Chapter 99
Chapter 99
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 99
Chapter Title: I'll Be Your Guarantee
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There were many long reasons I could give. But now that she asked, I couldn't think of a single one that would satisfy Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo.
“In any case…”
“Brother Yong.”
This time, Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo took both of my hands in hers.
“I know you don't hate me, brother.”
That was true. In fact, I liked her. But I didn't love her. I had never loved anyone in my life, and I never would.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo looked up, staring into my eyes.
“I’ll wait.”
That was all she said.
***
The finest dishes and wine from the Violet Cloud Pavilion filled the table.
After a few rounds of drinks, they got straight to the point.
Ak Ja-gyeong spoke in a business-like tone.
“I'd like to confirm. Lord Ak, do you intend to convert the Dong-ro Branch into the Martial Alliance's main headquarters?”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo looked at Ak Ja-gyeong with a calm expression.
“First, please clarify your exact identities.”
Earlier at the Dong-ro Branch, the two had introduced themselves as the Golden Sovereigns and stated their names, but they hadn't proven their affiliation with the Chungmu Guild or their positions.
The two took out medallions from their robes and placed them on the table.
They were round, golden medallions. The characters for ‘Chungmu’ (忠武) were embossed vertically, with the characters for ‘High Gold’ (上金) raised prominently in the center.
Beneath them, a faint image was engraved, shallower and less distinct than the characters, but I couldn't make out what it was.
Ak Ja-gyeong said clearly.
“We are the General Managers of the Chungmu Guild.”
Seeing me stare intently at the medallions, Ak Ja-gyeong spoke with a kind face.
“Lord Ak, feel free to pick them up and take a closer look.”
“That's not necessary.”
Ak Ja-gyeong smiled and said to Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo.
“Now, Alliance Lord, you must also prove your identity, correct?”
“But how did you recognize me earlier at the Dong-ro Branch?”
“It was intuition.”
“What made you think I would be at the Dong-ro Branch?”
Ak Ja-gyeong wore a confident expression.
“If there’s a peerless beauty next to Lord Ak, the Fire Dragon Sword, wouldn't the possibility of her being the Alliance Lord be the highest? That was my intuition.”
It was an absurd logic that wouldn't convince most people, but here and now, it seemed fitting and plausible.
“How shall I prove that I am the Alliance Lord?”
“You just need to show us the Peerless Imperial Jade Pendant.”
Ak Ja-gyeong said it simply, as if asking her to show something in the palm of her hand.
Besides us, Go Un-hyo, Jang Ung, and Ja-un were also present. Though they knew Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo was the Alliance Lord, they watched with tense faces at the thought of seeing the legendary Peerless Imperial Jade Pendant.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo quietly loosened the front of her robe.
Instantly, a faint yet brilliant light emanated from her neck, shimmering in the air and creating a mystical scene.
Above the table, an enchanting image of a female phoenix (凰) took flight.
“Ah!”
Ja-un gasped.
Soon, the brilliant light faded, revealing the beautiful necklace hanging from Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo’s long, elegant white neck—the Peerless Imperial Jade Pendant.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo spoke calmly.
“Shall I take it off for you?”
“That's not necessary.”
Ak Ja-gyeong looked at me.
“Lord Ak, you show us yours as well.”
“!”
I felt as if I’d been struck out of the blue.
*‘Show them? Show them what?’*
The Golden Sovereigns thought of me as Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo’s fiancé. No, they believed it because she had told them so. Therefore, they assumed I would possess the Peerless Phoenix Jade Pendant.
Which meant I had to prove it. If I didn't, things could go wrong.
I silently loosened the front of my robe and revealed the Peerless Phoenix Jade Pendant.
Go Un-hyo had seen it when Lord Soyang gave me the pendant, but Jang Ung and Ja-un had not been there.
This time, the radiant image of a male phoenix (鳳) appeared in the air above the table.
Jang Ung’s expression was calm, while Ja-un stared with wide, astonished eyes.
It was the moment the fact that I was the fiancé of the Martial Alliance's Lord was clearly imprinted upon them.
After both sides had confirmed their identities, Ak Ja-gyeong repeated her initial question.
“Lord Ak, do you intend to convert the Dong-ro Branch into the Martial Alliance's main headquarters?”
“I do.”
“Good.”
Earlier at the Dong-ro Branch, Ak Ja-gyeong had shown some feminine qualities, but her attitude now was unmistakably that of a cold-hearted merchant.
“From this moment on, the Chungmu Guild will fund the Martial Alliance.”
“How much do you have in mind?”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo asked. It was a point that had to be addressed.
“An unlimited amount.”
It was an incredible promise to give whatever the Martial Alliance requested.
Seeing the look of relief on Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's face, Ak Ja-gyeong held up two fingers.
“In return, there are two conditions.”
“What are they?”
“The Martial Alliance must protect the Nine Provinces Trading Company. That is the first condition.”
She meant we had to protect the great merchant group owned by the Chungmu Guild, the Nine Provinces Trading Company.
“That’s possible. What is the other one?”
I grew uneasy as Ak Ja-gyeong’s gaze turned to me.
“Lord Ak must act as our guarantee.”
*‘A guarantee?’*
Though she hadn't expected this, Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo spoke calmly.
“What kind of guarantee?”
I saw Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's face turn stern.
But Ak Ja-gyeong remained composed.
“We are funding the Martial Alliance because of Lord Ak. Therefore, if Lord Ak leaves the Martial Alliance, this deal becomes null and void immediately.”
“There was no mention of that. Isn't the Chungmu Guild dealing with the main headquarters?”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo’s voice turned slightly cold.
“This is the first time we are discussing this, right here with you, Alliance Lord, and Lord Ak. Surely you don't think we should have discussed such a crucial matter with Chief Sang, do you?”
Ak Ja-gyeong was overpowering Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo with the words of a merchant.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo was intelligent, but it was difficult to win against a merchant in a negotiation.
“Initially, we planned to make a pact with the Martial Alliance, but now our thinking has changed. It's because Lord Ak has laid the foundation for the current Martial Alliance. Do you deny this?”
“I do not deny it.”
This meant that without the Fire Dragon Sword, establishing the Martial Alliance's main headquarters in Dong-ro County would have been impossible.
“Aren't the two of you to be married? Then it is only natural for Lord Ak to remain by the Alliance Lord's side.”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo pressed her lips together and said nothing for a long time.
She didn't send me a telepathic message. Not that I could send one back, being unable to use my martial arts at the moment. No, even if I could, I had nothing to say.
Ak Ja-gyeong waited silently for Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo to speak.
After about half an hour, Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo finally finished her thoughts and spoke in a subdued voice.
“We will not accept funding from the Chungmu Guild.”
“!”
Not just me, but the Golden Sovereign couple and everyone else in the room were greatly surprised.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's expression was resolute, showing her unyielding will to not go back on her words.
I hadn't expected Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo to react this way, but I fully understood her intentions.
She didn't want me to be shackled by the Chungmu Guild's guarantee.
She was sincere. She was willing to give up the Martial Alliance's immense source of funding to protect me. It was a momentous decision that words could not fully describe.
*‘Byeok-gyo.’*
Her sincerity resonated in my heart. It was the first time I had been so moved by someone, let alone a woman. No, I had never even imagined it.
But this was not the way. This was truly not right. Knowing Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's true feelings was enough. I couldn't let her ruin a perfectly good plan.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's face was obstinate. She would not back down.
Ak Ja-gyeong seemed shocked and remained silent for a while before finally speaking in a low voice.
“Are you truly not going to accept our funds?”
“That's right.”
The atmosphere in the room grew cold.
Just as I thought it was time for me to step in, Go Un-hyo suddenly sent me a telepathic message.
[Brother, I know the place where the Blood Shadow Sword Venerable hid his money and treasures.]
Go Un-hyo had spoken at the most opportune moment.
I looked at Go Un-hyo, and he continued the telepathic message with a composed demeanor.
[I don't know the exact amount. I saw it myself. In a warehouse about ten times the size of this room, it was filled with treasures and gold. Not silver, all gold and treasures.]
I couldn't even begin to estimate how much that would be worth. But I could guess it was an enormous sum.
There was no need to ask Go Un-hyo if he was telling the truth. He wasn't one to lie.
In that case, I now had a fantastic card to play.
Feeling a bit more at ease, I spoke.
“Wasn't the Chungmu Guild intending to cooperate with the Martial Alliance for the sake of justice and peace in the world?”
As if I had hit a nerve, Ak Ja-gyeong replied bitterly.
“That is true, but with such a huge sum involved, don't you think we need solid assurance?”
“How can I become the Chungmu Guild's solid assurance?”
“You just have to promise that you will never leave the Martial Alliance. If you were to promise to marry the Alliance Lord, there could be no greater guarantee.”
“Hmph.”
I paused for a moment before speaking calmly.
“I am the Grand Branch Master of the Martial Alliance's Dong-ro Branch. No matter what happens in the future, I will not forsake that position. Shouldn't that be enough?”
Ak Ja-gyeong stared at me calmly, but inwardly, she must have been weighing a complex calculation.
The Chungmu Guild wasn't just blindly funding the Martial Alliance. They sought a symbiotic relationship, receiving the Alliance's protection under the premise of working for world peace.
No, the Chungmu Guild—or rather, the Nine Provinces Trading Company—would seek to earn profits exceeding their investment in the Martial Alliance, as they should.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's face remained calm yet stern. This could all be resolved smoothly if I just said I would marry her, and she might resent me for not doing so.
As Ak Ja-gyeong's deliberation dragged on, I tightened the reins a little.
“Is that not acceptable?”
Just then, Seomun Hak, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
“If it is confirmed that Lord Ak has severed ties with the Martial Alliance, we will also cut off the funding.”
“So be it.”
“The deal is made.”
***
In the time it took me to drink ten cups of wine, Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo drank twenty.
It wasn't that I didn't know what was on her mind, but I just drank silently. I had no desire to offer her clumsy words of comfort.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo was hurt.
A subordinate from the Peerless Sect called Jang Ung out to report something.
A moment later, Jang Ung returned and said.
“My lord! A master from the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path is entering Dong-ro County with the Soul-Devouring Wolves.”
There was a famous saying in the martial world.
—The unluckiest day of your life is the day you meet the Life-Reaping Squad and the Soul-Devouring Wolves (消魂狼).—
Alongside the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union's Life-Reaping Squad, the Soul-Devouring Wolves were the elite of the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path.
And those Soul-Devouring Wolves were coming to Dong-ro County.
***
We went to the northern entrance of Dong-ro County.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, Go Un-hyo, Jang Ung, myself, and five Grand Branch Aides stood by the roadside.
According to the reports coming into the Peerless Sect, one master from the Ten Heavens and twenty Soul-Devouring Wolves would pass this spot in about a quarter of an hour.
Jang Ung, who usually stayed out of fights, was here today. It seemed he intended to fight. I would be able to see his martial arts today.
When I heard from Jang Ung that the master from the Ten Heavens and the Soul-Devouring Wolves were coming, my martial arts suddenly activated.
It seemed that hearing the news had either tensed me up or ignited my fighting spirit.