In Shandong (2)
I was flustered because of the man walking toward us from up ahead.
Namgung Kang.
The leader of the Baekcheon Merchant Group.
As far as I knew, every five years, the senior members of the Murim Alliance gathered to review the qualifications of the Baekcheon Merchant Group's leader.
Since the Baekcheon Merchant Group was funded by the Murim Alliance, the seniors' opinions carried tremendous weight.
And those seniors were the ones contributing substantial shares to the Baekcheon Merchant Group, so they couldn't help but take a keen interest.
After all, the profits—excluding reinvestments—went straight into their pockets.
Last autumn, under Namgung Kang's judgment, they'd tried to corner the market on the key ingredients for golden wound salve: fish bone powder and lime powder.
But thanks to my timely intervention, they'd taken massive financial hits and lost a great deal of face.
I'd heard that Namgung Kang's position had become quite precarious as a result.
Yet here he was, striding forward with such confidence. Looked like he'd managed to retain his post once more.
Well, he was tenacious even in my previous life.
And if he got the boot that easily, where would the fun be?
He owed me mountains of payback, after all. The real entertainment lay ahead.
Ah...
A sudden thought made me pause for a split second.
"Why do you ask, young master?"
The Seo-u Warrior noticed and asked. I schooled my expression and murmured softly in reply.
"I'm worried that guy might sense my realm. No dodging him now..."
"No need to fret over that."
"Pardon?"
"I'll explain later. Just stay calm and play it cool for now."
We drew near soon enough, and I spoke first.
"Ah! If it isn't the leader of the Baekcheon Merchant Group!"
He returned the greeting with a kindly smile.
"Ah, the young leader of the Eunhae Merchant Group!"
"You remember me! What an honor."
"Hahaha, no need for such flattery. Seeing you here, I take it you're attending the gathering too?"
"Yes, exactly. Meeting you makes the trip all the more worthwhile."
"Flatterer. Heh heh heh."
He let out a hearty laugh.
Yes, laugh it up.
For revenge, I can gild your face all day long.
"Ah, you seem in a hurry. I must be holding you up."
"Nonsense. It was good seeing you."
"Take care, then."
"Until next time."
With that, Namgung Kang and his entourage hurried off once more.
I watched his retreating back.
My current realm was Super First-rate.
Which meant I could gauge his as well. His realm was Super First-rate too.
As expected of the Namgung Clan.
To deem someone with that kind of talent unfit for a position in the family...
I'd heard that from a young age, he'd decided martial prowess wouldn't earn him influence there and pivoted to commerce instead.
Makes sense—the Namgung Clan boasted several Super First-rate experts, and the current clan head was a Transcendent Realm master.
Anyway, the Seo-u Warrior had told me not to worry, so I'd exchanged greetings... but still.
Did he really not notice my realm?
If he had, that face wouldn't have been so serene. At my age, Super First-rate was simply unheard of.
"Mind explaining now?"
The Seo-u Warrior nodded at my question.
"Of course. Truth be told, we don't know your exact realm, young master. It was always hazy, but now it's even harder to pin down."
"Pardon? Back in the North Sea, didn't you say you all knew it?"
He shook his head.
"That wasn't us gauging it—we saw you break through to a new realm right then."
"Pardon?"
"Sure, seeing you unleash martial arts would reveal it. But just looking? No clue. You're indistinguishable from any ordinary guy."
It wasn't like that before, was it?
But he says it was from before?
"Didn't you know my realm previously?"
"As I said, we figured it out by watching you fight."
I turned to the other guards.
"Seo-u Warrior's right—just looking, I can't tell your precise realm either."
The Jin Yu Warrior spoke up, and the rest nodded in agreement.
No reason for them to lie to me. And Namgung Kang's reaction backed it up.
Come to think of it, even before, he acted clueless about my realm.
He'd only learned during the Yongbong Tournament, when I became the celebrated hero.
So...
Nice.
I grinned.
Whatever the reason, the Murim Alliance's ignorance of my true strength was a boon.
I sent a sound transmission to my guards.
- My public image is still at Peak. Keep the Super First-rate breakthrough under wraps.
They responded with fist salutes of assent.
That aside, what had Namgung Kang rushing like that?
My instincts screamed to tail him.
So I did.
A short while later, we arrived not in Jenam's bustling districts.
It was slightly off the main drag, where a three-story tavern stood.
Golden Chicken Tower (金鷄樓).
They filed inside, and we followed suit, blending in naturally.
That's when snippets of first-floor chatter reached my ears.
"The spicy steamed chicken in Jenam? Gotta be here. It's just too tucked away for the crowds."
"Oh! You weren't kidding!"
"Pair this flavor with a drink, but the alcohol ban... what a pity."
"Tell me about it."
Ah, so that's the story behind the Golden Chicken Tower.
Spicy steamed chicken was one of Shandong Province's famed dishes.
How good could it be?
Gotta try it myself.
The waiter approached us then.
"Welcome! Party of how many?"
"Eight."
Having confirmed Namgung Kang's group ascending to the third floor, I asked,
"Any seats upstairs?"
"Third floor's fully reserved right now. Only this floor available."
Thorough bunch.
"This floor it is, then."
We claimed a spot by the second-floor railing and placed our order.
"Heard the spicy steamed chicken's the house specialty."
"Yes, sir! Our Golden Chicken Tower's pride and joy!"
"That, then. Tea's up to you."
"Right away!"
And so, unexpectedly, we ended up with steamed chicken.
While waiting, I directed my senses toward the third floor.
Mundane banter drifted down—nothing but empty chatter.
By then, our table was laden with food.
"Enjoy your meal."
"Thanks."
I addressed the group.
"Dig in."
"Bon appétit!"
"Bon appétit."
The first bite of spicy steamed chicken hit me like a thunderbolt—I was stunned.
Whoa! Why's this so damn good?
Best I'd ever tasted across both lives.
Those first-floor guys hadn't exaggerated one bit.
If anything, they'd undersold it.
"Whoa! This is insanely good!"
Palgap's verdict had the other guards nodding furiously as they tore in.
Yet in my previous life, I'd frequented these parts often and never heard of the Golden Chicken Tower.
A place this incredible? No way I'd have missed... Gasp!
Not the time.
The flavor was dangerously distracting.
I shook it off and refocused on their talk.
Good timing—they were finally cutting to the chase.
"So, I just gotta rattle that old geezer?"
"That's all we need."
"But y'know, feels like I'm getting shortchanged. That old man's not the type to budge easy. Means I'm risking my neck, and your offer's kinda light."
"Light, you say?"
"Might as well bump it up—say, another hundred nyang."
"Fine. Hundred nyang more it is."
"Much obliged. And don't forget that promise: deputy leader spot in your group when I join."
Shady as hell, even from afar.
"We'll be off, then."
"Safe travels."
I snapped back to feigned innocence, zeroing in on my food.
"Man, this is legit delicious."
"Right? Mind if we get seconds?"
"Heck yeah. You know I'm not cheap with grub."
Palgap beamed and flagged the waiter for more spicy steamed chicken.
Namgung Kang finished his business and descended from the third floor.
His newly appointed aide ventured a cautious question.
"You really adding those extra hundred nyang?"
"Worth every coin for this job. It's a launchpad for Baekcheon to climb higher."
"True, but..."
"Spit it out."
"Bringing that guy into Baekcheon feels off. What if he spills and exposes us...?"
"Relax. He won't be working for the group."
"Huh?"
He caught on moments later and nodded.
That perceptiveness was why Namgung Kang had picked him as aide.
"As expected of our leader!"
Right now, Namgung Kang was desperate.
Earlier this year, his position as Baekcheon leader had come under fire. The Murim Alliance seniors had toyed with ousting him.
"In the Heavenly Top 100 Merchants list announced at the palace during this league meet, Baekcheon's at sixth."
"Not just failing to climb—dropping."
"I-I... my deepest apologies."
"We eat the losses, swallow the insults, watch our rank slip... Why keep you as leader?"
"..."
"But your clan's reputation and your past service buy you one more shot."
"Thank you!"
"One condition, though."
"Name it."
"Three years. Elevate Baekcheon to top three merchants. Fail, and you're done."
"But doesn't the leader's term grant five years?"
"Sure. But if you can't crack top three in three, that's your ceiling. No sense dragging it out."
"..."
Exactly.
He had to vault Baekcheon into the top three—in three years.
To pull that off fast, he'd need to topple the leaders above or snatch their turf.
I showered those old fogeys with lavish gifts, wagged my tail like a dog... Damn it all, a conditional leader!
Still inwardly cursing the seniors as he descended, he froze.
Familiar faces at that table.
"Isn't that the Eunhae young leader's crew?"
His aide recognized them too.
"Think they overheard us?"
"Possible."
Just then, Palgap shot up a hand and hollered for the waiter.
"Order here!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Five more portions of spicy steamed chicken."
"Right away!"
Their table was buried under a mountain of stripped chicken bones.
No way serious eavesdroppers left a mess like that.
And the sight made his own stomach rumble.
"Looks like they're just here to eat."
"Yeah, seems so. They sure pack it away."
"Let's move. No upside if they clock our meet."
"Understood."
They'd cleared the entire third floor as precaution—no way second-floor talk carried up.
Peak-level skills couldn't catch upstairs whispers anyway. And these ceilings are tall.
Reason they'd picked the spot.
Eun Seo-ho's realm was veiled, but such concealing arts weren't unheard of.
Besides, if his origins were truly suspect, the Murim Alliance wouldn't have hailed him hero at the Yongbong Tournament.
Even to divert the masses' eyes, they wouldn't risk it on someone shady.
That's the Murim Alliance for you.
Namgung Kang shook off the thoughts and bolted from the tavern.
I glanced at Namgung Kang's back as he fled the tavern.
True to form, he'd spotted us but played dumb and scrammed.
His business here was anything but aboveboard.
I rose, pretending a bathroom break, masked my presence, and slipped upstairs.
There sat a lone man sipping tea on the third floor.
Who the hell's that?
Never seen the face in my previous life.
I withdrew quietly and sound-transmitted Jin Yu Warrior: Look into that guy.
Baekcheon was definitely up to no good. And whatever it was, it didn't look wholesome.
Time to wreck it, then.