For some reason, Tang So-wol had frozen stiff, but at any rate, the misunderstanding was resolved.
The Beast Palace Lord nodded with a subtle expression.
"…I see. So you're saying you have no intention of taking over the Beast Palace."
"I don't understand why you would think that in the first place. It seems others share the same misconception."
"Well, you're the Sichuan Tang Clan's live-in son-in-law, aren't you, White Moon Sword Lord?"
"That's true, but does that serve as a reason?"
"Your personal martial prowess is outstanding, but you could never stand at the center of the Tang Clan. And with the current clan head's will being firm, your betrothed will never rise to the position of young head, so it's all but certain you'll be cast out to a collateral branch, isn't it?"
"Yes, well. That's a fair point."
"Then at least you should have some backing to wield influence within the Tang Clan. I thought the Beast Palace, though far away, was a force not to be underestimated… but it seems I was mistaken."
"Heh."
"Ah, and to add a bit more—the fact that you have a woman by your side other than your betrothed also played a part. I imagine it's only possible because you're marrying a daughter who will never inherit the Tang Clan, but if two were possible, wouldn't three also be?"
"…"
I was startled by how plausible that reasoning sounded.
It was the kind of misconception anyone who didn't know our circumstances in detail would have.
So that's how it is… This is how we're seen from the outside…
My bitter laugh lasted only a moment. Suddenly, Seomun Hwa-rin spoke up with a serious expression.
"The Seomun Clan is here as well."
"Hm?"
"This woman's Seomun Clan will stand behind Cheon Hwi. What does the Beast Palace have to say about that?"
"The Seomun Clan? I've never heard of such a family…"
"Hmph!"
Seomun Hwa-rin sank at the Beast Palace Lord's single remark.
Well, that made sense. This was Yunnan Province—and not just any part of it, but a remote corner so far off that it was called the Outer Murim, home of the South Man Beast Palace.
If it were one of the Five Great Families or the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, that might be different, but this place was far too distant from the Central Plains for even a renowned noble house of a single region to be known here.
…And the fact that Seomun Hwa-rin hadn't done much since declaring the reconstruction of the Seomun Clan probably played a part as well.
She had made her intentions known at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering, but hadn't she been busy raising funds since then?
She had accomplished this and that along the way, but most of it had been done while traveling with me and solving problems together, so her standing had only dropped further.
As I lightly patted the back of Seomun Hwa-rin, who had shrunk even smaller than she already was, this time it was Seol Ri-hyang who asked with a serious expression.
"Cheon Hwi. How about you go ahead and accept the position of Lord of the Northern Ice Palace now?"
"There's no need for a backer like that, so drop it. That's already settled, and besides, if you became the Ice Palace Lord, wouldn't you have to live in the North Sea?"
"Hehe! Well, if Cheon Hwi wants me by his side that badly, I suppose I have no choice!"
Seol Ri-hyang, unlike Seomun Hwa-rin, was in a good mood and began to hum a tune.
After watching her for a moment, I leaned deeper into my chair and shook my head.
"Hoo. If I truly chased money and power, there are far more efficient ways. Why would I bother building backing through some marriage?"
"What? That's a bit curious, young hero Cheon. Haven't you only focused on martial arts and dealing with the Demonic Cult until now? If you were to focus on wealth and glory, what would you do?"
"Simple. First, I'd go to the Black Alliance."
"Ah… I'm not sure about Madam Sa, but the Lord of the Black Alliance would gladly take you in as an adopted son…"
"What nonsense. I'd just take the position of vice-alliance lord, that's all."
"???"
I decided to explain a bit more to Tang So-wol, who was tilting her head in confusion.
"At first, the Lord of the Black Alliance would welcome me, but once he has a child of his own blood, his mind could change. And even if I went in as an adopted son, wouldn't I have to stay under the Lord of the Black Alliance for the rest of my life?"
"W-wait a moment. Surely not?"
"That's right. I'd start as vice-alliance lord and slowly build up my power from the bottom. Of course, the Lord of the Black Alliance wouldn't tolerate a challenge, so eventually he'd catch on and try to rein me in. That's when I'd take him down, and the Black Alliance would fall into my hands intact."
"Is that even possible…?"
"I don't know yet, but if I can't even surpass the Lord of the Black Alliance, how would I ever face the Heavenly Demon? Ah, just to be clear, I'm not talking about killing him. I owe a lot to the Lord of the Black Alliance, and after all, he's the one who founded the Black Alliance. I just plan to knock him around a bit."
"Wouldn't that cause backlash?"
"It's unfilial for a son to strike his father, but a subordinate striking his superior is common in the Unorthodox Sects."
"…"
Tang So-wol was at a loss for words. Looking around now, even the Beast Palace Lord and Maeng Yu-baek were staring at me with similar expressions.
Why. Why were they looking at me like that?
I tilted my head for a moment. It was the Beast Palace Lord who broke the silence.
"…Is that so. Since you're someone who could take it by force from the start without needing to put anyone forward, I suppose there's no need to doubt you."
"You misunderstand."
Anyone listening would think I was some fearsome master of the Unorthodox Sects.
"A misunderstanding. Right. Let's go with that. Then, will you now tell us? If it's not the Beast Palace you covet, then what reason could you possibly have for coming here?"
"…First, it has to do with what the Sect Leader of the Centipede Sect said."
"Hm?"
"The Centipede Sect and its Sect Leader will be taken in by the Tang Clan and allowed to grow for a while. Someday, he will go to challenge the Beast Palace as he said he would, but until then, he will remain under the Tang Clan's protection."
"Is that so. So you're saying you won't stand by while the Beast Palace makes the first move until he's fully grown, but when he actually comes to attack the Beast Palace, that's his own business. Truly a brazen scoundrel."
"…I won't deny that. However, once you hear the second point, you might change your mind."
"Don't worry. By the time that happens, I'll already be dead. The worthless children will have to handle it themselves. Whether they protect what they inherited or lose it, it all depends on their own ability."
"Well, who knows. Perhaps that won't be the case. The second thing we brought is that we will cure the poison afflicting the Beast Palace Lord."
At my words, the Beast Palace Lord faltered for a moment and stared at me quietly, as if trying to gauge whether what I had just said was true or not.
"…Why?"
"Pardon?"
"White Moon Sword Lord. Whatever your ultimate goal may be, it would be more convenient for you if I weren't here. So why do you insist on keeping me alive?"
"You don't doubt that I can cure you?"
"The Heavenly Poison Sect's poison art has never once surpassed the Sichuan Tang Clan. And in this very place sits the Poison King's own daughter. You came here certain that it was possible. What matters more than such an obvious thing is what you want in return."
"It's nothing much. How about we try getting a little closer?"
"…Would you care to elaborate?"
"Exactly what I said. We open up formal trade, help each other out now and then when the need arises… and if we share a common enemy, we fight back to back."
"A common enemy."
The Beast Palace Lord, having caught the most important part, stroked the black panther's fur and spoke after a moment of thought.
"Not bad. The Beast Palace's only enemy was the Heavenly Poison Sect, and since you've already exterminated that sect, I suppose it's my turn this time. So. Who is this enemy?"
"The Demonic Cult."
"…I did hear a bit of that earlier. Seems you don't get along with the Demonic Cult."
"To be precise, the problem is the Heavenly Demon, the current Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult."
I briefly explained everything that had happened. That the Heavenly Demon, a martial artist of unprecedented genius, had appeared, that he planned to invade the Central Plains, and that for some reason he had taken a great interest in me.
After hearing the full story, the Beast Palace Lord nodded.
"With circumstances like that, I understand. However, even with the Beast Palace's strength added, if what I just heard is true, we won't be able to do anything about the Heavenly Demon."
"I don't expect that much. I only hope that you won't join hands with the Demonic Cult in the future, and even if you do, that you won't oppose the Tang Clan."
The South Man Beast Palace was part of the Outer Murim. But it was quite close to the Sichuan Tang Clan. Yunnan and Sichuan were adjacent regions, after all.
Only then did the Beast Palace Lord seem to grasp my intent, slowly nodding his head.
"Very well. If you resolve the poison eating away at this body, then at least for as long as I live, the Beast Palace will remain a close friend of the Sichuan Tang Clan."
"For as long as you live?"
"What can I do about what happens after I die? When that time comes, whether it's a son or a daughter, you'll have to speak with the Beast Palace Lord of that generation."
Saying this, the Beast Palace Lord looked toward Maeng Yu-baek. It wasn't the gaze of a man looking at a daughter he had cast out for making a poisonous insect—rather than a beast—her companion. It was something a little warmer than that.
It seemed my initial guess had been right—as the competition for succession grew fiercer, they wanted to send out Maeng Yu-baek, who appeared uninterested in the position.
Though they probably never expected someone would try to kill a brother who had left home without a single coin.
I lightly patted the shoulder of Tang So-wol, who had been looking a bit off ever since earlier.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
"Huh? Oh, yes. If it's poison removal, you can trust me. I snatched up young hero Cheon, who is five years younger than me, when he was still a child—so this much I should do, shouldn't I?"
"…Are you sulking, by any chance?"
"Me? Sulking? Why would I? I have no reason to, do I?"
She was thoroughly upset, that was clear.
Tang So-wol grumbled as she checked the Beast Palace Lord's pulse. I whispered softly to her.
"Actually, it's only natural that you made me your betrothed."
"What's this all of a sudden…"
"Even if I weren't fifteen, even if our first meeting had been a little more ordinary, even if my abilities had been a little lacking… I would still have tried again and again to help you and catch your eye."
"That's…"
"Understand? You didn't snatch me up—I seduced you."
"…"
Tang So-wol's face flushed red as she stammered, unable to say a word. I grinned at her.
"Then I'll leave it to you. Do you think it will take long?"
"Oh, no. I only plan to look into what kind of poison it is for now, so half a sijin should be enough."
"Understood. Then we'll wait together. Beast Palace Lord. It seems we'll need to stay here for a while—could you spare us some rooms?"
"Well, of course I intended to… how many rooms would you need?"
"Four would be fine… but if there's a place that can fit four people, even one would do."
"Eek!"
What on earth was she imagining? At my answer, Maeng Yu-baek covered her eyes with both hands and let out a strange sound.
***
After Tang So-wol finished taking his pulse, she followed the servant to an empty room.
As promised earlier, the room was spacious enough for four people to stay comfortably. I later learned that the Beast Palace members all traveled with at least one beast companion, so everything everywhere tended to be on the large side.
After roughly unpacking and changing into comfortable clothes, Tang So-wol crept over with an expectant look in her eyes.
"Young hero Cheon, young hero Cheon. What do you plan to do now? I thought we might have a little time before you make the antidote…"
"Good. Then get some sleep. Aren't you tired from walking all the way here without rest?"
"…Sigh. It's not as if I'm chasing wealth and glory."
Tang So-wol muttered something under her breath with a deep sigh, but then broke into a bright smile and asked.
"Well then, how about a nap together? You must be just as tired, young hero Cheon."
"I'm sorry, but I need to do some training for a bit."
"…"
Leaving Tang So-wol, whose smile had frozen on her face, I found a suitable corner and sat down cross-legged.
Closing my eyes and focusing my mind, my consciousness quickly sank. Beyond the darkness that filled my vision, I could have sworn I heard Tang So-wol's voice saying, 'You said you'd cuddle! You said you'd cuddle!' but that didn't last long.
Before long, it was buried under the images of the Beast Palace martial artists and beasts falling to my killing intent, and the strange flow of internal energy that had formed between the Beast Palace Lord and his companion, the black panther.
I'd said that my killing intent had become hypersensitive because it was tainted with the blood scent and lingering grudges of the Azure-White Flood Dragon.
Without my realizing it, something had changed in my energy.
If I hadn't known, I could have let it go. But now that I knew, I couldn't just ignore it.
How many times had I repeated this, gazing not at the source of my killing intent, but at the killing intent itself?
Within the dark crimson currents, something seemed to flicker faintly.
A long, scaled body. A massive frame that required looking up at for a long while. And sharp pupils slit vertically.
The Azure-White Flood Dragon.
The form of an already dead serpent was hiding within my killing intent.
The problem was that it merely existed.
It showed no reaction when I moved my internal energy as if I were moving it, nor when I roused my killing intent, and even when I mobilized my Intent, it remained utterly unmoved. After trying this and that, I was certain.
'There is no reaction at all. It's no different from a mere corpse.'
Well, I was the one who killed him, after all.