Chapter 222: Omen (9)
It was already a day before I was supposed to enter my closed-door training.
Since I only had a day left, there wasn’t any special schedule, but I still had a few personal matters I needed to take care of.
One of them was regarding Tang Soyeol.
With the Dragon and Phoenix Tournament concluded, Tang Soyeol should have been heading back to Sichuan.
However, Tang Soyeol was still lingering in the Gu Clan.
Namgung Bi-ah was in a special situation, and she didn’t really seem to have any plans to return either, but Tang Soyeol was a different case.
So, I asked her when she would be going back, and she casually replied that she wouldn’t be returning at all.
“You’re not gonna go back?”
“Yeah.”
“…Why?”
“You know why.”
I scratched my forehead after hearing Tang Soyeol.
She was implying that she wasn’t going back because of me.
‘Is she being serious?’
I wasn’t questioning whether Tang Soyeol really liked me or not.
I wanted to know if she truly planned to stay here instead of going back to Sichuan.
“That’s not something you can decide that easily.”
“Right?”
What’s with the “right”?
As I looked at Tang Soyeol, utterly dumbfounded, she responded with a light smile.
“To be honest, I had to go back to Sichuan. I wanted to stay here, but if I cling here any longer, my father might come looking for me himself.”
“…The Lord of the Tang Clan?”
“Yeah, he’s pretty protective of me…”
The Poison King personally coming to Shanxi to haul Tang Soyeol back to her clan?
That’s a bit, no, extremely terrifying.
‘I heard the Poison King’s immense love for his daughter is legendary.’
It was no wonder that Tang Soyeol never had to marry anyone, thriving as a martial artist instead.
The Tang Clan had higher-ups similar to Elders, but due to the heavy dominance of the Poison King, they were practically useless.
‘Which is why I secretly hoped that Tang Soyeol would go back to Sichuan.’
How exactly was she planning to stay in the Gu Clan?
While I was wearing a sour expression, Tang Soyeol smiled and said, “I have my ways, so you don’t need to worry!”
What ways…?
“I think Father would like it too, since it’s something he’s always hoped for.”
“What did you even do?”
“I decided to cooperate with the Moyong Clan.”
“…Hmm?”
I was mid-sip of my tea when I nearly choked.
‘Cooperate?’
Where did that come from, all of a sudden?
‘Do these two clans even have anything to collaborate on…?’
The Tang Clan specializes in poison and steel work.
If you were to pick blacksmithing masters in the Central Plains, most would belong to the Tang Clan, and aside from the Black Assassins Army led by the Dark King, the Tang Clan was the only assassination group that worked directly under the Murim Alliance.
The Moyong Clan, on the other hand, while certainly sword-focused, wasn’t exclusive to that like the Namgung Clan.
The Moyong Clan made silks and clothing from the threads of moth-like demons, achieving great profits from their products.
Perhaps because they used threads from demons, their goods didn’t easily wear out and were of exceptional quality, allowing them to fetch high prices.
Since only the Moyong Clan knew how to create these products, they rarely engaged in business collaborations with other clans.
‘But suddenly, they’re collaborating with the Tang Clan?’
This move was non-existent in my past life.
In what scenario would those two clans join forces?
Even the products they made are polar opposites.
‘The Moyong Clan was so successful commercially… If they were to collaborate, it would be met with open arms.’
A clan well aware of the value of silk and clothing would have no reason to turn down a collaboration with the Moyong Clan.
There wasn’t a need to look far for examples—my father just did the same.
To fulfill a deal allowing the Moyong Clan to establish their business in Shanxi, he sold off his only son.
Of course, I went along with the deal when I’d seen my own benefits.
“Because of this, I do have to make a quick trip back to Sichuan… but I think I’ll leave during the time you won’t be around.”
She meant she’d be gone while I’m in closed-door training.
Two months really was a short time to travel back and forth to Sichuan.
‘But I guess she’ll manage somehow.’
In the end, what Tang Soyeol was saying was that she would return to Shanxi no matter what.
“The Tang Clan and the Moyong Clan working together, huh…”
Regardless of the Tang Clan’s sudden partnership with the Moyong Clan, or the Moyong Clan’s decision to establish their business in a place like the Gu Clan, where it wouldn’t really thrive…
These abrupt changes felt bewildering still.
‘Is Tang Soyeol planning to use this as an excuse?’
It seemed she wanted to linger in Shanxi under this pretext, but that wouldn’t be as simple as it sounded.
But surely, Tang Soyeol was aware of that too.
‘So, it looks like she’s got something else in her pocket.’
It seemed like she had another card to play about returning to the Gu Clan.
Staring at her with curiosity, Tang Soyeol quickly said before I could pry further, “Oh, about the business related to the cooperation, I don’t think I can discuss it even with you, Young Master Gu. It’s a contract!”
“…I wasn’t even curious.”
[You were acting super curious until now, so what’s with the nonsense?]
‘Nonsense… what nonsense…’
I momentarily felt taken aback by her rather crude remark.
I wondered if she was genuinely excited about the collaboration with the Moyong Clan?
Having struggled with Namgung Bi-ah and Wi Seol-ah, Tang Soyeol hadn’t truly batted an eye about it.
In fact, it seemed like she was in a better mood than usual.
“Oh right, Young Master Gu.”
At her call, I turned my gaze.
The way she shrank back with rosy ears showed a strange sort of bashfulness.
“It’s not anything special… but if it wouldn’t trouble you, how about we go hang out in the streets together…?”
“Oh.”
Since I’d be confined starting tomorrow, she was suggesting we go out before that happened.
I had a few things to handle, but I figured spending a little time with her might not hurt afterward.
I almost nodded yes to Tang Soyeol.
But then…
“Y- “
“Sure.”
“Huh?”
It wasn’t me who answered her.
A close-by voice chimed in at that moment, causing both mine and Tang Soyeol’s gazes to shift simultaneously.
“…Let’s… go together.”
There stood Namgung Bi-ah, her silvery-blue hair tied up for some reason.
“What’s with you?”
“Hmm…?”
“Where did you pop out from?”
“I came… after my training…?”
Only then did I notice Namgung Bi-ah’s appearance.
She seemed to have trained hard, completely drenched in sweat, her attire clinging to her body.
Moreover, the air around her was warm and thick with Qi.
“I just… finished… now…”
‘No, it really looks like you ran here in a hurry.’
Examining her breathing and body language, it seemed she dashed over, but since she insisted otherwise, maybe she was right.
Namgung Bi-ah asked me, “Streets… are you going?”
“Are you going too?”
“Yeah.”
After Namgung Bi-ah confirmed, I glanced at Tang Soyeol.
As I expected, she pouted, clearly displeased with the situation.
Looking at her, all I could do was scratch my cheek.
‘No matter which side I take here, I’m going to be in trouble.’
That was what my scant survival instincts whispered.
All I could do was watch helplessly.
[What a surprise…]
As I stood there blankly, Elder Shin reacted in astonishment.
‘What’s going on?’
[I can’t believe a clueless soul like you picked up on this… I really must see which way the sun rises tomorrow.]
‘…’
Why is this old man always like this?
After pushing aside my slightly dizzy thoughts, I spoke to both Tang Soyeol and Namgung Bi-ah.
“It’s nice to go out, but…”
“Yeah.”
“Yes.”
“…But let me make a quick stop first.”
The eager looks in their eyes were a tad overwhelming.
When I mentioned I had places to go, Namgung Bi-ah nervously tugged at my sleeve, looking worried.
It seemed she was genuinely concerned I might pull another vanishing act.
“Where…?”
I glanced at Namgung Bi-ah and replied, “I need to visit the prison.”
Upon hearing my answer, Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head, “Again?”
“…”
What do you mean, again…?
That stung a little.
After receiving permission from my father, the clan leader, and following along with the steward, I headed to the jail.
My goal was obviously the old man kept inside.
Snore-
Even through the hallway, I could already hear the snores from far away.
When I got closer to find the source, the old man lay sprawled out on the cold jail floor as if it were a bed.
“…”
What the… how can he sleep so peacefully?
“Uhh…”
He was even grinding his teeth.
“Elder, please wake up.”
“Uhh…”
I raised my voice to awaken the old man, but he merely turned over, as if he couldn’t hear me at all.
While observing that, I quietly whispered, “Maybe he’ll wake if I burn off his beard.”
“Ooof…! I’m just so tired…”
Just as I pondered using that rather violent method to wake him, the old man abruptly stirred as if he had overheard my idea.
He opened his eyes, looked around, and then, in a tired voice, said, “I was sleeping well… but it seems I have a guest.”
The old man’s appearance hadn’t changed much since our first meeting.
He was merely dressed in tidy clothes, free of blood stains and dirt.
The old man’s gaze fixed on me.
“Did you come to inform me that I could leave soon?”
That was quite a shameless thing to say.
“Sadly, it’s not really up to me.”
“…Eh. Tsk. What on earth do they want from this old man to trouble me like this?”
The old man was the lord of the Hao Clan who had been captured at the Black Palace. We locked him up the moment we brought him to the Gu Clan, yet he appeared to have adjusted better than I expected.
I stepped closer to the cage where the old man was confined.
“I wanted to ask you something.”
The old man shifted and made a weary expression after hearing me.
His eyes were covered, making his face difficult to see, but from his mouth’s angle, it was clear he was annoyed by my visit.
“You ask questions while keeping me imprisoned in this cage, huh?”
“What do you mean imprisoned? You came here of your own accord.”
We saved him because he requested it; he was making it sound like we abducted him or something.
“If you’re so inclined to rescue me, then you should let me go!”
“Now you’re asking for too much…”
It’d be absurd for a clan of the righteous faction to just let the lord of the unorthodox sect go without a fight.
It was a miracle the Murim Alliance hadn’t found out yet.
“Then when exactly are you planning to let me go?”
“Why are you asking me that?”
Only my father would know that.
And it’s very possible he held no intention of releasing him at all.
“…I thought I’d escaped from a cave of snakes only to get bitten by a tiger…”
“Save your lamentations for later. I need to ask you something.”
“What a lousy personality, only saying every little thing you want.”
“What did the Lord of the Black Palace want from you to imprison you like this?”
“You are just like your father.”
I heard Elder Mook utter those words with an empty chuckle.
“You seem to be ignoring me.”
“Child, do you really think I would tell you something I didn’t disclose to that bunch?”
If he could keep his mouth shut amidst relentless torment, there’s no way he’d easily share important intel like that with me.
“I figured as much.”
“And yet you came to inquire?”
“To be more precise, I wish to propose a deal.”
“Ha.”
Elder Mook laughed at my statement.
It was as if he found my proposition utterly ridiculous.
“You want to strike a deal with me?”
“Yes.”
“Go on then, what is it you have in mind? Money? Women?”
“I wish to gather information from you; therefore, I thought to use information in return.”
Hahaha!
The lord of the Hao Clan burst into laughter at my response.
It seemed he found it incredibly amusing.
Of course, given that I was proposing to exchange info with the leader of a clan renowned for its vast knowledge akin to the Beggar’s Sect…
It was laughable, to say the least.
“You seem to know who I am.”
“I understand a bit.”
“No child, you definitively know who I am. The signs are clear.”
“How can you see anything with those eyes?”
“…Your speech bears more rudeness than your sister’s.”
Through the tightly wrapped bandages, I could feel Elder Mook’s gaze direct towards me.
“…It’s quite intriguing that something appearing so light and soft can also seem extraordinarily heavy and rigid.”
“I’m too young to grasp such complex words.”
“I’m afraid you simply can’t comprehend it. Child, who are you really?”
His question was awfully peculiar.
What does he mean, who am I?
“As you can see, I’m the heir of this household.”
After providing a bland response, Elder Mook fell silent for a moment.
Then he began to chuckle.
“An utterly pointless Q&A, I see. Now, let’s hear it. What information are you willing to trade with me?”
Information that piques the interest of the lord of the Hao Clan.
I honestly lacked clarity on what that could be.
In my previous life, I scarcely cared about such matters.
During the Hao Clan’s conflict with the Black Palace, I wasn’t one to dwell on outer affairs too closely, merely letting things unfold.
Yet, I did have knowledge about a particular event following that encounter.
Whether that would be of any interest to the lord of Hao Clan was questionable.
“White Demonic Stone.”
At my utterance, the old man stiffened slightly.
“…!”
I witnessed his shoulders tremor a tad.
The slight grin on his face faded, and a heavy stillness enveloped the atmosphere.
This change wasn’t due to Qi usage but simply reflected Elder Mook’s transformation in demeanor.
While I observed, the old man questioned, “What did you just… say?”
Upon seeing his expression, I needed to determine if he was on the stage or if it was genuine.
Because for Elder Mook to show such emotion…
I had to remain alert to two potential cues.
‘One possibility is that it’s an act.’
For someone so accustomed to various tales throughout their life, showing overt surprise was such an anomaly.
‘The second possibility is its significance to him.’
That it could carry such weight to provoke such a powerful reaction from him.
The White Demonic Stone.
Or, as it’s also known, the White-Grade Demonic Stone.
It was a demonic stone no longer obtainable—they could only be obtained through slaying white-grade demons.
“Perhaps Elder Mook would certainly be curious about the whereabouts of a White Demonic Stone.”
That stone should lie hidden beneath the ocean at the northern edge of the continent.
That place was guarded by a fearsome beast, making it a location I couldn’t approach yet, but I knew its whereabouts.
‘Although I wasn’t the one who discovered it.’
The one who found it was the Hao Clan.
After considerable sacrifices and lengthy searches, they unearthed this lost White Demonic Stone—the very stone that, for some reason, had not vanished.
And they managed to seize it.
Then…
‘It was taken away by the Heavenly Demon.’
I had no clue as to why they sought that stone, but the White Demonic Stone that the Hao Clan possessed soon fell into the hands of the Heavenly Demon.
Subsequently, it was delivered to me under the guise of a gift.
What I didn’t know was whether this revelation would impact the lord of the Hao Clan. I could only hope it would.
‘Regardless, I’m not about to relinquish it.’
Even if I offered the information, recollecting my previous encounter with the White Demonic Stone meant I had absolutely no intention of handing it over to him.
Especially when I recalled the power I had drawn from it.
Elder Mook maintained a silence, refusing to respond.
It was as if he couldn’t fathom how I came to know such things.
And also as if he were at a loss for words.
He didn’t utter a single response.
Enduring that uncomfortable silence for a brief moment…
“…I understand now.”
At last, Elder Mook spoke.
It fell from his lips as though he had realized something significant.
“You’re the master of the ancient tome.”
His statement was so unexpected; I couldn’t have seen that coming.
“…What?”
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