Heading to Sichuan (3)
Namgoong Juhee had been wandering the jianghu for quite some time now.
So the journey wasn't as perilous as it used to be.
What kind of idiot fights bandits every other day and water pirates in between?
All she had to do was tell the merchants traveling nearby:
"I'll escort you to Sichuan as a Peak realm master. Just cover my meals, and it's free."
That way, she could lounge comfortably in the carriage all the way to her destination. The merchants saved money, and Juhee traveled easy. Any occasional bandits got a few heads lopped off as an example, and they scattered like roaches.
And so, back to Wuhu!
There were two routes from Hobuk to Sichuan: the mountain path or the river.
The old Namgoong Juhee might've taken the mountains for the hiking thrill—and regretted it to hell. Her wounds probably would've burst open, leaving her worse than a basic martial artist.
Modern Koreans had a bad habit of underestimating mountains. They were everywhere, trails well-maintained, no scary beasts. To them, mountains were just nature's gym equipment.
But the Central Plains mountains? No way.
Venomous bugs, ferocious beasts, swarms of snakes—not to mention trails that ended in sheer cliffs with no climbing holds. Even a trip to the local hill was a life-or-death gamble.
"Great hero, we'll take the boat—do you get seasick?"
So Juhee chose the river route.
Lie back, and the boat did all the work straight to the goal. Couldn't beat that. And rumor had it pink dolphins showed up along the banks sometimes. Dolphins? Gotta see those, Juhee thought with a grin, nodding eagerly.
"Escort Leader Jang, would a martial artist get seasick?"
The man called Escort Leader Jang burst into hearty laughter and nodded.
To him, Juhee was refreshingly polite for a martial artist. No sword to the face, no insults over delays. Straightforward and easygoing—he wished all jianghu folk were like her. Though if they were, it'd be pure hell.
"Then please wait a moment, great hero. I'll fetch a boat right away."
"Thanks, Escort Leader Jang. Oh, how long to Sichuan?"
"Figure about thirty days at most. Want me to grab some books for the trip?"
"Hmm... yeah, that'd be great. Appreciate it."
"Right back!" Jang shouted, dashing to the river dock.
Meanwhile, Juhee indulged in some rare thinking.
Topics: Must-eat foods in Sichuan. Ways to kill time on the boat without streaming services. Menstrual cycle math.
Pointless to some, but life-or-death for her. Miss a dopamine hit for a day, and her inner demons might erupt. No close friends to steady her this time, either. Mental health was DIY. She reviewed her plans to pass the time.
"Aigoo, great hero..."
Soon, Escort Leader Jang returned with a heavy sigh. His face said Sichuan was on indefinite hold.
"Escort Leader Jang, what's wrong?"
"Yeah, big trouble."
According to him, the Wuhu river route was blockaded.
Deja vu much? Was it some super-contagious plague? Juhee instinctively reached for a face cloth.
"Great hero, you okay?"
"Ah, no—why the blockade?"
"The Maegumdan guys wouldn't say details. Just shoved a sword to my neck, demanding we search for some woman... What could a nobody like me do?"
"Maegumdan, huh... Rings a bell."
Jilpungwi would've wept blood at the injustice if he'd heard. Maegumdan was one of the five pillars of the unorthodox alliance. Even the Hwangbo clan couldn't touch them lightly by sheer size.
"Great hero, lean in."
Juhee tilted her ear to his gesture.
"Heard their Elder Chugwi's on it too."
"Chugwi?"
"Yeah, the target's a big deal, apparently."
Juhee widened her eyes in perfect feigned ignorance—anyone could've seen she hadn't caught a word. Jang gave the rundown.
"Chugwi ranks 30th among the 100 Masters. Maegumdan's a massive unorthodox group."
"Oh, right, Maegumdan. But why 'Chugwi'? Could've picked a cooler nickname."
"His methods are too sleazy. Sneak attacks on the unwary are standard, poisons in food, even propaganda wars. Top success rate among their elders."
Not that sleazy. Carelessness was your fault, poison and rumors were fair game.
"So, Chugwi. Who's he after?"
"No clue. All I know: it's a woman, and a heavy hitter. Can't think of anyone."
For a split second, Juhee wondered: Me?
She was a titled figure now—Little Sword Phoenix—and had killed Jilpungwi, earning bad blood with Maegumdan. Not a stretch.
But nah. Her red hair was rare in the Central Plains. If they wanted her, swords out and surround.
"So, when do we head to Sichuan?"
"No idea. Maegumdan's all-in... Probably wait till they snag their target."
Juhee's shoulders slumped at the endless delay. My mala tang? Sichuan Dang Clan? Dang Hwaeun? Food and beauties were her life's joys. Both crushed, her face crumpled.
"Don't take it too hard, great hero. Wuhu's got plenty of fun—great eats too."
"Really?"
"Merchant's gut says seven weeks till the blockade lifts. Play around till then. Our firm's covering expenses—no worries."
"Huh? For real?"
"Of course. You've already turned this escort into massive profit."
Jang nodded firmly. Not charity—real gains. Skipped bandit tolls, leveraged a Peak master for prestige. Past and future profits secured; a bit of pocket money for her was nothing.
"Whoa, Escort Leader Jang! Thanks! Was dying of boredom anyway."
Blissful smile on Juhee, oblivious. Three months into jianghu life, still a greenhorn.
"Hngh..."
Seven weeks in Wuhu, and Namgoong Juhee was done.
Fun at first. Food tours, splurges, gambling.
Tusol, was it? Cricket fights—betting on bugs. Stupidly addictive. Days staring at crickets non-stop.
But not forever. By day three, stir-crazy, she strolled the riverbank. Then roaring cheers from a boat.
What? River's blockaded, right? Why cheers like at the Hobuk Branch?
Curiosity won; she boarded. Two swordsmen dueling, crowd howling "Kill! Fight!"
Juhee got it: underground fight club.
And she switched from bettor to fighter. Cricket-level stuff? Called her a bug.
But a nasty, strong bug. Twenty duels in three days, zero losses. Beating Gold Justice Sword? Laughable mismatch. Like Ronaldo dominating a pickup game. Why she got banned from the boat fights.
"...Bored."
Thus, NEET Juhee. Lie around all day, eat when hungry, sleep when tired. Pig, if not for all limbs intact.
"Still no catch? Maegumdan losers. More useless than I thought."
No end to the blockade. Time for new tricks beyond face-grabbing.
She yawned hugely—
Knock knock.
Door knock. Food's here early. National beef soup's mine—gonna wreck 'em.
"Coming!"
Juhee flung the door open, beaming.
"...Huh?"
No soup.
Instead, a textbook cute beauty stood there.
"You Namgoong Juhee? Dumber-looking than I heard. Tsk, can you even team up like this?"
With a temper that'd eaten one too many bowls of rice.