**Chapter 11: Sambong Island**
Dang Gi-hyeok performed a *pogwon* salute and bowed his head slightly.
It was a posture that displayed respect without servility, a demeanor befitting a proud member of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
"Well then, Team Leader Dang. I shall be on my way."
"I am grateful. I will ensure the Elder hears of your hard work, Officer Go."
"Hahaha! Oh, there is no need for such formalities."
The government and the Murim were bound by a mutual non-aggression pact.
The gatekeeper and the guards handed me over to Dang Gi-hyeok and returned to their respective posts.
Dang Gi-hyeok gestured toward the city gate.
"Shall we go?"
"Very well."
They say money and power are useful anywhere.
Savoring the taste of that power, I left the long line of people behind and headed toward the gate.
"You could have just shown your Murim Alliance badge. Why were you waiting in line?"
"I am here on a quiet visit."
"Ah. Then, what is your purpose in coming to Chengdu?"
Dang Gi-hyeok’s face stiffened as he grew wary of me.
He likely assumed that since I was hiding something, I had been sent by the Murim Alliance to investigate.
There was no need to get entangled with the Tang Clan here, so I quickly shook my head.
"It has nothing to do with the Tang Clan, so do not concern yourself. Actually, if you don't mind, I would like to ask for a favor..."
As I trailed off, Dang Gi-hyeok’s expression softened, replaced by curiosity.
"A favor, you say?"
"To be honest, I am secretly tracking someone. But the fellow is so fleet-footed that he is not easy to catch."
I lowered my voice and whispered to Dang Gi-hyeok.
The man, who had been leaning in, brightened immediately.
"Ah! Is that all it was?"
"Please understand. If word gets out, the scoundrel will just tuck his tail and run again."
"Is that all? Hahaha! If that is the case, do not worry. I shall certainly assist you. So, who is this person you are chasing? Did they cause trouble for the Evil Factions?"
"Tsk. Don't even ask."
I waved my hand dismissively and frowned.
Seeing me look clearly annoyed by the burdensome task, Dang Gi-hyeok curled the corners of his lips upward.
"They say some thief laid hands on a precious item belonging to a high-ranking official in the Imperial Capital. Perhaps he had connections to the Alliance, because the higher-ups have been in an uproar, demanding he be found immediately."
"Tsk, tsk. You have my sympathies."
"What can one do? If I want to avoid such grievances, I should have been promoted faster. Damn it."
"Hahaha!"
In the span of a few exchanges, Dang Gi-hyeok’s wariness visibly evaporated.
With that, we passed through the massive gate and entered the city.
The guards, who must have known Dang Gi-hyeok well, merely glanced at me and did not block our path.
"Oh!"
Once inside the gate, a wide main street stretched out before us, lined with bustling shops on both sides.
Dang Gi-hyeok and I walked down the street in silence for a moment.
It was a grand city where countless people came and went in a hurry.
In the distance, the mountain ranges that soared high wrapped around the entire city like a folding screen, and the ancient city seemed to hold the breath of the great figures of the past.
"Shall we head to the main estate? You have traveled a long way, so you should rest from your journey."
"This is a time-sensitive matter, so..."
"Haha! Just tell me who you are chasing. I will have my family’s men scour the area."
"Very well. The fellow is known as the Thousand-Faced Fox, and he is so fox-like that I simply cannot catch him. I only found out by pure chance that he had entered Chengdu."
"The Thousand-Faced Fox? Are you saying he is in Chengdu right now?"
Dang Gi-hyeok’s eyes widened.
The reputation of a mere thief was quite something. To think he could surprise a warrior of the Sichuan Tang Clan like this.
"Have you heard of him?"
"Indeed, I have. Is he not the famous thief of late? I hear the common folk call him a righteous bandit."
"I have heard as much, but what can I do? This time, he laid hands on something he should not have touched."
"Tsk. You have a difficult task ahead of you."
As expected, the name of the Thousand-Faced Fox was enough to surprise him for a moment, but he did not take it very seriously.
With his nerves frayed over the treasure map, a petty thief would hardly be enough to satisfy him.
Dang Gi-hyeok nodded with a confident expression.
"Rest at the main estate for a while. I will put in a good word, and you shall have an answer within a few days."
"Oh! Thank you! They say the Tang Clan is the best in the world when it comes to getting things done! You are truly reliable."
"Oh, 'the best in the world' is a bit of an exaggeration."
"Hahaha!"
"Hahaha!"
Although nothing had been resolved, we walked down the street laughing heartily.
Then, suddenly.
I stopped in my tracks, as if something had just occurred to me.
"Hm? What is the matter?"
Dang Gi-hyeok turned back to look at me.
"Is there a famous calligraphy and painting shop in Chengdu?"
"A calligraphy and painting shop... you say?"
At my sudden question, Dang Gi-hyeok looked bewildered.
I scratched my head with an embarrassed expression and said.
"It is a bit embarrassing to admit, but... I have a hobby of collecting old calligraphy and paintings. Since the Tang Clan is kind enough to help me, I would like to stop by a shop if I can find a moment."
"Ah! Is that so? Let me see... a calligraphy shop... Ah! There is a place called the Azure Cloud Pavilion on the streets of Chengdu."
The Azure Cloud Pavilion, the Sichuan branch of the Beggar Sect.
No matter how capable the Tang Clan was, they would not be able to discern its true nature.
Even if they did, it would not matter.
It was not particularly strange for someone from the Murim Alliance to be looking for the Beggar Sect.
"Where is it located? I will stop by briefly before heading to the Tang Clan."
"I shall guide you."
"No, there is no need for that. Why would I trouble someone as busy as you? I would prefer to look around at my own leisure."
"Hmm. Very well, do as you please."
Dang Gi-hyeok thought for a moment, then nodded and pointed toward the front of the main street.
"If you follow the main street, you will see a two-story pavilion with red walls on your right. If you go into the alley next to it for about half a *gak*, you will find a calligraphy shop with blue roof tiles. That is the Azure Cloud Pavilion."
"Thank you. That is enough for me to find it."
"Once you are finished, please be sure to visit the main estate. If I fail to properly host someone from the Alliance, I will be scolded by my superiors."
"Hahaha! Yes! I shall certainly do so."
"I will let them know at the main estate."
Dang Gi-hyeok and I exchanged a sly grin.
His face was smooth, and he looked younger than me, but he seemed to be looking down on me ever so slightly.
"Oh, by the way! What is your name?"
"Oh, look at me. I haven't even introduced myself."
Holding the reins, I performed a polite *pogwon* salute.
"I am Jang U-gil of the White Dragon Unit of the Murim Alliance."
"So you were Young Master Jang. It is a pleasure. Go do your business."
"Indeed."
I turned my body and pulled on the reins.
The horse, which had laziness ingrained in its bones, plodded along with heavy steps.
*Young Master, indeed...*
I could feel his gaze watching me from behind.
He was likely thinking the same, but I had no intention of being fooled by a smiling face.
After all, he was, at the end of the day, a member of the Sichuan Tang Clan.
* * *
Following Tang Gi-hyeok’s words, I walked along the main road until I spotted a two-story building with red eaves. I turned into the alleyway beside it.
"Good grief. Why are you selling it for so much?"
"It's not expensive! If you go anywhere else, it's practically free! Free, I tell you!"
"Hey, come on! Just knock a little off!"
"I told you, it's not happening!"
The scene inside the alley was a world apart from the main road.
The stalls lining the path were packed with a variety of goods, from food and trinkets to strange plants, animals, and insects, and the entire alley was buzzing with the voices of people haggling over prices.
It felt even more vibrant than the somewhat restrained atmosphere of the main road.
*Thwack!*
"Oh! My apologies! Great Hero!"
"Be careful."
"Yes!"
And just like that, I also spotted a young pickpocket.
I ruffled the kid's hair roughly and kept walking, acting as if I hadn't noticed a thing. Once he realized he’d come up empty-handed, that grinning face of his would soon turn to disappointment.
As I continued deeper, the atmosphere of the alley gradually grew calmer.
"Is this the place?"
I stopped in front of an old building with blue roof tiles.
It had a quiet, secluded air about it—it felt less like a base for the Beggar Sect and more like a bookstore frequented by penniless, retired scholars.
*Creeeak.*
"Is anyone here?"
I tied up my horse and pushed the door open.
True to its appearance, the old hinges let out a piercing shriek.
"Hmm?"
As befitting an antiquarian bookstore, the interior of the Azure Cloud Pavilion was filled with pillars of stacked books.
However, there wasn't a soul in sight—not a shopkeeper, nor even a common clerk—and the thick layer of dust covering the books made it clear that it didn't get many visitors.
"Is there no one here?"
Even after I raised my voice, there was no response.
Thinking the owner might have stepped out to the latrine, I decided to wait and slowly looked around the interior.
"They have paintings, too."
The space was filled with the scent of old paper and ink.
Various paintings and calligraphy hung on the walls.
To someone like me, who lacked a discerning eye, white was just paper and black was just ink, but there was still a certain pleasure in browsing.
Then, suddenly.
One painting hanging in the innermost corner caught my eye.
"Hmm. Did a famous artist paint this?"
I stopped in front of the painting and, uncharacteristically, focused on it.
It depicted a Taoist priest with a long white beard holding a sword, standing beneath three massive mountain peaks with clouds flowing leisurely between them.
It was a painting that felt almost dizzying, as if the migratory birds and the Taoist priest drawn amidst the clouds might start moving at any moment.
"Huh?"
But at that moment.
I widened my eyes and stared at the painting, stunned by an absurd phenomenon.
"What is this...?"
Incredibly, the Taoist priest holding the sword had begun to move slowly.
I rubbed my eyes, thinking I was seeing things.
But no matter how many times I looked, the Taoist was performing a sword dance as if he were alive.
Without realizing it, I stepped closer to the painting, mesmerized by the priest's sword dance.
I was so focused that I didn't even notice the presence behind me, which was unlike me.
"Ahem! You certainly know how to appreciate a painting."
"……."
A gravelly voice came from behind.
Regrettably, the sword dance of the Taoist in the painting came to a halt.
I turned my body to look behind me.
A small old man wearing a scholar's cap was stroking his beard with a dignified air. Even so, he was a man with small eyes and a pathetic-looking beard, making him look rather ridiculous.
"Are you the Pavilion Owner?"
"Heh heh. That I am. You’re certainly a customer with a discerning eye."
"A discerning eye? You mean for this painting?"
"Oh! You don't even know what that is, so don't speak so carelessly. That right there? That is the 'Painting of the Three Peaks' painted by the Three Peaks himself. I probably had to sell off a few pillars of the Azure Cloud Pavilion just to get my hands on it."
"If you say Three Peaks... you mean Zhang Sanfeng?"
My eyes widened.
Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudang Sect, who was said to have attained enlightenment after gazing upon three mountain peaks.
Why on earth would Zhang Sanfeng be mentioned here?
"Oh! Is there anyone else called Three Peaks? And why is a young man like you speaking so informally?"
The Owner of the Azure Cloud Pavilion narrowed his eyes and scanned me from head to toe.
Stunned for a moment by the mention of Zhang Sanfeng, I decided to start with an apology.
"My apologies. So, how much is it?"
When I pointed to the Painting of the Three Peaks and asked for the price, a glint appeared in the owner's small eyes.
"Oh! So you are a customer! Well, that changes things. As I said, that is an authentic Painting of the Three Peaks. It’s a masterpiece that high-ranking officials would pack gold to get their hands on."
The way he rubbed his palms together reeked of a swindler.
However, after speaking with him briefly, it seemed the owner didn't actually know the true value of this painting.
"I will buy it. So, how much?"
"Well now... it's a work of art that's hard to put a price on. I wonder if I should sell it so easily..."
"If you don't want to, forget it."
"Oh! Why is a young man so impatient! It's not like I said I wouldn't sell it. Such treasures always have their destined owners, and I can tell just by looking that you are that owner. Fine! I'll be generous! Five gold coins! I'm practically giving it away at that price!"
Five gold coins for a painting of dubious origin.
The greedy owner clearly thought he had caught a real sucker today.
But in reality, he was the one being the sucker.
I didn't know if Zhang Sanfeng had actually painted it or not, but the sword dance of the Taoist I had glimpsed in the painting contained a profound sword technique.
It was a treasure that truly could not be priced.
"Lower the price."
Regardless of that, the best part of any deal is haggling.
I said it casually, wearing a sly expression.
"Hey! You're haggling over the price of a treasure! That's bad luck!"
"Then next time—"
"Alright! Alright! Why is your temper so short! Fine. How much were you thinking? I'll accommodate you as best I can."
To me, it was a priceless treasure, but to the owner, it was just a Painting of the Three Peaks of little value.
I searched through my robes and held something out to the owner.
"Will this do?"
"Huh?"
The owner leaned his head out over my palm as if he’d seen something wrong.
"A... single iron coin? Damn it. Are you playing with me right now?"
The owner glared at me with his eyes blazing.
I chuckled and tossed the iron coin lightly.
"Whoa!"
The owner was startled and caught the coin by reflex.
"Take a good look at what that is, Owner of the Azure Cloud Pavilion."
"An iron coin is an iron coin! What the... huh?"
It was a token that only members of the Beggar Sect could verify.
The owner’s face, which had been twisted in a deep scowl as he examined the coin, slowly began to smooth out.
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