Part 1,
Chapter 48. Misunderstanding
"Yes."
Han-won suddenly lowered his voice.
"Even if there's a spy inside, they won't cause a commotion."
"The spy might think it's a trap set by the branch leader to catch me."
"Yes, honestly, it's not reasonable for Shaanxi to send out its top martial artists when the branch is in danger."
So-hwa looked at Han-won with a smile.
"Did you really come up with that yourself?"
Han-won cleared his throat.
"I was just about to say it myself, but Cheolho spoke up first."
It wasn't far, so he surely heard, but Cheolho pretended not to.
While searching every corner of the Tang Clan to root out spies, one thing became clear: the clan had many outstanding people.
Although the Blood Sect bastards had cut off their tails, and they'd failed to get proper results in finding the spy, it wasn't meaningless.
They had come to know those who had spent time in the same place at the same time.
Tang So-hwa looked at the silent martial artists for a moment, then turned her gaze to Han-won.
"... But how did you end up joining the Black Tiger Unit?"
"If I told the full story, it would take at least three days."
At that, So-hwa turned away without hesitation.
"No, young lady, please listen. Actually, it's not that long."
Han-won, looking a bit hurt, followed after her with drooping eyes.
"It's a touching story about how I came to catch the Clan Head's attention..."
Pretending not to hear, Tang So-hwa walked down the stairs toward the Shaanxi branch martial artists.
***
The night streets of Hubei. Whether it was due to good security or not, the streets were bustling with people even at a late hour.
But as passersby looked around in search of an inn, their gazes inevitably paused at one particular spot.
"Wow, what kind of building is that?"
Between low pavilions, a tall building stood out prominently. It was so extravagant that even the brothels adorned with red lanterns paled in comparison.
Its snow-white walls and pillars shimmered under the moonlight, and the light flowing out from within was sharply reflected on its golden tiles. It was a uniquely striking pavilion, like a white heron among crows.
Yet, despite the building's eye-catching and dazzling exterior, the area around it was deathly silent.
"Ah, that's run by the Anguk Merchant Group... was it? Anyway, something like that. Ah, never mind. It's a place neither you nor I can enter anyway."
The street was filled with the noise of people, but that place alone was as quiet as an isolated island.
There was, however, one reasonable explanation.
Even among those who traded with the Anguk Merchant Group, only a select few who had received tokens directly from the group leader could enter. It was said the tokens were handed out after much deliberation, so ordinarily, it was clear that only the second son of the merchant leader, who managed the pavilion, would be inside alone.
"If it's a place run by the merchant group, why can't people enter? They're selling goods in the end, so the more customers, the better, no?"
"They deal in such rare items that only those with verified identities are allowed in. See that Blue Fragrance Pavilion over there? The madam there probably buys the most luxury goods on this street, but even she wasn't given a token."
"Huh, I've never heard of a merchant who picks and chooses his customers. What kind of merchant refuses money? If it makes money, of course, you sell."
"How would I know? But maybe that's why the Anguk Merchant Group is called a giant in the trade."
The man answered with a laugh, seemingly amused.
"What do you mean?"
"Those who didn't get a token desperately started spending money at the Anguk Merchant Group, just to get in there. That madam I mentioned, she even doubled her purchases for a while, trying to get a token, but when they still didn't give her one, she offered a high price to buy the access token from someone who had it. And those who did have tokens felt all the more proud and increased their own transactions with the group."
The man's friend clicked his tongue.
"Tch, how could they be so taken in by such pretentious nonsense."
"I think the same as you. But at the same time, I have to admit their strategy is effective."
As they drew closer to the white pavilion, the man leaned in to whisper into his friend's ear.
"You don't make money by understanding common sense, but by understanding desire."
His friend turned his head and looked up at him with a displeased expression.
"You... You've changed since joining the branch. Why are you so secretive now?"
"Really? Even you think I've changed?"
"You seem like a different person."
The man interlaced his fingers behind his head and clicked his tongue.
"Ha, I knew this would happen. Facing those Zhuge Clan bastards every day, I started getting confused whether I'm one of the noble clans or a Taoist... and now look at me."
"Is the branch's situation that bad? I heard the branch leader summoned the Tai Chi Sword Saint recently."
As his friend's expression darkened, the Taoist of Wudang lightly tapped his shoulder and quickened his pace.
"Haha, enough of this headache-inducing talk, let's hurry. At this rate, I might end up walking into a tavern and having a drink."
"......"
"I'm joking."
"......Doesn't seem like it."
His friend looked up at the white pavilion with worried eyes. Up close, it looked even more bizarre.
Just what was going on in Hubei?
At the very top of the snow-white structure, a dark floor could be seen. A darkness so deep it looked ready to write something with an ink-dipped brush—it sent chills down the viewer's spine. Forcing his gaze away, he hurried off toward the Hubei branch.
***
A strange place, filled with crowds yet allowing entry to almost no one.
Because people constantly gathered around it, one could pass by out of curiosity without raising suspicion. And from within, it was easy to identify those entering and exiting, making it an ideal structure for managing informants.
A pavilion perfectly suited for gathering information about the members of the Profound Emptiness Pavilion, scattered across the Central Plains.
The master of this white pavilion was the second son of the Anguk Merchant Group, one of the most prominent merchant groups in the Central Plains.
Residing on the topmost floor, he rarely left the building, making it difficult to catch a glimpse of his face. Even so, rumors about him were widespread in Hubei.
They said the second son was an illegitimate child who looked nothing like his father. And so, most who laid eyes on the merchant leader's second son all thought the same thing—
Just how beautiful must his mother have been, for such a handsome young man to be born from a man with a face like that?
He was said to be the child of a courtesan in Guangdong, with whom the merchant leader had fallen in love at first sight. And upon seeing the second son's face, one could understand how even the cold-hearted merchant leader had become enamored with her. Some even dared to compare his looks to those of Zhuge Cheon-yu—renowned as the most beautiful woman in Hubei—and said he didn't fall short in the slightest. There were even whispers weighing the two against each other, despite her being the treasured daughter of the Clan Head of the Zhuge Clan.
Perched by the window, the second son looked out at the night street below while holding a long bronze pipe.
Though he hadn't lit anything, a steady trail of smoke began to rise from the tip of the pipe. The bowl was filled with powdered gardenia, known to aid in restful sleep.
Whenever Haerak needed to ease his tension, he would light the smoke and fall into a deep slumber.
It seemed that something had gone well today.
Taking in the noisy street scene, he lifted the pipe holder. Just as his red lips were about to touch the bronze—
"Hall Lord."
Haerak lowered the pipe from his lips. Though his green-brown eyes were cold, his voice remained gentle.
"Yes, Doyu."
"The Shaanxi branch has sent a messenger bird."
"Is it that urgent?"
He hoped the Deputy Hall Lord had a good reason for disturbing his rare moment of rest. Thankfully, Doyu had a very fitting reason.
"They say the pursuit unit member from the Shaanxi branch has regained consciousness."
Bang!
At those words, the paper sliding doors burst open with a deafening crack.
Doyu tensed, though he tried not to show it. Still, despite his efforts, his voice trembled slightly.
“A physician from the Sichuan branch detected residual traces on the acupoint and used Muso to extract the heat.”
Silence fell across the spacious room. The Hall Lord silently raised his long fingers. Doyu stepped forward and handed him the letter.
With his elbows resting on his knees, Haerak leisurely read the letter until a smirk played on his lips.
"Not a divine physician, but a daughter of the Tang Clan figured it out? No."
The Hall Lord asked again.
"Is it possible to detect traces of Fiery Yang Art through pulse diagnosis?"
It was impossible.
And yet, strangely enough, such a thing had occurred.
Unable to give a clear denial, the Deputy Hall Lord gave a roundabout answer.
"There has never been a physician capable of such a thing."
At some point, the smoke rising from the pipe had stopped.
Setting down the pipe holder, the Hall Lord picked up the hair clasp he'd left on the windowsill. Grasping his long, flowing hair, he gathered it up in one swift motion and pinned it with the clasp.
The Deputy Hall Lord watched the scene with anxious eyes.
The Hall Lord rose from his seat and draped a long robe over his shoulders.
The Deputy Hall Lord cautiously asked,
"...... Where are you going?"
"Well, neither you nor I know the answer, so I'll have to ask directly."
"......"
No. Surely he wasn't that unreasonable.
He's been acting sensitive lately, but still, surely not—there's no way—he wouldn't actually do something like that.
The Deputy Hall Lord tried to brush it off calmly, but it wasn't easy.
Unable to suppress his unease, he finally opened his mouth again, cautiously.
"According to the followers of Profound Emptiness Pavilion, not just the Clan Head of the Tang Clan, but even the elders place great expectations on the eldest daughter."
"Your news is behind. I heard they no longer consider her worthy of being the next heir, since even with all the elixirs, her martial prowess hasn't improved."
He knew even that?
The Deputy Hall Lord began to sweat coldly and tried once more to dissuade him.
"Yes, that's what they say recently, but... even so, touching a direct descendant carries considerable risk. It's not the same as ambushing a disciple of Mount Hua Sect."
Just as he was about to step out, Haerak suddenly turned toward the Deputy Hall Lord.
"Are you feeling itchy, saying such obvious things over and over? Should I pull your tongue out?"
Doyu shut his mouth at the murderous energy filling the spacious room. But when he saw gold glint in the Hall Lord's eyes, he instinctively averted his gaze.
And in the brief moment his eyes strayed, all the killing intent that had filled the space vanished.
Startled, the Deputy Hall Lord immediately snapped his head back up.
"Hall Lord!"
He had hesitated for only a heartbeat—yet that damned Hall Lord was already gone.