Chapter 650

The banquet held in the Inner Palace alongside the Tribal Grand Council that day didn’t begin to wind down until nearly the Ox hour.¹

For me, that was a relief. Otherwise, I’d have had to endure the stares and whispers coming from every direction all night.

“That Han Chinese fellow—wasn’t he up on a pavilion with his pants off?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“My wife’s nephew is with the Inner Palace guard. Apparently, that brief alert a shichen² ago was because of him.”

“Now that you mention it, I did hear a whistle… But wasn’t that when he said he was going to take a leak?”

“Maybe he didn’t go take a leak. Maybe he wanted to show everyone something else. People have all kinds of tastes, you know. Could be a Central Plains custom.”

“Good heavens. I had no idea the Central Plains had such a barbaric custom.”

“Barbaric as it gets. But separate from that, he does seem pretty impressive.”

“What does?”

“You know. That.”

“Ah…”

“According to my nephew, they nearly attacked him because they thought he was holding a weapon. Until they shone a torch on him, they thought it was a spear.”

“What? How could anyone mistake it for a spear?”

“Come now. Do you think ‘dragon’ was added to his sobriquet for no reason? A dragon is a dragon.”

“Whaaaaaat!”

System

• Rumors about you are spreading far and wide!
• A considerable number of influential figures are reacting to the rumors!
• Fame has increased slightly!
• Fame has increased slightly!

“…”

Please stop. And why did my Fame have to go up again?

My fucking life…

I did my best to ignore the whispers around me as I tipped back the last of my drink. Seeing me like that, the Beast Miao King laughed heartily and patted me on the shoulder.

“Don’t take it so hard. These things happen to a man.”

“When you put it like that, it sounds like I did it on purpose. It was an accident. I was in such a hurry to get out that I forgot to fasten my trousers…”

“Hm? Why were you in such a hurry?”

“Ah, well…”

Damn it. That had slipped out.

I still hadn’t told even the Beast Miao King about the missive from the unidentified sender. After a brief silence, I gave up.

“Actually, I did do it on purpose.”

“Oh my.”

“I’ve been like that since I was young. Still do it now and then.”

“Good grief.”

“It’s my hobby and my special talent. You thought I only used one spear? I actually use two.”

“Whaaaaaat…”

If I died in Nanman, it wouldn’t matter how it happened. The cause of death would be humiliation.

But I couldn’t tell him the truth. Whoever had contacted me this way wanted to meet in secret, which meant I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone else.

At the very least, no one in the Nanman Beast Palace can know.

I trusted the Beast Miao King. But nowhere were trust and faith cheaper words than in Murim. No one knew what might happen.

Besides, if the Beast Miao King found out, someone else might notice.

That man, for instance.

I met Baeksang’s impassive gaze. The longer I looked at him, the less I could read in his eyes.

He had spent the entire banquet sitting without lifting a finger to touch the food or alcohol. Now, after meeting my gaze, he smoothed his immaculate white robes, rose from his seat, and spoke.

“Palace Lord, it is already late. Let us end the banquet here.”

“Hm. Let us.”

The Beast Miao King nodded without hesitation. The Tribal Grand Council would continue tomorrow, after all.

Of course, since everyone present was a Peak master who practiced martial arts, none of them would suffer from a hangover. Even so, drinking in an atmosphere like this was bound to dull the mind.

Drip. Drip.

The Beast Miao King expelled the alcohol through his fingertips. His face clear again, he announced the end of the banquet, drawing disappointed murmurs from around the room.

Not any of them, then. The appointed time is nearly here, and they’re disappointed the banquet’s ending.

After quickly checking the faces of those who looked disappointed, I spoke to the Beast Miao King.

“Sir Yayul, I should head in too.”

“Of course. Which pavilion will you be going to this time?”

“…”

Seriously?

He took one look at my face, slapped his knee, and laughed. I sighed and left with Namho and the rest of the unorthodox faction underlings.

By then, the night had deepened, and the time had entered Insi.³

It was time to meet whoever had sent the missive.

“Are you sure you’ll be all right going alone? It could be a trap.”

On the way to the quarters assigned to the Fire Dragon Pavilion, I reassured the worried-looking Namho.

“I’ll be fine. Besides, Elder Nam, you’d only be a burden if you came.”

“…”

“Were you thinking of following me?”

“I’ve lived a fairly long life, but I have no desire to die like a stray dog.”

“Then stay in the quarters with the other two deadweights.”

Taishan, as usual, gave it little thought. Sama Pyo was less pleased to be called deadweight when he was one of the unorthodox faction’s finest young prodigies, but my next words shut him up.

“If you don’t like it, reach Supreme Peak.”

“…”

“I can somehow survive, but you two can’t. Keep watch around the quarters until I return. And swing your swords at least one more time while you’re at it.”

We went inside together as though nothing were amiss. Fifteen minutes later, I slipped out unnoticed and disappeared into the darkness.

Around Insi.³ The West Gate, right?

I had no idea whether the contents of the missive tied to the arrow were a trap or an attempt to make contact in order to share information. I could only go and find out for myself.

Whoosh, whoosh!

I kept out of sight of the patrolling warriors as I moved. Before long, the cheers and clamor that had echoed faintly in the distance grew louder.

Fwoosh! Boom!

“Waaaaaaah!”

The banquet in the Inner Palace was over, but the night’s festivities in the Outer Palace were still going strong. They would go on tomorrow and the day after, too.

The ordinary tribespeople—neither the chieftains attending the Tribal Grand Council nor the warriors standing guard—were completely immersed in the festival atmosphere.

So that’s why the meeting place is in the Outer Palace. It’s more crowded now than at any other time of year.

I slipped into the crowd. The streets were packed with people wearing animal masks, and no one gave me a second look in the tiger mask I’d worn before.

The West Gate… Is that over there?

The Outer Palace was in a festive mood, but its guards hadn’t let their vigilance slip. I avoided the warriors stationed along the way and soon reached the West Gate.

Or, more precisely, somewhere near it. The area was just as crowded as the rest of the Outer Palace.

I came where the missive told me to, but…

There were too many people here, and plenty of guards besides. If I stood around like a Great General guardian post,⁴ I was bound to draw attention.

What now?

I was looking around when someone called out.

“Hey, tiger-mask fellow. If you’ve got nothing better to do, come have a bowl of somyeon⁵ before you go.”

I turned toward the voice and met the eyes of a middle-aged man at a nearby food stall. His face and eyes were unremarkable, and he was painfully thin. He grinned and raised the bowl in front of him.

“I don’t usually talk to strangers, but the broth here is incredible.”

“…Hm.”

I wasn’t sure the broth was the only incredible thing here.

I studied him for the briefest moment, then nodded and sat beside him. At last, I sent a thread of Sound Transmission to the unexpected contact.

—Funny. You’ve lost a lot of weight in a short time. You seemed to be eating plenty at the banquet.

“…!”

Clatter!

His thin body flinched and trembled. I picked up the chopsticks he had dropped and continued the Sound Transmission.

—So what brings the Great Chieftain of the Yi people here?

Heugung’s eyes widened at the Sound Transmission in his ear.

Heugung was clearly shocked that I’d recognized him so quickly, but I was no less surprised.

He sent the missive?

We hadn’t met often or spent much time together, but I’d already formed an opinion of him: a pathetic man so besotted with Yohi’s beauty that he’d hand over his liver and gallbladder, and a spineless puppet who followed Baeksang’s lead.

Perhaps that was why this surprised me so much. Neither his appearance nor his behavior matched the man I thought I knew. And that magnificent spare tire you could have made a pilgrimage around? Gone without a trace.

If not for the System, he’d have fooled me completely.

I marveled inwardly and put the chopsticks back in his hand, adding a casual remark for anyone who might be watching.

“Why’d you drop these all of a sudden? Feeling weak?”

Heugung came to his senses and hurriedly composed himself.

“Ah, thank you.”

Only the two of us knew that Sound Transmissions were passing beneath our ordinary conversation.

“Sir, one bowl of somyeon,⁵ please.”

I placed my order, then moved my lips.

—You sent the missive tied to the arrow, didn’t you?

When the hunched old owner didn’t stir, Heugung pounded on the stall.

“Sir! One bowl of somyeon!”⁵

He grinned at me.

“You’ll have to excuse him. He’s over ninety, and his hearing isn’t what it used to be.”

—…Yes, I sent it. But I changed my appearance with the Bone-Shrinking Technique. How did you recognize me at a glance?

Ah. The Bone-Shrinking Technique.

That answered one question about his sudden transformation.

Jeok Cheongang had once told me it was a martial art that could stretch and shrink bone and flesh like rubber bands. Learning it was so difficult and painful that almost no one in the Central Plains practiced it.

I doubt it’s common in Nanman either.

I still had plenty of questions. While I waited for the somyeon,⁵ I spoke aloud.

“I was craving some hot broth anyway. This worked out nicely.”

—How I recognized you doesn’t matter. Why send that missive?

Heugung made sure I had chopsticks as he answered.

“If nothing else, the broth is excellent. He’s been running this stall almost as long as he’s been alive.”

—I had information I absolutely needed to tell you.

“Oh, really? Then I’ll look forward to it.”

—Were you trying to kill me or tell me something? I nearly ended up with an arrow through my head.

—I thought you’d dodge it. Even Great Chieftain Baeksang couldn’t get the better of you. Surely you could dodge one arrow.

“…”

Did he have any idea that arrow was how I’d become the Naked Divine Dragon?

I considered smacking him over the head, but generously restrained myself.

—So, what is this information you absolutely had to tell me?

Heugung stared at the bowl steaming in front of him. His lips moved with difficulty.

—Great Chieftain Baeksang… has colluded with Dark Heaven.

“…!”

Crack.

My grip tightened before I knew it, and the chopsticks snapped in my hand.