Chapter 80

"How can the White Jade Merchant Group fly the Tang Clan's flag?"

Hearing Cheong-ra's question, Dang Ran-yeong turned his gaze from the distant view. He answered with amusement,

"You speak as if I've been removed from the Tang Clan's family register and cast out."

"Ah, I spoke rashly based on rumors. I apologize."

Cheong-ra apologized, flustered. In fact, Dang Ran-yeong's poor relationship with the Tang Clan was accepted as a given rather than a rumor in the Central Plains. This was because Tang Yeon-jong, the head of the Tang Clan, always became very cold when mentioning his second son. Not just Tang Yeon-jong, but all the Tang Clan members treated him as if he didn't exist, naturally leading to the perception that Dang Ran-yeong was on bad terms with the Tang Clan.

Even so, to speak carelessly based only on rumors... As Cheong-ra was reflecting on this, Dang Ran-yeong spoke, raising the corner of his mouth. It was a quite proud and arrogant smile.

"I wasn't cast out, I left the family on my own."

"Ah, I see..."

Indeed, it was hard to imagine Dang Ran-yeong being cast out of the Tang Clan. Still, it seemed his relationship with the family wasn't good. Since he wasn't removed from the family register, were they allowing him to fly the flag? As Cheong-ra tilted his head in confusion, Dang Ran-yeong continued,

"And since I am the owner of this merchant group, isn't it natural that I can fly the Tang Clan's flag?"

His tone suggested that the family's permission didn't matter at all. Was this personality why he had a poor relationship with his family members? Cheong-ra shook his head. Well, the Tang Clan must have their reasons for allowing Dang Ran-yeong to fly the flag.

'For example, there might be some benefit they gain in exchange for allowing him to fly the flag.'

Since the other didn't easily talk about himself, Cheong-ra continued the conversation while making his own speculations.

"Young Master Wi didn't come along last time, but he's with us this time."

"Wi Je-ho is also very interested in the World's Greatest Beauty Contest."

Cheong-ra recalled Nam Gang-ryong mentioning last time that Dang Ran-yeong and Hwan-hong had grudges against the Blood Cult. Since Wi Je-ho wasn't mentioned then, was he just one of Dang Ran-yeong's acquaintances? He couldn't easily ask about such personal matters. After all, Cheong-ra was merely a collaborator.

He continued the conversation while secretly observing Dang Ran-yeong. As the damp river wind blew, Dang Ran-yeong's hair fluttered, and his face, gazing far across the river, looked like that of a dedicated hero. Traveling together with him made Cheong-ra's heart swell and race for no reason. It was an emotion he had never felt before, even when accompanying numerous righteous faction heroes.

'Actually, he's probably the furthest thing from a hero...'

Sharing daily life like this, Cheong-ra could increasingly feel his heart running in an unwanted direction. Just as it's impossible for the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers to flow backwards, it seemed he couldn't turn back his heart once it had started flowing.

As he sighed inwardly, he felt a squirming sensation on his arm. Puzzled, Cheong-ra rolled up his sleeve to see the baby Venomous Horned Serpent looking limp.

"Rin-rin? What's wrong?"

Cheong-ra had become quite close with Rin-rin, Dang Ran-yeong's pet snake. Whenever Rin-rin rubbed its head against his mouth, Dang Ran-yeong would say things like snakes like damp holes, but Cheong-ra thought it was clearly showing affection towards him. Otherwise, how could it be so cute?

Rin-rin, which had been squirming and tightening around his arm, suddenly opened its mouth wide and regurgitated the meat it had eaten yesterday. Startled, Cheong-ra showed this to Dang Ran-yeong, who stroked the snake with his hand, examined it, and made his diagnosis.

"It seems to be seasick."

"Snakes can get... seasick?"

"Cows, horses, and dogs get seasick, so snakes probably can too."

Dang Ran-yeong answered as if it were no big deal. This being his first time on a proper ship, Cheong-ra had just learned that cows, horses, and dogs could get seasick too.

Dang Ran-yeong collected Rin-rin and roughly tucked it into his bosom. Rin-rin, coiled up, disappeared between the folds of his clothes. Cheong-ra started to feel worried. He had been fine until just now, but seeing how Rin-rin was acting, he felt like his own stomach was starting to churn.

***

Cheong-ra's worries became reality.

"Young Master Baek, I got this from Head Guard Yang. He says chewing on it lessens seasickness."

Cheong-ra, who had been taking deep breaths with a pale face, opened his eyes. Wi Je-ho had brought some unknown dried herb and held it out. Cheong-ra weakly took it and brought it close to his mouth, but then hesitated and pulled back. The smell made his stomach churn even more. He waved his hand and pulled back.

"I feel like I'll throw up immediately if I put it in my mouth..."

"Wouldn't it be better to throw up once and feel better?"

"No, absolutely not..."

He couldn't do that. Retching and vomiting unsightly at the ship's rail where all the guards and porters could see? And on top of that, creating his own vomit on the ship and having someone witness it? Rather than that, it would be far better to throw himself into the Yellow River and swim.

"I'll... chew it later."

"Oh, how pitiful... It would be better if you could just sleep it off."

Wi Je-ho suggested another option, but that was also useless for Cheong-ra. Being an insomniac who couldn't sleep well at night, there was no way he could sleep during the day. Especially not while seasick.

He had barely endured for one hour, but the problem was that they had to travel by ship for several more days. With no other choice, Cheong-ra went to find Dang Ran-yeong. He was leisurely sitting against the ship's railing, enjoying the scenery. Cheong-ra had secretly hoped the other might be seasick too, but was inwardly disappointed to see him looking surprisingly fine.

"Young Master Dang... Do you happen to have any medicine that can stop seasickness?"

Cheong-ra asked in a very desperate voice. Dang Ran-yeong, who had been idly watching the Yellow River's waves with his arms crossed, raised an eyebrow.

"I don't have medicine, but I do have poison."

Cheong-ra hesitated. Although the Tang Clan was also proficient in medicine, they were primarily martial artists. The other was someone more skilled with poisons than medicines. Naturally, he would carry poisons rather than medicines. Cheong-ra cautiously asked, hesitating,

"If it's poison, what kind...? Is there perhaps something that can make me lose consciousness or sleep?"

He thought it would be quite good if there was something like a sleeping drug. How nice it would be if he could sleep deeply for several days and wake up when they reached their destination. Dang Ran-yeong stared at Cheong-ra intently before speaking. His handsome eyes drew a perfect arc.

"Soul-Losing Forgetfulness Poison. It can make you sleep as if you've lost your soul for several days."

"Ah, then perhaps that..."

"But when you wake up, if you're unlucky, you might become an idiot. If that's okay with you."

As expected of a poison, the after-effects were not trivial, and Cheong-ra bit his lip. He couldn't become an idiot just to endure some seasickness, so he took a deep breath and asked again.

"Are there... other poisons..."

Nausea welled up every time he spoke, so Cheong-ra asked carefully. He was thankful for wearing a veil. Otherwise, he would have had to show his miserable face.

"One Joy Half Dizziness Poison. If you take this, your whole body will become comfortable."

"The after-effects..."

"You'll lose your sense of taste and half of your remaining senses for life."

It was curious how he could carry such terrifying poisons so nonchalantly. Cheong-ra finally let out a sigh and retreated.

"Alright, I understand... I guess I'll have to ask Young Master Wi or Monk Gang-ryong to knock me out."

He could ask Dang Ran-yeong to press his pressure points, but he feared the consequences and his methods. Already weakened by seasickness, he felt he really couldn't handle it. Even in a normal state, it was always a fainting affair.

'Pressing pressure points should be avoided as much as possible.'

There are pressure points that can make one lose consciousness or fall asleep, but they aren't used often. Since it involves shocking the body, his master had strictly taught him that if someone not well-versed in the body performs it or overuses it, it can sometimes result in paralysis or the person never waking up again.

In fact, he had seen an inexperienced martial artist try to press an enemy's pressure points and end up paralyzing half their body. It was an act to be avoided unless one was a master.

Dang Ran-yeong's gaze as he looked at Cheong-ra was quite ominous, but Cheong-ra was too busy trying to calm his churning stomach to notice.

"Ah, come to think of it, I did have that."

As Dang Ran-yeong muttered and rummaged in his bosom, Cheong-ra brightened. Hoping for a poison with few after-effects that could stop seasickness, he approached, and Dang Ran-yeong pulled out something black and held it out. Taking it reflexively, he saw it was Rin-rin, coiled up like a ball and sleeping.

"Why Rin-rin..."

As he raised his head in confusion, there was a thud, and his consciousness faded into darkness.