Chapter 626

“Palace Lord, may I speak with you for a moment?”

A low, rigid voice came through the crack between the closed doors.

Everyone turned toward the doors behind us. But in that brief instant, I caught a change in two faces.

The Beast Miao King. And Yayul Mok.

We outsiders were stones that had happened to roll in from elsewhere. Those two were rooted so deeply in Nanman that they were more like its indispensable core.

I didn’t know who the voice belonged to, but the way their eyes darkened was answer enough.

They’re not exactly on smiling terms.

Just as I reached that conclusion, the Beast Miao King met my gaze and gave a quiet laugh.

“What an interesting fellow.”

“Pardon?”

“It’s nothing. Just something that slipped out.”

As if it were nothing. Anyone could see it was something.

But the Beast Miao King gave a small wave of his thick hand, as if telling me not to ask any further, then addressed everyone—including me.

“I’m sorry, but another guest has arrived. Could you give us some privacy? We still have time. Rest from your journey, and we can talk properly afterward.”

There was a slight contradiction in the Beast Miao King’s words about there still being time. As long as Dark Heaven existed, no one knew what might happen.

Still, I was all for resting a while before we talked.

At least nothing unusual seems to have happened in Nanman yet.

I nodded, and the Beast Miao King looked toward Yayul Mok, standing at attention to his right.

“Mok.”

One word was enough. Yayul Mok bowed respectfully, then gestured for us to follow him.

“We’ll take our leave.”

“Go. I’ll prepare a grand welcome for you.”

Forget the grand welcome. I just hope the talks about joining the alliance and Dark Heaven go well.

We turned away from the Beast Miao King. As we reached the doors, the slabs of carved stone began to move.

Rumble.

Through the slowly widening gap, I could see two muscular men in bear hides pulling chains attached to the doors.

And then…

“It’s been a long time.”

The man with the rigid voice was there too.

At his unexpected greeting, Yayul Mok bowed his head.

“Yayul Mok of the Miao people pays his respects to Uncle Baeksang.”

The middle-aged man of another ethnicity was dressed entirely in white, from head to toe, including his clothing and accessories. The man Yayul Mok had called Uncle Baeksang opened his mouth.

“I heard you’d returned. There was quite a large fire in the northeastern pasture, I hear.”

“It was a minor problem. We put it out quickly.”

“A minor problem.”

The cold gaze that accompanied his rigid voice swept over us. Baeksang examined Yayul Mok and everyone standing behind him.

Me in particular.

“I hope so.”

“……”

“And the Palace Lord?”

“He’s waiting inside.”

That was all. Baeksang glanced at Yayul Mok, who still had his head bowed, then passed us without another word.

Rumble.

The stone doors closed with another heavy grinding sound. Only then did Yayul Mok raise his head.

He stared at the shut doors, his lips pressed tight. I asked, “Who was that?”

“None of your business.”

“Don’t want to tell me, huh? Fine. Elder Namho?”

Namho, the Hidden Shadow Pavilion’s walking encyclopedia of Nanman, answered without hesitation.

“He’s the Great Chieftain of the Bai people, one of Nanman’s four most powerful tribes.”

“Oh. No wonder he’s dressed all in white. I saw a few Bai people near the entrance to Nanman. Those whiteys, right?”

Namho sounded taken aback. “Whiteys… Well, you’re not wrong. The tribe reveres the color white.”

More than thirty tribes lived throughout Nanman, each with its own villages and customs. Yeongin was something of a meeting place, where several tribes, including the Bai people, lived together by making compromises.

I didn’t know they were that powerful.

The Great Chieftain of one of the four tribes that divided up this vast land…

I’d suspected he was important when Yayul Mok called him Uncle, but Baeksang was a bigger figure than I’d imagined.

Now that I had the basics, I caught up with Yayul Mok, who had gotten well ahead of us.

“You two didn’t seem very close. Is he really your uncle?”

“……”

“Hey. Hey, can’t you hear me?”

“……”

“If someone calls you, you’re supposed to answer. Do you want to see the burning pasture? Huh? Want me to start a nice fucking fire on the way back?”

“……”

“Oh, this bastard is ignoring me to the very end. Fine, I get it. You have to see fire, not a coffin, before you’ll cry.”

As a trash talker, I had a hundred percent win rate. This time was no different.

“…Please stop spouting bullshit I can’t understand.”

“Oh, then behave yourself. If you answered promptly, none of this would happen.”

Yayul Mok glared at me for a moment, then sighed.

“Think before you ask. Would we belong to different tribes if he were my uncle by blood?”

“Fair point. So why call him Uncle?”

“He and my father are sworn brothers. They became close when they were young, and I’m told they always fought together during the Great Faction War.”

My eyes widened.

“What? Really?”

“I’d heard you Han Chinese bastards were suspicious, but I didn’t expect it to be true. What, don’t you believe me?”

“It’s not that, but… I was a little surprised.”

“Is it so surprising that they’re sworn brothers?”

“No, not that.”

“……?”

“Great Hero Yayul Cheok was your father? Not your grandfather or great-grandfather?”

“……!”

Yayul Mok’s eyes went cold, but I couldn’t help being surprised. The guy looked twenty-five at most, and he was the son of the Beast Miao King, who was well past eighty.

Martial artists tended to marry late, but this was impressive in a whole different way.

“Um, Pavilion Master?”

I waved off Ju Hwaran’s cautious call.

“Just a second. One last question. You’re not the eldest son, are you?”

Tap tap tap.

Yayul Mok suddenly walked faster. He forced the words through his teeth.

“I’m the only son in three generations.”

“Wow. Yayul Only Son. Omniscient Nanman Reader’s Viewpoint—totally doable.”¹

“What does that mean? Are you actually insane?”

“I say things people can’t understand sometimes. Anyway, that Baeksang fellow seems to be against the Nanman Beast Palace joining the alliance, right? Whatever happened back then, you two aren’t on great terms now?”

“That’s no concern of an outsider like you—!”

This was why the flow of a conversation mattered.

Yayul Mok had answered with his face flushed in anger, but he caught himself and trailed off. Too late. The water was spilled, and the fire had spread.

Having baited him perfectly, I smiled warmly and patted his shoulder.

“You bastard. Why’d you stop? My guess was right, then?”

“…You.”

“That’s enough for now. I’ll ask again if I need to. Thanks. Oh, this is our lodging, right? Thanks for showing us the way.”

I left Yayul Mok glaring at me like he wanted to kill me and turned around. Namho was staring at me like a caveman who had just discovered fire.

“Ever thought of joining the Hidden Shadow Pavilion?”

“The Hidden Shadow Pavilion? Forget it. Anyway, you heard all that, didn’t you?”

“Of course. The way you lured him in and hooked him—you’re at least as good as Jiang Taigong.”²

I answered solemnly.

“A fisherman who catches people. Please call me Jindro.”

“Jindro…!”

Ju Hwaran and Hyuk Mujin clenched their fists, their faces alight with excitement.

“Pavilion Master, that was incredible. I really thought you’d lost your mind at first.”

“Young Lady Ju is right. I was so frustrated that I wanted to tear Captain’s mouth open and kill him.”

That felt like a strange sort of praise, but I’d gotten the job done. I smiled with satisfaction.

“Thank you, Young Lady Ju. Mujin, head down.”

“Yes, sir.”

Thud.

Hyuk Mujin planted his head on the ground as naturally as breathing, and I sat on his back.

Song Ilseom and Sama Pyo watched us in disbelief.

“That was absurd, but… we did learn something important.”

“Pavilion Master, what do you intend to do now?”

I shrugged.

We had new information, but the Great Chieftain of the Bai people opposing the Nanman Beast Palace’s entry into the Murim Alliance was hardly good news.

What bothered me more was why.

Why? Why?

Why would a man who had fought in the Great Faction War—the Beast Miao King’s childhood friend and sworn younger brother—oppose joining the alliance?

And what had that coldness in Baeksang’s eyes meant during our brief encounter? Why had he studied me so closely?

I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Grrrrrrk.

“Taishan. Hungry.”

“……”

That fucking bastard.

The Beast Miao King sat in a high-backed chair draped with leopard and tiger hides, his chin propped on one hand. He picked up the wine bottle before him.

Trickle.

Cloudy liquor poured from the rough stone bottle he had carved himself, filling a large wooden bowl. He filled a second and offered one to his guest.

“It’s the fruit wine you like. Have some, Baeksang.”

Baeksang. The name meant white elephant.

But the middle-aged man who caught the slowly flying bowl looked nothing like one. He was lean, unlike the Beast Miao King, with eyes as cold as ice and a mouth held stiff. His answer was just as rigid.

“No, thank you. I’ll pass today.”

Clack.

Baeksang set the bowl down with a clack. The Beast Miao King smiled bitterly.

“…I see. That’s fine.”

It wasn’t fine. His heart ached.

In memories grown hazy with time, his one sworn brother had laughed and talked with him for days and nights, their cups never still. For decades now, that brother had given him the same answer.

I’ll pass today.

It wasn’t only today. He had said it the day before yesterday and yesterday. Tomorrow and the day after would be the same.

The Beast Miao King knew the answer so well he could predict it. Knowing he would be right hurt all the more.

“So, what brings you to see your older brother today?”

Baeksang’s voice did not waver.

“You know why.”

“Because of them.”

“I heard they came from the Murim Alliance.”

“That’s right. Sword Saint Mae Jonghak, the new Alliance Leader, sent them.”

The Beast Miao King admitted it readily. There was no reason to hide it, and Baeksang would hear about it regardless. Plenty of Bai people belonged to the Nanman Beast Palace’s Inner Hall.

He may even know exactly who they are.

The Baeksang he knew had always been meticulous. This time would be no different.

Baeksang’s cold eyes settled on the Beast Miao King as he silently raised his bowl.

“You haven’t forgotten the result of the last tribal council, have you?”

Of course not.

As the Beast Miao King answered inwardly, Baeksang’s rigid voice pierced his ears.

“We—the Nanman Beast Palace… will never join the alliance.”