Two Weeks Remain
At the same time Chief Steward Yu's worries were deepening, a conversation that could easily be misunderstood was unfolding in one corner of the family estate.
"So you'll be leaving in my place this time to escort the Cheonhae Merchant Group."
"That's right."
"I see."
"………"
"………"
A crease formed between Gwak Ho-shin's brows. His already fierce features grew even more intimidating.
"Have any warriors joined your pavilion yet, Elder Brother?"
"Not yet."
"You must have many concerns."
"Not really?"
"………"
"………"
The conversation came in clipped, broken pieces. What was he trying to say?
Gwak Ho-shin's gaze, turned toward Iyeongak, held clear worry. Of course, among those watching from a distance, only misunderstanding-laced whispers spread.
"What's he saying? What's he saying?"
"Even at a glance, it's about Iyeongak."
"How many men does Elder Brother have under him? No matter how you look at it, my forces are superior. He's just saying it in a roundabout way."
"Another power struggle?"
Gwak Yeon saw it differently. Judging by the various physical reactions appearing all over the younger man's body, this one was sincerely worried about him.
At that hesitant look—as if he wanted to speak first but was only gauging the moment (which to others appeared as the cunning of a hunter searching for an opening)—Gwak Yeon sighed and opened his mouth.
"If you have something you want to say, say it."
"Well……"
"No matter how you put it, I won't take it the wrong way, so speak freely."
"If…… if you need it, I can help you."
"With what?"
"This merchant caravan."
Having finally managed to voice his business, Gwak Ho-shin was worried. He was concerned that Gwak Yeon, who had agreed to escort the Cheonhae Merchant Group's caravan in two weeks, might find himself in a situation where he could not properly distinguish himself.
"As a rule, the more people who accompany an escort commission for a merchant caravan, the better. But your pavilion still has no one, Elder Brother, so……"
"Ah."
Gwak Yeon grasped the meaning at once. He answered with a smile.
"It's fine."
"But……!"
"I have my own plans."
"Do you intend to fill the necessary numbers with other warriors from the main hall? If you do that, even if you succeed, your evaluation could drop."
"I told you not to worry."
Gwak Yeon knew it as well. That this caravan escort was also an extension of the evaluations. Yet he had nothing at all to worry about.
If he simply spread his vampire's keen senses, he could handle a hundred men alone even without using his powers, and for the various miscellaneous tasks, Cheon Gang and Heoksijo alone would be more than enough.
And more than anything, this escort of the Cheonhae Merchant Group's caravan was not a particularly important matter to him. Of course, if he wanted the aid of that formidable wealth that casually handed out precious spiritual herbs, receiving a good evaluation would be necessary.
Sun and Moon (日月)
But this commission was not one directly connected to those clues linked to the shadowy force that had turned him into a vampire.
Nor was it the kind of job where he could move freely on his own and eradicate villains.
If it had been something connected to the Seven Great Families, that would be another matter.
The Seven Great Families of the Central Plains, one of which was rumored to be entangled with the Blood Cult. If it had been a chance to form ties with those people, his heart might have stirred more readily—but this was an ordinary caravan escort.
Still, I should put on a good showing.
Gwak Yeon steeled his resolve. More than the commission itself, the reward that would come after it finished would, in any case, be more precious than the spiritual herbs he had received this time.
With that thought, he flashed a grin at Gwak Ho-shin.
"I'm grateful you're thinking of me, but I'll handle it myself."
"Even so."
"There are still two weeks left, aren't there? If I need something, I'll speak up."
"Understood."
Two weeks remained until the Cheonhae Merchant Group's caravan, after all. In the meantime, Gwak Yeon planned to roam the back alleys of the city of Hangzhou.
Just as he had before this martial contest. He would eradicate Hangzhou's villains while testing his vampire abilities, and also try to dig up even the slightest clue about the shadowy force he was hunting.
That aside……
Gwak Ho-shin, having finished his business, bowed his head and made to turn away. His expression remained as terrifying as ever.
……No wonder people misunderstand him like that.
It would be nice if he expressed his emotions a little more honestly…… but Gwak Yeon decided that would be overstepping for now. Instead, he chose to offer different advice.
After all, this was the youngest of the family he had spent his previous life saving, a family that shared a common enemy.
"Well then."
"Wait."
Gwak Yeon called out to the departing Gwak Ho-shin and posed a question.
"Aren't you curious how I beat Baek Jung-hyeok?"
Toward Gwak Ho-shin, whose eyes immediately lit up, he continued.
"Handle various weapons besides the sword yourself. Then you'll understand the reason."
Gwak Yeon offered this light piece of advice that could raise the achievement of the Manhyeong Swordplay practiced by this family.
Before he knew it, a crimson sunset had settled over Iyeongak.
Gazing at the sky beyond the window, Gwak Yeon nodded. He had reached a conclusion.
Two weeks remain until the caravan.
During that period, he would do what he did best.
Purging the black path.
Because of the eyes of others, he had not been able to use his vampire abilities this time. To test those powers and seek their improvement, nothing served better than villains.
I'll head out around tomorrow.
He had planned to go into the city anyway. More precisely, to the secret forge of the blacksmith Ha Mu-won. As he had promised last time, he needed to visit at least once to share his thoughts on the iron sword he had used in this martial contest.
And then……
That was when it happened.
"You insolent crow!"
"It's Heoksijo! Heoksijo!"
The noise that had been going on behind him for some time had now grown too loud to ignore.
Aigoo.
Sighing, Gwak Yeon turned around. There were Heoksijo and Cheon Gang squawking at each other.
"Don't make me laugh. You look just like a crow that's only big in size."
"You! You look like a mutt that's only big in size!"
"What? A mutt?"
"Got a problem with that, you stupid human!"
"You beast bastard!"
"I'm not a beast! I'm a spiritual beast among spiritual beasts!"
Heoksijo, who had been spitting as he argued with Cheon Gang, sensed Gwak Yeon's gaze and looked this way.
"Young Master! You must have a hard time raising this idiot!"
"You crazy bastard, how dare you!"
"You're the insolent one! You!"
"Young Master! Must you truly keep this strange beast?"
"Didn't you hear! You need my great abilities!"
The way he puffed out his chest and strutted was a bit unsightly, but he was not entirely wrong.
I do need him.
Gwak Yeon nodded. The ability of a spiritual beast that could look down on every corner of the earth from the open sky would be a great help in achieving his goals.
In that sense, Heoksijo, who had chosen to remain at Iyeongak and assist Gwak Yeon (while showing off his abilities and receiving praise), was as good as a fortuitous encounter for him.
"I do need Heoksijo."
"See!"
"But!"
Seeing Heoksijo's sparkling eyes, Gwak Yeon added,
"Cheon Gang here is also someone I absolutely need."
"Did you hear that, you beast bastard?!"
"So!"
This time he pulled his gaze from the triumphant Cheon Gang and left only these words as he headed outside.
"I'll clear the space so the two of you can have a deep conversation. From now on, try not to interfere with my work."
Creak.
Gwak Yeon crossed Iyeongak's courtyard and opened the main gate. Focusing his hearing, he faintly caught the conversation from inside.
— Hah. This is embarrassing in front of the Young Master. For a human to show himself spitting and fighting with a mere crow.
— It's Heoksijo! You stupid one!
— I can't keep showing this kind of sight from now on.
— That's my line! My line!
— So let's settle who's superior.
— You think I'll be scared! You think so!
— As the lord of all creation, I won't use any weapons.
— Come on! Come on!
— I'm a man who never lets his guard down. Even against a mere crow, I'll take the duel seriously…… Kyaaak!
Gwak Yeon smirked and moved his feet with peace of mind. When people of the jianghu worked together, this kind of beginning was always the cleanest.
Ah, should I call Heoksijo a jianghu bird instead……?
He tilted his head for a moment, but only briefly. In any case, by around tomorrow the two of them would have sorted things out in their own way.
Having left Iyeongak like that, Gwak Yeon walked on.
Step.
Step.
Fatigue clung to his steps as he headed for his quarters, which was only natural. Strictly speaking, today was the first day he had returned to Hangzhou after finishing the fight with Baek Jung-hyeok of the Jusan Baek Family.
"Young Master, congratulations!"
"You've worked hard, hoho."
"You've returned!"
"As expected of the Young Master! To defeat that Baek Jung-hyeok!"
"Our congratulations!"
All throughout the estate on the way to his quarters, other members of the Seoho Gwak Family whom he had not encountered earlier offered their greetings. Gwak Yeon received them with a smile.
Come to think of it, a great many things had happened. Not only had he defeated Baek Jung-hyeok, called the foremost rising star of Zhejiang Province, but he had also met Moyong Wol-un, with whom he had ties in his previous life, and even received a gold plaque said to make one a hundred-year guest of the Moyong Family.
On top of that, with this victory he had gained the right to escort the Cheonhae Merchant Group's caravan—laden with enormous interests—in two weeks' time…… yet the truly important matter was something else.
The Blood Cult, huh.
The story he had heard from Gwak Seo-ryong on the way to Hangzhou. In other words, the information about "one of the shadowy forces the family is tracking on a clan level" that his father had promised to tell him if he defeated Baek Jung-hyeok.
Perhaps…… those people might be connected to that old monster from my previous life.
He had heard various things, but the one that remained most vivid now was the fact that they were entangled with one of the Seven Great Families of the jianghu.
Thump!
A great evil he had failed to catch even in his previous life. At the thought that he was gradually finding clues to it, his heart began to race, yet he resolved to act with caution.
I need to become far stronger than I am now.
To face a monster, one had to become an even greater monster. But Gwak Yeon had not yet even recovered the martial prowess he had possessed in his previous life. And even his previous self had found the Shadowless Old Monster burdensome in a one-on-one fight. Now there might be those even stronger than that one.
My inner force is far too lacking.
He had sensed it keenly even at the talks before this martial contest. Not only Gwak Seo-ryong and Baek Ryang-san, but even Wi Jong-geuk, the leader of Biryongdang who had briefly unleashed his energy, possessed greater inner force than he did.
No—even that Baek Jung-hyeok fellow had more inner force than he did.
And that was not all.
— That is not something you need to know yet.
After hearing about the Blood Cult, when he had asked about the characters for "Sun and Moon" he had seen in the study last time, that had been the answer that returned from the family head.
It might have been because the information had not yet solidified with certainty, or it might have been because he judged it information too early for the current Gwak Yeon to digest.
In other words, if he showed a stronger appearance than now, the information about the shadowy forces that could come in might grow larger.
To become a true monster that crushed monsters, to face a great evil that might be stronger than the Shadowless Old Monster of his previous life, he needed to hold the advantage over them in every aspect.
In that sense, he thought this martial contest had brought its own gains as he entered his quarters.
Around the time he pulled a cloth pouch from his robes, one curiosity brushed past him.
But…… if my inner force rises, will my vampire abilities rise as well?
Well, he could test it on those black path bastards before the caravan.
With that thought, Gwak Yeon dumped the spiritual herbs given by the Cheonhae Merchant Group into his mouth.
Gulp!