162. Martial Alliance (5)
Martial Alliance (5)
162. Martial Alliance (5)
Dan-yeong, who had taken a room at an inn on East Street, slowly turned back. The Baek Clan Estate had been issued a silver badge. If Tang Woo hadn't accompanied them, they couldn't even have come to the western district. That kid Dan-yeong. I'd thought he'd head back feeling refreshed after hearing his older brother's advice, but he still wore a troubled expression as he turned away, his steps listless. Well, the brooding was his share. When I was winning my own woman, I'd agonized so much my head nearly burst over problems that weren't even that big a deal.
Once the first guest had left, I started the exercises I always did. After reaching the first-rate realm, I'd begun losing muscle mass. The bulging muscles I'd worked so hard to build were changing into dense, compact muscles suited for actual combat rather than show. I didn't like that, so I simply increased my weight-training time.
—Honestly, are you not a strange one? Normally, after reaching the first-rate realm, people train by lightly practicing their sword or meditating, yet here you are, obsessively working at external arts fit for a third-rate warrior. Tsk.—
Geo Am nagged me while watching my workout, even though he'd been a muscleman himself when alive.
—This isn't external-arts training. It's exercise.—
—You are doing the same thing as Shaolin. Do you know the difference between the Indestructible Vajra Body and the Vajra Art?—
—The Shaolin monks mentioned it last time when they saw Senior Sister Cho. The Indestructible Vajra Body makes your hair fall out, while the Vajra Art leaves it intact. What's the difference?—
—The Indestructible Vajra Body is a complete external art. It covers the whole body in hard external conditioning, typified by the Iron Shirt. Because it turns the skin as hard as steel, the hair roots can't withstand it. The Vajra Art, by contrast, combines external and internal arts. That's why an advanced Vajra Art can even block Sword Qi. But if one can reach the end of the path, Shaolin's method is superior: the Indestructible Vajra Body supplies the external art, while a separate profound internal cultivation art supplies the internal power.—
—Then why were you bald, Layman? You didn't have a single hair root left, and it wasn't because you had shaved your head.—
—I lost my hair at forty and completed the Vajra Art at fifty. Thanks to that, I was spared the trouble of shaving for the rest of my life. Come to think of it, could those Shaolin monks be learning the Indestructible Vajra Body because shaving is such a nuisance?—
Geo Am, spouting idle chatter. Cho-ryeong had gone to the First Manor today as well to entertain Murong Rin's younger sister, so perhaps he was a little bored.
—It's still better than being lazy. The training is so bizarre that I can't fathom its usefulness, but it may help someday.—
The Flame Emperor, linking everything to martial arts. He'd practically grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and dragged me into the first-rate realm, but any growth beyond this point was now my responsibility. Meditation had no meaning for me in the first place, because the realm I'd reached wasn't attained through enlightenment, and although I was building real combat ability by sparring against the Four Heroes, it seemed I had hit my limit there as well. As a result, my fighting ability itself had reached a level where I wouldn't be outmatched by an ordinary first-rate master, but I was still completely incapable of mystical feats like blocking sound with a Qi Barrier, or moving objects telekinetically using Formless Qi.
—In any case, you are a first-rate master now, are you not, Reverend? The Martial Alliance must be full of experts. Do you not intend to try a spar?—
—Too much trouble. Winning would cause problems too. I'm going to keep quiet and leave.—
Moon Immortal clicked her tongue in exasperation. I knew that a duel with a powerful opponent was a precious opportunity for a martial artist, but the Four Heroes, whose skill surpassed anyone's, sparred with me every day already. I had no desire to stake my pride on some troublesome match. If I fought with the Spirit Vessel Art, no one could oppose me in the first place. If I fought with my own power and suffered a proper defeat, however, the limits of my strength would become known, which could complicate future battles in which I fought alongside the Four Heroes.
"Junior Brother, we have guests. They say they are from the Gongsun Clan, and this time they brought a young maiden as well. Shall I bring Senior Sister Jeong?"
Son Yeong spoke to me as she brought a towel. The Five Great Clans, like the Tang Clan, had received Drunken Beggar's report after the Great Sun Association incident and swiftly came looking for us. But the communications network hadn't spread across the entire Central Plains, so our rumors hadn't yet spread widely beyond the sects of Hebei and Beijing.
The Gongsun Clan. Perhaps because their close ties with the high officials and nobles of Beijing made them extremely well-versed in politics, or perhaps because they'd investigated our intelligence following the past affairs of the Peng Clan and Red Flower Pavilion, they'd sought us out faster than any other prestigious clan. And they'd brought a woman along, too. Had the fact that we'd taken over Red Flower Pavilion led them to consider me a lecher? Well, the deterrent was more than sufficient even without Jeong-hyang. The Tang Clan had pushed Tang Min forward on the grounds of being in-laws, but other places wouldn't be able to thrust a woman at me out of the blue.
"No. Senior Sister Son, please assist me."
"Pleased to meet you. I am Gongsun Su-hyeok, the Young Clan Head of the Gongsun Clan."
A handsome youth of slightly short stature. His attire was not extravagant, yet carried a certain dignity. I'd pictured a majestic general when I heard he was the Young Clan Head of the Gongsun Clan, famed for its cavalry, but the reality was completely different.
"I am Yeongmok of the Yeongsan Sect."
Behind Gongsun Su-hyeok stood a pretty young lady of about seventeen and a generous-looking, stout middle-aged man, both with respectful poise.
"We heard the Yeongsan Sect had come to the Alliance and came to pay our respects."
"Thank you."
"I received a letter from my older sister. Thank you again for smoothly resolving the matter of the main family and Red Flower Pavilion."
Gongsun Su-hyeok glanced cautiously at me. Come to think of it, the Gongsun Clan could have been in a slightly awkward position with us because of the Red Flower Pavilion affair, couldn't they? His older sister had met us and resolved it cleanly, but it seemed Yeongsan, with its fearsome rising momentum, had become a burden to them.
"Red Flower Pavilion is already one of our people. We are truly grateful that you overlooked it generously despite having suffered great losses."
The atmosphere softened. Because that side had been closer to officialdom than the Martial World from the start, our relationship with the Gongsun Clan was something we, too, had subtly been concerned about.
"Had I been in Beijing, I would have guided you around. It has become truly regrettable."
"I received a guide from an old friend from my hometown. I even saw the Gongsun Clan estate."
"Did Beijing suit your taste?"
"The capital under heaven is indeed different."
"Should you ever come to Beijing, please visit our main clan. As you know, Beijing is not far from Seungdeok Manor."
Once we clarified there were no lingering, stale feelings between us, the conversation grew warm. Then, Gongsun Su-hyeok cast a sidelong glance at the young lady behind him and spoke carefully.
"This is my female second cousin, Gongsun Myeong. Her face is very lovely, but her character is lovelier still."
Just as I thought. Even if not desperate, he meant to probe at least once before leaving.
"I appreciate your words, but..."
"Even as a concubine is fine. If you keep me by your side, I will most certainly be of help to you, Reverend."
The woman cut off my attempt to refuse and spoke with audacity. That intelligent and resolute gaze reminded me of Gongsun Su-hyeok's older sister, Gongsun Ji. At that moment, Son Yeong, who had been waiting outside, entered the guest room. The situation was so transparent that the moment they saw Son Yeong's face, their expressions turned regretful as if they sensed my intent to refuse.
"You are the Young Clan Head? I am Son Yeong of the Yeongsan Sect."
"I am Gongsun Su-hyeok."
While Gongsun Su-hyeok and Gongsun Myeong were startled by Son Yeong's face, the stout man behind them seemed considerably shocked as he assessed Son Yeong's internal energy depth. The first Spirit Pills the Yeongsan Sect had taken had raised internal energy by as much as twenty years, and the Medicine Immortal Pills taken at Seungdeok Manor were still being gradually absorbed even then. Moreover, as long as our internal art and master were of an incredible level, the Yeongsan Sect, in less than a single year, had reached a level not in the least inferior to the elite participants of the Dragon-Phoenix Gathering from the great sects.
"We understand the Gongsun Clan's intent to forge a firm friendship through a marriage alliance. However, that is unnecessary. That is because our Senior Sister Son here has agreed to become my wife, and Lady Jang Ga-yang, a martial artist of the Gongsun Clan, is to become my sister-in-law."
Their faces brightened at once. The news that a relationship between the sects had already been formed, however slight, without any need to offer the daughter of a noble clan as a concubine, made their expressions relax greatly.
"Exactly as you say, Young Clan Head. Please take good care of Ga-yang."
"Of course. Heroine Son. Please visit the Beijing Gongsun Clan to see your younger sibling at any time."
The Gongsun Clan's visit had been able to end truly easily. There would hardly be any occasion to need their help, but still, if I maintained good relations, I could receive assistance if anything ever happened to Do-hwa. Even Gongsun Myeong, who'd declared she would become my concubine, left with them without the slightest hint of regret once her objective had been achieved.
I knew it. What was so good about me that she'd want to become my concubine on our first meeting? Tang Min's case, if anything, was the one I truly could not understand.
"I feel far happier than I expected from what Senior Sister Jeong told me. I never knew being introduced before others as your wife would make me this happy."
After the Gongsun Clan had left, Son Yeong spoke with a radiant smile.
"Next time, I'll ask you, Senior Sister Lee."
"Huh? Me?"
Lee Eun-ha, who had settled leisurely into the pavilion and was playing the pipa, looked at us and asked.
"Yes. Word seemed to have already spread. When I told them Senior Sister Jeong would be my wife, they seemed to be thinking of sending their daughters even just as concubines. So, I thought I had to show them that I already had enough wives, to stop them from pestering me."
"Heh. Sorry, but I'll pass. You know me, Junior Brother. I would actually welcome becoming a concubine in a prestigious family. Doesn't every hero have three wives and four concubines?"
An unexpected rejection from Lee Eun-ha.
"It's already four wives, not three. If I accept just one or two, the concubines alone will number in the dozens."
"I know. That's why I'm not opposing it. Instead, ask the senior sisters to handle the role of turning away guests."
"Wow. Isn't that a bit too harsh?"
"What can I do? My husband chose this kind of woman."
A playful Lee Eun-ha. This side of her was truly a first. She'd always been so fed up with Jeong-hyang's pranks, yet she herself had changed like this. Maybe this was her true self?
"Guests have come calling. It is the Zhuge Clan."
A servant told us respectfully. Already, more of them? Lee Eun-ha's pipa playing shifted to a lighter melody.
"Did they bring a young lady again?"
"No. They are three men. They wish to see the Medicine Immortal, not the Young Master. All three are around the age of twenty and are extremely handsome."
The music stopped for a moment. Lee Eun-ha looked at me with an awkward smile. I'd considered teasing her a bit, but upon reflection, the only person who could laugh at the sight of someone flirting with my woman would be Peng Gang, so like it or not, I, too, had to go to the guest hall and let them know early on: the Medicine Immortal was my woman.
"Guests really did come in droves. If we'd taken rooms at an inn, there'd have been dozens of times more."
When evening came and everyone gathered in the dining hall, Son Yeong murmured quietly.
"But isn't it good? They said I'd become Junior Brother's wife. My heart is still fluttering."
Jeong-hyang, exhausted from a full day of prayers, recalled that memory and smiled happily.
"I would like it if you got concubines, but honestly, it did feel good."
Lee Eun-ha, who had been teasing me earlier, also spoke as if embarrassed.
"Then, how about Master next time?"
As Jeong-hyang said it jokingly, Master instantly set down her chopsticks with a stiff expression and spoke firmly.
"Absolutely not."
"What? Why? You are Junior Brother's wife too, Master, aren't you? And our First Madam, at that?"
"Hyang. I am Yeongmok's master. If it became known to the world that he took his master as his wife, even Yeongmok, who is to become a hero, would be pointed at and condemned his entire life. Not only Yeongmok and I, but the entire Yeongsan Sect would suffer a disgrace far greater than any unorthodox faction."
The warm, harmonious mood vanished in a single instant. A chillingly frozen atmosphere that didn't suit the Yeongsan Sect. It was truly fortunate that Cho-ryeong was at the Murong estate.
"But, Master. You can't hide it your whole life, can you?"
Son Yeong spoke to Master with a pained expression, but Master shook her head and said,
"I will hide it for my whole life. I shall be Yeongmok's wife, but on the record, Yeongmok's wives will be only you three. As the Sect Leader of the Yeongsan Sect, as your master, I will absolutely never permit my disciples to be pointed at and condemned."
My chest tightened. Although we'd encountered many sects during our journey through the martial world, the Yeongsan Sect was fundamentally not one that mingled with the martial world. Because of that, we'd been quietly setting aside the issue of Master until now, but here at the Martial Alliance, the heart of the martial world, the problem had finally begun to surface, little by little.
"Don't make such faces. Once we've met the Alliance Leader, we'll return to Yeongsan. There, we can live harmoniously among ourselves, just as before."
Even in that situation, Master carefully comforted her dejected disciples as she looked at their somber faces.
"And after we return to the Yeongsan Sect? Someday you'll bear Junior Brother's child, too, Master. Whose child will you say it is?"
"How could I bear a child? I am already past thirty. You girls have to bear the children. Your children will be no different from my own. I'll take good care of them, so bear me lots of pretty babies."
"Don't lie. You really adore babies, Master, don't you?"
Jeong-hyang's eyes were even glistening with tears. Whether she was with Cho-ryeong, or nursing Do-hwa's baby, Master had always been a maternal figure overflowing with motherly love. Jeong-hyang cried out at that fact which everyone in the Yeongsan Sect knew, but Master just quietly shook her head and silently picked up her chopsticks again.
Damn it. Brooding over wife troubles wasn't Dan-yeong's burden alone. I had forgotten, but not having completely resolved my problem with her was something I shared as well.