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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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It was the time when the morning star was shining.
People gathered around Yangweseong, which would usually be extremely quiet.
The expressions on their faces conveyed relief.
It was understandable.
The soldiers led by Yangweseong, who were actually the subordinates of Cheonilhwa, had resolved the missing persons case they aimed to solve.
Of course, they were not the only ones who were happy.
Even the faces of those who truly did not seem to belong with the soldiers were blooming with smiles.
“Dad!!”
The giant, who hugged the girl running with tears streaming down her face, was shedding tears as well, which did not suit his rough face.
It seemed like the girl would break under his thick arms, but he wouldn’t really do that no matter what.
Other families or relatives of the missing persons also shed tears of relief.
After all, being a missing person meant losing one’s sense of self and being controlled by others.
There was nothing good about leaving it that way.
It was common for the body to deteriorate the longer one remained in a state of being a missing person.
The fortunate thing was that the missing persons who were under Yang-myeong’s control had suffered no significant damage other than being somewhat physically depleted.
Although they had their life force drained from them, all the missing person statuses had been lifted, and they would recover with some restorative medicine.
“Thank you!”
“Thank you so much!”
The people who had escaped the status of missing persons and their families expressed their gratitude to me and Chaijin with deep bows.
I hadn’t taken on this task to receive thanks, so I merely nodded casually.
And it was Chaijin who had worked hard, not me.
She was the one who caught Yang Myung and knocked down most of the missing persons.
“As a righteous martial artist, I merely did what was expected of me! Hohoho!”
“Ahem. Ahem. Still, if you could at least tell me your name…”
“There’s not much of a name to reveal. Hehe.”
It was obvious that she wanted to say something, but she seemed embarrassed to praise herself out loud.
However, with that tight-fitting outfit she was wearing, and the symbols on it, didn’t everyone know where she was from?
I spoke on her behalf, as she seemed to be trying hard to maintain her expression.
“Chaijin of the Moon-Wol Sect is the great disciple of the Moon-Wol Sect.”
“Oh, ohhh!!”
“The Moon-Wol Sect! Is it that sect’s disciple?!”
“Wow! That’s amazing! Thank you! Thank you!”
As soon as I revealed it, people immediately cheered for Chaijin’s name.
Although she seemed flustered by their praises, she was clearly feeling quite proud.
She had failed to maintain her composure.
“Oh, dear. I hadn’t planned on revealing it. What have I done?”
“Ohhhh! How humble!”
Is she really that pleased? I glanced at her, who seemed to be twitching and on the verge of a smile.
Just then, a huge man approached me.
He had a fierce appearance.
“…Did you save my daughter?”
He was the man who had been hugging O Yu-na and crying just moments ago.
He was Oh Chil, the owner of the back alley in Yangweseong.
His eyes were swollen from crying, and he didn’t hide his hoarse voice.
“It turned out that way.”
“…I will never forget this grace.”
“I didn’t do this to receive thanks.”
Right. What I wanted was merely to gather points to use for catching the Iron Blooded Corps.
Of course, Oh Chil was a skilled martial artist, but I couldn’t ask him to join in the fight against the Iron Blooded Corps since he had to stay in Yangweseong.
“Still, I cannot let this go without acknowledging it. Although I live by the sword, I am not a beast who doesn’t know gratitude.”
“If you think that way, please do me a favor later.”
“Anything.”
He bowed his head again in thanks before approaching Chaijin.
The righteous and the wicked. They were usually enemies in the martial world.
Yet, Oh Chil bowed his head because she had saved his daughter.
“I owe a debt to the Moon-Wol Sect.”
“I will make sure to collect this debt.”
“Of course it should be that way. Then, I will see you again.”
After Oh Chil paid her respect again, he looked at me. He seemed to want to say something…
“Are you wondering how I obtained information about Yang-myeong? I asked Hao Mun.”
“…Hao Mun. Hoo. I see. Thank you.”
Oh Chil’s expression hardened at the mention of Hao Mun. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but I felt the need to say something to him.
“This is a personal request, so you can ignore it, but if possible, I would like you to avoid touching Hao Mun in Yangwe Song. It’s difficult.”
I wasn’t exactly asking for a favor.
I was the one who had received information from Hao Mun, and I didn’t owe Hao Mun any debts from the Jin Gwon party.
Yet, I asked him not to touch Hao Mun for my own sake. Since there was no Hao Mun in Seonhwa Village, I had to use the Yangweseong branch to make contact with Hao Mun.
Otherwise, I would have to travel much farther, which would be too much trouble.
“…I will think positively.”
Of course, what to do about the sect was up to each sect to decide. I couldn’t control that. Still, I was glad that Oh Chil thought positively.
With that, Oh Chil left, and while the soldiers were tidying up around us, I stood up from my seat.
“Alright. Let’s head back.”
“To Seonhwa Village?”
“No.”
If the request was resolved, I needed to report it. Of course, Cheonilhwa must have heard that this side of the matter was resolved, but I had my own things to request, so it was better to report directly.
When I returned to Yangwe seong with Chaijin, it was quite late, but Cheong hwa Tower was still noisy and bustling.
The sounds of drunken patrons, the clinking of drinks being served, and the sounds of gisaengs playing the pipa or singing a tune filled the air.
As we listened to the revelry of those who didn’t know what had happened outside Yangwe seong, we climbed up to Cheong hwa Tower, and when the noise completely disappeared,
two masters at the end of the hallway greeted us.
“Welcome. Teacher Yu. As expected of you.”
The Ki-Cha group giggled and waved their hands.
The man next to them, Wi Yeol, twitched his eyebrows slightly, but that was all.
He merely opened the door silently.
Through the open door, I could see Cheonilhwa welcoming us.
“You’ve worked hard, Teacher Yu. Haha. I’m curious about how you solved this so quickly.”
“It was nothing special. I just commissioned Hao Mun. They had the information.”
Cheonilhwa, who was smiling satisfactorily as he seated us and poured tea, suddenly halted his movement.
But that was only for a moment.
He leisurely handed a teacup to me and then to Chaijin, who had been excluded until this matter was resolved.
“I see. Hao Mun. Hao Mun, huh…”
“You know about it, General. The matters that transpired between Hao Mun and the officials.”
“I know. Of course. Trust is hard to build but very easy to break. How could I not know about someone who committed such foolish acts for their own benefit?”
Cheonilhwa openly criticized him, and Chaijin, who had merely been listening, nodded along with his words.
Of course, I felt the same way. Promises are meant to be kept, not broken.
“They are the weak. The weak are fearful and highly vigilant. I don’t know how many years it will take to relieve that vigilance…”
It would eventually be resolved later on.
However, there was no need to mention that, so I kept my mouth shut.
“Anyway, you’ve worked hard. I don’t know how to repay you for this, but… is there anything you desire? A government position? Or money? Or perhaps even some goods…”
“I’m fine with the government position… but please do not forget when I ask for help later.”
I had no interest in government positions; I could accumulate money, and goods could simply be bought. However, asking for help from a master wouldn’t be easy, so I had to put in this request.
The military would likely have no surplus, so they wouldn’t give me elixirs even if I asked.
Cheonilhwa slightly nodded his head.
“I promise.”
“Oh, and could you take a look at this?”
I handed over a piece of paper I had taken from my pocket.
It was somewhat like a business plan, requesting an introduction to a manager to sell the herbs and fragrance bags of Hongseongmun.
“Hm. This definitely seems sellable. It depends on how you package it, though. Please show it to me once the samples are completed.”
“Thank you.”
Chaijin appeared to be rather uninterested. Well, it made sense since she was a transcendent martial artist who wouldn’t need to care about such things.
Unlike Hongseongmun, where being in charge meant more work, she would likely just be uninterested and bored by the words “sellable.”
After Cheonilhwa took care of those things, we ended our meeting and departed.
As I left the meeting, I saw the scene of Yangweseong below again.
I thought about the things that would happen in the future.
“Shall we go back?”
“What do you think?”
“Isn’t it worth staying for a while?”
Chaijin seemed to have realized that there was nothing left to do in Yangweseong. However, I felt a little strange.
What had seemed like an endless journey was soon going to end.
While I was hesitating, she spoke again.
“Then, I’ll stay here. Please take care of the affairs of the sect in my absence.”
I nodded.
That was the best plan. I turned around and waved goodbye as I headed toward the back of the alley.
“Have a safe journey.”
As I left, I sensed someone following behind me.
It wasn’t just my imagination. I turned my head to find that Oh Chil had come out to follow me.
“Can I ask where you’re going?”
“It’s a secret.”
I wouldn’t answer him. Even if he followed me, he wouldn’t know my destination.
However, it was good that he had come. Since he was being courteous, I should at least treat him accordingly.
“I’m just going to see a friend. Would you like to join me?”
“Of course!”
He beamed with a broad smile.
If someone were to see the expression of Oh Chil, who had just a while ago been weeping, they wouldn’t believe it was the same person.
And soon, we headed into the night, walking along the bustling Yangweseong, which was wrapped in darkness.
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