Dudu dudu dudu!!
Kyaaaa!!!
Hahaha!!!
The day after the festival’s excitement faded, I decided to see off Miss Yeo Il-ye as she set off to catch the remaining enemies.
But what’s that noise?
What else could it be but the last stand of a curious cat? At the celebration, Tang Do-yeon had managed to hook the black cat, who was showing curiosity towards Bicheongmacha.
And the result is the current scene. The black cat is screaming while Tang Do-yeon is cheering. It’s a fantastical duet unfolding right now.
Even on the relatively flat ground, Bicheongmacha and the black cat are leaping one or two meters at a time, their screams fading beyond the horizon. I spotted the Bicheongmacha climbing up a hill in the distance.
Save meeeeee!!
The black cat desperately realizing the value of life declares it to the heavens. The figure of the Bicheongmacha and the black cat’s screams vanished over the hill. Well, they’ll probably come back after a while.
Miss Yeo Il-ye silently observed this scene before speaking.
“Hmm… It was a good decision to decline after all.”
Tang Do-yeon had offered Bicheongmacha to Miss Yeo Il-ye as well, but she politely declined, citing her injuries. No matter how much Tang Do-yeon insisted, it seems even he couldn’t pressure someone who had lost their eyesight.
“Did you pack your healing ointment? Disinfectant? You have enough travel money, right? And plenty of bandages…”
“I’ve packed everything, so don’t worry.”
Miss Yeo Il-ye gently brushed off Hyeok Gi-rin’s concerns. A new sword was firmly strapped to her left waist. It was the sword that Yeong Ji-hu-yeol had asked me to deliver last night.
It looked like it cost quite a bit. Perhaps, it was chosen from the top quality swords available in Sacheon City.
She’s using her beloved sword and receiving a new one from Yeong Ji-hu-yeol after devouring both of their old swords; I can’t quite comprehend the emotions of martial artists… But, well, since the parties reached an agreement, I suppose it’s not something I should meddle in.
“Especially, the travel money should be ample.”
Miss Yeo Il-ye’s gaze briefly skimmed over me. I had set aside 70 nyang out of the 273 nyang shewn for her share.
Miss Yeo Il-ye was adamant about not accepting that money.
She reluctantly accepted it when reminded of where the power of Hwang Geum-seon came from.
She believes that having just one sword will make it easy to track down the remaining enemies, but, I wonder… There are many problems that can’t be solved with martial arts alone.
When faced with challenges that can’t be resolved through martial arts, money can provide an excellent alternative route.
“Black cat Miss diligently conducted thorough investigations regarding my enemies. I wanted to express my gratitude one last time… but I find myself unable to deliver my words to the honorable person.”
“Hmm. I will convey it.”
“Hoho. Well then, it seems I truly must take my leave.”
“Hmm… This Tang’s Descendant wishes you well in your great endeavor.”
“Thank you. I, too, will never forget the help from the Tang Clan.”
Tang Do-gyeong, now fully aware of Miss Yeo Il-ye’s circumstances, treated her with deep respect as it seemed to touch his heart.
“Safe travels.”
“Yes. I hope the honorable person remains unscathed until my return.”
Is it certain I’ll return? That thought is a bit scary.
With that, Miss Yeo Il-ye departed from Sacheon City. Since Big Brother was watching behind, she could’ve waved back, but she left without looking back.
That silhouette felt just like Miss Yeo Il-ye. Hyeok Gi-rin seemed to feel the same, as he quietly observed her retreat without calling out to her.
“…Still, she could’ve waved at least once.”
With Hyeok Gi-rin’s last lingering disappointment, Miss Yeo Il-ye’s figure slowly turned into a dot and disappeared.
“So what are you planning to do, Brother?”
“I suppose I’ll have to stay in Sacheon City until this matter is wrapped up. Hehe. It feels a bit odd to say this, but due to hidden weapons training and new martial arts, it’s been hard to breathe lately, but now I can finally take a breather.”
“Hmm.”
In the distance, a shape resembling Bicheongmacha began to appear. Seeing no screams coming from it hinted at the state of the black cat.
“Haa~ how refreshing.”
Tang Do-yeon appeared to have aged about two years younger between the two intervals. Tang Do-gyeong frowned and shook his head, but who knows? The runaway young man, Tang Do-gyeong, might not even have the right to act that way towards Tang Do-yeon.
Upon opening the door, there lay the collapsed black cat on the floor.
“Haha, speaking of which, Hyeok Gi-rin the Great Hero, shouldn’t you return to Jeomchang? The Governor needs to handle things here for a bit; should I escort you?”
Hyeok Gi-rin turned pale.
“I too must remain in Sacheon City for a while longer! I have matters to discuss with the Governor, and it seems he will be busy for a while!”
“Hmm. In that case, it seems you’ll be returning later than us. What a pity.”
Tang Do-yeon licked his lips, having missed his meal. Even after dealing with one person just now, it seems he’s still hungry.
Inside Sacheon City, they decided to use Bicheongmacha. Right now, the popularity of Tang Do-yeon and Tang Do-gyeong was at its peak. Even if they were to walk by, with the crowd present, who knew if they would reach Samayeom’s mansion by the end of the day?
“It’s Miss Tang Do-yeon!”
“Wow!! It’s Man Pyeonhwa Tang Do-yeon!!”
Tang Do-yeon, who barely had a nickname, was now being called Man Pyeonhwa. Regardless, she returned home receiving ardent support from the people of Sacheon.
“It’s tomorrow, right?”
“If all goes well, that’s the plan.”
Tomorrow, all the scandals brought about by Hwang Geum-seon’s gang will be fully revealed. A storm of shock will surely strike Sacheon City because of it. This city will be turned upside down, and additionally, some incidents may arise.
For instance, if the Jang Bong Mun finds out about the schemes plotted against them by Ja Jang Mun, they might get infuriated and storm into Jang Bong Mun. If the Sacheon Merchant Association learns that Hwang Geum-seon, the head of the Hwang Gold Clan and a pillar of their organization, colluded with bandits to mastermind this incident, nobody could predict how the angry public sentiment would shift.
The Hwang Clan, Gae Myung-bu, and Yu Ji-gyeong, regardless of their natures, are all figures who have influenced the history of Sacheon City significantly since the Outcast Faction disappeared. The effect of Hwang Geum-seon on the merchant community must be immense.
Just like when Gae Myung-bu used his connections and wealth to attempt to overthrow Tang Su Mun and Ja Jang Mun, trying to change the landscape of the sects in Sacheon City.
Suddenly, I became curious.
The person who mobilized outcasts to bring down Tang Su Mun and Ja Jang Mun was Gae Myung-bu. However, Gae Myung-bu is merely… a copycat. The first demon to initiate the disastrous event known as the Yeongji Sect’s Zhuoqing incident; a sufficient act to label him as diabolical at that time.
Who could that person be?
*
“Hm.”
The man fell into deep thought.
“Sacheon Martial World maintains a rather rare form in this martial world.”
The Tang Clan’s eccentric behavior that swept away the Outcast Faction, as well as the Hwangbo Clan, Jeomchang, Ami, and Cheongseong Jongnam lending a hand.
The forces representing the Righteous Faction. Nine Great Sects and Five Great Clans. Among the fifteen most notable factions in the vast Central Plains, six are based in Sacheon. One could say more than a third of the Righteous Faction’s power is concentrated in Sacheon.
“Only Sacheon City can create chaos in a place where an abnormally large number of Righteous Faction forces are gathered.”
I didn’t have high expectations. After all, the martial world operates on the logic of strength. Still, I thought I might yield some modest results if I plant a seed and wait ten or fifteen years, so I sowed a few seeds.
Even a worthless thing, if you give it some gold and time, you’d expect something from it.
“In the end, worthless ones will remain worthless, no matter how much time passes.”
Although Sacheon City was built upon a structure where chaos struggles to grow, the only place outside of Sacheon where the seeds of chaos might take root was Sacheon City itself. I chose that place out of sheer lack of options.
“I thought it was surprisingly holding up but eventually got uprooted all at once.”
“There’s something unusual.”
“What is it?”
“There’s an outcast deeply involved in this incident.”
The man accepted the document from his subordinate and chuckled.
“What? Just in their early twenties at best being considered first-rate? Should I care about someone like that?”
“I’m so sorry! However, it’s unusual… there are indications they’ve been deeply involved in this situation.”
When the subordinate felt the man’s glare, he immediately bowed down.
“Surely, there could be talents beyond martial arts. But the sequence of events in Sacheon City is quite simple. In the end, they had no power to deal with Jeomchang’s repercussions and lacked the strength to eliminate Miss Yeo Il-ye, which led to their downfall. Don’t you think so?”
“I-I’m really sorry!”
“You’ve done your job, so I’m not chiding you. But I am a bit disappointed in your judgment.”
The man sighed inwardly, looking at his sweating subordinate, who kept his head down. He thought they had potential if they were slightly less skilled but had a quick mind. But in the end, had they not shook off the mindset of the weak?
There’s a saying about a thousand thoughtful errors, but that perspective was for the weak. True strong individuals will always showcase their worth in any circumstance. Just as the worthless ones were plucked out like weeds, the weak would naturally be eliminated.
Caring for those who would fall off on their own is merely a waste.
“Focus the attention on those in power. Make sure to watch over the peak stage individuals like Tang Do-gyeong, Tang Do-yeon, Yeo Il-ye, and Hyeok Gi-rin. They might very well pose a threat to our grand ambitions.”
“Honor!”
“Everything is for the great ambition.”
“Everything for the great ambition!”
Once upon a time, the man known as Pyo Chang-gi calmly placed his fist over his heart.
