abcnovels
Chapter 45
Chapter 45
Chapter 45 – My Banquet has Begun (3)
Ma Jeongsu sat with an expressionless face.
From the moment he saw the empty safe until now, he hadn’t thrown even a single vase in anger. Ma Jeongsu felt for the first time that when a person is truly angry, they don’t even think about breaking things.
In the room filled with heavy silence, there were four people including him.
The other three were Si Gon, Flower Fan Elder, and that mysterious woman.
Si Gon’s face was badly bruised.
It was the kind of injury that was more humiliating than having an arm cut off, the kind that might make someone as proud as him think it would be better to die.
Ma Jeongsu broke the heavy silence.
“Like an idiot, couldn’t even taste a bite.”
He was regretting the loss of the Divine Spirit Nine-Leaf Grass. The reason he hadn’t consumed it was because he was planning to use it to recruit the young masters of the later generations.
He had shown the Heavenly Creation Sword at this banquet and was planning to show the Divine Spirit Nine-Leaf Grass at the next one.
He had intended to captivate the hearts of the young masters with treasures and elixirs. Of course, he had no intention of actually giving them the sword or the medicine. He was going to use them as bait and then consume it himself, but…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Ma Jeongsu struck the desk repeatedly. Finally, the anger he had been suppressing exploded. Thinking about losing the Divine Spirit Nine-Leaf Grass at a time when such elixirs were rare, he felt so frustrated that he thought he wouldn’t be able to sleep.
The innocent desk was shattered and suffered.
No one in the room dared to stop him. If that anger were to spill over to a person, someone might end up dead.
Ma Jeongsu asked, panting:
“Have you still not found out who did this?”
Flower Fan Elder carefully said while watching Ma Jeongsu’s expression:
“Faction Leader Jeong is using all his resources to find out.”
“Wasn’t it him?”
Flower Fan Elder shook his head and said:
“At least it wasn’t him. He was with me at the time of the incident.”
Jeong Yeo had cleverly been with the person who could most certainly vouch for his whereabouts.
“He must have ordered a subordinate to do it.”
“As far as I know, there’s no expert in the Yang Minor Faction who could knock out Si Gon in one hit. In fact, even Faction Leader Jeong wouldn’t have that level of skill.”
When the expression “knocked out” was used, one of Si Gon’s eyes twitched nervously.
Ma Jeongsu looked at Flower Fan Elder and spat out irritably:
“Then you must be in on it.”
“No matter how angry you are, how can you say such a thing?”
“Angry? Do I look merely angry to you?”
Ma Jeongsu bared his teeth fiercely.
“Does this look like just being angry? I’m on the verge of going insane. When I catch the bastard who stole from me, I’ll torture him until he dies. I’ll make sure he lives a life of pain without ever letting him die.”
As he openly emitted killing intent, Flower Fan Elder flinched. Knowing those words were sincere, he couldn’t help but feel afraid. If nothing else, Ma Jeongsu’s cruelty was well-known.
Ma Jeongsu’s fury turned towards Si Gon next.
“Have you become mute?”
Si Gon hadn’t said a word since entering this room.
Finally, he opened his mouth in a dry voice:
“I’m sorry.”
His voice, filled with self-reproach, made the atmosphere even heavier.
Flower Fan Elder joined in the offensive subtly:
“I don’t think there was anyone among those we met who could do this to you. Isn’t that right?”
At those words, Si Gon twitched again. It sounded like he was being doubted.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not saying this because I doubt you.”
“Then why are you saying such things?”
“Such things?”
This time, Flower Fan Elder twitched. A tense atmosphere flowed between the two.
Ma Jeongsu’s expression became even more distorted.
What angered him even more was the woman standing between those two.
If they were at least fighting and doubting each other like this, he might feel less resentful. These idiots, at least he could curse at them.
But the woman was just watching with her arms crossed, as if observing a fire from across the river. She was always like this. As if she was just going to watch how he handled things. Like an invigilator watching over children taking an exam. If it wasn’t for his father, he would have slapped her first.
Ma Jeongsu shouted:
“Shut up!”
At his outburst, the tense atmosphere between Si Gon and Flower Fan Elder dissipated.
Ma Jeongsu said to the two:
“Are you two the only suspicious ones in this room?”
Flower Fan Elder and Ma Jeongsu’s gazes naturally turned towards the woman.
Even though she was being implicated as the culprit, the woman showed no reaction.
Usually, when someone remains calm when they should be flustered, it raises suspicion.
But she was so calm that it went beyond that stage. She looked like someone who had no interest at all.
At that moment, Si Gon suddenly said:
“It wasn’t her.”
At his certainty, Flower Fan Elder asked:
“How can you be so sure?”
“The opponent wasn’t a woman.”
“You said you didn’t even see their face? If it’s because your pride is hurt, that’s not right.”
Si Gon twitched again. Every word from Flower Fan Elder was grating on his nerves. He hadn’t gotten along with him from the start. He was a martial artist. But Flower Fan Elder wasn’t a martial artist, he was a swindler clinging to power.
Flower Fan Elder slightly raised the corner of his mouth and said:
“I’m not trying to hurt your pride, I’m just saying that’s how the situation looks.”
“It definitely wasn’t a woman.”
When he emphasized it once more, Flower Fan Elder backed down.
“If you say so.”
Si Gon looked at Ma Jeongsu and said:
“It’s not because I was defeated… The opponent was truly strong.”
It was a feeling only someone who had been hit would know. It wasn’t just about the inner force in the fist.
If the opponent had tried to kill him, he wouldn’t have thought so highly of them.
The opponent wasn’t trying to kill him. They were just trying to knock him out. In that situation, it’s more difficult than killing. They had to control their strength accurately. If the opponent had wanted to kill him, he would have died then.
Ma Jeongsu tilted his head with an expression of incomprehension.
“If they’re that strong, why are they just stealing? What grudge do they have against me!”
Flower Fan Elder answered:
“Maybe they were after the Heavenly Creation Sword?”
“Even if they steal it, it’s not something they can sell, is it? I don’t think even the black market would be bold enough to deal with the Martial Righteous Alliance Leader’s sword.”
“That’s true.”
Flower Fan Elder, who had been nodding, suddenly thought of something.
“Could it be?”
He moistened his dry lips with his tongue and carefully said:
“Could it be that one of the other successors made a move?”
At that moment, Ma Jeongsu stood up abruptly.
“That’s it!”
There was no other way to think about it.
It didn’t seem likely that someone would dare to target him in the Yang Minor Faction. These were people who could gain greater benefits by using him, so why would they aim for just the money in the safe? They would clearly know that even if they took the sword, they couldn’t use it.
“Right, why didn’t I think of that?”
This time, Father had sent many of his children to different regions. It was a kind of test.
In this situation, who could mobilize an expert strong enough to take down Si Gon in one hit?
Among his siblings, there were quite a few who could do that. Especially those at the center of the succession battle, they all had formidable experts with them.
“These bastards!”
Ma Jeongsu gritted his teeth.
Flower Fan Elder calmly said:
“First, we need to calm down and handle this situation. No matter whose doing it is, if you lose your composure, you’ll be playing into their hands.”
Ma Jeongsu nodded and sat down. As he calmed his excitement, Flower Fan Elder calmly added:
“Even though we’ve lost the sword and money, we’re still intact. Money can be gathered again, and we’ll find the sword someday.”
“You’re right, Elder Hwa.”
“First, we need to secure funds. There will be immediate issues with the construction.”
“How much money do we need?”
“To start the construction, we need 10,000 taels right away, and later we’ll need about 100,000 taels.”
“Damn it!”
Even 10,000 taels wasn’t a small amount in a situation where they had nothing.
Ma Jeongsu bared his teeth like a wild beast.
“Find a way to secure the money.”
***
I bought a new mask.
Since I was going to use it only once and discard it, I bought a medium-grade mask this time. I changed my voice and gait to appear like a completely different person.
With such thorough preparations, I visited the black market again.
The same old man who had sold me the elixir before greeted me again.
I intended to spend all 50,000 taels of the high-value banknotes on elixir and use it up completely.
Trying to find a way to exchange these high-value banknotes would be inviting danger. It’s a wise choice to dispose of them immediately, even if it means taking a loss. If I try to save them, I might not just end up with nothing, but I might even get in trouble.
“You’ve come to buy elixir?”
“That’s right.”
Because I was careful, it would be impossible to tell from my manner of speech or behavior that I was the same person who came before. Even if they did know, it wouldn’t be much of a problem since I had hidden my face and voice last time too.
“Do you have any elixir?”
“We do have some, but no high-quality elixir.”
“Then what do you have?”
“The elixir we currently have in stock is six roots of the Vitality White Hare’s Ear Root[1]. It’s known to give two to three years of inner force when consumed by a martial artist.”
“How much?”
“9,000 taels per root.”
Six roots would be 54,000 taels.
“That’s quite expensive.”
“It’s because elixirs are scarce these days.”
I gained fifteen years of inner force from the Thousand-Year Broken Yang Herb I bought for 44,000 taels.
With six roots of the Vitality White Hare’s Ear Root, assuming I could absorb all the energy with the Heavenly Martial Heart-Guarding Technique, it would give me eighteen years of inner force.
One might think it’s more expensive because it gives more inner force, but the problem is that when the same elixir is consumed consecutively, its effectiveness decreases.
For this to be fully effective, depending on the consumer’s heart method and qualities, it should be taken after several months to a year have passed. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that luxury or time.
In the end, if I consume it all at once, I’ll probably gain about ten years of inner force instead of eighteen. Thinking of it that way, it’s a very expensive price.
But buying weapons or protective gear with this banknote wouldn’t be a wise choice either. It would leave clear evidence. Just consuming and getting rid of it is the best option.
“I’ll buy all six roots, give them to me for 50,000 taels.”
Originally, it was 54,000 taels. It wasn’t an easy request for a place that sells at fixed prices.
The old man thought for a moment and then nodded.
“Alright, elixir should be sold when it meets its owner.”
The old man showed his unchanging philosophy about elixir.
So, I bought six roots of Vitality White Hare’s Ear Root for 50,000 taels.
This 50,000 taels could be traced.
But since the black market itself is such a large and solid organization, it wouldn’t be easy for even the Heavenly Blade Sect to find out customer information from the black market. Of course, if the Martial Righteous Alliance was determined, they might be able to find out.
And even if they did find out, it would only be the description of this human skin mask I’m wearing now. The experienced old man probably noticed that I’m wearing a human skin mask, but he wouldn’t tell such details to those who pressure the black market.
After leaving the black market, I rented a room at a nearby inn and went in.
I walked around with my face openly exposed. After all, this face would disappear forever.
In the room, I immediately consumed one root of Vitality White Hare’s Ear Root.
From the first Vitality White Hare’s Ear Root, I gained three years of inner force.
From the second one, I also gained three years of inner force. The excellence of the Heavenly Martial Heart-Guarding Technique led to good luck.
And from the third Vitality White Hare’s Ear Root, I gained two years of inner force.
I stopped consuming. From here on, I would only gain two years, or one year of inner force.
From now on, consuming more would be a loss.
Anyway, with three roots of Vitality White Hare’s Ear Root, I added another eight years of inner force.
Now the inner force in my danjeon has reached fifty-two years. Only eight years of inner force remain until I reach sixty years.
Now it won’t even take a year to reach sixty years through cultivation. Around this time next year, I should be able to use the Ancestor’s First Technique.
I packed the remaining three roots and left the inn.
I plan to have Gwangdu consume these. Of course, I should give them to Father and Mother, but there’s no way to have them consume it secretly.
It would be difficult to explain where I got it from, and an even bigger problem was this:
If I tell them not to tell anyone else, they’ll ask why. How could they not be worried if their child gives them elixir and tells them not to tell anyone? If the secret leaks out even by the slightest chance, it would be a big problem.
I’m sorry, but I’ll have to show filial piety to you two in a different way once I’m more established.
I’m sorry, you two.
For Gwangdu, I can just have him consume it telling him it’s an absolute secret. He’ll eat it without even knowing what he’s eating. It’s better to have one person keeping the secret than three.
Now, the thing left to deal with was the Heavenly Creation Sword.
I know a few renowned sword craftsmen in the Central Plains. They were truly worthy of being called masters.
But most of them are far away, and I don’t have the leisure to go find them.
Moreover, this is the Alliance Leader’s sword. If I ask them to keep it a secret and the craftsman has integrity, his life might be in danger, and if he doesn’t have integrity, it might be revealed how the sword was modified.
So, although I’m not sure if it will work well, I’m planning to modify it myself.
I immediately went to find a nearby blacksmith shop.