Chapter 594: Zhuge (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 594: Zhuge (2)
A day passed.
Night gave way to the rising sun, and before long, it was noon.
Yuri, accompanied by her escorts, left the lodgings provided by the merchant association and headed toward the meeting place. It wasn't a long walk, but her expression was grim. Deep shadows clung to her eyes, her face etched with the kind of exhaustion that came from a total lack of sleep.
"Huuu..."
A heavy sigh escaped her lips. She had stayed up all night formulating a plan, focusing every ounce of her energy on a single thought: How can I change Red Feather's mind?
The result of that sleepless night?
'Three things...'
She had come up with three proposals. She had revised the original contract the Lord of the Ice Palace had established with the Alliance for her journey south. Furthermore, she had altered the terms offered to the merchant association, creating conditions so favorable the other party would likely wonder, Is it truly acceptable to give us this much?
Her escorts had tried to dissuade her, but she had firmly pushed ahead, judging such extremes necessary.
'This is the best I can do.'
A moderate offer wouldn't move him. She had to go this far. Even then, there was a high chance it wouldn't be enough.
But.
'Somehow...'
She had to change his mind, no matter what. That was her only thought.
"Young Lady... Are you truly certain about this?" Woobeom asked.
Yuri didn't answer, offering only a slight nod. It wasn't a question of whether it would be okay; it had to be.
'I can do this.'
That was the mindset she needed. Yuri bit her dry lips, organizing her thoughts one last time. Before long, they arrived at the merchant association.
A member of the association who had been waiting for them stepped out to guide them. They weren't headed to the high floor where they had spoken yesterday, but to a more spacious level the association used for formal meetings.
Soon, they stood before a massive door. Before it opened, Yuri steadied her breathing.
'Don't be afraid.'
Yesterday's events had left her nerves frayed. Even if her desperation had been exposed, she had prepared plenty of ways to overcome it. She kept reminding herself: No matter what, I will steer the situation to my advantage.
That was Yuri's resolve, but...
Creeeak—!
The door opened.
"...!!"
Seeing the scene inside, Yuri's carefully gathered thoughts instantly vanished.
At the end of a wide table sat the Leader of the White Flower Merchant Association. Beside her, among several other women, sat Red Feather.
'...What in the world...'
Looking at him, Yuri had to force herself to hide her trembling. She knew the moment the door opened—the air in this spacious room was heavy, suffocating.
Red Feather watched her, his chin resting on his hand. An immense aura radiated from his frame. And his gaze... it was just a steady stare, yet Yuri felt it would be impossible to meet his eyes for long.
Terrifying. Frightening and chilling.
A perfect predator.
The Red Feather before her now was like a starving beast, and Yuri was nothing more than weak prey.
"You're here," Red Feather said to the trembling Yuri.
"..."
His voice was the same as yesterday, yet it felt laced with something viscous and clinging. The sensation crept up Yuri's body, binding her, suffocating her.
Something was wrong.
"Go on, sit."
Yuri felt the danger, but by the time she realized the depth of it...
"A lot of questions came to mind during the night."
It was already far too late.
* * *
The conversation that followed did not last long.
To be honest, it could hardly be called a conversation. It was mostly Yuri speaking one-sidedly while I listened.
"...Therefore, if you agree to a contract to provide treatment, we will grant exclusive trading rights with the North..."
"Young Lady."
"Yes, Leader of the Merchant Association."
"I believe we need a clear designation for the patient. Who is it that requires treatment?"
"...The Lord of the Ice Palace."
"Understood."
Even when there was dialogue, Lady Mi handled most of it, so I just watched.
Having already lost the mask she wore, Yuri was showing a completely different personality than before. If I had to compare, her actions—not just her appearance—were closer to Moyong Hi-ah’s. However, I’d say Moyong Hi-ah is a bit more skilled. That could just be my bias speaking.
"I have a question."
"Please, speak."
"First, while all the conditions are very appealing..."
I nodded inwardly at Lady Mi's response. Yes, the terms were good. Exclusive trading rights with the Ice Palace, which had been blocked until now due to the strained relationship between the Alliance and the North. In addition, upon completion of the job, the Ice Palace would provide a massive reward and three treasures. The other conditions Yuri brought were so good they were almost absurd.
But she wasn't mentioning the biggest problem.
"Why is there no mention of guaranteed safety or the current situation unfolding in the North?"
"..."
At Lady Mi's words, Yuri bit her lip.
This was the crux of the issue. No matter how good the conditions were, no matter how much she offered... there was no certainty that she could even deliver. Without trust, they were ultimately just empty words.
If this offer had come yesterday, before I realized what was happening in the Ice Palace, I might have gladly accepted it.
But.
"Things are different now, are they not?"
We were now at a point where we clearly knew something had happened in the Ice Palace—and that the problem involved its current ruler. Accepting a job based on mere words in a situation like this? Not a chance.
"...You are right," Yuri readily admitted.
However, if Lady Mi and I hadn't pointed it out, she would have glossed over it. I didn't see that as a bad thing; it's an essential part of business negotiations.
"I am well aware of your concerns... but if the Lord's condition improves, we can certainly—"
"That is merely an assumption. It doesn't guarantee anything if you fail, or if something goes wrong in the process."
What Yuri wanted was simple: for me to go to the North, treat the Lord of the Ice Palace, and return. Lady Mi was shutting that down sharply.
The reason was simple. It was different from the original story. The letter we received through the Alliance stated that they were sending the Young Lady for treatment. The problem was that now, I was being asked to go to the North myself.
'Though I suspect the initial goal was the same.'
They would have checked if treatment was possible through Yuri. Once confirmed, they would have attached certain conditions and tried to lure me to the North, conveniently leaving out the part about the North being in danger.
And the Alliance probably didn't know about this. It was obvious. The North being in peril could be seen as fulfilling the conditions for an invasion. The Alliance wouldn't be that aggressive, but from the Ice Palace's perspective, it was a dangerous situation. They must have told the Alliance a different story.
In other words, there was the risk associated with this information; one wrong move and the Alliance itself could become an enemy. On top of that, I was expected to travel to a dangerous foreign land based on conditions that might never be honored.
Those two factors were overlapping.
"There are too many problems to accept the Young Lady's request."
"We have prepared a safe route for travel. So, your safety—"
"If you have such a safe route, why did you get into a fight?"
Clench.
Yuri clenched her fist at Lady Mi's words. The internal injuries her escorts sustained had become a glaring problem. Watching Yuri's reaction, Lady Mi's eyes grew cold.
It was over. Lady Mi had made her judgment, and it wasn't a favorable one.
I immediately glanced to my side. Moyong Hi-ah was sitting there, her expression much the same. She wasn't even paying attention anymore. It meant the conversation was meaningless. No matter how profitable the job, when judged in the context of the situation, it was a request not worth accepting.
Even the old me would have felt the same.
'Hmm.'
I sighed as I watched. I knew all that, but the situation was different now. It seemed I had to step in.
"This conversation is—"
"I have something I want to ask."
I cut in just as Lady Mi was about to conclude. But when I opened my mouth, Yuri flinched for some reason.
Why is she acting like that? I looked at her quizzically.
Ssk.
I felt a touch on my fingertips. It was Tang Soyeol's hand.
"...Young Master, your aura is too strong."
"Ah."
Her words made me realize. I thought I was suppressing it, but it must have been leaking out on its own. Hearing her, I reined in my power.
Fwoosh!
A slight wind swirled in the room. I gathered the aura into a single point and released it out the window.
"Huu... hu..."
Yuri finally exhaled. It seemed she had been quite suffocated.
Was that why she kept glancing at me nervously?
'I wasn't doing it on purpose.'
It truly wasn't intentional. I was just that irritated. Looking at the exhausted Yuri, I asked, "What's the situation in the Ice Palace right now? Start with that."
"...That is..."
"If you mix in any useless chatter, this deal is off."
At my short warning, Yuri immediately began to speak.
"...In the North, there are Three Great Families."
Unlike yesterday when she spoke informally, she was using honorifics again. It was probably to make our positions clear. Three families, each in charge of a different region. She said they were considered the nobility of the North.
"They are where the warriors who support the bloodline and protect the Ice Palace for generations reside."
"Hmm."
Unlike the Three Noble Clans who made a pact with the Alliance and belong to the Orthodox Faction, it seemed these families existed solely to protect the Ice Palace.
"...One of those families has rebelled and turned its blade against the Ice Palace."
Hearing this, I stroked my chin. The North was a different world from the Alliance. While the Alliance repeatedly placed a new martial artist in the leader's seat after the previous one's term ended, the Ice Palace passed down its leadership through bloodline succession. It was an absolute monarchy.
But to ignore that and show hostility to the palace itself...
"Treason, then."
"...Yes."
It meant they intended to usurp the throne. The question here was: "It wasn't all three, but just one family that rebelled. Why did things turn out like this?"
If all three had joined forces, it would be one thing. But I didn't understand how they couldn't even suppress a rebellion started by a single family.
To this, Yuri said, "...Because the ones who rebelled are the ones in charge of our military power."
Her words made me frown deeply. "You're telling me one family handles all your military power?"
What kind of crazy talk was that? It was an absurd story. That meant a single family was in charge of all the troops and military strength in the North.
"And you've been doing something that crazy and a rebellion hasn't happened until now?"
It was even stranger that the monarchy had been maintained until now while concentrating all that power in one family. It was a situation where a rebellion could have broken out at any time. As long as one has power, the lust for more can arise at any moment. And yet, the Ice Palace had maintained its succession for generations.
How was that possible?
When I asked with that question in mind, Yuri gave this answer: "Because the North can only be maintained if the Ice Palace is maintained."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"...I cannot say any more than that."
Yuri swallowed the most important words. Should I press further? I considered it, but decided against it. If it was something she couldn't say even now, then it was something she truly could not reveal.
'That's not what's important anyway.'
How the Ice Palace's monarchy was maintained... I had no interest in that. None of that mattered to me. What was important right now was...
"Then, my next question. This."
I took the letter I received yesterday from my robes and showed it to Yuri. "The person who sent me this—what is their relationship to you?"
"...?"
My question changed Yuri's expression. She looked as if to ask why I was curious about that. So I added another word.
"Is the owner of this letter involved in the current affairs of the North?"
"...!"
Hearing my words, Yuri's eyes widened. A flicker of hope passed through them. I knew what she was feeling. She understood the meaning behind my words.
I had shown that I was greatly concerned about the person who sent this letter. Asking point-blank if she was connected to the incident currently sweeping the Ice Palace was my way of showing it.
So, Yuri must have thought that if she used this, she might be able to entice me. She might have even thought she'd discovered my weakness. I said it, knowing full well what she was thinking. The reason was simple: this was no time to be calculating such trivial things.
Having confirmed my reaction, Yuri spoke. "Regarding that matter, we can discuss it separately—"
"Let me say this first."
It felt like she was trying to use it as a bargaining chip. So I spoke first.
"Don't even think about playing games with this."
I opened my heart and unleashed my aura. Energy flowed explosively through my acupoints. My internal injuries hadn't healed, and I felt a surge of pain, but I ignored it. Combat Qi erupted from my body.
FWOOOOSH—!!
The room filled with a fighting spirit and killing intent incomparable to before.
"Hhuk...!"
Struck by the aura, Yuri's body stiffened.
Clang—!
Immediately, the escorts beside her moved to take a defensive stance to protect Yuri, but...
Shing.
Seong Yul's sword was already at the neck of the man named Useok. And Tang Soyeol had appeared in front of Woobeom.
"Right now, my patience is wearing very thin."
I was holding myself back from lunging forward. I tensed my body, having to grab my own arm as it moved on its own. If I didn't, I felt like I would grab Yuri by the neck right this instant.
I forced a smile and asked, "Answer me straight. This is your last chance."
Otherwise.
A star of the North dies by my hand today.
I was dead serious.