Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Ring of Fate (3)
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Night deepened.
Flying Tiger explained to Jo Baek-bing the circumstances that led to him drinking with her. She turned away with a sullen expression, pretending not to hear the part about Jin Ga-yong worrying about her, but she listened eagerly to the rest, even responding enthusiastically.
Her reactions were good, so to speak.
"Oh~ So you have a lover? What kind of person is she?"
"She's cool. Straightforward and dashing."
"Give me an example. Tell me a bit more in detail."
"Hmm, hard to put into words. She's everything to me. Has been since we were kids. So I have no one to compare her to, nothing specific to point at."
"You really love her. I'm jealous."
Flying Tiger grinned, but there was a hint of bitterness in it.
Jealous my ass.
But Jo Baek-bing was too lost in her own situation to notice. She spoke glumly.
"They want me to get married."
"Who?"
"My mother. And Senior Brother Jin agrees. Looks like no one gives a damn about how I feel."
"From what I've heard, don't the children of prestigious clans usually have their marriages arranged by the elders?"
"Yeah. Even though we're ruined now, our family was the Zhao Family Manor that once ruled Ye Mountain in Shaanxi... Wait, why are you asking that?"
"What?"
"Normally, when someone says they're getting married, you'd ask who it's with, right?"
"They're probably trying to marry you off to some creep you hate. Or someone from a family you despise. Am I wrong?"
"Uh... yeah, that's it. Both, actually. Huh? Did you already know who it is?"
"No. It's just written all over your face how much you hate it."
Flying Tiger tried to brush it off casually.
What was the point of prying into someone else's messy family drama when he couldn't do anything about it? It would just give him a headache.
That was his thinking, but Jo Baek-bing's next words really made his neck stiffen.
"Lion Hall's first disciple, Narak Blade Ho Yeon-sang. The absolute worst scum from the family I hate most."
"...!"
This time, Jo Baek-bing forced a smile. But unlike Flying Tiger, she wasn't good at masking her feelings, so all her complex emotions shone through.
How could she possibly hide it?
Flying Tiger had never laid eyes on Ho Yeon-sang, so he had no idea what kind of man he was.
But he was the first disciple of Lion Hall's master—the one who personally beheaded her father after he knelt on the Last Camp Plains, and who had taken part in that final battle.
Gulp, gulp...Thunk.
Jo Baek-bing's throat must have been parched; after her first cup, she'd been sipping slowly, but now she downed it in one go. She slammed the cup down roughly and spoke.
"I get it. Historically, daughters of fallen enemy states often become daughters-in-law. It's for the sake of 'grand unification' or whatever."
"..."
"Honestly, it's something to be grateful for. If I'm sold off to them, at least the rest of the Zhao Family Manor can live out their days in peace. They don't show it in front of me, but they're anxious, not knowing when those vultures might swoop in."
"Well, might as well look on the bright side. Your in-laws are the overlords of Shaanxi Province, aren't they? You'll live in luxury."
"Ugh, shut up! Those filthy bastards."
Her voice rose.
Pour.
Flying Tiger, who had been awkwardly chiming in, refilled her empty cup and let out a sigh.
"This is tough."
"Right? It's so distressing!"
In the past, Flying Tiger had endured all sorts of hells, so he knew well how the survivors of the losing side were treated after inter-faction bloodbaths—and how far their misery and fall could go.
By those standards, Jo Baek-bing's situation was relatively decent. The dead were dead, but at least the living were still alive. They hadn't been scattered and sold off as slaves, after all.
But that was just relative; he couldn't very well say it to her face. To his eyes, Jo Baek-bing's complexion was thoroughly overcast.
Bang.
Growing irritated, Flying Tiger slammed his fist on the table. It was meant to liven things up a bit.
"The more I think about it, the funnier those guys are. Once the fight's over, they should just call it a day. Why cling to the Zhao Family Manor like they've got scraps left? Just tell them straight: 'I can't stand the sight of those creeps, so let's call off this marriage and go our separate ways.'"
"You think?"
"...Yeah."
"Heh heh, thanks for saying it. But it'll probably be tough. They seem dead set on believing there's something to squeeze out of our Zhao Family Manor."
"Then just give it all to 'em."
"That's the problem—I can't."
"What is it?"
"Ghost Face."
"Ghost what? Wait— that serial killer who's been on a rampage lately?"
Flying Tiger thought he'd misheard. Ghost Face? The name popping up so unexpectedly from the Zhao Family Manor, of all places—and Lion Hall believing they had it there? What was this about?
Jo Baek-bing clarified for the confused Flying Tiger.
"Not that fake one making headlines lately—the real Ghost Face."
"Fake? What's the real one?"
"One of the Shaanxi Ghost Three Treasures."
"...?"
"Never heard of the Shaanxi Ghost Three Treasures?"
"Are they famous?"
"Of course. They're the three most precious divine weapons of Shaanxi Province. Legends passed down through the ages—any Murim folk from Shaanxi would've heard of them at least once. You really don't know?"
"Nope. If I had to make an excuse, I've only been in the Central Plains for a little over a year since crossing Jade Gate Pass. I'm basically a foreigner. So I'm not too familiar with the lay of the land here."
"Oh ho, so you came down from the Heavenly Mountains? Or from the Taklamakan Desert side?"
"Beyond the Heavenly Mountains. From the Demon Palace, far in the western wilds."
Jo Baek-bing looked at Flying Tiger with renewed curiosity. He seemed to have quite the backstory, even if she didn't know the details. Curiosity flickered, but she quickly set it aside.
This was a fleeting connection.
If it wasn't, they'd meet again. Then she could ask.
With that in mind, Jo Baek-bing gave a brief explanation of the Shaanxi Ghost Three Treasures.
Ghost Face.
Ghost Hand.
Ghost Pick.
The "Ghost Three Treasures" was the collective name for these three divine weapons, each with its own unique power. Legend held that when all three were gathered and worn together, the user gained extraordinary abilities.
It was also the legend of the "Mad Sorcerer" who had ravaged Shaanxi Province a century ago while donning all three.
In the end, the sorcerer fell, and the three divine weapons he wore scattered to the winds.
Of them, Ghost Face lay dormant in the Zhao Family Manor on Ye Mountain. Like the other two, it hadn't appeared in the jianghu even once in the past hundred years.
"So, your family's divine treasure called Ghost Face just happens to share the name with the serial killer—no connection?"
"None. Though the survivors of that killer said he wears a ghost mask and lets out ghostly laughs. That's probably why they call him Ghost Face."
"But earlier you called it a fake."
"It's ridiculous. When the killer first appeared, no one linked it to our Zhao Family Manor. But as the bodies piled up, people started thinking of one of the Ghost Three Treasures. There are so many wild tales about them floating around."
"Hmm, like what?"
"They say wearing that mask lets a ghost spirit possess you, unleashing all sorts of sorcery. But it's all nonsense cooked up by people who love tall tales."
"So what is Ghost Face? You said it has special powers."
"To be honest, I don't know. I've never seen it."
"Huh? Then how do you know the rumors are bunk?"
"I clearly remember what my father told me as a child, sitting me on his knee with a smile. He said all the rumors were nonsense, nothing to believe. It's definitely a fine divine weapon, but in the end, what matters is the person using it—results vary wildly depending on the wielder."
"That's right. Wise words too."
Flying Tiger nodded emphatically, and Jo Baek-bing continued.
According to her, Ghost Face had always been treated as a top secret, passed down only to the family head and the heir apparent. No one else had even laid eyes on it. But those two died on the same day, plunging even its existence into mystery. After their deaths, the clan searched the manor high and low, but Ghost Face was nowhere to be found—not even a clue in the records of past heads. To this day, opinions were split on whether it truly existed.
Perhaps it had been lost, or maybe it never existed to begin with.
Or it could still be hidden somewhere.
This tale of a missing divine treasure from the Zhao Family Manor was enough to drive nine out of ten jianghu warriors mad with greed.
And if Ghost Face had been secretly passed down, with the clan desperately hiding it, then the only remaining blood relative—Jo Baek-bing—might know the secret.
Flying Tiger finally understood.
That explained the suspicious glares she'd endured, and why vultures like Lion Hall were swarming her.
"Tch, what a goddamn mess. Must've been rough on you."
Jo Baek-bing's eyes widened round. For a reaction to such a story, his first words were refreshingly novel.
Comfort...
Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes.
"Yeah, something like that."
"That thing must be a real treasure to bewitch people like this. Can't do much else for you, but hear this: keep your wits about you and stay sharp. Treasures like that always draw blood."
"Yeah. I will."
"Good. Not just Ghost Face—everything like that is ultimately just worldly junk. If it's too much to hold onto, letting go is one option. Just make sure you keep what you really need."
"What I need?"
"You, and the people around you. Didn't your late father say it? People matter most."
"...!"
Jo Baek-bing lowered her gaze. Fidgeting with her cup, she spoke in a faintly trembling voice.
"Thank you. Really... thank you."
With that, they called it a night.
On the way back to the Zhao Family Manor, they walked side by side. All the awkwardness from the trip there had been left behind at the tavern.
"Thanks to you, I had fun today."
"Me too."
"I imposed on you... Heh, turned out well in the end?"
As Flying Tiger chuckled and nodded, Jo Baek-bing blurted out impishly.
"So, since we're already at it, one more imposition?"
"Hm?"
"Flying Tiger warrior, please take good care of my second senior brother."
"Hmm, I'd sooner be the one asking a favor. Doesn't seem like Lady Zhao needs anyone's help."
"Still. Just as much as I can manage—please."
Jo Baek-bing even bowed her head.
As much as she can manage...
Yeah, that much is fine.
Flying Tiger gladly accepted the request between fellow disciples. He returned the formal bow.
"Understood, Lady Zhao. Then I'll take my leave."
It was Flying Tiger's last night at the Zhao Family Manor.
In that way, after his own minor ordeal(?), he fulfilled Jin Ga-yong's request and cleared his debt of gratitude.
That was what he thought at the time.