Chapter 55: Enchantress (2)
Translator: bjgoofy
I thought we were disembarking at the dock in Wuhan, but the ship passed slightly beyond the bustling harbor of Wuhan.
Just as I was getting ready to get off, our destination suddenly receded into the distance.
“Huh!? I think we just passed our stop?”
As I asked in a flustered voice, Nunim pointed to a small dock that was beginning to appear in the distance and spoke.
“No, Soryong. We're not getting off here but over there. That’s the Murim Alliance. They have a separate dock for their use only. It's exclusively for martial artists.”
“Ah.”
I had been wondering why we transferred to a ship operated by the Zhuge Family, one of the Seven Great Families, in a place called Yichang, and now it made sense, it was all to use their private dock.
The Murim Alliance seemed to be some kind of cooperative organization for those who trained in martial arts, and apparently, they had enough money to set up their own docking facilities.
“Young Master Soryong, Wuhan is known as 'Nine Provinces' Thoroughfare', the gateway connecting nine provinces. It serves as a passage linking Anhui and Guangxi to the east, Chongqing and Sichuan to the west, Henan and Shaanxi to the north, and Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangxi to the south.”
‘So basically, it's a major transportation hub, huh?’
I had wondered why the Murim Alliance was based in Wuhan, but after hearing Gu Pae’s explanation, it became clear that this place was indeed a crucial crossroads.
As I listened to Gu Pae’s explanation and looked in the direction Nunim pointed, I saw towering pavilions and fortress-like walls rising along the river.
One side of the Murim Alliance was nestled against the winding Yangtze River, while the other was connected to Wuhan.
-Thud!
A short while later, the ship, which had been gliding slowly toward the dock, finally came to a stop.
As soon as the ship docked, armed warriors, wearing swords at their waists, leaped onto the deck using qinggong.
One of them, seemingly the leader, approached the ship's owner, who was from the Zhuge Family, and asked,
“May I ask the purpose of your visit to the Murim Alliance?”
“This is a regular ferry of the Zhuge Family. You know our faces, must you go this far?”
“You understand, don’t you? Now, may I have the guest list?”
“Tsk. Here it is.”
Even though the ship was flying the Zhuge Family's flag and the people seemed familiar with each other, the warriors still meticulously verified the purpose of their visit.
“Those whose names are called, please step forward and show your faces.”
The warriors conducted the verification like a roll call in a lecture, checking each person one by one.
Security seemed quite strict.
And when it was our turn,
As the leader of the warriors scanned the list, he suddenly seemed slightly startled and asked,
“There are people from the Sichuan's Tang Family on this ship?”
The Zhuge Family member immediately nodded.
“Yes, the direct descendant of the Tang Family, Young Miss Poisonous Flower China Rose, is on board.”
“You should have mentioned that earlier. Where are the Tang Family members? The military strategist has been expecting you.”
“Wait, weren’t you the one insisting on thorough checks…?”
When Nunim’s name was mentioned, she stepped forward from the crowd and cupped her fists toward the warriors’ leader.
“I am Tang Hwa-eun of the Sichuan's Tang Family.”
“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Mak Gyeol, Captain of the Yellow Dragon Squad, under the Murim Alliance’s Inner Cabinet. The military strategist has been waiting for you.”
“Ah, so you’re Master Mak? Then, could you guide us to the military strategist? We've brought the requested items.”
“Yes, Young Miss. What are you all waiting for? Inform the military strategist and escort the Tang Family members.”
“Yes, sir!”
One of the warriors jumped off the ship and swiftly disappeared toward the towering pavilion, while Nunim and I disembarked and followed the warriors’ leader into the Murim Alliance.
As we passed through the pavilions and headed toward the tallest building,
Three young men and women appeared from around a corner behind a pavilion, engaged in conversation, and started approaching us.
A woman with a sword at her waist was dragging a man with a spear on his back by the ear.
A loud commotion began to echo.
“Aaagh! Stop it, Sword Phoenix! I was just about to teach that guy a lesson!”
“Ugh… Do you even realize what you're doing in front of our family? We came to the Murim Alliance to capture those Blood Cult bastards, and yet you’re picking fights with our own allies in a duel? What are you thinking?”
“Yeah, you should’ve at least checked what they had to say first, Sheng hou. You were too hasty.”
“What do you mean I was hasty! I was merely defending the Young Miss's honor-”
Just as the three of them were about to pass by us,
A voice from their group suddenly called out Nunim’s name.
“Poisonous Flower? Young Miss Tang Hwa-eun?”
“Hm? Did you say Poisonous Flower? Oh!?”
“Huh?”
It seemed they were acquainted with Nunim.
She halted in her tracks and cupped her fists toward the group.
“It has been a while. Blade Dragon, Sword Phoenix, and Spear Dragon. The last time we met was at the Dragon Phoenix Gathering.”
“Well, well. To think we’d run into you like this. It has been too long, Poisonous Flower.”
“It has indeed been a long time, Hwa-eun.”
“It’s been a while… H-Hwa-eun, I mean, Young Miss, no, P-Poisonous Flower.”
Despite not being middle schoolers obsessed with dramatic aliases, they were calling each other by their titles instead of their real names.
Having spent some time in the Sichuan's Tang Family, I had learned the significance of such titles in this world.
‘A dragon who wields a blade, a phoenix who wields a sword, and a dragon who wields a spear. Aren’t they embarrassed by these nicknames? Then again, Nunim’s title translates to “Poisonous Flower China Rose”. I was shocked when I first learned its meaning, it sounded like something a woman with a thigh tattoo of a rose would use.’
Among martial artists of their age, only those with exceptional skill were granted titles containing "Dragon" or "Phoenix".
So, it was safe to assume these people were elites.
Among them, the woman seemed especially close to Nunim, as she eagerly linked arms with her.
“Hwa-eun, we saw each other last year, didn’t we?”
“Yes, Sword Phoenix. We met last year in Sichuan. But could you let go of me now…?”
“Oh, don’t be like that. We agreed to be friends and call each other by our names, remember?”
“That was because you insisted…”
Sword Phoenix, the woman, seemed to have a very sociable personality. Even though Nunim looked uncomfortable, she simply smiled slyly like a snake and continued.
“Well, putting that aside, I actually curious about something. How convenient that we ran into each other.”
Curious about what Sword Phoenix wanted to know, Nunim tilted her head and asked,
"Something you're curious about? About me? We just ran into each other?"
Sword Phoenix nodded and cast a quick glance at the man with the spear before smirking mischievously.
“Well, we joined the effort to capture the Blood Cult members, and in the process, we overheard something strange.”
“Something strange?”
“Yes. There’s a weird rumor going around the Murim Alliance… that Poisonous Flower has found a lover. A rather unbelievable claim.”
“A lover? Me?”
“Yes, the warriors have been gossiping about it nonstop. And this idiot here tried to defend your honor by challenging those spreading the rumor to duels, so I had to drag him away.”
The “idiot” Sword Phoenix pointed to was the man called Spear Dragon.
His face turned beet red as he muttered defensively,
“I-I didn’t mean it like that. B-But, since we have exchanged fists as friends, it is only natural that I should protect the Young Miss’s honor… Y-You need not thank me. This is simply what comrades do…”
Nunim glanced at him expressionlessly before responding indifferently.
“The rumor is mistaken.”
‘So she’s keeping it a secret here? Well, I guess there’s no need to spread it publicly.’
Back at the Tang Family, Nunim had introduced me as her Fiance to the Peng Family Head and the military strategist. But here, she simply dismissed the rumor as false.
However, based on what I was hearing, the rumors had already spread throughout the Murim Alliance, thanks to the warriors who had accompanied the military strategist. So I wondered if denying it even made a difference at this point.
Just as I was wondering what Nunim intended to do next and was about to ask her about it,
The man named Spear Dragon brightened at her response.
“S-See? I told you!”
“Ah, so it really was just a baseless rumor? You got lucky then. Hahaha.”
“Stop talking like I was going to die! Ahem. No, this isn't the time for this. I need to go find that warrior again and teach him a proper lesson…”
Just as he rolled up his sleeves, full of bravado, Nunim placed a hand on my shoulder, smiled, and spoke.
"I should correct the rumor. He’s not just my lover, he’s my fiance.”
‘Gasp! F-Fiance ?!’
A lover is simply someone you have feelings for, but a fiance… that meant an official engagement, a promise of marriage.
I suddenly felt an overwhelming pressure, as if failing to capture the Ten Great Venomous Creatures would be absolutely unacceptable. I swallowed hard.
So this is what Nunim was really like, no hesitation, all in, no turning back.
It felt as if she was saying, ‘I’ve given you an opportunity, so you must succeed.’
Even Sword Phoenix, who seemed to have a high level of social intelligence, was caught off guard by Nunim’s bombshell statement and looked at me with wide eyes.
“Y-Your fiance!? But he looks so… so young?”
“Yes, this is my fiance, Wei Soryong. Soryong, go ahead and greet them. From left to right, this is Blade Dragon, Sword Phoenix, and Spear Dragon. I should have introduced you earlier, my apologies.”
I was momentarily stunned but quickly composed myself and greeted them. I decided to ask Nunim about her intentions later.
That spear-wielding guy, Spear Dragon, had probably been nursing a crush on Nunim, but what could he do?
That’s just part of growing up.
‘Everyone goes through it.’
With that thought in mind, I took a step forward and bowed to them.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you all. My name is Wei Soryong. I am Young Miss Hwa-eun’s fiance. I look forward to getting to know you.”
The two of them, still startled, collected themselves and returned the greeting.
“Oh, uh, yes. It’s nice to meet you, Young Hero. I am Sunhwa, a Taoist from Diancang Sect. I go by the rather exaggerated title of Sword Phoenix.”
“To think that someone so young could defeat one of the Three Beauties of the Murim… I am Blade Dragon, Peng Gue-sung.”
Spear Dragon, still looking dazed, stared at me blankly. It wasn’t until the other two elbowed him in the ribs that he snapped out of it and stammered out his greeting.
“I-I am Yang Sheng hou… It’s, uh, nice to meet you.”
Just as the introductions concluded, the voice of the captain of the warriors called out beside us.
“The military strategist is waiting for you. Please hurry.”
“Ah, my apologies. The three of you, I have an appointment with the military strategist. Let’s catch up later.”
Nunim flashed them a bright smile, then looked at me before stepping forward. As I followed her, I glanced back and saw Yang Sheng-hou’s two companions patting his shoulder.
It looked like a boy had just become a man today.
***
“Well, look who it is. Welcome. I didn’t expect you two to come in person.”
“We greet the military strategist.”
“We pay our respects to the military strategist.”
As we entered the military strategist’s office, we were warmly greeted by Zhuge Hu.
He gestured for us to take a seat and poured us each a cup of tea before asking,
“So, how much did you manage to bring this time?”
“We gathered as much as we possibly could. It amounts to about three bottles.”
-Thud.
At his question, Nunim placed the box we had brought on the table.
When she opened the lid, three bottles were revealed inside.
“You must have gone through quite the ordeal. When I was in Sichuan, I once observed the process of extracting venom, and it was an incredibly meticulous and labor-intensive task. Thank you for your efforts.”
The military strategist, said to be the most intelligent man in the Murim, understood the amount of effort we had put into this.
After all, three bottles were an enormous amount.
There wasn’t much research data on the Tiger Keelback, but for comparison, the average venom yield of the slightly larger Russell’s viper was about 12 milliliters.
However, the yield varied greatly, with some producing as little as 2 milliliters and others as much as 20 milliliters.
To fill a single 1.5-liter bottle, you would need to extract venom from at least 125 snakes. And that’s assuming they were high-yielding Russell’s vipers.
Since the Tiger Keelback was smaller and produced less venom, collecting 1.5 liters would require extracting venom from nearly 500 snakes.
That means to gather the three bottles of approximately 1.5 liters each, we'd need to milk nearly 1,500 snakes.
“I understand, Military Strategist. I will relay your words of gratitude to our elders.”
Nunim’s response made him smile and nod.
“Well then, it might be a bit noisy, but since you're here, why not take a look around the Murim Alliance? It would be a good opportunity to build connections with disciples from various sects. Oh, and Soryong, you should come with me to meet the Alliance Leader. He has been wanting to see you.”
It was an invitation to do some sightseeing and meet an important figure while we were here.
However, we didn’t have much time.
We could always tour the place later, but if we didn’t secure food for our lizards soon, they would starve to death.
“We plan to leave immediately, Military Strategist.”
“Immediately? Why are you in such a hurry? Are you heading somewhere else?”
The Military Strategist blinked at our abrupt departure.
I explained the situation to him.
“Yes, actually, the lizards you mentioned seem to have been feeding on the energy of Snow Ginseng. That means we need Ice Jade, so we are planning to visit the Namgoong Family, as they are known to have it.”
Upon hearing my words, he nodded but responded in a concerned tone.
“I see. So I’ve essentially stolen those little ones’ food… I understand now. However, I must warn you, the Namgoong Family is dealing with some strange issues at the moment. I’m not sure if they’ll be able to receive guests. That’s why they haven’t even been able to send people to assist in capturing the Blood Cult members.”
“A strange issue?”
Something strange was happening at the Namgoong Family.
Since that was our next destination, I couldn’t help but feel a bit uneasy.
*****
For extra chapters, you can read them on my Patreon at patreon.com/Bjgoofy
Join our Discord for announcements or to report any mistakes.