The Master's Murim Debut
"Master, is this really all right? You look like you've seen a ghost..."
"I told you it's nothing. Stop pestering me."
Yang So-chang's drawn-out sigh mingled with the rattling of the carriage wheels.
"If the young lady's like this, I'm losing all my energy too. Meeting the Gold Tripod Merchant Alliance people looking like that? What if they think you're putting on airs?"
"Just do as I say."
"No, young lady..."
Yang So-chang had every right to feel frustrated. He'd asked for a few days' delay and she'd taken the full week, yet she kept wearing that deathly expression. But what could he do? Even keeping the appointment had required enormous effort on her part. In this situation, Yang So-chang possessed the sincerity and social grace to treat the matter as unrelated to him and behave as usual. If he'd had that, he wouldn't be stuck here in the first place.
Later he learned there had been two weeks' worth of rice left. Living without counting the days, she hadn't even noticed anything strange. The disciple had clearly sent her away intending to run from the start. That damned brat...
"I don't know what this is about, but if it's truly nothing, please cheer up. Look at it differently—this is your chance to make your Murim debut. Fulfilling your duties as master and disciple is fine, but as a Murim person, shouldn't you experience the jianghu at least once?"
That was... true. At such a young age, spending nine years training only within the sect would naturally feel stifling. But if that was the case, she should have simply said so. If she'd told her master, "I'm so bored I could die, please let me out," wouldn't the master have sent her? They could have shared roasted meat, cleared the air, celebrated the disciple's Murim debut while selling some lattes, spent the night in good spirits, and then departed on a pleasant note. Hmm, somehow the picture didn't quite form.
"Could it be that this isn't your debut?"
"...It is my debut."
Since taking in Baek and spending nine years without ever taking him to the village—let alone venturing out herself—this wasn't merely a Murim debut; it was her first emergence into the world.
"Then it's rather a late debut, isn't it? We've been seeing each other for eight years now. Even if you were barely past childhood when we first met, you're clearly in the prime of youth now. It's awkward to say, but you've had a hard time serving your master at such a blooming age."
"Did the master even try to stop me from leaving? She just told me to go, so what's all this talk of hardship?"
"Why get angry when I'm taking your side? Well, the bond between master and disciple runs deep—that's truly the sect's blessing."
"...Are you deliberately needling me by calling me 'wife' now?"
"No, what did I even say!"
A chuckle escaped her. When people heard she lived with her disciple, they often mistook her for the disciple. She never bothered to correct them. It made more sense that way, and conversations moved faster. Thanks to that, some remarks that weren't meant as jokes still sounded like them to her ears. Sometimes the opposite happened too.
"...You suddenly frown then laugh—impossible to read. Anyway, you seem to have cheered up a bit, so that's a relief."
"I was never upset to begin with."
"Of course not. So, are you finally feeling the debut spirit?"
"Actually, about this debut..."
"Why do you keep going back and forth? A moment ago you said it was, now you're saying it's not."
She found herself stopping mid-sentence. Was this not a debut? Truly?
"What exactly is a Murim debut, anyway?"
If the standard was leaving one's birthplace, then yes. If it was stepping outside the sect, then yes. Though the sect itself had been established only recently. If it meant taking a journey longer than fifteen days, then yes. But when it came to whether she'd ever made a proper Murim debut... somehow the answer felt uneasy.
"The fact that you're asking tells me it is a debut."
The reply was irritating. A retort slipped out reflexively.
"What would you know, declaring it when you're not even a Murim person?"
"Well, from what I see, you don't seem like a Murim person either, young lady."
She asked incredulously, "If the only thing I've trained is swordsmanship, and I'm not a Murim person, then who is?"
"Knowing how to wield a sword makes you a martial artist, but to be a Murim person you need to have gone out into the Murim. I'm not one myself, but I've read some wuxia novels and met a few Murim people. A proper Murim debut would involve walking the Pagoda Forest at Shaolin on Mount Song, releasing a sword into the Sword-Washing Pool at Wudang, sitting at Yueyang Tower to admire Dongting Lake's scenery, getting into a few sparring matches after picking a fight, experiencing a life-and-death duel, and earning a nickname—wouldn't that count as having debuted?"
She considered each item. Pagoda Forest, Sword-Washing Pool, Yueyang Tower, sparring, life-and-death duel, nickname...
"...That sounds like an awful lot of trouble just to insert one character between 'mu' and 'rim.'"
"The way you say 'trouble' suggests you've never done any of it."
She had nothing to say.
"So, young lady—is this your Murim debut or not?"
"...It is."
Yang So-chang burst into laughter. She opened the window, hoping to look at something other than his face, and the sound of hooves and wind seemed to applaud his banter. Even the carriage wheels joined in, shaking their shoulders as if celebrating the late-blooming Murim person's first debut. The carriage raced toward Xining. It was the master's Murim debut, one week later than her disciple's.
* * *
Large water-drop-shaped domes and pointed towers dominated the view. The buildings lining both sides were wrapped in colorful patterns like embroidered carpets, while people draped in actual embroidered cloth led horses and camels through the streets, filling them with vitality. It was a perfect scene straight out of Arabian Nights—except this was no wuxia novel.
Tearing her gaze from a stubbornly spitting Bactrian camel, she asked Yang So-chang, "Is this really the Central Plains?"
"You really never took a single step outside the village, did you?" Yang So-chang clicked his tongue. "Qinghai Province originally belonged to the Hui people. Our village is unusual because it's an immigrant settlement. I never imagined I'd be explaining Qinghai to someone who lives in Qinghai but isn't an outsider."
"Even if I lived there, I was training in the mountains. How would I know about worldly affairs?"
"Well, since this is your Murim debut, it's only natural."
"..."
The building they arrived at following Yang So-chang was an inn. Fitting for Qinghai's largest city, it was far larger than the two or three tiny inns in their village. Geometric patterns and flowing Hui script decorated the inn, blending with the guests' ornate embroidered clothing to exude an exotic atmosphere. Yang So-chang exchanged a few words with a pointy-eared, bearded attendant about entrusting the carriage and horses. Hearing him speak the language felt oddly unfamiliar. Once the attendant led the carriage away, Yang So-chang spoke.
"I'll go up and notify the merchant group people, so wait here. It might take a while—have a drink or something."
When she nodded, Yang So-chang disappeared up the stairs. There were plenty of empty tables. Wanting to avoid attention, she chose a corner seat. Not long after sitting, the attendant approached.
"Please place your order."
His attitude suggested he'd chase her out if she didn't. Momentarily flustered, she quickly steadied herself by fingering the money pouch in her pocket. She had money, so ordering was simple enough. The problem was what to order. Without the convenient culture of menus, this wasn't multiple choice but an essay question—and the only inn she'd ever visited had only one menu item she'd ever ordered. Since she'd clearly be eating with someone soon, ordering chicken noodles felt wrong, so she turned to wuxia novels for help.
"Hmm. Bring me a cup of Bamboo Leaf Green."
"Bamboo Leaf Green...? What's that?"
"Uh..."
Truthfully, she didn't know either. Wasn't it a type of liquor? The attendant working at an inn should know—she certainly didn't.
"Whatever it is, we don't have it here."
"Is that so? Then..."
A few seconds passed. The attendant's eyebrows twitched. She offered the answer she'd desperately thought up.
"Give me whatever sells the most in this establishment."
"The best-seller... you mean liquor? Shall I just bring the house wine?"
"Do that."
After speaking, she held out coins from her pouch. The attendant gave a slight nod and left. She let out a sigh of relief. So Bamboo Leaf Green wasn't standard stock at every Central Plains inn after all...
The attendant brought change along with a ceramic bottle and cup. She sipped the clear liquor she'd poured generously, and to her surprise, nothing happened until she'd emptied it. That was fortunate for someone who flinched every time a person passed by, fearing someone might suddenly ask to join her table.
Just as she tilted the bottle to pour the next cup, Yang So-chang descended the stairs with two men. One was a middle-aged man with a sturdy build, the other a slender and handsome young man. Expecting them to wear solid gold-threaded robes due to the merchant alliance's name and influence, she was surprised to see neither wore gold ornaments. Instead, they wore refined silk robes that didn't stand out yet somehow felt sophisticated. Yang So-chang approached the table first and introduced her with a gesture.
"This is the author."
"Oh my goodness!"
The younger man exclaimed dramatically, flinging both hands outward. The older man maintained his benevolent smile.
"To think the author who shook the south of the Yangtze is such a beautiful young lady—I never imagined. Merchant Yang must have been suffering with that secret, his mouth corners aching all this time."
"Haha... well, it wasn't that painful..."
"Ah, meeting you like this is truly an honor. I'm Jo Jae-ui of the Gold Tripod Merchant Alliance. How should I address you, Author?"
This was dizzying. She'd naturally assumed the older man was the merchant and the younger his son or apprentice, but it was the opposite—the pattern of a foolish rich heir and the secretary his father had assigned. Contrary to common belief, socially inept people could get along well with socially adept ones, because the latter could accommodate them. Problems arose when socially inept people met others who were socially inept in different ways. Like right now.
"...Call me Author Yoo."
"Haha, I've stayed long in Suhang, known for its beauties, but I've never seen a young lady with skin as fair as yours. It's a shame someone like you is hiding in a place like this..."
Wait, was this madman seriously hitting on her at their first meeting? She hadn't wanted to entertain even the slightest possibility, but at this point she had to seriously consider whether this man might actually be gay and hitting on her even if she looked like a hairy middle-aged man instead of a young girl.
"Master Yeopgeum Jo."
At that moment, the middle-aged man who had been silently smiling spoke up.
"Why do you call me, Chief Manager Gong?"
"If you speak that way, the author will misunderstand. Have you already forgotten being politely rejected by the great hero Chamsa last time?"
"Ah! Did it sound like that? I'm sorry if you misunderstood. There was absolutely no ulterior motive. No, that's not to say I don't find the author attractive as a member of the opposite sex, it's just that I tend to speak whatever comes to mind..."
Wait, it was really a misunderstanding? This?
* * *
From what she heard, this Jo Jae-ui fellow had caused similar incidents multiple times. The reason Chief Manager Gong brought up Chamsa was because, upon meeting the famous expert and handsome man in person, he'd been so impressed that he'd spoken his thoughts aloud—only to be summoned later and rejected with, "I have no inclination toward men, and more importantly, I cannot forget my late wife, so I'm afraid it's impossible."
The episode itself was quite amusing, but it newly confirmed that this man was socially catastrophic in a completely different direction from her. She probably wouldn't see him again after this matter concluded.
"That's why I'm doing this training. There's no doubt about your wit as a Yeopgeum, but honestly, I'd prefer if you left conversations like this to me or someone else."
"I'm always grateful to you, Chief Manager Gong. Still, that wit of yours as a Yeopgeum—can it really be demonstrated while holed up in a room? If you're hunting money, you need to go to the field yourself, smell the money, and see the money stains."
"I know it's all excuses. There isn't a single person in the alliance who doesn't know you spend your own money meeting experts even during vacations."
"Isn't that all an investment in my eye for talent? Haha..."
But aside from his terrible social skills, Jo Jae-ui didn't seem to be merely a rich young master. He'd already achieved considerable results as a Yeopgeum.
"Hmm, let's discuss business now. Merchant Yang."
"Yes?"
Yang So-chang looked puzzled. So did she. The condition had clearly been only that the author show her face. What more was there to discuss?
"We definitely said we'd pay ten gold bars for the next volume on the condition of meeting the author alone, correct?"
"That's right."
"Then let's negotiate with a minimum of ten gold bars. First, Author—would you be able to come to Wuhan or Hangzhou? If so, I'll give you at least twenty gold bars per volume starting from the next one."
Yang So-chang's eyes widened. It was understandable—ten gold bars had instantly become twenty. Moreover, he'd casually promised a minimum of twenty for all subsequent volumes. But to her, who had no immediate need for money, it wasn't particularly appealing. Ignoring Yang So-chang's desperate gaze, she shook her head.
"...May I ask the reason for your refusal?"
"Personal matters. I have things to do."
She couldn't keep writing wuxia novels just to make money. Her most urgent goal wasn't money but her disciple's whereabouts. That had been decided when she descended the mountain. She could leave. But at the very least, she needed an explanation for why he'd tried to kill her, and a proper farewell upon leaving the mountain. That was her conclusion.
"Could the alliance handle that matter in your stead?"
Her ears perked up. She raised her eyes to meet Jo Jae-ui's gaze.
"The alliance has plenty of money, but that's not all it has. We have branches throughout the Central Plains and connections to all manner of powerful figures and extraordinary people. Naturally, we have many people we can employ. Our credibility goes without saying. Whatever the matter is, having the alliance's help would make things much easier—though there would be a price."
"I don't have much to offer."
That was her honest feeling. She detested owing debts. Jo Jae-ui smiled.
"You've just gained the means to produce up to forty gold bars. Forty gold bars is a considerable sum. If that's still not enough, you could simply assist the alliance with some work, couldn't you?"
"I don't know what help I could be."
At those words, Jo Jae-ui's expression shifted strangely. He seemed to be pondering something he didn't understand. After frowning for a moment, he finally spoke.
"Your modesty is excessive. You are a hidden master in seclusion, are you not?"