“Suddenly, my mother is said to be seriously ill?”
After introducing the group, my mother-in-law shot me a fearsome glare. I completely shrank under her gaze, becoming a mere observer of the floor patterns created by the artisans, and for the next few days, I just hunkered down in the inn, watching for signs.
It had been a few days since Black Cat stepped up to resolve the misunderstanding.
Today, I was considering a visit to my mother-in-law, thinking the misunderstanding had cleared up when I heard from the group that she had come by to greet them… only to suddenly fall ill.
Black Cat shrugged as if there was nothing to be done.
“Just hold on for another day or two, Senior.”
“Tsk. Yeah.”
Reluctantly, I restrained my urge to complain and patted Seo Gong’s head. Seo Gong wriggled, full of complaints, but I had no intention of letting him go. If I turned my back, he’d scamper off and return covered in dirt from digging holes, leaving me in a position where I’d be caught peeking and waiting for my mother-in-law’s attention.
“Stop digging holes, you rascal.”
Squeak squeak squeak!
Seo Gong protested vehemently. Being born a rat, it seemed that digging was something he could never compromise on.
Anyway, I reached into my pocket to get some Spirit Herb to quiet Seo Gong’s noise, but found nothing. Had I fed him all that Spirit Herb already?
I handed the still-crying Seo Gong over to Miss Yeo Il-ye.
“Are you going out?”
“Just to buy some Spirit Herb and get some fresh air.”
“Ah, yes. You’ve been cooped up in your room for days, must be frustrating.”
“Bring back some rice crackers!”
“Sure.”
Getting ready to head out was simple. I slipped off my usual robes, laid down my Great Sword, and strapped on my saber at my waist.
As I stepped out of the inn and started to walk leisurely, the streets soon buzzed with people. Food stalls lined the way, and shops selling trinkets and souvenirs had multiplied significantly.
There were fans illustrated with famous poets’ verses and paintings of Dongjeong Lake. There were also the high-end products that echo the atmosphere of great authors.
Looking at such things made me want to see the scenic Dongjeong Lake as well, but I shook my head.
After all, I planned to stay in this Ak-yang for as long as Black Cat wanted. Better to enjoy the sights with my companions than to wander around alone looking pitiful.
Plus, I really had to be cautious even about falling leaves right now.
Mother-in-law, finely aware of all my background and gossip, would be the last person I wanted to worry about.
I could easily imagine being caught wandering near Dongjeong Lake, and then hearing, “Oh, so you went to Dongjeong Lake while out there? Did you have a delightful time with those charming young ladies?”
Just the thought of it made me shake!
In such a situation, with her already having a strong preconceived notion of me, it was an entirely possible event. So I decided to just swing by the herbal medicine shop and head back right away.
As I walked along, something caught my eye.
This Ak-yang is the biggest tourist spot in the Central Plains.
What’s essential for being properly treated in such a tourist destination?
Clothing.
Typically, those genuinely powerful and influential don’t need to dress extravagantly. People naturally recognize true power.
But here, in Ak-yang, things are different.
In this wide Central Plains where countless folks converge, who could tell who anyone was? Whether they were high-ranking officials from Nangyang, famous martial artists from Shanxi, or influential merchants from Anhui, the locals have no clue.
So for people in Ak-yang, the standards for treating outsiders are all about clothing.
If you’re dressed in expensive clothes, you’re someone important. If you’re in cheap martial attire, you’re a nobody.
Who wants to be looked down upon in a cheerful tourist spot? Folks are ready to spend their meager savings on flashy clothes.
Given this state of affairs, the people wandering in Ak-yang were dressed to the nines.
The problem was that quite a few of those bedecked individuals were wearing black bamboo hats.
What is a black bamboo hat, you ask?
It’s simply a bamboo hat painted black. So why paint the bamboo black? To hide the fact that the bamboo isn’t of high quality.
Bamboo isn’t regarded as a precious material anywhere in the Central Plains. The black bamboo hat is nothing but the lowest quality of what’s available.
And yet, those in high-end attire were wearing such cheap black hats.
It was clearly a bizarre contradiction, putting such thoughts in my head:
Could it be that rumors of my presence in Ak-yang had spread? The word that the Brain Knife Outcast Great Hero came to Dongjeong Lake—could it be causing such a fashion trend for the outcasts?
I needed to investigate.
To clear my doubts, I stepped into a shop selling black bamboo hats piled high.
“Excuse me, Innkeeper. I’ve noticed quite a few folks in Ak-yang wearing black bamboo hats—any idea why?”
“Oh! Martial Artist! Who could it be when we speak of black bamboo hats? Why, it’s the emblematic Sacheon Outcast, isn’t it? The Brain Knife Outcast Great Hero, Ho Cheon-an! Everyone’s wearing black hats out of admiration for him!”
I suspected I wasn’t the only one asking such questions; the shopkeeper recited the answer like a robot.
But I needed more than such a cliché answer, so I slipped a silver tael into his hand and asked again.
“What I’m asking is, why is there specifically a wave of black bamboo hat fashion here in Ak-yang? I haven’t heard of the Brain Knife Outcast having any ties to this place, and it piques my interest.”
After receiving the silver tael, the shopkeeper perked up and looked around before whispering in my ear.
“Actually, there’s a rumor that the Brain Knife Outcast visited the sights of Dongjeong Lake.”
He didn’t just come to see, but he had come to see before?
“The Great Hero, the Brain Knife Outcast, was said to fall in love with Dongjeong Lake at first sight, shedding tears at having to leave this beautiful lake. To ease that sorrow, he reportedly took off his black bamboo hat and tossed it into the lake.”
What the hell is this nonsense?
I was left speechless, my mouth hanging open in disbelief.
“Isn’t that just wonderfully romantic? Recently, those who visit Dongjeong Lake are throwing black bamboo hats into the lake to honor the Great Hero’s wishes!”
“…Oh, really.”
“Why don’t you visit Dongjeong Lake wearing a bamboo hat and gift a black hat to the beautiful scenery that captured the Heart of the Brain Knife Outcast? Right now, I can offer a special price of just 50 coins!”
I promptly declined and stepped out.
“Oh boy.”
I was half expecting my movements had been exposed, but it turned out to be just typical merchants’ ploys.
I shifted my steps towards the herbal medicine shop, sorting through my thoughts.
Right now, Black Cat is having the happiest time ever, sharing moments with my mother-in-law.
But this happiness was precarious and could break at any moment.
Why? Because the reasons for Black Cat having no choice but to leave the place and for now not returning were still very much alive.
What troubles had existed when Black Cat had lived here before?
Since Black Cat had not shared her past with me, I also had no idea what worries were keeping her from reuniting with her mother.
However, considering Black Cat had been the owner of Wolbok-dang before meeting me, the challenges surrounding her couldn’t be trivial.
Even with the world’s best access to information, what couldn’t be resolved meant serious matters were at hand.
That’s why I reacted so sensitively to the black bamboo hats. If word got out that I, the Brain Knife Outcast, had visited Ak-yang and was staying at the inn, all eyes would be on the inn.
And if attention focused on my inn, the fact that So Yeon-hwa, who had mysteriously disappeared, was back would soon surface.
If news of Black Cat’s return spreads in Ak-yang, naturally, the problems she dreaded would also resurface.
As I imagined, the bliss of our small pocket of happiness would soon break in just a few days.
Should I ask Black Cat what had happened in her past anyway?
That thought flickered through my mind, but I shook my head.
Black Cat had been smiling brighter than ever for these past few days, and I didn’t want to rekindle the past and disrupt that happiness.
Ultimately, resolving the issues surrounding Black Cat was for her happiness. Isn’t it better to enjoy happiness even for a day than to worry early on?
With that thought in mind, I filled my herb pouch and returned to the inn.
“Make way! I’m here to deal with the villain, the Brain Knife Outcast!”
I spotted a ruckus in front of the inn with quite a number of people in tow, causing a commotion.
—
What’s the biggest sect in Ak-yang?
If you asked, most would probably reply, “Cheon-ho Sect.”
Cheon-ho Sect.
With hundreds of disciples alone and thousands counting former students, it was a massive sect.
Ak-yang, where countless folks gather, was exceedingly wealthy, and Cheon-ho Sect, absorbing that wealth, dwarfed ordinary sects in size.
With over five hundred active disciples and thousands of former students, Cheon-ho Sect was unrivaled when compared to other sects.
Naturally, being a colossal sect, Cheon-ho Sect wielded immense influence in Ak-yang.
Recently, the gossip master of Cheon-ho Sect, Dong Bo-wi, wasn’t feeling very good.
To cheer him up, his followers and young disciples kept chattering.
“Brother Dong, they say a lovely new lady has come to Sangseoru today! Won’t you join us?”
“Gossip Master, they say the merchants of Ye-rim Association are setting up a meeting—what shall we do?”
However, upon hearing their suggestions, Dong Bo-wi frowned even more.
“Is that all you’re worth? Do you think I, Dong Bo-wi, have time to waste on trivial matters like that?”
“I-I’m sorry…”
“I failed to understand the profound intentions of the Gossip Master! Please forgive me!”
The bowed disciples and followers swore internally, cursing him. As a martial artist consumed by indulgence and pleasures, what else could he be good for?
“Are you all still oblivious?”
His followers remained silent, not grasping Dong Bo-wi’s desires while he clicked his tongue in frustration watching them.
“Those monstrosities floating around Dongjeong Lake these days!”
Dong Bo-wi thought of the black bamboo hats floating around Dongjeong Lake. Those hats were merely proof of the fame that the Brain Knife Outcast, Ho Cheon-an, had attained.
With just the baseless rumor that the Brain Knife Outcast threw a black bamboo hat into Dongjeong Lake, countless individuals were buying hats to toss into the water!
“What’s so great about that guy?”
He’s just a lucky outcast, isn’t he? Winning against another outcast doesn’t mean he gets to bask in such notoriety backed by the Heavenly Demon Sect, does it?
“How could such a lowly outcast’s gossip mar the very floor of Ak-yang and ruin the view of Dongjeong Lake? What are you all thinking?”
Only then did the followers begin to understand Dong Bo-wi’s tangled feelings and opened their mouths.
“Exactly! Why are people fawning over an outcast who’ll soon be revealed for what he truly is?”
“How unfortunate. If there were someone like Jeong Cheol in Ak-yang, the Gossip Master would have cut him down in an instant!”
“Since he’s associated with the Heavenly Demon Sect, he must certainly be a wicked martial artist using unscrupulous means to gain his false reputation.”
Only then did Dong Bo-wi’s face lighten up a bit. However, he still displayed discomfort, continuously fanning himself as the followers brainstormed ways to lighten his mood.
As they pondered, one follower recalled a certain rumor.
“Say, have you perhaps heard the rumors of So-ga Pamokjeom?”
“So-ga Pamokjeom?”
Upon mentioning that name, Dong Bo-wi immediately thought of So Yeon-hwa. It had been over ten years since he last saw her, yet her image still lingered in his mind.
He had planned to propose once he got a bit older, but hearing she had gone missing had left him utterly disappointed.
Having met countless beautiful women since gaining influence as the Gossip Master of Cheon-ho Sect, none compared to the beauty of So Yeon-hwa he remembered from his youth.
“What’s up with So-ga Pamokjeom? Hurry up and tell me.”
Convinced that he had captured Dong Bo-wi’s interest, the excited follower continued.
“Just a few days ago, a high-end carriage entered So-ga Pamokjeom.”
“That’s quite usual, isn’t it? Get to the good part!”
“The real twist is coming now. After the high-end carriage entered, So-ga Pamokjeom has been closed for business! The place known for its diligence is shut tight.”
“Hmm.”
“It’s quite strange, right? Plus, here’s the really suspicious part.”
“What is it? Stop dragging it out!”
“The couple who visited So-ga Pamokjeom in that fancy carriage included a person wearing a black bamboo hat!”
“What?!”
Dong Bo-wi’s reaction made the follower smile to himself. The true rumor had been that a man and a stunning beauty had been frequenting So-ga Pamokjeom, of which one was wearing a black bamboo hat, but what did it matter?
Rumors are inherently vague.
Oblivious to these underlying motives, Dong Bo-wi shot up from his seat and shouted,
“That person! It must be the Brain Knife Outcast! That immoral guy dares to covet Ak-yang, which I protect!”
Even as he yelled, Dong Bo-wi was well aware that there was a 99% chance that the person wearing the black bamboo hat wasn’t the Brain Knife Outcast. Why would the actual Brain Knife Outcast be in Ak-yang, and why would he be at So-ga Pamokjeom for days?
The one in a black hat was likely just a trend follower.
But for Dong Bo-wi, that didn’t matter. What mattered was that the rumor shared by his follower provided a perfect way for him to demonstrate his valor and show he was no less than the Brain Knife Outcast.
“Let’s go! I’ll deal with that immoral guy right now!”
Thus, Dong Bo-wi took his followers and made trouble in front of So-ga Pamokjeom.
“Make way! I’m here to deal with the villain, the Brain Knife Outcast!”
The
Ho Cheon-an, who had just bought some Spirit Herb, ran into Dong Bo-wi.
