Bachelor Swordsmanship Remastered [EN]: Chapter 507

507. The Aftermath of Unease

The carriage carrying Yunhyun and his party sped towards the Azure Dragon Alliance’s main headquarters in Hangzhou.

As they passed through the long, straight main road and arrived at the headquarters’ main gate, they were greeted by none other than the radiant smile of Moryongmi, the Chief of External Affairs.

Clack.

The carriage door opened, and Yeonghojun and Yunhyun stepped down.

“Welcome, Alliance Leader,” Moryongmi said with a smile.

Yunhyun returned the smile.

“Thank you, Miss Moryong. You didn’t have to come out….”

“It’s alright. I wanted to.”

Moryongmi bowed to Gekoong as he alighted from the carriage.

Then, upon seeing Sword Saint Lee Geomhak, her eyes widened.

“Could it be….”

“Yes,” Yunhyun said to Moryongmi with a smile. “It is the Sword Saint.”

Rustle.

Moryongmi immediately bowed to Lee Geomhak.

“It is an honor to meet the Sword Saint. My name is Moryongmi from the Moryong Family.”

The Sword Saint nodded.

“I have heard many stories about you. Everyone praises you highly.”

“Thank you. It is all thanks to the elders looking favorably upon me.”

Moryongmi raised her head and smiled.

Yunhyun introduced Sa Ilcheon to Moryongmi.

“Ah, and this is Scholar Sa Ilcheon. As I mentioned before, he is also better known as ‘Ileun’.”

“Pardon?”

Moryongmi was taken aback.

If one were to name the most mysterious person in the world, it would undoubtedly be ‘Ileun’ [a legendary strategist]. For one of the Hwanwoo Five Greats [a group of highly influential figures], a mysterious figure whom no one had ever seen, to be standing before her, even Moryongmi could not help but be surprised.

However, Moryongmi soon bowed politely.

“You are Sa Ilcheon. My name is Moryongmi.”

Moryongmi raised her head and smiled.

“I have heard many stories about you from Scholar Yun. Especially about your time in the Imperial Palace.”

“Huhu. I sometimes miss those days too,” Sa Ilcheon said with a smile. He continued, “I am Sa Ilcheon. I look forward to working with you.”

“The pleasure is all mine.”

After exchanging greetings, Moryongmi turned to Yunhyun.

“Ah, Alliance Leader, I apologize for the suddenness, but Miss Il Ayeong is waiting for you.”

“Miss Il Ayeong?” Yunhyun asked with a puzzled expression.

It was unexpected for Il Ayeong, the daughter of his sworn brother and the Chief Inspector of the Howon Merchant Group, to come all the way here.

“Yes,” Moryongmi said quietly. “It is important.”

Yunhyun’s expression hardened.

Moryongmi’s failure to disclose the details was likely due to the presence of the group.

“I understand,” Yunhyun replied and turned to Chief Strategist Yeonghojun. “Please take care of our guests. And Chief Strategist, please come to me soon.”

“Yes, Alliance Leader,” Yeonghojun immediately carried out Yunhyun’s order.

“Shall we go this way, then?” Chief Strategist Yeonghojun said to the group with a smile.

As the group followed Yeonghojun into the Azure Dragon Alliance headquarters, Moryongmi bowed politely to them.

Gekoong remained by Yunhyun’s side as if it were natural.

As the group disappeared into the Azure Dragon Alliance headquarters, Yunhyun and Gekoong moved along with Moryongmi.

Step, step.

“What is it?” Yunhyun asked as they walked.

Moryongmi replied quietly with a grim expression. “…The Soul-Devouring Pill has reappeared.”

At that moment, Gekoong’s eyebrows twitched.

Yunhyun’s expression also hardened.

The Soul-Devouring Pill, which had turned many disciples of the Hwasan and Wudang sects into cripples, and had ultimately driven some to become mindless monsters, had resurfaced after a period of disappearance.

“Let’s go,” Gekoong said and strode ahead.

Moryongmi quickly hastened her pace, and Yunhyun followed Gekoong with a hardened expression.

***

Yunhyun, Gekoong, and Moryongmi arrived at the Alliance Leader’s office in the main hall.

Not long after they took their seats, Yeonghojun and Il Ayeong entered the main hall almost simultaneously.

“Uncle Yun,” Il Ayeong said with a smile.

Yunhyun also smiled and rose from his seat.

“Ayeong.”

Il Ayeong approached Yunhyun with a neat appearance and bowed.

Yunhyun also responded politely.

“Have you been well? I have heard many stories from Sister Moryong.”

Il Ayeong said, looking at Yunhyun. Having become close, Il Ayeong was calling Moryongmi “sister.”

“I heard you had many difficulties, but I am glad you are safe.”

“Thank you. Is Sister-in-law healthy?”

“Yes. Thanks to you.”

Yunhyun smiled and offered Il Ayeong a seat.

As Il Ayeong and Yeonghojun sat down, a maid brought tea.

A soft tea fragrance wafted through the air, and Yunhyun picked up his teacup.

“You said it was important. What is it?”

Clack.

Il Ayeong put down her teacup.

“Recently, a suspicious medicine has been secretly circulating in the market. It’s called ‘Resurrection Pill,’ and it’s said to save even those on the brink of death.”

Yunhyun’s eyes gleamed.

Il Ayeong continued quietly. “Due to the rumors of rebellions and the rise of the Demonic Sect’s forces, the public sentiment was already uneasy, so the Resurrection Pill spread covertly. It was secretly traded through small-scale illegal merchant groups, so it wasn’t well known to the public. But recently, this Resurrection Pill suddenly started circulating openly.”

Rustle.

Il Ayeong took out a small wooden box.

It was a crude box, and the patterns carved to make it look luxurious only made it seem stranger.

“This is the Resurrection Pill.”

The moment he saw the wooden box, Gekoong frowned.

Il Ayeong said with a glint in her eyes. “Could this be the Soul-Devouring Pill you mentioned before?”

Clack.

Yunhyun reached out and opened the wooden box.

Sure enough.

A jet-black Soul-Devouring Pill lay inside the wooden box.

Thud.

Yunhyun closed the wooden box and asked Il Ayeong. “…How widely has it spread in the market?”

“Not as much as you might think.”

Yunhyun wore a puzzled expression.

“Not much?”

“Yes. It suddenly started being distributed here and there, but the trading volume is surprisingly low. The supply isn’t steady either. It seems the illegal merchant groups that were handling it have dumped their stock.”

“Dumped it? Then….”

“Yes. It means they urgently disposed of it.”

Il Ayeong said, looking straight at Yunhyun. “Because you, Uncle Yun, defeated the Demonic Sect’s forces and recovered Nanzhou.”

“Ah!”

Moryongmi, who was next to her, exclaimed.

“I see. With the Demonic Sect’s forces suppressed, they predicted the price would plummet and released their stock all at once?”

It is the instinct of a merchant to want a good price.

With Nanzhou recovered and the Demonic Sect’s momentum suppressed, the merchant groups that had been profiting from people’s anxiety were now trying to dispose of the Soul-Devouring Pill.

As if dumping their goods.

Il Ayeong nodded.

“That’s right. That’s why the goods even came to the Howon Merchant Group.”

Staring at the small wooden box, Il Ayeong continued. “Originally, we wouldn’t have been involved with such goods, but I used my authority to order that all of them be bought up as they appeared. Of course, using names other than the Howon Merchant Group.”

Rustle.

Il Ayeong took out a thin letter from her chest and spread it on the table.

Instead of text, a simple map was drawn on the letter.

“And this shows the areas of the merchant groups that acquired these goods. As you can see, they are concentrated in the Yangtze River region, especially in Chongqing and Xi’an.”

Yunhyun looked at the map that Il Ayeong had taken out.

Il Ayeong pointed to the vicinity of Chongqing and Xi’an with her finger.

“Chongqing and Xi’an are close to Gansu, where the Demonic Sect’s forces arose. So it’s perhaps natural that the Soul-Devouring Pill spread here. But there’s another possibility.”

“The supply of the Soul-Devouring Pill itself may have originated from the vicinity of Chongqing or Xi’an,” Moryongmi said in a low voice.

“Yes. You’re right, Sister.”

Il Ayeong raised her eyes.

“The Howon Merchant Group is doing its best to recover them, but there’s no guarantee that this won’t happen again. Perhaps this Soul-Devouring Pill is a greater threat than the Demonic Sect’s forces.”

Looking straight at Yunhyun, Il Ayeong said.

Her upright gaze was identical to that of her father, Yunhyun’s sworn brother, Il Chunghyun.

“Uncle Yun. These….”

“Yes. I understand,” Yunhyun said, smiling. “Leave these to me. I will definitely root them out.”

Il Ayeong wore a slightly surprised expression.

But soon, she smiled.

“Thank you. I knew you would say that, Uncle Yun.”

Il Ayeong picked up her teacup.

In the time since they last met, Il Ayeong was showing a more mature appearance.

Yunhyun quietly fiddled with his teacup.

“Ayeong, if it’s alright with you, could you go to Beijing?”

Il Ayeong, who was drinking tea, wore a puzzled expression.

“If it’s Uncle Yun’s request, I can make time, but… suddenly Beijing?”

“Yes. Someone in the Imperial Palace wants to meet you.”

Il Ayeong’s eyes widened.

“The Imperial Palace? Ah, are you talking about Eunuch Park?”

“Yes. And you’ll be meeting other people as well. They mainly want to know about the activities and practices of the merchant groups.”

The reason he didn’t mention the Crown Prince was because the affairs of the Imperial Family were inherently confidential, and he was also concerned that Il Ayeong might feel too much pressure.

“Is that so? Then it’s alright,” Il Ayeong smiled. “Thanks to Uncle Yun, I’ll get to see the Imperial Palace. When should I go?”

“I think a formal invitation will come.”

Since it was Eunuch Park’s doing, it was clear that he would send someone formally.

“Then I should start preparing to make time from now on. Ah, Uncle Yun.”

Yunhyun, who was drinking tea, looked at Il Ayeong.

Il Ayeong asked with a glint in her eyes. “I’ve heard that eunuchs have thin voices and act like women. Is that really true?”

Yunhyun almost spat out his tea.

“Ahem.”

After clearing his throat, Yunhyun said with a smile. “Some people are like that, but not everyone is. It’s not good to have preconceived notions about such things.”

“Geez. Who said I have preconceived notions? I’m just asking.”

“Even if the words have no meaning to us, they can be hurtful to the person who hears them,” Yunhyun put down his teacup and said with a serious look.

Il Ayeong frowned.

“Ugh. When I see you like this, Uncle Yun, you really are an old-fashioned person. Alright.”

Slightly upset, Il Ayeong turned her head and met eyes with Moryongmi, who was next to her.

“It must be tough for you too, Sister. Working with such an Uncle Yun.”

It was a remark meant to tease Yunhyun, but Moryongmi smiled instead.

“I like it even more because of that.”

Il Ayeong opened her mouth as if she was dumbfounded.

Then, she grumbled quietly, “I asked the wrong person.”

“That’s right,” Yeonghojun, who had been quietly listening, nodded. “It’s like no matter what Yeon Mae does, she just looks cute to me.”

Yeonghojun said with an air of boasting, even though no one had asked or was curious.

Il Ayeong was dumbfounded.

She couldn’t understand why there were such people in the Azure Dragon Alliance’s headquarters, which resonated throughout the martial world, and especially around Yunhyun, the Alliance Leader.

Shouldn’t the headquarters of the Azure Dragon Alliance be filled with people who possessed a fearsome aura just by looking at them?

The person who came closest to that image was Gekoong.

Il Ayeong glanced at Gekoong.

Even to her, Gekoong’s atmosphere was unique.

But she felt like she would be scolded for no reason if she even made eye contact, so Il Ayeong quickly turned her head and sipped her tea.

Gekoong also calmly savored his tea.

However, his gaze had been fixed on the wooden box on the table since earlier.