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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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After finishing dinner with the magistrate, I sat alone in the backyard. I brought out my pipe, lit it, and continued my thoughts.
The biggest danger in the first scenario we had established was the possibility of Seomhwa Village getting caught up in the war between the evil sects.
The current leader of the Black Lotus, Wang Hwi, was not weak in martial arts, but he was a moderate and chose stability over fighting.
Therefore, it would be best for us to help him win the struggle within the Black Lotus, but the probability of success was too low considering the effort required.
From the moment the new leader of the Black Lotus appeared, the core forces of the Black Lotus would have already shifted to that side. The evil sects had been too quiet for too long. The moderate Wang Hwi preferred growth and stability over fighting.
As a result, the power of the evil sects had grown, and for the hot-blooded members and those who had harbored ambition for a long time, Wang Hwi, who sought stability, must have been quite an eyesore.
Argh. These bastards. They should all be thrown into the army. If they have so much energy, they should fight monsters instead…
“Haa…”
The thick smoke covered the night sky. Gazing at it, I continued my thoughts. Of course, it wasn’t like there were no countermeasures.
As the magistrate had said, if the Imperial Army Inspection Bureau considered this a threat and was watching, it meant that the military was also keeping an eye on the impending war among the evil sects.
In other words, if we could report the sects or forces that might pose a threat and have them all rounded up and sent to the battlefield, the scale of the war would be reduced. In the process, the forces that could attack Seomhwa Village would be reduced to just the Iron Blood Squad, or they might give up and look for another opportunity.
This… hmm. I should seek cooperation from the Hao Clan.
The Hao Clan wouldn’t want a war either. After preparing a letter to send to Hano, the work wasn’t over. I had to come up with results that fit the scenario, determine the answers, and calculate other possibilities.
If there were differences between the current scenario and the situation, I had to analyze them, figure out where things went wrong, and see if they could be applied to the scenario.
Information obtained from the Hao Clan, information recently sent by the Cheong Hoe Company, and other things.
I pressed my tired eyes and returned to my room, lighting the pipe that had gone out. The thick scent of tobacco filled the dimly lit room, illuminated only by a few candles, and I continued to read the documents.
The moon was already high in the sky. It was too early to sleep.
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The next morning arrived. As usual, I practiced the Five Animal Frolics, had breakfast, and then Chae practiced her Tai Chi. Afterward, I was working when I heard the sound of the patrol coming.
I immediately looked out the window…
Huh?
“Sayun?”
A cute girl with messy gray hair that looked like it would be warm and soft to the touch, wearing a worn-out uniform. It was Sayun. She had come on patrol with Yuhee, and she entered the backyard of the inn. I quickly went downstairs.
“Isn’t Hongryeon supposed to be here today?”
“Ah! Innkeeper! Hello!”
“Hello!”
I greeted them both. As Yuhee entered the shed in the backyard to organize the patrol log, I asked Sayun, who was smiling brightly.
“Where’s the Sunset Sword?”
“Ahaha. About that. Ah. Right. Please accept this first.”
What Sayun gave me was a letter.
[Thank you.]
…What’s this?
As I looked at the concisely written message, Sayun smiled.
“My master asked me to deliver this.”
“Haha. Is it because of the gift from yesterday?”
“Hehe. Yes. Actually, the head disciple couldn’t come out today because of that. She’s making our uniforms with Senior Disciple Ryuhyeon, Senior Disciple Hyeonhwi, and other disciples who can make clothes.”
Ah. So that’s why she couldn’t come. Even with her skills, she couldn’t make clothes for twenty disciples all by herself.
“Actually, I like this uniform too… It’s durable.”
Although it had many patches here and there. When I looked at the sleeve that had been patched twice, Sayun was startled and quickly hid that part behind her back. Then she smiled awkwardly.
“Ah, anyway! It’s just that the fabric is so nice…”
“And it’s durable. So it’s good for uniforms.”
“Haha. Is that so?”
There was a slight shadow on Sayun’s smiling face. Come to think of it, she mentioned in her last letter that she had a lot on her mind. Was it because of that?
“You seem down. Is something wrong?”
“Hmm. No. Not really. Ummm… Actually, I’ve been thinking a lot lately.”
“Can you tell me if you’re comfortable? Maybe I can give you an answer.”
“Haha. You must have a lot to worry about, Innkeeper… You don’t have to worry about my problems… Um. It’s just. About the future. What should I do tomorrow, what should I do next month. And next year. Will I be able to keep up with my master’s teachings? I’m learning a new technique in the latter part of the Hongseong Divine Arts, and to learn it more easily…”
“That’s a lot.”
“…Yes?”
“You can have many thoughts at once. But as even the future Sword Saint will teach you, prioritize your thoughts. If you think about many things at once, it will only become a tangled mess.”
“Hmm… I see. I guess I’m still lacking.”
Sayun smiled bitterly, and I shook my head.
“You’re already doing great. So don’t put yourself down. When I was your age…”
What was I like when I was Sayun’s age?
Hmm…
I was just a guy who was busy playing and eating. Anyway, compared to me, Sayun was doing quite well. At least she knew what she had to do.
“I was much worse.”
“Hehe. Really? I can’t imagine it.”
“Haha. I’m a lot more inadequate than you think. Anyway. Don’t overthink it. It’s good to think deeply, but I’ve seen many people who get caught up in their thoughts and fall into a deeper pit.”
“I guess so… Hehe. Thank you for the advice.”
“It’s nothing worth calling advice.”
“My master said that we can receive teachings from everything in the world. So, your words, Uncle, are a great teaching to me.”
I smiled back at Sayun, who smiled cutely while blinking her eyes. As we were chatting for a while, Yuhee came out after finishing her organization.
“Sayun! I’m done! Let’s go!”
And Yuhee also thanked me again. She must have really liked receiving the fabric.
“Where are you going?”
“Hmm? Ah. I just came out for some fresh air.”
“I see. Then we’ll be going on our patrol now.”
“Alright. Good work.”
I saw the children off. As I watched them walk away, I stroked my face.
Alright. I’ve rested. Let’s get back to work.
Several days had passed since I returned from Cheongho. Of course, that didn’t mean that my daily life had changed much. And the day that would change that routine was approaching. The day I was supposed to go to Changun’gwan with Hongryeon and Sayun was tomorrow.
It would only be three or four days, but leaving my post was still leaving my post, so I had to get some work done. As I was working hard in preparation for the trip, I heard a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
I thought it was an employee or a waiter, but there was no report. I was too focused on the documents to take my eyes off them, but I heard a clinking sound next to me. I looked up and saw Chae-jin. On the desk, which was a mess of documents and papers, she placed a large cup filled with a green liquid.
“Ah. Miss Chae. What’s this?”
“Yohan asked me to give this to you, Innkeeper. He said it’s good for your health, so drink it regularly. And he also wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Ah. I had something to talk about too.”
I figured I should drink this first, so I immediately picked up the cup and brought it to my mouth…
What is this taste?!
“Aha! Good medicine is bitter, you know? Drink it all. All of it.”
“Ugh.”
What else could I do but drink it? After finishing the cup, Chae-jin smiled with satisfaction.
“By the way, haven’t you been working too late these days? The lights were on until dawn.”
“Haha. You saw?”
“Yes. I was talking with Yohan about this and that, and I was about to go to bed a bit late…”
“I see. But you said you had something to talk about. What is it?”
“Ah. The innkeeper asked me to do something. There are some ingredients and medicinal herbs that are needed. He asked if I could go with him to get them. And while we’re at it, Yohan asked me to get some ingredients for medicinal cuisine…”
“Hmm. How long do you think it will take?”
“It’s near Yangwi Fortress… Four days at most?”
That’s good timing.
“Go ahead. Since it’s near Yangwi Fortress, I have something to send to the Cheonghoe Company, so please take that with you.”
“Ah. Yes.”
“And don’t worry, I have somewhere to go during that time.”
“Oh? Oh? Where are you going?”
“I need to go to Changun’gwan for three or four days to get a magical artifact. Don’t worry about security. The Sunset Sword of the Hongseong Clan and…”
“…Who?”
“The Sunset Sword, Hongryeon.”
Chae-jin’s expression changed subtly. Just like Hongryeon did before. Considering the relationship between the two, it wasn’t an incomprehensible reaction.
Anyway, they were rivals, and the Hongseong Clan and the Moonlight Pavilion had long regarded each other as adversaries.
“And the youngest disciple of the Hongseong Clan will also be coming along. I actually wanted to ask you about this, so it’s good that you came.”
“No, wait… A request?”
“Hmm. When we get the artifact from Changun’gwan, we need to install it. I can’t do it alone… It would be perfect if we did it together. Breath is important when installing and activating it. Remember what we did at Cha Mo’s inn? I think we had good synergy.”
Actually, I was planning to ask the Hongseong Clan to install this. In the Celestial Moon Order, people who practiced the same martial arts had to work together to install magical artifacts.
But when I saw Chae-jin and Chae practicing Tai Chi at Cha Mo’s inn, I thought the two of us could do it. I didn’t want to make the already busy Hongseong Clan do more work when they didn’t need to.
“Heh. Ah. Th-that. Ugh. Hehe. He. Hehehe. R-right? We do work well together, don’t we?! Ah! It was good back then, wasn’t it?”
I was too busy fighting to know for sure. If someone stronger than me thought it was good, then it must have been good.
“…Phew. But to Changun’gwan… You’re not going alone, are you?”
“I told you. The youngest disciple of the Hongseong Clan is coming too. Do you know her? Sa-yoon.”
“Yes. We’ve met a few times, and we talked a bit when we met on patrol. She’s a really nice kid.”
“Hmm. She said she’s never been to Changun’gwan before. I’m taking her along this time.”
“Oh… Is that so? Hmm… Well. She does take good care of her clan members…”
Chae-jin, who had been thinking with her mouth closed for a moment, nodded slightly.
“I understand. Then I should do it.”
She nodded her head in agreement and accepted my request. I felt bad for always burdening her.
“Thank you, always.”
Chae-jin, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped. She stared at me blankly, then burst into her characteristic confident laughter.
“Oh, Hahaha!! Ah, no, what are you talking about? This is nothing! I can do more, so don’t hesitate to ask!”
After saying that, Chae-jin left, looking quite happy and even humming.
Anyway, since Chae-jin said she would help… there shouldn’t be any problem with the installation. The rest was just going there safely.
The next day, early in the morning.
Since we had to leave early in the morning to arrive at Changun’gwan by evening, I told Hongryeon and Sa-yoon to come to the inn on time.
Therefore, when I finished preparing and went downstairs, I found Chae-jin already up and dressed casually.
“Why are you up so early? You should have slept more.”
“I should see you off.”
As she smiled and spoke to me, I heard footsteps near the entrance of the inn. It was a woman and a girl carrying luggage. Hongryeon and Sa-yoon.
“Hmm. Come in. Let’s have breakfast on the way. I made some Seomhwa Wraps. Put your luggage on the cart.”
Hongryeon and Sa-yoon loaded their luggage. And after I sat Sa-yoon on the cart, I looked behind me.
Hongryeon and Chae-jin. The two were facing each other, smiling without a word.
“Hello.”
“Hello.”
They greeted each other simultaneously, without averting their gazes. The rivalry between rivals was no joke. The atmosphere was intense.
The only saving grace was that neither of them had their hands on their weapons. Still, they both fought well even without weapons, so I had to stop them before things got out of hand.
“…Let’s save the duel for later.”
Only then did the two break eye contact and take a step back from each other. And Chae-jin spoke calmly, without losing her smile.
“Shall we set a date after you return? We’ll have to match it with your schedule, Innkeeper.”
“That sounds good.”
Hongryeon replied casually. After that, Chae-jin went inside, and Hongryeon got on the cart.
Well…
What to do about this atmosphere. I shook my head.
What else could I do?
This was something that had to be dealt with eventually, so I just had to make sure neither of them got seriously injured.
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