Chương 3: Chapter 47: A Doll Peerless Under Heaven

As someone who worked with horses all day, Song couldn't help but be drawn to the Demonic Beast. Its pure black pelt was smooth as velvet, and a sharp intelligence shone behind its eyes. He tried to imagine the value of a horse with Void Body cultivation and kept coming up short. It would be faster, react quicker, and even be able to travel in the dark.

Riding at night anytime other than the full moon was a sure way to get a dead horse and broken leg, but a horse with Void cultivation would be more than capable of traveling even under a new moon. He wanted one. Sorry, Bongbong. ["You called it a shade beast. Is that, like, a catchall term for Demonic Beasts with Void qi?"] Cyrus asked. Song simply nodded, unable to take his attention from the horse. He was drawn from his reverie by a chuckle to his right.

"Heh. Isn't she beautiful?" Song looked over to see a short, thin man standing next to the cart. The merchant wore an elegant orange hanfu, as well as a conical wide rimmed translucent gat atop his head, which marks him as someone who'd passed the Imperial civil examinations. His skin was the lighter tone of one who spent his time indoors, and he had a thin pencil moustache and a short goatee. His skin was lined with wrinkles, though his hair remained full and black as his horse.

The gat labeled him as an official, while the wagon and its wares clearly made him a merchant. Perhaps a retired official? Or the head of a small, but wealthy trading company who'd completed the exams to please his family. Anyone from one of the bigger clans or companies would be traveling with more guards than the scant two Song could see in martial arts robes, lazily leaning against the wagon and looking bored. Song cupped his hands and bowed respectfully.

"This Lee Song greets you, Sir Merchant. I apologize for staring."

"Nam Gwansoo." The man bowed back, then waved his hand non-chalantly.

"And please don't apologize. I've come to accept that Jajangmyeon will be the center of attention whenever I'm travelling Nakjo. The plainsfolk do love their horses." Song couldn't help letting out a short burst of laughter.

"Jajangmyeon? Black Bean Noodles? For such a noble beast? Why??"" She thinks it means Jajeongma – the Midnight Horse." Gwansoo walked over and patted the mare on her flank. She chuffed and rolled her eyes, then bent her head down to the ground to rip up chunks of grass.

"You'd better hope she never gains a core and comes seeking vengeance," Song wiped a tear of laughter from the side of his eye. ["Says Hak~saee~ki!"] Cyrus trilled, and Song's mouth snapped shut. The merchant was running an appraising eye over Song, pulling his beard while he did so.

"Are you one of the Nakjo Lees? Or from Chengdu?"

"Yes. Lee San is my father," Song replied stiffly. If the old merchant knew his family, Song could tell what he was thinking – why did Song have lines of glowing starlight on his hands and neck, and not the tall proud horns of the Lee family? At least the wily merchant had the politic not to pry. Instead, Nam Gwansoo spread his arms towards the wares set out in front of his wagon.

"Tell me young Song! Can I tear your eyes away from my lovely Jajangmyeon, and place them where they'll behold wonders beyond your greatest imaginings? I have treasures from beyond the ports of Silla, strange artifacts traded from the Yemanin, ten-thousand year cultivation materials, and even legendary weapons crafted by the greatest craftsmen of the Capital!" Song held back a scoff. These days every merchant, no matter how small, claimed to have the world's greatest treasures in their back pocket.

They'd reverently reveal a piece of worthless pig-iron no sharper than a rock, then call it a remnant dagger of The Flying Thousand Blades Hero, Baek Dongsoo. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Wook always said those kinds of merchants needed a good thumping before you could talk sense with them. Juwon called for more restraint. And the guard if they were truly lying. If only to humour the man, Song leaned in to take a closer look at his wares.

There were multiple gold and jade ornamented weapons, stacks of dried plants, metals, and animal parts that were likely weak cultivation materials, and several other odds and ends. But nothing – Song's eyes widened, and he grabbed a short dagger on the table. It had a simple black leather sheath, with no further adornment other than a maker's mark stamped into the leather. The mark resembled a hooded viper, with a single dripping fang.

"Ah, one of Master Tang's daggers, a good choice," Gwansoo purred, "I purchased it from a warrior who was traveling through the capital. He was down on his luck after battling with a contingent of ferocious demons from the Heavenly Demonic sect, and…" The merchant blathered on, but Song wasn't listening. He drew the dagger from the sheath and examined it. The finest imperial Steel, a sharp white-blue with a flickering water pattern that kept the dagger from properly reflecting sunlight.

When thrown it would fly through the air nearly invisibly. A keen edge that felt like it was cutting his eyes just to look at. Song reached out with his senses and picked up the faintest hint of Void and Earth qi from the blade, indicating that it held greater secrets besides. This was a real, true, treasure. One crafted by one of the Five Noble Families if the maker's mark was to be believed.

The Tang Clan was the largest and greatest clan in Sichuan province, masters of hidden weapons and poisons, and one of the strongest Void cultivation clans in the entirety of Murim. Song put the dagger down, and grabbed a saber blade in a gold and red-leather sheathe. He barely drew it from the sheath before he had to snap it back in – it shone so brightly with fire qi that it hurt his eyes. Song stared up and down the merchant's wares.

Here, a knobbly piece of metal with so much Void qi that it must surely be one of the famed stones of heaven. There, a bone labeled 'Femur of a Thousand Year Hen'. Every single visible item truly was a peerless treasure. Cyrus let out a low whistle. ["Phew. This is some good looking stuff. Especially compared to what we saw before. Do you think it's real?"] ["Yes."] Song sent back. ["Sell rake Tang weapon Sichuan. Foolish."] ["Rake??"] ["Fake."] Even selling a real Tang blade in Sichuan could be trouble.

Song turned a new eye on the mysterious peddler. The old man was now talking to a passing warrior of the Yu clan, who was swinging a vicious looking ripple-bladed saber with one tentacle and looking ecstatic. Someone with wares this incredible must be a famed merchant. But Song had never seen the man in his life. Who was he??

"What about you, young master. Did that dagger catch your eyes?" Gwansoo asked, turning his attention back to Song. Song asked nonchalantly, "How much?" Gwansoo rubbed his beard.

"Hmm… for you, young master, a simple two hundred silver nyang." Song barely kept from choking. Two hundred nyang!? He cleared his throat and pointed at something else – a large acorn, or nut of some sort. It was thick and knobbly, and the deepest shade of red mahogany that he'd ever seen.

"What about that?"

"Ahh, the Five-Thousand-Year Oak Heart," Gwansoo cooed.

"You have fine taste, young master. It's full of blood and qi; excellent for Wood Cultivators like the Lees, and can even be used for treating skin. It can get you straight from novice to expert in a single shot. Only five hundred gold!" Song pulled his finger back as though it'd been cut. ["Whoah. Isn't that just a bit better than what Crane gave you?"] Cyrus exclaimed. ["Five hundred thousand dollars!? That fish was worth that much?"] To save face, Song tried to drop the subject.

"I'm not really looking for weapons or cultivation materials right now. Do you have any dolls?" Gwansoo raised an eyebrow.

"An interesting request. I did pick up something. A curiosity for my niece, but she wasn't interested. I can give you a good deal on it. Wait here." Gwansoo hopped gingerly onto his cart and began rooting through chests, a moment later he emerged with an " Aha!" Held within the merchant's hand was the finest, most beautiful doll Song had ever seen. Its skin seemed made of fair jade, its hair reminiscent of the ravening Void itself.

Its clothes were not made of simple wool, but fine silks crafted into the style of an Imperial courtesan, with many folds and elegantly stitched designs of golden carp and silver waves. It was a treasure no less equal to any on the cart, though Song couldn't feel any qi from it. It was a doll peerless under heaven. Mae would love it!

"Three gold!" Gwansoo declared. Song's wonder came crashing back down to reality.