Chapter 106
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Luring Them In
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Sohwa glanced cautiously at Yumunbi before speaking up.
"Master, do you think the young master has really become the kind of expert that storyteller was talking about?"
Hayeon picked up the conversation.
"He killed one of the Demonic Cult's Fourteen Division Leaders and a Demonic Cult Battalion Commander. And he uncovered the truth with a resounding verdict in Gojanghyeon. That qualifies him as an expert. But has the young master ever taken an official government post?"
"It's been a while since we've seen him. They say even a scholar can change dramatically in just three days, and our young master was a genius. He must have grown even more."
"That's true. Our young master was always destined for greatness, no matter what."
The two maids, who had been chattering away, fell silent upon seeing Yumunbi quietly sipping her tea.
They knew it meant their mistress was in a foul mood.
But Sohwa, less perceptive than Hayeon, showed no sign of stopping.
She soon opened her mouth again.
"Master, isn't it amazing? Back at the Murim Alliance, he was just known as the Ghostly Scholar—a lousy nickname. Now he's got all these: Dragon Scholar, Hundred Leaf Scholar, Scholar Sword God, the Reforming Prodigal Scholar, you name it. And he's fighting the Demonic Cult and the Blood Cult."
Hayeon tried to shut Sohwa up by changing the subject.
"Sohwa, you're always such a big eater—why aren't you touching the duck in front of you?"
"I'm saving it."
"Don't hold back. Eat up."
Hayeon kept subtly pointing at their mistress with her eyes, and only then did Sohwa catch on and start stuffing her mouth with duck.
Yumunbi let out a sigh.
'Fame gained through battle ends only in death by battle. My son, what on earth are you doing with your life?'
Hayeon cautiously spoke up.
"Master, instead of sitting here like this, why don't we just go to Sichuan where the young master is?"
She figured that was what Yumunbi really wanted.
"No. If we stay at the Nangong Family, he'll come find us on his own. Besides, what help could I be to him if I went? He's no longer a child to stay under my wing. He needs to flap his own wings now—even if they lead him over a cliff."
The words sounded a bit cold, but the two maids knew how deeply she loved her son, so they held their tongues.
"Yeoseol, I'm heading out alone. Play by yourself."
"Where are you going?"
"To the Sichuan Beggars' Sect branch."
"Okay. Have a safe trip."
Yeoseol responded nonchalantly.
She seemed to have mastered the art of entertaining herself and passing time alone.
I headed for the branch chief of the Sichuan Beggars' Sect.
I grabbed the first beggar I spotted on the street and asked for directions.
His belt marked him as a Third-Class Disciple.
"Excuse me, could I ask you something?"
The beggar recognized me and flinched, his eyes widening.
"S-Scholar Sword God."
"Scholar Cheon."
"Yes. What can I do for you?"
"Could I possibly see the branch chief?"
The beggar grinned from ear to ear, like he'd just eaten something tasty.
"Follow me."
At Third-Class Disciple level, he could sense that my request to see the chief was no trivial matter.
The Sichuan Beggars' Sect Branch Chief, Ju Jeonggae, had earned his nickname from the sect leader himself: the man who crawled on all fours whenever he drank.
But I thought it suited him for a different reason.
He looked like a stray dog that hadn't bathed in three years.
"To what do I owe the honor of a visit from the prodigy Scholar Sword God, who's burst onto the martial world like a comet?"
Ju Jeonggae greeted me with a sycophantic look.
But I could sense his skills were a cut above Black Wolf Dog's.
His servile expression belied eyes as cold as ice.
The classic type who smiles with his face but not his eyes.
"I came because I have something to discuss."
"This beggar's ears are all yours, Scholar Sword God."
His phrasing grated a bit, so I cut straight to the point.
"I understand the Beggars' Sect branch still has the body of the Demonic Cult's Fourteenth Division Leader. What do you plan to do with it?"
Ju Jeonggae shook his head like it was a massive headache.
"It's no small dilemma. The Demonic Cult won't just leave one of their division leaders' bodies alone. I haven't slept a wink worrying about it. Every time someone opens a door, my heart races, thinking they've come already."
If he was already anticipating a Demonic Cult raid, Ju Jeonggae wasn't dumb.
A little nudge with a hint should do it.
I replied in a bored, nonchalant tone.
"Hand it over to the Mount Qingcheng Sect and Mount Emei Sect."
"Pardon?"
"Even the Demonic Cult wouldn't dare attack Mount Qingcheng or Mount Emei to steal a body, no matter how arrogant they are. And it makes perfect sense."
"Huh. Now that you mention it, yeah."
"Do you have any bodies of Mount Qingcheng or Mount Emei martial artists? If so, load them up together and hand them over."
I meant don't just dump the Demonic Cult leader's body on them without justification—give it some legitimacy.
"Sigh. Good idea, but not so easy. Mount Qingcheng and Mount Emei went to support Kunlun Sect with their Qinglong Unit Leader. No casualties from our side lately."
"I see. Then what?"
As I muttered, Ju Jeonggae's head snapped up.
"Ah! We have a few bodies the Tang Family couldn't retrieve."
I just stared at him without responding, so he continued.
"Then we can take those bodies back while handing over the Fourteenth Division Leader's."
"Hmm. Will the Tang Family accept them? They know it'd be a hot potato."
When I pushed back negatively, Ju Jeonggae racked his brains again.
Still no answer, so I dropped another hint.
"Does the Tang Family not have a way to preserve bodies?"
I muttered softly to myself.
Ju Jeonggae overheard and clapped his hands.
"That's it! How did I miss that? The Tang Family has ways to keep bodies from rotting using poisons or herbs. We can ask them to do that and hand it over."
"What if the Tang Family wants to cremate it?"
"No worries there. The Alliance sent orders today: don't cremate the Fourteenth Division Leader's body. We need it for negotiations with the Demonic Cult."
"Natural order from the Murim Alliance's perspective. Gives them leverage to demand something from the Demonic Cult."
I'd drawn it all out as if it were Ju Jeonggae's own ideas.
With a legitimate reason to hand Oh Juhyang's body to the Tang Family, color returned to his face.
"I need to head to the Tang Family with the body right now."
"Then I'll take my leave as well. Seeing how you're handling this, Branch Chief, the Beggars' Sect's future looks bright."
"Hahaha! Coming from the Scholar Sword God, that makes my day."
"You seem busy, so I'll be off."
Ju Jeonggae ordered his men to load the body onto a cart, then watched the scholar disappear into the distance.
"Scholar Cheon, suggesting handing the Fourteenth Division Leader's body to Mount Qingcheng or Mount Emei? They say he's brilliant, but it's all hype. I just came up with the perfect excuse to take it straight to the Tang Family myself."
Ju Jeonggae bellowed at his slow-moving subordinates, who shuffled like drunken dogs.
"You worthless beggar scum! Move it! Finish this quick so we can beg for dinner!"
His shouts roused the insects in the thatched huts.
The Demonic Cult wouldn't just leave a division leader's body rotting.
To them, division leaders weren't mere commanders—they were the cult's core.
To retrieve Oh Juhyang's body and the antidote for the Formless Poison, I expected the Demonic Cult to boldly attack the Tang Family.
Whether full-scale war or a diversionary feint, they'd strike in some form.
Considering their patterns and values.
Ju Jeonggae would probably thank me if the Demonic Cult attacked the Tang Family.
Thanks to me, he'd shifted Oh Juhyang's body there and dodged the heat.
Back at the VIP quarters, the Tang Family was already buzzing over Oh Juhyang's body.
Some argued against accepting it due to the risk, others said it was fine, but they'd decided to take it.
Dang Jiin explained their reasoning to me.
"The Tang Family's taking the risk for the Demonic Cult Fourteenth Division Leader's body to make demands of the Murim Alliance."
"The Alliance knows the Tang Family's position is precarious, so yeah."
"They'll ask for a few key Alliance positions this time. The Alliance will probably grant them."
Dang Jiin seemed uneasy about the Tang Family gaining more power.
He paused in thought, then turned to me.
"It was brilliant sending the Fourteenth Division Leader's body to the main house, Scholar Cheon. Now the Demonic Cult's even more likely to attack."
I widened my eyes like he was spouting nonsense.
"What are you talking about? I didn't send it. The Beggars' Sect branch chief did."
Dang Jiin looked at me for a moment, then nodded.
"Ah, right. Yeah. The Beggars' Sect branch chief, Ju Jeonggae, sent it."
"Don't go spreading that around. It'll cause misunderstandings."
Dang Jiin chuckled and changed the subject.
"What about Seop Hyeonrok?"
He leaned in conspiratorially.
"Do you know where Seop Hyeonrok's drinking today?"
"The guy's always at the brothel run by Hong Yubang."
"Then if Young Master Dang goes there, gets drunk, and causes a scene, I'll head over."
"And do what?"
"Everything will sort itself out once I arrive."
Dang Jiin started to ask something but shut his mouth.
"Ah, I get it. You go make a fuss, and that gives Scholar Cheon a reason to show up at the brothel to calm you down."
"Exactly."
"And after that... who knows what'll happen."
"Right. No one knows."
"I understand. I'll head to Hong Yubang's brothel now. Bet the drinks'll taste extra good today."
Dang Jiin hummed cheerfully as he left the room.
After he was gone, Yeoseol asked,
"When Young Master Dang makes a scene with Seop Hyeonrok and big brother shows up, how does that change anything? You're not going to kill him or whatever."
"I'll explain later, little sister."
"Tch. I can understand everything now."
I didn't want to look like some sour-faced lecturer.
"Kiddo, it's still best for Yeoseol to see the world in a positive light at your age."
"Nag, nag. Always nagging."
She pouted, hating that I was hiding something from her.
"Kid, a lot of adult nagging comes from regrets over their own experiences. Even this big brother nags to avoid those regrets. You might resent it now, but you'll get it eventually."
"Tch. I hate that I understand what big brother's saying right now."
"That's just you growing up, bit by bit."
I swallowed the rest.
'Sadly.'
An hour after Dang Jiin left, I stepped out of the VIP quarters.
Heading for Hong Yubang's brothel.
Seop Hyeonrok had an ordinary face, but his expensive clothes and jewelry elevated it to something noble.
And since he threw money around like dirt, the courtesans even fought over who got to sit beside him.
Today, too, Seop Hyeonrok scattered iron coins around the room.
"Take 'em!"
The courtesans scrambled every which way to pick them up.
That was when it happened.
Crash! Bang! Clatter!
The door flew open, and a man stormed in.
"What the—who's making all this racket? Oh, it's Merchant Seop's wastrel son."
Seop Hyeonrok's thick eyebrows wriggled like caterpillars.
"Hey now. We're practically family soon—watch your mouth."
"Don't make me laugh, punk. Family? You dare eye my sister while carrying on like a filthy pig?"
"If I'm filthy, aren't you just as bad, Young Master Dang? You know your reputation around this city eclipses mine. It's a tie."
Seop Hyeonrok didn't back down.
He knew Dang Jiin was the Tang Family's youngest, but still a cherished son, so he feared nothing.
Flames shot from Dang Jiin's eyes.
"You little shit! Should I just melt you down with Bone-Melting Poison? Or gouge your eyes out with Bone-Piercing Palm?"
Seop Hyeonrok's guards rushed in, surrounding him and readying to attack Dang Jiin.
"Oh yeah? Bring it!"
Seop Hyeonrok, annoyed by Dang Jiin's extra aggression today, figured it was best to steer clear of mad dogs and stood up.
That was when someone entered the room.
"Now, now, Young Master Dang. How did you get so drunk?"
Scholar Cheon stepped into the room where Dang Jiin was causing chaos and quickly sent him a sound transmission.
Having heard it all, Dang Jiin flashed a wicked grin.