Chapter 1000: Journey to Nanjing (1)

「To the revered Grand Leader of the Evil Path Thug Grand Coalition, I respectfully submit these words.

The takeover of the medical academy you commanded has been proceeding very smoothly, and the cashier dispatched alongside me is currently receiving the ledgers and property in handover.

As you said, this medical academy is the Evil Path Thug Grand Coalition’s forward base, and as the front line of struggle it must be fully armed—so in accordance with your precious words, I will devote myself to instilling the Evil Path Thug spirit education into the medical academy’s personnel.

All other matters are proceeding smoothly as well.

There are absolutely no issues, and at this rate, voices praising the Evil Path Thug Grand Coalition will soon resound widely throughout this Jagwi County.

However, while manufacturing and hanging the Evil Path Thug Grand Coalition’s signboard, an unexpected emergency situation occurred.

The Priestess Order Temple has been granted every inch of Jagwi County’s land by the imperial house, so in order to hang the signboard, we must obtain permission from those Priestess Order bitches......」

Reading the letter, Bu Anpyeong’s face twisted hard.

No, this bastard.

He says there are no issues and everything is smooth—does he not even know what that means?

You open the medical academy and can’t hang the Evil Path Alliance signboard—that’s not an “issue,” it’s an “unexpected emergency situation”?

Did it not seem strange to him even while he was writing the report?

Anyway, the letter continued.

「......Thus, I wish to present the already-produced signboard to the revered Grand Leader of the Heaven’s Evil Path Thug Grand Coalition.

As for the signboard, it is the work of a famous calligraphy master, Mak Sunda, renowned across the world......」

“Mak Sunda? Chief Strategist—do you know Mak Sunda? It says he’s a calligraphy master renowned across the world.”

“A calligraphy master? You mean a calligrapher?”

“That’s right. People who eat by writing.”

“Mak Sunda... Mak Sunda....... No matter how I think about it, it’s a name I’ve never heard in my life. Did he become famous recently?”

“Why are you asking me? I’m the one who asked because I don’t know. It says the person who wrote that signboard is a famous master.”

“I don’t know anyone like that.”

“Yeah?”

Bu Anpyeong thought, Then I guess he’s one of those newly popular masters these days, and turned his eyes back to the letter.

「......The Evil Path Thug Grand Coalition is, of course, the greatest under heaven, and should not the greatest signboard under heaven be written by the greatest calligraphy master under heaven?

Thus, I commissioned the Evil Path Thug Grand Coalition’s signboard, and paid five strings of gold as the price.

However, as I had no extra funds, I first borrowed gold from the money backer, but the money backer stubbornly insists he cannot fully hand it over unless I repay the debt—so if you would please process five strings of gold as expenses and send them......」

“No—what is this bastard doing? Does this bastard not know what ‘present’ means? He’s basically telling me to pay money and buy it.”

“Grand Leader?”

“Chief Strategist, you read it. Is this what we’ve come to—no talent in the Evil Path Alliance? Why is it that every bastard who can swing a little martial art is also missing a screw?”

While Bu Anpyeong grumbled, Chief Strategist Officer Sun Ung read the report in one breath.

Summarized, it was this.

The operation is smooth, and there are no issues.

But they can’t hang the signboard.

Since it’s already made, please take it and pay the money for me. Please.

Once it got to that point, both of their gazes naturally went to the signboard.

It was still wrapped in plain cotton cloth, the seal not yet undone—because with objects like this, you could call it an unspoken courtesy, an almost-etiquette, that the owner checked it first. A custom, anyway.

“No, what kind of signboard costs five strings of gold.”

“......At this point, try thinking of it positively. Even Golden Hawk Unit Commander said it was the best writing he’d ever seen in his life, didn’t he? Truly good writing is worth whatever price it demands.”

“That bastard—if he had an eye for writing, maybe, but after everything he’s done, how am I supposed to trust him?”

“Isn’t it the opposite? If someone who doesn’t even know writing still makes a huge fuss about how incredible it is, doesn’t that mean the writing is truly excellent? First look at it—if it seems worthwhile, send the money. And if it turns out he got swindled somewhere, you can just tell him to earn it himself and pay it back.”

“Hm. Well, sure. Fine, let’s look. I want to see just how incredible this writing is, considering a third of the report is nothing but praise for the writing.”

For the record, half the report was praising the Evil Path Alliance Grand Leader and insisting there was no problem.

Then a bit about the signboard’s production story.

And the rest was padded with this signboard is incredible, a long rationalization so he could claim he hadn’t wasted money, that it was a legitimate use of funds.

Of course, by now, Bu Anpyeong was curious too.

Just how incredible could the writing be?

So the Evil Path Alliance undid the wrapping.

And then—opening, at last!

In that instant, flames whooshed up in Bu Anpyeong’s eyes.

Not as a “feeling,” but as a literal phenomenon—when a Mystical Realm martial artist’s fury erupts, it can manifest like fire.

Because it was the result of the First World’s Greatest Writing (Not) Contest—so overflowing with “individuality”—

This disastrous, embarrassing signboard no one should ever see, and it was five strings of gold, with the payment demanded!

Bu Anpyeong ground his teeth.

“Y-you low-IQ bastard......!”

*****

Among the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors and the eight emperors, the third emperor—Gongsun Xuanyuan—was the Central Plains’ first Son of Heaven.

The first emperor, Fuxi, was the Central Plains’ creator god, and the second emperor, Shennong, established a country and taught people how to live—farming and such—and in the end the third emperor, Xuanyuan, conquered Shennong’s country, founded the first unified empire, and ascended as the first Son of Heaven.

Anyway, as time passed and the Son of Heaven line changed to another family name, a major incident struck the direct descendants of Gongsun Xuanyuan.

Because no one who wasn’t a descendant of the Son of Heaven was allowed to use the Son of Heaven’s surname, the “Gongsun” surname was cut cleanly in half and reduced to “Gong.”

Thus was born the Gongsun Gong Clan—a sorrowful clan that was “Gongsun,” and yet could only write “Gong.”

Of course, that is the Gongsun Gong Clan’s claim.

Since Xuanyuan is a mythic figure whose historical existence can’t be confirmed, it’s strange enough to claim his direct descendants truly exist at all.

Most likely, back in that muddled age of wars long ago, some local strongman made it big and, when choosing a surname, went, Hey, what about Gongsun? First Son of Heaven, Gongsun—sounds badass, and then got smashed by the ruler of the day.

Anyway.

For this reason, the Gongsun Gong Clan had an old, long-cherished wish passed down through generations.

To have their name placed among the Ten Great Houses, spread their “original” surname far and wide through that fame, and by that, even unofficially, reclaim their original surname!

And yet?

That dream had now been more or less achieved.

The Gongsun Gong Clan had originally been famous as a prominent family in Nanjing, but being counted among the Ten Great Houses was fame on an entirely different level.

So as the Gongsun Gong Clan’s name spread far and wide, the story of the “Gongsun who isn’t Gongsun” spread along with it......

But now what do we do?

Do what the other Ten Great Houses do.

Study martial arts, raise masters, elevate the clan’s renown.

But the Gongsun Gong Clan had already been doing that fiercely all along—so compared to before, the current clan had become a lot more rounded, you could say.

What was the earlier Gongsun Gong Clan like?

Everyone joined forces to forge a single absolute master who would shake the world.

Since making the Ten Great Houses was difficult for all kinds of reasons, they aimed to produce one of the Ten Great Masters instead and spread the Gongsun Gong Clan’s prestige that way.

Of course, the one who suffered the most was Gongsun Yoye, the candidate for that absolute master—but the rest of the clan members also worked desperately in every way to support that training.

But before Gongsun Yoye became an absolute master, the clan achieved the great feat of entering the Ten Great Houses.

So it wasn’t quite necessary anymore to place that crushing burden on Gongsun Yoye like before—you are the clan’s only hope.

It was more like a feeling of we’ve already achieved it.

Thanks to that, the entire atmosphere of the clan softened; for starters, everyone’s faces brightened.

You could even say it got a little lax—another way to say it: they grew a bit careless.

And accidents happen when you get careless.

The origin of everything began with the future lady of the house of the Gongsun Gong Clan—Minor Lord Gongsun Cheonil’s wife, Sima Ryeong.

You could say bringing in a daughter-in-law too well can become a problem.

With the Sima clan’s uniquely sharp mind, Sima Ryeong was already showing outstanding ability in the clan’s management, so it was only natural that the Gongsun Gong Clan cherished her as a treasure that rolled in on its own.

And yet, Sima Ryeong—she was completely a woman from the heavens.

Among the Sima clan’s peculiar family culture—where smart people who lived on the taste of their own brilliance were the norm—Sima Ryeong was considered a rare type, because there had never been a social butterfly like her.

Her voice was gentle and kind, and with that fine mind she spoke and acted properly while considering others.

Because she was born with such elegance, even the smallest gesture, each step, dripped with feminine grace, to the point that all the clan’s women—up through the main and branch lines, down to the maids—wanted to imitate her femininity.

So inside the clan, it wasn’t hard to hear praise of Sima Ryeong’s refinement from everyone, high and low.

“The Young Lady is truly elegant. Thanks to her, the clan atmosphere has softened—doesn’t it finally feel like people are living?”

“Last time she personally directed the gardeners and tended the clan’s flowerbeds. Now that I look at it, it’s so bright and lovely—before, why did we live so bleakly?”

“Look—this is face powder the Young Lady gave me. Doesn’t it fit my skin perfectly?”

“Fit perfectly? It looks like your face is just floating around white. You have to put it on moderately. But the Young Lady gives out cosmetics? Ah, I’m jealous.”

And so on.

But for some reason, Gongsun Yoye felt tight inside.

Wasn’t she the one who, even at the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, barked, Why would a martial artist paint her face? Train instead—effort, effoooort, and ended up becoming a loner?

The current clan atmosphere felt like it had loosened too much—and also, something, something... something.

Gongsun Yoye didn’t even understand her own heart, but it was, in truth, resentment.

Because Gongsun Yoye had devoted the full bloom of her youth entirely to training for the sake of the clan.

But now, after “Young Lady” arrived, the clan atmosphere softened? Because it used to be bleak?

Who wanted it to be bleak because they liked bleak?

Jealous that someone got gifted cosmetics? Who never had anything in the first place, so there was never any gift to receive?

And then, one day. Finally.

Sima Ryeong delicately picked the flesh from braised carp and placed a large, neat piece onto her husband’s rice bowl.

Carp was a fish with unusually tricky bones, so picking it “elegantly” was difficult, and yet her posture overflowed with refinement.

“Seeing you take care of your husband, I guess there won’t be any problem with heirs either. Oh, my—sesame seeds are spilling everywhere. There aren’t even side dishes and I’m still getting full off how sweet it is. Isn’t that right?”

The Gongsun Clan Head, softened a great deal now, smiled warmly and asked his wife to agree.

His wife wore the same expression.

“How does she even use chopsticks so prettily. Mm—by the way, Yea? Eat a little more slowly. You’re a grown woman now, and it isn’t nice to look at.”

“.......”

The wife didn’t say it with malice, or because she disliked her.

From long ago, she’d always felt sorry for a daughter who’d been forced, half against her will, to devote herself only to training—and now that things could finally slow down a bit, it simply pained her anew to see Gongsun Yoye wolf down her food.

Gongsun Yoye’s habit of swallowing meals like she was drinking them came from there.

During busy training, food was nothing but something to fill a hungry belly.

Who had time to chew carefully and savor flavor?

If you had time for that, you should swing your sword one more time.

Gongsun Yoye’s eating was, in truth, not that different from Qing’s.

Stuff it in fast, chew roughly, then gulp.

But then—Gongsun Yoye’s bitterness exploded.

Gongsun Yoye had truly trained her entire life.

Even if she hadn’t lived long, most of it had been training—while other young women powdered their faces, dressed up, and chatted with friends, Gongsun Yoye had swung her sword desperately.

And now, over that......

If only I could have, I would’ve worn pretty clothes, gone to places like the Dragon-Phoenix Assembly, made lots of friends—had that kind of feminine side too.

Gongsun Yoye shot up from her seat.

As the whole family seated around the table stared at her with startled eyes—

“I devoted myself to training so much that I couldn’t even properly learn dining etiquette, because my achievements were that important. Even so, I cannot sit here eating leisurely like this. From now on, bring my meals to the training grounds. I will enter seclusion.”

She was trying hard to sound calm.

But everyone who heard her could tell—her voice was damp, choked with tears.

And so, in the middle of a meal, Gongsun Yoye abruptly entered seclusion training.

Then a day, two days, ten days passed, and she showed no sign of coming out......

Her family realized the seriousness and tried to ease her heart.

“S-seclusion is going well, isn’t it? I-it’s been a while since it snowed—maybe come out and look at the snowy scenery—”

“It’s rare. But training is busy, so I’ll end it here.”

Gongsun Clan Head—failed!

“Yea, that’s not what I meant, so don’t be hurt. It’s just—if possible, I’d prefer you were a bit more... well, it’s not that it’s bad......”

“What use is it for a martial artist to be ‘pretty’? If you have nothing else to say, I’ll end it here.”

Mother—backfire!

“Older Sister? Training is going well? Not for anything, but I’m thinking of going to Hangzhou for a bit, and if you’d like, we could go together—”

“No. I’m busy.”

Gongsun Cheonil—failed!

A month, two months, the seasons changed......

At this point, even the Gongsun Gong Clan realized this wasn’t normal.

Don’t tell me—at this rate, Gongsun Yoye will stay buried in the training grounds, cut off from the world, and become that kind of martial artist?

A shut-in loner—no, a shut-in martial artist?

“B-but, Wife? Isn’t there some way? We can’t just leave Older Sister sulking like this. At this rate, it’s like she means to never see our faces again—what are we supposed to do? She looks truly, deeply hurt. Older Sister is stubborn to the bone.”

“The fact that she’s still doing seclusion training is the biggest problem. It’s probably resentment she’s built up since childhood, and she’s shut herself into the very place where that anger piled up—so instead of easing, it can only get worse. First, we have to get her out.”

“But how?”

Sima Ryeong looked like she was thinking for a moment, then carefully offered a plan.

“What if a very close friend visited? Then she couldn’t stay in the training grounds, could she?”

Gongsun Cheonil’s expression darkened.

“But... Older Sister doesn’t have any friends......”

It would’ve been a truly unfair thing to say if Gongsun Yoye heard it—wasn’t she, in her own way, at least someone who’d crossed blades with the members of the Half-Sword Twin-Blade Society?

Of course, if Qing wasn’t there, they weren’t exactly the kind of relationship that shared conversation—more like “a friend’s friend.”

Anyway—anyway—she did have at least one friend.

“You have Heavenly Flower Sword, don’t you? Send a letter to the Priestess Order Temple and ask her to visit. If we explain the situation, she surely won’t turn us away.”

For that reason, a letter went upstream along the Yangtze toward Jagwi County.

......

......

...For these reasons, my older sister has been training while forgetting even sleep and meals, and I fear that her training is excessive and may become poison.

So I have written this letter to earnestly request that you think of it as saving a life and spend time with my lacking older sister.

I dearly hope that Elder Sister Seomun will come to visit.

—Submitted by Gongsun Cheonil, who in his heart is older sister’s sworn younger brother.