003. The Sama Clan
003. The Sama Clan
The Sama Clan.
A family that has established its seat on Mount Mo. Because of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, they are always considered comparable to the Zhuge Clan, but ultimately, they are an unfortunate family that receives the evaluation of being 'second best in intellect.'
If that were all, it might be one thing, but unlike the Zhuge Clan, which possesses divine arts like the Heavenly Secrets Divination.
The Sama Clan could not even possess a divine art.
Throughout the clan's long history, there was never anyone with the caliber of a grand master like Zhuge Liang.
In an attempt to fill their deficiencies, they even dabbled in the arts of the Left Path and Heterodox Sects, and bought up various martial arts with money, yet.
Not a single person from the Sama Clan's martial arts alone had ever made it onto the list of the Central Plains' Top Hundred Masters.
In the end, what they chose was spirit medicine.
They reached the conclusion of wanting to break through their limits using spirit medicine to create masters. It wasn't simply about obtaining spirit medicine, but about consistently attempting it through the secret methods of manufacturing it.
And recently, their son-in-law, Geum Wi-un, was on his way back after obtaining the Cheon-wang-dan (Heavenly King Elixir) manufacturing method from the Hwangbo Clan.
Although the Nokrim bandits, like flies, got tangled up in the middle, a carrier pigeon had arrived saying that even this had been luckily resolved well.
'A young master of unknown identity.'
The clan head, Sa-ma Ryang, felt even more uneasy.
There are absolutely no coincidences in the world. To Sa-ma Ryang, who considered this an immutable truth, a young master capable of single-handedly sweeping away the Black Tiger Stronghold was suspicious beyond measure.
'Starting from the very premise that such a young master exists, and then he just happens to be traveling with the group bringing the Cheon-wang-dan sample and manufacturing method? It has less plausibility than a third-rate story from the marketplace.'
And the fact that her husband had already promised the reward to be paid to the Sama Clan.
What if this master of unknown identity approached them from the start, targeting that?
If he approached with ulterior motives, then as the clan head, she naturally had to prepare for it.
The clan head is the elder responsible for the family, and even if ninety-nine parts out of a hundred are coincidence, if there is one suspicious part, it means a position where one must be suspicious.
'Does he want the arts of the Left Path and Heterodox Sects?'
The techniques of the annihilated Mount Mo Sect.
The Sama Clan absorbed and integrated them into their martial arts, but it ultimately remains a half-baked work. However, Sa-ma Ryang understands people.
'It might have no value to me, but other people's rice cakes always look bigger. Perhaps it truly holds value for him.'
The arts of the Left Path and Heterodox Sects are a field that judges talent more than martial arts.
That's why, even though they were modified to be called a divine art, there were no individuals who truly mastered them, leaving the clan at a level only slightly better than a mid-to-small sect.
'Value is relative.'
Perhaps the unknown master traveling with Geum Wi-un is a person overflowing with talent for the arts of the Left Path and Heterodox Sects.
He might have no connection to internal energy, so he trained in external techniques, and internally, he might have learned mystical arts. If that's the case, it only leaves the worry that he is a very sinister opponent.
However, Sa-ma Ryang was worried, but she wasn't frightened or anything.
For the clan head of a half-collapsed prestigious family to be flustered over just one person with ulterior motives visiting would be too commonplace an occurrence.
Considering only the storms she has weathered while leading the clan so far, two hands are not enough to count them, and those who approach with impure motives are countless.
First of all, since he provided great help in protecting the Cheon-wang-dan manufacturing method, a reward proportional to that should be given. Even though she is the clan head, her husband Geum Wi-un's authority is no less than hers.
Sa-ma Ryang soon makes preparations to receive the guest.
"Summon the Steward."
She orders a maidservant to call the Steward.
"You called for me."
"I hear the Escort Agency Head will soon return with an unknown master. You listen and treat him well, proportionally to his merit."
"Understood."
Even though Sa-ma Ryang had stated she had no intention of meeting the benefactor herself, the Steward calmly accepted the order and withdrew to diligently attend to his original duties once more.
The moment he returned from the Tower and first matched his crotch with a woman passes in an instant.
Last night was truly an ecstatic time.
Dam Cheon even smiles with a sense of fulfilled satisfaction.
"Ha. Feels good."
The sensation of his lower body feeling sore was refreshing beyond compare.
Although it couldn't compare to the demi-human races or saintly women he had mingled with in the Tower.
The skilled hip movements of the top courtesan of a pleasure house, who didn't earn that title by winning it in a card game, were perfectly suited to venting the pent-up lust he had accumulated.
He made the courtesan scream as if falling flowers, telling her to leave Nakhwaru.
Despite her earnest pleas begging him to stop, he kept thrusting his dick, making the courtesan faint several times.
Only by morning, after somewhat releasing his long-stored vigor, did he place one more promissory note beside the courtesan who had suffered to receive him.
When he left the pleasure house, perhaps because the men sent intense looks filled with respect and awe, he felt proud.
The courtesans glancing at his crotch and blushing made him even prouder.
Even though he used three out of the five promissory notes he had split for Nakhwaru, there was absolutely no regret on his face.
Reuniting with the Wicheon Escort Agency at the Songcheong Inn as promised, he heads towards the Sama Clan with lighter steps.
Perhaps because he vented his pent-up lust and even felt refreshed. Dam Cheon, who had seemed as irritable as a street thug, now showed much more relaxed speech and behavior.
So much so that he belatedly realized he got along with Geum Wi-un better than expected.
"Huh. Are you really twenty-five years old?"
"I said so, didn't I? It's because of an encounter with the mad Great Immortal Daera that I was confined for over ten years and became this strong."
"For a master of your caliber to be confined for over ten years, what in the world happened.... I can't even imagine it."
From some point on, Dam Cheon and Geum Wi-un were addressing each other comfortably.
Dam Cheon wasn't particularly eloquent, but it was possible because the listener was of the good sort.
The encounter with the mad Great Immortal Daera.
Dam Cheon's story of becoming this strong because of it was half an absurd tale.
For someone to become as strong as Dam Cheon at that age from just one encounter, it seemed like he must have met an encounter where the Great Immortal Daera openly nurtured him.
At the same time, he thought it was realistically impossible to become that strong from just one encounter.
So it's half-belief, half-doubt. But while doubting about half, he listened intently without showing any sign of it, focusing his ears.
Geum Wi-un was an excellent listener, which made the speaker continue to wag his tongue.
This was the character and trust built layer by layer to establish credibility as an Escort Agency Head, and this was why he could even become the son-in-law of the Sama Clan.
Of course, Dam Cheon saw through his inner thoughts of half-belief and half-doubt through his eyes, but he didn't mind.
Rather, he held this self-cultivated man in high regard, so he considered it fine to share friendship.
Having cleared his head by venting lust through intercourse, and his heart warming from conversation with the good-natured Geum Wi-un.
Since there was absolutely no reason not to become close to him, Dam Cheon also half-opened his heart.
"By the way, Escort Agency Head-nim, could you attach someone to teach me common sense as part of my reward?"
"Huh? ......Ahh. You were in closed-door training for ten years, so you probably have no idea about recent news or the state of the martial world. Got it. I'll invite a top-notch lecturer for you."
"Thank you for granting my request."
"I can't even repay one-tenth of the debt with this much, what are you talking about."
Geum Wi-un, who had perceptively read Dam Cheon's meaning of wanting to know recent news or the state of the martial world, confidently pats his chest and speaks.
It seemed true that he was confined somewhere for over ten years, whether from an encounter or something.
'His demeanor is completely different from a few days ago.'
At the first meeting, he was so murderous it was like seeing a ferocious beast.
But after pounding the rice cake to make the pleasure house leave, his tone and aura had softened considerably.
If, as Dam Cheon said, he was confined somewhere for a long time and recently came out into the world, then all these changes are natural. Geum Wi-un estimated so, and this was only half true.
The reason Dam Cheon was so irritable at first was because he had returned without being able to properly mourn the comrades who died fighting the final boss in the Tower.
On top of already wanting to weep, he had suppressed those feelings hard and returned to his hometown, so he was in a state of just enduring.
Then he killed bandits, tasted blood, and the Heavenly Killing Star stimulated him from within, so it was impossible not to be irritable.
"Other than that, is there nothing else you want? To repay the debt you've placed on us, we still have a long way to go."
"There's nothing I want immediately, so. Please give me some more time to think."
"Haha. It seems I've put pressure on Dam Xiaoxia. Stay at the Sama Clan and think comfortably. The lives of me and our escorts aren't that cheap."
Bursting into loud laughter and patting Dam Cheon's back pang pang with his palm, Geum Wi-un quickly withdrew his hand.
He had forgotten that this was a master who trained in external techniques more overwhelming than Shaolin's Four Great Vajras, and hit him hard, only for his own hand to hurt instead.
After walking a few more sijin from there.
"Now it's visible. That place is our Sama Clan's pride, Mount Mo."
Finally, the destination began to come into view.