A Debt of Grace and a Sparring Request
In the private annex of the guesthouse where the Yo-pyeong Express agency was staying, the group sat around a round table in the center of the room. Namgung Woo occupied the head position, with Pyeong Cho-yul and the Yang twins on his right, and Paeng Mu-ho and Paeng Ha-ryeong on his left. Since Namgung Woo had already eaten an early meal, the table held only tea and a few light snacks, yet no one reached for them. In the midst of the awkward atmosphere, Paeng Ha-ryeong turned to Namgung Woo, offering a polite cupped-fist salute to break the ice.
"Ah, yes."
Namgung Woo found Paeng Ha-ryeong's sparkling eyes fixed on him rather burdensome and subtly averted his gaze. When he had simply observed her from afar or when she had been unconscious as a patient, it hadn't struck him this way. But seeing her up close like this gave him an entirely different impression. How could such a small face accommodate those enormous eyes and that perfectly straight nose? Even if dropped into the modern world where beauty standards had been leveled upward, her appearance would be enough to grab any top celebrity by the collar, beat them, and steal their fame. And for Namgung Woo, who had been nothing more than an ordinary citizen, the straightforward advance of a beauty like Paeng Ha-ryeong felt quite overwhelming.
While Paeng Ha-ryeong spoke with such earnest passion, Pyeong Cho-yul, who had been unaware of these details, turned to Yang Kvae in surprise and whispered.
"Demonic Deformed Ghost Net? You caught a Demonic Deformed Ghost Net?"
"You didn't know? Our captain sliced it in half with a single blade."
"No, I heard it was just a Resentful Ghost at most… but captain? What do you mean by captain?"
"We formed a rogue martial unit. My brother and I, like the people from the Paeng family over there, received grace from him. We swore to serve him as our captain and follow his lead."
"So that's what happened…."
Paeng Ha-ryeong perked up her ears at the whispered conversation of the three men across from her. She had already known that the Yang twins had left with Namgung Woo. However, the fact that Namgung Woo had taken them in as subordinates and formed a rogue martial unit was new information. She quickly absorbed the details that Pyeong Cho-yul had drawn out.
Namgung Woo did not answer immediately. He covered his mouth with his hand and remained silent. Had this offer been made back in Muan County, he would have politely declined. One might ask if the Yo-pyeong Express agency hadn't come to him of their own accord, but the Yo-pyeong Express agency and the Hebei Paeng family were different. The former was closer to the common people than to the Murim world, while the latter clearly stood at the very center of the orthodox Murim. Moreover, since he still didn't know why the orthodox Murim factions had failed to help the Namgung family, Namgung Woo had been wary of growing close to the Paeng family.
But now the situation had changed. He had learned, at least roughly, about the relationship between the orthodox Murim and the Namgung family. Above all, he had come face to face with the desire buried in his own heart—the longing to be with someone and to be acknowledged.
According to a certain psychologist, human needs exist in a hierarchy. Once the most basic physiological needs for survival and the safety needs to protect one's freedom are satisfied, humans naturally develop belongingness and love needs, and then act to fulfill esteem needs. He called these four stages deficiency needs.
Namgung Woo was the same. Had he reached the Entering God Realm—completely free of the five desires and seven emotions, transcending the ways of the mundane world—it might have been different. But his current realm was merely the Transformation Realm, a single layer removed from human frailty. Even that realm was a miraculous product rarely seen in the mortal world, and while it was said to be a stage that ultimately transcended humanity to enter the domain of gods and immortals, in the end his true self had not escaped the category of human.
Especially in Namgung Woo's case, it differed from the typical Transformation Realm. Essence, energy, and spirit. While his essence and energy had reached perfect Transformation Realm levels, his spirit only barely kept pace with his body and qi. Thus, the unity of essence, energy, and spirit remained incomplete. It was only thanks to a momentary enlightenment that he had briefly achieved that unity. Without such an experience, he would likely still be floundering in dissonance.
In any case, Namgung Woo viewed Paeng Ha-ryeong's proposal in a rather positive light.
'If I go through the Hebei Paeng family, I won't need to rely on Haomun, will I?'
Originally, he had come to Beijing to obtain more detailed information about the Namgung family from Haomun and to meet the people from the Yo-pyeong Express agency. So if the information issue could be resolved, there was no need to stay in Beijing any longer.
Thinking that Namgung Woo's prolonged silence signaled refusal, Paeng Mu-ho carefully offered another suggestion.
"Uncle…."
"…I was thoughtless. My lord benefactor—"
Watching Paeng Ha-ryeong bow her head deeply, Namgung Woo waved his hands.
"There's no need for that. Instead of this, why don't we eat something while we talk? Have you all had your meal?"
"Captain, we just ate…."
"Oh, the tangchu here is absolutely incredible."
"Tangchu?"
Wasn't that the origin of sweet and sour pork? Namgung Woo's appetite instantly flared, and he stopped worrying about the others' reactions.
"Let's order right away."
"My lord benefactor, we'll pay, so order anything you like."
"Lady Paeng, what are you saying? Are you trying to make the Yo-pyeong Express agency look like incompetent hosts who can't even treat their guests properly?"
"…Very well. But allow us to prepare the alcohol. We happen to have some excellent bamboo leaf green."
It might surprise those familiar with the fame of bamboo leaf green, but it was originally a medicinal liquor. It was believed to help with blood circulation and stabilize qi. Since the people of the Paeng family were still dealing with various internal injuries from the recent closed-gate battle, they often drank a cup of it.
"Bamboo leaf green! And isn't our Shanxi Province the very home of bamboo leaf green? If Lady Paeng is confident enough to recommend it, then this Pyeong cannot possibly refuse."
Indeed, once food and drink began to flow, the atmosphere clearly warmed and became harmonious. Namgung Woo nodded in satisfaction, thinking his choice had been correct. The Yang twins, who had been watching the entire process from the side, simply accepted it as their captain once again indulging his love of food. Since even his Blue Serene All-Seeing Eyes held no power of mind reading, Namgung Woo remained unaware of their thoughts and simply reached out with his chopsticks toward the freshly served tangchu.
"We were in the middle of something earlier, but you said the escort mission went well? You mentioned the cargo was quite difficult to handle."
"Ah, yes, that. The cargo was something called danbaekseok. It's a mineral that breaks surprisingly easily. Managing it is also rather tricky."
"Danbaekseok… you mean the gemstone that looks milky white with iridescent colors?"
"That's correct. As expected, Lady Paeng knows about it well."
Danbaekseok was the mineral known as opal in the West. As Pyeong Cho-yul said, it damaged easily and required considerable effort to store properly, so it wasn't particularly popular in the Central Plains.
"So it's a bit surprising, but people's tastes vary greatly, don't they? Anyway, it was successfully completed. We also established a few more trading partners in Beijing. Haha, ever since Young Hero Nam arrived, everything seems to go smoothly no matter what we do!"
At Pyeong Cho-yul's hearty laughter, Paeng Ha-ryeong tilted her head and asked.
"But danbaekseok isn't used much these days, is it?"
"That's true, but it used to be called true jade, wasn't it? There is still a steady, if small, demand."
Paeng Ha-ryeong found it slightly odd but accepted the explanation. Although she had more knowledge of jewels and ornaments than most men as a woman, Pyeong Cho-yul was a professional who dealt with market trends. If he said so, it must be true.
"Well then, rather than sitting like this, let's raise a glass to celebrate this fortunate meeting!"
As everyone lifted their cups, Namgung Woo habitually clinked his cup against the one beside him. It was an utterly familiar toasting gesture for him, but the gazes around the table turned strangely awkward. While everyone, including Namgung Woo—who was now rolling his eyes wondering if he had made some mistake—exchanged glances, the owner of the cup he had touched, Paeng Ha-ryeong, finally spoke with difficulty.
"Yes?"
It was the fifteenth century. The custom of clinking glasses in a toast had not yet been invented.
After the short drinking gathering ended, the people from the Paeng family rented one of the separate buildings attached to the guesthouse where the Yo-pyeong Express agency was staying. They had offered to give Namgung Woo a room or even an entire annex, but he declined. The single room provided by the Yo-pyeong Express agency was enough. Instead, he received permission to use the courtyard attached to the annex as a training ground.
Beijing was a massive city with an enormous population, making it difficult to find a spacious empty lot. Namgung Woo and the Yang twins carried out their training that day as usual. Having drunk alcohol? How could anyone call themselves a martial artist if they couldn't control their body properly after a few drinks?
The people from the Paeng family, who had lent the courtyard, stayed inside the annex while the three trained. It was a considerate gesture so they could practice their martial arts without worry. In response, Namgung Woo ended the sparring session much sooner than usual and discreetly withdrew. Naturally, the Paeng family told him not to worry about them and to use the space freely, but Namgung Woo refused. The triangle in his heart was far too sharp for him to monopolize the courtyard they had rented.
The modern habits of natural rights and the rule of law—which governed society and constantly taught morality and ethics—were still far from disappearing from Namgung Woo's mind. At the same time, he also possessed contradictory traits: a retaliatory tendency toward those who caused him loss and a strong individualism born from living in a harsh reality. One might call it contradictory, but weren't humans originally such complex beings?
The one who stopped Namgung Woo as he tried to leave was Paeng Ha-ryeong's cautious request.