135. Do Even Martial Experts Have to Watch Out for the Embroidered Uniform Guards in the Imperial Capital?
Top-grade human skin masks capable of fooling even a master's eyes were incredibly hard to come by. They were as thin as a cicada's shell, indistinguishable from real skin.
"How much for the top-grade one?"
"A hundred taels of silver."
"What the hell!"
Won Seung raised his voice in outrage.
"Thirty taels should be plenty... and you call me a valued customer while stabbing me in the back?"
"You must not be aware of the current market rates. Material costs have skyrocketed..."
"Forget it."
Won Seung waved him off, not wanting to hear another word.
A hundred taels of silver was a hundred thousand nyang. That was the price of a whole house... The extortion was getting out of hand.
"Never mind that... I've got some good medicine here. Think you can find buyers for it?"
"Medicine?"
Go Yeongju, suddenly treated like a con artist, shot back in a wounded tone.
"It's great for the body, and if a martial artist takes it, they'll get a slight boost in internal energy too."
He couldn't keep getting fleeced by the Hao Men forever.
Won Seung pulled out a Boheoldan pill and showed it to Go Yeongju, who examined it closely.
"I'll give this to Elder Go. Test the effects, and if it's good..."
As Won Seung spoke, Go Yeongju abruptly popped the pill into his mouth. Won Seung stared at him in shock.
Didn't he know the jianghu taboo against eating medicine from strangers?
Go Yeongju spoke in a resolute tone.
"This is to show my trust in you, Young Master Joo. And yes, the current price for top-grade human skin masks is indeed a hundred taels of silver."
"Hmph."
Won Seung let out a groan. Go Yeongju was an info broker through and through.
"Fine. Meditate for a bit."
Go Yeongju sat right there in meditative posture, circulating his energy. Moments later, he opened his eyes, visibly excited.
"This is excellent stuff. My lower abdomen warmed right up, and a cozy heat spread through my whole body. I can definitely sell this. What's your asking price?"
"Ten taels of silver."
"Fair enough. I'll take a ten percent commission."
"Deal. Let's start with ten pills."
Won Seung accepted the terms and handed over ten Boheoldan pills.
"I should pay you an advance."
Go Yeongju added four taels to the five he'd received from Won Seung and handed it back—ten percent of the ninety taels Won Seung would get after sales.
"You're thorough, Elder Go. Here's to good business ahead."
The two merchants wrapped up the deal in an instant.
After parting with Go Yeongju, Won Seung appeared on a street selling clothes, accessories, and cosmetics. He entered a cosmetics shop and browsed, when a young female clerk approached.
"Who will be using it? I can help you pick."
"Haven't gotten a fabric gift for my little sister yet. Thinking of grabbing a full set—powder, brush, mirror, the works."
The clerk smiled.
"She must be at that age for makeup. This vanity case should do it. It's a new product with the latest full set of tools."
"This one's scent is too strong. My sister's still young—something without fragrance."
"It can't be completely scentless. This has the mildest one. Subtle and natural."
Moments later, Won Seung left the shop with the vanity case and walked down the street before slipping into a quiet alley. Soon after, a fierce-looking young man emerged from the alley.
'Gotta get some makeup tools too. Money's gonna fly out fast.'
After hearing that Hao Men members kept an eye out for human skin mask users, he'd felt uneasy about wearing one. He ditched the mask and went with light makeup instead. It was enough to change his look dramatically.
A faint fragrance lingered where the fierce youth had vanished.
That evening.
A somewhat fierce-looking scholar entered Manbok Inn outside the east gate. His bundle had a sword strapped to it, and he looked weary from a long journey.
Manbok Inn was three stories tall, with the entire first floor as a restaurant. It was mealtime, so the place buzzed with customers. The scholar took a seat in the corner. Next to him was a communal table where a group of scholars chattered away. It was the season when provincial scholars headed to the capital for the spring civil exams. They debated exam trends and flattered each other shamelessly.
The fierce scholar ordered sweet rice wine, stir-fried pork, and noodles, eating quietly. He occasionally glanced around the restaurant, clearly a country bumpkin new to Huangdo.
The noisy restaurant suddenly fell silent from the entrance. Eyes turned to the door. Two men in navy uniforms with flying fish robes stood there, flanked by five or six more in navy martial attire.
"Embroidered Uniform Guards."
Someone whispered, and the black-faced man in a flying fish robe shot him a glare.
"......"
Silence fell. The owner stepped out from the counter with an awkward smile.
"Lord Gu, you're here often these days."
The one called Lord Gu was the black-faced man.
"With spring exams approaching and crowds pouring in, we got word that shady types are mixing in."
Lord Gu scanned the room coldly. People bowed their heads to avoid his gaze.
'Those shady types aren't just hanging around my place...'
The Embroidered Uniform Guards had been dropping by frequently lately, and now even their Baihu commander was here. A Baihu was no small fry. Hardly seen outside the palace walls normally, so the innkeeper's fawning was understandable.
Lord Gu walked slowly through the restaurant.
"Eat up. If you're law-abiding, you've nothing to fear."
Chopsticks clacked busily. The fierce youth picked up a piece of pork belly, chewing as he watched Lord Gu. The man prowled table to table like he was inspecting livestock, stopping at the table right in front of Won Seung.
Two men in their mid-thirties sat there, silently drinking and eating through dinner.
Lord Gu tapped the table with his finger.
"You know weapons aren't allowed inside the city walls, right?"
Swords stood by their table. The lean one with cold eyes nodded.
"We're well aware."
Lord Gu glared a moment longer, then shifted his gaze to the youth behind them. The fierce-looking kid was staring right at him. Spotting the sword in the scholar's bundle, he said,
"You too."
"Pardon? This is just for self-defense."
The fierce scholar blinked dumbly back.
Provincial scholars often carried decorative swords for protection on long trips. Useless against people, but handy for wild beasts.
"Too chatty. Where you from?"
"Sangyang."
"Check his papers."
One of the uniformed men approached. The fierce scholar showed his ID marked as a Sangyang merchant.
"Don't cause trouble. You'll regret it."
Lord Gu muttered ambiguously and moved on, checking a few more IDs before leaving. Seemed like routine patrol.
'The Embroidered Uniform Guards sure throw their weight around.'
When Won Seung had entered, only the Imperial Army and Palace Guards were around. The Imperial Army guarded Huangdo; the Palace Guards, the palace. But after Emperor Juneung ascended, King Seong petitioned to revive the Embroidered Uniform Guards. They'd been disbanded after Taizu's reign due to their overreach in spying on officials. King Seong argued that with a young emperor, corruption was rife, so they needed reinstatement—and the emperor approved.
Won Seung's eyes turned to the two experts from Mansword Mountain at the front table.
'Do even jianghu masters have to watch out for the Embroidered Uniform Guards in Huangdo?'
He figured Lord Gu had come specifically to warn those two. Word was King Seong's mansion was surveilling them, and now the guards were involved too.
Once Lord Gu left, the scholars resumed chatting. One took interest in Won Seung next door.
"You from Sangyang? Know Yangjae of the Three Prodigies?"
"I know Yangjae, but he doesn't know me."
Won Seung paused thoughtfully before answering. Laughter erupted from the scholars' table.
"The sage said those who humble themselves are true greats. You're more than you seem."
More than he seemed? These punks and their silver tongues...
Won Seung's mood soured, but he had no time for scholar small talk.
A thug-looking runt with bulging eyes appeared at the door, and the Mansword Mountain experts rose stiffly—irked by Lord Gu, no doubt—and headed upstairs to a third-floor room. The runt slunk after them.
Won Seung went to the counter.
"A room with a good view."
"Third floor, all deluxe suites—bit pricey."
"That one."
Won Seung pulled silver and pointed to the room next to the experts'.
The owner pocketed the silver without a word and called a boy to guide him. In his room, Won Seung unpacked his bundle and pulled out a gourd-sized ear trumpet, pressing it to the wall and listening. Channeling internal energy to sharpen his hearing, faint voices from next door filtered through.
A gruff voice asked,
"Everything solid?"
"Yes. My brothers and I are watching all sides around the clock, twelve hours straight."
"......"
"Just say the word, and I'll track him down. I know my way around Huangdo."
"No commotion. Just tighten surveillance."
A door opened and shut.
Then a thinner voice:
"Shouldn't we have him look?"
"Finding someone from a sketch alone ain't easy. If those idiots stir things up, he might hole up deeper."
Silence, then the gruff voice:
"Sado Gongja's taking too long."
"Probably doubts the intel's solid... But we can't wait forever. The Embroidered Uniform Guards are watching us."
The thin voice replied, and the gruff one said,
"How about baiting him out?"
"Bait?"
Their voices dropped lower.
"...tonight..."
Oh ho. Plotting something, eh?
Patience was much the same for all men. Won Seung crawling out of Yeongtap Temple unable to wait, or these Mansword Mountain experts now scheming instead of watching—it all came down to limits reached.
Won Seung replayed their talk.
They've got my sketch. Could get it if I wanted—brokers or Hao Men east branch know me. But they didn't spot me in the restaurant. Proof my disguise skills are top-notch.
Sado Gongja... Calling him gongja means he's higher up. These guys are the advance team. But weird. How do they plan to lure me?