The Heavenly Brain of the Jegal Clan (5)
Shaanxi. Just like Hapbi and Henan, it was a region I had never set foot in during my previous life, simply because our paths had never crossed. With the Mount Hua Sect, the Zhongnan Sect, and even the Jegal Clan gathered here—three of the Nine Great Schools and Five Great Clans—the entire area was bustling with activity.
While Sichuan, home to the Emei Sect, the Dian Cang Sect, the Qingcheng Sect, and the Sichuan Tang Clan, was said to house the largest concentration of the Nine Schools and Five Clans, it lacked this level of prosperity. Perhaps because it bordered the same remote frontier zones as Qinghai, the atmosphere there simply couldn’t compare. Here, there wasn’t a single place untouched by human footsteps. And it was in the very heart of this lively city that our group finally arrived.
“We are from the Namgung Clan. Open the gates.”
When Namgung Jehyun, who led the procession at the front, announced our affiliation, the two warriors guarding the Jegal Clan’s entrance immediately swung both doors wide open. The column began moving slowly into the Jegal Clan’s grounds, and I moved along with them as one of its members.
Just as the Namgung Clan had welcomed the Poison Dragon and his party in the past, a great number of Jegal Clan warriors and retainers had come out to greet us. They stood waiting inside.
“It has been five years since we last met, Commander of the Changgung Sword Squad.”
At that moment, a man stepped forward from among the warriors and retainers, expressing his delight at seeing Namgung Jehyun. He lightly fluttered the distinctive white feather fan of the Jegal Clan as he approached us.
“Have you been well all this time, Lord Jegal?” Namgung Jehyun greeted him with a cupped-fist bow, addressing him as the Jegal Clan Lord.
The Jegal Clan Lord returned the gesture with a similar bow. “I’ve been doing just fine, as always.”
After a few rounds of polite greetings, their conversation gradually grew longer. At the same time, the atmosphere between them eased considerably. It felt almost like they were old friends. Perhaps that was only natural. Since the age difference between the Jegal Clan Lord and Namgung Jehyun wasn’t that great, they must have become acquainted through these exchanges since childhood.
Thanks to that, everyone from both clans was suddenly left standing around awkwardly like ducks stranded on the Nakdong River, forced to read the room in uncomfortable silence. Just as people were exchanging cautious glances, someone approached the Jegal Clan Lord and spoke.
“My lord, you’ve kept our guests standing for too long.”
The young man bore a strong resemblance to the Jegal Clan Lord, as if one were looking at him in his youth. If Jegal Soyeon, whom I had seen recently, had been born male, she might have looked something like this. I recognized him immediately. He was Jegal Jihan, the young master of the Jegal Clan.
At Jegal Jihan’s words, the Jegal Clan Lord looked slightly embarrassed and said, “Oh dear, I got so caught up in the joy of seeing an old friend that I let the greetings drag on.”
He took a small step back and gestured with his hand toward the interior. Turning slowly to look at our group, including Namgung Jehyun, he continued, “We have prepared a meal so that you may shake off the fatigue of your long journey. Please lighten your burdens first, and I will have you guided inside.”
Namgung Jehyun listened, thought for a moment, then offered a cupped-fist bow. “Then we shall do so. Thank you for your warm hospitality.”
It was a grand feast.
Expensive, high-quality liquor and what appeared to be costly cuts of meat. There were also delicacies rarely seen in Hapbi. Since none of us had eaten properly during the several days of travel, we quickly took our seats and began putting food into our mouths. The plates were emptied in the blink of an eye. It wasn’t that there wasn’t enough food—I myself had already eaten my fill. We had simply devoured everything at an astonishing speed.
“It’s been a while. Let’s all have a drink.”
Namgung Jehyun lifted a small wine bottle and gave permission for the others to drink. One by one, everyone picked up whatever was in front of them. For martial artists, drinking alcohol instead of water was no issue; they could simply purge the intoxication with their inner energy. Their tolerance was truly formidable.
“Hmm…”
It was quite an uncomfortable situation. First of all, I wasn’t the type to particularly enjoy drinking and revelry. More importantly, my current body was still very young, so I couldn’t touch alcohol at all. In the end, I could only sit there blankly watching the others drink, occasionally poking at the remaining food with my chopsticks.
Then someone appeared beside me and tapped my shoulder lightly. I turned my head left and right, but everyone was busy chatting among themselves. So I turned around.
“Everyone’s busy drinking, so it must be rather dull for you, right?”
Jegal Soyeon smiled brightly and gave a small wave. The wounds from that time seemed to have healed completely; her complexion looked as healthy as when I had first met her.
“Would you come with me for a moment?”
Jegal Soyeon took a step back and beckoned me to follow. Wondering if it was all right to leave first, I glanced sideways at Namgung Jehyun. He was already watching this side, having noticed Jegal Soyeon’s appearance. When I gave him a signal, he nodded in approval.
Seeing that, I rose from my seat and followed Jegal Soyeon. She led me out of the building, across the manor, and to some unknown destination. I had no idea where we were going. All I could tell was that the place was on a scale that didn’t fall short of the banquet hall we had just left.
“Do you know where this is?”
How could I? It was a place I had never seen in my entire life. I shook my head and answered that I didn’t know. She let out a soft chuckle and opened the door.
“Please go in, Supreme Sword Dragon.”
The man I had seen earlier in the manor—the Lord of the Jegal Clan—was seated in the central chair, waiting to receive me.
“The Lord of our clan has been awaiting your visit, Supreme Sword Dragon.”
I walked slowly into the room. As I did, I took in the surroundings. It didn’t seem to be a study; unlike the Namgung Clan Lord’s room, there weren’t piles of paper or a strong scent of ink. Instead, there were many decorations unnecessary for daily life—white porcelain, painted scrolls, and the like. It appeared to be a room meant for receiving guests.
Jegal Soyeon went to sit beside the Jegal Clan Lord, and I took the seat opposite the one she pointed to.
“It is an honor to meet the Supreme Sword Dragon, the young sword prodigy everyone is talking about.”
“The honor is mine, Lord Jegal.”
The moment I sat down, the Jegal Clan Lord spoke as if he had been waiting. When I replied, he smiled contentedly and continued.
“First of all, there are certainly things I wish to say, but let’s set the trivial matters aside.”
He spoke with a resolute expression. Placing both hands on his knees, he emphasized once more with strength.
“Thank you.”
“In my heart, I would like to bow my head in gratitude, but the position of clan lord does not permit it.”
He spoke with clear regret, then reached into his robe. From within, he took out something and handed it to me. It was a plaque made of black and gold. On the palm-sized tablet, the two characters for “Jegal” were inscribed in the center. I accepted it, turned it over, and examined the back. The reverse side also bore characters, and those read “Repayment of Grace.”
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it, but this is called a Grace Repayment Plaque.”
It was an object I knew well. Even those who weren’t martial artists had probably heard of it at least once, and every martial artist had likely dreamed of obtaining one at some point. The Grace Repayment Plaque. Just as the name suggested, it was a token used to repay a favor. If someone brought this plaque to a sect or clan and made a request, the sect or clan was obligated to grant it—unless it was something that would greatly destabilize the organization—even if it meant suffering a loss.
Depending on who used it, it might be nothing special, but in the right hands, it could hold value greater than a thousand pieces of gold. Given its external prestige and the possibilities it contained, it was not something easily obtained or lightly given away. It was an item bestowed only when a sect or clan owed a truly great debt. And now, one such object rested in my hand. Moreover, it belonged to one of the Five Great Clans.
“…Of course, I have heard of it.”
I had expected at most some spiritual medicine or rare treasure, but this was something I had never anticipated. Although the Jegal Clan was considered among the lower ranks of the Five Great Clans, it was still one of them. Their power surpassed that of most ordinary forces, and their influence and standing were equally significant. If I could ask them for any single favor, it would be an incredibly useful card to prevent the bloody events that would unfold in the future. This was an unexpected great achievement.
I carefully stored the plaque inside my robe and expressed my gratitude to the Jegal Clan Lord.
“Thank you, Lord Jegal.”
“No, the thanks are mine.”
The Jegal Clan Lord rose from his seat as he spoke. Looking at me, he added, “I would like to talk more, but there are matters I must attend to even at this late hour, so I shall take my leave first.”
He walked toward the door, then said to me as he left, “You must be tired from the long journey as well. Go and rest soon.”
I watched his retreating figure disappear, then stood up. Turning to Jegal Soyeon, I gave her a small bow.
“I shall take my leave as well.”
Jegal Soyeon returned the bow and said, “Then farewell, Supreme Sword Dragon.”
From there, I went straight to the room where the three Namgung siblings were staying. I told Namgung Seha about the gains I had made today, then entered my own room and went to bed rather early.