Chapter 30
Chapter 30
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: I'll Give You Two Days
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Before setting out to find the White Battle Flag.
The White Bone Net Master had given Namgung San-yeong just one order.
"First, apologize to the second one."
"Ap-apologize? How could I possibly to such a lowly—"
"Then you'll die by my hand. I just happen to need material for a gliding arrow. That work for you?"
"Th-that's!"
"We need to know exactly who his backer is before I can rip him apart myself or turn him into a gliding arrow, don't we?!"
The White Bone Net Master told Namgung San-yeong.
To win over Unhwi's favor as much as possible.
And to dig as deeply as she could into his backer.
Namgung San-yeong found it mortifying that she had to bow her head to Unhwi, whom she normally treated worse than vermin, but right now wasn't the time to be picky about life or death.
First, deal with Unhwi, then think later.
That was exactly why she'd brought up the story, but she ended up hearing something completely unexpected.
"H-how did you know?"
The moment Namgung San-yeong heard the word "Demonic Cult," her heart sank.
How had this guy found out the White Bone Net Master's identity?
Simply killing the assassin shouldn't have been enough to pinpoint the target's identity so precisely.
Yet Unhwi wasn't probing—he was stating it as fact.
He already knew everything.
There was no fooling him.
"He's seeing through it. Everything."
For the first time, Unhwi's slyly smiling face struck Namgung San-yeong as terrifying.
Especially those eyes.
The corners curved upward, but the pupils didn't follow.
They were too deep.
Looking into them made her feel like she was the one being drawn in.
An abyss.
It was like staring into an endless ocean depth.
The thought that she couldn't tell what lurked within sent chills down her spine.
"This guy's it! The backer's not the issue—it's him!"
It felt like she'd been struck hard in the back of the head with a blunt object.
Until now, she'd thought Unhwi's wild antics were just him puffed up with a new backer, but that wasn't it.
The backer was just a backer. The mastermind behind all this chaos up to now was this guy right here.
She, the White Bone Net Master—they were all dancing in the palm of his hand!
"I-is this really the Dang Unhwi I know?!"
Once her thoughts reached that point, everything about Unhwi terrified Namgung San-yeong.
His eyes, his smile, his attitude.
Fear sprouted wildly in one corner of her heart, overshadowing even her urge to kill him.
It was like a grinning demon stood right before her.
Tales of mysterious rumors often circulated in the martial world.
Stories of demons disguising themselves, hiding their true nature while living under someone else's identity.
A fleeting thought crossed her mind: What if Unhwi was one of them?
Otherwise, how could a person change so drastically overnight, even with an awakening?
But suspicion was one thing—evidence was another.
If she mishandled this, the real alliance with the Demonic Cult could backfire politically on her.
Unhwi seemed to know that too.
—Go ahead, try it.
That's exactly what he was saying.
He was waiting for her to make a mistake.
The moment she exposed her neck, he'd snap it without mercy.
That would be the end.
"Th-this can't—"
Her words caught in her throat.
Her chest tightened.
It felt like Unhwi had her by the hair.
The problem was she had no means to resist here.
Right now, in this moment.
Namgung San-yeong couldn't shake the feeling that she'd fallen into a trap she couldn't escape.
* * *
Dang Hoseon had said.
He didn't care what tussle I got into with Namgung San-yeong, but don't touch his rice bowl.
But what could be done?
I had no choice but to touch that rice bowl a little.
The moment I laid hands on the ranches, I became Black Bone Ghost Valley's top priority target.
My own goal was to string up the necks of not just Black Bone Ghost Valley but all those who'd come down directly from Heavenly Mountain outside the castle gates.
Namgung San-yeong was the first stepping stone for that.
"…I don't know what you're talking about."
Namgung San-yeong tried to play it cool and feign ignorance as best she could, but she couldn't hide the faint tremble at the corner of her mouth.
She'd been caught completely off guard.
"Then it's fine if I go straight to the Branch Leader with this?"
There was one fact Namgung San-yeong didn't know here.
That Dang Hoseon already knew everything.
And yet he was leaving it alone.
Without knowing that, she had no choice but to be dragged around by the leash I held.
All the dirty tricks she'd pulled to kill me so far?
Now I'd strip her bare.
Look forward to it. Heh heh heh!
"You—"
"If the Justice Pavilion starts investigating, that strange shrine you've been visiting so often will come up, and from there it'll link to the South Palace connections… and it'll all tie back to the Tang family, right? I wonder how the South Palace will react then. Personally, I doubt they'd take on the yoke."
Namgung San-yeong's face stiffened rigidly.
She'd understood my words.
That the South Palace Clan might try to cut off the tail.
In truth, it was only natural.
Even if the Divine Cult was in civil war, it was still a source of terror and fear in the Central Plains.
Allying with them was no different from treason, selling out the Central Plains martial world.
Even mere suspicion would mobilize the Martial Alliance, and if evidence surfaced, they'd be publicly designated for extermination.
No matter how much Namgung San-yeong controlled the Nine Dragons Branch Family's internal affairs, there was no dodging the Martial Alliance's blade.
Especially since the South Palace Clan was one of the Six Great Clans, rivals alongside the Sacheon Tang Clan.
Would they really protect Namgung San-yeong, a stain on their name?
There was a long-standing proverb in the martial world.
—In the distant northern frontier, a massive demon lurks like a beast, eyeing the lands below.
—The skies of the Central Plains are guarded by the Northern Revered Shaolin and Southern Honored Wudang, blocking the demon's ambitions.
—The earth is held by the Western Hegemon Tang Clan and Eastern Emperor South Palace, too busy eyeing each other's throats.
No idea why they compared the Divine Cult to that dump.
Anyway, if Shaolin and Wudang represented the Nine Great Sects, then the Tang Clan and South Palace symbolized the Six Great Clans.
The South Palace might scheme against the Tang Clan, but it couldn't be exposed externally.
Yet if they suddenly faced suspicions of allying with the Demonic Cult?
I'd call it lucky if they just cut ties.
They might even pin all the blame on Namgung San-yeong, claiming no involvement.
Then silence her with a murder to seal mouths.
That's just how the South Palace was.
Pious and righteous on the outside, full of schemes and trickery within.
Namgung San-yeong knew that better than anyone.
"…I am the lady of the Nine Dragons Branch Family. You can't just—"
"Yes, normally you'd crush it with power. But this case carries a different weight, doesn't it?"
"……."
Namgung San-yeong bit her lip hard.
A long silence followed.
Her mind must be a whirlwind right now.
Admit it, and I'd have her weakness. Defy it, and they'd dig into her back.
No way out.
I smiled, and the furrow between her brows deepened.
But I knew.
What conclusion Namgung San-yeong would reach.
"…What do you want?"
Just as I'd predicted.
Namgung San-yeong raised the white flag.
"Finally in the mood for a proper talk, I see."
"If you're just going to spout nonsense—"
"Pure Azure Divine Pill."
"Wh-what?"
"Has age dulled your hearing already?"
"You little—"
"I need the Pure Azure Divine Pill. Get it for me, and I'll keep quiet about this matter."
"!!"
The Pure Azure Divine Pill was a miracle pill refined by the Life-and-Death Divine Physician—Central Plains' greatest healer—using Pure Azure Tree Oil and various ingredients.
Swallowing one freed you from all ailments and boosted your internal energy by a whopping half-jia (30 years).
It didn't match Shaolin's Great Return Pill or Huashan Sect's Purple Spirit Pill, but it was said to rival the Small Return Pill.
The Life-and-Death Divine Physician had sold a few for livelihood, so a tiny amount circulated on the market.
Of course, they were outrageously expensive.
Rumor had it the Central Plains' tycoons had snapped them all up, making them hard even for major sects to obtain.
So naturally, she freaked at the demand.
After all the trouble she'd caused me, she had to pull up a few of her own root pillars to make it fair.
Ah, yes indeed.
「The Pure Azure Divine Pill should replenish some of the Young Cult Leader's lacking internal energy right away. A fine choice.」
「The problem is this is just the beginning, isn't it?」
「Exactly. It's only starting. Looks like the Young Cult Leader plans to pluck every last hair from that woman's head. Can't falter at this point. Tsk tsk!」
Namgung San-yeong finally spoke.
"…What about something else? Anything else, I'll grant. But not this!!"
"Well, if you don't want to, forget it. As the Nine Dragons Branch heir, you could get one anyway."
"!!"
I had nothing to lose, so I shrugged.
If I got it, great. If not, no big deal—I'd still come out ahead.
If Namgung San-yeong crumbled on her own, it'd be less baggage for the kids, which wasn't bad for me.
I could build up my lacking internal energy steadily like now, even without it immediately.
"With the deal done, please head back now—"
"Fine! I'll get it! Just get me one!! But you have to give me time—"
"I'll give you two days."
"Don't talk nonsense! It's the Pure Azure Divine Pill! Do you think you can just waltz in and get a miracle pill made from the Life-and-Death Divine Physician's Hua Tuo Sect secrets that easi—"
"Not my problem."
"!!!"
"Forgot? You proposed the deal, Mother."
Tremble tremble!
Her tightly clenched fists shook like aspen leaves.
Drip drip—
Her nails had dug so deep that bloody droplets fell from her palm.
A lovely sight.
"What are you doing? Get up already."
"You—"
"Even mobilize that proud natal family of yours. Things are about to go to shit if you don't."
Namgung San-yeong glared at me for a long while, biting her lower lip, then spun on her heel.
As if to say we'd see.
Bang!
The door slammed shut.
Hard enough to make one wonder if the whole hall would collapse.
"What a nasty temper."
Of course, I wouldn't blink at that.
「Anyone would think the Young Cult Leader was the one in the wrong.」
「Do you think Namgung San-yeong will actually get the Pure Azure Divine Pill?」
I nodded at the wraith's question.
"She'll get it somehow. She can afford to puff up her pride now, but soon she won't have time for that."
My lips curled at the thought of the entertaining show soon to come.
The wraiths, faces pale, shuddered and prostrated themselves on the floor.
"Th-that smile!!"
"As expected, the Young Cult Leader has a plan!"
"We are always amazed by the Young Cult Leader's keen insight!!"
"Thank you for always piercing our dull minds—"
I left the hall.
In the courtyard, Third Brother stood with a pale face.
The handprint on his cheek suggested Namgung San-yeong had given him a harsh scolding.
Should've known better than to play both sides so blatantly.
"I'm heading to the Heroic Battle Hall to see Father. Send word ahead."
"!?"
I wondered what face Namgung San-yeong would make hearing I was going straight to meet Dang Hoseon.
It was so amusing I couldn't stop laughing.
Just wait a bit longer, Auntie.
I'll dry you out to the bone.