Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Prelude to the Beginning – 3

His eyes were a bit moist, but fortunately, there were no serious issues. I pointed to the wagon filled with Byeokkokdan.

“When taking Byeokkokdan, it is important to circulate your internal energy daily after using your martial arts.”

“Hmm… That’s not too difficult.”

“And you must avoid consuming any other food.”

Hongryeon widened her eyes in confusion and tilted her head. But this wasn’t something I could compromise on, so I remained cold.

“These Byeokkokdan will eventually be sold to other Taoist sects as well. Some members of sects like Wudang abstain from eating cooked food.”

“Is that so…”

“One of the reasons for this experiment is to verify if Byeokkokdan alone can sustain a person. As you know, it’s said that the more one eats cooked food, the less refined one’s internal energy becomes in the Taoist martial arts.”

Nod. It seemed she knew about this, as she didn’t object further.

“Of course, Red Star Divine Art isn’t like that… but continuing to eat only special foods does help to refine blood and internal energy, doesn’t it? It’s only for about a month, so I’d appreciate your understanding. If it’s an unreasonable request, feel free to refuse.”

“Ah. No, it’s fine. I wouldn’t refuse. I understand. Besides, the children are undergoing intense training anyway. I’ll explain it to them properly.”

“I hope there are no complaints. Let me remind you, once it’s all over, I’ll throw a grand feast, so please bear with it.”

As I spoke with a smile, Hongryeon paused for a moment. She let out a deep sigh and subtly averted her gaze.

“Well, I’ll be off to patrol then. We can discuss the rest later.”

Then, she abruptly got up and left. She vanished from the inn in an instant, and I chuckled.

Good. Now I could feel somewhat assured about the risk of addiction. Though I couldn’t be completely certain, I had taken precautions.

“Hm. So that’s the Nakil Sword, huh? I’ve heard about him… His skills are quite impressive. His aura is as powerful as the rumors say.”

At that moment, Gi Noya appeared from inside. He leisurely stroked his beard as he approached, but his expression darkened when he saw the jar in front of me.

“Tsk. In the end, this dreadful thing has made its way into the world.”

“Haha. You know about it, Noya?”

“Of course. The only ones who could stomach something as disgusting as this are the maniacs. By the way… I feel bad about just lazing around here. Could you give me something to do?”

“You can rest as much as you like.”

“It’s a bit dull just being here with that quiet fellow… Isn’t it?”

Snapping his fingers, he grinned.

“I heard from the attendants that Teacher Yu is practicing martial arts. How about I teach you a trick or two?”

Learning Tai Chi from Chae was already challenging enough…

I shook my head, and though disappointed, he nodded in understanding.

“If you don’t want to, I won’t force it. Then…”

“If you don’t mind, could you assist with the patrol? There have been unsettling rumors lately, and many people are worried.”

“Oh. Patrolling, huh? That sounds good. I, along with that dullard, can easily travel through Red Star Mountain. Plus, Moonlight Saber will be with Teacher Yu, so there shouldn’t be any problems with security either.”

Gi Noya chuckled heartily, and after gathering Wiyul, they both walked out leisurely. As soon as they stepped outside, their bodies vanished like the wind. Did they use Qinggong?

In any case.

The pieces were gradually being laid out to prepare for the Iron Blood Sect.

I hoped everything would fall into place…

Even if the Iron Blood Sect came, just like how the sun still rises even if you wring a chicken’s neck, my workload wouldn’t decrease. No, it had actually increased.

Some other merchants, sensing the unease from observing the movements of the Gohwa Group and Jukyungdae, had come to make ridiculous offers, trying to buy not only the harvested barley but also my assets in Seomhwa Village.

Merchants are the quickest to detect a crisis. To them, a crisis is an opportunity to make money.

If bandits were to attack a village, they would either loot or burn everything of value. To avoid such losses, some would sell off their assets at a low price and flee in advance.

Of course, if the bandits didn’t come, they’d face significant losses, but if they did, they could save both their wealth and their lives by liquidating quickly and escaping.

It was a gamble, in a way.

But I intended to stop them, so I could only snort at their ludicrous schemes.

Some of them even resorted to borderline threats, but the stick knew the answer.

Anyway, from handling such trivial matters to preparing gifts for the magistrate, creating patrol routes for the three masters staying at the inn, including Chaejin, and planning a festival with the village chief to calm the anxious villagers of Seomhwa Village.

There was a lot to do.

After dealing with the piled-up paperwork and tasks, the sun was starting to set when I heard a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

I spoke without looking up from the documents. There were footsteps, but no one spoke. What could it be?

Had another merchant come? Or was it someone from Red Star Sect? Maybe from the government office? Or perhaps the village chief?

Without taking my eyes off the paperwork, I said, as I always did,

“Report.”

After a word, I returned my focus to the documents.

The request form I was reviewing was from a villager who, sensing the crisis, wanted to sell off his property and head to Yangwiseong. The land’s yield wasn’t bad, so there would be no problem in purchasing it.

Though there was some wasteland mixed in, there was a nearby stream and a well, so reclaiming it wouldn’t be too difficult.

As I processed the document, thinking about a solution for a dispute among tenant farmers over water usage, I realized I hadn’t heard a word from the person who entered.

Finding it strange, I looked up and saw Hongryeon standing there, blankly staring at me.

“Oh. I-I just got back from patrol.”

“Ah, my mistake.”

Was it the reflection of the sunset through the window? Her face appeared red.

“I’ve made an error.”

I stood up and gestured to the chair. I was about to serve tea, but Hongryeon quickly stopped me.

“No, no need. I’ll just rest here for a bit.”

“If you’re going to rest, I can have someone bring you something to eat…”

“I… I’ll just sit here for a while… Ah! Can I drink this water?”

“Of course.”

“…You can keep working if you’re busy.”

“Alright… I’ll just finish this document then.”

The document I was reviewing was a request from the government office to set up a Swordsmith’s Workshop in Seomhwa Village.

Although Seomhwa had a blacksmith, their skills weren’t particularly good. Understandably so, as Seomhwa Village was an early stage area that would disappear after the first act, meaning they couldn’t produce high-quality equipment.

The magistrate mentioned that a skilled craftsman with whom he had connections from his days in the military could be invited, but there wasn’t a suitable space, so they asked if I could provide one.

This type of workshop needed to be located away from the bustling areas, and I happened to own a piece of land that would be perfect for it. It seemed the magistrate had his eye on that, and since I had no reason to refuse, I stamped the document.

“It’s done.”

“Oh… oh. You seemed really focused. What were you working on?”

“Nothing much. The magistrate wants to set up a swordsmith workshop, and they needed some land for it, so they asked for cooperation.”

“Oh! So does that mean we’ll be able to get better weapons…?”

“Well… it’s not impossible.”

But that would only be after we survived the Iron Blood Sect’s raid. If things went south…

Just thinking about it was dreadful.

The mere thought of it made me reach for the Yeon-gwan (tobacco pipe) without realizing it.

“Ah, that.”

“It’s the one you gave me. By the way, Miss Hong, did you carve this yourself?”

Nod. Her face was still red, illuminated by the sunset, as she gave a small nod. Her eyes were filled with anticipation. Now that I thought about it, I hadn’t said anything to her after receiving it. I gently shook the Yeon-gwan she had her eyes on and brought it to my lips.

“Ah.”

“I’ve been using it with care. Thank you. You’re more skilled than I thought.”

Should I just leave the design for the pouch’s embroidery to her when I make a Hyangnang (fragrant sachet) later? She seems pretty good

at this.

“…Th-thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

Hongryeon quietly watched as I held the Yeon-gwan, then suddenly stood up.

Was it time for her to leave?

I got up to see her off, but she hastily waved her hands.

“No! You don’t have to get up!”

“But still, I should see you off…”

“Really, it’s fine. You’re busy, aren’t you?”

If she insisted that much, I had no choice. I sat back down and spoke to Hongryeon, who seemed flustered.

“Then, at least take some sweets with you downstairs.”

“…I will. Thank you.”

She didn’t look well. Could it be that she’s already suffering from addiction? But her expression didn’t seem like it…

Normally, she would have refused outright, but this time, she hurriedly agreed and rushed downstairs. Glancing out the window, I saw her walking away empty-handed, as if she couldn’t bring herself to reject my offer but also couldn’t accept it.

She paused, looked back at me, and when our eyes met, I waved at her.

Was she feeling guilty for not taking the sweets?

Frozen in place, she stared at me for a moment, then hesitated before waving back and disappearing into the distance with Qinggong.

Tsk. I’ll have to send some to her later.

I lit a cigarette and refocused on my work. After finishing a few more tasks, it was time to practice Ogumhee (Five Stances Martial Art), so I headed down to practice.

Just as I was wrapping up…

“I’m back~!”

Chaejin, who had returned from patrol, approached with a bright smile. It seemed she hadn’t run into Gi Noya, Wiyul, or Hongryeon during her patrol.

Well, I had assigned Chaejin to patrol the outskirts of the village while Hongryeon was patrolling the inner village and the road, and Gi Noya had gone towards Red Star Mountain.

That worked out better. If they had met, it would’ve only led to conflict. Hongryeon and Chaejin were both formidable warriors who couldn’t ignore each other, and if they fought, it would just weaken our forces.

Anyway, with this, all the conditions for the Happy Ending route of Red Star Sect that we discovered through collective intelligence were achieved!!

We’d be able to fight off the Demon Sect with the empire’s elite soldiers equipped with the new gear from Cheonghoe Merchant Group!

Two renowned masters from the military!

Plus, Moonlight Saber Chaejin!

And the disciples of Red Star Sect, now much stronger than before!

On top of that, we eliminated the possibility of addiction spreading in Red Star Sect, and if we take a few more steps…

According to my research, with this level of preparation, not only could we fend off the Iron Blood Sect’s attack with minimal damage, but we might even capture Cheolhyeol Sujae, one of the leaders of the Iron Blood Sect.

Great.

Come on, bring it on.

I’ll chew you up and spit out your bones.

***

When had I first thought my heart was broken?

Perhaps it was this morning. Or maybe yesterday.

No.

It might have been since the moment Master said they’d be teaching the other disciples.

Yes. My heart must have been broken since then.

From the moment I realized that while I received Master’s teachings, I’d also have to take on the tasks that other disciples usually handled.

For some time now, Red Star Sect had been tasked with patrolling Seomhwa Village.

Of course, as a member of the righteous faction and with Red Star Sect’s long-standing connection to Seomhwa Village, supporting the village’s patrol was not a difficult task.

The Dao exists everywhere. It was possible to gain enlightenment even while patrolling a village, so the patrol wasn’t a burden for Hongryeon.

Still, the reason her heart began to race…

Was because the place she had to go for the patrol… was that place.

She tried not to be conscious of it.

She tried not to care.

But how could she not?

By the time she had barely managed to calm her heart and trudged her way back to the inn after the patrol…

The moment she saw him giving swift and efficient instructions to the attendants with his usual stern face…

Her heart broke down again.

She had to stay calm. Even though the man was someone worthy of her respect. Even so, she had to remain calm.

Desperately trying to calm her wildly beating heart, she spoke with him and quickly completed her patrol. However, her treacherous heart continued to race like a madwoman.

Ah, what should I do?

In truth, she already knew the answer.

That night.

From the moment she began to become aware of him— that night when the Demon Sect attacked, her heart had been telling her the answer. She just kept ignoring it, pretending not to know.

Deliberately turning her head away from that voice, she finally sought him after the patrol, unable to hold it in any longer.

If you’re the one who broke this heart, then shouldn’t you be the one to fix it? She had intended to argue that.

But she lost her words.

No, she forgot how to breathe.

He… with just a glance, managed to stop her wildly beating heart, just as she had hoped.

The room was filled with the bitter, thick scent of tobacco, mixed with the scent of cologne commonly used by men.

Blended in with that was his unique scent.

The kind of smell one often finds in people engrossed in their work— the smell of ink and paper.

And other various subtle scents, all mixed together in a way that was maddeningly attractive and deadly to her.

And at the center of it all was him.

His face darkened as he stood with the sunset behind him, and his shadow was etched with the shadow of a grown man.

His slightly rolled-up sleeves revealed muscular arms, and his large hands held several documents.

His eyes, burning like fire, remained focused solely on the documents, paying no attention to her as she entered the room.

Ah. I wish he would look at me.

I wish he would gaze at me with those eyes.

Goosebumps ran down her spine at the whisper of her heart, which had stopped a moment ago.

What nonsense is this? I’m not in that kind of relationship with Innkeeper Yu, so shut up.

She desperately pleaded with her heart, and as if he had heard the conversation, he looked up.

He looked at her just as her heart had desperately desired.

The moment their eyes met, her heart, which had stopped, started to beat again.

Faster than before.

So fast that her rational mind could no longer control it.

She couldn’t even remember what they talked about after that. All she could think of was how she needed to hurry back and regain her composure.

When she rushed back to the sect, gasping for breath, her beloved sisters approached.

“Did you train well today?”

Hongryeon forced a smile and spoke to them, but she sensed something was off.

Ryu Hyun’s expression wasn’t good.

Just as Hongryeon began to wonder what was wrong, Master approached and calmly said,

“Sayoon’s ‘uncle’ sent a letter.”

That should be good news, right? But why was the atmosphere so tense?

Feeling something was strange, Hongryeon followed her, Ryu Hyun, and Sayoon into a room.

Once inside, she read the letter handed to her with a worried expression.

The letter from the ‘uncle’ who had greatly helped Red Star Sect…

“…Red Star Sect might be attacked, so follow the instructions below to prepare…”

It contained a warning about the looming threat to Red Star Sect.