The Test (4)
My words prompted the Won-up squad leader to ask,
"I-Is that really true?"
"Yes."
"What is this antidote method you speak of?"
"Well..."
I hesitated, unable to answer right away, and he pressed urgently.
"Why are you doing this? Why start to speak and then stop?"
"The antidote is a bit... unconventional, you see. It is an antidote, but it might come across as me mocking you great heroes."
I let out a sigh.
"It would just make things awkward between us, so despite the pain, it might be best to endure it for five days."
At my words, he grabbed my sleeve in desperation.
"Ugh! You're telling us this to help detoxify us—how could we possibly misunderstand?"
"Really?"
"Really!"
"Fair enough. Holding a grudge over me sharing the cure would mean you're not fit to be enemies of the Murim Alliance."
"E-Exactly!"
I turned to the other squad members and asked,
"Do you all feel the same?"
"Y-Yes."
"We'll do whatever you say—just please fix this stomach pain."
"Ugh! I feel like I'm dying."
They clutched their bellies, gazing at me with pleading eyes.
"Very well, then. First, everyone lie down on the ground."
At my command, they obediently lay flat on their backs.
"Roll to the left three times."
"...What?"
"Roll left three times, then right three more."
One squad member burst out at my instructions.
"Isn't this the kind of mental training they make dimwits do?"
I sighed again.
"Sigh, I figured as much. That's why I suggested just enduring it for five days. You're already reacting like this—how could I possibly help with the antidote?"
"..."
"And you call yourselves part of the Murim Alliance? The pride of the righteous sects, harboring such suspicions."
"S-Sorry."
"Forget it. I'll just bow out here. Sure, you'll suffer like hell for five days, but at least there won't be any misunderstandings. I don't want to die young over some false accusation."
I turned to leave without a second thought, and they grimaced, staggering over to grovel.
"W-We were wrong!"
"P-Please forgive us."
I put on a gloomy expression.
"This isn't the time, but seeing you keep talking down to me makes it seem like you don't recognize me as a fellow martial artist. The Alliance Leader bestowed the title of Seonhyeopmirang on me and ordered me to join this mission."
"..."
"Guess you disagree with the Leader's judgment."
"N-No... that's not it."
"Absolutely not."
Good, their tails are between their legs now.
You should've done this from the start.
The pain must have them so out of it that the formal speech came naturally in one go.
"So please, we beg you for the antidote."
"Enduring this agony for five days is too much."
"And if we run into any shady types, it'll be a disaster."
"It's fine."
I told them,
"My group and I are skilled enough to protect you all."
"H-How skilled?"
I glanced at the squad leader, and under my gaze, he cleared his throat and corrected himself.
"How skilled are you?"
No surprise—these arrogant types wouldn't remember my realm.
"The Seo-u Warrior here and I are at the peak realm. And Yeo Eung-am Warrior recently reached it too."
"Th-Three peak realm experts..."
"Yes. And we're flying the Murim Alliance banner openly—who'd be fool enough to attack, knowing they'd be hunted for life?"
As I continued, their faces grew paler by the second.
In other words, I had plenty of reasons not to bother detoxifying them right now.
"So rest easy, even if it's painful."
Thud.
They dropped to their knees at my words.
"P-Please, we're begging you."
"We won't have any silly misunderstandings—just save us!"
"I really feel like I'm going to die!"
Watching the squad leader and his men plead like that, I smirked inwardly.
"Alright. I'll trust you heroes one more time."
They nodded furiously in response.
So vigorously I worried their necks might snap.
"Then lie down and roll left three times, right three times."
They followed without complaint.
"Now left five rolls, right five rolls."
"Sit and do jumping jacks on the spot, facing east, west, south, north—ten times each!"
With every command, the squad leader and his men grew filthier with dirt.
Ah, that feels so good!
A quick glance back showed my group looking equally relieved, like a massive weight off their chests.
After rolling them around for about half a shichen, I finally spoke to the Yi-pil Warrior.
"Did you bring the herb I mentioned?"
"Yes, here it is."
I held out the herb to the squad leader and his men.
"Now chew and eat this."
"Got it."
They took it, chewed, and soon wore amazed expressions as the pain vanished.
"Huh? My stomach doesn't hurt anymore."
"Whoa! I'm really better!"
"Incredible!"
Then someone asked me,
"Why couldn't we just eat this herb from the start?"
"Why make us go through all that rolling first?"
The question I expected—and I'm prepared.
I sighed deliberately.
"Sigh, there's always that one person who, after you save them from drowning, complains you threw a hemp rope instead of silk."
I continued,
"Herbs can be poison or medicine depending on the situation. If you'd eaten it without preparation, it wouldn't have worked properly. Making you move was to prime your bodies for instant detox."
"..."
They looked embarrassed at my explanation.
"And after all that explanation, someone still questions it? The future of the jianghu worries me."
They fidgeted, wishing they could crawl into a hole.
Then Palgap spoke up.
"They say you go in one way to the outhouse and come out changed... Young master, you didn't trust them at all!"
"I thought the same. It's depressing. And these are the next generation of the jianghu... Never mind."
I lamented, sneaking a peek at the squad leader and his men.
All wearing ashamed faces.
"Well, we'll head back now. It's late—get some rest."
"Yes, good night."
The squad leader bowed hastily, and I returned the gesture wordlessly before heading to our campsite.
"You look very refreshed, young master."
I nodded at the Seo-u Warrior's words and grinned.
"What can I say?"
Our campsite was a bit away from theirs, out of sight.
And with the carriage blocking, no sound carried over.
The Yi-pil Warrior said,
"Coming up with that herb trick—truly impressive."
"Thanks to you, Yi-pil Warrior."
The Yeo Eung-am Warrior added,
"They won't dare treat us lightly now."
"Yes, I planted that guilt on purpose."
Palgap shook his head.
"I'll never make an enemy of you, young master. I just want to live long and prosper."
At that, my group all nodded unconsciously—until our eyes met.
Then they grinned awkwardly.
"I'm showing this side because you're my people. If you weren't, I'd only show the nice parts."
"That means you trust us that much?"
I chuckled at Palgap's words.
"Think what you want."
......
Dawn broke.
We cooked breakfast, finished preparations, and as we did, the squad leader approached.
"Did you sleep well last night?"
"Yes, thanks to the pain being gone—I slept like a rock."
They were busy washing up this morning.
Passed out covered in dirt without even cleaning.
Must've been exhausted from all that rolling under the moonlight.
And the squad leader was speaking to me oh-so-politely now.
The mental training worked wonders.
"We'll depart in about an hour."
"Understood."
"And... um..."
He scratched his cheek and continued.
"I was too petty last night. I apologize."
"Apology accepted."
Whether this came from realizing his own pettiness, last night's events, or learning my peak realm—didn't matter.
What mattered was that I'd received the apology.
We weren't stuck together long-term, so sincerity was irrelevant.
All that counted was spending the rest of the trip comfortably.
A short while later.
We set off toward Mount Tai again.
Our horses' steps toward Mount Tai felt oddly light.
Ah, these guys had a lot pent up too.
Well, we're their masters.
The journey to Mount Tai passed in peace and comfort.
To them, I was both their savior and a source of guilt, so they treated us well.
Hit them with the stick, then the carrot—if the result's good, that's what counts.
We traveled a few more days and soon reached Jeonam.
"We'll rest here today and visit the Mount Tai sect tomorrow."
"Yes."
"Know any good inns around?"
I pointed to one.
"Cheongsan Inn over there is fine."
It was the inn I'd stayed at before, for the Baekyeom Merchant Group's Hundred Merchants Conference.
Pretty decent.
We booked rooms and unpacked.
"I'll take a quick look around nearby."
"Sure, go ahead."
My group and I left the inn.
Might as well check out the market shops while in Jeonam.
Jeonam bustled with foreign trade.
Cultural exchanges thrived, making it a trendsetter for the empire.
Those trends flowed to Beijing, fueling more growth.
Just scouting Jeonam's shops let you predict Beijing trends halfway accurately.
Essential work for a merchant.
"Hm, plenty of interesting stuff."
Observing the market, something caught my eye.
I approached.
"Isn't this a rouge dish?"
"Yes."
Shandong was as famed for ceramics as its ironware.
Thanks to the quality clay.
The fine patterns gilded with gold threads looked stunning.
"Gotta get one."
Palgap nodded knowingly.
"Since you're buying a rouge dish, how about picking a shade for Madam Gwak and filling it? Nice gesture."
"Good idea... Wait, I never said who it was for."
"I'm your servant, young master. I know. Heh heh."
Embarrassing.
The rouge dish was indeed a gift for Seo Hyang.
She had to keep a plain appearance to hide her identity, and I felt bad about it.
Then the Seo-u Warrior said,
"I'll take one too. My wife would love it."
The Yeo Eung-am Warrior followed,
"This one's pretty. My concubine would like it. Haha."
I chuckled.
"Then let's hit a rouge shop nearby."
The rouge shop was mostly women customers.
But the power of a group...
We bought without awkwardness.
Fun fact: the shop sourced from Eunhae Merchant Group.
I could've taken it for free, but that'd be cutting off my nose.
Heading back from the shop, someone called out.
"Who do we have here? Eunhae Merchant Group's Eun Seo-ho, young branch head?"
Turning, I saw a welcome face.
Baekyeom Merchant Group's Ho Kyung, the young master.
"Ah, Young Master Ho!"
"Good to see you, Young Branch Head Eun. What brings you here?"
"Business. You've grown taller since last time."
"Haha! Yes, a bit."
Right, in my memory, he'd tower over me later.
"Your eldest attended the last conference."
"Yes, that's proper. I'd been standing in."
"Successor set, then."
"Always was."
Chatting, Ho Kyung said,
"Young Branch Head Eun, I haven't forgotten that favor."
Referring to when I saved him from Baekcheon Merchant Group's plot.
"No need to remember."
"Impossible. I hope that dagger serves you someday."
The dagger, proof of his life-or-death pledge to aid me.
"Understood."
Someday, no doubt.
"Where are you staying?"
"Cheongsan Inn."
"Why not stay with our group?"
I politely declined.
"Appreciate it, but I'd have to bring Murim Alliance members into your compound."
"Pardon?"
I smiled.
"Actually, on the Alliance Leader's orders, I'm escorting them on a mission."
His eyes chilled instantly.
"You're working with the Murim Alliance?"