Four days had passed since the heads of the Eon and Paeng clans returned.
At first, the two had acted like people itching to tear each other apart, and the atmosphere around them had been nothing short of murderous.
But after learning of the Demonic Cult's plan targeting all of Hebei Province, and how Peng Woo-jin had thrown himself forward to die in Eon Ga-hye's place, only to escape with a wounded arm by sheer luck, the two's attitude had shifted somewhat.
They still snapped at each other, but it no longer felt like they were truly baring their fangs as before.
Under those circumstances, the two clan heads calling me and Seol Ri-hyang aside was likely because the matter of Peng Woo-jin and Eon Ga-hye had finally been settled.
Unlike when I'd first seen them, the two clan heads' eyes were calm and composed. Not that they were cold—their gazes held unmistakable goodwill and interest.
No, when they looked at me, there seemed to be a hint of admiration mixed in as well.
"Honestly, when I first heard about it from Woo-jin, I thought there was some exaggeration mixed in… but now I'm a bit envious of the Poison King."
"Hah! It's just that young hero Cheon is special—your son isn't lacking anything, so why the envy?"
"…No, why are you so sensitive when it comes to my son's story?"
"Unlike someone else, he's a very polite young man, so isn't it natural? Above all, just as he's a son to you, he's a prospective son-in-law to me."
"Well, Ga-hye has also grown up to be very kind, unlike someone else."
"Whose daughter is she that you'd say such an obvious thing?"
"…"
The Paeng Clan head let out a deep sigh, his expression saying he had much to say but was holding it back.
It seems the matter of Peng Woo-jin and Eon Ga-hye's marriage has been concluded in a favorable direction.
Well, of course. Considering all the circumstances and conditions, forcibly separating the two was never a good option.
First of all, while the Paeng and Eon Clans were at odds, wasn't the Demonic Cult trying to use that to overturn Hebei Province? So for the sake of the righteousness that the Orthodox Sects hold so dear, setting aside old, musty grudges and joining hands was the right choice.
Peng Woo-jin and Eon Ga-hye had already built a track record of being willing to simply leave home if things went south (that I and Tang So-wol had encouraged them is a secret).
On top of that, the fact that the two had already done everything there was to do had spread through whispers.
At this point, connecting Peng Woo-jin and Eon Ga-hye was the best choice for both them and their families.
I felt a quiet sense of pride at a fate so different from before my regression — but only for a moment.
The Paeng Clan head turned his body to look in my direction.
"I called you here and then rambled on too long. The reason I summoned the two of you is to offer my thanks."
"Thanks to you, both my daughter and the Eon Clan escaped a great calamity. As a father and as a clan head, I bow my head to you. I am grateful."
With those words, the Paeng Clan head lowered his head. The Eon Clan head followed suit half a beat later.
For a Harmony Realm martial artist and the head of a great clan, it was a gesture of respect somewhat excessive to offer to a rising talent who had not yet reached the age of twenty.
Seol Ri-hyang, who still knew more about the customs of the martial world than she didn't, seemed to find the gesture unusual, and with a burdened expression she hastily bowed in return.
"Oh, no, it's nothing. If we hadn't known, that would be one thing, but since we did know, of course we had to do something. And besides, this time we were just really lucky…"
"That's right. The two of you bowing like this puts us in an awkward position, so please raise your heads."
I bowed as well, and only then did the Paeng Clan head and the Eon Clan head lift their heads.
"Well then, let's leave the embarrassing pleasantries at that."
"Now, how can you brush off the matter of showing proper respect as something embarrassing? This is exactly why the Hebei Peng Clan has the reputation it does."
"Why do you leave out the fact that there are plenty who like us precisely because we're so free-spirited? …Well, in this case, I just thought it would be better to show gratitude through actions rather than words, you stubborn Eon Clan bastard."
"Ah. Now that you mention it, there is that."
The Eon Clan head nodded and pulled a wooden box from his bosom.
"I hear from my daughter that your martial arts are outstanding, but your internal energy is lacking, so you haven't been able to spread your wings properly. I also heard you've been cultivating Yin-Cold Energy… This has some connection to our Eon Clan's martial arts, so I prepared it."
The Eon Clan head slowly opened the wooden box. At the same time, a chilling energy poured out from within.
"The Yin Spirit Ghost Pill. It's a spiritual medicine created to greatly boost Yin Energy and guide gwigi into the Dantian."
"Wow…"
Seol Ri-hyang stared blankly at the violet-colored elixir, as if drawn by some kind of pull. At that, the Eon Clan head pushed the wooden box toward us with a proud smile.
"As you've no doubt already sensed, much of the Eon Clan's martial arts presupposes the use of gwigi. It's a remnant from the days when we championed the Corpse Puppetry Arts. But it's a difficult path to take in gwigi with a living body. So this was created to prepare the body before learning the full martial arts. I thought it would be just right for a young lady who has just reached the Peak Realm, so I brought it along."
"Heh heh. The Eon Clan fellow makes it sound like a basic spiritual medicine for building the body, but in truth, it's a precious pill used only in the training of the direct line. If he had even one more child, there wouldn't be any left to spare."
At the Paeng Clan head's added remark, the blankness in Seol Ri-hyang's eyes sharpened back into focus.
"Hup! Are you sure I can accept something so precious…?"
"Nonsense. You've done plenty to deserve it, so take it without worry. However, most of the Eon Clan's spiritual medicines carry strong Yin Energy or gwigi, so I found it difficult to locate one that would benefit the young hero. So I brought the spirit core of a centipede we recently captured—a beast that uses a rather vicious poison."
This time, the Eon Clan head handed another wooden box toward me. It was far larger and thicker than the one containing the Yin Spirit Ghost Pill, and it was sealed so tightly that it didn't seem like it would open easily.
It must be a spirit core so potent that merely exposing it to the air would poison anyone nearby.
I might not benefit from it, but it would be a great help to Tang So-wol and the Tang Clan's research.
"Thank you. Spirit beasts themselves are occasionally seen, but one that possesses a spirit core—and one laced with poison energy at that—is extremely rare. I'm certain my father-in-law will be pleased as well."
"I owe the Poison King quite a debt over this matter, so I'd be glad if he finds it to his liking."
The Eon Clan head nodded with a satisfied expression. Who would have thought that Tang Jincheon's efforts in keeping up the conversation all the way here would pay off like this?
I'd originally planned to hand it over without a fuss, but this time I'll pass it to Tang Jincheon in secret.
That way, whether he studies it or just collects a sample, he can deliver it to Tang So-wol himself later.
He seems to have been troubled by our affairs lately, so once in a while I should help him save face.
I was nodding to myself inwardly when Clan Head Peng curled up the corners of his mouth in a grin and spoke.
"Don't be too disappointed. On the contrary, what I've brought is for you, Blood Flower Sword Demon."
"You mean me?"
"You know full well, yet you pretend not to. Didn't Woo-jin specifically tell that brat to give his thanks in the form of a Heavenly Tiger Pill? Ah, I'm not complaining. You did enough to deserve asking for it outright."
"I was merely feigning surprise out of courtesy. …But Brother Peng, you said you only heard about it—how did you come to know all the details?"
"Well. Both I and my boy are terrible liars by nature, so it all showed on our faces. Once I pressed a little, he spilled everything."
He chuckled, then, as if he'd prepared it in advance, pulled out a wooden box and a heavy pouch from behind his back.
"I could spare one or two Heavenly Tiger Pills without a problem… but unfortunately, all I have on hand right now is a single one I kept for emergencies. So instead, I tossed in some Body Strengthening Pills that I've been taking myself."
"You mean the Body Strengthening Pill?"
The Body Strengthening Pill isn't the name of a specific spiritual medicine. It's a general term for any pill that strengthens the body.
Unless one's body was so weak that illness followed, it was a pill of little use to most martial artists.
Noticing my confusion, the Paeng clan head shrugged.
"I understand your disappointment, but the Paeng Clan's Body Strengthening Pill is a bit different, so don't worry."
"I wasn't disappointed. Just surprised."
If it was a Body Strengthening Pill that the Paeng clan head—a man blessed with an innate physique unlike anyone else—took on a regular basis, it couldn't be ordinary.
"Then that's good to hear. Well, you see—just as some grain-avoidance pills taste good and others don't, it's the same with this Body Strengthening Pill. Among all such pills, this one is especially effective."
"Enough to work even on the Blade King?"
"Heh heh. It works, alright. However, it's not like an ordinary Body Strengthening Pill that simply draws up your energy just by taking it."
"Then how does it take effect?"
"Try taking one before and after your training. The rate at which your body grows will be different from before."
"Ah."
So it assists External Arts training. Strictly speaking, naming it a Body Strengthening Pill is accurate, but its principle operates on a different track from the existing pills of that name, which exist to fill a deficiency in energy.
"Of course, this was made to suit the Paeng Clan's physique and martial arts, so I don't know how effective it will be for you. In the first place, this isn't something that's easily taken out of the clan. Still, it's good for the body either way. I brought it thinking it might help."
"This is… certainly something I desperately need right now."
"Honestly, I was confused at first, but after passing by and seeing it a few times, I understood. Your body and internal energy can't keep up with your enlightenment, right?"
"That's correct."
"The Poison King has had a hard time of it too. Considering your age, when you became the Tang Clan's son-in-law, and the Tang Clan's particular circumstances, it's not as if he skimped on support."
"I can only feel grateful and sorry toward my father-in-law."
Especially given the Tang Clan's strong cohesion—they may bare their blades at outsiders, but once someone enters their fence, they become endlessly warm toward them.
I was no different. After formally entering into an engagement with Tang So-wol, I received spiritual medicine frequently…
Even accounting for that, the speed at which I regained my pre-regression level was too fast.
Of course, since the Tang Clan's pill refining art was based on poison pills, there was also the major problem that every spiritual medicine given to me had been purchased from elsewhere.
"The Heavenly Tiger Pill and the Body Strengthening Pill should be enough to resolve the problems you're facing to some degree."
"Yes. As you said, these are exactly what I need. Thank you."
"It's too early for thanks. Honestly, these are among the best I can pull out of the clan without raising questions… but settling for just these two doesn't quite add up on the cost-benefit side."
The Paeng clan head nodded and raised his index finger.
"One. I'll grant you a single request, so long as it doesn't harm the clan and doesn't go against the greater good."
There were restrictions, sure, but this meant I could receive help from a Harmony Realm martial artist.
For a moment, all sorts of thoughts flashed through my mind… but my mouth moved before my thoughts did.
"Then, how about an instructional bout with you? Of course, not right this instant. I've received fine medicine, so I'll need time to digest it, won't I?"
"…"
For a moment, the Paeng clan head wore a blank expression. Then he nodded with a hearty laugh.
For a moment, the Paeng clan head wore a blank expression. Then he nodded along with a hearty laugh.
"Hahaha! Of course I don't mind! It's true that we're both busy with the Demonic Cult's business right now, and you'll need time to absorb the Heavenly Tiger Pill, so it'll be tough… but get in touch with me when things settle down. I swear it here and now — I'll have a fine feast laid out and waiting for you."
Good. I'd foiled the Demonic Cult's plan, warned them of the danger, patched up the rift between the Paeng and Eon clans, and secured a sparring promise with the Blade King.
With this, I could consider my goals for this trip to Hebei Province more than accomplished.
As I nodded with a satisfied heart, I heard Seol Ri-hyang's exasperated voice from beside me.
"How can a person be so single-minded? If you'd shown even half the attention you pour into martial arts to other people…"
I had a feeling I knew who that "other person" was, so I quietly pretended not to hear.