Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: The Butterfly and the Scentless Flower
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The northern region of Gansu is rugged.
While there are mountains all over the world, at the edge of the desolate desert below Dunhuang, a mountain ridge formed from hardened sand stretches southeast like a colossal chain.
This mountain range, spanning over a thousand li, serves as a border with the neighboring province of Qinghai.
The place Neung Un-bi's party arrived at after crossing the desert was the Great Snow Mountain, located roughly in the middle of that long mountain range.
As the current state of the martial world reflected, the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions were spread throughout the land. Simply put, unlike the Demonic Cult, there was no place they could claim as ‘their land!’
And like any other region, Gansu was a place where those belonging to the Orthodox faction and those of the Unorthodox faction coexisted. This meant that friction was inevitable.
Furthermore, due to the unspoken rule of non-interference from the authorities, these conflicts were bound to intensify.
In places where many interests were at stake, the fighting grew even more fierce.
But as long as they didn't cause significant harm to the common folk and didn't openly disrespect the pride of the officials, no one controlled them.
Of course, that didn't mean the balance between the Orthodox and Unorthodox factions was always the same in every region. While some areas maintained a tense equilibrium, there were also places where the Unorthodox faction was dominant, or the Orthodox faction held sway.
Anbon, a small city situated at the northern tip of the Great Snow Mountain where Neung Un-bi had arrived, was a region where the power of the Unorthodox faction was strong.
Perhaps for that reason, the place was crawling with ruffians.
Men who drew their swords to fight after getting into drunken squabbles were a common sight, but both pedestrians and merchants wore bored expressions, as if they had seen it all before.
They must have gotten used to it.
The funny thing was, patrolling officials were also visible, but every one of them would merely glance over before pretending not to see and walking away, showing no intention of getting involved.
Because of the rule of non-interference?
Bullshit. It was the power of the bribes those Unorthodox bastards had been diligently handing out.
Maggots or flies, they all live off the same pile of shit in the end.
For those whose pockets were lined with money, public safety meant nothing, so what was the big deal about turning a blind eye and feigning ignorance?
“Let’s go that way.”
“……?”
Neung Un-bi, who had been clicking his tongue inwardly, cut through the crowd of pedestrians and headed toward a shabby shop located in a corner of the main road.
A calligraphy and painting shop.
A place that sold items like scrolls with paintings and calligraphy.
Wang Cheon and Ju Seung found it hard to understand Neung Un-bi’s actions.
They had just left the Waning Moon Brigade on the outskirts of the city and entered the local town.
One or two people might go unnoticed, but a group of thirty would immediately draw attention, and word would surely reach the Unorthodox forces occupying Anbon.
Naturally, those men would be wary of the appearance of a group they had never seen before.
They would suspect them of coming to steal their livelihood, so it was obvious they would get entangled in numerous disputes.
It might create a gap in his protection, but as long as they didn't deliberately reveal their identities, two guards were enough. If, by some chance, something happened, they could summon the Waning Moon Brigade with a signal flare.
They would be on standby at all times.
But in this situation, a calligraphy and painting shop?
Really? Hadn't he shown no interest in paintings before?
It was an action that was hard to comprehend, but how could a subordinate question the actions of his lord? He could ask about his curiosities later when there was time.
Moreover, Wang Cheon and Ju Seung, thinking it would be easier to guard him in a quiet calligraphy shop than in a place bustling with pedestrians, quickly followed their lord.
While Neung Un-bi looked at the paintings, Wang Cheon surveyed the interior to check for any dangers, and Ju Seung stood guard outside, pretending to wait at the entrance.
Meanwhile, Neung Un-bi stopped in front of a scroll depicting insects and plants.
A butterfly, peonies, and the artist's seal.
A smile crept onto Neung Un-bi's lips as he examined the painting in detail.
“Sir.”
“……?”
Neung Un-bi, who had been gazing at the painting, woke the old man who had been dozing off, oblivious to the customer's arrival.
“Who are you?”
“I’m here to buy a painting.”
“Ah! My apologies, the sunlight was so pleasant I must have dozed off. So, handsome young master, what kind of painting are you looking for?”
“This one…”
“Oh, you mean the painting of peonies. It’s a fine piece.”
“Yes.”
Neung Un-bi nodded with a bright smile.
“But it’s strange. A butterfly on a peony…”
“……”
“Peonies are flowers with no scent.”
At Neung Un-bi's observation about the painting, the old man's face stiffened slightly before relaxing.
It was a minuscule change that one would not notice without paying close attention.
“The person who painted this must have quite a unique taste. A butterfly on a scentless flower.”
“I-Indeed. Haha! I never thought of that…”
“How much is it?”
“Oh, dear. It’s a one-of-a-kind piece, so it’s not for sale.”
Neung Un-bi, who was taking out his money pouch to pay, didn't press further and asked in a passing tone.
“Then, could I meet the person named Jahong who painted this? I’d like to ask if he could paint one for me.”
“Him?”
“Yes.”
“……”
The old man seemed to ponder for a moment before shaking his head.
“Unfortunately, that won’t be possible.”
“Pardon?”
“He passed away last year, you see.”
“Passed away?”
“Yes.”
“……Was there some story behind it?”
“Haha, how would a mere seller of goods know the story? That painting was simply sold to me by his son, who was sorting through his late father’s belongings.”
“Ah… I see. Forgive my impertinence.”
“Take care on your way out.”
After exchanging farewells with the old man, Neung Un-bi silently left the shop.
After walking for a while, he ducked into an alleyway, concealing himself, and stared intently at the calligraphy and painting shop.
*Dead? That can't be right.*
Neung Un-bi knew the painter, as well as the old man.
Though many years had passed, and he had grown old…
But it was strange.
*Why is he lying?*
The old man said the person who sold the painting was the artist's son. That could be true.
But the painter could never be a father. He was hiding the artist’s whereabouts from him.
Why?
As Neung Un-bi stood alone, deep in thought, Ju Seung and Wang Cheon couldn't hide their puzzlement.
“My lord.”
“I told you to call me Young Master, didn’t I?”
“My apologies, Young Master.”
“What is it?”
“You know them, don’t you?”
“……Hm?”
“Don’t try to fool me. Do you think I’ve only known you for a day or two?”
“What are you talking about?”
“What do you mean, what am I talking about? This is Wang Cheon. I know everything just by looking at your expression and your eyes. You definitely know that shop, the old man, and even the artist who painted that picture. How on earth do you know them? You’ve only ever been in the Demonic Cult.”
“……”
Neung Un-bi stared blankly at Wang Cheon, who was questioning him with a suspicious look, then chuckled.
*This guy and his sharp senses…*
Just as he had been observing the old man, Wang Cheon had been observing him.
The old man, the artist, and Neung Un-bi’s very old connection.
But how could he explain that connection? They were figures from Cheok Wol-rin’s memories, not Neung Un-bi’s…
“I studied.”
“Pardon?”
“Diligently.”
“……”
Wang Cheon couldn't hide his bewilderment at Neung Un-bi’s answer.
He learned about a nameless artist living in the territory of the Unorthodox faction, completely unrelated to the Demonic Cult, and an old man running a calligraphy shop through studying?
He was supposed to believe that? Who did he take him for, a fool?
“What kind of nonsense is this! What are you hiding?”
“What am I hiding? I’m telling you, I really studied.”
“Are you going to keep lying? I’ve never seen you study!”
“Or were you just not paying attention?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“How can you say such a thing? Who else is there who keeps track of your… I mean, the Young Master’s every single move like I do?”
“……”
Wang Cheon retorted as if the suggestion was absurd, but Neung Un-bi, having already decided what to say, wasn't flustered in the slightest.
“I’m sure you did a great job of that while thinking about Aeyang.”
“Damn it! Why are you bringing her name up now?”
“I know, right? I thought I knew your every move too, so why didn’t I know about that?”
“……”
“We were never apart for a moment… right?”
At Neung Un-bi’s words, Wang Cheon clamped his mouth shut and glared at Ju Seung.
*Speaking out of turn…*
“Ahem, since the Young Master said he studied, why are you prying so much? Just as the Young Master doesn’t know everything about Guard Captain Wang, it’s possible that the Guard Captain doesn’t know everything about the Young Master.”
“What did you say? Whose fault is this?”
As Ju Seung, feeling awkward, took Neung Un-bi’s side, Wang Cheon’s eyes blazed.
“Ahem! By the way, Young Master.”
“Yes?”
“Didn’t you say before that we were going to the Orthodox faction’s territory?”
“That’s right. We’re going to Jiuquan, which is part of their territory. But there’s something we need to do before that.”
“Something you need to do?”
“A new identity.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s a highly skilled forger here.”
“……”
At the calm reply, not only Ju Seung but also the fuming Wang Cheon couldn't hide their puzzled expressions.
“A forger?”
“Yes.”
“Is it the artist who painted that picture?”
“It is.”
“I see.”
Unlike Wang Cheon, Ju Seung didn’t press Neung Un-bi about what he knew.
He was such a loyal man that he would probably agree even if told the sun rose in the west.
“But why are you looking for a forger for a new identity?”
“He doesn’t just paint.”
“Pardon?”
“Shh! It looks like he’s on the move.”
“……?”
Before their questions could be answered, Neung Un-bi silenced them.
The old man, who had been sitting in the shop long after Neung Un-bi left, began to tidy up.
He was about to close the shop, even though the sun was still high in the sky.
Neung Un-bi knew he was going to Jahong.
“Let’s follow him.”
“What? Why?”
“That old man will lead us to the painter—no, the forger.”
“What? But he clearly said he was dead…”
“Not a chance. That was a lie.”
“What do you mean?”
“I told you, I studied! Very diligently!”
“……”
Watching Neung Un-bi grin as he followed the old man from a distance, Wang Cheon could only frown in bewilderment.
*Seriously, why is he lying every time he opens his mouth today?*
“Well, let’s go.”
“……”
But Ju Seung, without a shred of doubt, was already suppressing his presence just like Neung Un-bi.
“You believe that?”
“Pardon?”
“For crying out loud, use your head, will you?”
“……”
Wang Cheon scolded Ju Seung with an irritated expression.
“Let’s say I can accept the matter of the Crocodile Swamp. If he had thoroughly examined the maps of the Central Plains in the archives of the Third Elder’s Department, he might know about a place like that. I can also accept that he knows the geography here. The Young Master has always been sharp.”
“……”
“But a forger? In the territory of the Unorthodox faction?”
“Guard Captain Wang.”
“Yes!”
Wang Cheon replied irritably, and Ju Seung said calmly.
“If the Lord says so, then it is so.”
“……”
“Now, let us follow quickly. It seems we must be stealthy, so quiet your presence and stop talking. And please, try to look for anything that might pose a threat to the Lord's safety.”
“……”
Faced with Ju Seung’s dead-serious expression, Wang Cheon was at a loss for words.
*Did the Lord secretly drug him or something?*
Anyone could see this was a suspicious situation, yet he believed it?
But he couldn’t just stand there staring blankly. As if he didn't even exist in their minds, Neung Un-bi and Ju Seung were already getting farther away.
*And why are they sticking so close together? Are they dating?*
It was truly a sight for sore eyes.
How long has he been a guard… huh? Wait a minute.
Blind faith and trust in a situation anyone would find suspicious.
He’s not an idiot, is he?
“……!?”
*D-don't tell me, Ju Seung! Are you after my position?*
In that moment, the direction of Wang Cheon's suspicion shifted from Neung Un-bi to Ju Seung.
*That son of a bitch! You covet my spot?*
*Not a chance. The position below one and above all others is mine!*
Feeling a massive challenge to his ambition for success and fame, Wang Cheon hastily quickened his pace in the direction Neung Un-bi had disappeared.