Book 22 Chapter 5

Mysterious and a bit naughty

-A genuine exchange

"Should I give it another serious look?

At the end of a dead-end hallway, Namgungsang paused in front of a slightly closed door. He had a feeling that if he rushed in, there would be no turning back.

"Oh, that'll be fine.

Namgung shrugged at the thought. It was a shoulder that had been growing heavier and heavier ever since he had taken over as captain, willingly or unwillingly. The Heavenly Palace was practically an enemy camp. Becoming the captain in the middle of that enemy camp was more than just a burden.

In his heart, he wanted to ask for advice from Yin Do, Ice Sword, Yue Eunsung, and Qin Xiaoling, but they had an attitude of not getting involved in the trivial matters between students. After all, they were here on a mission, so as long as it wasn't a life-and-death situation, they should handle it on their own as 'unmanned personnel of the Heavenly Martial Academy'.

The problem is that you don't know enough about the pagoda to figure it out on your own. It's like stumbling around in the dark. Especially when a man named Mipokguk shows up out of nowhere and leaves a bizarre invitation, it's clear that Namgungsang is in desperate need of a light to illuminate the darkness of ignorance.

Now that I had accepted the invitation, I knew I had to scrape together some information urgently if I didn't want to get in trouble, so as soon as the meeting was over, I scouted out the location and found myself at the end of this hallway, in front of the door of the unattached person who had been determined to be the intelligence officer.

He hesitated for a moment, recalling Maha Ling's harsh reaction and the hostile comments of the female observers, then steeled himself and knocked on the door. There was no time for hesitation.

Smart!

When told to come in, Namgungsang opened the door and went inside.

As she stepped into the room, she felt a wave of heat wash over her. Unexpectedly, the room was already bustling with people.

The main culprits in the frenzy were three big, burly men sitting around a small table, poring over documents and arguing. The unattached man, the perverted man, and another man sat with their backs to them, all with frightening concentration.

"Are you all studying for some kind of test?"

"Oh, it's the South Palace Captain, give me a minute. I haven't finished my work yet."

Sitting back in his seat, Biyeon-tae replied.

"It doesn't matter, I'll wait."

Curious as to what they were doing, Namgungsang replied that they were. Bi Yantai nodded and opened her mouth to speak.

"Here's the thing."

The namgungsang tilted his head at the sudden call.

"Two for the price of one."

Byeon Tae Byeon, a paid associate and vice chairman of the Association, responded.

"The information level is binary, and the information unit price is binary ternary."

One after another, a man with only his back to me answered. It was a voice I had heard many times.

"Good. Next time."

"Two characters."

The perverted man's immediate response was that the rest of the men would be as well.

"Level 3 for information and level 3 for disclosure."

"That voice?

Namgung Sang suddenly realized who the voice belonged to: it was definitely Geum Young Ho, one of the masterminds. What on earth were they doing now?

"Mmm, namgungsansan."

This time, Namgungsang was very familiar with the name. Flesh and blood, twins, what more could you ask for. The conversation was so intense that Namgungsang's suspicions grew.

"Two characters again."

"Wait!"

Geum Young Ho interrupted Byeon Tae Nam's answer. Bi-yeon-tae's eyes shone and she urged him on.

"Tell me."

"That's outdated information. Namgung Sansan has recently gone through a dietary adjustment that has reduced his size from two characters to one. Please update the information."

"Approved. Namgung San San, authorize the change from two characters to one character, nine chi."

"I see it. Since this is new information, I'm going to make it a per diem, unit rate."

"Then let's move on. Mach number?"

Bi Yantai began to ask questions again. Namgungsang became increasingly confused.

"Two letters and one more unidentified figure."

There was a moment of silence among the men.

"Hmm… keep those figures sealed. I can call for a blood feud. Don't forget whose daughter she is."

"Yes, sir."

When they answered in unison, Bi Yeontae closed the papers and declared.

"We have guests today, so we'll stop here."

As he watched the men nervously organize the documents, Namgungsang turned his suspicious gaze to Bi Yantai.

"Mr. Biyeon-tae, what are those documents for?"

"Ah, the precious academic journal."

Namgungsang shook his head.

"Academic material, is it really academic material?"

"Of course! A must-have for field trips, um… I guess it's more accurate to say research materials for a culminating project."

Bi Yantai's eyes sparkled with seriousness. No matter how you look at it, it's not a lying face.

"Hmm, I see, I didn't know you had that side of you, with all the complicated numbers and monetary units being discussed, is it some kind of accounting?"

He asked cautiously, trying to ignore the names of the innkeepers who were constantly mentioned, but Bi Yantai's answer was still me.

"No way. It's some kind of women's studies."

"……, is this Women's Studies?"

"Yes, indeed. Today's documents, in particular, are the ultimate in combining the Three Jewels of Beauty with information accounting, a system of study that, when assembled, will be the ultimate discipline for men to learn in the future. Why don't you study with us?"

"Thanks for the offer, but no thanks, but why are you here, Geum Young-ho?"

Namgungsang politely refused and turned away. He was puzzled, but most of all, he wondered why Geum Young Ho was here. Since when did Geum Young-ho, the son of the Kumho Chamber of Commerce and the same person as the Golden Toad of the Zhujiajia Clan, whom Namgung-sang knew so well, become involved in a mysterious discussion with an unmarried and perverted man? But Geum Young-ho himself opened his mouth with a nonchalant face.

"Oh, didn't you know, I'm the treasurer here at the Association."

The tone was one of nothing new.

"Seniors, is that true?"

With a dumbfounded expression on his face, he looked at Bi Yan Tae and the perverted man. After a brief search of his memory, Bi Yantai replied.

"Of course it's true. It's been a year, I think?"

"Yeah, that's about it."

The pervert, who was busy organizing his papers, chimed in. It was quite a shock to realize that he hadn't known about it for a year, both as a colleague in the same troupe and as its leader. And it wasn't just Geum Young-ho.

His gaze shifted to the corner of the room to his left, where he could only recognize a shadowy figure from the corner of his vision. There was a young man of slight build squatting on a bed, his fingers running over the covers. The young man's pale pink robes were embroidered with a plum blossom pattern, as if he had been pushed back by a strange heat emanating from the center of the room.

"Aren't you Junho-kun?"

What Namgung Sang found in the corner of the room was none other than Yun Junho, a disciple of the Volcano Sect.

"That's right. You recognized me."

Yun Junho squatted in the shadows, marginalized from the conversation of the elite of the Assassination Society. His complexion was pale.

"Why are you here?"

When Namgungsang looked at him with disappointment that he didn't see him as such a person, Yoon Junho stuttered in embarrassment.

"Oh, no, actually, I don't really have anywhere else to go today, and this is my room……."

"……I wouldn't blame you if you decided to join the Association's visitation efforts."

Yoon Jun-ho's face was red with disbelief at the disbelieving gaze of the Namgung Sang.

"Well, I'm not lying, I'm just in the same group as Bi-yeon-tae, so we got the same room."

"……."

Namgungsang was at a loss for words for a moment. In principle, two people from the same group should share a room. This was a problematic arrangement.

"Have you asked Mr. Yoo Eun-sung for a favor?"

When asked, Yun Junho was even more defeated.

"I went to the boss and asked him about it, and he said that if there was someone else in the same group who wanted to change rooms, he would change it for them, but……."

"But?"

"Everyone said they'd just say no……."

"For some reason, I can understand that.

Namgungsang expressed his heartfelt condolences to Yun Junho.

"Sorry, but get used to it."

"We're trying, but……."

There were no guarantees. He hadn't expected it to be so cruel, either, but as he looked away, he was taken aback.

"How many people are in this tiny room!

Counting myself, we're already three people over, and it turns out there's another person sitting next to Yoon Joon-ho doing cotton wall!

He wore a thin strip of cloth on his head that was the same color as the wall, and even his clothing was the same color as the wall. At first glance, what appeared to be a mere jagged protrusion from the wall was probably a cunning, stealthy figure, but even a trained martial artist couldn't spot it easily, so whoever it was, it was no ordinary bet.

"Who is it that is on the other side?"

Namgungsang asked with wary respect.

"……I hope you like the snow, I don't mind if you don't look at it."

He sounded very disheartened, but Namgung knew who he was as soon as he heard it.

"Isn't that voice Brother Zhang? No, what is Brother Zhang doing here, with such a peculiar appearance?"

"I'm just ducking out for a bit, so don't mind me and talk to me."

Jang Hong's usually confident demeanor was nowhere to be seen, and his voice even trembled slightly at the end of his speech.

"Refuge? From what?"

"From the most terrifying thing in the world. Nothing more. It's just a simple personal matter."

Jang Hong pulled down the cloth covering his head and looked back at Nan Gongsheng, extending his hand. His face was grim, but he didn't back down easily. It might be presumptuous, but as a leader, he needed to be aware of the problems of the Guandao, especially when they were likely to develop into events.

"Hmm. A grudge match? Well, since you're in charge, you might as well let us know what kind of threat you think Brother Zhang feels……."

Jang Hong winced at the grudge match part.

"A grudge match… maybe. Maybe……."

Her voice was drenched in regret. Nan Gongsang was even more worried. If they were trying to hide it like that, it was obvious that Jang Hong was the one with the grudge.

"Then why would you take refuge in a place like this? It's a place where people come and go, and you'll be known."

Jang Hong shook his head.

"For that matter, I make up for it with stealth, and this is the safest place to be; no woman would dare to come this far."

Apparently, the person he's avoiding is a woman, and if she's a woman who doesn't want to be approached, she's probably beautiful.

"Well, then, it's definitely safe here.

I'll never taste that again, said Bi Yan-tai to Nan Gongsang.

"But what do you want?"

"Oh, I'm here to ask you to be my intelligence officer, and I have some information I'd like you to gather."

"Intelligence officer? Heh, heh, heh. Now there's a public display of my worth. Good, because intelligence gathering is my job. So, who wants to know, Gene Sojae?"

Bi Yantai shook his head with a satisfied smile.

"Gene Sojae?"

Namgungsang replied, his eyes narrowing.

"I thought you were asking for information on Nguyen Sojae?"

As expected, she's also an insider when it comes to relationships.

"Absolutely not, at least not in the context of what you're referring to as women's studies."

Namgungsang replied in a firm tone.

"You mean there's something else you want to know?"

For her, there was no more pressing issue. But for Namgungsang, there were many pressing and urgent matters.

"First, we need information about where we've been invited to go. Hmm, let me fill you in on that."

The next morning, a small flower garden not too far from the delegation's lodgings. Piled high with red flowers of unknown origin, the women of the Unexploded Ordinance were plucking petals and carrying them in baskets when they had a terrible visitor. It was a virgin.

"Gah! Pervert!"

The women scattered in all directions in an uproar as soon as they saw him. Screams of physiological revulsion continued to echo sporadically as they watched the gaunt man with sweat dripping down his face, his eyes glaring at them.

But Bi Yantai was unperturbed, his eyes shining as he scanned the beauties in all directions. Each beauty that caught his eye was ready to be etched into his mind. He had a habit of remembering a woman's appearance and three figures whenever he saw her.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a handsome man sitting in a small pavilion in the corner of the flower garden, surrounded by baskets of flowers. He had a habit of remembering a woman's appearance and three figures when he saw her.

Jagun was sitting in front of the main table, which was set with a couple of dishes, when his eyes locked with Bi Yantai's, and he frowned.

"Whoever you are, you'd better go back, for no one who is not beautiful can come near the place where we, the MiBomb Guard, and I, the MiBomb Duke, reside!"

The women, clutching their flower baskets as if for dear life, flocked to his side, gazing in ecstasy at the sound of his voice, chattering about how a sickly handsome boy was good, but a prince was better, and how his pursuit of beauty would go on forever, conversations that no sane person could possibly understand.

Even as he watched the intangible closed space form, he was unfazed. He had fully expected this reaction. He had mobilized the Assassination Society cadres for an all-night vigil.

He was soft as a cloud to women, he said, and tended to ignore the presence of men at all costs. But not Bi-Yeon-Tae. For him, men have always been valued customers and colleagues. How could he ignore their presence when their love business alone is so influential in updating the information about Missusers?

While he had the strengths of being handsome, cultured, and able to cater to the tastes of women, his neglect of men would prove to be a fatal flaw. Bi Yantai decided to enlighten the inexperienced Zhagun.

"Hmph. Physically inert, but with a fondness for the beautiful and noble, and a cowardly heart. A spirit that seeks nobility, ideals, and uniqueness. A sense of boredom with everyday life. In other words, none of the Sojaes out there have a one in nine chance of matching your actual ideal. Isn't that right?"

Bi Yantai spoke in a monotone, relaxed voice, almost mumbling. It wasn't a loud voice, but it made the women of the Missile Defense Corps freeze.

Chang! Chang! Charang!

The women drew their respective weapons and exuded fearsome flesh.

"Huh, bullshit, our man Confucius doesn't belong to one man!"

"Yeah, right, right, get lost, pervert, before you become a skewer!"

Watching the outraged women's reactions, Bi Yantai huffed lazily.

"Heh, heh, heh. Don't get me wrong. The Sojaes are right, ideals are ideals, and they may not be real, but it can't hurt to know what type he likes, right?"

"That, that's……!"

Unable to argue, the women murmured and looked to him. He sipped his drink, smirking, as he stood alone in a dignified posture. This time, he seemed to be taking on the appearance of a lone wandering swordsman.

"The heavens are wide, but how many leaders are there? A man who knows nothing crows like a crow."

She didn't respond to his words, but said what she had to say.

"Hmph. Your ideal is a strong goddess, cold, intelligent, mysterious, and a little bit mean… and most importantly, she has to be cold to you! You're more attracted to a noble beauty who won't even look at you, don't you think?"

"……."

There was a silence in the room as he watched Jagun fidget. It was clear that Biyeon-tae was right.

CHANGGANG! The sound of weapons falling from the hands of the Unexploded Ordnance Guards could be heard all around.

"Now, did you have a thing for mean women?"

"I've been trying to be black, nice, and kind."

Just as he was about to say something to calm the shouting women, Bi Yantai interrupted once more.

"It's okay, it's okay. Where there's a problem, there's a solution. Find the officers of the Society in the outdoor gardens southeast of One Thousand and Thirteen, and after careful consultation, they will work out a plan that suits each of your personalities. The Society, remember."

"Bullshit, I don't need the help of a pervert!"

"Yes, yes, we believe in you!"

As the women shouted, they each pulled out a notebook from their bosom and furiously scribbled something down. Some of them tore off their skirts to write their contact information on soft paper because they hadn't brought any writing utensils, while others bit their pinky fingers with their eyes tightly shut to make a bloody record.

After watching the spectacle in disbelief, Jagun quickly regained his composure and turned his arrow toward Bi Yantai.

"The Assassination Society? You come to our Bureau to promote such a dubious organization and cause a ruckus, won't you please go home now, you rascal!"

"You're right, this body is here to make a deal with you. Consider that a mere cautionary tale."

"A trade, I would not do such an unbeautiful act……!"

Whirr!

As he spoke, Jagun nonchalantly accepted a pamphlet that Biyeon-tae tossed toward him.

"You won't regret it."

美人圖鑑.

Recognizing the title on the cover, he quickly opened the book and flipped through it, then motioned for the women of the Unexploded Ordnance Guard to retreat from the pavilion and invited Bi Yantai inside. For a moment, he stared at the pages in silence, until he finally let out an exclamation of admiration.

"This… I hate to admit it, but it's great!"

It was his final impression as he closed the final chapter. You could tell how focused he was by the way he exhaled all of his pent-up breath at once.

"What do you think, is this going to be trade material?"

"Hmmm, this is definitely worth the trade, this is the cornerstone of the future of the United States of America. I'm impressed."

By now, he was in a favorable mood and his tone was more polite.

"The way you keep bringing it up, I'm starting to think you're not kidding when you say you're going to build a nuclear-free America."

"Ah, it is a long-held desire of mine. To create a paradise where beautiful women can laugh and play, and I can be its lord."

Of course, there was only one man in that paradise: himself.

"Ho, ho, that's a very good dream, a company boss should be able to dream that much in his sleep, and that unexploded ordinance is somehow very similar to my dream."

What they lacked now was a good teacher who could tell them the difference between a dream and a delusion.

"You dream of building an American bomb state, too?"

He was not the least bit pleased to have an ally in this endeavor. The scarce resource of beauty was always going to be limited, and more competition would only put him at a disadvantage, especially one so unusual.

"No, the place I dream of is not the United States of America."

"Then what?"

At the pointed question, Bi Ryuyeon paused for a moment before answering.

"Moon Lan Rouge!"

"Moon Lan Rouge?"

"Yes. To be the master of a pavilion, more precisely, a pavilion named 'Moon Lan Lu', where the finest beauties sell their best dances and their best songs. It is my mission on this earth to bring this supreme beauty to a wider audience."

"Oooh, such a noble cause!"

Jagun said in an impressed voice. He had never yet met a man with such a fine sense of duty.

But I had to point it out.

"But don't you think the name 'Wen Lan Lu' is a bit tacky? I think naming anything is the most important thing."

"Call me shallow……. Maybe so, but!"

I said, my eyes widening.

"Doesn't that sound like a name you'd like to go by?"

"Well, that's true."

Jagun conceded meekly.

"Moreover, it is not a muddle, but a muddle, which means a round pattern. The round spinning wheel will be its symbol."

"Oooh, the water wheel!"

"At first I thought of a windmill, but then I decided on a waterwheel, which will become a legendary symbol of the powerful entertainment industry. Countless beauties will sell dancing and singing from it, all clad in heavenly garments. The lighter the garment, the better, I say."

"I'm with you on that."

When they met Ziggy, who recognized them, they clasped hands firmly. A hot, soulful gaze passed between them.

"So what do you think, have you changed your mind now?"

"Well, I'll take the deal as a way of congratulating you on your meeting with Ji-Ning."

"Okay, let's make sure that the content and format of the transaction are appropriately equitable and tailored to the value and difficulty of the information. Now, first, tell me what information you are seeking about this woman."

"Black Swallow."

Jagun answered without hesitation. All he could think about these days was how to win this beauty's heart. So far, his methods of winning her heart had shown no signs of working, and he would have to learn more about her.

"When you say black swallow, I assume you mean Yeonbi, that mysterious string beauty?"

"Exactly, because Yan Sojae is my future mistress, my future mate."

He had no intention of hiding his true feelings. In fact, if he could make it known everywhere, he would.

"I see, I see. Then I'll tell you the terms of the deal. All I want to know is……."

Bi Yantai calmly began to talk about the first piece of information to be traded. It was the first real exchange between the two sides since the envoys arrived.

* * *

The second of the next evening's sulshi.

The delegation assembled at the dock at the entrance to Dongjeong Lake, as the invitation said. The invitation asked them to come aboard a boat that would take them "there.

With that, Namgungsang led the entire delegation to the Narutor. Since he had invited them all, they had no choice but to accept anyway.

"Is this really the place?"

Namgungsang looked puzzled and turned to his companions with a question.

"I guess so, but……."

Baek Muyoung replied vaguely, and the reactions of Yong Tianming and Maha Ling beside him were similar.

"This is amazing."

The pier at the gate, which had made them nervous with its ghastly ghostly form when they had entered, was now glittering with colorful lanterns. The gates were wide open, with rows of fires blazing brightly around them. They were waving goodbye. The nervous delegation felt like fools.

"I thought it would be a bit more of a bitchy experience, coming out to the dock at night to wait for a boat, but this is a total bust."

Mixed in with the delegation, Yunbi looked at Na Yerin beside her and couldn't help but say something. The docks were bustling with a huge crowd of people in the harbor.

"Yeah, I can't believe it's so noisy and complicated… so many people."

Na Yerin looked around, too, and expressed her appreciation. Surely the Hani Temple hadn't invited all these people, so why was the dockside so crowded at this hour?

True to her word, there were too many people here waiting to board the boat. They were laughing and talking, moving in threes and fours, like people at a festival. Men, women, and children, young and old, all seemed to be in a state of excitement.

Besides Yunfei and Na Yerin, all of the people from the Heavenly Martial Academy who had gathered together were looking around and giggling. If the Heavenly Pavilion's bizarre invitation was meant to baffle the delegation, they had already accomplished that.

"Rin, are you okay? Your complexion looks a little off."

Yunbi looked at Na Yerin with concern. He noticed that Na Yerin's expression had hardened slightly, a slight difference that would have made anyone else say, "That's it.

"No, I'm fine, I'm just overwhelmed by the number of people, and my mind is not very disciplined."

But no matter how much she practiced, some things would work and some things wouldn't. Na Yerin didn't like crowds of people. Partly because it was in her nature, but also because she always felt like she was caught in a vortex of consciousness. If you're defenseless, you can't even stand up without a huge mass of thought washing over you.

Even as they blended in with the rest of the Celestial Academy, passersby retraced their steps and glanced in the direction of where Na Yerin and Yunfei were standing. Though she had gotten used to it by now, she was still uncomfortable with their stares.

"Gosh, I'm so lost on this side of the street. I don't know why they're darting around so much. I don't want to wear out Rin's face."

Yeonbi looked around and grumbled.

"Isn't everyone actually looking at Yeonbi?"

Na Yerin laughed, her face relaxing. It wasn't much to anyone else, but to her, it was the biggest joke she could make at the moment. It was probably a good thing she had Yeonbi by her side.

"Ewww. That's creepy, just thinking about it."

She opened the black umbrella, the one she never lets go of, and gently pulled Ye Lin to her side. The shadow of the umbrella enveloped the two of them.

"What do you think, does this cover it up a little bit?"

I did get a few more stares and people walking by saying, "What's with the umbrella?" but it was definitely effective in shielding my face from prying eyes.

However, there were two members of the delegation who were envious of the Yeonbi: Lee Jin-sul and Jang Hong.

While Lee Jin-sul's case was just a case of "me too, I'm going to buy an umbrella and share it with Yerin!", Jang Hong's case was a bit more serious.

"Hmm, what a useful stealth tool. Hey, Hyorong, Hui. I'm sorry, but could you please stick closer together, I don't want anyone to realize that there is a human being called me among you."

Jang Hong was sweating profusely, keeping his voice as low as possible to avoid being overheard. He looked like a timid scouting duck, afraid that a poisonous arrow might fly at any moment. Hyo-ryong and Mo Yong-hui stood stiffly together with a frightened look on their faces. I wanted to ask them both why they were lined up in a group in the open terrain, but their pale faces didn't make for a very desperate request, so I let it slide.

Anyway, their current wishes were all the same, from Yeonbi to morphology.

"I hope the ship arrives soon."

Yeonbi shrugged. If this was going to happen, he might as well get back on the ship as soon as possible.

Just then, there was a commotion to the left of the delegation. Two women were looking around, searching for someone.

"Miss, Miss?"

She looked around repeatedly, but could not see the shadow of the person she was looking for. Judging by the way they dressed and spoke, they were maids who had followed someone from the Temple of Heaven.

"Not one, but two maidservants in a pavilion. The owner must be quite wealthy."

Yeonbi whispered to Na Yerin like a passing comment.

The two men, who were very contrasting colors, continued to weave in and out of the crowd.

"Are you sure the spirit lady disappeared this way?"

"That's right. I know this way."

A name came out of the mouth of the more vivacious of the two maids, and it was not a name Na Yerin should have heard for the first time.

'Spirit? I've heard that name before. It must be…….'

I searched my memory for a moment, and a memory came to mind.

"Ah, yes. The one Jade Instructor was talking about."

It made sense. I've been meaning to meet her for a while, given her reputation for prayers that rival Na Yerin's. It wasn't a favoritism, I just wanted to meet her. As someone walking the same path. But it didn't seem like the time was right.

"If you're here, you're on that boat, so maybe I can meet you where you're going.

If it's meant to be, it will be.

"Why? What are you thinking, Rin?"

After a moment of distraction, Na Yerin was brought back to reality by Yeonbi.

"Oh, it's nothing, there's just someone I think you'd like to meet at the Skyscraper."

With a slight smile, Na Yerin replied.

"Gee, that's weird, is it a guy?"

"No, it's a girl."

"Good, that's good, I don't have to get blood on my hands."

Yeonbi smirked and muttered to himself.

"What? What are you saying……?"

"No, I was just talking to myself."

As if it were no big deal, Yunbi looked at Na Yerin and smiled again.

Just then, a light appeared on the other side of the dark surface and began to grow larger and larger. Not one, but three lights. Surely, one would not have been enough to carry all these people.

"You're here, I'm surprised."

Na Yerin said, looking at the three ships that had just arrived.

"Yeah, that ship, it's more than I expected……."

Yunbi paused to fold her umbrella.

"That's pretty colorful."

Na Yerin got the last word. Yunbi nodded and clapped her hands in unison.

"That's right, I thought you were going to send me a ghostly ship."

The ship that arrived wasn't quite what he'd imagined. It wasn't a ghost ship with tattered sails, but it wasn't ordinary either. It was, however, overly ornate, to say the least. I wondered if there was money left over and it was being thrown around.

"You're not going somewhere like the red light district, are you?"

The ship's appearance could be described as ugly, for lack of a better word. The decorations were gaudy, and the colored lights glowed in the firelight, but they were a frivolous glow, like the colored lights in a red-light district, but most people seemed to be excited by them.

I could tell by the number of people lined up to board the boat, many of whom were dressed to the nines.

"I don't see an end in sight, I wonder if there's room for us……."

"Where the heck are we headed?"

The location was not yet known.

"I don't know, but since there are so many of us, shouldn't we just ask?"

Three boats in one night meant that quite a few people were headed there.

"Okay, let's get moving!"

Someone shouted from the front of the dock. Following the guide's lead, the group began to board the designated boats.

The envoys' ship was the most lavishly decorated, with five-color lanterns glowing red, green, yellow, red, and blue above them. Far from being dismal, it was dazzlingly ornate, with golden ornaments everywhere catching the light and glinting with gold, beckoning the envoys aboard.

* * *

The spirit was extremely respectful and reverent as she knelt before a shadow cast by a bamboo foot. The one who now stood beyond the bamboo feet was the master of her body and mind. It was an absolute command etched deep in her memory, and she could not disobey it. Too bad she couldn't think of a face.

"Then I'll do you a favor, Ling."

The man said in a quiet voice.

"Don't worry."

The spirit dropped to one knee and bowed deeply.

"My life belongs to my lord, and I will fulfill my mission."

For a moment, In-Young's eyes flickered slightly as he watched the spirit, but there was no way for the spirit, who had bowed his head across the shadows to show his submission, to see that brief flicker.