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Chapter 43: The Price Of The Tiger Skin (2)
Chapter 43: The Price Of The Tiger Skin (2)
Chapter 43: The Price Of The Tiger Skin (2)
The current Magistrate of Xi’an, a nobleman known as Oh Myung-rok, despite being a high-ranking official of the upper-rank 4, sent a letter of greeting under the guise of a New Year’s courtesy call to the Baek Clan’s Clan Head every year as the new year approaches.
Not only that, but he also personally visited and gave presents on the birthday of Baek Ryu-san, the Clan Head of the Baek Clan.
If one were to question why a high-ranking official, appointed by the emperor to be responsible for Xi’an, would act so friendly towards the head of a mere clan, they would be considered ignorant of the ways of the world.
The power of a prestigious clan was not just based on accumulated wealth or military might.
Before his current tenure as Magistrate, Oh Myung-rok, during his days as a common scholar, had all his enormous expenses covered by the Baek Clan. Oh Myung-rok’s father lived calling Baek Ryu-san’s father his brother.
Moreover, the Baek Clan’s influence even extended to the capital. The Baek Clan, known as a sword clan, had connections with numerous military officials.
In high regard, even the martial arts instructor of the commander of Shaanxi Province, was a current elder of the Baek Clan.
Such history and human resources were what differentiated prestigious clans from the lesser ones.
Thus, one could only imagine how highly the Baek Clan’s Clan Head must appear to someone like Jang Chum-kyung, who barely held the position of a county magistrate in Shanyang County.
With this in mind, Jang Chum-kyung bought the expensive Twin-Headed Ghost Tiger skin from Yi-gang, the son of Baek Ryu-san. He thought it was a profitable deal since he could gain favor with the Clan Head of the Baek Clan.
“Brother, take a look at this. Oh Myung-rok is searching for a Great Tiger skin to present to the Imperial court. He’ll flip when he sees this. Puhaha.”
These were the words of Baek Jin-tae, the younger brother of the Clan Head. Even so, the casual way he referred to the Magistrate made Jang Chum-kyung feel slightly uneasy.
“Red Dragon Corps Commander. Be careful with your words in front of guests. He’s still an official serving the government.”
That’s what Baek Ryu-san said, leaving it ambiguous whether he was showing courtesy to Jang Chum-kyung or not.
He approached with the skin of the Twin-Headed Ghost Tiger.
In the corridor of the Red Dragon Hall, the body of the Twin-Headed Ghost Tiger, stretched out, was easily more than two and a half zhang in length, or nine meters. Its ash-colored fur gleamed in the light. Above all, its two enormous heads were imposing.
Even Baek Ryu-san, with his emotionless face, couldn’t help but utter a few words.
“It’s remarkable.”
Was that all he could say upon seeing this magnificent pelt?
However, Jang Chum-kyung was quick to flatter.
“As soon as I saw the tiger skin, I thought of the esteemed Baek Clan Head whom I’ve always admired. It seemed to suit the image of the Baek Clan, so I came to find you.”
“I see.”
Though the dry response left a bad taste in his mouth, he couldn’t show it. After all, surely no one would close their mouth after receiving a gift of this magnitude.
“Send the rest of the skins to the Magistrate, but let’s keep the skin of the Twin-Headed Ghost Tiger in the Red Dragon Fortress.”
“I am grateful.”
“Has it been a year since you took office in Shanyang County? I will arrange a meeting with the Magistrate sometime.”
“Just give me a call, and I’ll be there anytime!”
It was said that Baek Ryu-san drinks alcohol only when he’s very happy, due to a medical condition.
Although he didn’t know when it would be, a broad smile formed on Jang Chum-kyung’s face.
“But… there are a few things I want to ask.”
“Yes, please speak.”
“It was our Yi-gang who caught this Twin-Headed Ghost Tiger, right?”
Jang Chum-kyung’s eyes widened slightly.
“Older brother, you’ve read the letter thoroughly, yet you keep asking. Hehe.”
What Jang Chum-kyung was thinking, Baek Jin-tae, who was next to him, said outright. He had brought the letter at Yi-gang’s request. Baek Ryu-san had already read that letter about twice.
“Didn’t you already hear that Squad Leader Neung and Yi-gang caught that tiger? You keep asking what was already answered.”
“Leave.”
“Excuse me?”
“I said, step outside for a bit.”
Baek Ryu-san gave the order calmly.
Baek Jin-tae, with an awkward expression, scratched his cheekbone and left.
“Ahem, so Yi-gang swung his sword like this and cut the tiger’s neck, you say.”
“Even if you say ‘like this,’ I haven’t seen it myself…”
“Don’t you have anything you’ve heard? Like this!”
Suddenly, Baek Ryu-san, who had drawn his sword, swung it around and turned his body.
The swordsmanship was picturesque. Jang Chum-kyung admired it, feeling like applauding.
“Yes, that was exactly it. He leaped from his horse and stabbed the creature in the back.”
“Here it is.”
Baek Ryu-san found the hole in the Ghost Tiger’s skin. There was a hole the size of a finger.
“Heaven’s Shadow Sword, Third Form, Arrogant Dragon Biting Tiger.”
Yi-gang’s letter contained a brief account of the incident. It mentioned encountering a tiger ghost and capturing the Great Tiger. In the process, Neung Ji-pyeong and the warriors from the Biyeon Squad were injured, so the letter requested assistance for the wounded and additional personnel and carriages.
Naturally, the part about the Immortal Divine Sword taking possession and slaying the Great Tiger’s breath wasn’t included.
The problem was that among the documents Jang Chum-kyung delivered, there was also a letter from Neung Ji-pyeong.
It contained a very detailed account of Yi-gang flying in and stabbing the Twin-Headed Ghost Tiger’s spine with his Heaven’s Shadow Sword.
“Yi-gang doesn’t seem to show off. Are you certain?”
Baek Ryu-san’s voice was extremely cold. Jang Chum-kyung felt like he was being unnecessarily interrogated.
“Well… From what I heard, Yi-gang himself definitely was the one who dealt the killing blow.”
“…”
Baek Ryu-san remained silent, as if it was necessary.
In that awkward tension, Jang Chum-kyung grew increasingly uneasy.
He found out a bit late, but it was said that Baek Yi-gang was so despised by the Clan Head that he was driven out of the main house. He was the eldest son, yet he couldn’t even become the Young Clan Head.
He thought it would be okay when he heard that he had returned to the main house, but suddenly he felt regret.
‘Did I grab onto a rotten vine?’
Then, a faint smile spread across Baek Ryu-san’s lips.
Like ink diffusing in water, that smile gradually grew wider.
“Heh, hahaha. That boy, how did he manage to win Neung Ji-pyeong’s heart again?”
His voice was immensely pleased. Jang Chum-kyung didn’t know why the Clan Head had driven out Baek Jin-tae.
In fact, it was because Baek Ryu-san was hiding his delight.
“He trained in the Heaven’s Shadow Sword enough to catch the Great Tiger, but he didn’t show off and hid his skills humbly. If it weren’t for Squad Leader Neung, I would’ve been completely in the dark.”
“Haha. It’s truly a blessing that the young master is so exceptional.”
“Heh, what do you mean exceptional… heh, heh.”
Trying to hold back his laughter, Baek Ryu-san looked truly ridiculous. Jang Chum-kyung was torn between joining in the laughter or holding it in.
“And above all. He’s gifting me the tiger skin?”
“Yes? It’s less a gift from the young master and more like… I actually bought the tiger skin from the young master…”
“Hahaha! It seems he’s grown older and wiser. Never expected him to catch such a Great Tiger and offer it to his father.”
He was about to lose ownership of the Ghost Tiger skin he had personally bought for a whopping 600 nyang right before his eyes.
“Speaking of which, my birthday is only a few months away. Could this be… heh.”
However, it seemed Baek Ryu-san didn’t hear Jang Chum-kyung’s voice.
“How long has it been since he started the journey that such danger has already arisen? Send two more carriages and the Biyeon Squad, yes, perhaps half of them should go. Right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I trust the magistrate will be of great help on the journey. Make sure it’s safe. Understand?”
“It’s only… natural.”
The corners of Jang Chum-kyung’s mouth were smiling, but he felt like he could cry at any moment.
“Right. Add some more escorts. If we send swift horses, he’ll reach the Azure Forest safely in no time.”
Baek Ryu-san, paying no mind to Jang Chum-kyung, continued to try to erase the smile on his lips.
Shaanxi Province, where Xi’an Prefecture was located—
And if you went down south, you entered Huguang City. It was in Hubei Province.
If you went further south from where the Dongting Lake is located, you reached Hunan Province, where the Azure Forest was.
The five renowned mountains known as the Five Great Mountains in the Central Plains, among them was the Southern Great Mountain in Hunan, Mount Heng.
Right at the foothills of Mount Heng, the Azure Forest existed.
Even if they didn’t engage in noticeable activities in the martial world under normal circumstances, they were still a major sect.
The local commoners sometimes referred to the entire lush green forest due to the mountainous terrain as the Azure Forest.
The commoners sent their respect to the martial artists and Taoist priests of the Azure Forest. And it was the same even for the major clans affiliated with the Taoist path.
Their courtesy towards the Azure Forest was due to the history of the Azure Forest.
The Azure Forest, while never involving itself in the power struggles between sects, had fought with all its might when Jianghu was faced with a deluge of bloodshed.
It was the same just 50 years ago. When the Demon Cult rose and their followers invaded. Both the Wudang and the Mount Hua Sects fought with their greatest swordsmen against the followers of the Demon Cult, but in the end, they lost their lives. The Murim Alliance was on the verge of collapse.
It was the Azure Forest that stepped forward then.
The Forest Lord of the Azure Forest led most of the Azure Forest’s disciples in the fight against the Demon Cult. After a fierce battle, the orthodox faction emerged victorious, and the Forest Lord of the Azure Forest was considered one of the World’s Ten Grandmasters. The martial artists, empowered by his reputation, wanted to make him the next leader of the Murim Alliance, but the Forest Lord, Im Gi-hak, declined the position and returned to the Azure Forest.
It was a beautiful tale.
And, it was on White Cloud Peak, where that Forest Lord of the Azure Forest resided.
Someone was descending the stone stairs that circled the lofty White Cloud Peak.
The stone stairs were extremely steep. A single misstep could lead to a fatal fall, with nothing to hold onto.
However, the middle-aged man was quickly running down those stairs, his hands full of scrolls and what appeared to be books.
Far from falling, he descended White Cloud Peak in an instant, clearly a master despite his scholarly appearance.
“Ah, the sun is already high in the sky. Restoring the books requested by the Wudang will take a lot of time.”
The middle-aged man muttered to himself.
In the Azure Forest, his position was that of the manager of the Grand Library.
Yu Jeong-shin, the Library Master of the Five Flower Grand Library.
That was both the man’s identity and his name.
Considering how much the martial arts sects in Murim valued the books containing the records and martial arts of their ancestors, his age was quite young for someone holding the position of a Library Master.
However, he was a person of tremendous aptitude in both literary and martial arts. Although his emotional sensitivity and tendency to shed tears often made the Forest Lord of the Azure Forest worry.
Yu Jeong-shin, intending to quickly return to the Grand Library, suddenly lifted his gaze upwards.
There were unusually many mountain birds among the trees.
Their chirping was loud enough to be considered noisy.
And then, in that moment, the birds perched there took off all at once.
Flap! Flap!
Some even swooped down towards Yu Jeong-shin. The birds’ flapping caused leaves to fall rustlingly.
With his view obstructed, and even his hearing disrupted—
Someone seized that chaotic moment to swiftly attack.
“Ah!”
However, Yu Jeong-shin didn’t panic, only displaying a troubled expression. He had to throw everything he was holding into the air.
With his hands finally free, he subdued the attacker.
Thud! Thud!
The scrolls and bundles he had thrown up moments before fell back into his hands, without a single one missing.
And beneath Yu Jeong-shin’s knee, a young girl was pinned down.
“I did say you could challenge me anytime, but why did it have to be while I’m working?”
“Surprise attacks should be carried out when the opponent is distracted, isn’t that so?” the girl stated confidently, even while being subdued.
Embroidered on the hem of her dress was a single red flower, a symbol of a student learning scholarship and sorcery, a Taoist flower disciple. However, the petals were not painted, indicating she was a prospective Taoist flower disciple.
“If you’re going to do that, you should have become a martial flower disciple, Su-rin.”
“But sister Ri-yeon, no, senior is a martial flower disciple. And I want to change anyway.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
“I want to be a librarian at the Five Flower Grand Library, just like Senior Ri-yeon!”
Hearing the bold Su-rin bring up Jin Ri-yeon’s story, Yu Jeong-shin became even more troubled.
“No, that’s not how the story goes…”
Jin Ri-yeon learned martial arts directly from the Forest Lord of the Azure Forest. However, she originally hoped to enter the Five Flower Grand Library, which Yu Jeong-shin was in charge of.
What Su-rin wanted was to become a librarian at the Five Flower Grand Library, just like Jin Ri-yeon had wanted. Likely, she wished to follow in the footsteps of her admired Jin Ri-yeon. Knowing this, Yu Jeong-shin shook his head.
“Su-rin, you also decided to learn martial arts and sorcery directly from the Forest Lord of Azure Forest, just like Ri-yeon. Isn’t that good enough?”
“It’s not about that. I sincerely want to be a librarian.”
“Think about it one more time. Maybe you’re mistaken.”
“I am serious, Father!”
Su-rin was Yu Jeong-shin’s biological daughter. Since the Azure Forest did not have rules forbidding marriage, Yu Jeong-shin had married and had a daughter named Su-rin.
When Yu Su-rin screamed, Yu Jeong-shin was slightly startled. Only then did he realize he was still pinning his daughter down, and he quickly lifted his knee.
However, Su-rin was still lying face down on the ground.
Soon, there was a commotion nearby.
“Ah, the Library Master is at it again…”
“Why is she always like that? It’s not like you can become the librarian of the Grand Library just because you want to.”
They were, like Su-rin, prospective first-flower disciples. They were young children around the same age as Yu Su-rin, among the third-generation disciples.
“That’s right. And even if she succeeds in a surprise attack, it has nothing to do with becoming a librarian.”
“Must be foolish.”
“Hush, she’ll hear. What if she cries again?”
If it was loud enough for Yu Jeong-shin, who was a little distance away, to hear, Su-rin must have heard it too.
Not that it wasn’t so, but Su-rin was holding back tears.
“Ah, she’s crying.”
“Crybaby!”
It must be because she closely resembled Yu Jeong-shin, who was faint-hearted and often tearful. However, Yu Su-rin retorted defiantly, “I’m not crying. I’m just so frustrated that tears are coming out.”
“That’s the same thing… Ah!”
When Yu Su-rin glared at them, her peers quickly fled. Although she was a prospective Taoist flower disciple, her martial arts skills were among the best of her peers.
“Hmph. I’m serious.”
“Ah, don’t cry, Su-rin.”
“I told you, I’m not crying.”
Having spent his life managing a library in the mountains and knowing nothing but academic studies and martial arts training, Yu Jeong-shin was flustered as he tried to console his daughter.
Dealing with his daughter was more difficult than emitting sword energy.
“Ah, right!”
And then, he soon thought of a good idea.
“They say Ri-yeon returned to the forest today.”
“…Re-really?”
Yu Su-rin wiped her tears, sniffled, and stood up.
Before long, her eyes were sparkling.
“Yes, she unloaded her luggage at the guesthouse in Sumok County yesterday. Since the day has dawned, she should be arriving in the forest soon.”
Yu Su-rin’s most admired senior was Jin Ri-yeon.
“I think if you go down now, you might be able to meet her on her way up.”
“I’ll go see. Library Master!”
Indeed, Su-rin immediately perked up and began to run off in a hurry.
She seemed quite anxious.
“Ah!”
Yu Jeong-shin, about to turn away, murmured worriedly.
“I should have told her to wipe her nose.”
Traces of her tears still remained on her face.
Yu Jeong-shin was worried that his daughter might get another nickname, “Snotty.”