Welcome to the Southern Savage Beast Palace
Fortunately, the warriors of the Southern Savage Beast Palace possessed enough decency not to coldly turn away the Tang family party who had endured the oppressive heat and the swarms of insects just to reach them.
“Central Plains folk are all the same—shameless and selfish—but I was taught that the Sichuan Dang Family, at least, could be trusted as sworn allies.”
“Haha, of course. During the last war against the Demonic Cult, the sects of Sichuan, Yunnan, and Qinghai stood shoulder to shoulder with the Beast Palace, unlike those fat, lazy pigs of the Central Plains who never lift a finger until it’s convenient.”
When the Demonic Cult had stirred, the Kunlun Sect—perched at the farthest edge of the Central Plains—had done its duty. Every time the Cult sought to swallow the heartland, Kunlun, sharing a border with them, had fought to the last man and bought precious time.
The Jeomchang Sect of Yunnan, close enough to Qinghai Province to smell it, had not wasted that hard-won delay. They had immediately called for aid from nearby Southern Savage lands and Sichuan. Against an inhuman enemy like the Demonic Cult, even the normally distant Southern Savage Beast Palace had joined the alliance. Anchored by the Sichuan Dang Family and joined by Qingcheng and Emei, a true Demonic Cult containment line had been forged.
For thirty-three years they had held the line—literally grinding men into meat—until the sluggish pigs of the Central Plains finally ambled onto the field. That was why the Southern Savage Beast Palace might despise Central Plains folk in general, yet still regarded the people of Yunnan and Sichuan with a measure of goodwill.
Well, Central Plains martial artists quietly look down on Sichuan and Yunnan as country bumpkins anyway. If the Central Plains are the WASPs of America, then the Sichuan and Yunnan martial worlds are the rednecks… and the Southern Savage Beast Palace? Cotton-plantation slaves, more or less.
For the record, the Central Plains martial world had still been squabbling over who would seize leadership of the Murim Alliance—under the convenient excuse of “preparing a grand offensive against the Demonic Cult”—right up until Yunnan and Sichuan martial circles were on the brink of annihilation. Truly a land worthy of the Five Barbarians and Sixteen Kingdoms.
That, roughly, was the relationship between the Beast Palace and the Tang family that Hwiyeom carried in his head.
At his words, the Beast Palace warrior’s expression softened noticeably.
“That’s right. Your Sichuan Dang Family fought more bravely than any other in that war thirty-three years ago. I heard you spilled more blood than anyone.”
“If we’re talking blood spilled, the Beast Palace was no less fierce, was it? I heard the southern forests ran red, yet your warriors never gave ground. If those long-nosed Qingcheng cowards had borrowed even a fraction of that fighting spirit, my family would never have fallen so far.”
“Khahaha! Those Qingcheng long-noses swaggered in calling themselves allies, then spent the whole war flapping their mouths and running for cover. Biggest cowards of the lot. In any case, the Beast Palace welcomes the visit of a comrade-in-arms. I am Hắc Hổ Lang, Young Palace Lord of the Beast Palace.”
“Hắc Hổ Lang? A fine name.”
When Hwiyeom pronounced the Vietnamese name with perfect accuracy, Hắc Hổ Lang’s eyes went round.
“Not ‘He Hu Lang,’ but Hắc Hổ Lang… You know the tongue of Đại Việt?”
“Nam Man và Tứ Xuyên có thể khác nhau như thế nào? (Just a little. How could Đại Việt and Sichuan ever be strangers?)”
Đại Việt was the name the Southern Savage people used for themselves. “Southern Savage” was a Central Plains slur steeped in Sinocentrism—“southern barbarians.” Farther south still lay the true Vietnam Hwiyeom had known in his previous life—Annam.
The moment Hwiyeom displayed the fluent Vietnamese he had picked up for business in his past life, every Beast Palace warrior who had been staring blankly because they did not understand the Central Plains tongue suddenly brightened.
Young Palace Lord Hắc Hổ Lang burst into loud laughter and seized Hwiyeom’s hand in both of his.
“Uwahahaha! So that was why the forest was so restless—it wanted us to meet a distinguished guest! Welcome! I’ll take you to my Palace Lord myself.”
And so, under an unexpectedly warm welcome, Hwiyeom’s party set foot into the deep jungle of the Southern Savage lands.
Not pure Vietnamese, but close enough that we can talk. Lucky break.
Hwiyeom privately counted himself fortunate. Geographically the Southern Savage Beast Palace sat somewhere around the northeastern tip of Vietnam, yet of course no hulking, external-arts-obsessed “Hulk” collectives that could converse with animals like the Southern Savage Beast Palace had ever existed in the world he came from. Still, here was a power called the Southern Savages that seemed roughly halfway between Vietnam and the Central Plains.
Once again he wondered just what sort of world he had been reborn into. Not that it mattered much anymore.
On the way to the Beast Palace, Hắc Hổ Lang shared a great deal with him.
“I thought the forest looked surprisingly intact. The heat and the natural predators must have stopped the locusts.”
“Still gave us a nasty scare, honestly. Those cursed yellow locusts chewed everything right up to parts of the border between Yunnan and the jungle. Of course they couldn’t handle the heat and humidity of these woods, haha!”
A swarm that had hatched on the dry, cool southern edge of the Tibetan plateau was never going to survive Vietnam’s hot, humid climate. Even so, escaping direct devastation did not mean the Beast Palace was free of trouble.
“Anyway, with Yunnan’s harvest ruined by the locust plague… grain prices are going to go insane. Our Palace is taking this very seriously.”
The Beast Palace was, at its core, a deep-jungle society structured much like a primitive clan that lived by hunting and gathering. True, the Mekong Delta farther south in Vietnam produced staggering amounts of rice, but that region was so far beyond the outer marches that it did not even appear on Central Plains martial maps—unknown territory.
In the end the Beast Palace bought from the Central Plains whatever grain hunting and foraging could not supply, and in return sold goods the Central Plains could not produce: ivory, amber, animal pelts, and the rare poisonous and medicinal herbs that grew only in Yunnan.
But their main customers and rice suppliers in Yunnan had been reduced to a wasteland that could barely feed itself… No wonder the Young Palace Lord’s face had darkened.
“…Which is why the Palace Lord is even considering sending a special envoy to the Central Plains, no matter how difficult it may be. We discovered an elephant graveyard not long ago. If we sell the massive quantity of ivory and bone we can harvest there, we should be able to buy enough grain… or so he thinks…”
The Young Palace Lord bit his lip.
“But those crafty Central Plains bastards won’t simply let our crisis pass, will they? They’ll demand a monstrous price… Why that look on your face?”
“Slurp—! Ah, nothing at all. Ahem. You must have a great deal on your mind!”
Hwiyeom, who had unconsciously been drooling with a blissful expression, hastily schooled his features and swallowed.
He’s just casually spilling the Beast Palace’s vulnerabilities and airing his grievances right in front of me? Is this what a veteran feels looking at a fresh newbie?
From Hwiyeom’s perspective, the sheer simple-hearted openness of a man who was effectively the Young Lord of an entire martial power was almost unbelievable. It was the complete opposite of the razor-edged reactions of the countless Nguyễn chairmen he had bargained with in his past life whenever he visited Vietnam to buy rubber and raw materials—men who hissed like cornered wildcats.
Ah, so this is pure Southeast Asian goodwill that has never tasted capitalism!
After a brief internal monologue of nonsense, Hwiyeom managed to keep his composure and speak.
“…Hmm. Perhaps Sichuan can be of help to the Beast Palace.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. In fact, we managed to block this locust plague quite effectively. We had a bumper harvest last year, and this year’s crop is looking excellent as well…”
“Brother of my heart!”
Hắc Hổ Lang simply swept Hwiyeom into a crushing hug.
In that warm, friendly atmosphere the Sichuan Dang Family warriors reached the Southern Savage Beast Palace with almost ridiculous ease—almost. The question mark was necessary because the cursed insects and heat only grew worse, and the presence of the Beast Palace’s companion beasts meant no one dared casually spray Myeonghwangha. Everyone was thoroughly miserable.
Hắc Hổ Hiến Lang, Palace Lord of the Southern Savage Beast Palace, received the Tang party with genuine warmth.
“Welcome, descendant of a comrade and sworn ally. I am Hắc Hổ Hiến Lang, Palace Lord of the Southern Savage Beast Palace.”
“It is an honor to meet the famed Forest King Hắc Hổ Hiến Lang, who once fought side by side with my grandfather. I am Hwiyeom, Young Family Head of the Tang family.”
When Hwiyeom pronounced his name with perfect accuracy, the old man’s eyes softened threefold.
“So you are Hyo-seon’s grandson… Now that I look, the resemblance is uncanny. Especially those eyes full of mischief.”
Among the towering, muscle-bound warriors of the Southern Savage Beast Palace, Hắc Hổ Hiến Lang was a small, almost frail-looking old man. Yet this was the Southern Savages, where the law of the jungle reigned absolute and honor duels between tribal chiefs were as common as folk festivals. The man who had united countless tribes and ruled as Palace Lord could not possibly have won that seat at the gambling table. Lowering one’s guard was unthinkable.
Just surviving the Orthodox-Demonic Great War is monster certification enough.
Unlike Songhak Jin-in of the Qingcheng Sect, who had survived by cleverly slipping to the rear through politics, the Beast Palace had clashed more fiercely with the Demonic Cult than any other force on the front lines. This Forest King had even challenged the Heavenly Demon alongside the Dark King—and unlike the Dark King, who had fallen, he had lived.
That alone was reason enough never to relax.
The old man’s deep eyes, still carrying the pain of that long-ago war, swept over Hwiyeom and then settled on Ye-eun standing behind him. When his pupils widened slightly, Ye-eun lightly raised a finger to her lips.
Shh.
“….”
Hắc Hổ Hiến Lang gave a small nod and spoke to Hwiyeom.
“The Beast Palace sincerely welcomes the visit of its comrades. We shall hold a banquet—please rest at ease.”
“We are grateful for the Palace Lord’s generosity.”
“A banquet! It’s a feast, you bastards! Break out the liquor!”
“Meat! Bring the meat!”
“Yeehaw!!”
The Beast Palace plunged into festival mode in an instant. Tang family warriors and Beast Palace fighters hit it off immediately, draining wine jars and devouring meat. Laughter and music never stopped. Lee Jinmyeong was seized by the hand of a shapely Southern Savage woman and dragged off; Tang warriors whistled and cheered as he awkwardly danced with the local maiden beside the bonfire.
Smiling at the sight, Hwiyeom quietly stepped aside with Hắc Hổ Hiến Lang for a more serious conversation.
“…And so, regarding the Beast Palace’s food situation, I believe our Tang family can offer assistance.”
“….”
After a brief silence, Hắc Hổ Hiến Lang spoke.
“I once owed Hyo-seon my life. Now it seems I will owe his grandson the lives of my people. Thank you.”
“Think nothing of it—it’s not free, after all.”
“Of course not. Everything in this world has a price. Descendant of an old ally, what do you seek from this forest and this land of wild nature?”
“Ah… um…”
Hwiyeom, who normally stated his demands with crisp clarity in such moments, rarely stumbled. Then he muttered under his breath, “Nothing to lose by asking,” and spoke.
“Uh… this is just a long shot, but… do you happen to have a tree like this here? You cut the bark and a milky sap flows out; leave it alone and it hardens, yet stays elastic… a tree like that.”
“We do.”
“Well, of course you wouldn’t. I wasn’t even expecting— wait, what?”
“I said we do. You mean the cây cao su, the rubber tree, don’t you?”
It was Hwiyeom’s turn to go blank.
“Wait… it actually exists here?”
In that instant every conceivable product exploded through his mind like fireworks.