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Chapter 575: The Miracle of Shaolin

Just like other upper houses trying to establish their positions, Baekhwa Sect has branches all over the Central Plains.

Of course, I heard that there are places where the Moyong Clan operates without the region’s owner’s permission.

But even excluding that, in terms of numbers, it is indeed all over the country.

I also heard that the headquarters is somewhere in Xi’an.

If someone were to ask why the headquarters is in Xi’an while there are many cities available, it’s probably because the upper house leader, Lady Mi, resides there.

Not that I’ve been there, of course.

‘What’s the point of going anyway?’

Maybe if it were Gu Yeonseo or Gu Huibi, it’d be different.

It wasn’t a place I would go.

Anyway.

Excluding the main headquarters of the Baekhwa Sect, if I had to pick the branch that holds the most influence,

it would naturally be the Hanam branch.

It’s the place with the largest county in the Central Plains where the Martial Alliance and Shaolin are located.

This place likely brings in far more money than the main branch of the Baekhwa Sect.

As proof of that, the building was particularly eye-catching among the high buildings in Hanam.

This symbolizes the standing of the Baekhwa Sect.

Baekhwa Sect Hanam branch.

On the highest floor of the towering guest area.

I found myself there.

Inside a neatly organized room.

The cleanliness was so striking that not a speck of dust could be seen.

It was so clean that even breathing felt guilty.

No, even without that, it just felt uncomfortable.

Right now, this position was terribly uncomfortable for me.

“It’s been a while.”

I snapped back to reality with the voice that entered.

Gulp. I could feel my dry throat constrict.

I hadn’t touched the tea set in front of me.

I cautiously turned to face the other person to show my respect.

“It’s been a while, Lady Mi.”

The person I was addressing respectfully was the leader of the Baekhwa Sect,

the owner of the Gu Clan,

Lady Mi Hyo-ran.

It had roughly been a year since I last saw her.

The last time was probably when I met her while I was busy dealing with the Pejon.

Of course, even though I could have seen her, I had been avoiding it.

Hiding those thoughts, I spoke to Lady Mi.

“I was just passing through Hanam for a matter… I heard you were here, so I came to greet you.”

Lady Mi nodded in response.

That was the end of it.

“…”

“…”

Silence enveloped us.

The already barren room felt even drier.

‘…Should I just get up?’

What if I just greet her and leave?

That thought crossed my mind.

I had come for a purpose, but I didn’t expect this situation.

I never thought I would be having a private meeting with Lady Mi.

‘Originally, I just intended to say hello.’

Whether it was Xi’an or Mount Shan,

I heard right away that Lady Mi was here as soon as I arrived in Hanam.

Hearing that, I honestly wanted to pretend I hadn’t heard, but I had no choice in the matter.

Knowing that,

‘…Maybe I could just handle my business on my own.’

My desire to just greet her and leave was overwhelming.

It made me that uncomfortable.

In many ways, Lady Mi was much more uncomfortable for me than my father.

Not only was I unsure how to approach her, but—

‘There’s an indescribable discomfort.’

There was an uncomfortable feeling I couldn’t pin down.

What should I do?

Is it better to just leave now?

As those thoughts crossed my mind.

“Alright.”

Lady Mi broke the silence and spoke.

“I heard the news.”

“…What?”

I wondered what news she was referring to.

“You have entrusted the Evergreen Iron to the sect.”

“Ah.”

I realized what Lady Mi was talking about as soon as she mentioned it.

The chunk of Evergreen Iron I obtained from Guangdong.

I had entrusted that to the Baekhwa Sect.

Lady Mi was referring to that.

“I heard it was quite a lot. Could you tell me how it came to be?”

At those words, I found myself smiling awkwardly.

Though Lady Mi spoke calmly, the quantity she was asking about was truly massive.

Now, it was a time when Evergreen Iron was no longer being discovered.

As time passed, pure iron was nearly non-existent.

Given the years that had gone by, it was only natural that it had all been used up.

Now, both Gu Paibang and the Four Great Clans,

or even promising upper houses would only have small amounts of pure Evergreen Iron left.

Even just mixing and creating it with other iron could fetch astronomical prices.

This meant Evergreen Iron was extremely rare.

To have it brought in as a chunk—

From Lady Mi’s perspective, it would surely be an intriguing matter.

Not just one chunk, but several.

It was possible that the amount I brought was more than what was known to exist in the Central Plains.

It was remarkable how Lady Mi could ask about it so calmly.

“…I had an opportunity in the Guangdong region. I happened to find it and it didn’t seem to have an owner, so I brought it with me.”

I didn’t mix any lies in there.

If I tried to spin a tale, Lady Mi would surely see right through it.

Upon hearing that, Lady Mi looked at me quietly.

Her gaze was rather intimidating.

At that moment,

“Have you reported this matter to the alliance?”

Gulp.

I had to swallow hard after hearing that.

The reason being, there was a rule that if something like this were discovered, it had to be reported to the Martial Alliance, at least regarding Righteous Factions.

Of course, I hadn’t reported it.

It was obvious that if I did, they would immediately declare it property with no owner and try to claim it.

“…I haven’t reported it.”

As soon as I gave that answer, Lady Mi looked at me quietly without saying a word.

Was she about to scold me for this?

If that were the case, it wouldn’t be easy to get through.

‘How did you acquire this?’

Money was crucial for the future. If Lady Mi reacted negatively,

‘I’d have to look for another upper house.’

I was contemplating whether I should retrieve the Evergreen Iron I had entrusted and sell it elsewhere.

As I was tense with those thoughts,

“You did well.”

“…?”

To my surprise, a compliment slipped from Lady Mi’s lips.

I stared at her with a blank expression upon hearing her words.

“Have you informed the clan leader?”

“…I haven’t spoken to him separately yet.”

“You did well on that front too. If your father heard about it, he would undoubtedly report it to the alliance.”

As Lady Mi said, given my father’s personality, that would indeed be the case.

Regardless of whether he likes the other person, he’s the kind of person who’d stick to the established rules.

And since he has little to no greed, it would be even more problematic.

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of the entrusted item.”

“…Yes, thank you.”

Although I was startled by Lady Mi’s response,

I was content to hear the answer I desired.

I wondered if that was the reason.

Maybe because my mouth had been opened, I could ask what I wanted.

“…Um, where has that person gone?”

“You’re referring to the branch leader.”

“Oh, yes.”

I was asking about Moyong Hi-ah, who had recently become the branch leader of the Hanam branch.

It was still shocking that she had joined the Baekhwa Sect so suddenly.

I was astonished to hear that Moyong Hi-ah became the branch leader in such a short time.

I had approached her saying I wanted to learn a thing or two.

‘Just how well did she do for her to rise to such a position in such a short time?’

Lady Mi wasn’t an ordinary individual either.

One must have considerable ability to get this far.

This meant that—

‘Moyong Hi-ah must have done well enough to be appreciated by Lady Mi.’

I already knew she was skilled in this line of work, but this was surprising even for me.

“The branch leader is currently away on an assignment.”

“An assignment?”

“Indeed. That’s also the reason I’m here… and furthermore,”

Clap.

I could hear Lady Mi folding her fan.

“It seems related to you.”

“Excuse me?”

At her words, I furrowed my brows slightly.

Related to me?

“What do you mean by that?”

“It’s not finalized yet, so just keep it in mind. I’ll tell you when the time comes.”

“No… wait. Lady Mi…”

“I’ll handle the matter regarding the Evergreen Iron well on my own.”

“…”

Upon hearing Lady Mi’s words, I bit my lip tightly.

Those words indicated that she didn’t want me to ask anything in exchange for taking care of the Evergreen Iron, but rather it meant there would be something she would want from me in the future.

‘No wonder it seemed too easy.’

I never imagined I would get tangled up like this.

‘Is there no other option?’

I thought that it wouldn’t be a loss.

If Lady Mi directly handled the matter regarding the Evergreen Iron,

‘Even the rates would improve, and the safety would increase.’

It meant that the troublesome tasks would decrease significantly.

If there were a problem, it would be—

‘…I have no idea what she intends to do with me.’

The uncertainty gnawed at me even more.

What was it that led her to send for Moyong Hi-ah?

And why was Lady Mi in Hanam?

Why did she claim that I would be involved in such matters?

There was so much I wanted to ask, but I could hardly bring myself to do it.

‘Tch.’

Since Lady Mi had already prevented further questions, I couldn’t ask anymore, so I intended to bring up another topic.

“Lady Mi, I have another request.”

As soon as I mentioned the word request, I could see Lady Mi regarding me with a hint of interest.

“Could you possibly help me find some lodging?”

“Lodging?”

“Yes, it seems I need to stay in Hanam for about a month.”

This was for treatment and planning, so I needed to stay in Hanam, and asking her was much faster than trying to find one on my own.

‘…Originally, I should have asked Moyong Hi-ah for this.’

Unfortunately, she happened to be absent at this time.

Lady Mi listened to my request and paused for a moment in thought.

“Actually, there is a suitable place available.”

Not long after, I heard a response that pleased me.

“It’s not too far away. I’ll send someone to guide you there.”

“Ah, thank you.”

I didn’t bother asking what the cost would be.

Now that I’m rich, right?

‘The days of getting ripped off by Muyeon are over.’

Those days of worrying about how to scrape together pocket change after getting into trouble were gone.

It’s not like I was staring at the price tag just to buy a dumpling anymore.

…Anyway.

Now that I had finished asking about the upper house, I was ready to take my leave.

I was discreetly preparing to escape when.

“You mentioned staying for a month,”

Lady Mi continued, causing me to sit back down again.

“Are you planning to participate in the tournament?”

The Shinryong Martial Arts Tournament was said to be held in the summer by the alliance.

It was a festival that would take place during my stay in Hanam.

“…Yes, since it’s happening, I thought I’d consider participating.”

It was nothing I wanted to hide, so I spoke calmly.

At that, Lady Mi looked at me with an expression that was difficult to decipher.

“Is that so.”

The peculiar look in her eyes made me wonder what she meant.

“I don’t have many words I can share with you, but,”

Lady Mi spoke with a strangely cautious tone.

“If you are determined to participate, just be careful.”

“…”

I had to widen my eyes at her words.

I never expected Lady Mi to say something like that.

I might have been more surprised than when she praised me.

“…Uh, well… thank you.”

In response to my expression of gratitude, Lady Mi simply nodded.

Then silence fell between us once more.

There were no words left for either of us.

As the silence stretched on, the atmosphere became increasingly awkward.

Just when it felt unbearable,

“…Well, I’ll take my leave now. I’m sorry for interrupting your busy day.”

I turned to phrase my desire to escape and got up.

I should be able to leave now.

Thinking that eased my mind a bit.

‘…This feels ten times harder than a brawl.’

Even though we only had a brief conversation, I felt strangely drained.

As I let out a quiet sigh and prepared to step outside.

“Lady Tang Soyeol is waiting outside.”

At Lady Mi’s words, I halted once again.

It was particularly so since it was about Tang Soyeol.

“…Yes. Just ran into her by chance.”

If I were to say it was coincidental, that would indeed be true.

I realized there was no need to delve into details on this part.

Upon hearing that, Lady Mi asked me, “Do you intend to share a room with Tang Soyeol at the lodging?”

“Probably so.”

Unless Tang Soyeol requested separate lodging, that seemed likely.

After all, Seongyul would also be staying with us, so the lodging wouldn’t be small.

When I mentioned that, Lady Mi appeared to ponder for a moment. It seemed there was something she was uneasy about.

After a moment of waiting, Lady Mi suddenly spoke.

“It’s good that you’re becoming more like your father, but there are things you need not imitate unnecessarily.”

“Pardon?”

I couldn’t make sense of what she meant.

“What do you mean by that?”

“…Never mind. Just go ahead and leave.”

Confused by her words, I asked with a mixed expression, but Lady Mi seemed to have nothing further to say, signaling that I should get moving.

I couldn’t grasp what she meant and tilted my head, but since she told me to leave, I planned to obey.

—After all, she’s the exact type who doesn’t need to take unnecessary risks…

I heard those words echo in my mind.

Upon hearing that, I quickly turned back to see Lady Mi fixated on the letter in her hand.

As I looked at her, I thought,

‘Did I mishear that?’

Perhaps my body was in bad shape, and I was imagining things.

That must be it.

I really needed to find Shin Yi as soon as possible.

I had to stop by the lodging I would be guided to and rush to find Shin Yi.

At this moment, I was planning that, but it barely took me half a step to realize I wouldn’t need to bother.

As I arrived at the lodging just now, following the guide,

“Damn it…!! How can someone be this foolish?!”

“Maybe it’s because of old age; the mind isn’t keeping up after all. I suppose that makes sense.”

“What?!”

I found myself frozen, as the scene that lay before me was unbelievable.

I had only just reached the lodging when an outrageous situation unfolded.

“Are you really going to keep quiet after all that I’ve lost?!”

“Then, did I not win this time?”

Near a building not far from the scene,

A large building attached to a mountain, well-maintained and with a vivid pond filled with carp.

In the middle of that, I could hear Shin Yi, who was about to shout as he upturned the board.

“Ha ha.”

A familiar young man with black hair laughed at Shin Yi.

A young man—no,

a person known as the first of the Three Eminent Beings.

The Pejon laughed at Shin Yi and said,

“Why on earth would I do that? You’re so bad that I don’t want to play. Let’s save it for next time.”

His words were irksome.

“Grrr!”

Upon hearing this, Shin Yi seemed to slump down, defeated.

The Pejon watched and laughed heartily.

And then—

“…”

I found myself at a loss for words at the mess that greeted me upon my arrival.

 

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