Chapter 11: I Made an Ally

I had been contemplating.

Should I offer Uncle Yeo Baek a piece of the Immaculate Pomegranate?

If so, would he not become my ally?

He was a warrior who had already reached the State of Harmony, so it was unclear how much effect the Immaculate Pomegranate would have, but when it came to spiritual medicine, wasn't it the more the merrier?

Who knew?

The Immaculate Pomegranate might just be the thing to lead his stagnant realm, the State of Harmony, to an even higher plane.

This was a dilemma I had been pondering ever since I regressed and obtained the Immaculate Pomegranate.

“Why do you want to become the Clan Head?”

That was, until Uncle Yeo Baek asked me this question with a serious expression.

“Hmm.”

I pondered.

What should I say?

To become the leader of the Murim Alliance?

Or to prevent the Great War of Righteousness and Evil?

I’d be lucky if I wasn't chided for talking nonsense.

For the first time since my regression, I looked deep into my own heart.

The desire to rise up splendidly in this place where I was discriminated against as a bastard?

It would be a lie to say I didn't have it.

There was also the thought of preventing the emptiness I felt when I heard the news of the Dancheon Clan's fall.

Although I had left the clan in my past life, a void had always existed in my heart because of it.

Having been born a man, I also had the desire to achieve the success I envisioned.

Wasn't that why I had prepared for my regression so fiercely?

And. And also.

Complex and countless thoughts floated in my mind.

And strangely enough, all the reasons were summed up in a single sentence.

“I don’t want to have any regrets.”

Perhaps this was the reason I had regressed.

Uncle Yeo Baek, who had been listening to me in silence, nodded his head.

“That is enough.”

As if I had passed some great test, the tension left me.

Seeing me like this, Uncle Yeo Baek added another word, as if he was proud of me.

“You’re better than Young Master Hak.”

Now I understood.

The fact that my deliberation on whether to give him the Immaculate Pomegranate was utterly meaningless.

It was because I had realized that the Bang Yeo-baek I had faced and experienced firsthand was not someone who would be swayed by something like the Immaculate Pomegranate to support me as the Clan Head.

Knowing that he was not a person whose heart could be won with something like the Immaculate Pomegranate, I would say that winning his heart was far more valuable.

“Thank you.”

I found myself bowing to him like this.

“I’ll be in your care from now on, Young Master Myeong.”

Of course, if my position became more solid and my relationship with him grew closer, I would gift him a piece of the Immaculate Pomegranate.

To make the clan I would build even stronger.

I knew that just because a clan had the strongest person under the heavens did not mean that the clan would become the best under the heavens.

That was because a clan was something built together.

‘Uncle. How much closer have we become?’

I asked him with my eyes.

Naturally, there was no reply.

***

“I’ve come to see the Clan Head.”

The sharp voice of the woman, Baek Yeo-hae, echoed at the entrance of the Clan Head’s hall.

Fearing they might be reprimanded, one of the servants quickly answered.

“He is inside.”

Before the answer was even finished, Baek Yeo-hae passed the servant and flung open the door to the hall.

“Honey!”

Baek Yeo-hae called out to Dancheon Gang.

At a quiet gesture from Dancheon Gang, the servants silently disappeared.

“What is this disgraceful behavior?”

Dancheon Gang quietly reprimanded Baek Yeo-hae.

Although they were privately bound as husband and wife, behaving this way in front of all the servants was clearly Baek Yeo-hae's fault.

However, the current Baek Yeo-hae was not in a state where such rational conversation could get through.

“You’re saying Myeong will participate in the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly with Hak?”

She just pushed forward with her business.

“Where did you hear that?”

“Is it true!”

Just as Dancheon Gang was about to open his mouth, the answer came from somewhere else.

“Yes. I recommended him.”

Bang Yeo-baek, who had appeared at some point, answered instead.

“Commander Bang…….”

Her expression grew fiercer at the appearance of an unexpected person.

Especially, the fact that he was supporting Dancheon Myeong twisted her insides.

-That deal, let's consider it null and void.

-What are you talking about all of a sudden? Wasn't credit a merchant's lifeblood?

-It's because something I want, even at the cost of my own credit, has appeared.

She had no idea why that sassy girl, Yang Su-rin, came to mind at this moment.

“Is this your will?”

At any rate, Baek Yeo-hae had to have a disagreeable conversation with the person she hated most in the clan for the first time in a long while.

It was the resolve of a mother with a son.

“Stop it.”

Dancheon Gang tried to dissuade Baek Yeo-hae with a calm voice, but Baek Yeo-hae would not listen.

“Commander Bang. I asked if that is your will. Can you not answer quickly?”

It was when Bang Yeo-baek was about to open his mouth.

Kukung.

A fierce energy rose within the Clan Head’s hall.

The sharp and violent energy, which felt like it would cut the skin just by touching it, was so powerful that even Baek Yeo-hae, who had not learned martial arts, could feel it.

“I told you to stop.”

Dancheon Gang, who was at the center of that energy, commanded sternly with the dignity of a Clan Head.

“You…….”

Baek Yeo-hae’s eyes widened in surprise.

It was because this was the first time Dancheon Gang had raised his voice at her since their marriage.

Especially, wasn't it Dancheon Gang who had always yielded a step even in minor quarrels after Dancheon Myeong was registered under her?

“I will not permit any mention of this matter. It is something I have decided.”

Having concluded so, Dancheon Gang gave the order to leave.

In the end, today's events should be assessed as Baek Yeo-hae's mistake.

It was because a rumor that the Escort Squad supported the second young master, Dancheon Myeong, began to spread within the clan.

***

The same day.

The same clan.

Brothers departing from the same place, yet their appearances were quite different.

“Young master, please have a safe trip.”

“Haha. Just believe in me. I will return after raising the clan’s honor.”

Baek Yeo-hae, the elders, and the servants were surrounding the eldest son, Dancheon Hak, to see him off.

A few martial artists assigned to the Council of Elders were also preparing to accompany Dancheon Hak to Dengfeng County in Henan Province, where the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was scheduled to be held.

It was truly a sight befitting the name of a prestigious clan.

Next to them, I stood blankly.

All by myself.

It was a truly dramatic contrast.

A few servants, perhaps feeling sorry for my appearance, kept glancing at me, but they seemed unable to approach me, fearing the stern command of Baek Yeo-hae.

I acted like it didn't bother me, but I didn't feel good.

If it hadn't been for the Clan Head's order, I would have left long ago and not seen such a sorry sight.

I couldn't fathom my father's intentions.

Just then, I felt someone's presence approaching me.

When I turned my head, I saw a familiar figure.

“You're late.”

One of the few people in the clan who didn't have to be wary of Baek Yeo-hae's mood.

It was the commander of the Dancheon Clan's Escort Squad and my uncle, Bang Yeo-baek.

Seeing him, a smile unknowingly appeared on my face.

“Are you here to see me off too?”

“Well, I can at least watch my disciple on his way, can't I?”

It was the first time he had referred to me that way.

Since I was in a position to learn martial arts from him, those simple words, which were nothing special, touched my heart.

Bang Yeo-baek's gaze landed on my brother's group.

Although there were far more people gathered over there, I could feel them all glancing at me and Uncle Yeo Baek.

Especially, it was satisfying to see Dancheon Hak's face, which had been full of bright smiles, subtly stiffen.

“Does Young Master Myeong also need some attendants? Should I assign some men to you?”

I knew that with Bang Yeo-baek's power, it wouldn't be difficult to assign a few attendants to me.

But I shook my head.

“I will go alone. Isn't this also a form of study?”

“As expected, you're better than Young Master Hak.”

I didn't say that just to look good in front of Uncle Yeo Baek.

It was because there were things I needed to take care of secretly on the way to Henan.

So it was more convenient to move alone.

There was someone who overheard our conversation.

“Commander Bang. What did you just say?”

Baek Yeo-hae's sharp voice was heard.

Just as the atmosphere was about to turn hostile, the Clan Head, Dancheon Gang, appeared at the right time.

His presence brought silence to the once chaotic training ground of the Dancheon Clan.

Baek Yeo-hae, her face full of dissatisfaction, also closed her mouth, as there was nothing she could do about the Clan Head's appearance.

Clan Head Dancheon Gang's indifferent gaze swept over all of us.

His gaze went from Dancheon Hak to me.

From the elders to Uncle Yeo Baek.

Then, a single word.

“Have a safe trip.”

That was it.

The Clan Head turned his body as if he had some urgent business and walked away.

I think I could understand my father's intentions a little.

I was not alone.

“Then I will be on my way.”

I unfolded my movement art and dashed away.

Dancheon Hak, who had a large group, blankly watched my back.

The image of Uncle Yeo Baek quietly waving his hand remained in my heart.

***

During my Myeong-gae days, there was a time when I focused solely on information about spiritual medicines for over five long years.

Whether it's now or during my Myeong-gae days, or perhaps even throughout all of history, I am confident that there is no one who has memorized as many habitats of spiritual medicines as I have.

This is because no one bothers to remember the places where already discovered spiritual medicines grew.

“I think it was around here……”

I surveyed a place like the hill of a neighborhood mountain, which was lush with bushes but not very high.

“Oh, there it is!”

My memory was correct.

As I dug up a little of the ground, the fellow revealed its brilliant form.

Well, it wasn't anything that great.

A hundred-year-old fo-ti root.

To me right now, it was no different from a health food supplement.

But I knew that wasn't the case for everyone.

This was because selling this fellow could earn enough money for a family to eat plentifully for a year and still have some left over.

I remembered it being talked about for a while because it was discovered near a city, contrary to the common sense that spiritual medicines only grow in deserted places.

They said that the people of this neighborhood all carried around hoes and shovels for a while.

Because of this hundred-year-old fo-ti root, several villagers in the quiet town lost their lives due to disputes, so I felt no guilt in intercepting it.

In a way, this was also a good deed that saved someone.

Thud, thud.

I roughly brushed off the dirt from the fo-ti root.

Crunch.

I chewed on the hundred-year-old fo-ti root.

The taste of the medicinal herb, both dry and refreshing, was impressive.

It was common sense that caution was needed when consuming spiritual medicines.

The same was true even for a mere hundred-year-old fo-ti root.

But to me, who had entered the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art, this was a meaningless statement.

This was because not only had I already laid the foundation with the Immaculate Pomegranate, but the efficacy of the Healing Sage’s Mind Cultivation Art, which digested even the Immaculate Pomegranate without any trouble, would simply digest any ordinary spiritual medicine.

For me, who had entered the First Stage, the only things I had to be careful about consuming were fellows that were equivalent to or better than the Immaculate Pomegranate.

Spiritual medicines that were comparable to or had a higher spirituality than the Immaculate Pomegranate could be counted on one hand.

For reference, I also had a plan to obtain one such fellow before arriving in Dengfeng County, Henan Province, where the Dragon and Phoenix Assembly was held.

I had to enter the Third Stage, didn't I?

“Let's see…… is it time to get that now.”

I recalled the information I had crammed into my head during my Myeong-gae days.

It was an obvious fact that my insight and memory were excellent, so it wasn't a very difficult process.

There was a treasure map marker nearby.

My gaze turned to my waist.

A steel sword, a standard-issue weapon provided by the clan, was tied there.

It couldn't be called a bad sword, but it was also ambiguous to say it was particularly good.

“Should I change to a better one while I'm at it?”

They say the reason a master calligrapher doesn't blame his brush is that by the time one is called a master calligrapher, one already has an excellent brush.

Similarly, one of the important virtues for an excellent swordsman would be to wear a good sword.

Today, I would take one step closer to being an excellent swordsman.