Guests

"So it actually works."

"Didn't I tell you? That it would."

The Beast Palace Lord, traces of blood still at the corner of his mouth but his complexion now vibrant and free of illness, turned his head.

There, the Black Panther was likewise coughing and spitting up dead blood, but he seemed to be out of danger.

Tang So-wol's antidote, the results of her research that had taken effect however incompletely, and my assistance—combined, they had completely uprooted the poison that had been eating away at the Beast Palace Lord's body.

Of course, Tang So-wol, who was practically the center of this treatment, was still pouting her lips.

"…This isn't poison art, but the detoxification is perfect, I'll have you know."

"Heh heh. The Flying Butterfly Poison Peak is still sulking, I see. As a patient who was able to survive thanks to you, I can only be grateful."

"Oh! As a martial artist of the Orthodox Sects, how could I hold back from saving a life? I'm just relieved that the Beast Palace Lord has recovered."

Only then did Tang So-wol realize she had been making a sour face in front of a man who had just been freed from poison for the first time in decades, and she offered a gentle smile.

It was a smile that carried the dignity befitting a daughter of a noble house and the benevolence of one who had just saved a life… but it was so starkly contrasted with her expression from a moment ago that it was nothing short of feigned.

So much so that a remark slipped out of me before I could stop it.

"That doesn't suit—"

"What was that, young hero Cheon?"

"I said it's fortunate that you, Tang So-wol, are my betrothed. So fortunate that I wonder if it might not suit me after all."

"Heh heh. That won't happen, so don't worry."

Of course, that one remark that slipped out quickly went back in.

See? Though I'm sometimes called clueless or the Unorthodox Sects' holy man, I'm actually this considerate a person.

As I shrugged inwardly, the Beast Palace Lord, who had been lightly loosening his shoulders and neck, spoke up.

"So, what do you plan to do now? Needless to say, just because your treatment is finished doesn't mean you have to leave right away. Stay as long as you like before you go."

"Hmm. Well, you see… I'd said I was just visiting for a bit, but somehow things stretched out…"

"What was that?"

"My original plan was about a month, but it's already been three months since I left, so I think I need to head back right away."

Tang So-wol said that with an awkward smile.

As she said, what was supposed to be a brief visit had turned into this. Of course, she had sent a letter in the middle when it seemed she would be too late, but…

That was a notification, not a request. If her business was done, she should have returned right away instead of dawdling.

…Somehow, I feel like nothing has changed since I first entered the Tang Clan.

Well, that's to be expected. Sitting still and training alone wouldn't have brought me to my current level.

Since I've collected every Fortuitous Encounter I could this time, I should focus on digesting them for a while.

Spiritual Medicines, martial art secret manuals I thought were lost, and even various artifacts—I've brought them all back, so I'll need to distribute them to those who need them.

As originally planned, the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Iron Fist Gauntlets go to Seomun Hwa-rin, the more aggressive Yin Art called Cheokcheon Bungeum goes to Seol Ri-hyang, and the poison of the Seven-Flower Centipede goes to Tang So-wol.

As for the remaining Spiritual Medicines and the martial arts that are a bit too subtle for us to learn, I'll leave them to the Tang Clan—they'll know what to do with them.

After all, just because the Tang Clan is famous for hidden weapons and poison arts doesn't mean that's all they possess.

…It might not be a bad idea to give a few Spiritual Medicines to Maeng Yu-baek as well.

Considering the relationship with the Beast Palace, and the fact that if the Seven-Flower Centipede grows stronger alongside Maeng Yu-baek, he could create new poisons for Tang So-wol—it's a sound plan.

Above all, our group has reached a level where consuming Spiritual Medicines no longer draws much attention.

Tang So-wol, of course, has grown up consuming all sorts of Spiritual Medicines since childhood, to the point where rare poisons now benefit her more than the sheer quantity of internal energy.

Seol Ri-hyang, who not only devoured half the North Sea Ice Palace's Spiritual Medicine storehouse on her own but also absorbed Ice Crystals, likely possesses an internal energy reserve that ranks among the very best even within the Transcendent Peak.

And then there's me and Seomun Hwa-rin, who have already reached the Harmony Realm—if push comes to shove, we can simply draw upon Natural Qi directly.

The time for getting stronger through cheap tricks is over, I suppose.

…I feel a little wronged, though. Why is it that I only became this strong after I was able to openly use information from before the regression?

"Hoo."

"White Moon Sword Lord? Why the sudden sigh?"

Maeng Yu-baek, who had accompanied me to the treatment session out of concern for my father, tilted his head.

The pure joy of seeing his family healed, the regret of having to leave soon, and the anticipation of completely leaving Yunnan and starting anew in a new place.

All those emotions layered together, and he was trying so hard to hide them. It was a sight befitting his age, and a chuckle slipped out of me.

"It's nothing. I was just feeling a sense of doubt about why I've become so strong."

"Wow. That's really unlucky—"

"What did you say?"

"Ah, no! I was just thinking that's a concern befitting a true master! …And that you really resemble the Flying Butterfly Poison Peak Lord."

Maeng Yubaek, who had been shaking his head back and forth, suddenly stopped and began nodding as if he had understood something.

Surprisingly, the others seemed to agree as well, all of them nodding with the exact same expression as Maeng Yubaek.

Only Tang So-wol and I were left looking at each other, blinking.

The Beast Palace Lord, who had been watching all of this, burst into loud laughter.

"Hahaha! I was worried Yubaek might be treated coldly in the Tang Clan, but… it seems that was a needless concern."

"Heh heh. Now that the Tang Clan and the Beast Palace have agreed to join forces, there's no need to worry about giving each other the cold shoulder."

"That may be true, but a person's heart is not so easily controlled, just as its name suggests."

"???"

The Beast Palace Lord smiled meaningfully, and Tang So-wol tilted her head at his expression.

For some reason, this only made the Beast Palace Lord even more pleased, and he sprang up from his seat.

"We'll be leaving soon, but I can't just let you go like that. I plan to hold a grand banquet tonight. Will you attend?"

"If you're inviting me, of course."

I shrugged my shoulders and said that.

It was the day before we left the Beast Palace.

***

"W-We're finally here?"

"Yeah. That right there is the Sichuan Tang Clan."

"Ooh."

The moment we crossed into Yunnan, the atmosphere shifted completely. And although we'd traveled on Centipede's back, the long journey had taken its toll.

Maeng Yubaek's eyes, which had seemed slightly weary from all of it, began to sparkle.

"It's huge! Are the Centipede Gate people in there too?"

"They'll be there, but not for long."

"W-we're being kicked out…?"

"Put that way, it sounds rather harsh. That's not what I meant. If another sect were to remain inside the Tang Clan, wouldn't they be seen as a subordinate sect under the Tang Clan's banner? So I was saying I'd find you a separate estate. Fortunately, the Centipede Gate has so few people that we should be able to secure one quickly."

"But we don't have any money."

"Don't worry. The Beast Palace has already paid in advance."

"Father…!"

Maeng Yubaek looked up at the sky with a face full of emotion.

For all his talk, the Beast Palace Lord hadn't cast his daughter out because he disliked her—he'd entrusted them with a considerable sum as Centipede Gate's support fund.

If there was something fatherly about Maeng Yubaek, it was that he hadn't said a word to Maeng Yubaek himself about it.

At any rate, there would be no problem putting food on the table for a while. Whether things would get better than that was up to Maeng Yubaek.

And so they arrived at the Sichuan Tang Clan. After announcing their return at the main gate, they headed straight for the office where Tang Jincheon was.

He had expected to find Tang Jincheon with his arms crossed and a fearsome expression… but what he actually encountered in the office was a sight he never could have imagined.

"Sword King? Brother Namgung? What brings the two of you here?"

"Hm."

Namgung Dowi nodded the moment he saw my face, then spoke to Tang Jincheon, who looked utterly exhausted.

"The White Moon Sword Lord has arrived, so the negotiation matter will proceed according to the Poison King's opinion."

"…Thank you."

Namgung Dowi let out a long sigh as he stamped the documents Tang Jincheon had pushed toward him. Then, without delay, he stood before me alongside his son, Namgung Jong.

"It's been a while, White Moon Sword Lord."

"Yes. It has been a while, hasn't it. The last time we met was at the Shaolin Temple, I believe."

"That's right. That was already over half a year ago… And it seems you've made further accomplishments in the meantime. The saying 'one must look at a person with new eyes' surely applies to you."

"You're right, clan head. If anything, I should be the one calling you 'older brother.'"

Sensing something ominous in the way the father and son complemented each other so perfectly, I took a half step back.

"…The two of you are gilding my face with such praise that I can hardly bear it. What brings you here?"

"Of course, I came to see you. I heard you cut down the Indestructible Vajra Body—I was curious whether it was true."

"Heh."

"And while I'm at it, the Chief Steward shoved a pile of paperwork at me, saying we'd all starve to death if we didn't get the seal stamped. But that's just been resolved."

"You'd think that would be the most important thing, wouldn't you."

I hurriedly looked at Tang Jincheon, but all I found there was a face looking back at me with relief… no, beyond that, with an expression that seemed to be coaxing me.

"I'm sorry to trouble you the moment you've returned home, but I'll leave it to you, son-in-law. Think of it as work that's piled up while you were away."

"Ah, yes."

"Then we'll have a meal on our own and catch up on what we've missed. Ah, and you're the daughter of the Beast Palace Lord… no, the Centipede Sect Leader, aren't you. The Centipede Sect people are truly diligent. Even when I said it was fine, they insisted they couldn't just stay as guests without doing something, even for a short while."

"Is that so?"

"Of course it is. A superior's virtue is revealed through their subordinates. Take pride in it. Speaking of which, I heard the Seven-flower Centipede is with you as well…"

"Ah, if you mean the Centipede, it's outside. It's gotten so big that it would be hard for it to come inside."

"Oh ho! It's been a long time since I've seen a living Spirit Beast, so I'm looking forward to it a bit. So-wol, how was the Seven-flower Centipede's poison?"

"Hehe. I think you'll find it quite entertaining. I'll show you all sorts of things over our meal later."

An atmosphere warm and amicable, with me excluded.

It seems there's no one to help me after all. Well, that's fine. Wasn't I the one who said I'd only be gone for a moment, only to return after a long while? With things as they are, I steel my resolve.

Drawing in a deep breath, I opened my mouth toward the two men of the Namgung Clan, father and son, who were staring at me with an intensity that felt almost burdensome.

"Hoo. It's been a while since we've met, so it'd be a shame to just talk with words alone. How about a sparring bout?"

"As expected of the White Moon Sword Lord! You and I speak the same language!"

"Please go easy on me, young hero Cheon!"

The two of them grinned with eyes that went beyond sparkling into outright gleaming. Honestly, at this point, I'm certain this qualifies as madness.

"But what did you mean by the Namgung Clan starving to death? You may not be what you once were, but still, you are the Namgung Clan, aren't you?"

"Hm? Ah, you were curious about that? It's nothing much. Lately, rumors have been spreading that the Tang Clan is using you to completely push out the Namgung Clan this time around, or that they'll take the Sword King's alias — and because of that, work has been drying up."

"Those are completely baseless rumors."

"They must be. When you know you, and you know the Poison King, how could anyone doubt you?"

"I'm relieved there's no misunderstanding."

"Hm, hm. Aside from that, there have been various problems — merchant caravans still being attacked even though the Green Forest has stopped their activities, people who were selling internal information to the Haomun for personal gain getting caught, and instigating the collateral branches that had been quiet all along to stir up rebellion. There were many issues. I figured I might as well send the young head into hiding as well, so I brought him to the Tang Clan, but it's fine."

"None of that sounds fine at all?!"

This is no time to be leisurely sparring. I don't know the details, but something is clearly happening within the Namgung Clan.

But Namgung Dowi, hearing my words, continued in a serious tone.

"I know as well. That someone is meddling with the Namgung Clan."

"Then…"

"But what can I do about it?"

"Huh?"

"My sword is one that can cut more things than it cannot. But isn't this a situation where I don't even know what to cut?"

"…"

"It's just that the time to draw the sword hasn't come yet. Not yet, that is."

"Ah."

Only then did Namgung Dowi understand why Namgung Jong had left the Namgung Clan empty at a time like this.

It was partly because he trusted his capable retainers… but revealing such an opening was itself a trap.

It was a display of confidence that bordered on arrogance. But having seen the Sword King's sword many times, I knew. This was justified confidence.

The moment those rats poke their heads out, thinking this is their chance.

The Emperor's sword will cleave those wretched necks.

"But was that Blood Buddha fellow's Indestructible Vajra Body really that tough? I heard even the Murim Alliance Leader's cudgel couldn't break it."

"…"

Seeing Namgung Dowi immediately show his curiosity and competitive spirit, a question of my own quietly raised its head.

Was the sparring bout with me truly the main purpose, and the Namgung Clan's problems merely secondary?