Book 19 Chapter 10

Another visit

-Yi Jung Yun, visiting the Zhongyang Marking Station

It was a mere coincidence that the boy, Yu Yongyong, who is now a customer of the Zhongyang Mark Bureau, saw the yellow slip. The yellow paper was on its way to the "temporary" State House in the hands of Mr. Zhang, who was on guard duty when the boy spotted it. What piqued the boy's interest in the papers, which are commonly used by visitors to identify themselves, was the open hostility on the face of the man carrying them. Who could this person be, and why is he frowning so much?

The boy, who never wanted to take a step outside the walls, always played with his younger sister inside the walls of the Namchang Bureau, and it was Mr. Zhang, the end marker, who would play with them whenever he was bored. As a boy who had always seen a smile on Mr. Zhang's face, he couldn't help but be curious.

Emerging from the 'temporary' state residence, Mr. Jiang's face was even more grim. It was clear that he was physiologically uncomfortable with his role. The boy hadn't been able to read such a complex psychological state in detail, but the simple impression was enough to raise questions.

"Mr. Zhang, who do you think that henchman belongs to and why do you put on such a big face?"

Yu Yongyong walked up next to Mr. Zhang and asked. Mr. Zhang's steps halted, and his head slowly turned toward the boy.

"Oh, management. Who am I? This is from the head of a very bad organization."

Mr. Zhang waved the yellow paddle in his hand like a fan.

"The leader of the bad guys?"

The scope was too wide to find that one person in this world of evil, so to speak.

"Yes, a den of very bad people called the Zhongyuan Pekingese."

Mr. Zhang nodded his head vigorously. It was clear that he really thought so.

"But don't worry, they'll be kneeling under the banner of this valiant white knight!"

Zhang proudly held up the majestic white tiger emblazoned on his new robes and proclaimed, "I am here to witness the unbelievable power of the white tiger!" Zhang was present. From that day forward, the white tiger became his guardian deity.

Yoo was surprised to see the name Zhongyuan Pekguk.

"What's the name of the person who sent you that, uh, note?"

In a shaky voice, the boy asked.

"What's wrong with you, CEO, you're pale."

Seeing Yu Yong's sudden change in complexion, the good-hearted Mr. Zhang asked, but the boy had no reason to be grateful for such a warm gesture.

"What's his name?"

His voice rises, and his sister's eyes narrow. She is frightened by her brother's sudden reaction.

"Um… so… wait!"

Mr. Zhang, who had forgotten the name he had heard earlier, opened the notebook again, but soon remembered that he was blind.

"Eh… I mean… Yoo… No, is it Yoon……?"

Since I'm blind, I couldn't read the text, so I had to recall the name from memory.

"Give it to me. I'll read it, no, I'll read it."

The boy snatched the notebook from Zhang's hand, an action so sudden that Zhang was caught off guard.

"Uh, I'm not supposed to do that, but……?"

But Yoo had already checked the name on the notebook.

Bam!

A breeze from nowhere snatched the notebook out of the boy's hand as he stood there dazed. Mr. Zhang gasped and reached for the fluttering yellow notebook in midair. He couldn't let it fall to the ground and turn to dust.

"You……."

Mr. Zhang tried to give the rude boy some attention, but the boy was dragging a young girl by the arm.

"Why is it doing that?"

Mr. Zhang stared at the sight in bewilderment, and then opened the notebook again, but he was still blind. He knew where the name was, though, for it was written there.

Yun Yizheng, the Wind Demon Swordsman of the Golden Twelve Walls of the Middle Kingdom.

A flag emblazoned with the image of a white tiger fluttered fiercely in the wind blowing from the north. Surprised by the dozens of white tiger flags fluttering in all directions, Yun Yizheng asked Mr. Zhang.

"Hey, what are all these white flags flying everywhere?"

"As you can see, I wear a white tiger flag."

Touro Zhang replied that he didn't know that.

"Even the head of this flag has eyes. I know it's a flag with a white tiger on it, but isn't the mark of the Zhongyang Mark Bureau a sword and a lotus flower?"

"That flag is over there."

Mr. Zhang pointed to a corner. Sure enough, there it was, the flag of the Zhongyang Kingdom, embroidered with swords and lotus flowers.

"And what are all these backhoes?"

"This white tiger is the patron saint of the Zhongyang Post Office."

"Guardian?"

"Yes, my lord. This time, on our journey from Sichuan all the way to Nanchang, we encountered a band of villains… men in dark masks, all of whom breathed bone-chilling flesh and scared the bejesus out of our marksmen. They were strange creatures. They were robbing the marksmen and demanding that they give up their children… It was a different reason than the ones that the marksmen often give, and I think they were new to banditry."

Yoon Yi-jeong, who had been listening to Zhang's ramblings without a care in the world, widened her eyes at the word "children.

"What did you just say, Mr. Zhang, didn't you just say children?"

Before I knew it, his tone had softened and his address had changed from "you" to "you" and from "Mr. Zhang" to "Ms. Zhang.

"Oh, yeah, that's definitely what the bad guys said."

Zhang Fei narrowed his brow, raised the corners of his eyes, squinted, and bowed low like a beast, speaking in a low, sullen voice.

"Heh heh heh, obediently give me your children!"

Yoon Yi-jeong stopped in her tracks and exclaimed in delight.

"Tell me that story again. I really want to hear it."

Clues to his missing men have been found in unexpected places. He may be a cold and cruel man, but how could he not be excited?

"I'm just going to give you a tour and then I'm going to get back to work, Debshaw. Do you think a man of your stature can stay long with a lowly thing like me?"

Mr. Zhang's instinctive reaction was to pull back. He bounced it once.

"Hey, Mr. Zhang, come on, we're in the same business! Here, use this to pay for your drinks."

Zhang's mouth dropped open at the cold, heavy feeling in his palm. Moreover, he felt flattered that the famous Yun Yizheng had recognized him as an equal.

"Where do you want me to start?"

Mr. Zhang asked, ready to begin his story with the secret of his own birth.

"Start with the mugshots of those raiders."

"That's a bit long, I can keep the King waiting……."

"I suddenly have an upset stomach, so tell him I'm going to the back room."

"Okay, we'll call it a day."

After a while, Mr. Zhang returned with a message for the State Council.

"What happened?"

"Don't worry. Just make sure you pack well."

"Thank you… Kool-Aid! Well, let's move on. There's too much attention here."

The two moved to the back stall for now. I couldn't help but smell a bit.

"Now, let's talk about it."

"Well, that's just the way it is……."

Mr. Zhang began to recount what he knew. It was at this moment that gold was once again shown to be excellent for smoothing a person's tongue.

"Did that really ever happen?"

Yoon's initial reaction to Zhang's eyewitness account can be summarized as stunned and dumbfounded.

"Of course, there's no doubt about it. I'm a man who has prided himself on honesty all his life, even if I am a dullard, and how dare I spout falsehoods from my precious snout. I'm sorry you suspect that, my lord."

"Ugh, I'm sorry. That's just too crazy. It just seems so unreal. How can I believe that a herd of white tigers appeared out of nowhere and wiped out nearly two dozen masked men in a matter of moments?"

"That's why it's a legend! That's why it's a miracle! That's why the sovereign, who considered it a favor from heaven, made it the new symbol of our country, to honor the grace of those white tigers. As long as I wear it, as long as that flag flies, no villain will dare to touch our country."

I guess we'll have to wait and see," Yoon said, silently repeating those words to herself.

"Is that it?"

"That's it. Anything else?"

"Do you happen to know if those kids are here……."

Yoon's attempts to locate the two children's lodgings in case the recapture plan was triggered were drowned out by the raspy voice.

"Hey! Hey, Mr. Zhang, are you there yet? You've been taking so long that the King is worried that you've fallen into the shitter! Are you okay?"

It was Mr. Han, an old friend of Mr. Zhang's who shouted loudly for all the world and anyone with ears to hear.

I couldn't figure out what he was trying to do by shouting so loudly when he could have just walked up and whispered.

"Don't worry, he didn't fall in the shit either!"

Mr. Zhang replied loudly, not wanting to lose.

"Well, that's great! Hurry back, the King is waiting for you!"

"I get it!"

After answering, Mr. Zhang quickly turned to Yun Yizheng and said.

"I'd better get going, my lord. If you're any later, I'll have you arrested. Come on, follow me, and the boy will lead the way."

Mr. Zhang took the lead and began to walk briskly forward. Yun Yizheng had no choice but to give up the question.

"Chet, am I going to have to figure out the rest on my own?"

Still, it was worth the effort.

When Mr. Jang and Yoon Yi-jeong reappear, having disappeared to go to the backyard to do their business, Yu-young takes Sun-ah and quickly hides behind a thick tree.

"Oh……!"

He quickly silenced his sister's mouth with a small hand as she was about to say something about how this was not the way to treat a lady.

"Shhh! Be quiet!"

My sister's response was quiet, as if she'd been stopped in her tracks.

"Welcome, Representative Yun. I've heard of your fierce reputation for the Twelve Shields, hard as diamonds that protect the Zhongyuan Kingdom, but I've never met you. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"It is with great pleasure that I greet the illustrious sovereign of the Great Seal State of Sichuan, and……."

"And?"

"I'm the head honcho, not the president."

Yoon Yi-jeong said in a cut and stern tone. But her face still showed a smile that hadn't worn off.

"Ah, yes, I did, I did, I did, I was mistaken for a moment, I'm sorry, Yun Feidu!"

"It's representation!"

This time, a slightly nervous answer came out. There was a slight crack in Xuan's smiling mask. Zhang Wuyang's mask, on the other hand, was still showing a perfect smile. The first to break the shallow "glass mask" was the loser.

"Mmm, I'm sorry again, but it sounds like you're constipated, did you pack it cool?"

"That's… good."

At a loss for words, Yoon Yi-jeong panicked for a moment, trying to figure out what to say, and then just said what came out of her mouth. Without a single word of excuse. Before he knew it, he was constipated.

"Blah, blah, blah! You have to be careful. Eat lots of fruit, drink lots of water, that's how you get ahead of the curve. Constipation is a pain in the ass, so you'd better get rid of it fast."

"Rice, no constipation, but Joe, thanks for the advice."

At the advice that labeled him as constipated, Yun had to swallow back the anger that was bubbling up inside. After all, Zhang Wuyang hadn't called him by his full name. It was a deliberate oolong, not a mistake or misunderstanding. She didn't even invite him to sit down.

"Okay, what's going on?"

'Is this guy really…….'

"Before we do that, would you mind sitting down, it's uncomfortable trying to stand in a small room."

There was no bone in my body, but I wasn't here to be polite.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot again. Come on, have a seat, please."

"Thank you."

I got down on my hands and knees, but I knew he was trying to provoke me, so I managed to hold it together.

"Brother, where are you going?"

"Shhh! Follow me quietly. Don't make a sound. Do you understand?"

The boy carried the girl, keeping her close to the wall of the building, and crept at a cat's pace toward the 'temporary' state office. He had to know what was being said beyond that door, if only to lift the fog of suspicion and gain reassurance. The boy decided to take the risk. Dragging his sister along was a big mistake, but it was too late to turn back. Fortunately, she was still quiet. When Liu Yong finally reached the state office, he cautiously approached the wall, like a glass doll that might shatter at the slightest touch, and pressed his ear against it. Then he heard the familiar voice of Zhang Guizhou over the wall.

"You're saying all sorts of strange things, Yun Feydou. Just out of curiosity, are you sure you're not in the wrong place? I think you're in the wrong place."

"You're in the wrong place……. Am I in the wrong place, or is Mr. Zhang saying the wrong thing?"

Their words had become as sharp as razor-sharp knives. Even the thick mud wall didn't hinder the tension between them. Liu Yong swallowed dryly and focused all his attention on his ears.

"I can assure you that we, the Zhongyang Marking Bureau, do not protect the children of the Blue Dragon Silver Master."

"Lord Zhang, can you take responsibility for those words?"

"Sure."

"Like I said, I'm their uncle."

"I'm aware of it. But I'm not familiar with it."

What does it matter if there's no blood?" said Touro Zhang Wuyang.

"Of course we're not connected by blood, yes, but Mr. Yu and I are brothers-in-law, bonded by a loyalty thicker than blood, and yet you feel the need to hide the fact from me?"

Hearing those words through the wall, Yu Yongyong suddenly felt goosebumps. Suddenly, the world went black and fear washed over him like a wave.

"Loyalty is thicker than blood."……. That may be so, but! I don't want to be responsible for something I haven't seen for myself. The matter is too serious to take Yun Feidu's word for it. Isn't it possible that 'righteousness' could be a 'duck'?"

Finally, Yoon exploded.

"I met those children myself here in the marketplace a few days ago! The boy, the manager, told me personally that they were staying here! And yet you say they are not here? Hmph, who would believe that!"

"The world changes, and who's to say that things are the same today as they were a few days ago?"

"Don't change the subject, Lord Zhang," the manager said to me, and I still remember it well, "Lord Zhang of the Zhongyang Marking Bureau said that he would strictly investigate the death of the Blue Dragon Silver Chief and surely reveal the truth, so I will believe him and stay here."

Lie! Lie! Lie! Lie!

Liu Yong wanted to run into the room and scream, "You know, some of what you just said was true, but the rest of it was a bunch of lies. He gritted his teeth and gripped the wall roughly.

"I wonder why those children didn't follow their 'self-proclaimed' uncle, why they didn't follow you, who is their father's half-brother and their uncle by a 'self-proclaimed' bond thicker than blood, because there's something fishy about you, isn't there?"

As it turns out, it's a pretty plausible hypothesis, and one that I think we should focus on.

"Don't keep changing the subject. I've clearly heard it with my own ears, and you're still telling me that there is no heir to the Blue Dragon Silver Hall here?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Seriously."

Bam! POP!

"Then what is this?"

Before Zhang Wuyang could stop her, Yun Yizheng roughly opened the door. Yun Yizheng's gaze met Liu Yun's head-on. The boy's eyes were instantly colored with fear.

"Mr. Zhang, what would you say to these children now?"

"That's……."

The door burst open so suddenly that Yu didn't know how to react. He could feel his body trembling as he met the dark, murky black eyes. It was scary, and the pressure was too much for a boy of only twelve to bear.

"How are you, businessman?"

"Yes, thank you, Sook……."

The boy didn't finish his sentence. The boy let the last word slip.

"No, what's the matter, you don't look well, is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, I'm fine."

"Oh, yeah, that's good. I thought I was going to be harassing you here again."

Yun Yizheng's cynical gaze turned to Zhang Wuyang.

"Well, now the reputation of the Zhongyang Mark Bureau must fall to the ground, for the head of state to tell such a lie."

"That's……."

Zhang Wuyang clenched his jaw, determined to do something.

"That child is not the heir to the Blue Dragon Silver Master."

What kind of nonsense is this? Yun Yizheng was dumbfounded by the ridiculous claims that came out of Zhang Wuyang's mouth. The boy was equally embarrassed.

"What do you mean, then? I'm suddenly very interested in your opinion."

At first, I thought I'd try to come up with a lame excuse, but Zhang Wuyang was unperturbed by this enticement and continued to declare.

"Mr. Yu is no longer the successor of the Qinglong Silver House, he is the most important partner of our Zhongyang Mark Bureau as the owner of the Qinglong Silver House."

"Yes?"

"What, what!"

Koo-koo!

It was an incredibly shocking statement. Not only Yoon Yi-jeong, but also Yoo Yong-young, who was present, was dumbfounded.

"What did you mean by that, Lord Zhang?"

"As you heard, Yun Feidu. We, the Zhongyang Mark Bureau, intend to lend our full support to the revival and rebuilding of the Blue Dragon Silver Market."

"Are you serious?"

"How rude, Yun Feidu. How dare you say such things in front of a merchant. Is the contract a farming one?"

"But it's all for naught if he doesn't agree, because it seems to me that he's finding this quite a surprise, too?"

It was too much for a teenage boy to handle.

"Businessman, tell me your thoughts in front of Lord Zhang and me. Do you really intend to go into business with Lord Zhang, or will you follow me, your uncle?"

Uncle……. I can't believe how this should be a warm and welcoming word sounds so cursory and hateful.

"I am……."

The boy opened his mouth to say something.

"I'm…"

I'm not sure if it's still emotionally driven.

"What? I can't hear you."

"Mr. Yu, let's be clear. You're a businessman now, the head of the family. Your age is irrelevant. Stand tall with your shoulders back! People don't follow an unsure leader."

The boy raised his bowed head. There was no hesitation in the boy's eyes. The boy looked at the man he called his uncle with burning eyes, and then he began to speak, over and over again, as if to etch the words into his mind.

"I am now the ninth and final owner of the Qinglong Silversmith, my surname is Yu, and my name is Zhang Yun. Together with Lord Zhang of the Zhongyang Marking Bureau over there, we will resurrect the Blue Dragon Silver House, which has been destroyed by dastardly treachery and flames."

Zhang Wuyang beamed at that bold declaration.

"Oh! You have spoken well, Mr. Yu Zhangzhu. We, the Zhongyang Marking Bureau, will support you with all our might."

"I look forward to your help."

"Leave it to me. Aren't we comrades in arms now?"

With a respectful bow, Mr. Yu bowed deeply and made his case.

"Are you serious?"

The eyes of the man who had once been his uncle and the boy who had once been his nephew clashed in midair. The boy gritted his teeth to overcome the fear that made him want to fall to his knees, but the life was too powerful for him to withstand. He couldn't even breathe properly. The boy's face turned pale. Zhang Wuyang, sensing that something was wrong, released his energy to help the boy. Only then did Liu Yong find it a little easier to breathe, and he cried out in desperation.

"I mean it!"

And then the pressure that had been squeezing my lungs dissipated like a lie.

"You'll regret it!"

With those last words, Yun Yijing left the room. It was rude of her to leave without saying goodbye, but Zhang Wuyang didn't stop her. His head was full of thoughts about how to lead this joint venture organization in the future.

'Regret……. Were those words spoken to the boy or to herself?'

Zhang Wuyang could only guess, not be sure. The only thing that was certain was that he was now in a destiny community with this little boy.