The Fragrance of Tea (2)
Three visitors arrived at the residence of Ma Ryeong-in.
They were none other than the other successors of Cheondo Gate: Ma Yang-hwa, Ma Gung-tae, and Ma Seong-hu.
Once hopeful contenders for the position of martial arts alliance leader, they now found themselves in a pitiful state, like dogs chasing after chickens.
“Damn it! Our brother sure is lucky.”
The grumbling voice belonged to Ma Gung-tae, a muscular man with a shaved head, whose appearance screamed “fists before words.”
Despite his hot-headed nature, he wasn’t entirely devoid of sense.
Ma Yang-hwa responded to his complaint.
“Luck is a skill too, you know? Our eldest brother is just that skilled.”
Her face was heavily painted with makeup, so much so that it was hard to discern her true features beneath the vibrant colors of her attire.
“Ha! It’s just luck, not skill!”
Ma Gung-tae slammed the table in frustration.
Meanwhile, the youngest of them, Ma Seong-hu, sat quietly to the side, munching on snacks from the table. Still in his teens, he had a youthful, innocent look.
“How can you eat at a time like this?”
Ma Gung-tae scolded, prompting Ma Seong-hu to brush the crumbs from his lips and stand up.
“I’m heading back. I’ll just go home and hide away, maybe drink some more of my mother’s milk.”
“You don’t even have a mother, do you? Got yourself a stepmother?”
Ma Gung-tae asked with such seriousness that Ma Seong-hu couldn’t help but respond incredulously.
“It’s just a saying.”
“Why make jokes like that?”
Their banter was possible because they were half-siblings.
Ma Seong-hu, not wanting to engage further, slammed the door as he left the room.
“That little brat!”
Ma Gung-tae shouted in anger, and it was then that Ma Ryeong-in, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
“The youngest is the smartest. He knows his time to act is twenty years from now.”
“Are you saying that for me to hear?”
“On the other hand, the ignorant are often the most insecure.”
“So you are talking about me! Have you all lost your minds?”
Ma Gung-tae stood up abruptly, his temper flaring. Among the three in the room, he was the most confident in his martial skills.
Despite Ma Gung-tae’s threatening aura, Ma Ryeong-in remained unfazed, even smirking at him with disdain.
Ma Gung-tae and Ma Ryeong-in were of similar age, though Ma Gung-tae was technically older. Yet, Ma Ryeong-in had never treated him with the respect due to an elder.
Ma Yang-hwa intervened to calm them down. She was the eldest among them.
“Come on, we’re not here to fight. Let’s settle down.”
Ma Gung-tae sat back down, still fuming. In truth, he wasn’t as angry as he seemed. He often used his fiery temper to his advantage, letting others underestimate him as a fool. It was a useful shield.
Ma Ryeong-in turned to the two of them.
“So, why have you come to see me?”
Ma Yang-hwa spoke in a conciliatory tone.
“Is this really the end for us?”
In the end, they had come to seek the advice of Ma Ryeong-in, known as the sharpest mind among the successors.
“It is the end. A complete end. We’re all going to die.”
“What? Die? What do you mean?”
Ma Yang-hwa and Ma Gung-tae were taken aback.
Ma Ryeong-in replied nonchalantly.
“Even when the entire martial world is rallying behind Ma Cheol-gun as the new leader, here we are plotting behind his back. If I were him, I’d kill us too.”
“But we’re family. Would he really kill us?”
Ma Yang-hwa asked, almost in disbelief, to which Ma Ryeong-in responded.
“Family, you say? Honestly, we’re worse than strangers. If you became the leader, would you spare me?”
Ma Yang-hwa hesitated to answer. Both she and Ma Gung-tae knew that if they became the leader, they would have to eliminate the other successors. Even if they were willing to forgive, they couldn’t ignore the potential threat from the others.
“What should we do now, little brother?”
Ma Yang-hwa asked earnestly.
Ma Ryeong-in looked at Ma Gung-tae, as if to say, “Are you going to keep acting tough when you’ve come for help?”
“Damn it! Fine! I’m sorry, okay? Is that enough?”
Ma Yang-hwa quickly interjected.
“His temper has always been like that. You, with your big heart, should let it go.”
Though a few words wouldn’t change much, Ma Ryeong-in seemed willing to offer some advice.
“There are two ways to survive.”
“What are they?”
Ma Yang-hwa and Ma Gung-tae’s eyes lit up with interest.
“First, become the leader of Cheondo Gate. One of us has to lead, and no matter how much they dislike it, they won’t kill the head of the family.”
The two nodded, but they were more interested in the second option. Becoming the leader was not easy for either of them. Ma Yang-hwa was a woman, and Ma Gung-tae was known for his temper. Neither seemed fit for the role.
Naturally, they hoped for a second option.
“The other way is to beg for mercy. Offer everything you have and promise to live quietly, gathering herbs in the mountains. If you make it official and keep your promise, they might spare you.”
But this option seemed even less feasible than the first.
“Isn’t there a third way?”
Instead of answering, Ma Ryeong-in walked to the window. His silence suggested there might be something more.
Ma Yang-hwa and Ma Gung-tae exchanged glances, silently agreeing to retreat for now.
“We’ll be back.”
Ma Yang-hwa said, and Ma Gung-tae added a somewhat awkward comment.
“Cheer up.”
It was a sign of their desperation.
Once the two left, Ma Ryeong-in was alone. He muttered to himself with a peculiar look in his eyes.
”…There’s always a third way.”
There were no surprises.
The martial arts alliance officially announced Ma Cheol-gun as the new leader.
As the news spread, warriors from all over the central plains flocked to the alliance’s headquarters to celebrate.
The atmosphere was different from when Ma Bong-gi became the leader. The crowd was massive, cheering for his leadership.
They shouted with enthusiasm.
“Ma Cheol-gun! Ma Cheol-gun!”
“Long live the new leader! Long live Cheondo Gate! Long live Ma Cheol-gun!”
“Eradicate the Demon Sect! Destroy the Demon Sect!”
The fervor was unprecedented.
The reason, of course, was the Demon Sect. The martial world hoped Ma Cheol-gun would lead the alliance’s warriors to annihilate the sect. There was no guarantee that their own families wouldn’t be the next victims of the sect’s massacres.
The fear of the Demon Sect was deeply ingrained in the martial world, with a long history to match.
In the midst of this, I noticed something strange.
People began to reminisce about my past life.
“If the Heavenly Leader hadn’t passed, none of this would have happened.”
“I really miss him.”
“If the Heavenly Leader were here, he would have wiped them out in an instant.”
I had felt a twinge of bitterness when stories about me faded away, but seeing them resurface so suddenly was a strange feeling.
I realized one thing: I had become a part of the martial world’s history, destined to rise and fall with its tides.
Ma Cheol-gun entered the largest hall of the martial arts alliance. The heads of the major organizations bowed in unison.
“Congratulations on becoming the leader.”
At Gal Sa-ryang’s congratulatory words, everyone raised their voices.
“Congratulations!”
Ma Cheol-gun tried to maintain a neutral expression, but he couldn’t hide his joy.
“It’s all thanks to your trust in this humble person.”
“Your humility is admirable. You are the only one who can lead the alliance now.”
“Thank you for your trust. Let’s do our best together.”
Ma Cheol-gun went around, offering a respectful gesture to each person. He came to Gal Sa-ryang and me.
“Thank you for your hard work, Gal Sa-ryang.”
“Not at all. The spirit of the martial world is still alive, now that we have such an excellent leader.”
“You’re too kind.”
Ma Cheol-gun didn’t ask Gal Sa-ryang to continue supporting him, moving on to the next person instead.
It was a clear sign that he intended to replace the chief strategist.
Indeed, that afternoon, Master No visited the Justice Pavilion. Master No was Ma Cheol-gun’s strategist, and he came to discuss the inauguration ceremony.
It wasn’t overt, but it was clear that he intended to appoint Master No as the new chief strategist.
Gal Sa-ryang showed no reaction to this.
“We should hold the ceremony as soon as possible, given the threat of the Demon Sect.”
“Of course.”
Gal Sa-ryang agreed readily. The other side held the advantage for now. He had to bide his time and wait for the right moment to regain the upper hand.
I welcomed this situation.
If I could extract Gal Sa-ryang from the alliance, I could significantly expand my organization.
Of course, even if he stayed, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. The information he could gather as the alliance’s chief strategist was invaluable.
But the concern was Gal Sa-ryang’s safety. If they decided to eliminate him, the alliance, with most of its factions now aligned with them, wouldn’t be a safe place.
There was no need to provoke them by making a hasty move. I had to let the situation unfold naturally and turn it to my advantage.
A single choice could change the entire landscape.
I felt once again that I was standing in the midst of a battlefield.
The various organizations of the martial arts alliance were busy preparing for the leader’s inauguration ceremony next month. The Justice Pavilion, in particular, was overwhelmed with planning every detail.
In the midst of all the chaos, Galsaryang took me out for a walk.
“Where are we going?”
“You’ll see when we get there.”
To my surprise, we arrived at a teahouse in the bustling marketplace called Blue.
“Care for a cup of tea?”
This place was run by the leader of Cheonmanghoe, one of the three major intelligence organizations in the region.
In the past, to prevent Galsaryang from falling into danger, I had handed over a piece of writing left by Cheonhajin to them. The leader here, Ban Seojeong, had passed it on to Ma Bong-gi, which greatly helped Galsaryang.
I was well aware that Ban Seojeong had feelings for Galsaryang. And, of course, I knew he felt the same way about her.
But why bring me here?
Galsaryang informed me that this place was operated by the leader of Cheonmanghoe. I didn’t mention that I already knew. Explaining that would mean revealing how I could replicate Cheonhajin’s handwriting so perfectly.
“If I leave Jeonguigak, there will be a significant gap in our intelligence network. Although you have established Samangak, it still can’t compare to Jeonguigak or Cheonmanghoe.”
“I agree.”
“So, I’m considering forming a strategic alliance with Cheonmanghoe.”
It was undoubtedly a wise choice.
Even so, I could tell that Galsaryang had given this a lot of thought. After all, we were the ones asking for a favor, and the person we were asking was Ban Seojeong.
“Shall we go in?”
“Let’s.”
As we entered, Ban Seojeong was surprised to see Galsaryang. She quickly composed herself and spoke in a calm tone.
“Please, have a seat over here.”
She guided us to a table by the window.
Ban Seojeong brought us tea.
“How have you been? It’s a bit late, but congratulations on becoming the chief military officer again.”
“It seems my congratulations are overdue.”
“Pardon?”
“It looks like I’ll be stepping down from that position soon.”
Ban Seojeong smiled. Naturally, she would have anticipated this. She was one of the most knowledgeable people about the workings of the martial world.
“Then I’ll have another chance to congratulate you in the future.”
“Haha, indeed.”
I thought they made quite a good pair.
Yes, in my past life, I couldn’t look after them, but in this life, I wanted to see them together.
Galsaryang introduced me.
“This is Byeok Lidan, our chief strategist. And this lovely lady here is Miss Ban, who brews the finest tea in the region.”
“I’m Byeok Lidan. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Don’t believe a word he says. My tea is hardly worth selling.”
“But what can I do? I tend to believe everything the strategist says the moment I hear it.”
With that, we sipped our tea.
“From now on, this is the taste of the finest tea in the region.”
Ban Seojeong covered her mouth and laughed brightly.
Thanks to that, what could have been an awkward visit turned into a pleasant one.
Before we left, Galsaryang spoke with her privately.
After their conversation, we left Blue. I didn’t ask what they talked about, and Galsaryang didn’t offer any details.
It seemed no decision had been made yet. They needed time to think it over. What conclusion would they reach?
If we could form an alliance with Cheonmanghoe, it would be like gaining another set of eyes. I was grateful to Galsaryang for making the difficult decision.
The subtle aroma of tea lingered with us all the way back.