Omen (4)
Omen (4)
"How was the meeting?"
That was the first thing Zhuge Yeong-yu asked as we left the mansion. I looked at him and replied,
"I thought she was a remarkable person. In these trying times, she is lending her strength and fighting for the world under heaven."
Honestly, she had a larger behind—my type—and while her chest was rather small, it was just the right size to fit in my hand, which I was satisfied with. Her facial features and tone of voice matched well, so I felt I wouldn't get tired of just staring at her face, and every time I saw her purple hair, I was curious whether her body hair was the same color.
But those were impressions I couldn't voice out loud.
"Is that all? Any other impressions?"
Zhuge Yeong-yu leaned forward and looked up at me like a sly, scheming courtier. Dumbfounded, I replied,
"Are you trying to sound me out?"
A part of me felt a pang of guilt, so a slightly harsh tone slipped out. I heard Zhuge Yeong-yu's laughter.
Indeed, he was from the Zhuge Family. In a situation like this, if I made a slip of the tongue, he would surely remember it and later use it as justification to purge me. At my answer, Zhuge Yeong-yu shook his head, straightened his posture, and said,
"I believe Her Highness is a very beautiful person. As she was once renowned as a beauty of the world under heaven, I was a little curious about the great hero's reaction."
I nodded. Denying too much would be suspicious, and praising too much would be dangerous. I was essentially walking a tightrope.
"I believe she is a beautiful person. Even looking across the Central Plains, it would be difficult to find someone so charming."
Zhuge Yeong-yu nodded, then averted his gaze and said,
"I see. Well then, great hero, what part of a woman do you find most attractive?"
I stared at the back of Zhuge Yeong-yu's head with a frown. He persistently avoided looking my way, as if the corridor walls were coated with honey. What was his intention? No matter how I looked at it, trying to entrap me with this question seemed far-fetched.
'I'm not overly suspicious, just cautious.'
Since today's meeting had ended without a hitch, was he trying to take me to a brothel?
"If I had to choose, I prefer a woman with a large chest, and if she has a large behind, there's nothing better."
"Are you perhaps into slightly plump women?"
The question came a beat faster than I expected. Zhuge Yeong-yu had merely turned his head, but I had the illusion that he was burrowing into my arms. I naturally increased the distance between us, and Zhuge Yeong-yu, in contrast to a moment ago, was now staring straight at me. I shook my head and said,
"I prefer slender women."
"Ahh."
It was a somewhat relieved expression. I couldn't fathom the intent behind that expression. What was it? Was he the type to keep someone with similar tastes in women at a distance? Or, on the contrary, did he only keep close those who shared his preferences?
Come to think of it, why the hell did this bastard praise my looks to the Princess, and why the fuck is he relieved about my taste in women?
I took another step back, pressing myself close to the wall of the corridor. Zhuge Yeong-yu tilted his head at my reaction and asked,
"What's the matter?"
I racked my brain. I didn't want to discuss sexual tastes with this bastard any longer.
"...I was thinking about what we need to do next. The sects still wield powerful influence here in Shaanxi, aren't they? It's too early to be satisfied with just capturing Venerable Geumbok."
Fortunately, Zhuge Yeong-yu naturally picked up on the topic I had steered the conversation to. He stroked his chin and said,
"Indeed. You're right. This isn't the time for us to be discussing such trivial matters. I nearly got carried away with private talk and wasted time, but you are indeed level-headed, great hero."
Zhuge Yeong-yu said that and smiled at me. I felt burdened and turned my head. Zhuge Yeong-yu climbed into the carriage and said,
"Let us go to the inn first. Once we get there, you'll be able to see some familiar faces."
"Let's hurry."
Goosebumps rising on my skin, I hurriedly climbed into the carriage and pressed myself against the door, staring out the window and waiting for time to pass quickly.
*******
"It's been a while."
The people I met at the inn were familiar to me as well. When I saw their faces, I breathed a sigh of relief, like a sailor adrift finally spotting an island. The angular faces and strict postures. The blunt tones and burly physiques. The very people who had helped me torment Venerable Geumbok and Jong Yuseop were now occupying a room at the inn, waiting for us.
The man asked Zhuge Yeong-yu first,
"Did you have a conversation with that person?"
"Of course. It was a very satisfying conversation."
After Zhuge Yeong-yu said that, the man looked at me and spoke.
"Great hero. I apologize for deceiving you until now. You probably haven't realized it, but we are not actually martial artists."
So he was convinced I hadn't noticed. I didn't want to mar the atmosphere by revealing that I knew, so I nodded with a perplexed expression and exaggerated my reaction.
"Oh, what on earth could you be if not martial artists? I'm truly curious."
Whatever they were, they were probably military officers working for the state. They'd mentioned something about commanding, so were they some kind of commanders?
Zhuge Yeong-yu smirked at my reaction and looked away, while the man, with a cold expression, threw off his own clothes. When he removed the martial arts uniform, golden clothes revealed themselves. A vivid red dragon was drawn on the garments like a temple hanging painting, and at the waistband, a golden circular badge was attached like a medal.
"I am Je Gang, Junior Third Rank Embroidered Uniform Guard Commander."
"...I had absolutely no idea."
To be honest, I still didn't know what these bastards actually did. Embroidered Uniform Guard? Was that an imperial military unit under the Emperor's direct command, or something like that? Regardless of how he interpreted my expression, Je Gang bowed his head to me again and said,
"As expected, you are not surprised by something of this magnitude."
"How could the person I chose be fazed by every little thing like that?"
For some reason, Zhuge Yeong-yu seemed even more pleased that I wasn't surprised. I moved to the table and said,
"Anyway, if we have gathered like this, it must mean we've decided what to do now, right? Who is our next target?"
Je Gang said,
"Our next target is the Hao Sect."
Zhuge Yeong-yu had already sat down beside us and was listening. He nodded at me. Actually, I had already heard from him that the Hao Sect was the target.
"I heard the specifics from you. They're stirring up the whole of Shaanxi on orders from the Heavenly Demonic Cult, aren't they? Not stopping them is no different from opening a gate for the Heavenly Demonic Cult to enter Shaanxi."
Je Gang nodded and said,
"Yes, that is correct. However, the current situation is somewhat complicated. There are rumors that Mount Hua Sect has begun deploying people on a large scale to capture the Hao Sect and find out who is behind them."
"Mount Hua Sect? Hasn't it been confirmed that the Heavenly Demonic Cult is behind them?"
Je Gang shook his head.
"There is a difference between a rumor spreading and confirming its reality. The rumor is simply that they are searching for something on the orders of the Heavenly Demonic Cult. We currently do not know exactly whose orders the Hao Sect is following, what they are looking for, or the purpose of whoever commanded them."
Zhuge Yeong-yu took over from Je Gang.
"If Mount Hua Sect captures the Hao Sect first and learns their true purpose and those behind them, depending on the circumstances, Mount Hua's standing in Shaanxi will grow uncontrollably. What if the Heavenly Demonic Cult really is plotting some wicked scheme in Shaanxi? What if Mount Hua discovers it, stops it early, and saves not just Shaanxi but the entire Central Plains?"
"Just hearing it makes my stomach turn."
It was an unpleasant prospect. Mount Hua and I were bound by a fated grudge. If I saw those bastards suddenly rising in success, I would die of qi deviation. I had to sabotage this matter by any means necessary.
Zhuge Yeong-yu said,
"The key in this matter is not stopping the Heavenly Demonic Cult's plot. It is finding those bastards and extracting information from them before Mount Hua does."
I asked,
"But our opponent is Mount Hua, isn't it? As a member of the Nine Sects One Gang, getting help from the Beggars' Sect should be easy for them. Can we really match them in an information war?"
Zhuge Yeong-yu shook his head resolutely and said,
"The Beggars' Sect is good at spreading rumors, but in intelligence gathering, they fall short of the Hao Sect. There are limited places beggars can go, but the members of the Hao Sect move around a much wider area.
There are many places beggars cannot enter and many people they cannot meet. But gisaengs and waiters belonging to the Hao Sect can hear whispered secrets from drunk people and pass them through their network, while boatmen and coachmen have countless chances to see nobles up close.
Furthermore, Mount Hua has rarely exerted influence outside of Mount Hua, so they are bound to be slower than us in this kind of organized intelligence war. Although their martial arts level might be higher than ours, this is a fight worth taking on."
Our goal was this.
Find the deeply hidden leaders of the Hao Sect, beat them to a pulp, and then uncover their plot.
Before Mount Hua does.