Chapter 32
Dan Seol-Young guided Baek Mu-Gun to an inner room that was opposite of Cheon Yu-Hwa’s room, divided by the hallway.
“Please rest here. Let me know if you need anything else.”
“Thank you. I’d like to have a meal. The beef jerky and dry rations weren’t enough.”
“I’ve actually prepared some food for you in preparation for your return. Please wait for a moment.”
Seol-Young quickly left the room. After a while, she returned with a steaming bowl of noodles and stir-fried vegetables on the side.
“I don’t have many ingredients available at the moment, so this was the only dish I could prepare.” Seol-Young sounded apologetic.
“Did you make it yourself, Lady Dan?”
“Yes, though I’m not that great of a cook. Please try it.”
“It smells too good for it to have been made by a bad cook. Thank you for the meal.”
Famished, Mu-Gun began to eat the noodles in a hurry.
After slurping a mouthful of noodles and taking a sip of the warm broth, Mu-Gun’s eyes widened. It was really delicious.
“This is delicious. I think this is the best noodles I’ve ever had.”
“That can’t be true.”
“No, I’m serious. I think I would be fine eating noodles for the rest of my life if it always tasted this good.” Mu-Gun showered his compliments.
“For the rest of your life?” Seol-Young slightly blushed at his words.
“I’m just trying to put how amazing this dish is into words.”
“Well, please enjoy your meal. I’ll be leaving now.”
“Already?”
Mu-Gun grasped onto Seol-Young, who was trying to get up and leave.
“Do you have anything else you would like me to do...?” Seol-Young looked visibly alarmed at Mu-Gun’s sudden action.
“That’s not it. I just personally don’t like eating alone. If it’s not too uncomfortable for you, can you stay with me until I finish eating?”
Mu-Gun’s response seemed to have flustered Seol-Young a little, but she soon nodded.
“Okay. But I’ll leave as soon as you’re done with your meal.”
“I’ll have to eat very slowly so I can appreciate your beauty a bit longer, then, Lady Dan,” Mu-Gun playfully replied.
He was interested in Seol-Young. The reason? Why would a man full of vigor need a reason to be interested in a beautiful woman?
Mu-Gun was genuinely attracted to Seol-Young’s beauty.
“Are you teasing me right now?”
“No. I just find you beautiful, Lady Dan.”
“Is that how you make women fall for you?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never done this to anyone except you.”
“I don’t believe you at all. You probably say that to every woman you meet.”
“Does the thought of me doing this with someone else make you jealous?” Mu-Gun smiled.
“Why would I be jealous? Stop saying such weird things and quickly finish your noodles.”
“Lady Dan, are you perhaps finding it uncomfortable that I’m interested in you? If so, tell me. I don’t like it if you find it uncomfortable either.”
“That’s not it. I don’t find it uncomfortable,” Seol-Young answered with a slight blush.
She had heard about the Thunder God’s successor from Yu-Hwa countless times. Yu-Hwa always talked about the Thunder God’s successor positively, ultimately leading Seol-Young to fantasize about the Thunder God’s successor.
And when she actually met the Thunder God’s successor, she unknowingly projected that fantasy onto Mu-Gun.
Mu-Gun was also quite handsome, had exceptional capabilities, and had a strange vibe about him that attracted a woman’s heart.
He saved Yu-Hwa, who was dying from the Soulless Purple Flower Poison, then defeated those who infiltrated the Heavenly Secret Hall.
Although it hadn’t been that long since Seol-Young met him, she had grown fond of Mu-Gun. No, it was a feeling greater than that. From her perspective, Mu-Gun showing such interest in her first was both pleasing and welcoming. She was just acting coy and pretending not to be pleased.
“I’m glad.”
Mu-Gun smiled widely and continued eating his noodles. From time to time, he’d look at Seol-Young and appreciate her beauty. Seol-Young blushed every time he did so.
‘She’s pretty and cute at the same time.’
Mu-Gun smirked, finding her shyness cute. As she said, Seol-Young left the room as soon as Mu-Gun finished eating. He didn’t bother insisting that she stayed, considering confirming that they were interested in each other was enough for today. With his stomach now full, he circulated his qi and immediately went to bed. Mu-Gun had been unable to sleep for the past three days since he was treating Yu-Hwa. Hence, he fell asleep as soon as he lay down.
The next day, Yu-Hwa and Seol-Young left Nanjing for Wenzhou with the few remaining Heavenly Secret Hall members. Yu-Hwa left one of the Heavenly Secret Hall members behind to clean up the Sky Flower House.
She had also disposed of the bodies of those Mu-Gun had killed at the Sky Flower Pavilion, preventing his identity from being revealed. Afterward, she made sure the gisaengs that saw him were sent to brothels where the Great Sima Family wouldn’t be able to find them.
Mu-Gun departed for Shandong Province immediately after sending off Yu-Hwa and the other members of the Heavenly Secret Hall.
***
Upon arriving at the Great Sima Family’s main building, the steward Sima Chongxia delivered a report to Sima Chongjing, the Great Sima Family patriarch. The report dumfounded Chongqing.
“What do you mean the Flying Lion Platoon we sent to the Heavenly Secret Hall was wiped out? Who annihilated them?”
“I think it was done from within the Heavenly Secret Hall, but that should be an impossible feat, considering their combat forces...”
“The Soulless Purple Flower Poison had poisoned the Heavenly Secret Hall Leader, and we’ve killed most of the Heavenly Secret Guardians. What kind of power did they have to be capable of wiping out the Flying Lion Platoon? Someone else had to have intervened. Were there no other traces on the members’ bodies?”
“We’re having difficulties finding any traces since the Flying Lion Platoon Captain and the Five Lion Generals’ bodies had been burned down. However, the other platoon members had marks of an assassin’s dagger.”
“An assassin’s dagger?” Chongqing frowned.
“Yes. I have to personally check to confirm the exact details, but the weapon marks suggest that it was the work of a single person.”
“One person? Is there an Assassin Sect capable of doing that?”
“The Three Greatest Assassin Sects, perhaps. However, their involvement is highly unlikely.”
“Find out no matter the cost. We can’t let whoever interrupted our affairs live. Find the Heavenly Secret Hall Leader too.”
“Understood.”
Under Chongqing’s order, Chongxia, along with the Flying Spy Platoon in charge of intelligence, tracked down the Heavenly Secret Hall Leader and the person who annihilated the Flying Lion Platoon. However, the Heavenly Secret Hall was an organization that handled information. They knew how to avoid leaving any traces behind.
The only trace left was a hundred-thousand-nyang receipt entailing that the Sky Flower House was sold to Ju Jang-Kyung, the richest man in Nanjing. This slip was issued by the Nanjing Vault. If someone were to convert it to money, they’d have to go visit that establishment. Without any other leads, the Great Sima Family had no choice but to wait for the culprit to pick up the money at the Nanjing Vault.
Finding the person who wiped out the Flying Lion Platoon was the same as journeying through a stormy voyage. Still, they’d found a clue—the gisaengs that suddenly disappeared from the Sky Flower House.
Under the assumption that the gisaengs would know something, Chongxia immediately ordered his subordinates to track them down.
***
Meanwhile, Mu-Gun left Nanjing and headed straight to Shandong Province. Though it was his first trip as Baek Mu-Gun, he didn’t have difficulties or felt unfamiliar with his surroundings since he had traveled to various parts of China during his previous lives. Mu-Gun quickly headed north, trying his best not to get involved with others.
Ten days after leaving Nanjing, he crossed Jiangsu Province’s border and entered Shandong Province. With his current speed, it would take him five days at the earliest to arrive at Mount Tai, where the Medicine King Family was located.
It was already becoming dark outside by the time Mu-Gun crossed the Shandong Province’s border. Hence, he looked for an inn to stay the night. Mu-Gun checked into a room and paid another fee to wash up with hot water in the bathroom. Afterward, he went down to the restaurant on the ground floor to have dinner.
The restaurant was the reason why merchants traveling between Shandong Province and Jiangsu Province stayed in this inn. In fact, there were so many customers that there were few empty seats. After managing to find a table, he ordered food.
He was drinking coarse tea, which they served before his meal, when he overheard the conversation of the merchants seated next to him. He didn't purposely listen in on them. It was just that their table was right next to his and they were quite loud, making it only natural for him to overhear them.
“Have you heard the news?”
“What news?”
“The Great Huangfu Family and the Qingdao Sect are competing for the right to marry the young mistress of Shandong Merchant Association.”
Mu-Gun was just listening to the conversation without much thought when his eyes shone. The Great Huangfu Family and the Qingdao Sect were factions Mu-Gun was interested in. The Great Huangfu Family was one of the Seven Great Clans, and the Qingdao Sect was an organization that suddenly flourished over the past decade just like the Great Sima Family.
After confirming that the Asura Cult had infiltrated the Great Sima Family, Mu-Gun singled out the forces that had shown sudden growth over the past decade. Coincidentally, he narrowed the list down to nine, four of which were martial families and five were martial sects. The Qingdao Sect was one of the five martial sects.
“It’s a fight to take Lady Shangguan Bihe’s hand in marriage, huh.”
“That’s right. I heard the Great Huangfu Family’s young patriarch and the Qingdao Sect’s vice sect leader are completely infatuated with Lady Shangguan.”
“She’s called Shandong’s greatest beauty for a reason. She’s so pretty she’s causing men to lose their minds.”
“Kyaaah, I wouldn’t be able to ask for more if I could sleep with such a beautiful woman even for just one night.”
“Dream on. For us, Clear Lake House’s Wolhyang is the best we can see.”
“Ehem, can’t I dream for a bit? Anyway, I wonder who Lady Shangguan is going to choose.”
“Wouldn’t it be the Great Huangfu Family? Though the Qingdao Sect was said to have shown rapid growth, it’s not comparable to the Great Huangfu Family, one of the Seven Great Clans. Either way, the Great Huangfu Family will definitely prevent those two organizations’ unison. If the Qingdao Sect and the Shandong Merchant Association combine their wealth, it would greatly threaten the Great Huangfu Family.”
“That’s true. Lady Shangguan is the only direct descendant of Master Shangguan, the Shandong Merchant Association Chairman. To marry Lady Shangguan essentially means obtaining the entire Shandong Merchant Association.”
“Well, I don’t think the Shangguan Family will just stand still and watch that happen.”
“Ah, you’re so clueless. What can they do if the Great Huangfu Family puts Lady Shangguan in the lead and overpowers them with force? They would just be swallowed whole.”
“You never know. It’s possible for the Shangguan Family members to involve the Qingdao Sect just to keep the Great Huangfu Family in check.”
Mu-Gun found the two merchants’ conversation quite interesting. Although the Qingdao Sect achieved rapid growth, they couldn’t compare to the Great Huangfu Family, which was one of the Seven Great Clans.
In fact, if the Great Huangfu Family decided to, it would only be a matter of time before the Qingdao Sect collapsed. Of course, it would be a different story if those from Nine Celestial Demons Sect hiding inside the Qingdao Sect intervened. And if the Qingdao Sect and the Shandong Merchant Association joined forces, even the Great Huangfu Family would no longer find the Qingdao Sect an easy target.
In order for the Qingdao Sect to overthrow the Great Huangfu Family in Shandong, they had to obtain the Shandong Merchant Association. On the other hand, the Great Huangfu Family had to obtain the Shandong Merchant Association if they wanted to keep the Qingdao Sect in check and solidify their status as Shandong’s strongest force.
Either outcome wasn’t beneficial for Mu-Gun. Be it the Great Huangfu Family, which he had a grudge against in his past life, or the Qingdao Sect, which could be connected to the Nine Celestial Demons Sect, nothing good would come from increasing their influence.
However, it was something that Mu-Gun couldn’t prevent. But while the Great Huangfu Family and Qingdao Sect were keeping each other in check, there was a way for Mu-Gun to profit from it. That method was to get Bihe for himself. In all honesty, it was practically impossible.
In the first place, Mu-Gun had no intention of doing so, and even if he did, there was close to no possibility that Bihe or the Shandong Merchant Association would choose him. Mu-Gun just wished for neither side to join hands in marriage with the Shandong Merchant Association.
In the meantime, the food he ordered had been served. After his meal, Mu-Gun went back to his room, circulated his qi, then went to sleep. The next morning, he left the inn early and headed to Mount Tai. He arrived five days after.
Since it was already getting dark, Mu-Gun decided not to immediately climb Mount Tai. Instead, he stayed the night at a shabby inn located at the base of Mount Tai.
Mu-Gun checked into a guest room and went down to the restaurant within the inn to have a meal. There were five tables in the restaurant, which was as shabby as the inn, but only one of them was occupied.
At that table, there were two men around Mu-Gun’s age sitting opposite each other. They were having a meal, but they looked anxious. When Mu-Gun first entered the restaurant, they looked at Mu-Gun warily.
‘Are they being chased?’ Mu-Gun thought. However, one of the two men seemed a tad unique. He looked pretty rather than handsome.
‘He’s most probably a woman.’
Although she dressed as a man, she couldn’t deceive Mu-Gun’s keen eyes.
‘Are they eloping?’
From Mu-Gun’s perspective, the two didn’t have an ordinary relationship. They looked at each other with affection, so there was a high possibility that they were in love.
A loving couple being chased by someone was quite cliché. If they were eloping to avoid opposition from their family, then that would explain their behavior.
‘Well, it’s none of my business.’
Mu-Gun stopped paying attention to them and ordered a bowl of thin noodles and dumplings. Ordering the most basic food in such a shabby restaurant always proved wise. If he ordered expensive food, and it didn’t taste good, he’d only be wasting his appetite and money.
On the other hand, if the thin noodles and dumplings were delicious, all he had to do was order extra food. After a while, his order was served. They looked quite decent, making his expectations rise. He ate the thin noodles.
‘Yuck.’
It tasted so bad that he wanted to spit it out. He couldn’t help but wonder how someone could make noodles taste so bad. After barely swallowing the noodles, Mu-Gun tried the dumplings. As expected, they were no different from the thin noodles.
Mu-Gun thought it was certainly great he only ordered such basic food. He pondered if he should keep eating, but there weren’t any alternatives. There was no other place in the area where he could eat dinner. He had to fill his stomach for now.
Mu-Gun bit the bullet and resumed his meal. While he forced himself to eat, the bead curtain hanging on the restaurant’s entrance was lifted and a group of people entered. There were exactly eleven people. They all looked like martial artists.
They glanced around the room with fierce eyes. Soon, they approached the couple.
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