The Banquet Begins (3)
Majungsoo sat with a blank expression on his face.
Since the moment he saw the empty safe, he hadn’t even thrown a single vase in anger. For the first time, Majungsoo realized that when someone is truly furious, they don’t even think about breaking things.
The room was heavy with silence, occupied by four people, including him.
The others were Sigon, Hwasun Nodae, and the mysterious woman.
Sigon’s face was marked with a deep bruise.
A wound more humiliating than losing an arm, one that might have made a proud man like him consider death a better option.
It was Majungsoo who finally broke the heavy silence.
“Like a fool, I didn’t even get a taste.”
He was lamenting the loss of the precious elixir, Shinyoung Guyeopcho. He hadn’t consumed it because he intended to use it to win over the late-stage disciples.
At this banquet, he planned to showcase the Celestial Sword, and at the next, the Shinyoung Guyeopcho.
He aimed to captivate the disciples with treasures and elixirs. Of course, he never intended to actually give them away. They were bait, meant to be consumed by him later…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Majungsoo slammed the table repeatedly. The anger he had been suppressing finally erupted. In these times when elixirs were rare, the thought of losing the Shinyoung Guyeopcho was infuriating enough to keep him awake at night.
The unfortunate table bore the brunt of his wrath, shattering under the force.
No one in the room dared to stop him. If his anger turned on them, someone might not survive.
Majungsoo, still seething, demanded, “Have you still not figured out who did this?”
Hwasun Nodae, cautious of Majungsoo’s temper, replied carefully, “The head of the sect is investigating thoroughly.”
“Wasn’t it that bastard?”
Hwasun Nodae shook his head. “At least it wasn’t him. He was with me at the time of the incident.”
Jungyeo had cleverly ensured he was with someone who could vouch for his whereabouts.
“He must have sent someone.”
“As far as I know, there’s no one in Yangsobang capable of taking down a master in one blow. Even the sect leader doesn’t have that kind of skill.”
At the mention of being taken down, Sigon’s eye twitched nervously.
Majungsoo snapped at Hwasun Nodae, “Then you must be in on it.”
“No matter how angry you are, how can you say such things?”
“Angry? Do I look angry to you?”
Majungsoo bared his teeth fiercely.
“Does this look like mere anger to you? I’m on the verge of madness. When I catch the thief, I’ll torture him until he begs for death. I’ll make sure he lives in agony for the rest of his life.”
His words dripped with malice, and Hwasun Nodae flinched, knowing he meant every word. If nothing else, Majungsoo’s cruelty was well-known.
Majungsoo’s fury then turned to Sigon.
“Have you gone mute?”
Since entering the room, Sigon hadn’t uttered a word.
Finally, in a dry voice, he spoke, “I’m sorry.”
His voice, heavy with regret, deepened the somber mood.
Hwasun Nodae subtly joined the fray. “Among those we’ve encountered, I don’t think there was anyone capable of doing this to you. Was there?”
Sigon twitched again, feeling as if he was being accused.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I’m not accusing you.”
“Then why say such things?”
“Such things?”
Now it was Hwasun Nodae’s turn to twitch. Tension crackled between the two.
Majungsoo’s expression grew even more twisted.
What infuriated him more was the woman between them.
If they were at least fighting, he could curse them as fools. But the woman watched with her arms crossed, as if observing a fire from across a river. Always like this, as if she was merely watching to see what he would do, like a proctor overseeing students taking an exam. If not for her father, he would have slapped her.
Majungsoo shouted, “Silence!”
His outburst ended the tense standoff between Sigon and Hwasun Nodae.
Majungsoo addressed them both, “Is there anyone in this room more suspicious than you two?”
Naturally, Hwasun Nodae and Majungsoo’s gazes turned to the woman.
Despite being under suspicion, she showed no reaction.
Usually, staying calm when one should be flustered only arouses more suspicion.
But she was so calm it transcended suspicion. She seemed utterly indifferent.
Then Sigon spoke up suddenly, “It’s not her.”
Hwasun Nodae asked, “How can you be so sure?”
“The assailant wasn’t a woman.”
“You didn’t even see their face. If it’s about your pride, you shouldn’t let it cloud your judgment.”
Sigon twitched again. Hwasun Nodae’s every word grated on his nerves. They had never gotten along. Sigon was a warrior, but Hwasun Nodae was a schemer who clung to power.
Hwasun Nodae smirked slightly. “I’m not trying to wound your pride, just stating the situation.”
“It wasn’t a woman.”
Emphasizing once more, Hwasun Nodae backed down.
“If you say so.”
Sigon turned to Majungsoo. “It’s not because I was defeated… The opponent was truly strong.”
Only someone who had faced them would understand. It wasn’t just about the power behind the punch.
If they had intended to kill him, he wouldn’t have respected them so much.
The assailant hadn’t intended to kill him, only to knock him out. In that situation, it was harder than killing. They had to control their strength precisely. If they had wanted him dead, he would have been.
Majungsoo tilted his head, puzzled. “Why would someone so strong resort to theft? What grudge do they have against me?”
Hwasun Nodae answered, “Perhaps they were after the Celestial Sword?”
“Even if they stole it, they couldn’t sell it. I doubt even the Black Market would dare trade the Sword of the Martial Alliance Leader.”
“True, that’s unlikely.”
Nodding, Hwasun Nodae suddenly had a thought.
“Could it be?”
He licked his dry lips and spoke cautiously, “Could it be a move from the other heirs?”
Majungsoo shot up from his seat.
“Of course!”
It was the only explanation.
He doubted Yangsobang would target him. They could gain more by using him, so why would they aim for the safe’s money? They knew they couldn’t use the sword even if they took it.
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
This time, his father had sent many of his children to different regions. It was a kind of test.
In this situation, who among his siblings could deploy a master capable of taking down Sigon in one blow?
There were more than a few among his siblings who could. Especially those at the center of the succession battle, each had formidable masters at their side.
“Those bastards!”
Majungsoo ground his teeth.
Hwasun Nodae spoke calmly, “First, you need to calm down and handle this situation. Whoever did this, if you lose your composure, you’ll be playing right into their hands.”
Majungsoo nodded and sat back down. As he calmed, Hwasun Nodae continued, “Even though we’ve lost the sword and money, we’re still standing. We can gather money again, and we’ll find the sword eventually.”
“You’re right.”
“First, we need to secure funds. The construction will be delayed otherwise.”
“How much do we need?”
“To start, we need ten thousand nyang immediately, and eventually, a hundred thousand.”
“Damn it!”
With not a penny to his name, even ten thousand nyang was a significant sum.
Majungsoo bared his teeth like a beast.
“Find a way to secure the funds.”
I bought a new mask.
Since it was for one-time use, I opted for a mid-grade one. I changed my voice and gait to appear as a completely different person.
With everything prepared, I returned to the Black Market.
The old man who had sold me the elixir before greeted me again.
I planned to use the fifty thousand nyang promissory note to buy elixirs and use them all.
Trying to exchange this promissory note would only invite trouble. It was wiser to dispose of it quickly, even at a loss. Holding onto it could lead to disaster.
“You’re here to buy elixirs?”
“Yes.”
I had taken care to ensure my mannerisms and speech wouldn’t reveal I was the same person as before. Not that it mattered much, since I had hidden my face and voice last time too.
“Do you have any elixirs?”
“We do, but nothing of high quality.”
“What do you have?”
“We have six roots of Vitality White Bupleurum. It’s said to grant two to three years of inner strength to martial artists.”
“How much?”
“Nine thousand nyang per root.”
Six roots would cost forty-five thousand nyang.
“That’s quite expensive.”
“Elixirs are rare these days.”
I had gained fifteen years of inner strength from the Thousand-Year Poyang Herb for forty thousand nyang.
The six roots of Vitality White Bupleurum, assuming I could absorb all their power with the Heavenly Martial Heart Technique, would grant eighteen years of inner strength.
One might think it’s more expensive because it offers more inner strength, but the problem is that consuming the same elixir consecutively diminishes its effectiveness.
For it to work properly, depending on the practitioner’s technique and aptitude, one should wait several months to a year before consuming it again. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that luxury or time.
In the end, taking them all at once would grant me about ten years of internal energy, not eighteen. When you think about it, that’s a steep price to pay.
But using this voucher to buy weapons or armor wasn’t a wise choice either. The evidence would be too obvious. The best course of action was to consume them and make them disappear.
“I’ll take all six roots for fifty thousand nyang.”
Originally, the price was fifty-four thousand nyang. This place was known for its strict pricing, so my offer was a tough one to accept.
The old man pondered for a moment before nodding.
“Very well, an elixir should find its rightful owner.”
The old man remained steadfast in his belief in the power of elixirs.
And so, I purchased six roots of the Vitality White Ginseng for fifty thousand nyang.
This transaction could be traced.
However, the Black Market was such a vast and solid organization that even the Heavenly Dao Sect would find it difficult to uncover its customer information. Of course, if the Martial Alliance made it their mission, they might succeed.
But even if they did, all they’d learn is the appearance of my masked face. An experienced old man might have noticed I was wearing a mask, but he wouldn’t share that with those pressuring the Black Market.
After leaving the Black Market, I rented a room at a nearby inn.
I walked around openly, showing my face. After all, this face would soon disappear forever.
In the room, I immediately consumed one root of the Vitality White Ginseng.
The first root granted me three years of internal energy.
The second root also gave me three years. The excellence of the Heavenly Martial Heart Technique was paying off.
The third root provided two years of energy.
I stopped consuming after that. From this point on, I’d only gain one or two years per root.
Continuing would be a waste.
In any case, with three roots, I gained an additional eight years of internal energy.
Now, my internal energy totaled fifty-two years. Only eight more years to reach a full cycle.
With training, it would take less than a year to complete the cycle. By this time next year, I should be able to use the Sacrificial Technique.
I packed the remaining three roots and left the inn.
I planned to give them to Gwangdu. Naturally, I wanted to share them with my parents, but there was no discreet way to do so.
Explaining where they came from was difficult, and there was an even bigger issue.
If I told them not to mention it to anyone, they’d ask why. How could they not be worried if their child gave them an elixir and insisted on secrecy? If the secret leaked, it would be disastrous.
I’m sorry, but I’ll have to find another way to show my filial piety once things settle down.
I’m truly sorry, Mother and Father.
As for Gwangdu, I could make him take it in secret. He wouldn’t even know what he was consuming. It’s better to have one person with a secret than three.
Now, I had to deal with the Celestial Sword.
I knew a few renowned swordsmiths in the martial world. True masters of their craft.
But most of them were too far away, and I didn’t have the luxury of time to seek them out.
Moreover, this sword belonged to the sect leader. If I asked a smith to keep it secret, his life could be at risk if he was honorable, and if he wasn’t, the modifications would be exposed.
So, though I’m not sure how it will turn out, I decided to try modifying it myself.
I headed straight to a nearby blacksmith.