Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Translator: Penny
Chapter 45
My Banquet Begins (3)
Ma Jeongsu sat with an expressionless face.
From the moment he saw the empty vault until now, he hadn't even thrown a single vase to smash. For the first time, Ma Jeongsu realized that when someone is truly furious, they don't even think about breaking things.
In the heavy silence of the room, there were four people: Ma Jeongsu, Si Gon, Elder Flower Fan, and the Mysterious Woman.
Si Gon's face was bruised a deep purple.
It was a wound more humiliating than losing an arm—the kind that would make a proud man like him think death would be preferable.
Ma Jeongsu broke the heavy silence.
"You pathetic fool," he sneered, "you couldn't even take a single bite."
Ma Jeongsu regretted not consuming the Divine Nine-Leaf Herb earlier. He had been saving it to use as leverage in recruiting rising talents.
His plan was to reveal the Heavenly Creation Sword at the current banquet and showcase the Divine Nine-Leaf Herb at the next.
He intended to win over the rising talents' hearts with these treasures and elixirs. Of course, he never planned to actually give them either the sword or the herb. He had intended to use them as bait before consuming them himself...
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ma Jeongsu slammed his fist repeatedly on the table. The rage he had been suppressing finally erupted. In these times when elixirs were so scarce, the thought of losing the Divine Nine-Leaf Herb made him so furious he couldn't sleep.
The innocent table suffered the brunt of his fury, shattering under the relentless blows.
No one in the room dared to stop him. If that rage were to spill over onto anyone, someone might die.
Ma Jeongsu, panting heavily, demanded, "Have you still not identified the culprit?"
Elder Flower Fan, glancing nervously at Ma Jeongsu, replied cautiously, "Association Leader Jeong has mobilized every resource to investigate."
"So it wasn't him?"
Elder Flower Fan shook his head. "At least not directly. He was with me at the time of the incident."
Jeong Yeo had cleverly ensured his alibi by being with the most reliable witness.
"He must have ordered his subordinates to do it."
"To my knowledge, the Yang Association has no martial artist capable of defeating a Martial Artist with five years of internal energy in a single strike. Even Association Leader Jeong himself likely lacks such skill."
When the phrase "knocked him down" was mentioned, Si Gon's left eye twitched nervously.
Ma Jeongsu glared at Elder Flower Fan and snapped, "So you're in on it too."
"Even if you're angry, why speak like that?"
"Angry? Do I look angry to you?" Ma Jeongsu bared his teeth fiercely. "Does this look like mere anger? I'm on the verge of madness. When I catch the bastard who stole my cub, I'll torture him until he dies. I won't kill him—I'll make him suffer for the rest of his life."
The raw killing intent radiating from Ma Jeongsu made Elder Flower Fan flinch. He knew the man meant every word, and fear gripped him. Whatever else he didn't know, he understood Ma Jeongsu's ability to read minds all too well.
Ma Jeongsu's cannon now turned toward Si Gon.
"Have you suddenly gone mute?"
Si Gon hadn't uttered a single word since entering the room.
Finally, he spoke in a dry voice, "I apologize."
The atmosphere grew even heavier, his voice filled with remorse.
Elder Flower Fan subtly joined the offensive.
"Among those we've encountered, I don't believe there was anyone skilled enough to reduce you to this state. Wouldn't you agree?"
Si Gon flinched at the words, as if he were being doubted.
"What do you mean?"
"I'm not accusing you."
"Then why say such a thing?"
"Such a thing?"
This time, Elder Flower Fan flinched. A tense battle of wills crackled between the two men.
Ma Jeongsu's expression twisted further into a scowl.
What infuriated him even more was the woman between them.
If they had at least been fighting and suspecting each other, he might have felt less resentment. These idiots—at least I could curse them.
But the woman merely stood with her arms crossed, watching like a spectator across a river watching a fire. It was always like this—as if she were only observing what he would do, like a proctor watching children taking an exam. If she weren't my father's woman, I'd slap her across the face right now.
Ma Jeongsu roared, "Shut up!"
His outburst ended the tense standoff between Si Gon and Elder Flower Fan.
Ma Jeongsu addressed both men, "Do you think you're the only suspicious people in this room?"
Elder Flower Fan and Ma Jeongsu's gazes naturally shifted toward the woman.
Despite being accused of being the murderer, the woman showed no reaction whatsoever.
Normally, remaining calm when one should be panicking only invites suspicion.
But her composure was so extreme that it transcended even that stage. She seemed utterly indifferent, as if she had no stake in the matter at all.
At that moment, Si Gon suddenly declared, "It wasn't her."
Elder Flower Fan, intrigued by his certainty, asked, "How can you be so sure?"
"The opponent wasn't a woman," Si Gon replied.
"But you said you didn't see their face? If you're saying this out of wounded pride, you shouldn't."
Si Gon twitched again. Every word from Elder Flower Fan grated on his nerves. They had never seen eye to eye. Si Gon was a martial artist, while Elder Flower Fan was a scheming opportunist who clung to power.
Elder Flower Fan smirked slightly. "I'm not trying to bruise your pride, Si Gon. It's simply the truth of the situation."
"She was definitely not a woman," Si Gon insisted, emphasizing his point once more.
Elder Flower Fan retreated. "If you say so."
Si Gon turned to Ma Jeongsu. "It's not just because I was defeated... the opponent was truly formidable."
It was a feeling only someone who had faced her could understand. It wasn't merely a matter of the Internal Force contained in her fist.
If she had tried to kill him, he wouldn't hold her in such high regard.
She hadn't intended to kill him; she had merely aimed to knock him unconscious. In that situation, that was a far more difficult feat than killing him. It required precise control of her power. If she had truly wanted him dead, he would have died then and there.
Ma Jeongsu tilted his head, his expression one of utter incomprehension.
"Why would someone so powerful resort to banditry? What grudge could they possibly hold against me?"
Elder Flower Fan answered.
"Could they have been after the Heavenly Creation Sword?"
"Even if they stole it, they couldn't sell it, could they? I doubt even the Black Market would dare trade the Martial Arts Alliance Leader's sword."
"True enough."
Elder Flower Fan nodded, then suddenly his eyes widened as a thought struck him.
"Could it be...?" He licked his parched lips and spoke cautiously. "Could another of the heirs have made a move?"
Ma Jeongsu shot to his feet.
"That's it!"
It was the only explanation that made sense.
It seemed unlikely that the Yang Association would dare target him directly. They could gain far greater benefits by using him, so why would they settle for the money in his vault? They must know he couldn't even wield the sword properly.
"Right, why didn't I think of that?"
This time, Father had sent many of his children to various regions. It was a kind of test.
In this situation, who could mobilize a master capable of taking down Si Gon in a single blow?
Among his brothers, there were more than a few who could pull that off. Especially those at the center of the succession struggle—they all commanded formidable martial arts experts.
"Those bastards!"
Ma Jeongsu gritted his teeth.
Elder Flower Fan spoke calmly.
"First, we must calm our anger and manage this situation. Whoever is behind this, if you lose your composure, you'll be playing right into their hands."
Ma Jeongsu nodded and sat down. As his agitation subsided, Elder Flower Fan added calmly,
"Even though we've lost our swords and money, we're still strong. We can always gather more money, and we'll find the swords eventually."
"You're right, Elder."
"We need to secure funds immediately. The construction will be disrupted otherwise."
"How much do we need?"
"We need ten thousand taels to start construction right away, and at least one hundred thousand taels for the future."
"Damn it!"
In their current penniless state, even ten thousand taels was a significant sum.
Ma Jeongsu bared his teeth like a wild beast.
"Find a way to get the money."
I bought a new mask.
Since I planned to discard it after a single use, I opted for a mid-grade mask this time. I even altered my voice and gait to appear like a completely different person.
With these meticulous preparations, I returned to the Black Market.
The same elderly man who had sold me the elixir before greeted me again.
I intended to spend the entire fifty thousand taels from the high-value note on elixirs.
Trying to find a way to exchange this note would be courting danger. It would be wiser to dispose of it immediately, even at a slight loss. Hoarding it could lead to more than just losing its value—it could end up burying me in filth.
"You've come to buy elixirs?"
"That's right."
I was confident that my altered speech and mannerisms would completely conceal my previous visit. Even if he recognized me, it wouldn't matter much since I had disguised my face and voice last time as well.
"Do you have any elixirs?"
"We do, but none of the highest quality."
"Then what do you have?"
"We currently possess six roots of Vigor White Bupleurum. It's said that a Martial Artist who consumes one root gains two to three years of Internal Force."
"How much?"
"Nine Thousand Taels per root."
Six roots would cost Fifty-Four Thousand Taels.
"That's quite expensive."
"Elixirs are rare these days."
For Forty-Four Thousand Taels, I had purchased the Thousand-Year Sun Banana Herb and gained fifteen years of internal energy.
If I consumed all six roots of Vigor White Bupleurum and absorbed all the internal energy using the Cheonmu Hoshim Gyeol, I could gain eighteen years of internal energy.
One might think that since it grants more internal energy, it should be more expensive. However, the problem was that consuming the same elixir consecutively diminishes its effectiveness.
For this to work properly, it should be taken several months to over a year apart, depending on the user's Cultivation Method and aptitude. Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of time.
In the end, taking all six roots at once would only grant me about ten years of internal energy, not the full eighteen. Considering the price, it was a steep cost.
However, using this voucher to purchase swords, armor, or other items would be unwise, as it would leave a clear trail. Consuming the roots directly was the best way to eliminate the evidence.
"I'll buy all six roots for Fifty Thousand Taels," I said.
The original price was Fifty-Four Thousand Taels. This shop strictly adhered to fixed prices, making my request a difficult one to accept.
The old man hesitated for a moment before nodding in agreement.
"Good. Elixirs should be sold when they find their Master," the old man said, reaffirming his unwavering belief in the value of elixirs.
With that, I paid fifty thousand taels for six roots of Vigor White Bupleurum.
This transaction could be traced.
However, the Black Market was such a vast and well-established organization that even the Heavenly Blade Gate would struggle to uncover its customer information. Of course, if the Martial Arts Alliance truly committed to the task, they might succeed.
Even if they did, the most they would discover was the general description of my Human Skin Mask. The experienced old man likely sensed I was wearing a mask, but he wouldn't reveal that to anyone pressuring the Black Market.
After leaving the Black Market, I rented a room at a nearby inn.
I walked with my face uncovered, knowing it would soon vanish forever.
In my room, I immediately consumed a root of Vigor White Bupleurum.
The first root granted me three years of Internal Force.
The second root also yielded three years of Internal Force. This was no mere luck; it was a testament to the excellence of the Cheonmu Hoshim Gyeol.
The third root provided two years of internal energy.
I stopped consuming them. From this point onward, each root would only grant me two years or even just one year of Internal Force.
Continuing to consume them now would be a waste.
In any case, with three roots of Vigor White Bupleurum, I had gained an additional eight years of internal energy.
My dantian now contained fifty-two years of internal energy. Only eight more years remained until I reached One Cycle.
With my cultivation progressing rapidly, I'll reach One Cycle in less than a year. By this time next year, I should be able to use the Fourth Form.
I gathered the remaining three roots and left the inn.
I plan to give these to Gwangdu. Of course, I should offer them to my father and mother first, but there's no way to administer them secretly.
Explaining where I got them would be difficult, but the bigger problem was this:
If I told them not to tell anyone, they'd inevitably ask why. What parent wouldn't be worried if their child gave them an Elixir and insisted they keep it a secret? Even the slightest leak could have disastrous consequences.
I'm sorry, Father and Mother, but I'll have to find another way to show my filial piety once I'm more established.
Forgive me, both of you.
I could give Gwangdu the pellet without him knowing what it was. He'd swallow it without a second thought. It's better for only one person to hold this secret than three.
Now, the Heavenly Creation Sword needed to be dealt with.
I knew several renowned sword smiths in the Central Plains, true masters of their craft.
But most of them were too far away, and I didn't have the time to seek them out.
Besides, this sword belonged to the Alliance Leader. If a smith honored his oath of secrecy, his life would be in danger. If he broke his oath, the sword's modifications would be exposed.
So, though I wasn't sure it would work, I decided to modify it myself.
I immediately went to the nearest blacksmith shop.