeo Bul-jin was now intimidated before me.

When we first met, I had been nothing more than a Wudang lay disciple before Yeo Bul-jin. But now I was the leader of the New Justice Association, the most influential group in the martial world. His attitude and manner of speech could not help but change.

“Why have you come? To be honest, this is a little uncomfortable. I am on the Imperial Palace’s side, the side you dislike.”

“That is right. But sides can change, can they not?”

“What?”

“I formally propose it. Heaven’s Gift Merchant Company, will you not stand with the New Justice Association?”

I smiled and extended my hand. This was the first variable I would create.