The Enchantress 2
I had been sure the ship was putting in at Wuhan's pier—until it glided straight past the crowded harbor without stopping.
We had already started packing to disembark when our destination suddenly began receding behind us.
"Huh!? Did we just miss it?"
I asked in a flustered voice. Big Sister pointed toward a smaller dock just coming into view in the distance.
"No, So-ryong. We're not getting off there. We're docking over there. That's the Murim Alliance—they have their own little pier. Only martial artists use it."
"Ahh."
Back in Yichang we had transferred to a ship run by the Jegal Family—another of the Seven Great Clans—and I had wondered why. Now it made sense: they all used private docks.
The Murim Alliance seemed to be something like a cooperative for people who practiced martial arts, and they were apparently rich enough to maintain their own docking facilities.
"Young Master So-ryong, Wuhan is called the Nine-Province Thoroughfare. It is the passage linking nine provinces. To the east lie Anhui and Guangxi; to the west, Chongqing and Sichuan; to the north, Henan and Shaanxi; and to the south it connects Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi."
In short, it's a major transportation hub?
I had wondered why the Murim Alliance would be based in Wuhan. Commander Gu Pae's explanation made it clear—this place sat at the crossroads of everything.
While listening to him, I looked out from the railing toward the spot Big Sister had indicated. A lofty pavilion rose beside the river, ringed by walls like a fortress.
One face of the Murim Alliance compound hugged the winding Yangtze; the other side abutted the city of Wuhan itself.
—Thud!
A short while later the ship slid gently against the pier.
The moment we touched, sword-bearing warriors used light-body techniques to leap aboard.
Their leader approached the Jegal Family man who captained the vessel.
"State the purpose of your visit to the Murim Alliance."
"This is a Jegal Family scheduled run. We know each other by sight—must we really go through all this?"
"You know the rules. Hand over the passenger list, if you would."
"Tch. Here it is."
Even with a Jegal banner flying and faces they recognized, the guards still meticulously checked why every visitor had come.
"Those whose names are called, step forward and show yourselves."
The warrior checked each person off like a professor taking attendance. Security felt airtight.
When our turn arrived, the head of the inspection team suddenly looked up from the register in mild surprise.
"People from the Sichuan Tang Family are aboard this ship?"
The Jegal man nodded quickly.
"Yes. The direct-line young lady known as the Poison Flower Moon Laurel is among the passengers."
"You should have said so at once. Where are the Tang Family members? The Strategist is waiting for them."
"I thought we were being thorough…"
At the mention of Big Sister's name she stepped out from among the passengers and offered the squad leader a clasped-fist salute.
"I am Dang Hwa-eun of the Sichuan Tang Family."
"An honor to meet you. I am Mak Gyeol, squad leader of the Yellow Dragon Unit under the Murim Alliance Cabinet. The Strategist has been expecting you."
"So you are Hero Mak. Would you guide us to the Strategist? We have brought the goods he requested."
"At once, young lady. What are you standing around for? Notify the Strategist and escort the Tang Family guests!"
"Yes, sir!"
One warrior vaulted off the ship and raced toward the towering pavilion. Big Sister and I disembarked and followed the squad leader into the heart of the Murim Alliance.
We were weaving between the halls toward the tallest building when three young people—two men and a woman—rounded a corner behind the pavilion, deep in conversation, and came straight toward us.
A woman with a sword at her waist was dragging along a man who had a spear slung across his back by the ear. Their voices grew louder.
"Aaagh! Enough already, Sword Phoenix! I was only going to teach that bastard a lesson!"
"Ugh… Do you realize how this looks for the family? You come to the Murim Alliance to hunt Blood Sect scum and then challenge our own allies to sparring matches—what exactly are you trying to accomplish?"
"She's right, Seong-hu. You jumped to conclusions without even checking their story."
"What was I supposed to do? For the young lady's honor if nothing else—!"
Just as the trio was about to pass us, a voice called out Big Sister's name.
"Poison Flower? Young Lady Dang Hwa-eun?"
"Hm? Poison Flower? Ah!"
"Oh?"
They clearly knew her. Big Sister stopped and returned their clasped-fist salute.
"It's been a while. Blade Dragon, Sword Phoenix, Spear Dragon—first time since the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering."
"Well, well. Fancy running into you here. Long time no see, Poison Flower."
"It's been ages, Hwa-eun."
"L-long time no see, Y-young Lady Hwa-eun—I mean, P-Poison Flower."
They weren't calling each other by given names but by martial sobriquets, as if that were the most natural thing in the world. Living with the Tang Family had taught me enough of the local rules to understand what those titles meant.
Blade-wielding Dragon, Sword-wielding Phoenix, Spear-wielding Dragon. Aren't those nicknames a little embarrassing? Then again, Big Sister's own sobriquet translates to "Poison Rose." I nearly choked when I first learned that—it sounded like something a woman with a rose tattoo on her thigh would use.
Among martial artists of their age, only the truly exceptional were granted the characters for Dragon or Phoenix. That alone marked all three as elites.
The woman among them seemed especially close to Big Sister; she latched onto her arm at once.
"Hwa-eun, we saw each other last year, right?"
"Yes, Sword Phoenix. Last year, in Sichuan. Could you maybe let go…"
"No way. We already decided we're friends, and friends call each other by name."
"That was only because you insisted…"
Sword Phoenix was clearly the outgoing type. Even though Big Sister looked awkward, the woman simply smiled like a crafty fox and pressed on.
"Anyway, good thing we ran into you. I had something I was curious about."
Big Sister tilted her head at the sudden remark.
"Something curious? About me? We just bumped into each other."
Sword Phoenix nodded, shot a sidelong glance at the spear-carrying man, and grinned mischievously.
"Well, we joined the Blood Sect hunt and heard the strangest rumor."
"A strange rumor?"
"Yeah. Word's going around the Murim Alliance that the Poison Flower has taken a true love. Hard to believe, right?"
"That I have a true love?"
"Exactly. The warriors can't stop talking about it. So this idiot here decided he had to defend Young Lady Hwa-eun's honor and started challenging people to duels. We were just dragging him away."
The "idiot" her finger pointed at was Spear Dragon. His face flushed crimson as he stammered a defense.
"I-it wasn't like that. W-we're comrades who've exchanged fists, so of course I'd protect the young lady's honor… Y-you don't need to thank me. Among friends it's only natural…"
Big Sister regarded him with a blank expression, then answered as if it were nothing important.
"The rumor is wrong."
Is she planning to keep it secret here? Maybe she doesn't see the need to advertise it outside the family.
Back home she had introduced me as her true love to the Peng Family head and the Strategist, yet now she claimed the rumor was false. Still, from the sound of it the warriors who had accompanied the Strategist had already spread the story all the way to the Alliance, so I wondered how much difference it made.
I was about to ask her privately what she intended when Spear Dragon brightened at her words.
"S-see? I told you!"
"So it was just empty talk after all? You're lucky to be alive, haha."
"W-when did I look like I was about to die? Ahem. Anyway, this isn't the time—I'm going back to thrash that warrior—"
He was rolling up his sleeves with renewed vigor when Big Sister rested a hand on my shoulder, smiled, and spoke.
"I should correct the rumor. Not a true love—my betrothed."
H-holy—! Betrothed!
"True love" meant someone to whom you had given your heart. "Betrothed" meant the marriage was already promised.
The thought of what would happen if I failed to bring back the Ten Great Venoms made me swallow hard. Big Sister, it turned out, was the all-in, no-take-backs type.
I've given you this chance—now succeed no matter what. Something like that.
Even the socially gifted Sword Phoenix stared at me with wide eyes.
"B-betrothed!? He looks so y-young…"
"Yes. This is my betrothed, Wi So-ryong. So-ryong, greet them. From this side: Blade Dragon, Sword Phoenix, Spear Dragon. I'm sorry I didn't introduce you sooner."
I was still reeling myself, but I offered the greeting. I could sort out Big Sister's intentions later.
The spear guy had clearly been nursing a one-sided crush on her, but what could I do? Kids grow up through this sort of thing.
We all grow up like that.
I stepped forward and faced the three of them.
"A pleasure to meet you all. I am Wi So-ryong—Young Lady Hwa-eun's betrothed. I look forward to getting along."
Two of them recovered enough to reply.
"O-oh, right. Nice to meet you, young hero. I'm Seonhwa of Jeomchang. They gave me the overly generous sobriquet Sword Phoenix."
"To think the one who claimed one of the Three Flowers of the Murim is such a young hero… I am Paeng Gyu-seong, Blade Dragon."
The spear-bearer, Spear Dragon, simply stared blankly until the other two jabbed him in the ribs. Only then did he mumble a greeting, still looking dazed.
"Yang… Seong-hu of the Yang Family. N-nice to meet you."
As soon as the introductions finished, the squad leader's voice cut in from the side.
"The Strategist is waiting. We should hurry."
"Ah, I'm sorry. We have an appointment with the Strategist. We'll see you later."
Big Sister gave me a small smile and started forward. I followed, glancing back once. The other two were clapping Yang Seong-hu on the shoulders.
It looked like one boy had become a man today.
"Well, look who it is. Good to see you both. I never expected the two of you to come in person."
"We greet the Strategist."
"We greet the Strategist."
As we entered the office, Strategist Jegal Hu welcomed us warmly. He seated us, poured tea for each of us, and asked,
"So, how much did you manage to bring this time?"
"They said they prepared as much as possible—about three wine bottles' worth."
—Clack.
Big Sister set the box on the table. When she opened the lid, three wine bottles appeared inside.
"You must have gone through hell for this. When I was in Sichuan I watched them extract the venom—it's painstaking work and never easy to collect. Please convey my thanks."
They said he was the smartest man in the martial world, and sure enough he understood exactly how much labor those three bottles represented.
Data on Chinese copperheads was scarce, but the average venom yield of a slightly larger Russell's viper was around twelve milliliters—though the variance was enormous. Some snakes gave only two milliliters, others twenty. Filling a single 1.5-liter bottle would require milking at least a hundred twenty-five snakes of that size. Chinese copperheads were smaller and less productive, so gathering 1.5 liters would take the venom of roughly five hundred or more. Three bottles meant milking nearly fifteen hundred snakes.
"I'll tell the family elders, Strategist."
He smiled and nodded at Big Sister's reply.
"Good. While you're here the place is a bit noisy, but take a look around the Alliance and make friends with the disciples from the other sects. Ah—and So-ryong, you should meet the Alliance Leader with me. He's been eager to see you."
A casual invitation to tour the place and pay respects to important people. Unfortunately we were short on time.
Sightseeing could wait; if we didn't secure food for our lizards soon they would starve.
"We intend to leave at once, Strategist."
"At once? Why the rush? Are you stopping somewhere else?"
He blinked at the abrupt declaration. I explained the situation.
"Yes. The stone rulers you told us about seem to grow by feeding on the energy of snow ginseng, so we need ice jade. We're planning to visit the Namgung Family—they are said to possess some."
He nodded, though his tone carried concern.
"Ah, so I've been stealing those children's meals. I understand. Still, the Namgung Family is dealing with some strange trouble right now and may not be receiving guests. That is why they couldn't even spare people for this Blood Sect hunt."
"Strange trouble?"
The Namgung Family was having problems—and it was exactly where we needed to go. A faint worry began to settle in my chest.