Like a voice with too much empty space, her pupils were likewise hollow. No emotion could be felt. Thus Hae-rak could not gauge her intent.Hae-rak, who had been about to ask something, swiftly drew back and looked toward the entrance.A man in black martial attire stepped into the room."Young Lady."Hanwon called Sohwa in a sharpened voice.Sohwa, still fixing her gaze on Hae-rak, opened her mouth."I told you not to come in.""This is the Hubei branch. I am not the only one who noticed."Hanwon’s words were brief, but what they implied was clear.Hae-rak feigned ignorance and tilted his head."Since you are the direct line of the Sichuan Tang Clan, I must have been frightened by the Young Lady’s fierce internal strength. Surely a feeble merchant guild master like me would not dare do anything to a direct line of the Sichuan Tang Clan, would I?"Even knowing that Hanwon had already seen through his identity, Hae-rak hunched his shoulders and spoke with cloying pretension.Hanwon tensed his body as if he might strike at any moment.Sohwa restrained Hanwon."Yes. I am the one who did it."Hae-rak’s gaze flowed back to Sohwa. Looking at the fellow’s eyes, which had already returned to brownish-green before she knew it, Sohwa spoke."Do not torment the Young Merchant Master for nothing. In a body without even a speck of internal strength, merely facing you will make his heart tremble."Even though he had been the first to act a part, Hae-rak found those words somehow unpleasant. He thought to quietly press his momentum, but strength would not come.Soon he realized that Sohwa meant what she said.Fortunately, he had hidden his qi-blood and held back the scattering internal strength, but for the moment he could neither gather his internal strength back into his dantian nor circulate it as he intended.If that impudent guard truly rushed him, he would have quite a troublesome time.Thinking it a loss, Hae-rak let out a hollow laugh.Sohwa did not mock him; in the same calm voice as throughout their conversation, she said,"Since the Young Merchant Master must have realized much, I will step aside so you may collect your thoughts."Hae-rak could not stop Sohwa as she turned her back to him.Sohwa hoped Hae-rak’s identity would not be exposed.Fortunately, it seemed he would not be found out.Thanks to the Sangong Poison, the internal strength stored in his dantian had scattered, and because he had hurriedly clamped down on his qi-blood to prevent loss, even if one deliberately examined his body one could not discover it. He would look like someone whose qi-blood had never once been opened, thoroughly blocked.The blurry outline of the Blood Cult grew at least a little more distinct.Thus Sohwa needed the fellow.So as not to miss the opportunity that had luckily come, Sohwa withdrew for a moment.***There are countless martial families in the Central Plains. Among them were five houses that flaunted an especially lofty prestige, and these five houses, rather than competing for superiority, formed an alliance.Since it was an alliance continuing from before the rise of the Martial Alliance, a gathering of the Five Great Families was in itself the history of the Central Plains’ Wulin.Each year the five families took turns receiving guests, and each house had its own rules and codes for conducting the gathering.In the case of the Sichuan Tang Clan, to prevent any unforeseen mishap they cleared away the mechanism formations from the pavilions where guests would lodge, and from ten days before the event they suspended not only poison-training but also the bringing-in of poisonous materials.Thus the month in which the gathering was held was the time when the Tang estate became the safest.This year, preparations for the Five-Family Alliance Meeting were unusually early.Messages had come from other houses saying they would visit a week—some even ten days—before the day the gathering was to begin.The reason was one: because of the Divine Physician.Hearing that the Divine Physician of Yeonjuda was staying at the Tang estate, the retainers of the Five Great Families grew restless. Some Grand Elders said that since they were going to the Tang anyway, they would ask the Clan Head to procure Yeonjuhwan for them; some went further and lay down, insisting they would accompany the Five-Family Alliance Meeting.The Clan Head is the face of a clan.His voice is the clan’s voice.So there was no way it would be easy to speak words of entreaty to the Clan Heads of other houses.Even so, there were as many as two ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) houses that made that difficult decision.They were the Hebei Pang Clan and the Namgung Clan.Knowing that the Clan Head had made a difficult decision, Namgung Munseon showed a troubled face at the Tang physician’s words."Huh, did you not say it would be possible today?"The physician bowed his head as if he had committed a sin."My apologies. We have run out of the ingredients needed to make the Clan Head’s Yeonjuhwan. The Divine Physician says he is sorry, and that he will deliver it to the Namgung Clan next time.""What if the medicine changes on the long road here? Rather than that, tell me the medicinal ingredients needed. I will go out and procure them.""It is indeed medicinal, but within the Tang estate it is used as a poisonous material…""Mm, it seems you feel uneasy to say it is a material used for poison. I understand. Still, let me first procure it, and I will explain it well to the Clan Head. Come, tell me the needed ingredients."The physician waved his hands."Ah, no! It is not that it is difficult to speak the name. It is because of the Tang’s internal regulations. During the period of the meeting, bringing poisonous materials into the Tang estate is forbidden, and that ingredient is classified as a poisonous material by the Medical Division.""Then there is no other way?""I am sorry. It so happens we used it all to manufacture the Pang Clan Head’s Yeonjuhwan; if you come again in five years, we will then produce the Clan Head’s Yeonjuhwan first of all."A Namgung elder let out a sigh."No, you have nothing to apologize for. We know the Divine Physician’s treatment is the Tang’s kindness.""Thank you for saying so.""I will explain it well to the Clan Head.""Yes, thank you once again."The physician pressed both hands together in a proper fist-and-palm salute and left. With a sigh, Namgung Munseon let out a low hum. The Namgung warriors standing behind him also lamented."Ah, we should have made more speed. We arrived just one day later than the Pang Clan—what a pity."When a young warrior pouted, Namgung Munseon shook his head."Enough. Coming even a week early is trouble enough.""Those Pang brats came even earlier, did they not?""Namgung Gangchang, watch your mouth. This is the Five-Family Alliance Meeting."The youth shut his mouth with a sullen face. Still, he did not dare talk back. Namgung Munseon looked at his loose-tongued nephew with eyes full of disdain.Since the Little Clan Head entered closed-door training, many changes had occurred among the Namgung’s younger warriors. Whether having been spurred by the children who followed the Little Clan Head, they said they would train and temporarily left home, or they too entered closed-door training. As most of the children who had stuck by the Little Clan Head’s side were warriors who had been spoken of as the younger generation to watch, once those children left their places the atmosphere became unsettled.In particular, Namgung Gangchang, the Grand Elder’s only child, played the tiger in a cave without a tiger and greatly ruined the mood.Namgung Munseon let out a long sigh."Since my elder brother shields Gangchang, there is a limit to the cautions I can give. If even I am thus, how much worse must it be for the children."Fortunately, this year the Little Clan Head’s closed-door training would end, and the atmosphere would settle again.Namgung Munseon forced his thoughts toward a positive direction."Yes. Things will improve once the Little Clan Head returns."A pavilion bathed in autumn sun. As he climbed those steps to meet the Clan Head, he happened to run into a youth coming out.The Clan Head’s illegitimate son, having spotted Namgung Munseon, brought his hands together lightly with a modest smile."I greet the Elder."How quickly a boy grows. Seeing Namgung Hyun, who now bore the air of a young man in full, Namgung Munseon finished climbing the steps."Good. Is the Clan Head within?""Yes, he is inside."As Namgung Munseon moved to pass him, Namgung Hyun carefully called to him."Elder, if it is not urgent, it would be best to pay your visit in two hours.""Why? Who is inside?""Yes. A guest just arrived and issued me an order to clear the room.""A guest? Who?"But Namgung Hyun could not answer and hesitated a moment.As if pondering, his light brown eyes moved toward the pavilion.A neat side profile and naturally upturned pink lips entered his gaze. It was a face that calmed the hearts of those who beheld it. Looking at that face, Namgung Munseon suddenly recalled the boy’s mother.That courtesan with a snow-white face was truly a temptress. Had she rather been a flamboyant sort, he would at least have been on guard, but with that pure and clear face the courtesan shook the Namgung Little Clan Head. Unpleasant memories surfacing, Namgung Munseon cleared his throat for no reason."Ahem."Only then did Namgung Hyun, turning his eyes back, speak as if in excuse."My apologies. I wondered for a moment if I should speak so presumptuously. Elder Pang Shihyeon of the Pang Clan is inside."At those words, Namgung Munseon started.Elder Pang Shihyeon was the daughter of the former Pang Clan Head. And she had been a warrior who, in childhood, was the lover of Namgung An.He remembered it had not been a deep relationship. The two warriors, long-standing rivals, having gone out to the rivers and lakes around the same time, perhaps because they found much in common, before they knew it shared affection.How surprised he had been to see his elder brother, who had so maligned Pang Shihyeon, suddenly show her longing.Of course, to mention that matter was a taboo of the Namgung.Because Pang Shihyeon, having set eyes on some dark-path fellow, smeared the face of the proud Namgung An.No—at that level it was not a smear, but a slathering of filth.Namgung Munseon cleared his throat and stepped back."Ahem, very well. If there is a guest, I must pay my respects another time. It was not that urgent."Namgung Hyun quietly watched the Elder’s back as he swiftly descended.Namgung Hyun did not follow down; he stopped, turned back, and looked behind him.He was curious about the conversation taking place within. For Elder Pang of the Pang Clan, who had come by way of the Shaanxi branch, had said strange things."That he had broken through the Hall Lord’s martial arts?"He already knew of the trouble caused by the Red Blood Hall Lord. But astonishingly, it was said there was someone who had seen through the Red Blood Hall Lord’s martial arts.Tang Sohwa. By coincidence, he heard that name.He wanted to eavesdrop further, but since he had run into Namgung Munseon, he had to take his leave before he drew needless suspicion.As it was, the gazes of the Namgung members toward him were not kind; he could not create a needless variable here.Leaving his regret behind, Namgung Hyun lifted his head.The terms of the Blood Demon’s deal circled in Namgung Hyun’s mind.Looking out over the Tang estate that fit into a single glance, Namgung Hyun went down the steps.Soon his regret vanished, and only the goal for which he had come here grew distinct.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.