The Fist Saint's Negotiation
In Poison Valley, two kinds of tea are served.
One is Gokeun Tea, also called Mountain Spirit Tea, said to be a gift bestowed by the mountain spirit.
The other is Yosal Tea—heavenly in fragrance, yet in truth a lethal poison.
With a soft gurgle, Song Jain swirled the teapot lightly before filling Yeonhui's cup. Into her cup alone, she set a single fragment of tea leaf.
This mad old poison witch.
The reason she filled the cup differently from everyone else's was perfectly clear.
Dare you mock me?
Yeonhui watched Song Jain as she lifted the cup and brought it to her lips without the slightest hesitation.
You think I'll flinch?
She had not become a Haomun branch leader for nothing. Martial arts aside, she prided herself on possessing the finest resistance to poison of anyone she knew.
"The tea is excellent. An experience like this…"
She broke off mid-sentence.
"What is it?"
"To think such a tea exists in this world."
She was genuinely astonished. When it came to tea, Yeonhui considered herself a person of considerable pride. Yet the tea she had just tasted erased every previous experience she had once ranked among the finest.
Compared to Gokeun Tea, every other tea is nothing but rainwater.
The flavor was so overwhelming that her thoughts briefly stalled. Yeonhui raised the cup again.
While she drank a second cup, no one around the table spoke a word.
"Truly a remarkable experience, Senior."
"A reward for performing your role well."
"So today you will not stand behind me."
"That too is a reward. Do not assume it will always be so."
"I'll keep that in mind."
Once the tea ceremony ended, Yeonhui returned to business.
"The Hwangbo Clan will likely move to negotiate soon. There is a chance the clan head himself will appear."
At those words, one corner of Ja Gangcheon's mouth curved upward.
"You don't look surprised. Did you expect this?"
Getting the Hwangbo Clan head to the negotiating table had been entirely Yeonhui's doing. She had expected at least a flicker of surprise from Ja Gangcheon, yet there was none.
"Was summoning the clan head your true aim all along?"
"Negotiating with the general is always best, isn't it? No loose talk afterward either."
"That only holds if the negotiation succeeds."
"With you here, Noona, what could go wrong?"
Watching Ja Gangcheon's shameless expression, Yeonhui's thoughts tangled.
He's thinking something dangerous, isn't he?
The Ja Gangcheon she had come to know was a man without boundaries. Kind and innocent in ordinary moments, yet once a fight began he grew more vicious than most from the unorthodox paths.
Surely he doesn't mean to trap the Hwangbo Clan head?
If that happened, Haomun would never escape responsibility either.
"Noona, why so anxious? Afraid I might kill the clan head or something?"
The way he said it was so irritating that, in her imagination, she slapped his cheek several times over.
Hwangbo Baek, head of the Hwangbo Clan.
His father had been called the Fist Sovereign; he himself was styled the Fist Saint.
Known for his bold temperament, he possessed thick brows and a square jaw that evoked a predatory beast, earning him the moniker Fierce Tiger Face.
"Evaluations of him tend to be exaggerated."
It was exactly the tenth day since they had seized Merchant Lord Hwangbo Jeong.
A letter bearing the seal of the Hwangbo Clan arrived at Deungmyeong Manor.
Five days hence, at noon, the Clan Head together with four others shall visit the Manor.
Yeonhui, who had delivered the letter, provided detailed intelligence on the Hwangbo Clan.
"His reputation is exaggerated?"
"Yes. His father, Hwangbo Jinseong, was a true master for whom the title Fist Sovereign was not the least bit excessive. He might not have ranked among the Five Absolute Masters of the Martial World, but he would certainly have belonged among the Ten Great Masters. The present clan head, however, does not deserve the title Fist Saint."
Her assessment was cold and unsparing.
"But that judgment applies only to Hwangbo Baek's personal martial skill. Once the position of clan head is added, he becomes an entirely different man. The power of the Hwangbo Clan does not vanish simply because its head's martial arts have declined."
On Guigokdo, only the previous clan head had died.
"In fact, you should be more wary of the elders whose names are little known in the martial world. There is even a saying that the true strength of a great clan comes from its Council of Elders."
A clan head was not chosen by martial prowess alone. The one who could most benefit the clan was selected; thus the head was not necessarily the strongest master.
"Well then, that is all the information I have. Now may I hear the Manor Lord's thoughts?"
"My goal is simple. To live happily in Gyounam with the people I care about."
"Good. I hope you will not forget that even at the negotiating table. By the way, is Hwangbo Jeong well?"
"Want to see for yourself?"
"Yes. I prefer no unexpected variables. I'll check in advance."
She followed Ja Gangcheon's lead to the storehouse where Hwangbo Jeong was confined.
"You locked him in here?"
Had it been Haomun, they would at least have imprisoned him in a proper room.
Creeeak.
When the storehouse door opened, sunlight spilled across the interior.
"What in the…"
Hwangbo Jeong lay there, bloodied from a savage beating.
"Manor Lord, why on earth would you do this?"
"I didn't do it."
Ja Gangcheon pointed to the figure slumped against the storehouse wall.
It was Gu Donggu, so thoroughly broken that it would not have been strange if he had already died. His distinctive belly had long since vanished, and a deep shadow hung over a face that had endured every kind of hardship.
"And that wreck beat him?"
"Hwangbo Jeong tried to kill Gu Donggu first."
"What?"
"Gu Donggu was trying to kill Hwangbo Jeong in return when I stopped them. Strictly speaking, I saved them both."
Even the experienced Yeonhui found the situation hard to grasp at first glance.
She walked straight up to Hwangbo Jeong.
"Now that I've come, you can guess what this means, can't you? People from the Hwangbo Clan will be arriving soon."
Yeonhui continued in a soft, measured voice.
"It would be best if neither side gets greedy. Once the negotiation ends, leave quietly and return to your original place. You understand?"
It was a clear warning that any foolish action would ruin everything.
"Endure for five days."
With that, Yeonhui left the storehouse.
Creeeak.
As the door closed, a sudden surge of anger rose in her. She managed to calm herself with a deep breath, but Ja Gangcheon was not one to miss the change.
"Why are you angry?"
"He is the blood younger brother of the Hwangbo Clan head. The merchant lord of Shandong's greatest trading house. There was no need to treat him like that."
"I kept him alive, didn't I?"
Yeonhui knew further words would be useless.
"You truly wanted to kill him."
"Cheongu told me never to answer questions like that."
There were times when Yeonhui simply could not measure Ja Gangcheon.
"Do you trust the Hwangbo Clan, Noona?"
"What do you mean?"
"If we extract a pledge that they will never enter Gyounam again, do you really think they will keep it?"
"That is precisely why Haomun is stepping forward as mediator. They will keep it out of fear of Haomun, if nothing else."
Ja Gangcheon stared at her steadily.
"You're surprisingly naive, Noona."
"Excuse me?"
"How do you plan to survive when you understand the world so poorly?"
"What?"
This was the most absurd and outrageous moment of Yeonhui's life.
"Don't trust people too much."
"L-Lord of the Manor?"
"Let's go. I'm busy."
"Wait a moment—"
Leaving the thoroughly provoked Yeonhui behind, Ja Gangcheon walked away.
Five days later.
Through the gate opened by Panseok stepped five visitors.
At their head was Hwangbo Baek, head of the Hwangbo Clan, his long robe embroidered with a tiger. With him came his eldest son and known heir Hwangbo Taesan, the clan's reputed strongest master Hwangbo Cheonju, Hwangbo Homyung, and finally the deputy chief steward who handled practical affairs.
These were the core figures of the Hwangbo Clan, and they had come more conscious of Song Jain, the Poisonous Loving Mother, than of Ja Gangcheon.
"Welcome."
Ja Gangcheon greeted them wearing the long robe he had received at his coming-of-age ceremony. Behind him stood Cheongu, Panseok, and Song Jain side by side.
Even though the man called the master of Shandong Province had come, Ja Gangcheon showed not the slightest tremor. Instead, a faint, intrigued smile touched his lips as he watched Hwangbo Baek step forward.
So there are people who carry this kind of presence.
Was this what it felt like to meet a great predator's eyes?
He could not be certain; Ja Gangcheon had never seen a true wild beast. Yet rather than fear, a competitive fire rose in him.
Could I win?
The pure desire of a martial artist lifted its head, but Ja Gangcheon suppressed it and performed the duties of a manor lord.
"Seats have been prepared. This way, please."
Ja Gangcheon stepped aside and guided them.
Then the young master Hwangbo Taesan took a step forward, intending to walk level with Ja Gangcheon.
"There are those who do not know their place."
Song Jain, who had been following silently, pointed out the first young master's stride, and the atmosphere froze solid.
Hwangbo Baek registered the situation and, with a glance, forced his eldest son back a step.
"Mind your manners. Do you mean to disgrace me?"
At the thick, low command, Hwangbo Taesan bowed his head without a word.
After that brief clash of nerves, they moved to the reception hall of the central pavilion.
A broad table large enough for ten sat in the center; they faced one another across it.
Only two people sat in chairs—Ja Gangcheon and Hwangbo Baek. Yeonhui, mediator of the affair, stood between the two camps.
"There is one thing I wish to ask."
Hwangbo Baek spoke in a rough voice, tossing the words out casually.
"Do you know anything of my son's whereabouts?"
"I know he left Gyounam."
"And after that you know nothing?"
"Correct."
Ja Gangcheon's reply was so natural that it allowed not a shred of doubt.
"Is that so?"
"Would you care to explain exactly what has happened?"
"No. Never mind. Let us settle our own business quickly."
Hwangbo Baek moved straight into negotiation.
"Release my younger brother, and speak no more of what occurred in Gyounam. That is what I want."
"Then withdraw every enterprise you maintain in Gyounam, and see that no one connected to the Hwangbo Clan ever sets foot here again."
"You mean to forbid us entry entirely?"
"Yes."
"Our clan may go wherever we please in this world. That will not change."
"Then consider the negotiation void."
Their exchange left no room to circle around. Each laid bare his true intent, and answers came immediate and concise.
To those listening, it felt like watching a high-wire act.
"If I abandon my younger brother here and now, what do you suppose will become of you and this manor?"
"It will become dangerous."
"Then you would do well to learn the art of concession."
"That cuts both ways. There is no guarantee the clan head leaves here alive either."
"What did you say?"
Not only Hwangbo Baek but the clan members standing behind him openly displayed their rage.
"You don't mind issuing threats, yet you hate receiving them. Is that the Hwangbo Clan's way?"
"It depends on the opponent."
"I am curious how you intend to handle me."
As the two men's auras turned savage, a tension like a blade-wind filled the reception hall.
The atmosphere was such that a single misstep from either side would open a life-or-death duel. Yeonhui stepped in hurriedly.
"Gentlemen, would you listen to me for a moment?"
Even after she intervened, the two continued to glare at each other. Hwangbo Baek especially showed open displeasure as he asked,
"Where exactly did you come from? I have heard nothing of your background."
It was the question that had troubled Hwangbo Baek from the beginning until now.
If the rumors about Ja Gangcheon were true, he was the foremost talent even among the Rising Stars. Yet his origins remained unknown.
"You did not simply fall out of the sky, I assume."
"Not the sky. I crossed a distant sea."
Hwangbo Baek took it for a joke.
"I will grant you have guts. Still, it would be wise to observe proper courtesy."
"You talk a great deal, I see."
At Ja Gangcheon's provocation, Hwangbo Baek finally shot to his feet.
In that instant even those standing in attendance began to draw up their inner energy—
"Stop!"
Yeonhui raised her voice.
"Both of you chose the Heavenly Fifth Branch Leader of Haomun as mediator. You may disregard me if you wish, but do not slight Haomun itself."
The words were framed as a request; in truth they were an open warning.
At last Hwangbo Baek sat again, face still dark with displeasure. Yeonhui deliberately released a long breath, trying to ease the tension.
Perhaps she eased it too much.
This little bastard.
A thin smile had settled at the corner of Ja Gangcheon's mouth.