Business went on as usual, but I cut back on gambling and started saving up. Two weeks later, the item I'd been waiting for finally arrived.
"Here—liquor brewed with 20-year-old ginseng. I tried to haggle for more, but the guy said I'd have to kill him to take extra, so this was the limit."
"Ooooh…"
In front of me sat a large glass jar, its golden contents shimmering invitingly—ginseng liquor. Something I couldn't get my hands on even if I tried. Apparently, it's fully booked out. Considering wild ginseng is practically a miracle herb around here, too precious to touch, this is one of the best liquors I could hope to score. Price-wise, it might even outvalue my ten gold coins.
"How'd you get this?"
"Hehe, got it through perfectly peaceful means, I swear?"
No way they'd hand this over willingly, but as long as there's no physical violence, it's "peaceful."
"Anyway, they had tons of liquor stacked up. What's the point of hoarding it if you're not gonna drink it? This stuff's been waiting to be enjoyed."
The subjugation team leader would cry blood hearing that, but I didn't care.
"Oh, and the investigation results on the vampire came in. Curious?"
"Wasn't it just some freak who learned dark arts?"
"We thought so too, but… turns out it's more complicated. Kind of shocking, actually."
"What, don't tell me it's actually tied to the Demonic Cult?"
I'd tossed it out carelessly, distracted by the liquor—
"…Looks like it might be."
It was real.
…
…
"…Jiangshi?"
"Yeah. Turns out all the vampires from this incident were confirmed to be people who'd already died. Some a few weeks ago, others a few months."
The jiangshi I knew were stiff, hopping zombies with arms outstretched, but it seemed the term meant something different here. More like a catch-all for undead, I guess…
Drinking blood… long claws… resurrected from death?
This is basically a vampire, right? Minus the burning-in-sunlight part, it's practically a vampire. Should I have brought garlic or something?
…Nah, no way.
Why would there be vampires in a martial world? It's probably just a coincidence.
"Anyway, the Martial Alliance is in an uproar over it. The details are for the higher-ups only, so I don't know much."
"You don't know either, Miss?"
"No matter how impressive I am, I'm just a late-stage prodigy. This isn't my place to meddle."
Tang Ayeon sighed and shook her head.
Guess the Martial Alliance is taking the Demonic Cult stuff pretty seriously.
Hope those guys don't stir up trouble later.
For the record, if the Central Plains erupt into war, I'm bolting back to the mountain. It'd be boring, but better than living in a world where I might die any day. Master'd probably be there by then, so I wouldn't be alone at least.
Rustle.
I stashed the liquor carefully and pulled out my travel guide to read again. It's a book listing famous spots in Anhui—I planned to hit as many as I could.
"Now that I think about it, you've been reading that a lot lately. Interested in Anhui?"
Oh, right, I hadn't mentioned it.
"I'm going traveling for a while."
"…"
"Miss?"
"…Where are you going?"
Tang Ayeon's voice felt oddly cold.
"Traveling. I've been in Shaanxi a while, so I figured I'd change things up and visit Anhui for fun. Through Henan."
"Travel…"
"I've made decent money lately, and it felt wasteful blowing it all on liquor and gambling every day."
"…"
"Why're you so quiet, Miss?"
"When?"
Something about Tang Ayeon's vibe felt off. It was distinctly different from her usual self.
"Preparations are almost done, so I'll leave soon. Within a few days."
"…Then what about your face?"
"…"
So that's why her mood got so heavy—my face. Was she that desperate to see my face?
"Didn't I say I'd show you eventually? Even after I get back, anytime—"
"How am I supposed to know when you'll return?"
"…"
"Show me before you go. Today."
Tang Ayeon stepped closer and grabbed the chair I was sitting in. Her determination to not let me escape was so obvious that I started wrestling with myself internally.
Is it really okay to reveal it?
"Don't show your face. That face will bring you great misfortune someday."
Master's prophecy.
Add in my honest feelings about the face I'd seen in the mirror—
If I'd gone around showing it from the moment I entered the martial world, I might not have even made it to Shaanxi. It's the kind of look that'd get me kidnapped and sold off halfway through. The kind that might make someone mistake me for a noble son and try to ransom me.
Well, Tang Ayeon wouldn't do something like that, right?
Her family's already one of the best in the Central Plains—she wouldn't stoop to that.
But there was another worry—
"…Can I trust you?"
I was concerned that seeing my face might change her attitude toward me, or that she'd go blabbing about it elsewhere.
"You mean don't tell anyone?"
"I won't say a word, no matter what."
"Sigh…"
Fine.
Tang Ayeon's probably trustworthy enough. After all this time knowing her, would showing my face really change things that easily? She'd probably just see me as a cute little brother. Sure, I look the part, but inside I'm a full-grown adult—she wouldn't think of me as that young.
"Let's go somewhere private."
"…Huh?"
"What? I can't show you in a crowd. Don't you know a place where no one else will be? I don't have a house—I'm staying at an inn."
"…Hoo…"
Tang Ayeon let out a strangely rough breath.
I thought it was an odd sound for her to make when she's thinking.
"Uh… then… how about my place?"
"You have a house in Shaanxi, Miss?"
"I don't use it much, but… yeah, I've got one."
"Perfect. Let's go there."
Tremble tremble.
Tang Ayeon's body shivered.
"S-So, we're going? To my place? You're the one who suggested it, right?"
Why does she keep double-checking like it's a hassle? I grabbed her hand, growing impatient.
"Which way? It's getting late—we should hurry."
I just wanted to get this over with and go back to crack open that ginseng liquor, so I was in a rush. That's why her dawdling was driving me nuts.
"…Night…"
For some reason, her voice sounded oddly eerie tonight.