The Express Delivery Agency!
It’s easy to think of the express delivery agency as just a logistics company that transports goods, but in reality, it’s a business that encompasses transportation, insurance, and security services.
Why would someone trust the agency with their goods? It’s because the agency is responsible for any incidents like damage or theft that may occur during transportation.
Some agencies go beyond mere compensation and offer insurance benefits. If you lose your goods, fail your delivery, or don’t complete your delivery within the set time, they’ll return more than the value of the items.
For merchants, simply compensating the cost of the goods if they fail to send or receive items doesn’t qualify as real compensation. Also, just like I requested, they take responsibility for the safe travel of people in exchange for money.
Thus, just operating such an agency gives it a level of power that most small sects wouldn’t dare to rival.
To start an express delivery agency, you need a minimum level of reputation and a deposit to secure transportation of goods. Not only that, but you also need personnel and equipment to transport those goods, so meeting the minimum requirements to put up a sign for an “Express Delivery Agency” isn’t easy at all.
So, being the child of the well-off owner of the Yunnan Express Delivery Agency could be likened to being born with a silver spoon in your mouth.
Ha Seon-su looked like he was dressed in a luxurious silk robe. It seemed more appropriate for a high-class gathering or special event, but here he was, dressed to the nines as he started his journey to Yunnan, looking like a total show-off.
Heh.
The Black Cat silently nodded in agreement.
It was a clear indication of refusal, but he didn’t care and struck up a conversation.
“My dear young lady, it troubles my heart to see you traveling in such a rough cart. How about moving to my carriage instead?”
“Haha, I’m sorry, Great Hero, but my younger sibling has quite the picky disposition, so that might be difficult.”
Right now, the Black Cat and I were disguised. We were just travelers.
It was best to set the relationship as siblings. Simply saying we were companions felt too weak, and labeling ourselves as lovers would be too risky for me.
“Oh, I see… What is your name, Brother Officer?”
“My apologies for not introducing myself sooner. I go by Geum Busan.”
When I create a pseudonym, I tend to pull from the name of a city. So, I combined “Kim” and “Busan” to become Geum Busan, while the Black Cat’s pseudonym is Geum Seoul.
There’s no special reason; it’s just that there are times in life when you need to hide your identity. If that happens and you need to think of a pseudonym on the spot, how awkward would it be if you suddenly said, “Oh, I’m just Kim Whatever”?
Names like Seoul, Daejeon, Daegu, and Busan all roll off the tongue quite easily.
“Haha, I understand. If you find it uncomfortable at any time, don’t hesitate to let me know, and I’ll accommodate you.”
“Oh, yes, thank you.”
Ha Seon-su seemed to be very curious to hear the Black Cat’s voice, glancing her way insistently, but she remained silent and unresponsive.
Seeing Ha Seon-su’s eyebrows twitch slightly, it was evident that he was feeling a bit annoyed.
However, he soon smiled and returned to his luxurious carriage.
“Hmmm…”
The situation wasn’t looking too good. Normally, travelers would follow along. So, I expected there would be many accompanying travelers, but it seemed only the two of us were here.
It would be helpful if someone helped turn Ha Seon-su’s unreasonable persistence into a scene of public disapproval.
“How annoying.”
The Black Cat spoke calmly.
“Ha Seon-su from the Southern Express Delivery Agency is famous in Sacheon as a notorious troublemaker. I don’t think he will give up easily.”
“Hmmm. Should we just slip away?”
“For now, let’s go as far as we can.”
As enduring any discomfort was the Black Cat’s responsibility, I decided to heed her opinion.
“If it gets unbearable, just say so.”
“I’m fine. Anyway, guys like that usually cling to you wherever you go.”
“Hmm.”
Being a beauty seems quite tiring.
The Black Cat wore a hat with a brim instead of her usual black ribbon, modifying the fabric that usually covered her face.
When I asked why she didn’t just wear it like this all the time since it looked much more comfortable, she said it was inconvenient as it blocked her view.
Since she couldn’t openly flaunt the Black Shadow Qi Technique, it seemed she chose a backup plan.
The Black Cat tapped my shoulder.
“Brother Geum, share some stories about the Tang Clan.”
Her soft voice was filled with a hint of amusement as if trying to lift the mood, so I matched her serious expression and replied,
“Oh dear, didn’t I say this was confidential?”
“Is there really any secret that can’t be told to a sibling? Come on, spill it.”
I chuckled quietly. Her sibling act was quite convincing.
“Ahem, will you promise to keep it a secret?”
“Would I spill family secrets like that? Now, do share~”
While it would be tough to discuss matters concerning the Tang Family Head, sharing experiences about riding the Bicheongmacha or talking about Tang Rye-ah wouldn’t be too bad, would it?
“Do you remember the cart we rode when we parted ways?”
* *
“Phew.”
Miss Yeo Il-ye let out a sigh as she rushed up the mountain path. With the vast amount of internal energy she had once she reached the Peak Stage, she was being propelled forward at each step.
‘I never expected the journey to Yunnan would be this lengthy.’
The trip was dragging on too long. Besides, it was critical to pay the sword price to her benefactor, and it had been too long since she left the sect, causing the Jeomchang to worry.
‘Who would have thought the Poison Doctor would visit Hyeong Gwi-san?’
What a strange twist of fate.
Upon reaching Hyeong Gwi-san, Miss Yeo Il-ye went right to the mountain stronghold, but the door was firmly shut, and the bandits were unusually tight-lipped and alert.
After observing for a day, she confirmed that there was no expert within the hideout.
In her quest to figure out the cause, as she moved around Hyeong Gwi-san, she crossed paths with the Poison Doctor.
And upon facing the Poison Doctor, Yeo Il-ye quickly understood the situation; since the Poison Doctor had temporarily settled in the realm of the 개왕채 Faction, the Mo Yeobu was hiding in fear.
Having no way to deal with the Poison Doctor, Yeo Il-ye had no choice but to retreat and wait. Upon consulting with Jeon Hu-dam, they decided to divide their roles; Yeo Il-ye would stay at the nearest inn to monitor the hideout’s activity, while Jeon Hu-dam would leave to figure out where Mo Yeobu had gone.
Even the closest inn wasn’t a leisurely distance — an ordinary person would take a whole day to walk there. For someone with vast internal energy like Yeo Il-ye, it still took over two hours while sweating profusely.
Finally, she arrived at the observation point she usually monitored for the 개왕채.
‘Looks like things have changed.’
Observing all along, Yeo Il-ye noticed that the numbers in the 개왕채 had diminished. It was too stark of a contrast to suggest they had simply reduced their guards.
‘For bandits, this is quite a long wait.’
It had been over a week since she started watching the stronghold. Yeo Il-ye had no idea when the Poison Doctor had actually set up shop at Hyeong Gwi-san, but the bandits had been laying low for at least a week.
Finally, change was afoot.
“Mo Yeobu.”
When the hideout began to stir, the Sect Leader had to take position as well.
Yeo Il-ye looked at the 개왕채 with the gaze of an angler waiting for the fish to bite.
* *
I’d never heard the reason why the Black Cat keeps her face covered.
But there was no need for an explanation about why she hides her face with a scarf and bangs; after seeing her beauty, it was obvious that a face like hers couldn’t possibly be unattractive.
When such thoughts crossed my mind, it naturally led to the conclusion that “Oh, if she reveals her face, it would cause a commotion due to her beauty.”
To be honest, after living as a modern person, I’ve become quite desensitized to this aspect.
You often see a streamer who looks stunning, only to find out it was the result of heavy editing. Or, before-and-after pictures of a beauty that go viral can lead to disbelief.
Years of modern living have been a series of disappointments regarding these uncertain factors. After so many letdowns, I no longer feel anticipation.
Of course, the reasons above are just why I can remain calm while with the Black Cat.
The fact that she’s covering her face is just a personal choice of hers. If she doesn’t want to show it, I have to respect that.
She mentioned that troublemakers like Ha Seon-su would stick around wherever she went.
And that was true.
The Black Cat was stealing the glances of the inn’s guests.
Our martial artists were posted to guard us, but it seemed that if it were just the two of us, some people would have approached by now.
Honestly, it caught me off guard.
Is it normal to get this much attention even while wearing a scarf and ordinary clothes?
I have no basis for comparison to assess whether this situation is normal or abnormal, unless I have experience roaming around with a beautiful person throughout my past lives.
As I was feeling awkward about the surroundings, the Black Cat calmly ate dumplings and said,
“Told you, it’s always like this wherever we go. Just look over there.”
As I turned my body following her gesture, I noticed a fellow who had his face buried in the table hurriedly sit up. Thinking back, the same thing happened when the Black Cat first came in with Jeong Sam and Yeo Jin-sang.
“If Ha Seon-su finds it annoying and leaves, those people would end up bothering us anyway.”
“Hmm…”
Seeing the Black Cat handle the attention so nonchalantly, it seemed this level of attention was normal for her. While it seemed absurd to me, I couldn’t say I didn’t understand. Having gone through rough patches as a Sacheon Outcast, I had learned to embrace the uncomfortable gazes with some comfort.
“Hahahaha! Are you all resting well?”
Although the Black Cat’s words were realistic, they felt uncomfortable in my throat, making me chew over them, just then, a glutton showed up.
He plopped down at our table without any hesitation.
Suddenly assaulted by the smell of fragrant herbs, my nose tingled as if he had just bathed in fragrance powder.
“Haha! You can’t get by with such a meager meal on a tiring journey! Jeomsoi! Bring out the five most expensive dishes the cook can make!”
“Yes! Young Master! I’ll be right back with it!”
I couldn’t believe my ears at that command.
Wait, not just the five most delicious dishes, but the five most expensive dishes? During the eight years of Ho Cheon-an’s life, I’ve never seen a person order like a fool.
After hearing Ha Seon-su’s brazen order, he began to look like less of a troublemaker and more like a treasure.
This…
Rather than despising him as a bother, maybe if I played it smart, I could enjoy a feast all the way to Yunnan?
No. No way.
What am I thinking? If this guy, no, if this glutton keeps bothering Black Cat, how uncomfortable will she be?
“I once had the honor of meeting the Tang Family Head, Tang Do-gyeong.”
“Oh, really?”
Hearing the Black Cat’s voice for the first time, Ha Seon-su responded with excitement.
“You remind me of Tang Do-gyeong. Don’t you think so, Brother?”
“Haha, haha… Yes, do you think so?”
“Don’t you think, Brother??”
Is this what I think it is…? I opened my mouth to confirm the Black Cat’s intentions.
“Are you saying that he resembles the ‘state’ of Tang Do-gyeong that we saw at the market back then?”
“Yes, precisely, Brother. That bold demeanor from that time.”
The Black Cat had referred to Tang Do-gyeong as a “guy” in front of the Golden Clan. I had insisted that I designed the betting setup not to catch a fool but as a legitimate wager.
“Haha.”
What a twist.
“In fact, I felt the same similarity when I first met you, Young Master Ha Seon-su.”
It seemed this journey to Yunnan would be a relaxing one.
After all, we’d be enjoying the wealth of our charming troublemaker, or rather, the legitimate heir of the Southern Express Delivery Agency, Great Hero Ha Seon-su.
Let’s indulge ourselves and feast to our heart’s content on our way to Yunnan.
The Black Cat discreetly flashed a thumbs-up.
In response, I raised my thumb as well.
“Hahahaha! You two are just gilding the face of this old man!”
Looking at Ha Seon-su, who was grinning widely, oblivious to our true intentions, I couldn’t help but burst into laughter as well.
Thus began the happy journey for all of us.
