Chapter 38
Chapter 38: Prelude to the Beginning – 2
In order to prevent the assault from the Ironblood Clan, and to ensure that no one in Red Star Sect loses their life, there was much to be done.
Not just for me, but for Red Star Sect as well.
Hadn’t I been moving busily all this time for that very reason?
Of course, I didn’t worry that Red Star Sect wouldn’t be able to handle it properly.
After all, the situation was different from when Hongryeon had to run around, struggling with a lack of operational funds. Now, with the resources Red Star Sect currently had, the chances of making mistakes were significantly lower.
I reread the letter, double-checking for errors in the tasks I’d entrusted to Red Star Sect, and then called for a messenger from Wuchemun.
I handed the Wuchemun messenger an order to be sent to the Cheonghae Merchant Guild, along with a letter and a box containing silver coins to be delivered to Sayoon. After that, I headed straight to the government office.
Despite the moon hanging high in the sky, the government office was bustling with soldiers.
“Ah! Welcome!”
One of the military officers, now familiar with my face, greeted me with a smile. Was it because of the request I’d made earlier?
The magistrate had been personally leading soldiers in training more frequently these days.
No, that wasn’t all.
“There are more soldiers now,” I remarked.
“Haha, yes. Thanks to your excellent work in investigating the Demon Cult last time, the central government dispatched reinforcements, fearing another attack might come.”
The number of soldiers had increased by about threefold compared to the previous force, and the newly arrived troops were elite soldiers specifically trained to deal with the Demon Cult, as evidenced by their equipment, morale, and skills, all of which seemed to be significantly superior.
“You’ve all worked hard. Is the magistrate inside?” I asked.
“Huh? Ah, yes. Shall I announce you?”
“No, I’ll go in myself. You’ve worked hard in your training, so I’ll send over a few pigs for you.”
“Oh my, you keep treating us…”
“Hahaha, it’s nothing. Well then, keep up the good work.”
I patted the officer on the shoulder, who seemed a bit embarrassed, and made my way inside. Perhaps because I had been frequenting the government office lately, a few of the officials greeted me with smiles.
“Welcome!”
The magistrate, fully armored, seemed to be participating in training himself. Before his appointment as the local magistrate, he had served in the military and fought against the Demon Cult and other demonic beasts, a fact he boasted about endlessly whenever we drank together.
Seeing him dressed like that, he looked quite impressive.
As I entered, the magistrate removed his helmet, and I greeted him with a smile.
“I feel like I’ve come at a bad time, intruding when you’re busy,” I said.
“Why would you say such a thing? Come, sit down,” the magistrate replied.
He poured tea himself, and as we sipped, we chatted briefly about recent events before I subtly broached the main topic.
“Have you heard that the Cheonghae Merchant Guild recently introduced new equipment?” I asked.
“Hmm? Ah, yes, I’ve heard of it.”
“I was thinking of bringing some in… Would you be interested in having the government office procure some?”
“Oh, that sounds good. What’s the price?”
When I showed him the price I’d calculated, the magistrate thought for a moment before nodding. Since the price was reasonable and he was familiar with the Cheonghae Merchant Guild, he didn’t dwell on it.
If there were other merchant guilds in town or competitors from different guilds, it might have been a different story, but since that wasn’t the case…
As they say, the arm bends inward.
The connection I’d been fostering through endless meals and drinks had finally paid off.
“Yu, the innkeeper, has been helping us in many ways. Since there doesn’t seem to be any issues, shall I stamp this right away?”
“I’d greatly appreciate that.”
The magistrate stamped the document with a smile and then smirked.
“But innkeeper, have you noticed anything unusual about the movements of the unorthodox sects lately?”
“Unusual, you say?”
“The Sword Chasers have been seen moving in the vicinity. I’m not sure what their target is, but in the worst case, they might attack here. But don’t worry. With this many soldiers stationed, we won’t sit idly by.”
Of course, the reinforcements were initially dispatched to prepare for a fight against the Demon Cult. But since the magistrate was in charge, it was ultimately up to him how the soldiers would be used.
“On that note, would it be possible to defer payment for the equipment until after the autumn harvest?”
“Of course. We recently harvested barley, so there’s a bit of surplus cash.”
“That’s a relief!”
Maintaining an army costs money just by its existence, especially for these soldiers, who were sent unexpectedly due to the special circumstances involving the Demon Cult.
These sturdy, battle-hardened soldiers ate and drank more than most, and the government office must be struggling to cover those expenses.
The central government probably thought that just sending soldiers was enough and wouldn’t provide extra funds.
Even if the government office was temporarily short on funds and delayed payment for the goods, this wasn’t a big issue.
“And one more thing… Could you request some assistance from Red Star Sect?”
It wasn’t uncommon for the Sword Chasers to turn into bandits. As such, the government often had to rely on martial artists to fend off enemies.
Since the magistrate knew about my connection with Red Star Sect, he was trying to ask for help through me.
If necessary, he wanted me to send some skilled martial artists.
“I’ll inquire. However, if they’re targeting Red Star Sect…”
I trailed off, and the magistrate let out a hearty laugh.
“Hahahaha! Red Star Sect has been patrolling Seomhwa Village for public safety lately. There’s no way I’d stand by and do nothing. If it comes to that, I’ll defend the village myself.”
“Thank you.”
“No, I should be the one thanking you.”
What was he talking about?
I was the one who was grateful.
With this, another piece to defend Red Star Sect and strike back at the Ironblood Clan had fallen into place.
It was worth all the effort I’d put into building a rapport with the magistrate.
A few days passed since I sent the purchase order to the Cheonghae Merchant Guild for the new equipment.
Just in case, I had people scouting outside the village daily, and I also sent Chaejin to survey the surrounding area. Though she grumbled about needing to stay by my side as a guard, she eventually agreed after I asked her earnestly.
So, after sending her off again today, I was working as usual when the inn’s assistant called for me.
When I went downstairs, I saw a few wagons with familiar flags parked in front of the inn.
“Oh, Yu teacher,” the person greeted.
“Greetings.”
It was the wagons from the Cheonghae Merchant Guild, filled with the goods I’d ordered a while ago.
And the ones who brought them were none other than Qichao, known by his alias Skywalk, and the silent but reliable master, The Burning Spear Wiyul.
I couldn’t help but be surprised that the two martial experts, subordinates of General Chon Il-hwa, had come here personally.
“What brings you two here in person?” I asked.
“Haha, we’re just following orders. The guild leader told us to deliver these and personally assess your evaluation. What can I do but follow?” Qichao replied with a mischievous grin.
I waved to the assistant, who quickly went inside and returned with some cold water.
“You must have had a tough journey.”
“Ah… refreshing. Wiyul, you should drink too. It must’ve been tough keeping quiet the whole time. Anyway, we were wondering if we could stay at this inn for a few days?”
I would be happy to. Nodding, I replied with a smile, and Qichao leaned in and whispered.
“I’ve heard some unsettling rumors about the movements around here lately. Didn’t the Demon Cult target Seomhwa Village and Red Star Sect last time?”
“Yes.”
“It’s typical for the Demon Cult to be persistent, especially after a failed attempt. That’s why the guild leader sent us to stay here for a while. It’s partly to repay the favor from last time. Hopefully, everything will pass peacefully, but if not, we’ll be here to help.”
Oh… The seeds I’d planted with the Cheonghae Merchant Guild were finally bearing fruit.
Both Qichao and Wiyul were strong martial artists, so even if a battle did break out, they would be more than capable of handling it.
In fact, I was about to ask General Chon Il-hwa to send either Qichao or Wiyul, but he sent both.
“I’ll prepare a place for you. Boys! Escort the esteemed guests!”
“Hahaha, then we’ll be in your care.”
Qichao chuckled, and Wiyul gave a slight bow before following the inn staff inside.
Once they were inside, the servants from the merchant guild appeared, busy moving the goods into the warehouse. While they were moving about, I heard a clear voice from behind.
“Need help?”
“Hm?”
Turning around
, I saw a beautiful woman with striking fiery red hair. She wore Red Star Sect’s uniform, which had long sleeves reaching her wrists and shorts that exposed her thighs.
It was none other than Hongryeon.
Come to think of it, Hongryeon had said she’d take charge of the patrols.
I hadn’t seen her with the patrols over the past few days, which were manned only by soldiers, so I thought she wouldn’t be coming. I stared at Hongryeon, and she averted her gaze slightly.
“Ahem. I needed some time to sort out things I realized recently. I already spoke to the government office about it.”
“I see.”
“My thoughts have settled, so I plan to take full charge of the patrols from now on.”
“Is that so? But is something the matter? You seem a bit uneasy.”
She had been fidgeting for a while now, and something about her seemed off. As I tried to approach her, she quickly took a step back.
“N-no! Nothing’s wrong at all!”
Her face flushed slightly as she answered. From the way she shyly averted her gaze, it seemed she was quite embarrassed by her flustered reaction.
Pointing it out would only make things more awkward, so I decided to let it go.
“You said you wanted to help? Don’t you have to go on patrol?”
“I came out a bit early…”
That was true. Since there was still time before her patrol, Hongryeon rolled up her sleeves and skillfully lifted the crates.
Was she truly a martial artist? Despite her slender arms, she easily carried several boxes at once.
“Where should I move this?”
“Follow me.”
I grabbed a crate as well, though it was far less compared to the number of crates Hongryeon held in both hands.
As we entered the dim storage room at the back of the inn, Hongryeon placed the crates where I indicated.
“What’s inside these?” she asked.
“Nothing special. But more importantly, I have a suggestion. Could you wait a moment? I need to go somewhere first, but I’ll explain once I return.”
“Where are you going?”
She gulped, looking a bit tense. I casually replied, “The government office.”
Hongryeon decided to follow me instead of just waiting. It wasn’t a problem, so we rode the wagon together to the government office.
The wagon was loaded with the new equipment produced by the Cheonghae Merchant Guild.
The magistrate came out to inspect the goods and nodded in satisfaction.
“Excellent. I’ll pay the balance as promised later.”
“Thank you.”
The soldiers unloaded the crates from the wagon.
As the wagon emptied, I turned to Hongryeon, who had been quietly observing from behind.
“Want to ride?”
There wasn’t really a need for her to walk, after all. I climbed onto the driver’s seat, and after hesitating for a moment, Hongryeon lightly hopped on as well.
Naturally, she sat beside me.
There was plenty of space in the back, so why here?
“What? Do you not want me here?” she asked.
“No, it doesn’t matter.”
As she sat next to me, a pleasant scent tickled my nose. Was she wearing perfume? I glanced at Hongryeon, and our eyes met.
“…What?” she asked.
“Your scent is nice,” I replied.
“Ah, I was making sachets earlier.”
She explained that she had been drying flowers and condensing their fragrance into sachets, which had left the scent lingering on her.
But the scent was even stronger and better than the Red Star Sect Celestial Plum Blossom fragrance I’d smelled before…
“C-could you stop smelling me? It’s embarrassing,” she muttered.
“Apologies.”
After that, we fell into silence. It wasn’t that there was anything in particular to say.
When we arrived back at the inn, I led her inside. There was still time before her patrol.
“So, what was that suggestion?”
“I’d like Red Star Sect to use this.”
I took out one of the new products from the Cheonghae Merchant Guild. Opening the box, I revealed a small jar, which I handed to Hongryeon.
She tilted her head curiously as she broke the seal on the jar.
Inside were small, brownish pills.
“These are Red Star Sect Bigokdan,” I explained.
Bigokdan!
Just one pill is enough to make you feel full!
“It’s a new product from the Cheonghae Merchant Guild, and they asked for feedback after trying it. So, I’m hoping Red Star Sect can test it. It may not taste great, but please bear with it.”
One of the main reasons the Red Star Sect was defeated by the Ironblood Clan was that they unknowingly consumed food that had been poisoned with a colorless, odorless toxin after a long period of storage.
The culprit behind this was a woman named Go Yumi, one of the higher-ranking members of the Ironblood Clan.
Despite her lack of martial prowess, she was skilled in stealth techniques like Shadowless Footwork, which allowed her to infiltrate forbidden areas, making it easy for her to poison the food stores.
It was no surprise that the disciples, unaware of the contamination, became poisoned after consuming the food.
As a result, many of Red Star Sect’s disciples were poisoned, and the Red Star Sect Sword Saint, while fighting, absorbed the poison from them to detoxify it, expending much of her inner strength. Unable to withstand the poison, she eventually succumbed to it.
It was inevitable that she, already exhausted, fell to the Ironblood Clan’s assault.
In retrospect, it was a clumsy yet well-executed plan.
However, with me around, it was just a strategy waiting to be countered.
In order to prevent a similar situation, it would be better to substitute meals with Bigokdan for the time being.
After all, according to the collective wisdom of that time, this was one of the recommended countermeasures.
If you can’t eat bread, then eat cake—if you get poisoned by food, just take Bigokdan instead!
Hahaha!
“That’s interesting. Just one of these can make you feel full?”
“It’s made from a mixture of various herbs, grains, honey, and other ingredients, so it should be quite filling.”
In fact, I had initially intended to create Bigokdan myself, but the Cheonghae Merchant Guild had beaten me to it.
But does it matter who makes it? The important thing is that it’s been made and that we can use it.
“How long should we take it?” Hongryeon asked.
Sniffing the Bigokdan in the jar, she tilted her head curiously. I chuckled.
“At least for a month. Of course, the taste won’t be great, so you’ll have to endure. But once it’s over, I’ll treat you to a proper meal.”
After staring at the Bigokdan for a while, Hongryeon popped one into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. She tilted her head again.
“It doesn’t taste that bad.”
“That can’t be right.”
I chewed a Bigokdan, and though it wasn’t inedible, the odd, indescribable taste spread in my mouth, making me question why anyone would eat this if they didn’t have to.
First, there was a sourness.
Then, a sharp bitterness.
This was followed by a subtle spiciness that clashed with the rest.
At the end, there was a faint sweetness, but it was overpowered by an oily aftertaste.
And the fishy taste that lingered on the tongue… What on earth…?
How in the world do you make Bigokdan taste like this?
It tasted just like the indescribable flavor mentioned in Heavenly Names and Moonlight.
And yet, she thought it tasted fine?
“The kids will probably love it,” she said.
“…This?”
She had enjoyed the sweets I’d given her before, eaten heartily when I treated her to food, and from what I’d tasted of her cooking, her palate didn’t seem unusual.
Seeing my surprised expression, she responded casually.
“When we were alone, we had to eat worse than this.”
Ah… I see…
She just had a high threshold for bad food…
I should treat her to something really delicious once this is all over.
