A Medieval Knight in a Martial Arts Novel – Chapter 95

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“Mister! There’s a tanghulu stall over there!”

I looked at the small tanghulu stall Hye-ryeong was pointing at. A middle-aged woman was busily skewering fruit.

“I see it, so stop pestering me.”

“Hehe…”

Was that sugar-coated fruit really that delicious?

I couldn’t understand the appeal. It was too sweet and ruined my appetite. I watched the excited Hye-ryeong humming a tune, then turned my attention to Mokgyeong.

He was staring at the bustling market with a contemplative expression.

“Something on your mind?”

“…No, it’s just…seeing this makes me feel nostalgic…”

I followed Mokgyeong’s gaze and saw a group of children running around the market.

Mokgyeong must have been like them at that age.

While his life as the son of a prestigious clan wouldn’t have been completely carefree, he wouldn’t have been a revenge-driven martial artist like he was now.

“Once you’ve done what needs to be done, you’ll be able to live peacefully.”

“Live peacefully…after my revenge, what should I do?”

“Well, how about rebuilding your clan?”

The original story ended abruptly, with no epilogue, so I could only offer vague suggestions.

“My…clan?”

Did I say something wrong?

Seeing Mokgyeong’s suddenly gloomy expression, I quickly corrected myself.

“If rebuilding your clan is too difficult, aiming for the peak of martial arts isn’t a bad option either. I don’t know about ascending to immortality…but you have the potential to reach a level where all martial artists look up to you.”

“Does such a life…have meaning?”

Does it have meaning?

A short, but profound question.

After all, people sought meaning in their paths.

While I wasn’t qualified to answer such a question, I could at least offer some helpful words.

After a moment of thought, I spoke.

“Well, meaning is what you make it. Even if you give up on Jianghu after your revenge and become a waiter, if it has meaning to you, then it’s the right choice.”

“Meaning… I see. Thank you for your wise words, Benefactor.”

A rare smile graced Mokgyeong’s face. It was such a beautiful smile that I couldn’t help but stare.

…This was a bit much for a man’s smile.

His androgynous features were a problem. As Hye-ryeong had said, he really did look like a girl.

Though that was impossible.

“Mister~ Let’s go eat tanghulu!”

“Could you let go of my arm?”

How much attention did she want to draw? I chided Hye-ryeong, who was clinging to my arm and pulling me towards the tanghulu stall.

Fortunately, there weren’t many customers. The empty trays suggested a recent rush.

“Three tanghulu, please.”

“What kind of fruit would you…a Westerner?”

“Westerner or not, everyone loves delicious food.”

“Well, that’s true.”

“Three hawthorn berry ones, please.”

While I wasn’t fond of tanghulu, it would be awkward if I didn’t buy any, so I added it to my order.

The woman skillfully skewered the hawthorn berries and coated them in syrup.

“Business seems good.”

“What good is it if half of it goes to protection fees?”

“Protection fees?”

“The two clans are busy fighting each other, so thugs are taking over the market, and merchants like us are suffering.”

So, the power vacuum created by the clan war had allowed the Demonic Cult to gain a foothold?

“The Demonic Cult is here…”

“Sigh…I shouldn’t be complaining to a customer. I apologize.”

“It’s alright.”

Perhaps feeling guilty for complaining, the woman generously skewered extra-large berries and handed us the tanghulu.

“Be careful not to stain your clothes.”

“Okay! Thank you!”

“Thank you.”

“Here’s the money.”

I paid and took a bite of the syrup-coated hawthorn berry.

The hard, candy-like texture of the solidified syrup crumbled in my mouth, an overwhelming sweetness exploding on my tongue.

…Too sweet. But not inedible.

I ate one of the four berries and looked at Mokgyeong. He awkwardly took a bite, his eyes widening in surprise at the unexpected sweetness and tartness of the hawthorn.

After swallowing, he murmured,

“It’s…sweet.”

“It is.”

“This is the sweetest thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“Where else would you find food coated in this much syrup?”

Even in the Central Plains, with its abundance of food, few things could rival the extreme sweetness of tanghulu.

I looked at Hye-ryeong expertly devouring her tanghulu and Mokgyeong politely nibbling on his, then started eating mine.

Honestly, I would have preferred some matcha, but this was better than digging up roots.

Ignoring the sugar rush, I finished my tanghulu and tossed the skewer into a nearby trash can.

It was surprising that they even had trash cans here.

Well, this was one of the most developed cities of this era, so it wasn’t that strange.

Tanghulu skewers were a major source of litter, so they needed trash cans to keep the streets clean.

“We’ve bought everything we need, so let’s go back.”

“Are we leaving tomorrow?”

“Of course. We still have a long way to go.”

We had only just reached the central region of Hubei.

Mount Wudang was still far away. Buying horses would make the journey easier, but they were too expensive.

And finding good horses was difficult.

“Mister, can’t we take a detour on the way back? For a walk…”

“Sure, let’s do that.”

There was no reason to refuse if she wanted to. I smiled, watching Hye-ryeong happily swing my hand.

She was like a carefree younger sister.

“You two seem very close.”

“Hehe, our connection goes all the way back to Hainan Island!”

“…I see.”

Mokgyeong smiled sadly, repeating the word “connection” and lowering his head.

Did that word have some special meaning for him?

I didn’t ask and simply looked up at the sky as we walked back.

While it was fine to ask directly, it was better to wait for him to speak. Time healed all wounds.

We walked towards the inn, gazing at the crimson sky.

“…Excuse me, are you awake?”

…Who was knocking at this hour?

I got out of bed and opened the door. Several martial artists were standing outside, their expressions grim.

What now?

Why was I always getting dragged into trouble?

Should I get a protective talisman from Mount Wudang? Something always happened whenever we entered a city. Should I start carrying a bow tie just in case?

“What is it?”

“Would you come with us?”

“Isn’t it rude to visit someone in the middle of the night?”

“It’s an urgent matter. Every moment is precious, so please—”

“Those bastards are trying to get a head start.”

“You…”

What were they doing in front of my room?

I suppressed the urge to curse and glanced at the martial artists who had appeared and started arguing.

They were from the Gu Clan and the Gang Clan. Why were they here at this hour?

What had happened?

“Explain yourselves before you start fighting in my inn.”

“Those bastards attacked our young master!”

“What?! Your assassins killed our young master…!”

“Can’t you just resolve this yourselves?”

“We’ll reward you handsomely if you side with us!”

“We’ll offer you an even greater reward if you side with us!”

This was what happened when you became famous.

Recruitment offers in the middle of the night.

I looked at the martial artists, who seemed determined to stay until I gave them an answer.

“I…”

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