Chapter 249: To the River Center Escort Agency

While they were conversing briefly, Myeong Gujeong spoke from outside.

“There are people here to see Young Master Lee. A young girl and four martial artists.”

“Let only the girl in.”

“Yes, sir.”

Upon hearing Myeong Gujeong’s voice, Sam Taegong spoke.

“This time, all of my Seven Blood Shadow Guards were killed, so I have no one to attend to me. I suppose I’ll have to use the Branch Leader as my subordinate for the time being.”

“Please do as you wish, Third Instructor.”

“It’s a waste of manpower to have such a master handle only intelligence.”

“I didn’t know the Branch Leader was such a master either.”

“He’s a martial artist far beyond your comprehension, so of course you wouldn’t be able to recognize it.”

“If you were to compare him to the Seven Blood Shadow Guards, how would he fare?”

After a moment of thought, Sam Taegong Lee Kangmin opened his mouth.

“If he fought all the Seven Blood Shadow Guards, they would win. But if even one or two were missing, the Branch Leader would definitely win.”

Lee Yung made a slightly regretful expression at those words.

If he was such an outstanding master, he should’ve brought him under his command.

Now that Ma Jeung was dead and gone, there was no one by his side to assist him.

‘Ah, what a waste. If only I had known earlier, I would’ve made him my close aide.’

But he couldn’t blame anyone since his discernment was only that much.

“He has work he’s in charge of, so once he finishes the handover, I’ll have him serve you, Third Instructor.”

As Lee Kangmin nodded, a voice came from outside the door.

“I will enter.”

“Come in.”

At Lee Yung’s words, someone opened the door and stepped inside.

A petite girl entered.

The girl held a sword tightly to her chest.

“Hand over that sword.”

With her eyes closed, the girl walked over and handed the sword to Lee Yung.

Even with her eyes closed, her direction was perfectly accurate without the slightest deviation.

Lee Yung received the sword from the girl and passed it to Sam Taegong Lee Kangmin.

Swish—

Lee Kangmin drew the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword and examined it closely.

“How is it?”

“This sword is made from the bones of a half-dragon, so it doesn’t burn or break even in thunder energy. However, the problem is that it possesses demon-subduing power, so it rejects demonic arts. That’s something we’ll need to research and resolve over time.”

With a satisfied look, Lee Kangmin continued to inspect the White Tiger Twin Sword.

Seeing Lee Kangmin completely absorbed by the sword, Lee Yung rose from his seat.

“Third Instructor, then this disciple will go attend to his affairs.”

Sam Taegong Lee Kangmin made a dismissive hand gesture, signaling him to leave.

Lee Yung and Eum Sajeok bowed and stepped outside.

Once outside, Lee Yung spoke to Eum Sajeok.

“For now, don’t concern yourself with any other matters—just assist Third Instructor.”

“Yes, Senior Brother Lee.”

After Eum Sajeok disappeared, Lee Yung glanced around his surroundings.

It was to search for Ma Jeung.

Then, Lee Yung soon recalled that Ma Jeung had died at the Sky Ocean Merchant Union. Since he had been someone who had assisted him for a long time, he still couldn’t accept that Ma Jeung was gone.

As he thought of Ma Jeung, a fiery rage toward Yong Hwarin surged within Lee Yung.

“Yong Hwarin! One day I will tear you to pieces!”

Still, he was fortunate to have secretly left behind a contingency.

“Myeolhwa!”

“Yes, my lord.”

“There’s a place I must visit before Fourth Sister arrives. Summon the Ghost Spirit Demonic Practitioners. We will take a carriage.”

“Yes, my lord.”

As Myeolhwa disappeared, Lee Yung muttered.

“Hmm, who would’ve thought she was that famous Chouhui? I heard you needed a Golden Token to meet her, but now I can meet her without one—perhaps this is a stroke of luck.”

With a look of anticipation in his eyes, Lee Yung headed toward the stables.

“When we stepped out briefly, we saw Man Inhwa. Curious about why she infiltrated Jeongju, I followed her. She entered a manor and fought. It turned out to be the manor where Lee Yung had hidden the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword.”

Upon hearing the full account, Yong Hwarin shot up to his feet.

“You should have told me that earlier!”

The Demonic Master replied with a slight smile.

“There was no time. Right after we returned, Lee Yung launched an attack on the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, so I had no chance to relay it to you. And I didn’t want to trouble you when you were already busy stabilizing the Sky Ocean Merchant Union.”

It made sense. Even ten bodies wouldn’t have been enough to handle all the aftermath until now.

And the fact that he had gone to meet Myeong Gujeong without telling anyone meant the Demonic Master had no chance to inform Yong Hwarin.

“Let’s go even now.”

“It’s already too late.”

“What do you mean?”

“While you were briefly away, I went to the manor first. But after the fight with Man Inhwa, they must have moved it. There was no one left there.”

“Ah, that’s unfortunate.”

“Don’t worry. The White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword is a sword that feeds on human essence. That naturally attracts mourning houses around it. It won’t be long before a location with frequent funerals draws attention. We’ll investigate such a place.”

Yong Hwarin asked,

“They say the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword sucks out human essence, so why is it called a demon-subduing sword?”

“They say that to rid it of its essence-sucking demonic power, Shaolin Temple instilled it with exorcising power through prolonged use of the Bodhi Demon-Subduing Divine Art.”

Listening to the Demonic Master’s explanation, Yong Hwarin tilted his head.

“But you clearly said you didn’t know the inner workings of the Four Great Divine Items, so how do you know so much about the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword?”

“I may not know the inner workings, but I learned about the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword from Eum Sajeok. Though, this is about all I know. Once, when a Reverend Arhat asked why they could follow the traces of the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword so well, Eum Sajeok explained it.”

“Do the other divine items also absorb human essence?”

“Considering I’ve never heard such things about the others, the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword seems to be unique.”

Among the many monks of Shaolin, the reason Reverend Arhats could trace the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword was because they had trained in the Bodhi Demon-Subduing Divine Art.

Objects imbued with that art were infused with the sacred power of the Buddhist order, making them easier for the monks to detect.

‘No need to regret a fish that’s already escaped the net.’

Once he let go of his regret toward the White Tiger Demon-Subduing Sword, another thought suddenly popped into Yong Hwarin’s head.

“Elder, could it be that they’re trying to kidnap Jeong Mae again? Bringing along the Four Twin Demon Lords suggests that possibility. She might not have given up on the Moonlight Divine Art yet, right?”

“That’s possible, but it wouldn’t make sense for them to bring only the Four Twin Demon Lords just to kidnap Unjeong. There must be another purpose. Besides, with Young Lord Yong having defeated Sam Taegong, they wouldn’t take such a reckless risk. If they plan to attempt a kidnapping, they’ll bolster their forces first.”

“Then what could their other purpose be?”

As they conversed, Yong Hwarin recalled the fight with Man Inhwa at the secret branch.

He also remembered that Man Inhwa had separately detained disciples of the Mount Hua Sect and successors of the noble clans.

‘At the time, Man Inhwa had something to gain from Mount Hua Sect, so she tried to take Sa Ilhyang and Sa Jeokwoo as hostages.’

But not knowing why she wanted to take them as hostages left Yong Hwarin frustrated.

Suddenly, he stood up.

When frustrated, Yong Hwarin preferred to act and seek the answer himself.

“I’ll be heading to the Hajeong Escort Agency.”

“Why go there?”

“I heard the Five Swords of Mount Hua are there. It wouldn’t hurt to associate with them. And since I’ve taken over the Sky Ocean Escort Agency, it’s polite to pay a courtesy visit. Also, since Man Inhwa seems to be trying to kidnap Lady Sa Ilhyang or Sa Jeokwoo, I should let them know.”

“That’s a fine idea.”

Yong Hwarin had already planned to visit the Hajeong Escort Agency at least once. As someone managing a fellow escort agency in Jeongju, he believed it was proper to make the first greeting.

Moreover, Mount Hua Sect currently held the leadership of the Northern Justice Alliance, so there was no reason to make enemies with them.

He intended to take this opportunity to foster ties with the Mount Hua Sect.

In a way, each of these thoughts stemmed from his merchant’s temperament.

“With whom will you go?”

“I must leave the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect behind to stabilize the Sky Ocean Escort Agency… I will take the Three Killers Three Chivalrous.”

Yong Hwarin had decided to bring them along, if only to express his gratitude for their decisive help in the recent battle.

“Then I can rest easy. I will watch over the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, so do not worry.”

“Thank you, Elder.”

The Demonic Master acted and thought just like a disciple of the Heavenly Central Sect, so saying something like this didn’t seem odd at all.

‘I must make him one of our sect’s own.’

Harboring that thought, Yong Hwarin bowed respectfully to the Demonic Master.

Yong Hwarin headed to the Hajeong Escort Agency with the Three Killers Three Chivalrous.

Both Yong Hwarin and the Three Killers Three Chivalrous had suffered internal injuries that would usually require at least fifteen days of proper rest.

However, thanks to Yong Hwarin infusing them with the true energy of the Body-Nature Realm, they recovered quickly. To recover in just three days was nothing short of miraculous.

The Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect and the Demonic Master treated their internal wounds with high-quality medicinal herbs stocked by the Sky Ocean Merchant Union.

Hoe Jongbaek even offered some spiritual medicine he had kept on hand.

More than anything, the Ten Prodigies of the Heavenly Central Sect were able to quickly regain their vitality and shorten the time needed to replenish their energy thanks to the medicinal power of the elixir given by Bukri Sehee.

Such was the effectiveness of Bukri Sehee’s spiritual medicine.

The Hajeong Escort Agency wasn’t far. It was located about fifty li from the Sky Ocean Merchant Union, meaning it was still within the bounds of Jeongju.

With lightness techniques, it would take only about one hour.

However, Yong Hwarin chose not to use lightness techniques and traveled on horseback.

This was to give the Three Killers Three Chivalrous time to rest, and there was no need to rush.

At that pace, it would take around three hours by horseback, so Yong Hwarin traveled leisurely.

Until now, he had never taken them to see the bustling streets of Jeongju, so he purposely didn’t gallop.

More than anything, to Yong Hwarin, who had lived a previous life, Jeongju felt as familiar and comfortable as his own front yard. Passing through the city center, Yong Hwarin turned his horse toward the most luxurious inn.

“That inn is the most famous guesthouse in Jeongju. Gourmet enthusiasts from the entire Hanam region always make a stop here when visiting Jeongju. It’s also well-known for being so expensive that ordinary citizens can’t even dream of entering.”

Jeong Minji replied with a gentle smile.

“I’ve heard a lot about Jeongju’s Twin Flower Dining Hall.”

The place they were headed to was a guesthouse named Twin Flower Dining Hall.

Hearing that, Jeong Daji smacked her lips and said,

“Wow, really? Isn’t this the place they say is so expensive that its dishes rival those of the Golden Nobility Pavilion? That’s why it’s known as the Golden Nobility Guesthouse!”

“That’s right.”

“Hohoho, now you’re finally treating us properly.”

Yong Hwarin burst into laughter at Jeong Suji’s sarcastic remark.

“Hahaha, I’m not sure if this food will suit the sharp tongue of our second young lady. I only hope it matches your merciless and cold palate.”

When Yong Hwarin made that slight jab at Jeong Suji, Jeong Daji chimed in.

“Actually, my second sister has a twisted tongue, so she likes spicy Sichuan dishes. They say spicy food untangles her tongue. I’m not sure if she’ll like the mild Hanam cuisine.”

“Hahaha, is that so? Even so, give it a try.”

“Hmph! Are you picking a fight with me right now?”

“How could I ever pick a fight with the second young lady?”

“Why? Because I’m the Pierce-Stopping Sword?”

At those words, Yong Hwarin’s face turned pale.

“Pierce-Stopping Sword? That’s the first I’ve heard of that. Who dared to call the second young lady the Pierce-Stopping Sword?”

“Hmph!”

As Jeong Suji snorted and turned her head, Yong Hwarin felt a strong urge to smack her on the head.

Truly, Jeong Suji was completely lacking in manners.

Just then, Jeong Daji pulled her horse closer to Yong Hwarin’s side and asked,

“Do you have other plans after the meal?”

“Of course.”

Since Yong Hwarin was setting aside time for them like this, Jeong Daji thought there must be something even better coming.

“I’m thinking of going to a fabric shop to buy some cloth and have clothes made for you.”

“Really? Wow! Young Lord Yong, you’re the best!”

“The best? He’s just making up for working us like dogs. That’s the least he could do.”

As Jeong Suji sneered, Jeong Minji scolded her.

“Suji, if you speak carelessly, it brings disgrace to all of us. Don’t speak so rudely to Young Lord Yong.”

With a stern expression, not a smiling face, Jeong Minji addressed her, and Jeong Suji flinched and answered sheepishly.

“Okay, sister. But Young Lord Yong, is it really okay for me to talk like this?”

When Jeong Suji looked at Yong Hwarin and asked, he shook his head.

“It’s not okay. I think the second young lady should listen to her sister.”

At those words, Jeong Suji’s face twisted, and Jeong Daji rocked with laughter.

“Hohohohoho! Young Lord Yong, you’re so amusing.”

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