The Gift Unveiled Beneath the Moonlight
A package had been lifted from the chest.
Sparkling!
The object shimmering under the moonlight as it slid from the surface was familiar to Gwak Yeon.
“This… must be a sample from the upper march, correct?”
“You have hit it precisely.”
Yeo Baek-rang nodded, his face flushed as he strained to hold the weight.
The young master had probably been waiting for his reaction.
Observing the boy rushing toward the chest with childish glee, Gwak Yeon kept his expression calm.
‘I knew it already… It would be wiser not to show surprise.’
In truth, he had never witnessed the effect firsthand.
He had only heard their conversation and the clatter of scales; he had not tested the sample himself.
Aware of his gaze, Yeo Baek-rang stepped before the chest, surveying the surroundings and shouting loudly.
“This is! The scale of the giant tongue fish, known as the Geogolseoleo!”
By now everyone was staring at the youth.
Under the barrage of eyes, Yeo Baek-rang’s voice trembled with pleasure and a touch of nerves as he continued.
“For the massive transaction we concluded with the Hubei Pang Family, this is the sample brought along!”
“Is this… a fish scale?”
“It is! There were two varieties of samples. Some are scales and—”
Leaning into the open chest, Yeo Baek-rang lifted out a piece of leather and cloth covering scales.
“The rest is protective gear woven from scales!”
“Protective gear?”
“That is correct!”
“Why attach fish scales to protective gear?”
“That is an excellent question!”
At that moment, Yeo Baek-rang’s lips curled into a smile.
Giggling.
As if waiting for just this, he dropped the scale-woven gear onto the ground.
Clatter!
The moonlight gently stroked the surface of the haphazardly fallen gear. Yeo Baek-rang drew the sword at his waist and shouted, circling all present.
“The scale of the Geogolseoleo fish possesses the property of not being cut by blades!”
“…What?!”
“…!!!”
“This is exactly why we have been producing Horingu with these scales!”
In addition to Cheon Gang and Gwak Ho-shin, who stood stunned, Gwak Yeon’s face showed the surprise he had feigned after hearing the news beforehand.
Yeo Baek-rang slowly raised the sword in his hand.
“Behold!”
He swung it down.
The moment the blade struck the surface of the Horingu.
Clang!
Sparks flew left and right, yet the armor remained intact.
It had not been severed.
“………!”
“………!”
“………!”
“………!”
Cheon Gang and Gwak Ho-shin, along with other Pang warriors who had not yet seen the item, rose from their seats in astonishment.
Smiling, Yeo Baek-rang watched the display and struck again.
In case it seemed coincidental, he unleashed another series of strikes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Gwak Yeon’s eyes widened.
Even after blocking the sword, the Horingu bounced across the floor without being cut, mere dust rising in its wake.
‘…………!’
Though he had heard the conversation, seeing it firsthand was truly astonishing.
“Huff… huff.”
Wiping sweat from his forehead with his forearm, Yeo Baek-rang continued explaining the other properties of the Horingu to the crowd.
“Any conventional blade can be deflected like this—that is the hallmark of the Geogolseoleo! It is soft! And light! Wearing it on several vital points of the body means no hindrance when performing martial arts, and the risk of being cut by a blind sword is greatly reduced!”
“May I try it?”
“Of course!”
One sturdy Pang warrior stepped forward.
Yeo Baek-rang handed him the sword without hesitation.
The Pang warrior, shaking his head, drew his great blade and brought it down…
Clang! Clang! Clang!
…Again, only small sparks scattered as it bounced, the Horingu perfectly intact.
“Moreover, the Horingu is not composed solely of Geogolseoleo scales! The herbal roots and special dyes mixed in while attaching them enhance the fabric’s strength dramatically! If even a dent appears here…”
“Hmph!”
At that moment.
As if his pride had been pricked, the Pang warrior sighed deeply, stared at the sky, then gripped his great blade with both hands and channeled his inner energy, slamming it down with all his might.
Boom!
Only then did the edge split slightly and the Horingu flew aside.
“…With the inner energy of a warrior from the great Hubei Pang Family, it can be cut slightly! But! With its unique rebound, it is sent flying aside just before impact, minimizing damage! With the maintenance method we will provide, this minor damage can be sewn back together within a week!”
“Hohohoho!”
A chorus of admiration followed.
Gwak Yeon’s own admiration mingled in, his mouth slightly agape.
‘…It really works?’
Horingu.
Even judging by its size and the multiple layers stacked in the chest, it was a formidable weapon.
A lightweight guard that could be worn over exposed areas such as the neck and vital points, as well as wrists and ankles.
“Fellow Pang warriors, you have truly been fortunate! In truth, this item came from an accidental encounter with the Yangyi during a shipwreck off the coast of Haenam. It is merely a sample, so even if we conclude a massive transaction, we can offer no more than one per company!”
“Ooooh!”
Yeo Baek-rang spoke with the air of a seasoned merchant.
When a Pang warrior exclaimed in admiration toward him.
“Then the price must be considerable!”
“That is an excellent observation!”
Yeo Baek-rang suddenly pointed a finger at him and shouted.
“This Horingu will be difficult to price in the future! Because, as I mentioned, from today onward it will no longer be available outside the Hubei Pang Family!”
“Waaaah!”
Amid the Pang warriors’ frenzy, Yeo Baek-rang laughed heartily.
Feeling the thrill of the crowd’s cheers, he turned to Gwak Yeon.
“And! This gift is!”
Raising his plump index finger toward that direction and shouting!
“By the generosity of the young master Pang standing here! Of the remaining samples brought for this transaction! Specially commissioned by our artisans in Beijing! It will be provided exclusively to the young master Gwak and the members of the Seoho Gwak Family present here!”
“Jinjaaaang!”
Cheon Gang jumped up from his seat.
Slightly drunk, he glanced between Gwak Yeon, Gwak Ho-shin, and Heoksijo and shouted.
“We have received such a grand gift!”
“…Hehe.”
“Now we are invincible! Khehehe!”
“Invincible—! We are invincible!”
Not only Cheon Gang and Heoksijo boasting, but even Gwak Ho-shin’s lips curved into his usual smile of a cold-blooded killer, as if he thought the gift rather good.
Nodding.
At that moment, Gwak Yeon offered a smile of agreement.
Sparkling!
As if believing he had been acknowledged, Yeo Baek-rang’s eyes sparkled as he carefully examined Gwak Yeon’s expression.
“Yeo Baek-rang! Yeo Baek-rang!”
Suddenly, another inebriated voice loudly called his name.
Competing with the natural cheers.
“Yeo Baek-rang! Yeo Baek-rang! Yeo Baek-rang!”
“Gwak… Yeon! Gwak… Yeon!”
Cheon Gang shouting Gwak Yeon’s name.
The chant soon spread rapidly among the excited Hubei Pang warriors and the Cheonhae Merchant Group members, whose tensions had eased after safely completing the upper march.
“Yeo Baek-rang! Yeo Baek-rang!”
“Gwak Yeon! Gwak Yeon!”
“Yeo Baek-rang! Yeo Baek-rang!”
“Gwak Yeon! Gwak Yeon!”
With the cries echoing from every corner of the drinking hall, calling for the sub-head of the Cheonhae Merchant Group and the overall head of the escort.
The farewell gathering was ripening.
.
.
.
Beneath the moonlight.
After the boisterous farewell had ended.
Stagger… stagger…
Under the training ground of the Seho family, Gwak Yeon and the drunk Pang Mu-gwang walked.
“I… I know how to take care of people… I’ll help today too!”
“Since there are only a few days left for training.”
“Yes…”
Pang Mu-gwang, reeking of alcohol, muttered with unfocused eyes.
Thud.
As always today, training could not be skipped.
To confront Namgung Seho at the Qingyun Society, Pang Mu-gwang had been enduring the drunk opponent’s attacks for days alongside Gwak Yeon.
The training that had awakened the memory Gwak Yeon had forgotten was now too precious to miss.
“Then… shall we?”
“Wait a moment, young master Pang.”
“Huh?!”
The inebriated, disoriented state.
Maintaining the alcohol buzz he had deliberately not resisted, Pang Mu-gwang looked at Gwak Yeon.
“W-what… reason?!”
“…………”
“Huh?!”
“Can I ask one thing?”
“Speak freely!”
“…………”
A moment of silence.
Then, the one cautiously regarding him opened his mouth.
“One… two… three… four… five…”
“Have you heard of the Blood Cult?”
“Blood… Cult?!”
“…Yes.”
In his hazy intoxication.
Nothing came to mind.
After all, by tomorrow he would forget it entirely.
He burst into laughter, lips parting as he spoke without the slightest emotion.
And thus.
He could not imagine.
“………………You eat it?!”
The straightforward answer that popped out like a sneeze left Gwak Yeon wondering whether the last doubt he had harbored toward the Hubei Pang Family had vanished.
* * *
Dawn broke.
The boisterous farewell party of the previous night had been cleared away without a trace.
Chirp… chirp…
The members of the Cheonhae Merchant Group, now prepared to depart.
“Remember this well! The one who showered you with delicious teas throughout the upper march was not the Seoho Gwak Family nor the Hubei Pang Family, but Yeo Baek-rang, the sub-head of the exceptionally kind and splendid Cheonhae Merchant Group!”
“Au-! Stop it—!”
Yeo Baek-rang turned away from Heoksijo, then greeted the family head Pang Chi-ung and the nanny with proper etiquette.
“Then, I shall see you again during the next large transaction!”
“Hehe! I’ll be waiting!”
Nodding toward Gwak Yeon.
Though his youthful face held indescribable complex emotions, one thing was certain.
“Young master Gwak.”
“Sub-head.”
“Thank you for accompanying us on this upper march.”
“It is I who should express my gratitude for the honor of meeting you.”
“Hmph!”
The slight shift.
Unlike at the start, Gwak Yeon was beginning to win his favor.
Thus.
Huang Pil and Ju Hwa-jeong, standing beside him, could guess.
“Rest assured!”
It would be a great reward for escorting this upper march from the Cheonhae side.
“Once we return, I will certainly inform my father of the deeds of the young master Gwak and Iyeongak!”
“Hehe, thank you.”
“Then!”
With the most splendid expression possible, Yeo Baek-rang waved to Gwak Yeon and his group.
After the other members of the merchant group and escort had exchanged warm farewells, they added.
“Come to the Yeonpa sometime!”
“Let us drink as extravagantly as yesterday!”
“If you come to Hangzhou, visit Iyeongak!”
“We had a wonderful time!”
Clatter!
The carriages of the Cheonhae Merchant Group, parked before the Seho family’s main gates, began to move one by one.
“Then, we will be off first!”
* * *
Click.
“…Hubei Pang Family?”
“Yes. Among the Seven Great Families, it is the closest to the imperial family, so controlling it would grant great power over the Central Plains.”
Click.
“It would be best to approach through those… fellows first. It should be possible to take control of them easily.”
Click.
A man with a white mask bearing the Pang family’s palm-and-eyebrow emblem.
He was about to continue when, beneath the mask, dark red blood-like tears fell.
After that, just as I mentioned last time…
“The vessel…”
“E-err, sorry!”
At someone’s words, the masked man knelt hastily.
Clank!
From beyond the mask emerged a pained scream.
The cry echoed through the underground chambers.
Hundreds of voids.
In the vast underground space where countless tunnels were visible, bodies formed piles of blood pools scattered everywhere.
“No matter what, prioritize finding his vessel.”
“…S-sorry, sir!”
The ‘something’ seated on the stone throne muttered indifferently.
“Now… the era of the Cult is imminent.”