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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Wjin
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The night market of Palseon Village was quite famous in the Empire. Firstly, Changun Mountain, where Palseon Village was located, was a renowned spot frequented by those new to the martial world and followers of Taoism.
It was also the only village where people could stay to obtain sacred objects after donating a certain amount to Changun’gwan.
Although the sacred objects obtainable from Changun’gwan were imitations of the treasures of the Eight Taoist Immortals, the fact that they were made by spiritually powerful Taoist priests was enough to stir people’s hearts.
Even though everyone knew that the effects of the sacred objects could not be fully realized without proper installation.
Even so, people seeking to rely on the names of the Eight Immortals visited Changun Mountain to obtain these objects or to pray to the Eight Immortals, and they stayed in Palseon Village.
Because of this, Palseon Village, which could be considered small compared to Yangwi Fortress, was crowded with many people.
Where people gather, money gathers. Naturally, merchants targeting these people always set up stalls in the night market of Palseon Village.
The streets were lined with merchants selling weapons and accessories for martial artists new to the scene.
In addition, there were merchants who tried to attract the attention of non-martial artists by lighting colored lanterns to enhance the festive atmosphere. And many people, drawn by them, visited the night market.
When they arrived at the bustling market street, Sayun’s eyes widened.
She seemed to be busy looking around at the stalls set up here and there in the alleys and streets, the shops engaging in solicitation, and the strongmen breaking chains to sell unverified medicine, or even a monkey performing tricks.
“Sayun. You’ll get lost like that.”
As if to remind her, Hongryeon spoke calmly.
Only then did Sayun come to her senses, nod, and naturally take Hongryeon’s hand. It seemed she was worried about getting lost, captivated by the crowds and the splendor of the shops.
“Can I buy gifts for my master and senior disciples here?”
Carefully putting her hand into the money pouch in her bosom, Sayun spoke with concern. It seemed she intended to use the silver coins I had sent her.
“Of, of course, I’ve saved enough to buy sweets from the Seomhwa Village’s shop!”
“Haha. Is that so? But I can provide sweets. I came along this time, so I have to repay you. Of course, I’ll pay the escort fee separately.”
“No… you’ve already paid for the travel expenses.”
“Don’t worry about that. Sunset Sword. Will you accept?”
“Ummm… well. If it’s more comfortable to give and take, then sure. Honestly, we’ve received so much that I would have just done this for free.”
No way. I just smiled at her weak answer, and in the end, Hongryeon just smiled back.
“Then let’s take a look around first. If there’s anything you want to eat, don’t hesitate to tell me. Most things sold at the night market aren’t that expensive.”
It wasn’t a lie, it was true. Generally, everything could be had for just a few coins. Of course, if they were still hungry after eating, they could always go back to the inn to eat, so there was no need to worry.
“Uh… Yes!”
Hesitantly, Sayun smiled and nodded vigorously at my gaze. Good.
“Sunset Sword. You too.”
“Hehe. Alright.”
Although there were many people, Hongryeon and Sayun didn’t bump into them or get blocked. They were simply avoiding them by using the movement techniques of the Hongseong Divine Arts.
“Hehe. Isn’t this good training?”
“Well, I can’t say it’s not.”
Hongryeon was right. When they had walked about halfway, she changed her steps, as if to show off, from the Hongseong Divine Art’s movement technique to a different one.
Just by roughly imitating it, they were able to avoid bumping into others or getting blocked.
“Do you know the Chae family’s Tai Chi?”
“Not perfectly, but I know the routines and forms. That’s enough to teach you. Hehe. How many times do you think I’ve fought with Chae-jin?”
Well, that’s true. When it comes to martial arts, if you don’t know it, you get hit. Since they were rivals, she would have naturally studied it to some extent as a countermeasure.
Anyway, as we followed her movements and entered further in, the crowd thinned out. Only when we reached a place where we could walk comfortably did Hongryeon release Sayun’s hand.
“You should practice your footwork more when you get back.”
“Ugh. Yes.”
Hongryeon lightly scolded her for bumping into people a few times on the way. That didn’t seem particularly offensive or strange. Hongryeon’s voice was more like that of a mentor giving advice than a reprimand.
“Alright. Then shall we get something to eat here? Ah. There are mooncakes over there. Sayun, do you like mooncakes?”
A type of pastry made by baking a filling of red bean paste and nuts inside a flour dough. I asked after seeing them, but there seemed to be no need for an answer.
Sayun’s eyes were shining without her realizing it. She quickly tried to manage her expression when she realized it herself, but it was too late. I bought three and gave one to each of them.
“It’s better to eat them while they’re warm.”
“Uh. Thank you.”
“Mmm. This is delicious.”
Hongryeon seemed to have quickly given up and decided to enjoy herself. Unlike the hesitant Sayun, she was munching on mooncakes in both hands, which didn’t quite match her usually elegant appearance.
The contrast made me laugh without realizing it, and Hongryeon grumbled with a slightly reddened face.
“Wh, what can I do? I like mooncakes too.”
“I’m not scolding you, so don’t worry.”
And I could understand Hongryeon’s feelings. Since Sayun was hesitant and watching her, she ate first. At least to make her think that it was okay since even the head disciple was doing it.
I looked at Hongryeon with a affectionate gaze, and she became embarrassed and started munching on the mooncakes again.
“Mmm…”
Only then did she take a bite. Sayun took a big bite of the mooncake and her eyes sparkled. She seemed to like it quite a bit.
“Alright. Then shall we go eat something else?”
Of course, we couldn’t just eat since we had come all this way. In the Celestial Moon Order, there were often cases where people found rare items at the night market in Palseon Village.
Of course, it required luck. But you never know.
As we looked around, we walked leisurely, and when we found something edible, we bought it and shared it. It was a peaceful feeling I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Even though there were a lot of people.
“Ah.”
At that moment, Hongryeon stopped. Her eyes had fallen on a shop selling threads, fabrics, needles, and dolls.
Perhaps because it had not only ordinary threads but also threads and fabrics from various regions of the Empire, Hongryeon couldn’t take her eyes off the shop, looking at them with wonder.
“Do you want to take a look?”
“Huh? Ah, no. Let’s go. I’m the only one interested in that stuff…”
“Then wait here for a moment. Sayun and I will go to the shop over there.”
“Uh… there.”
The gift Sayun wanted to buy for her senior disciples, the one she had been thinking about all the way here, was incense.
The Hongseong Clan was located on Hongseong Mountain, where the Cheonil Plum Blossoms were always in bloom, so they could always enjoy the fragrance of the Cheonil Plum Blossoms.
But even the same fragrance can become boring if you smell it for too long, right?
So she wanted to buy incense with a different, pleasant scent.
Then we had to buy it.
“It won’t take long. If we’re next to you, Sunset Sword, you won’t be able to look properly, will you?”
“Uh… Tha, that’s true. Then just for a moment… Can I ask you a favor?”
Hongryeon apologized, and I shook my head.
There were many things to apologize for.
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She’s strangely considerate, that person. Hongryeon thought as she watched Yuwol enter the shop on the opposite side with Sayun.
He pretends not to, but he’s meticulous in his observations, and it makes her heart flutter.
Anyway, since she had gained some time thanks to his consideration, she should choose quickly. She wanted to add more threads for the other disciples’ clothes and for the new clothes they would make.
And she wanted to look at some good threads to make clothes for Yuwol later.
Moreover, the prices at this shop were surprisingly cheap, so if she could buy them, it would be better to buy them here.
“Why are the threads here so cheap? Are they defective?”
“Defective, my foot. They’re threads from other regions, so they’re not commonly used here.”
In other words, they were clearing out inventory. That made it even better. Hongryeon smiled and put threads, needles, and other things into the basket. This should be enough, right?
“My, my. The young lady is only buying good things. You have a good eye. How about the Cheonghongjeoksa? The man earlier. He seemed sturdy and reliable. Isn’t he your husband? The child you were with looked like your daughter. This is good for making clothes for your family, it brings good health…”
“Ah. No, we’re not.”
“If you don’t like Cheonghongjeoksa, how about this? When men wear clothes made with this fabric and thread, they look incredibly handsome.”
“Oh, oh.”
“Or how about this? It’s called Hwiseongsa (Glorious Holy Silk)… When you embroider with this, the colors are incredibly beautiful.”
Hwiseongsa was a thread that Hongryeon also knew about. It was a thread that could only be obtained from the silkworms of Hwisan that fed on precious starlight mulberry leaves.
As the shop owner said, if you embroidered with that thread, the colors were truly beautiful, like embroidering stars.
The problem was that it wasn’t easy to handle that thread. It was weaker than other threads, so it tended to snap easily if you applied even a little force.
In other words, to use that thread properly, you needed to have embroidery skills that reached the heavens, or you had to be able to use your inner energy to protect the thread while embroidering.
Even within the Martial Alliance, only a very small number of those interested in embroidery could handle that thread.
Still, as the owner said, if you could embroider well with that thread, a special blessing would be placed on the clothes. If used well, it could create a truly wonderful item.
If used well.
“Tsk.”
This shop owner had never met anyone who could use it well, so she had just kept it in storage. It could be considered inventory, but Hongryeon shook her head as she looked at the Hwiseongsa.
It was good, but it was expensive.
“Why don’t you ask your husband to buy it for you? He looks like he has some money. Ah. The young lady doesn’t know this. If you embroider with this and give it to your husband, or make him clothes, it would be perfect, wouldn’t it? If you make it really well, he might even like it more, saying it was worth the money. You know how men are, they like to go out to work wearing clothes made by their wives and brag and all that.”
“He’s, he’s not my husband.”
“He’s not? You two seemed so close, I thought you were a couple.”
You two seemed so close.
The shop owner’s words lingered in her heart.
“Anyway… then shall I just calculate these for you?”
Hongryeon hesitated for a moment, then nodded. And.
“You bought everything?”
“Oh my.”
While the shop owner was packing things inside, Yuwol and Sayun approached. Seeing the incense in their hands, Hongryeon smiled.
“You bought only good things. I can already smell the fragrance.”
“Hehe. The innkeeper knows a lot about incense.”
“What is it that he doesn’t know?”
“Only the things I know. By the way… Isn’t this Hwiseongsa? I heard that if you embroider with this, you can make a good item.”
“…You know about this too?”
“To the extent that if you use it well, you can receive a special blessing. But why are you just looking at it? With your skills, I think you could handle it.”
“Ahaha… It’s the price, and also.”
Hongryeon remembered the shop owner’s words from earlier.
Husband.
Wife.
A good match.
Her heart started beating faster for no reason, and her face heated up.
“Shopkeeper. Give me this too.”
“Huk!”
Before the surprised Hongryeon could stop him, the shop owner smiled slyly. As if saying, why are you two lying when you’re in that kind of relationship.
She should have said it was a misunderstanding, but her lips wouldn’t move.
So, in the end, the only words she could utter were.
“Tha… tha, thank you.”
“Don’t mention it. If you’re really grateful.”
Yuwol pointed casually at the Hwiseongsa.
“Make something with that. If it’s made by the Sunset Sword, it will surely be something good.”
Hongryeon closed her eyes.
As if making a decision, she took a deep breath and opened her mouth.
“Alright. I’ll give you a gift.”
And, opening her eyes, she stared straight at him.
“My best work.”
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Hongryeon is so sweet 🥹