Chapter 191
Chapter 191
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 191
Chapter Title: Spiritual Herbs and Ambitions
After wrapping up the entire subjugation schedule, on the road back to the Tang Clan.
"Ehehe, how much is all this!"
"Hey, how long are you gonna keep giggling?"
Chui-dal, who had made a habit of picking on him, suddenly felt a twinge of confusion.
What was that? The voice sounds different?
He turned his head and saw Dang Gun giggling away.
"Ehehe. Ehehehe!"
"......"
The usually so mature and dignified gentleman acting like that... well...
It was just too much money to keep a straight face.
Not money exactly, but spiritual herbs.
'Even Young Clan Leader Dang is like this, so why is our bro so quiet?'
He turned his head the other way and immediately understood why.
There was Baek Yang-hui, eyes half-closed, wearing a Buddha-like smile.
'That expression looks familiar. Oh, right, Chief Han.'
Somehow familiar, and as he thought that, Chui-dal suddenly shouted.
"Bro! No! You can't achieve enlightenment!"
Baek Yang-hui snapped out of it.
"Whoa. Thanks, Chui-dal. I almost went there for real."
People really could die from too much joy.
He'd nearly ascended to the afterlife or the immortal realm.
"......Ehehehehehe!"
Spiritual herbs. Not just two or three sprigs, but a whole field.
Not the kind of priceless treasures like millennium snow ginseng that granted decades of cultivation in one bite along with wondrous effects, but a field was a field.
An enormous one at that. Just the count they'd grasped was already... already...
"Ah! Almost went again."
At this rate, he'd really achieve nirvana or ascension.
He needed to think negatively somehow?
'Negative thoughts... negative thoughts...'
"Truth be told, they're barely spiritual herbs that might give ten years of cultivation per sprig at best. Compared to real spiritual medicines, they're just weeds. Weeds. Plus, more than half aren't even ripe. We couldn't sell them anyway."
Everything was fine except the last part, which was a bit odd.
Chui-dal, with a puzzled look, asked.
"Huh? Why couldn't we sell them?"
"Gotta eat them all. How could we sell them?"
The Baek Clan had already poured half of all earnings to date into buying spiritual herbs.
To expand the family, reinvesting everything wouldn't even be enough, but for the future, it was unavoidable.
Why? The Baek Clan lacked experts.
The common flaw of all upstart clans.
Regardless of talent, becoming an expert required time to accumulate internal energy, and clans short on accumulated years had few experts.
"We'll feed them to everyone. Stuff them till their bellies burst. Dang bro, as promised, we take seven shares, you take three?"
"Perfect! Three shares is more than enough thanks!"
It was Won-u who discovered the spiritual herb field. Strictly speaking, the Tang Clan had no stake.
The issue was that the field, deep in Sword Pavilion territory, was thousands of li from the Baek Clan, and they lacked skilled alchemists to refine the herbs into pills.
Thus, the Tang Clan agreed to manage the field, harvest periodically, refine into pills, and deliver to the Baek Clan.
In return, three shares.
'This is a steal.'
Honestly, from the Baek Clan's perspective, no matter the Tang Clan's cut, saving on spiritual herbs for clansmen was a massive gain.
Unlike now, reinvesting all profits would double their growth speed.
"Ah."
"Hui bro. What's up?"
"Nothing. Just... suddenly."
Suddenly, a moment from his past life resurfaced.
In his past life, his father, as clan head, took jobs as a mere escort guard to earn money.
On tough days, he'd sit the relatively sensible young Yang-hui down and find solace in cheap side dishes and rough baekju.
"Hui-ya, this father's dream is for our Baek Clan to reclaim its place among the clans and dominate Gangseo Province once more."
'Father. Before we know it... your dream is within reach.'
A true clan was one recognized by the world.
A clan that commanded the world.
They were a bit short of claiming it themselves yet.
They had everything. Just needed fame to spread to the ears of the masses.
Three years. Until he turned thirty.
Within that, the Baek Clan would become a true clan.
Not planned, but certain.
'If that happens.'
The recollection continued, flowing with time to its end.
"Forgive me, Best Sword Among Wanderers. Your talent is too dangerous."
"Namgung."
"Huh? Bro, why call for Namgung all of a sudden?"
"No. Just talking to myself."
World's Greatest Clan, Great Namgung.
They'd run even faster from now on.
Shoot like arrows to pierce their heads.
At present, Namgung hadn't claimed the title of world's best, making it easier.
'Wonder what happened to Namgung Cheonhu.'
Ideally, she wouldn't just fade into obscurity.
As long as she remained Namgung Cheon-yeong's rival, it benefited the Baek Clan.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Clan Head. What will become of Namgung Cheonhu from now on?"
Namgung Cheonhu opened her closed eyes.
Her name had been called; a natural reaction.
"Namgung Cheonhu is a criminal who sullied our Namgung Clan's name. She'll pay the due price."
Not young clan leader, not great young master.
Namgung Cheonhu.
A situation where a bitter smile wouldn't be out of place.
But it didn't come.
The line for bitter smiles had long descended far below.
'Clan Head. Impressive.'
Criminal or not, their address was utterly rude.
No fool ignorant enough to gain nothing from it could become a Heavenly Sword Squadron member.
In other words.
Such disregard was impossible without the clan head's orders.
'Completely discarded. Impressive, Clan Head. Admirable.'
Truly admirable. The ruthlessness of Clan Head Namgung Il-geom, casting out even his son.
But why? The reason for ordering such humiliation.
'I see. To tie her to the opposing elders... Namgung Cheonhu isn't just a criminal for dirtying the Namgung Clan's name.'
Amusing. To become clan head, one had to wield the brush of a son and ink of dark schemes to paint such a picture.
'Discarded. Truly discarded. I knew, but now I truly know.'
The end. Beyond the end, nothing existed.
Thus, only peace remained.
Utterly void.
Then.
A voice spoke.
-Who dares discard you?
She shook her head slowly.
Now, she realized.
The heart demon spoke to incite her.
-Is that bad? You're the legitimate heir. What you believe right is the truth.
Her head straightened rigidly.
-Am I wrong?
"No. Not a single mistake."
-You know it yourself. You did nothing wrong. Born to it, strove to meet expectations, grew splendidly.
She hadn't begged to be born.
Hadn't asked him to be her father.
Yet she'd followed her father's will her entire life.
Indisputable legitimate heir to the clan head.
That was her.
-Yes. That is you.
And such a her.
Dared to discard?
Who dared?
-You have the right. It was already yours.
"Yes. It is mine. The Namgung Clan."
Her mind cleared sharply.
"Show yourself."
-Oh my.
"If you don't obey my command, I won't heed yours."
-Ahahaha! This girl obeys the young master's command.
Thick ropes binding her whole body.
Iron bars sealing all directions, thick wooden planks.
All vanished.
In the blink of an eye.
In their place, shattered debris and nothing but blood, blood, blood.
"Surprised?"
A voice identical to the one in her head.
Utterly sweet, capable of tempting all.
He looked at her.
Corpse-pale skin. Everything else red.
A woman of inhuman beauty continued softly.
"You captured the Blood God Blood Sword, didn't you? You've grown well."
"Blood God Blood Sword. You mean that demonic sword."
"Yes. The blood heart grew within you, so you had the qualifications. See? You were right."
Words that moved her heart more than any other.
Namgung Cheonhu struggled for composure and asked.
"What qualifications do you mean?"
The red-and-white woman wrapped around Namgung Cheonhu's body.
A sweet scent brushed her nose, but upon second sniff, it was just the smell of blood.
Fragrant.
"The right to grasp it properly. Child, won't you come with me?"
"What changes if I go?"
"No matter the process, you'll get what you want and the proper result."
"Fine."
"Oh?"
She smiled like a fox.
"I thought you'd hesitate, ponder, reconsider, agonize a bit."
"Do you enjoy bewitching people? Sorry to disappoint."
"It's fine. Disappointed, but I like it more."
She opened her mouth. A scarlet tongue, soaked in blood, flicked out.
"I am the Blood Blood Maiden. A woman who offered everything to Him. But this body needs a man to soothe its loneliness too."
-So, you know. Since I like you, I must taste you. Too late to back out now.
"No such thing will happen. As you said, I have the proper qualifications."
The sun sets. Their shadows lengthen.
Soon, everything dyed red.
"I will surely become the head of the Namgung Clan."
A blood-red wind swallowed everything.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Since Baek Yang-hui arrived at the Tang Clan as an envoy, they'd been perpetually busy.
Thanks to a stream of marvels popping up daily—immunity to all poisons, ghostly martial arts, Thousand Blossom Flower Technique, and more.
But now, the Tang Clan buzzed for a different reason.
They had no choice.
"The head of the Jin Clan Manor has graced us with his presence!"
"Graced with presence" was a lofty term for someone coming to your place.
Jin Yeong-gil, one of the Three Great Tycoons of the World, more than deserved it for the Tang Clan of the world—who bowed to no one.
The money he handled alone dwarfed the Tang Clan's annual earnings.
'A month since the subjugation. He must've mulled it over carefully.'
With such an honored guest venturing into the inner courtyard, the clan head had to receive him personally.
Baek Yang-hui could only meet Jin Yeong-gil after about two shichen.
"Hui bro. Lord Jin wishes to speak with you."
The young clan leader personally guiding instead of a servant.
Well, considering the Tang Clan's lack of connections outside martial sects in Szechuan, the Three Great Tycoons were indeed precious.
"Have a good talk, Lord Jin. I'll take my leave."
"Dang bro. Just come in."
Chui-dal and Baek Heon-so were already in the guest room anyway.
"Mm, is that alright?"
Dang Gun replied politely, but his pleasure showed.
"The cook's skill is impressive. This dumpling skin is so thin, you can see right through to the filling!"
"Ahem. Thanks for the consideration."
It wasn't particular consideration. They needed the Tang Clan's help anyway.
"So, Lord Jin. What brings you here?"
"No word from the man who smelled of money."
He chuckled and changed the subject.
"What did you discuss with the clan head?"
"Curious? How much?"
"I'll divine the unheard conversation, so how about a little donation?"
"Hahaha, that sounds fun. Then let's reverse it."
Jin Yeong-gil's smile vanished in an instant as he drew a plaque from his bosom.
"In the recent subjugation, you stabbed your sword into the water and subdued over a hundred bandits in one go. You showed it to me on purpose?"
"Correct."
That was the biggest reason.
He needed to convince and earn Jin Yeong-gil's trust, but lacked a proper pretext.
'Let's see how much he guessed.'
Ideally, shouting "correct" three or four times would be fun.
"Good."
"Pardon?"
Even Baek Yang-hui had to be startled. Jin Yeong-gil repeated.
"Water engineering. Yangtze Water Alliance. Zhao Yun. Gangseo. Gangnam rice. Bao (package) and Bu (cloth), twin bao are the root and most valuable of all goods in the world. Shall we bet?"
'That's why I like this guy.'
Chui-dal and Baek Heon-so, however, didn't get it.
Judging by their questions.
"Should we step out? No clue what that's about."
"Bro, care to explain?"
"Ah, of course."
Where to start.
Seven years ago from now—no, eight years now?
It began with the ten-year pact with the Tang Clan.