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“What is this supposed to be?”
Bukgung Yoon’s gaze turned cold and heavy toward Un Ho.
“This man attempted to impersonate a member of the Bukgung Family. For the family’s honor, he cannot be left alive.”
“Are you saying you’ll attack the External Protection Troops’ leader?”
“I didn’t attack—he did…”
Un Ho felt wronged; anyone could see Yeon Mujin had forced his way in.
“No. I won’t hear excuses. This is the direct line of the Bukgung Family—on what grounds do you dare step forward claiming to protect our honor?”
“…”
Un Ho closed his mouth.
Bukgung Yoon spoke again.
“Warrior Un, I heard you. Solitary Cloud Manor officially has no relation to the Namsa Lake incident—everyone here heard that. I certify it in my name as head of Flying Swallow Manor, Bukgung Yoon. Is that understood?”
Un Ho’s expression contorted.
“If your mission was merely to proclaim that, your duty is done. Return to your master at once.”
Even after the dismissal, Un Ho lingered, refusing to retreat.
He glared at Bukgung Yoon, then spoke.
“Lady of Flying Swallow Manor. Your manor leader is disrupting Solitary Cloud Manor’s event. I’ll report this directly to our Young Lord. Do you still not care?”
“Why are you asking me about your mission?”
“…Do you actually intend to go to war with Solitary Cloud Manor?”
Unconcerned, Bukgung Yoon sneered.
“The war started long ago. Aren’t we siblings thrown into a battlefield from birth?”
Yeon Mujin chimed in annoyingly from the side.
“You talk too much. If your business is finished, get lost.”
Un Ho glared between Bukgung Yoon and Yeon Mujin, then glanced at Mo Cheol-jung—his arm severed and lying unconscious—before sheathing his weapon.
After offering a brief bow, Un Ho spun and left Namsa Lake without looking back.
Smoke and Cloud Union, Gold Radiance Sect, Blue River Clan.
The true masters of the Southern Four Alliance—excluding the Dispersing Lotus Union—awoke a day and a half later.
When they regained consciousness, their children explained the circumstances.
The sect leaders were stunned that the Bukgung Family had stepped forward to save the Southern Four Alliance.
Ha Ho-cheon, leader of Smoke and Cloud Union, was even more surprised that they had asked Flying Swallow Manor for help.
“I apologize for my son dragging the Bukgung Family into such an embarrassingly old-fashioned entanglement!”
Ha Ho-cheon bowed his head to Bukgung Yoon.
“I’m glad you are safe.”
“We have received an immense favor from Flying Swallow Manor.”
Present were Ha Ho-cheon of the Smoke and Cloud Union, Noh Young-ho of the Gold Radiance Sect, Yu Baek-san of the Blue River Clan, and Bukgung Yoon and Yeon Mujin of Flying Swallow Manor.
The three leaders offered sincere thanks to the very young Bukgung Yoon.
“Please, lift your head. Don’t you have much to do? I merely helped you overcome one crisis.”
“Without Flying Swallow Manor’s help, that obstacle could never have been overcome.”
After accepting their thanks, Bukgung Yoon asked.
“What happened to the Dispersing Lotus Union’s leader?”
“He’s dazed, like his soul has left him. He eats little and sleeps less; punishing him further seems pointless.”
He had lost his position, money, and everything because Solitary Cloud Manor had used and discarded him.
They bore considerable resentment toward the Dispersing Lotus Union’s leader, but now that he had lost everything, speaking of revenge felt cruel.
Bukgung Yoon nodded and asked one more question.
“Putting the Dispersing Lotus Union’s leader aside… what do you plan to do about the Dispersing Lotus Union itself?”
“The members of the Dispersing Lotus Union have been comrades with us for decades. It would be excessive to punish them for their leader’s sins.”
“The name Dispersing Lotus Union will disappear. Its members will be absorbed into various factions by choice; they must be given a chance.”
“Existing members will resist heavily, won’t they?”
“It’s the role of us sect leaders to smooth that over.”
“It can’t be helped.”
The sect leaders gave wry smiles.
This incident would bring great change to Namsa Lake.
There was much to do besides absorbing the Dispersing Lotus Union.
They had to hold postponed funerals and pay compensation to the bereaved families.
It would take considerable time and money to win back the people’s trust they’d lost at Namsa Lake.
Yeon Mujin addressed the sect leaders.
“When all is done, the Southern Four Alliance will be called the Southern Three Alliance. Then you will be much stronger than before.”
The root cause was the interests tied to Namsa Lake.
The interests of Namsa Lake were too large for one to seize alone and too small to be divided among four.
For now, three would be appropriate.
“When that time comes, do not forget that Flying Swallow Manor helped you.”
“Of course. We will repay our debt to the Bukgung Family step by step. Even if it takes years, or decades, we will do it.”
Ha Ho-cheon answered with a stern face.
A debt of ten thousand coins.
At first startled, the sect leaders eventually accepted the promise.
After all, without Flying Swallow Manor’s help, they wouldn’t have survived.
However.
While everyone nodded resolutely, only Bukgung Yoon rolled her eyes and watched cautiously.
“A debt?”
“What debt?”
She looked at Yeon Mujin.
Yeon Mujin avoided her gaze.
This smelled suspicious.
“What debt are you talking about?”
“Ten thousand coins per sect. Isn’t that what you requested as payment for helping us? Even if we can’t repay it soon, we’ll pay you back slowly.”
“Ten thousand coins?”
No one had heard of that before.
Yeon Mujin shamelessly took a step away from Bukgung Yoon.
“Captain Yeon.”
“Yes.”
“What is all this about?”
“…”
Only then did Bukgung Yoon realize that Yeon Mujin had conveniently omitted mentioning the condition: ten thousand coins per sect.
“I’ll save you, so hand over the money”—such a blunt, masculine way of thinking.
Bukgung Yoon let out an incredulous sigh.
She spoke.
“Flying Swallow Manor did not help the Southern Four Alliance for that paltry sum.”
“…Yes?”
“I’ll be blunt. I need your support.”
“Yes…?”
The sect leaders stared dumbfounded.
Bukgung Yoon resolved to be straightforward.
Hiding sincerity, twisting things, weighing and probing—those were her brothers’ methods, not hers.
She refused to follow their ways.
“Flying Swallow Manor is the smallest manor in the Bukgung Family. Compared to other manors it lacks strength, wealth, and influence. All it has is the lofty name ‘Bukgung.’ Within the family its standing is lower than even your factions.”
Bukgung Yoon unfolded her story slowly so people could follow.
After a brief silence, she spoke again.
“But I intend to become the Family Lord of the Bukgung Family.”
A stunned murmur spread among the sect leaders.
‘Family Lord? This kid? And a girl at that?’
She wasn’t aiming at the head of a local hall or a minor family.
The Bukgung Family—the most renowned family in the land, a cornerstone of the Small Murim World—she intended to become its Family Lord?
Whether reckless or wildly naive, to their ears it sounded utterly unrealistic.
But Bukgung Yoon’s expression was serious.
The bodyguard standing beside her looked even more serious.
“To do that, Flying Swallow Manor needs its own power base. I would like you to become allies of Flying Swallow Manor.”
“Allies of Flying Swallow Manor…”
The sect leaders only glanced at one another; no one stepped forward decisively.
Yu Baek-san of the Blue River Clan took the lead and spoke.
“This isn’t an easy answer for us. As you know, Lady of Flying Swallow Manor, this Shandong Province is…”
“Yes, of course I know. The whole of Shandong is my Sixth Brother’s sphere of influence.”
Yu Baek-san nodded and added.
“The most influential forces in Shandong—the Zhuge Family and the Hwangbo Family—support the Bukgung Family’s Sixth Young Master. We cannot be free from that influence either.”
“Do not worry about that.”
“…?”
“In this Namsa Lake incident, Solitary Cloud Manor has officially declared no connection—otherwise they’d be admitting they incited the Dispersing Lotus Union. We also hold the Dispersing Lotus Union’s leader as a witness, so supporting Flying Swallow Manor over Solitary Cloud Manor won’t bring backlash.”
“Ah…!”
The sect leaders gathered here had all been informed of how the situation had been resolved.
For Solitary Cloud Manor to approach the Southern Four Alliance, it had to get past the obstacle of the Dispersing Lotus Union’s leader.
The Dispersing Lotus Union’s leader claimed Solitary Cloud Manor had urged him to betray them.
They couldn’t eliminate the Dispersing Lotus Union’s leader either—he was in their custody.
Either way, the leverage lay with the Southern Four Alliance—they held the moral high ground against the powerful Bukgung Family.
‘Could she have seen this far ahead?’
The sect leaders looked at Bukgung Yoon with surprise and admiration. The girl who had seemed so young now began to appear as the head of a manor.
‘Remarkable.’
She was the one who saved the Dispersing Lotus Union’s leader and the one who drew out Solitary Cloud Manor’s official statement of no involvement with Namsa Lake. Flying Swallow Manor’s strategy was no ordinary matter.
The sect leaders imagined, in the distant future, the Bukgung Family led by the small, delicate girl before them.
A future so distant it was hard to envision now.
Could they bet on that?
“I understand.”
The first to answer was Noh Young-ho of the Gold Radiance Sect. His manner was brisk, almost boyish.
“We already owe our lives to you; we cannot turn our back on Flying Swallow Manor just because its path is difficult.”
Noh Young-ho’s words cleared the others’ minds.
“Noh Young-ho is right. How could we hesitate before our benefactor?”
“We are ashamed. The Southern Four Alliance will wholeheartedly involve itself in Flying Swallow Manor’s affairs.”
Bukgung Yoon felt a swelling pride in her chest.
By her own hand, without anyone else’s help, she had achieved her first victory: Flying Swallow Manor now had its first ally.
Not as large or formidable as the families backing her brothers, but they were hers.
They too were her people.
Therefore.
As manor lord, Bukgung Yoon made an immediate offer.
She looked at the sect leaders and declared.
“I will repay the ten-thousand-coin debt in my name. I have bought the Southern Four Alliance as an ally for thirty thousand coins. And furthermore—”
Then she turned her gaze to Yeon Mujin and said.
“Until the Southern Four Alliance—no, the Southern Three Alliance—regains stability, Flying Swallow Manor will mobilize its available funds to support you.”
“…!”
“This is my decision as Lady of Flying Swallow Manor.”
“…That thirty thousand coins could’ve just been pocketed quietly.”
“…”
“We’re not exactly rolling in money.”
“…”
“Ah damn — the more I think about it, the more it feels like a waste. Why did you suddenly get sentimental and dip into our pockets to support them? You didn’t have to go that far. You always get emotional at decisive moments…”
“Captain Yeon.”
“…Yes.”
“Do not argue with my decision.”
“…Now you’ve become a tyrant.”
Bukgung Yoon let out a faint laugh.
“This much is required to become the Family Lord of the Bukgung Family.”
Yeon Mujin laughed hollowly.
“Captain Yeon.”
“Yes.”
“You told me something before.”
“What did I say?”
“Money reveals a person’s desires. Where someone spends money shows what they want.”
“Well, yes, I said that.”
“I’ve been thinking about it constantly—about Captain Yeon’s assignment.”
“Ah, that one.”
Yeon Mujin scratched the back of his head.
“Yes. You said if you didn’t like the answer you’d take the money, right? I don’t want my money taken.”
“You’re quite greedy.”
“Thirty thousand coins is absurdly small compared to what I intend to buy.”
“What are you planning to buy?”
After a pause, Bukgung Yoon said.
“I will buy the Family Lord position of the Bukgung Family with my own money.”
This time, Yeon Mujin was the one who fell silent.
“This is how I spend my money.”
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