Chapter 7: Nine Dragons Day (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 7: Nine Dragons Day (1)
Swordsmen.
That was the title bestowed upon the martial artists tasked with a critical duty: eliminating the demons that spewed forth from the Gates of Demons. Prestigious organizations like the Ten Sect Alliance and the Four Noble Clans considered them indispensable assets.
In the current era, a Swordsman’s role was paramount. They were the front line, clearing the demonic Gates and, in return, earning both the fervent support and widespread fame of the common people.
The Gu Clan maintained its own contingent of Swordsmen, organized into five distinct groups.
The Nine Dragons Day was a biannual ceremony where the entire Gu Clan gathered. It was a celebration of the Swordsmen’s tireless efforts in battling demons and sealing the Gates that plagued Shanxi. It was also the day designated for selecting new Swordsmen.
With numerous sects, both major and minor, participating in the festivities alongside the Gu Clan, the attendance of the Gu bloodline was absolutely mandatory.
“Would dying get me out of it?”
“Isn’t death a bit more extreme than just attending an event…?”
“What about faking my death?”
“Do you think the Clan Lord would let a lie like that slide? He’d kill you for real.”
In essence, the only legitimate way to skip the event was to be genuinely deceased.
I’m out of options, damn it…
Muyeon continued his report. “The Second Elder is organizing this upcoming Nine Dragons Day. He said he’ll break you into pieces if you miss it again.”
“Shit… So it’s him…”
The Second Elder had a reputation for being the most stubborn and severe of the elders, a fact I’d known since childhood. He fervently believed that for the Gu Clan to ever rival the Four Noble Clans, its sole young master—me—needed to be rigorously trained to become a powerful figurehead.
Not even my father believed that nonsense.
While I was grateful for his… dedication, he remained an infuriating presence, constantly forcing lessons and training down my throat whenever he had a free moment.
“It’s actually kind of impressive that I still turned out to be such a layabout despite all that.”
“Huh?”
“Nothing. So, when do we leave?”
“The event is at Heaven Market. It won’t be a long journey by carriage.”
“At the Market? Wow. The Second Elder really went all out.”
Heaven Market was the most renowned market in Shanxi and had been a staunch supporter of the Gu Clan for the last three generations of Clan Lords.
What happened to Heaven Market in the future?
Did it maintain its status as Shanxi's greatest marketplace? I couldn't recall it facing any major issues.
I pushed the thoughts aside. I had more immediate concerns than a market’s future.
“Anyway, why aren’t we ready to leave yet?”
Shouldn’t everything be prepared by the time I am? I went to scold the dallying servants.
“What’s taking you all so lon—”
The words died in my throat.
There, among the servants, was Wi Seol-Ah.
But it wasn’t the usual Wi Seol-Ah. Not the girl with the perpetually vacant expression, her face perpetually hidden behind a curtain of unkempt bangs.
Instead, she resembled the Wi Seol-Ah who had stared at me with such cold indifference in my final moments.
Logically, I knew they were the same person. But until now, the resemblance had been obscured by her disheveled appearance and simple-minded behavior since she and her grandfather had come under my care.
Now, with her hair neatly arranged, her face was fully visible.
Her skin was pale and clear, her lips a striking red.
Her black eyes, with a subtle bluish tint, were the kind that would make her stand out in any crowd.
Now that her hair was fixed…
“You’re so pretty, Seol-Ah…!”
“How can anyone be this beautiful? You’ll have men weeping when you grow up.”
“Honestly, if I had the chance, I’d want my son to—Ah! Young Master!”
The servants, who had been showering Wi Seol-Ah with compliments, hurriedly bowed when they noticed me.
One of the maids who had been doing Seol-Ah’s hair stepped forward. “My apologies… We thought we should at least make Wi Seol-Ah presentable for the event.”
Her tone suggested she’d been overcome by Seol-Ah’s beauty. And all they had done was fix her hair.
But even that minor change made a world of difference.
They stood ready to accept any reprimand, knowing they had acted without permission.
In the midst of this, Wi Seol-Ah walked toward me. I almost flinched away from her diamond-sharp eyes but caught myself at the last second—there was no way she could know what I was thinking.
The emotions in her eyes now were entirely different from the chilling emptiness I remembered.
“Young Master, the senior servants say I’m extremely pretty.”
My heart skipped a beat as she said this with a subtle smile. The fact that the face she wore now was so utterly different from the cold mask I never wanted to see again made my pulse race even faster. I tried to calm my pounding heart, but it was a struggle.
“Do you also think I’m pretty?”
In the end, I couldn’t bring myself to answer Wi Seol-Ah as she looked at me, her face lit by a sincere smile.
* * *
We were slightly behind schedule, but fortunately, the carriages were ready to depart. The servants had prepared everything we needed for the journey while I was speaking with Muyeon and Wi Seol-Ah.
Luckily, my retinue was small—just Muyeon, Wi Seol-Ah, and a few other servants—so we were able to board quickly and set off.
One image burned itself into my memory as we left: Wi Seol-Ah showing off her new appearance to her grandfather, who patted her head with eyes full of bittersweet emotion.
With everyone aboard, the carriage began its journey to Heaven Market.
“Woah! It’s so cool! Everything’s moving!”
Wi Seol-Ah was enthralled, watching the scenery whip past the window. She exclaimed about how fast the trees were moving, prompting a servant to gently correct her: ‘It’s not the trees that are moving; our carriage is moving quickly. It only looks like the trees are moving because you’re sitting inside.’
After a soft, understanding “ohhh,” Wi Seol-Ah turned her excited gaze back to the passing world. I couldn’t help an internal chuckle at her behavior.
Wi Seol-Ah, already well-liked by the servants, seemed to have won them over completely now that her beauty was unveiled.
The carriage ride to Heaven Market typically took about four hours, so I planned to catch up on some sleep. My late-night training and planning sessions had left me sleep-deprived.
After several minutes of failed attempts to sleep thanks to Wi Seol-Ah’s excited chatter, I finally shoved a yakgwa pastry into her hand. Stuffing her mouth kept her quiet just long enough for me to drift off.
* * *
The carriage soon arrived at Shin Weol-hyun, the main street leading to Heaven Market. The avenue was packed with a massive crowd, underscoring that this was likely the grandest ceremony in all of Shanxi. The event injected vibrant life into the street and offered a boon to countless merchants.
To me, however, it was just a day of pure hassle.
…Let’s get this over with quickly so I can start training.
I needed to make up for the training I’d felt lacking since the day I regressed. My whole body ached from the sudden intensity, but it was necessary for the future.
If I don’t, I might die. So I have to.
Once we passed through the bustling street and arrived at Heaven Market itself, we were greeted by a delegation. A portly middle-aged man, dressed in golden silk embroidered with the character for “Heaven,” introduced himself as the market representative.
“I am Cheon Eeshil, representative of Heaven Market. It is an honor to meet the little star of the Gu clan.”
“I am Gu Yangcheon of the Gu Clan.”
Cheon Eeshil’s eyes briefly scanned my retinue, landing on Wi Seol-Ah. His eyes widened in shock for a split second, but his expression smoothed over almost instantly as he returned his attention to me. An experienced merchant, he was adept at controlling his reactions.
“The Second Elder has not yet arrived, but the Lady of Gu has already settled in and is resting. Please allow me to escort Young Master Gu to your quarters where you may unpack and rest.”
“…Hmm, that would be appreciated. Lead the way.”
Cheon Eeshil personally guided us. I knew Heaven Market was vast, but experiencing its scale again after my regression truly drove home its immensity.
Is it even bigger than the Gu Clan’s estate?
Of course, the Gu Clan’s territory hadn’t expanded much, partly due to the Clan Lord’s particular temperament.
So, Gu Yeonseo was already here. Since she’d already unpacked, she probably wouldn’t emerge until the ceremony began. Gu Yeonseo absolutely despised me. Running into her was practically an invitation for some annoying incident.
It was a relief to know she’d stay hidden.
There’s no way I’m unlucky enough to bump into her.
…I was, of course, that unlucky.
While being led to the guest room, I ran into her, forgetting my perpetual streak of misfortune.
“I can’t believe I have to see such a disgusting face the moment I arrive,” Gu Yeonseo said the instant her eyes fell on me.
“Hello there, elder sister.”
“Don’t speak to me. You’re annoying.”
Dissatisfied with my greeting, she replied in an irritated tone. “You’d better refrain from causing trouble on a day like this. It would be pathetic for the blood of Gu to ruin the ceremony.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll slip away quietly after a short while.”
“Who said I was worried…” As she spoke, Gu Yeonseo’s gaze fell upon Wi Seol-Ah. She was visibly astonished, then frowned deeply. She looked back at me, her expression even more disgusted than before. “They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and you are the living proof of that.”
“…What are you going on about all of a sudden?”
“I thought you might have changed a little, but it’s clear now that people never do.”
With that, she brushed past me abruptly.
What was that all about?
Cheon Eeshil, who had witnessed the entire exchange, had a face covered in a cold sweat. He attempted to lighten the mood. “Well, yes… siblings squabbling is common. When I was young, I used to fight with my sister all the time…”
“…”
There’s no need to console me…
We reached the guest room shortly after. It was spacious, no smaller than my room back at the clan, and impeccably clean, as if tended to daily.
I wanted to rest more, but with little time left before the ceremony, I hurried back outside.
The conference hall of Heaven Market was a structure that took pride in its sheer enormity. It was built on such a grand scale to reflect the stature of the merchants it hosted.
Even so, isn't this excessive?
“Woah…! It’s huge! I’ve never seen a place this big before!”
I had to agree with Wi Seol-Ah. The hall was so massive one might suspect the Murim Alliance itself was the host.
The first day of the ceremony was dedicated to honoring the Gu Clan’s current Swordsmen. The second day was reserved for the competition everyone eagerly awaited—the event to select the next generation of Swordsmen.
Thankfully, members of the Gu bloodline were exempt from participating in the competition. My only duty was to spectate and observe.
“I’m just a spectator. Nothing bad can happen, right?”
Please, let that be the case.