Chapter 3
Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Thousand-Li Inn
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As the sun dipped toward the western horizon, a beggar-clad boy and a woman in martial robes entered the village.
It was Cheongun and Namgung Yeol, setting off to collect their promised reward.
"Cheong Daxia! Let's go together!"
Cheongun clicked his tongue and slowed his pace.
To think she was already whining after just one mountain trek.
How could this woman, who called herself a martial artist, have such a frail body?
"Tsk tsk."
Bear with it.
The one paying was ultimately the client.
So what if her body was a bit weak?
Her backing was none other than the famed Namgung Clan, after all.
And she was a reliable patron about to hand over a single gold ingot note before long.
No amount of kindness toward her would be wasted.
"Cheong Daxia. That mountain over there is Qingcheng Mountain."
"Why? Got business there?"
Qingcheng.
Named for the evergreen forests that enveloped the peaks like a fortress year-round.
It was also the headquarters of the Qingcheng Sect, one of the traditional Nine Great Sects.
So what?
In the game, it was just a no-name sect with the significance of a mouse turd...
"Like I mentioned, the Justice Alliance branch is located right near Qingcheng Mountain."
Scratch that.
If a gold ingot note was waiting there, that changed everything.
About half an hour later...
Namgung Yeol spotted a shabby roadside inn tucked into a corner and cautiously glanced at Cheongun.
"Cheong Daxia."
"What now?"
"It's getting late, so how about we stay at the inn tonight?"
Namgung Yeol asked carefully.
She was one step away from collapsing, her stamina completely spent.
Cheongun stared at her sullenly.
Her face was caked black with dirt, her martial robes torn and ragged in places, and her staggering steps suggested she lacked even the energy to walk properly.
Assuming they kept walking, it would take about half a day to reach Qingcheng Mountain from now.
Even that was only if they maintained their current pace.
If she collapsed from exhaustion along the way, there would truly be no answer.
No helping it.
He had no choice but to take one step back for two steps forward.
Cheongun smiled kindly, uncharacteristically.
"Sure."
"Really?!"
"But didn't you say you had no money?"
How were they supposed to pay for the inn without money?
Was she seriously expecting him to cover it now?
It almost seemed like she could hear Cheongun's voice in her head.
"Once we arrive at headquarters, I'll give you extra pay separately."
"Aigoo, no need for that. But callously refusing your sincerity would be a grave discourtesy, so I'll gratefully accept it with thanks."
"......"
She had planned to mooch from the start.
Now it looked like she hadn't even bothered hiding it.
Namgung Yeol let out a dry laugh.
Despite possessing such profound martial arts, her attitude toward material things was oddly obsessive.
It was probably a side effect of years shut away in the mountains, cut off from the world.
Thousand-Li Inn.
A bit late for lunch, the boy and woman stepped inside.
Cheongun and Namgung Yeol.
No waiter in sight, so they looked for an empty spot themselves.
Surprisingly, no empty tables were to be found, but it wasn't all that strange.
Inns were smaller than taverns to begin with, and with all sorts crowding in—ordinary guests, low-grade escorts, wandering peddlers—it was natural for them to be packed even at this late hour.
Especially around noon like now.
Sharing a table was the norm when seats ran out.
As Cheongun approached a table with an empty chair, a drowsy waiter from the back came scurrying over.
"Hehe, you can share this table. So, ready to order right away?"
Cheongun sat at the nearest table.
The people already eating paid no mind, saying nothing.
Once Namgung Yeol sat beside him, Cheongun finally placed the order.
"What's the best here?"
"The mutton hotpot, sizzling beef, and chicken broth noodles are delicious."
"Bring all of that."
"Yes, yes! Right away."
The waiter glanced curiously at Cheongun and Namgung Yeol on his way back to the kitchen.
With swords at their waists, they looked like martial artists, but their appearance was no different from Beggars' Gang beggars—quite the novel sight.
Out of curiosity, Cheongun turned to look around.
True to the waiter's word, most patrons were eating mutton hotpot or noodles, as if by prior agreement.
That was when Namgung Yeol spoke softly.
"Cheong Daxia, look over there."
Cheongun's eyes flashed in an instant.
He knew who she meant without asking.
In the corner, three men and one woman were frantically inhaling the food laid out on their table.
All exceptionally handsome, with extraordinary auras—one glance was enough to tell they were martial artists.
Whatever the rush, they shoveled food into their mouths without a word.
The sight felt almost combative.
Cheongun unconsciously smacked his lips.
The food smells had already whetted his appetite, and now it was impossible to hold back.
Besides, it was practically free.
He would pay upfront, but they'd already secured a promise of extra pay upon reaching the Justice Alliance branch.
No way the great Namgung Clan would stiff them on a meal tab, right?
He'd been skimping daily, hunting beasts or fish and grilling them simply to save coin—proper cooked dishes made his hunger surge fiercely.
Namgung Yeol beside him was the same.
From fleeing the Blackwood Sect pursuers until now, she hadn't eaten or rested properly.
Her stamina was already gone; her eyes had glazed over the moment they entered the inn.
Her palms were slick with hunger sweat.
Gulp.
Saliva pooled in their mouths and slid down their throats as they smacked their lips awaiting the food.
Bam—!
Someone roughly flung open the inn's door.
The old wooden door creaked open violently, the knob clanging against the wall.
The diners halted their spoons in unison and turned toward the entrance.
With a clamor, over ten men poured inside.
The leader swept a sharp gaze around the room before locking eyes with the four martial artists hastily eating in the corner.
He drew his weapon from his waist and curled his lips into a thin smile.
"Heh heh, just as I thought. Hiding like rat pups, huh? That's why you had time to stop at an inn for a meal mid-flight?"
Cheongun's curiosity piqued at the man's words.
Rat pups? Looked like he'd chased them here, breathless.
The four's faces paled the instant their eyes met his—confirmation enough.
What was martial arts, anyway?
For all the fancy rhetoric martial artists spouted, at its core, it was just a more efficient way to kill people.
Not cultivation for ascension, but the fastest, most efficient tool for seizing power—that was modern martial arts.
Hence why martial artists acted like this.
Butting into meals to start trouble.
No different from strong-armed thugs, really.
The weapon-wielding man advanced threateningly.
"Oh ho, wanna get dragged down too? Get lost now!"
At least these thugs had some conscience.
Clearing out bystanders before the real chaos.
"What're you staring at? Up, now!"
"Fuck! Slowpokes—move it!"
At their bellows, the diners abandoned half-eaten meals and fled the inn.
Of course, Cheongun and Namgung Yeol didn't budge.
Cheongun had already paid, so no leaving till the meal was done.
Namgung Yeol knew Cheongun's profound skills— no reason to fear.
The waiter, startled by the sudden uproar, was heading to their table with the finished dishes when he locked eyes with one of the thugs herding customers out.
"What's this punk? Out!"
To civilians, rampaging martial artists were a calamity.
Best to flee when told, to save your neck at least.
The waiter was about to hurl the food and bolt.
But Cheongun tossed out a line.
"Hey."
"Y-yes?"
"Leaving's fine, but leave the food."
"...Pardon?!"
The waiter gawked, mouth agape.
About to die, and leave the food?
Sane?
He glanced between Cheongun and the thug, then carefully set the dishes on their table before darting out.
Mutton hotpot, sizzling beef, chicken broth noodles.
Steaming aromas filled the table.
Cheongun began slurping the noodles bowl and all, while Namgung Yeol crammed sizzling beef into her mouth, closing her eyes in bliss as she chewed.
Lips greasy, smacking away like someone starved for days.
Then, mid-slurp, Cheongun's hand shot out.
In a flash, inner power-charged fingers sliced the air, snatching a piece of beef from Namgung Yeol's plate.
Before she could protest, it was in Cheongun's mouth, chomped away.
"Hey, that's my beef!"
"A martial artist never misses an opportunity."
"Cheong Daxia!"
At the mad scene, the thug blinked in stunned disbelief.
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