Chapter 105

Cheong-ra shouted loudly, pretending to be angry.

"Dang Ran-yeong! If you insult me like this, I won't stand for it!"

"What will you do if you don't stand for it, Young Master Baek? You're in a position where you have to wear makeup if I tell you to. Behave yourself."

As Dang Ran-yeong acted vilely and pretended to be mean, Cheong-ra, who loved it, swallowed dryly. He took a couple of deep breaths as if trying to suppress his anger, then bit his lip and lowered his gaze dejectedly. However, inwardly, he tried to suppress his increasingly excited feelings.

"We should still have several outfits made. One might not suit you, after all."

Not just one, but several outfits of those precious clothes? Not only Cheong-ra but everyone was surprised by his generosity. Saying this, Dang Ran-yeong began selecting silks one by one with his finger.

"That one, that one, and that one for long robes."

"Yes, Lord Owner."

Three long robes... As someone muttered in surprise, Dang Ran-yeong's order didn't end there.

"And for short jackets... Yes, these silks here would be good. Make one outfit each in different colors."

"Yes, Lord Owner. We'll do as you say."

Cheong-ra's face, which had been beaming with joy at the thought of wearing Shu brocade clothes, gradually turned pale. The amount of silk being selected according to Dang Ran-yeong's instructions was far beyond what could be called just a few outfits.

"Wait... This is too much."

As he listened quietly, the clothes suddenly became dozens of outfits, and Cheong-ra exclaimed in shock, trying to stop him. It wasn't just ordinary silk, but that precious Shu brocade.

"I decide what's too much or not, Young Master Baek."

Speaking as if it was nothing, Dang Ran-yeong then selected dozens of leather shoes and accessories. Cheong-ra was so overwhelmed by the tremendous extravagance that he couldn't do anything. Even royalty wouldn't easily indulge in such luxury. After selecting all the clothes and accessories, Cheong-ra got into the carriage and asked,

"Why do we need so many clothes? We only need two outfits, one for the preliminaries and one for the finals, right?"

"There's no reason to make just two. And the dozens of outfits weren't ordered for Beauty."

At Dang Ran-yeong's words, Cheong-ra could finally relax a little. Of course, it didn't make sense to make dozens of silk outfits for him, no matter what. Not just silk clothes, but Shu brocade. Surely, there must be another use for them.

Having been reassured, Cheong-ra could now freely rejoice. Seeing Cheong-ra's face with a subtle blush, Dang Ran-yeong smirked.

"It seems this is the first time I've seen Young Master Baek so happy since I met him."

"What are you talking about? When was I happy? I was just surprised at Young Master Dang's excessive extravagance."

Cheong-ra put on a serious face and feigned ignorance. Of course, in reality, he didn't dare to think of owning clothes made from that precious Shu brocade, nor would he ask for them. But if he could keep just one pair of leather shoes that Dang Ran-yeong had ordered, he thought it would be nice. If that happened, he would cherish it dearly as a memento of their journey.

Lost in these thoughts and smiling, Cheong-ra didn't notice Dang Ran-yeong sending him a meaningful look.

***

The day after applying for the World's Greatest Beauty Contest, servants endlessly came in and out of the mansion carrying bundles, wearing down the threshold. Just looking at the boxes and cloth wrapping the luggage, one could tell that something luxurious was inside.

Cheong-ra, who had come out on an errand, stopped for a moment to watch the endless procession of luggage. At first, he thought it must be the clothes and shoes they had bought yesterday, but there was far too much for that. Moreover, the servants were carrying furniture while sweating profusely. Were they replacing the furniture? Curious, he tilted his head, but as a guest, he felt it wasn't his place to pry into household matters, so he continued on his way.

His destination was the Beggar Sect branch. Because of his participation in the World's Greatest Beauty Contest, he thought rumors might spread, so he intended to send a letter to his master to explain the situation.

'It would be nice if I could receive a reply from Master...'

As he was constantly moving, it was quite difficult for him to receive replies from Moon Lake Sect. Instead, every time he sent a letter, he wrote detailed information about the Blood Cult that he had obtained. Although he didn't write their destination for fear of information leaking, he diligently included their past journey and important events that had occurred. The only thing he didn't write about was the "deal" between him and Dang Ran-yeong.

This time too, he wrote a letter informing about the background and purpose of the World's Greatest Beauty Contest, and assuring that there was no need to worry much even if rumors spread about him and Dang Ran-yeong. After entrusting the letter to the branch leader of the Beggar Sect, he asked,

"Are there many martial artists participating in the World's Greatest Beauty Contest?"

The branch leader, who was in a very good mood after receiving two bottles of good wine, nodded at Cheong-ra's question.

"Of course, with the Vermilion Face Fruit as the prize for the winner. Some martial artists like the Phoenix Sword or Moonlight Flashing Sword participate directly, and those who can't, try to find a beauty to participate on their behalf. Well, without being as handsome as Young Master Baek, how could one hope to win? I've bet money on Young Master Baek winning."

Even if it was just flattery, hearing that money had been bet on his victory made Cheong-ra feel good, and he smiled brightly.

Since Dang Ran-yeong never seemed to think of sharing information with him, Cheong-ra always obtained information from the Beggar Sect. Wondering if this branch leader knew that the Blood Cult was behind the World's Greatest Beauty Contest, Cheong-ra continued to ask,

"But aren't men and women participating separately? Then there would be two winners, so are there really two Vermilion Face Fruits?"

"Well, that's what I heard. They say this Makdong fellow has quite impressive connections and wealth."

The Beggar Sect member, who had already emptied half a bottle of wine, glanced around slightly and lowered his voice.

"Isn't he the owner of the Golden Flower Merchant Group, one of the ten great merchant groups in the world? Moreover, he's connected to the imperial family, and there's even talk that they're selecting a concubine for the emperor in this contest. They say even the Vermilion Face Fruit was bestowed by the imperial family..."

When asked about this Makdong person, the answer was vague, only that he was a young man. After thanking the branch leader, Cheong-ra's face was quite dark as he returned to the mansion.

'The imperial family. I hope it's just a rumor.'

If the Blood Cult was involved with the imperial family in any way, it would be a very troublesome matter.

There's a saying that well water doesn't intrude into river water for a reason. The unwritten rule is that government and martial arts circles don't interfere with each other. So if Makdong was really a member of the Blood Cult and also involved with the imperial family, it would be difficult to touch him. Cheong-ra clicked his tongue and soon realized the reality.

'Well, whether it's Makdong or the imperial family, it's not my business. Maybe for Dang Ran-yeong, but not for me.'

After this affair was over, he would be cooperating with the Martial Arts Alliance to eradicate Blood Cult members, so he wouldn't have to face someone like Makdong. Thinking this, he returned to the mansion to find that the long procession of luggage had ended and the main gate was firmly closed. At that moment, Cheong-ra's eyes caught sight of a bundle of luggage dropped near the main gate. It was luxuriously packaged like those that had been entering and leaving the mansion earlier.

"Did a porter drop it while going in and out?"

He looked around to see if someone else might have dropped it and left, but no one was in sight. Cheong-ra carefully picked up the small box that had been carelessly overturned. Then, curious about its contents, he unconsciously shook the box slightly.

"Grains?"

Hearing the sound of countless small things rattling inside, Cheong-ra was puzzled. Why would they put something like grains in such an expensive box? Maybe if they were beads... As he gently shook the box again and listened closely, Cheong-ra's body slowly came to a stop.

"Wait a minute..."

A martial artist's keen hearing picked up something. Inside the box, there was a rustling sound, something moving incessantly. The sound of small, countless, living things like grains scratched at Cheong-ra's eardrums.

There were insects inside. Not just one or two, but hundreds, thousands of them.

Once heard, the sound could never be ignored again. Cheong-ra's face instantly turned pale as he held the box. His gaze, which had been fixed straight ahead, slowly lowered. The noise coming from inside the box was so small and faint that an ordinary person would hardly notice it. Yet just that was enough to render Cheong-ra immobile.

Rustle, scratch, crackle... It was a noise he had never forgotten even in his dreams.

What if the box suddenly opened? No, what if there was a small gap in the box and insects crawled out through it... Maybe his shaking earlier had created an opening for the insects to escape. Thinking this, Cheong-ra couldn't bring himself to throw the box away. If he threw it and the box broke, the insects would pour out. His hands holding the box began to tremble.