You're Not the Only One Who Can Talk
Crack!
"Huff... huff..."
The empty training ground next to the guest house had grown dark before I knew it.
I collapsed, completely exhausted, after performing the Blue Sky Divine Sword.
"Sword Force... hehe."
It wasn't like Sword Force shot out the moment I unleashed the divine sword.
It was more like a tiny bit of Sword Force sputtered out at the very last second when I guided the blade along its path.
Grin.
"Ehehe..."
But still, it was actual Sword Force!
The legendary force that countless martial artists only dreamed of.
Of course, since I collapsed immediately after using it, I was a bit skeptical about using it in actual combat... but either way, I felt great.
Wipe.
"Martial arts really are fun."
As I wiped the sweat from my forehead, a sudden thought struck me.
Was it because I was blessed with natural talent? Learning martial arts and growing stronger was incredibly enjoyable.
The only problem, as always, was the Blood Cultivation.
Since I had learned it, I wanted to progress, but I was worried because my bloodlust was growing increasingly violent.
If it ever broke free from the control of the Guihua Preservation... I didn't even want to imagine what would happen.
Is the Guihua Preservation my top priority after all?
If I was worried about the bloodlust growing wild, it was only logical to first advance the Guihua Preservation, which suppressed it.
But there was one problem.
"Is this mnemonic really correct?"
The mnemonic to reach the next stage. No matter how I looked at it, it wasn't normal.
The mnemonic for the eighth stage of the Guihua Preservation was: Break the vessel first, and the true Qi shall manifest.
It meant that only after breaking the vessel would the true energy reveal itself.
And no matter how I looked at it, this was telling me to destroy my own dantian.
After all, the only "vessel" that held energy in the body was the dantian.
Scratch.
"This makes no sense..."
Destroy your dantian if you want to grow stronger? That was like saying, "Commit suicide if you want to live happily."
Granted, my entire body had changed when I reached the seventh stage, so another miracle might happen at the eighth... but what if it didn't?
I would end up as the world's biggest idiot who destroyed her own dantian.
Shake head.
"There's no need to agonize over this alone."
Even though I had received some education, I was still a reincarnated soul.
My knowledge was bound to be lacking when it came to fully deciphering the deep meanings hidden within Hanja.
In that case, wouldn't it be best to ask someone who actually knew about these things?
"Sword Emperor, I mean, Elder Patriarch!"
"Ah, Lady Yeon. What brings you here?"
On the day he helped me gain enlightenment, Namgung Seon had officially announced his retirement.
However, unlike his grand declaration, very little had actually changed in the family.
After all, Namgung Seon had already been bedridden for a long time.
The only real change was that Namgung Geon had inherited the position of family head and the title of Sword Emperor.
So now, Namgung Seon was just a leisurely grandfather, the Elder Patriarch, who spent his days growing orchids.
"Hehe, well, the thing is..."
In any case, Namgung Seon was the most experienced martial artist I knew.
I recited the mnemonic for the eighth stage to him and asked for his opinion.
Slide.
"What do you think?"
"Hmm. No matter how I look at it, it seems to be telling you to destroy your dantian..."
"You think so too, Elder Patriarch?"
"Lady Yeon, surely you aren't actually planning to destroy your dantian, are you?"
"Of course not!"
I had come here with a sliver of hope, but we had reached the same conclusion.
Do I really have to destroy my dantian?
Tilt head.
"Are there no records or advice left behind by your predecessors? I refined the Blue Sky Divine Sword based on such records."
"The records only go up to the seventh stage."
For the eunuchs, the limit of the Guihua Preservation was the sixth stage.
Therefore, any research on the subsequent stages only went up to the seventh.
It was only because the sixth-stage eunuchs had gone, "I think this is the right way... boom!" that the method of accelerating true Qi was established.
Scratch.
"Then there is only one last resort."
"A last resort?"
"Indeed... asking someone else."
"???"
What kind of obvious advice was that?
That's why I came to ask you, old man...
Hearty laugh.
"Do not look at me with such eyes. The important part is who we ask."
"Ah, does that mean..."
"There are many wise people in the world, and many who have reached the peak of martial arts. Surely, out of all of them, someone must know the answer."
Nod.
"I suppose so."
Come to think of it, it was about time for me to leave the Namgung Family anyway.
It was a wonderful place, but that was exactly why I felt like I would become complacent if I stayed.
"The person I wish to introduce you to is Jegal Yeong, the Chief Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance."
Startled.
"The... the Chief Military Advisor of the Murim Alliance?!"
Isn't that a bit too big of a name all of a sudden?
Well, Namgung Seon himself was a legend, so I guess it made sense...
"She is the smartest person I have ever met. In her youth, she was known as the Heavenly Flower. Though now, she is just an old maid with a fiery temper."
Heavenly Flower?
The name combined "Heavenly Secrets" with "Flower," so she must have been incredibly beautiful and intelligent.
As for being an old maid... well, people with that much capability usually either married extremely early or extremely late.
"Someone of her caliber should at least be able to provide a clue. Wait just a moment, and I shall write you a splendid letter of introduction."
"Ah, should I come back later then?"
Since I had to wait anyway, I figured I should go say my goodbyes to the rest of the Namgung Family first.
"...So that's why I think I'll be leaving the family soon."
Nod.
"I figured as much."
"I expected nothing less from our benefactor."
This was the family head's office.
I had dropped by to let Namgung Geon, who was now the head of the family, know in advance. But the reactions of Namgung Geon and Namgung Hyeok were surprisingly calm.
"Hmm... I thought you'd be surprised. Or at least a little sad."
Shake head.
"Haha, Benefactor. How could a phoenix remain in one place? A single flap of its wings at Mount Tai reaches the Southern Seas, and another carries it all the way to Beijing."
"Indeed. Besides, it is not as if we are parting forever."
"Ah, is... is that so?"
A phoenix? That was even more embarrassing than being called a fairy.
Look around.
"By the way, what are all these documents? Have you two been writing all of this yourselves?"
The office reeked of ink and paper. There was even a mountain of wooden tablets piled high.
From the looks of it, Namgung Geon had been working alone, got completely overwhelmed, and ended up dragging Namgung Hyeok in to help.
Hearty laugh.
"Now that Father is awake, we must focus on restoring the family, must we not? There is much work to be done, but it is a joyful burden."
"Still, it doesn't look easy..."
I had heard that in order to buy the rare herbs for Namgung Seon, and because of what Namgung Jae-yeong had embezzled behind the scenes, quite a few of their prime businesses and rights had been sold off.
They wouldn't be able to reclaim them overnight, so even if they were smiling, it must be mentally exhausting.
"Haha, you are correct, Benefactor, but our current situation is actually quite favorable."
Thud.
Namgung Hyeok handed me a document as he spoke.
"What is this?"
[OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT]
Recruitment of Government-Licensed Merchants for the Anhui Province Military Camp Supplies
"R-Really?!"
Military supplies!
Even as a modern person, I knew this was an absolute goldmine!
I remembered how furious I had been in my past life when I saw that those weird-smelling military tents were procured for millions of won each.
Just thinking about sleeping in those made my blood boil.
You could buy a tent for a few hundred thousand won on the market and sleep in absolute comfort.
"But how did this announcement come about? Did the previous supplier mess up or something?"
Military procurement was the sweetest of deals.
Once a company was selected, they would never let go of that position.
I had heard they would bribe officials with a portion of their inflated profits or entertain them to keep them happy.
Scratch.
"It is a bit strange. Originally, the government procurement in the Jiangnan region was tightly controlled by the Red Cloud Merchant Guild. But apparently, they were expelled all at once."
"Expelled all at once?"
"Yes. Because of that, the Red Cloud Merchant Guild is currently on the verge of collapse. Well, I feel bad for them, but it is a golden opportunity for us."
"I see... Wait, the Red Cloud Merchant Guild?"
I've heard that name somewhere before.
"Hmm..."
Flash.
"Ah! The Red Cloud Merchant Guild! I remember now!"
When I went to the Yellow Crane Tower with Ha Ryun before, the bastard who insulted me for being ugly was the young master of that guild, wasn't he? Was his name Jeok Yeon of the Red Cloud Merchant Guild?
"Ahahaha!"
Long live the Emperor!!!
Justice is alive and well!
"Benefactor?"
"Ah, I just laughed because a good idea crossed my mind. Hehehe."
Smile.
"If you have time, would you like to come with us when we sign the contract? I wanted to show you the family's grand side before you leave."
"Signing the contract? Aren't you getting ahead of yourself?"
"Not at all. By custom, our Namgung Family will be awarded this procurement. The only issue was that no vacancies had opened up, but now that one has, there is nothing to worry about."
"Really? Then I'll tag along."
Since he wanted to show off so badly, there was no harm in humoring him.
"Please, just give us one more chance! I will do anything!!!"
"Hey! I told you to get out!"
"You're going to get us all in trouble!"
Drag.
The man being dragged out of the Regional Military Commission's office was the representative of the Red Cloud Merchant Guild.
Apparently, his name was also Jeok-something.
I wanted to laugh my head off at the sight... but I couldn't do that right now.
"What is the meaning of this? Both the Provincial Administration Commission and the Regional Military Commission are giving the procurement rights to the Paeryeok Sect?!"
We had just heard that both government procurements were going to the Paeryeok Sect, an unorthodox sect.
If that happened, the Namgung Family would be left staring blankly like a dog chasing a chicken.
"How dare you raise your voice in front of the Commander!"
"Ahem!"
The Commander, who sported a rat-like mustache, was currently looking down at us with a displeased expression.
"Does this not violate custom? You said that for the balance of Anhui, the Paeryeok Sect and the Namgung Family should take turns! Last time, the Namgung Family even stepped back, trusting those words!"
Hmm...
So they got backstabbed after making a gentlemen's agreement?
It was understandable why Namgung Hyeok was so furious.
Glare.
"Hmph! Custom? How dare martial artists interfere with the decisions of the government!"
"But Commander—"
"Until recently, the life of the Namgung Family's head was hanging by a thread! How could we entrust government procurement to such a place?"
Scratch.
So you never had any intention of giving us a chance in the first place.
Frankly speaking, even if the family head had died, it had absolutely nothing to do with this procurement.
It wasn't like Namgung Seon was going to personally make the rice balls for the government soldiers.
"What does my father's condition have to do with government procurement?"
"His Majesty has entrusted the affairs of Anhui to me, so here, my will is his will! Why do you keep talking back? This behavior of yours could be seen as treason!"
"Ugh..."
Tap, tap.
"Let's stop and go."
"B-But Benefactor!"
Talking any further would just waste our breath. I had to use another method.
Whisper.
"Don't worry too much. I know exactly what to do in situations like this."
"What do you mean by that?"
Hearing my words, Namgung Hyeok suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
Whisper.
"A Commander is different from a District Magistrate! If you kill him or cripple him—"
"Hey, who said anything about using such barbaric methods?"
"???"
Grin.
"I'm going to use a very peaceful method. In fact, they'll be the ones begging us."
Should I pull that out for the first time in a while?