Moonlit Night Chapter 12 (Patreon)

Chapter 12

Cheong-ra had vaguely predicted that the claim of suffering damage due to the spirit beast and coming here was a lie, but even after confirming that fact, he still couldn't figure out the purpose.

The White Jade Merchant Group was one of the wealthiest merchant groups in the Central Plains. As such, the owner of the merchant group must be busy, so it was quite strange for him to be idling and lounging around in a place like this for two weeks. Although Dragon Spring was a fairly large town, it couldn't even come close to Suzhou or Hangzhou. He definitely didn't come here simply for sightseeing.

He wondered if that person had any connection to the recent spirit beast attacks. There was no clear evidence, but he had such a hunch.

Lastly, he asked the beggar about the location of the White Jade Merchant Group's branch. The branch was located near the busiest marketplace in Dragon Spring. By the time he arrived, they had already opened and started business.

Despite being one of the most successful merchant groups in the Central Plains, there weren't many customers. It was because the White Jade Merchant Group mainly dealt with expensive goods such as silk, jade, and accessories from Sichuan. As a result, the branch building was spacious and neat, and the clothes of the people working there were tidy and clean.

Cheong-ra slowed his steps as he approached the branch and peeked sideways. The desire to encounter Dang Ran-yeong alone stirred in his heart. With no junior brothers to protect and take care of by his side, he was strongly tempted to engage in a fight with Dang Ran-yeong, which led his steps here.

However, when Cheong-ra's eyes met with a merchant's, he quickly walked away as if he were just a passing traveler, as if he had never been peeking. But he was slow enough for the merchant to catch him. The merchant reacted as Cheong-ra expected.

"Oh my, young master!"

The merchant's eyes sparkled as he quickly looked Cheong-ra up and down, just enough not to be rude.

Thanks to inheriting a certain amount of wealth from his wealthy uncle, Cheong-ra had always been able to live without any shortage. Although he didn't wear flashy and dazzling accessories, his beautiful appearance, the quality of the clothes he wore, and the condition of the sword at his waist proved his wealth. The merchant quickly blocked Cheong-ra's path and smiled brightly.

"It seems like you need something, or is it just my misunderstanding?"

"No. I was just passing by..."

"Since I haven't seen your face here before, you must be from out of town. While you're here, why don't you buy a gift for your family or lover?"

The merchant spoke in a very friendly voice and politely led the reluctant Cheong-ra into the store. Cheong-ra pretended to be dragged in unwillingly and entered the building. However, unfortunately or fortunately, there was no sign of Dang Ran-yeong. Deeply disappointed inwardly, he looked around for items to give to his master and uncle.

Compared to other merchant groups, the White Jade Merchant Group dealt with rare and refined goods, making it suitable for choosing gifts for loved ones. He purchased a high-quality inkstone, brush, and a pouch with delicate silver embroidery. The calligraphy tools were for his master, and the pouch was for his uncle.

Then, an item caught Cheong-ra's attention. It was white jade carved into a very round and cute rabbit shape. Misunderstanding his gaze, the merchant pointed to the item next to it and explained in detail.

"This is a decoration that can be attached separately to a pendant. The brave tiger shape will suit you very well, young master. Look!"

The black obsidian tiger sculpture that the merchant held against Cheong-ra's waist wasn't bad either. However, in Cheong-ra's opinion, it was excessively 'brave' and too black in appearance. He first bought the tiger sculpture and then casually asked.

"Do you have any items that would make a good gift for my junior brother? He likes cute things."

"Ah! Then this is it. It's a rabbit decoration from the twelve zodiacs. It's very popular among women. It's also good for decorating hairpins."

As Cheong-ra intended, the merchant picked up the white jade rabbit. Looking at it closely, it was even more shiny and lovely, but it wasn't something that men would normally prefer. By the way, if it was from the twelve zodiacs, there should be other animals, but only the rabbit was visible.

"Are there no other animals?"

"Unfortunately, this branch only has the rabbit. If you go to Suzhou or Chang'an, there might be other decorations. Should I order them for you?"

"No. I will just buy this for now."

Cheong-ra purchased the rabbit decoration with a regretful heart. Before putting the item in his bosom, he secretly stroked the round buttocks. His cheeks flushed slightly in satisfaction. He did want to buy all twelve zodiacs if possible, but for now, this one was enough. Come to think of it, the pig and goat were probably ugly, so he didn't really want to buy them. He wouldn't have a chance to go to Suzhou or Chang'an anyway.

"Thank you, young master. Please visit again next time!"

The merchant was overjoyed and came out to the door with a smiling face to see Cheong-ra off. It seemed that Dang Ran-yeong was not at the branch after all. He had ended up purchasing unplanned gifts while peeking at the merchant group with ulterior motives, but thinking of the happy faces of his master and uncle, his heart felt much lighter. Since it was a pity to just return with the gifts, he decided to take another look at the places where the spirit beast had attacked.

Every time the spirit beast attacked, people went missing. Although they said missing, most people believed they were already dead. The exact number of people who had gone missing so far was twelve. Cheong-ra moved his steps, intending to at least identify the bodies of the missing people in the future.

And soon, he noticed something strange. It was not easy to find the families or relatives of the missing persons here. Most of them were people who originally lived alone, had their entire family killed in the spirit beast's attack, or had suddenly left Dragon Spring recently. Among the missing, one was the son of a wealthy family, but when Cheong-ra went to visit, they wouldn't open the door, saying the head of the household was ill.

Should he go find the beggar again to ask for more information? After pondering for a moment, Cheong-ra headed in a different direction.

"I'd like to ask you something for a moment."

The people he approached and spoke to were women who were chatting and doing laundry by the stream. As soon as Cheong-ra spoke, they all fell silent and looked up at him with their mouths open. When no one answered even after waiting, Cheong-ra closed his mouth and quietly lowered his eyes. A distinct look of embarrassment appeared on his face.

"It seems I have greatly disturbed you ladies while you were working. I apologize for the inconvenience."

After politely apologizing and turning around, the women finally exclaimed in surprise and noisily stopped Cheong-ra.

"Ah, no! No, not at all. What disturbance are you talking about? Not at all."

"What is it that you're so curious about, young master? I'm someone who knows every nook and cranny of Dragon Spring."

In front of the women whose eyes were shining, Cheong-ra smiled beautifully as if he was relieved. He asked in a polite and well-mannered way.

"I am Baek Ri Cheong-ra from Moon Lake Sect. Is there anyone who knows the details about the missing people?"

"Baek Ri Cheong-ra, you mean the famous Moonlight Beauty Sword? Oh my, you're really as handsome as the rumors say..."

She exclaimed in surprise, but as she looked at Cheong-ra's face, her words trailed off as if she was in a trance. The woman who had unknowingly acted frivolously only closed her mouth with a gasp after being poked hard in the waist by the person next to her. Cheong-ra slightly turned his head to the side and pretended not to have heard. Only then did the relieved woman quickly change the subject.

"Why is Young Hero Baek Ri from Moon Lake Sect asking about the missing people?"

It was already widely known that when Dragon Spring and the Dragon Gate Sect were in trouble due to the spirit beast's attacks, Moon Lake Sect had sent martial artists. Even though the women could clearly guess why Cheong-ra was looking for information on the missing people, they pretended not to know and asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"I was asking around here and there, thinking it might be of more help in finding the missing people. But no one was willing to help, so I was in a difficult situation. That's why I'm putting aside my pride and asking for your help, ladies."

A look of difficulty and concern appeared on the beautiful young master's face. The women's hearts ached with sympathy. They wanted to do anything for the handsome and well-mannered young master.

"Any information would be of great help to me if you could tell me."

As soon as he finished speaking, the women started talking one after another.