I wake up to the noise of people a distance away.
I opened my eyes and I couldn’t recognize my surroundings.
I had bandages wrapped around my arm, forearm, hands, legs, thighs and abdomen.
The sun was out, it was around 1pm to 3pm.
As I sit up I feel a sharp pain in my head.
"Ngh!" I utter in pain.
"Where the fuck am I?" I ask no one as I place my right hand on hy head.
I look around trying to figure out where I was.
Looking around, I could tell I was within the Dang Clan since there were poisonous plants along with medicine plants around the room.
And the unique green decorations made it more clear.
I was still looking around when I heard footsteps approaching from behind the door.
I look around and I see a little knife on the table beside the door.
I quickly dash to get it as the person began opening the door.
A lady opens the door and steps in holding a tray of medicine.
As she enters I greet her from behind with the knife at her throat.
"Who are you? and where am I?" I ask her closing the door behind me.
Her heart rate spikes as she began panting.
"Speak!" I say as I draw the knife to touch her skin.
"Th...this is the Grand Elder’s abode, he brought you here yesterday night passed out and I’ve been nursing you since then." She hurriedly says.
I see, so the Grand Elder brought me here.
I take away my knife from her neck.
She quickly distances herself from me.
"I see. What is with the noise outside?" I ask her.
"The Golden Manor Merchants came over and they gave been causing a commotion since they came." She hurriedly responds.
"Can you please get me something to change into?" I kindly ask her.
From her reaction she wasn’t expecting me to ask her in such a manner. She was probably expecting some kind of order.
"I’ll be right back!" She says as she hurriedly runs off to bring something I could wear.
"The Golden Manor huh? what could they possibly want?" I think to myself.
The maid comes back with a dark green robe.
I try wearing it on when I feel a sharp pain on my ribs.
"Ugh! must be from when I was fighting like a crazed maniac yesternight. I didn’t even realize I was this damaged. Well I just need to activate the Heavenly Demon Technique to heal my body." I think to myself.
The maid noticing I was in pain comes to assist me.
"Thank you" I say to her.
She smiles in return.
"Alright, lead the way." I say to her.
She opens the door and leads me the court room.
Getting to the court room I hear the voice of the Patriarch, Dang Woon speaking.
The maid opens the door for me to go in.
As I step in I see the Patriarch and all the Elders seated present.
The Clan Mistress was also present.
Dang Soha and Dang Woo were also seated present.
The way the court room was arranged, the Patriarch and the Elders were seated at the end of the mid line dividing the room into two.
There were seats by the left and right facing each other.
That is the seats on the right we’re facing the left and the seats on the left we’re facing the right.
The Mistress and her children sat at the left while the Golden Manor people sat by the right.
Dang Hyuk was also present, but he was standing in the middle of the court room.
His face looked distraught.
Hmmm this most likely has something to do with what happened yesternight.
As I walk in, all eyes land on me, the Mistress eyes though that of annoyance.
"What are you doing here Dang So, shouldn’t you be resting?." Dang Woon says to me with a look of concern.
What’s with the sudden care after what happened yesternight.
I say nothing and just go find myself a seat beside Dang Soha who was seated at the edge.
She looks at me with an eye of boredom and goes back to looking straight ahead.
I can never guess what’s going through her head.
As I take my seat I notice a fat dude looking at me weirdly, why the fuck is he so huge? The seat can barely contain him.
Standing beside him was a male figure wearing a mask.
"And why the fuck is he looking at me?" I say to myself in annoyance. I wanted to rush towards him and pluck out his eyes.
"Well Dang So, since you are here, I think I should do some introductions." Dang Woon says as he begins speaking.
"These here are people from the Golden Manor Merchant group. I do not know if you know them but they are one of the best Merchant groups in the Orthodox Faction." Dang Woon states.
"You mean in the entire Murim" The fat boy says to correct Dang Woon.
"Yes, in the entire Murim." Dang Woon says as he gives off a fake smile.
The fat boy smiles as he hears this.
"Seated here is the third son of the Golden Manor Hwang Bo." Dang Woon says pointing at the fat boy.
He winks at me with a disgusting smile as he is introduced.
"The fuck? Oh hell nah, I’m gonna kill this dude." I thought to myself as I was almost lounging out my chair.
"Don’t do anything stupid Dang So." The voice of the Grand Elder plays in my head.
He was sending me a message with his Ki through inner voice transmission.
I settle back down as I take in a deep breath.
"Thank you." He says through inner voice transmission.
The Grand Elder kindly thanks Diana through inner voice transmission as she settles back down.
She looks over at him and he gives off a smile to her.
"Hmph, why’s he smiling at me." She says to herself.
But she didn’t realize she was blushing a little.
"I would go straight to the point, the guards hired by Dang Hyuk here were from the Golden Manor and unfortunately they were all killed, so they have come here for compensation." The Patriarch says.
"We know that the cost of twenty Early Peaks and one Late Peak Martial Expert is very high but don’t you think two million gold coins is just too much? Besides I ask that you consider the situation of my Clan." The Patriarch says with a soft tone.
The so mighty Tang Clan has been reduced to pleading before the third son a merchant group.
Hwang Bo ponders for a while before looking at Diana weirdly, he turns back to Dang Woon and says with a smile;
"Well as you know we at the Golden Manor are very benevolent, so rather than the previously stated compensation, how about two hundred thousand gold coins, two favours of the Dang Clan..."
Dang Woon was already smiling as Hwang Bo dropped the compensation.
"...and you hand over that girl to be one of my concubines." Hwang Bo completes his demands pointing at Diana.
Everywhere goes silent.
Diana bursts out laughing hysterically.
Her laughter came to a sudden stop, her killing intent grew, dark fog begins to surround her.
Slowly she gets up from her seat.