Chapter 26
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: The Journey Begins
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“Hmm.”
Dan Ak-seon looked at Cho Ak-ryang, Beom Gye-wi, and Han Seol-hwa with a serious expression.
After observing the three of them intently for a long while, Dan Ak-seon finally nodded.
“Mister Beom, you pass.”
“Alright!”
Shoulders squared, Beom Gye-wi strode forward and stood beside Dan Ak-seon.
Wearing a wig he had purchased at the market and having shaved his coarse beard cleanly, Beom Gye-wi looked like a completely different person.
Han Seol-hwa also naturally came to stand next to Dan Ak-seon.
“Why are you standing over here? You haven’t even disguised yourself.”
At Beom Gye-wi’s jab, Han Seol-hwa scoffed coldly.
“I don’t need a disguise.”
“Why not?”
“Because unlike some people, I haven’t done anything to get my face recognized.”
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
She wasn’t known as a villain anyway, so there was no reason for her to hide.
That left only one person.
“The problem is Mister Cho…”
“Me? That can’t be…”
Cho Ak-ryang examined his appearance with a puzzled look.
He wore a refined scholar's robe, his hair was neatly combed, and he even had a proper scholar's cap on his head. Furthermore, he held an elegant folding fan in one hand.
By all appearances, he was the very picture of a scholar.
Yet, Dan Ak-seon couldn’t hide his troubled expression.
‘The outfit itself is perfect…’
The problem was Cho Ak-ryang’s sharp eyes.
Combined with his characteristically intimidating aura, it created a rather sinister and dangerous atmosphere.
The ordinary attire paradoxically made his presence stand out even more.
“What should we do?”
As Dan Ak-seon pondered, Beom Gye-wi abruptly spoke up.
“How about cutting off one of his feet? Doctor Dan can just reattach it when we get back.”
“Even I can’t do that.”
“Ah, really? That’s a shame. I could’ve done the cutting.”
A thick killing intent flickered in Cho Ak-ryang’s eyes.
But with superhuman patience, he barely suppressed his boiling anger.
Just then, Han Seol-hwa spoke.
“I have a good idea.”
As everyone’s gaze fell on her, Han Seol-hwa opened her mouth with an indifferent expression.
“He can dress as a woman.”
Cho Ak-ryang’s face contorted.
Beom Gye-wi, on the other hand, let out a heartfelt exclamation.
“Oh! That’s a brilliant idea! Who in the world would ever imagine the great Blood Hand Honored One dressing as a woman?”
Finally, Cho Ak-ryang could hold back no longer and roared.
“I’ve had just about enough of you two!”
Cho Ak-ryang glared at Beom Gye-wi and Han Seol-hwa.
“You think this is funny? If I can’t go, neither can you.”
Only then did the two begin to consider the matter seriously.
Cho Ak-ryang was right.
Knowing Dan Ak-seon’s personality, he would never leave Cho Ak-ryang behind and go on a trip.
It was then.
“I’ve got it!”
At Beom Gye-wi’s shout, Cho Ak-ryang frowned.
“Don’t say it. There’s no way you could come up with a good idea!”
“It’s true! It’s such a great idea, it even surprised me!”
Beom Gye-wi excitedly opened his mouth.
“Since I got hair, Brother Cho should do the opposite and get rid of his hair! Just that alone will stop anyone from recognizing you. And it'd be even more perfect if you put a mole next to your nose with some ink!”
Cho Ak-ryang was so dumbfounded and flabbergasted that he wasn't even angry.
Beom Gye-wi was an idiot, so that was to be expected, but the sight of the others nodding in agreement was simply baffling.
“Hooo…”
Finally letting out a long sigh, Cho Ak-ryang reached into his robes.
“I really didn’t want to take this out…”
A moment later, Cho Ak-ryang pulled something out and covered his face with it. It was an exquisitely crafted human-skin mask.
Once he put on the mask, he became a completely different person.
“You’re quite the talented one. When did you make something like that?”
“I didn’t make it.”
“Then?”
“The Ghost-Faced Demonic Son. I took it from him.”
“The one they call a prodigy of disguise?”
Beom Gye-wi tilted his head as he asked.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t heard any news about him for a long time. Did he go into seclusion?”
“He’s dead.”
“Huh? When?”
“About five years ago.”
“How would you know that, Brother Cho?”
“Because I killed him.”
“Aha! So that’s how the mask ended up in your hands.”
Beom Gye-wi stared intently at Cho Ak-ryang’s disguised face.
“Well, I can see why you’d covet it.”
Cho Ak-ryang was incredulous.
“What do you take me for? You think I’d kill a man over a mere trinket like this!”
“Aw, it’s fine. It’s just us here, so what’s the big deal?”
“What, you punk?”
“You wanna get hit?”
“The nerve of you!”
As the two men glared at each other with reddened faces, Dan Ak-seon stepped between them.
“The Mister Cho I know isn’t someone who would kill a person for such a reason.”
“That’s because you don’t know… Ouch! Why’d you step on my foot!”
Beom Gye-wi glared at Han Seol-hwa.
“Are you going to spend the whole day chattering like this?”
At Han Seol-hwa’s cold voice, Beom Gye-wi smacked his lips with a bitter taste.
Just then, Cho Ak-ryang spoke.
“What would you do if some punk started walking around wearing your face, claiming to be Mang Mountain's Thistle?”
“What? I’d smash that bastard’s head in, of course!”
Cho Ak-ryang nodded.
“Right? That’s what happened.”
Only then did Beom Gye-wi concede. It was a perfectly understandable reason.
“Wow!”
Dan Ak-seon, who had been carefully examining Cho Ak-ryang’s new face, exclaimed in genuine admiration.
“I wouldn’t recognize you even if I knew it was you.”
Whatever the tangled story behind it, the mask itself was astonishingly elaborate and natural.
With this, the biggest problem was solved.
Dan Ak-seon looked at the three of them.
“From now on, we are the people of the Jinseong Medical House.”
Beom Gye-wi nodded.
“I’ve already picked out a name.”
Without being asked, Beom Gye-wi grinned and continued.
“Jin Ga-hwi. Doesn’t that sound pretty good?”
Standing to one side, the corners of Han Seol-hwa’s mouth lifted slightly.
“Why not just Villain One and Villain Three?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Villain number one, villain number three.”
At her words, Beom Gye-wi raised his voice.
“Why am I number three! I’m number one! I was originally number two! But now that Brother Cho is a mess, I’m number one!”
Cho Ak-ryang shot him a pathetic look.
“Everyone else is dead and only four of us are left, and you’re still desperate to be number one?”
“I don’t care! I have to be number one! I’ll be Villain One!”
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
“Then from now on, Mister Beom’s name is Villain One.”
Cho Ak-ryang smiled bitterly and decided on his own name.
“Then I’ll be Villain Zero.”
At his words, Dan Ak-seon made a suggestion.
“Since your names are similar, you two can say you’re brothers.”
At that, Beom Gye-wi’s face hardened.
“What? I don’t like that.”
“You think I’d like it?”
Just as the two were about to start growling at each other again, Pung Jin-seong approached at the perfect moment.
“All preparations for departure are complete.”
Dan Ak-seon’s face brightened.
“Then let’s go.”
And so, Dan Ak-seon’s first journey began.
* * *
The Martial Alliance headquarters, located in Hubei.
On the third day of their journey toward it, the group finally reached a wide road.
They had left the narrow path, barely wide enough for a single carriage, and entered the open main road.
“Wow!”
An exclamation escaped Dan Ak-seon’s lips.
The first thing that caught his eye was the diverse array of people moving in their own groups.
There were traveling merchants carrying large bundles on their backs.
Families moving with all their household goods loaded onto a cart pulled by a single ox.
Occasionally, men who appeared to be government officials would ride past on horseback, and there was even an old man napping in a palanquin carried by four servants.
Dan Ak-seon restlessly looked around, busy observing the people in their various attires.
Everything was fascinating and new to him.
“I’m so glad we came on this trip.”
Seeing Dan Ak-seon so excited, Cho Ak-ryang gave a pleased smile.
“New experiences are the true charm of travel. You will see and experience many more interesting things from now on.”
Beom Gye-wi quickly added a word as well.
“Doctor Dan, you just have to trust us.”
“Hehe. I’m looking forward to it.”
Cho Ak-ryang looked at the group and explained the journey ahead.
“First, we need to meet with Family Head Pung, so let’s go to Lanzhou.”
Pung Jin-seong had already departed ahead of them to arrange a meeting with the Martial Alliance.
“After Family Head Pung joins us, we’ll head to Wuhan, passing through Xi’an in Shaanxi. On the way to Xi’an, we have Baoji and Mei County, so we can stop by there for a bit. Once we reach Xi’an, let’s rest for a few days. Chang’an is about three days away, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to visit there either.”
Chang’an was an ancient capital with a rich history, having been the capital during the Tang Dynasty. As such, it was abundant in food and sights.
Since this was Dan Ak-seon’s first journey, he wanted him to experience as much as possible, even if it meant taking a slight detour.
Just then, Beom Gye-wi tilted his head.
“Brother Cho. Wait a minute. Why did you skip Qingzhou?”
A look of confusion appeared on Cho Ak-ryang’s face.
Qingzhou was far off the path to Hubei.
“Why there?”
“There’s a place we have to go. A place Doctor Dan must experience.”
“And where is that?”
“The Enchanting Fragrance Pavilion.”
Cho Ak-ryang frowned.
“That’s a courtesan house.”
“That’s why we must stop by, isn’t it? Haven’t you heard the recent talk that it has surpassed the courtesan houses of Suzhou? Besides…”
Beom Gye-wi couldn’t finish his sentence.
In an instant, a cold wind seemed to blow past, and his lips froze solid.
“Mmph? Mmmph!”
Beom Gye-wi glared at Han Seol-hwa.
It was obvious whose doing it was.
*Sizzle.*
As Beom Gye-wi circulated his internal energy, the white frost that had settled on his face disappeared. Confirming that his lips could move again, Beom Gye-wi yelled at Han Seol-hwa.
“What was that for!”
“I didn’t want to hear your pathetic nonsense.”
“Pathetic! My Enchanting Fragrance Pavilion is not pathetic! It’s amazing!”
Beom Gye-wi looked at Cho Ak-ryang as if asking for help.
“Brother Cho, say something. Your girlfriend used to work there too.”
Cho Ak-ryang’s face turned red.
“Why are you bringing that up again! You’re the one who ended up snatching her away!”
“That was because you cheated on her, Brother Cho.”
“How many times do I have to tell you it wasn’t like that! I was just pretending to be enthralled by the Mind-Befuddling Arts to deal with a woman who used seduction techniques!”
“For an act, you seemed to be enjoying it a bit too much. You were even drooling.”
“Have you lived your whole life being deceived? When someone tells you something, just believe them for once!”
“Who would believe that?”
“Everyone but you does!”
“I don’t think so.”
Beom Gye-wi gestured with his chin toward Han Seol-hwa.
Han Seol-hwa was covering Dan Ak-seon’s ears with both hands. Although her expression was hidden by the veil covering the lower half of her face, the emotion in her exposed eyes was plain to see.
“…”
“…”
Eventually, the two embarrassed men shut their mouths and began to hurry along the road again.
How long had they walked like that?
“Huh?”
Dan Ak-seon suddenly stopped walking.
“What’s wrong, Doctor Dan?”
“What is it?”
In response to Beom Gye-wi and Cho Ak-ryang’s questions, Dan Ak-seon closed his eyes and began sniffing the air.
Then, in an instant, he darted into the forest beside the road.
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi hastily followed, flying after him. Rummaging through the undergrowth, Dan Ak-seon spotted something and ran toward it.
“I found it!”
Held high in Dan Ak-seon’s hands were some plants.
“What’s that? Some weed?”
“Looks more like leaves than a weed.”
At Cho Ak-ryang’s words, Dan Ak-seon nodded.
“It’s angelica. I never expected to find it growing wild out here. And in such a large patch, too.”
“Is that a medicinal herb too?”
“Of course. Its very name means 'to rightfully return'.”
The name literally meant to return as one should.
“Long ago, when men went off to war, they would carry angelica given to them by their wives. When they were exhausted from battle, they would eat it to regain their strength and return home. That’s how good it is for recovering energy. It has a wonderful scent, too.”
Beom Gye-wi tore off an angelica leaf and sniffed it, then nodded.
“It really does have a sharp scent. But you found this from that far away just by smell? Even a dog couldn’t do that.”
Cho Ak-ryang’s brow furrowed.
“Are you calling Doctor Dan a dog?”