We had been preparing to disembark at Wuchang’s port when, to my surprise, the boat sailed past the bustling harbor. The destination began to shrink behind us.
“Wait! I think we just passed it!” I said in a startled tone.
My sister calmly pointed to a smaller dock coming into view in the distance. “No, So-ryong, we’re disembarking there. That’s the Murim Alliance’s private dock. It’s exclusively for martial artists.”
“Ah, I see.”
It suddenly made sense why we had switched to a ship operated by the Zhuge family, one of the Seven Great Clans, back at Yichang. Clearly, it was so we could use this private dock.
The Murim Alliance seed to be so kind of cooperative group for martial artists, and judging by the exclusive docking facilities, they were clearly well-funded.
Deputy Gu Pae, who stood nearby, explained, “So-ryong, Wuchang is known as the Gateway of Nine Provinces. It connects Anhui and Guangxi to the east, Chongqing and Sichuan to the west, Henan and Shaanxi to the north, and Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangdong to the south.”
‘So it’s basically the transportation hub of the region,’ I thought. No wonder the Murim Alliance was based here.
As I listened to Gu Pae’s explanation, I followed my sister’s gaze toward the towering structures and fortress-like walls that rose along the banks of the Yangtze River. The Murim Alliance’s base occupied a strategic location, with one side bordering the river and the other connected to Wuchang itself.
— Thud!
The ship gradually slowed and docked at the private pier. The mont we arrived, ard warriors equipped with swords and auras of authority leapt aboard using light footwork.
The leader of the warriors approached a mber of the Zhuge family, who owned the ship, and asked, “State your purpose for visiting the Murim Alliance.”
“This is the Zhuge family’s scheduled ship,” the crew mber replied, clearly irritated. “Do we really need to go through this every ti? You know who we are.”
“You know the procedures. May I have the passenger list?” the warrior demanded.
“Fine, here it is.”
Despite being familiar with the Zhuge family, the warriors ticulously verified the ship’s purpose and its passengers. Their strict security felt more like a fortress inspection than a dock greeting.
“Passengers, please step forward when your na is called and show your face,” the leader ordered, treating the process like a classroom roll call.
When our turn ca, the warrior leader’s expression shifted to surprise as he scanned the list.
“Are there mbers of the Sichuan Tang Clan aboard this ship?” he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity.
The Zhuge family representative imdiately nodded. “Yes, Lady Tang Hwa-eun, a direct descendant of the Tang Clan, is on board.”
“You should have ntioned that earlier. Where are the Tang Clan mbers? The strategist is expecting them.”
“Weren’t you the one insisting on thorough checks…?” the representative muttered under his breath.
Hearing her na ntioned, my sister stepped forward with calm dignity, offering the warrior leader a respectful gesture.
“I am Tang Hwa-eun of the Sichuan Tang Clan.”
“Greetings, Lady Tang. I am Mak Gyeol, captain of the Yellow Dragon Squad under the Murim Alliance’s internal division. The strategist has been waiting for you,” he said with a bow.
“Captain Mak? Could you guide us to the strategist? We’ve brought the requested items,” my sister replied.
“Of course, Lady Tang. Everyone, signal the strategist and escort the Tang Clan mbers!” Mak Gyeol barked.
One of the warriors leapt off the ship and sprinted toward the towering pavilion in the distance, while the rest escorted us toward the Murim Alliance headquarters.
As we passed through the grand pavilions, heading toward the tallest building, a group of three young martial artists erged from a corner. They appeared to be engaged in a heated discussion as they approached.
The group consisted of two n and a woman. The woman, ard with a sword, was dragging one of the n, who carried a spear, by his ear. Their loud bickering reached us before they did.
“Ow, ow! Stop pulling! I was just trying to teach that fool a lesson!”
“And does your family know you go around picking fights in the Murim Alliance? We’re here to deal with the Blood Cult, not to challenge our allies to duels!” the woman scolded.
The third mber of their group, a man with a sword, sighed and said, “You were too hasty, Seong-hoo. You should’ve confird their words before acting.”
“What’s there to confirm? It was about Lady Tang’s honor! I couldn’t just ignore it!” Seong-hoo protested.
As the three passed us, one of them suddenly called out.
“Lady Poison Blossom? Tang Hwa-eun?”
“Poison Blossom?” I muttered, surprised. My sister stopped in her tracks and turned toward the group, greeting them with a courteous bow.
“It’s been a while. Blade Dragon, Sword Phoenix, and Spear Dragon. We haven’t t since the Yongfeng Conference.”
“Well, well, what are the odds of running into you here, Poison Blossom? It’s been too long,” Blade Dragon greeted with a grin.
“It really has been a while, Hwa-eun,” said Sword Phoenix warmly.
“Indeed… a long ti,” stamred Spear Dragon, his face turning red.
Hearing their titles made cringe internally. I now understood that such nicknas were reserved for martial artists of exceptional skill, often with exaggerated flair. Their titles roughly translated to “Blade Dragon,” “Sword Phoenix,” and “Spear Dragon.” How could they say these nas without embarrassnt? Then again, my sister’s title, “Poison Rose,” wasn’t any less dramatic.
Sword Phoenix, apparently a social butterfly, linked arms with my sister and smiled brightly. “We t just last year, didn’t we?”
“Yes, we did, Sword Phoenix. In Sichuan,” my sister replied politely, though she looked slightly uncomfortable.
“Oh, don’t be so formal. We agreed to call each other by na, rember?” Sword Phoenix teased, ignoring my sister’s attempts to loosen her grip.
“Only because you insisted…” my sister muttered.
Ignoring her, Sword Phoenix suddenly grinned mischievously and said, “By the way, I’m glad we ran into you. I’ve been aning to ask you sothing.”
“What would that be?” my sister asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
“Well, there’s a strange rumor going around the Murim Alliance,” Sword Phoenix began, her tone playful. “They’re saying you’ve found a lover. Is that true?”
“A lover?” my sister repeated, caught off guard.
“Yes. The warriors are all talking about it! Apparently, this fool—” she gestured to Spear Dragon, who turned beet red, “—challenged so of them to duels to defend your honor.”
Spear Dragon hastily protested, “It’s not what you think! As a fellow warrior, I simply couldn’t allow Lady Tang’s honor to be tarnished!”
My sister glanced at him with a neutral expression and replied, “The rumor is incorrect.”
‘Is she keeping it a secret?’ I wondered. Back at the Tang Clan, she had introduced as her betrothed to her father and the strategist. But now, she was denying the rumors. Was it to avoid unnecessary attention?
Spear Dragon’s face lit up. “See? I told you!”
“Ah, so it was just a baseless rumor. You’re off the hook, Seong-hoo,” Blade Dragon added with a laugh.
“Hook? When was I ever on it? Anyway, I’ll go set those warriors straight—” Spear Dragon began, rolling up his sleeves, when my sister placed a hand on my shoulder and spoke with a smile.
“The rumor is wrong. He’s not my lover. He’s my fiancé.”
‘Fiancé!?’
While “lover” implied a romantic relationship, “fiancé” referred to soone officially promised for marriage. The weight of her words hit like a boulder. Failing my mission to capture the venomous creatures was now not an option.
Sword Phoenix, usually composed, looked genuinely shocked. “Fiancé? He looks so young!”
“Yes, this is Wi So-ryong, my fiancé,” my sister said smoothly. “So-ryong, introduce yourself. These are Blade Dragon, Sword Phoenix, and Spear Dragon.”
For a mont, even I was caught off guard, but I managed to offer a proper greeting. I decided to discuss my sister’s intentions with her later.
As for the spear-wielding guy, it seed he harbored a one-sided affection for my sister. But what could be done? Kids grow through experiences like this.
“It’s all part of growing up.”
With that thought, I stepped forward, offering a polite bow to the trio.
“It’s a pleasure to et you all. I am Wi So-ryong, Lady Hwa-eun’s fiancé. I look forward to your guidance.”
The three, initially stunned, quickly collected themselves and returned my greeting.
“Ah, yes, of course. Nice to et you, Young Hero. I’m Seon-hwa of Mount Song’s Daoist sect, though I go by the overblown nickna Sword Phoenix,” said the woman, offering a sowhat sheepish smile.
“To think that soone so young managed to win the favor of one of the Murim Blossoms… I am Blade Dragon, Paeng Gyu-seong,” said the man with the sword.
The spear-wielding youth, who had been staring at with a blank expression, finally responded after his companions nudged him with their elbows. “Ah, yes… I’m Yang Seong-hoo. Nice to et you,” he stamred.
Once the introductions were over, the warrior captain reminded us of our pressing schedule. “The strategist is waiting. Let’s not keep him.”
“I apologize. We must take our leave for now,” my sister said with a polite smile. As we walked away, I glanced back to see the other two patting Yang Seong-hoo on the shoulder as if consoling him. It looked like soone had just been dealt a hard lesson in growing up.
***
“So, look who it is! I didn’t expect the two of you to co in person.”
“Greetings, Strategist,” my sister and I said in unison as we entered the strategist’s office.
The strategist, Zhuge Hu, greeted us warmly and gestured for us to sit. Pouring us each a cup of tea, he got straight to the point.
“So, how much venom did you manage to bring this ti?” he asked.
“We prepared as much as we could. About three bottles’ worth,” my sister replied, placing the box we had brought onto the table.
— Thud.
She opened the box to reveal three large bottles, each filled to the brim with venom.
“You must’ve gone through a lot of trouble. I saw how venom extraction works back when I was in Sichuan—it’s incredibly labor-intensive. Please pass on my gratitude to your family,” Zhuge Hu said, his tone genuinely appreciative.
Considering how rare and valuable this amount of venom was, his words carried weight. Extracting venom from snakes wasn’t just a painstaking process; it required dealing with dangerous creatures. Even for snakes known for high venom yields, such as the Russell’s viper, the average production was only around 12 milliliters per snake. To fill one 1.5-liter bottle, you’d need venom from at least 125 snakes—assuming you were dealing with a species as venomous as the Russell’s viper. For smaller snakes like the Hobanyu, the number could easily exceed 500 per bottle.
So, to fill three bottles? That would have required venom from nearly 1,500 snakes.
“I’ll be sure to convey your gratitude,” my sister replied, bowing slightly.
Zhuge Hu nodded with a smile. “Good. Now, while you’re here, why not take the chance to explore the Murim Alliance? It’d be a good opportunity to build connections with disciples from other sects. And, So-ryong, I’d like you to et the Alliance Leader. He’s been wanting to see you.”
Though his suggestion was tempting, we didn’t have the luxury of ti. While sightseeing and networking could wait, our lizards’ survival could not. Without finding the Ice Jade soon, they might starve to death.
“We must leave imdiately, Strategist,” I said firmly.
“Imdiately? Why the rush? Do you have another destination in mind?” he asked, blinking in surprise.
I explained our situation. “Yes, actually. The lizards you ntioned seem to feed on the energy from the Snow Ginseng. To sustain them, we need the Ice Jade. We’re planning to visit the Namgung family, who supposedly have it.”
Hearing this, Zhuge Hu nodded thoughtfully but replied in a concerned tone. “Ah, I see. So, in a way, I’ve stolen their food… I understand your urgency. But I should warn you—the Namgung family has been dealing with so unusual issues lately. I’m not sure they’ll be in any condition to receive visitors. In fact, they couldn’t even spare anyone to assist us in capturing the Blood Cult operatives.”
“Unusual issues?” I asked, suddenly worried.
If sothing was happening with the Namgung family, it might complicate our mission. A sense of unease began to creep in as I considered what we might face.
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