Chapter 296: Southern Barbarian Beast Palace (1) |
After wrapping up the matters at the Cheonghwa Merchant Guild, I returned to the Centipede Gate with a somewhat heavier pouch—only to find that the trio of wandering warriors was still lying neatly in a row before the gate.
Even though the door that had crushed them earlier had long since been cleared away.
I turned toward the gatekeeper, who was repeatedly opening and closing the newly attached door to “check whether it had been properly reattached.”
“I have something to ask.”
“Who...... ah! You’ve already returned, Master of the Gate. And Great Hero. As you instructed, once I adjusted only the connecting joints, it was fixed in no time!”
“Good. By the way, why are those still lying there like that?”
They might be wanderers, but they were Peak Stage martial artists—men who inspired both fear and admiration wherever they went.
Yet now they lay on the ground like mud-covered rags. Even passing children shook their heads in pity at the sight.
Unless all three shared some sort of peculiar taste, this made no sense.
“Well, didn’t the White Moon Sword Lord tell them not to move and to stay still?”
“Ah...”
Come to think of it, I had told them to stay put before leaving for the Cheonghwa Merchant Guild.
After a moment of thought, I organized my mind and approached the three, who were staring up at me with desperate expressions.
“You’re more obedient than I expected.”
“Th-thank you!”
“How could we possibly disobey the White Moon Sword Lord?!”
“We only moved because we were paid! We have nothing to do with the Centipede Gate!”
“At least one of you must have considered slipping away while I was gone, no?”
“Were... were we allowed to do that?”
“Of course not, elder brother. If he chased us, we’d just die.”
“I only stayed because the other two didn’t move. I couldn’t run away alone.”
I see.
So one was stupid, one was cowardly, and the last was simply loyal.
Having lived a short while as a wanderer myself, I knew the rules:
Don’t get swindled.
Don’t stick your head into dangerous business.
Don’t let misplaced sentiment drag you into bad decisions.
Those who kept these rules survived long as wanderers.
For the record, I failed all three, so I quit quickly.
As for these three... it felt like whenever they gathered, they managed to break every rule.
“Stand up.”
The moment I granted permission, they leapt up. In the past I might have cut them down immediately, but I had spared the Guild Master earlier; there was no point harming wanderers hired simply for money.
“As you likely guessed, the task from the Cheonghwa Merchant Guild has ended. You no longer need to concern yourselves with them.”
“...”
For some reason, their faces went pale. I saw them misunderstanding something, but correcting them would be tiresome, so I let it pass.
“So, I intend to assign you a task. Wandering warriors take whatever work they can, don’t they?”
“Uh.......”
“What are you hesitating for, elder brother? Say we’ll take it no matter what!”
“Then our pay would be...... right. We take it for free, little brother. I understand perfectly.”
Watching them drum up enthusiasm among themselves made me chuckle as I called Tang Sowol.
Perhaps she already guessed what I intended, for she flashed a rather sinister smile—unusual for her—and spoke.
“It’s that, isn’t it, Young Master Cheon?”
“Yes. It’s the best for people we can’t fully trust.”
Tang Sowol flicked her wrist, sending slender feather needles flying toward the three.
They instinctively tried to avoid them, being Peak masters, but of course it was pointless.
Tang Sowol’s martial skill was far superior, and deflecting a surprise strike from such a close distance was no easy task regardless.
The trio yelped and scrambled to pull the needles embedded in their necks.
I released a faint murderous aura to quiet their fussing.
“Enough. As you’ve guessed, the needles were laced with poison. You may feel fine now, but after a month your entire body’s muscles and internal energy will begin to stiffen, and before two months pass, you will die.”
“You said you were giving us a job, so why......!”
“So if we finish the job, you’ll give us the antidote?”
“Well, at least we’ll die together, elder brothers.”
“Hm. You do at least understand one thing. Yes. Complete the mission successfully, and I will give you the antidote along with your payment.”
“Hah! How can we believe that! If we’re to die anyway, then before that I might as well—!”
“For reference, the reward is ten liang of gold apiece.”
“What job shall we do for you?”
The eldest, who had been glaring fiercely, immediately folded. The other two stared at him in disbelief, but that was that.
I had purposely named a high price thanks to the donation I received from the Cheonghwa Merchant Guild, but I hadn’t expected this reaction.
Chuckling dryly, I pointed toward the Centipede Gate.
“A bodyguard mission. You will protect the people of the Centipede Gate until we reach the Tang Clan in Sichuan.”
“That’s all?”
“After we arrive, remain on standby until I return. That will be enough.”
“I understand.......”
Watching him bow his head with a confused expression, I asked:
“Come to think of it, what should I call you three? Do you have titles?”
“Eh? Y-yes..”
He hesitated, then gestured to his brothers as he spoke.
“We each have nicknames, but...... people usually call the three of us together the Nine Bend Three Extremes.”
“I can guess what the ‘Three Extremes’ part means, but what’s ‘Nine Bend’?”
“The name of our home village.”
Three Peak masters moving as one would normally be a formidable force, yet their nickname sounded rather shabby.
Shaking my head, I continued.
“Anyway, your work starts today. If you want to live longer than a month, behave accordingly.”
Leaving their rigid response behind, I headed into the Centipede Gate building and whispered to Tang Sowol.
“Thanks for playing along. Poisons like that aren’t something you just pull out at whim, but... I suppose the Thousand Poison Gate’s old reputation makes people fear poison greatly.”
“Yes.”
“Hm???”
Sowol and I stared at each other, tilting our heads.
“Wasn’t it just a bluff?”
“The poison is real.”
Good grief.
Could she really have produced something so potent in such a short time—and in an amount small enough to fit into feather needles?
“No. It isn’t the kind of poison that kills in a month as you claimed.”
“Then?”
“It only causes stomach pain—just enough to keep them from dying. The diarrhea is a bonus.”
Ah. So that’s why the Nine Bend Three Extremes became obedient as soon as they were hit.
If even someone from the Tang Clan like Tang Sowol handled poison this casually, imagine how fearsome the Thousand Poison Gate must have been.
Receiving my admiring gaze, Tang Sowol blushed.
“Hehe. I learned it all from you, Young Master Cheon.”
“Good.”
At least she had the sense not to elaborate further.
***
After hearing the details I had obtained from the Cheonghwa Merchant Guild and the plan ahead, Seol Lihyang and Seo Mun-Hwarin nodded.
“Sounds good. It makes achieving your goal a lot easier, Cheon Hwi.”
“I am concerned that you’ll be away longer than originally stated, but aside from that, this One also agrees.”
“Ah, you don’t need to worry about that part, Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin. I’ve arranged for people to come.”
On the way back, I had discussed various things with Meng Yubaek, most of them concerning what she intended to do once this matter was resolved.
If we cured the Beast Palace Lord of his poison, we’d earn a great favor. If Meng Yubaek wished, she could return to compete for the position of Sub-Palace Lord.
Unlike before, she would start from a position where seriously aiming for the title was possible.
However, Meng Yubaek chose to sever herself completely from the Beast Palace’s affairs and accompany Tang Sowol and me to the Tang Clan.
She said she would learn more from us than from the Murim Alliance or the Black Sky Lotus.
“So, I plan to send the sect members ahead first. The Centipede Lord should be explaining things well right about now. And we’ve secured decent escorts.”
“Hm. Escorts... you mean the wandering warriors who tried to invade earlier and were crushed by you?”
“Yes. They fear me enough, and with Tang Sowol’s help, we’ve prepared countermeasures, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“If you say so... Well, bringing them to the Beast Palace would take too much time and leaving them here would be worrying, so I suppose this is best.”
Seo Mun-Hwarin nodded. Seol Lihyang also nodded along, though she didn’t look like she fully understood.
“Do you have any questions? If not, I intend for us to depart immediately.”
“Hm. If I had to name one... I’m curious what you intend to do with all the money you wrung out of the Cheonghwa Merchant Guild.”
“It wasn’t wrung out—it was a donation. Anyway, I don’t have much use for it, so I plan to use it to help Senior Seo Mun-Hwarin acquire her estate.”
“My dear...!”
Seo Mun-Hwarin’s eyes sparkled with emotion, but Seol Lihyang wasn’t finished.
“That’s it?”
“Hmm??”
“I mean—what about me?”
“Do you need a house?”
“All I need is you, Cheon Hwi?”
Seol Lihyang shook her head, saying something embarrassingly bold. When I stared silently in confusion, she let out a sigh.
“Ugh. Forget it. I guess getting fruit in summer isn’t easy anyway.”
Was she asking for pears? Ever since glimpsing my memories, Lihyang often said enigmatic things. It was very possible.
Startled, I must have revealed my thoughts, because she nodded in satisfaction.
“Mm. For now, I’m satisfied with that reaction. Anyway, going to the Beast Palace is fine, but how exactly are we entering?”
“I plan on entering openly, revealing our identities.”
“But the Palace Lord is sick, right? That’s why the children are running wild. Bringing back the runaway youngest daughter now would look like you’re interfering in their family feud.”
“The Cheonghwa Guild Master had a similar misunderstanding.”
“Anyone would. At worst, even if they’re fine fighting each other, they won’t tolerate an outside force meddling. The entire Beast Palace might become hostile toward you. So I’m curious how you intend to handle that.”
“Don’t worry. I have a perfect plan.”
“Really?”
“Just trust me.”
“Hm. If you say so.”
Though she looked uneasy, Seol Lihyang nodded.
***
The Southern Barbarian Beast Palace was brutal.
That was the common belief throughout the Central Plains, and in truth, such tendencies existed.
But it was a bit inaccurate. Strictly speaking, the Beast Palace was not brutal—it merely adhered to the law of survival of the fittest.
The strong rule above. In exchange, they bear responsibility and authority over the weak.
The weak obey the strong. If they don’t like it, they are to bring down the one above and become the strong.
It was similar to how animals behaved. The alpha gained food and mates but also had to protect the pack and repel challengers.
Those unaware of this might view the people of the Beast Palace as savage at first glance.
Before regression, after the Demonic Cult’s invasion, the clashes between the Beast Palace and the Central Plains grew frequent, and that was how I learned this.
Knowledge was meant not only to be known but to be used.
So I decided to apply it—by engraving the logic of strength in a way that was easy to understand.
KWAANG!
“Come out!”
Releasing killing intent in a steady stream, I kicked open the main gate of the Beast Palace.
Everyone became very polite afterward.
It was truly a flawless plan.
“Ah, aaah...”
For some reason, Meng Yubaek squeezed her eyes shut.
As though she had betrayed her homeland or something.