The City of Jinan and the Secret of the Uiseon Suga Family
Here……
That was the house where the owner of the field lived. Where could the owner of this place have gone?
They ran away, of course. Even I wouldn’t want to be at the battlefield where the Cheonhwang Paeundae and the Jeongeumdae are fighting, would I?
That bastard. Are you even with the Cheonmumaeng? When the Cheonhwang Paeundae and the Jeongeumdae fight, you should naturally join the Jeongeumdae and fight together!
Ah.
Tsk tsk. Young ones these days have completely lost their sanity.
No…… I wasn’t saying that about myself. I was just saying that the owner of this place probably would have done the same. If you take it like that, what do you expect?
Shut up. You. Stop making my blood pressure rise even more.
Go Pyo’s awkward excuse did little to soothe his senior, who simply waved his hand dismissively.
Feeling slightly stung, Go Pyo quickly changed his tune to draw attention elsewhere.
Maybe the owner of this place isn’t an ordinary farmer after all.
Oh? That’s a somewhat plausible theory. Keep going.
Turns out he’s a hidden expert…… or something. Isn’t it common for a top-tier master from the martial world to retreat to the mountains and do some farming as a way to pass the time?
Granted that, then why did the Demonic Cult and our Cheonmumaeng come looking for this hidden expert?
Go Ji-han’s expression was subtle. It wasn’t as if he truly didn’t know; he was simply laying out the pieces on the board for the next move.
It’s obvious. A recruitment offer, isn’t it? Both us and them are in a tight spot with every top expert we need, and there are so many masterless masters in the martial world.
Hmm. That makes sense. So my point is, there was a hidden expert living here, and the Demonic Cult and the Cheonmumaeng sent people to recruit him, only for them to bump into each other and end up in this situation?
Exactly that. Senior Go, you’re quite good at this.
Go Pyo flashed a thumbs-up and a grin. Go Ji-han lifted his hand to return it, only to lower it with a faint smile of his own.
For someone your age, your opinion isn’t half bad. Then the one who destroyed the field must have been a smokescreen.
A smokescreen?
Let’s say the hidden expert was actually recruited by the Demonic Cult. Of course, they’d want to hide that fact, wouldn’t they?
Of course. It’s only natural to conceal your ace card.
And yet our Cheonmumaeng wouldn’t miss it…… The Demonic Cult wants to hide it, so they’re making a deal, aren’t they?
Go Ji-han’s words hit home, and Go Pyo slapped his hands together.
They wanted to destroy the field, make it look like the Demonic Cult had nothing to do with it?
That’s right. Those bastards are ruthless.
But…… even after all that, is he really that valuable a master? A single Cheonhwang Paeundae squad would cause a lot of damage……
Go Pyo shivered as he voiced his concern, and Go Ji-han shook his head in response.
The Demonic Cult poured everything they had into this. Despite the near-double casualty, it seems they achieved their objective…… One wonders if it can truly be called the Cheonhwang Paeundae.
Even so, they’re down a lot of manpower, and the Demonic Cult is far away from here. If it’s such an important person, wouldn’t they have moved with more careful escort?
Go Pyo’s question came just as Go Ji-han raised his hand. A pigeon flew straight to him the moment he did.
Go Ji-han unfolded the note attached to the pigeon’s leg, his eyes crinkling with a smile.
You were right for once. It seems someone from the Demonic Cult is on the move with an escort.
Really? Where?
Near Taiyuan in Shanxi Province. Not far from here. We’ll move quickly. From the look of it, the Demonic Cult hasn’t arrived yet. Makes sense, since we’re closer. They wouldn’t send support either. I doubt you want to run into the Demonic Cult……
With that, Go Ji-han turned to leave.
Seeing Go Pyo already heading down the mountain, Go Ji-han rubbed his forehead in frustration.
Senior! What are you doing!? Let’s go quickly!
Damn it. The same guy who was struggling like that when he came up is sprinting down now? He’s not even showing off his sturdy joints just because he’s young.
Grumbling, Go Ji-han employed light footwork and caught up with Go Pyo in moments, then departed.
*
While Go Ji-han and Go Pyo were diligently chasing dead ends in their investigation, Yoo Eunhyeon stood on the street, staring at the bustling crowds with a dazed expression.
Where exactly is this place?
Jinan, the largest city in Shandong Province. This is your first time coming this far? It’s not that far from Mount Taesan.
Yes. I’ve visited the village at the foot of the mountain a few times…… but this is the first time I’ve seen a place like this.
What a shame. If this was just a leisurely outing, I’d love to let you explore more while staying, but……
At those words, Yeo U-hui’s expression turned awkward. She hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
There isn’t enough time to stay. This place is too close to Mount Taesan. We might be pursued.
Even if we’ve covered our tracks?
Leaving tracks is itself a kind of track. To hide a tree, you hide it in the forest, but that isn’t the right choice right now.
Then why did you bring me here?
We need at least basic supplies. Actually, I was only planning a short visit, so I didn’t bring much. There might be no choice but to camp out in the wild if things go wrong, so it’s better to be prepared to some degree.
Seeing Yeo U-hui’s willingness to camp outside, Yoo Eunhyeon felt a pang of melancholy. But it wasn’t out of discomfort or reluctance.
After all, he had grown up in the mountains, and nature was something he knew intimately as a farmer.
He had simply thought it odd that he would have to sleep out here.
If I were to buy something…… here it is.
Yoo Eunhyeon took out the hoansuk he had received from Sa Unsik and showed it to Yeo U-hui. It seemed she was supposed to use it.
Since bringing her only as far as where Su Hwa-seon was waiting had already earned her enough gratitude, he didn’t want to impose any monetary burden.
Bringing out something like this in a crowded street like this isn’t a good idea.
But Yeo U-hui quickly blocked Yoo Eunhyeon’s hoansuk with her body. As she had said, passersby kept glancing at the one in his hand.
Ah…… that’s right.
Yoo Eunhyeon, realizing what she was worried about, quickly tucked the hoansuk back into his robe.
Living only in places with few people, he hadn’t realized that spending a fortune in a crowded city would be unwise.
Where did that come from? It looks quite valuable. Did Unhyeon’s uncle give her a big allowance?
I don’t know, but it doesn’t seem like there’s a shortage of money. Mother handles crop sales and accounts.
Actually, the crops from his field were of such high quality that they fetched excellent prices. And gifts like Doyakju and Jagyagyeon to Sa Unsik and So Biwon were almost worth their weight in gold.
Really? Farming is that profitable? Hmmm……
Yeo U-hui seemed doubtful, but Yoo Eunhyeon couldn’t bring himself to admit it had come from Sa Unsik, so he simply gave a vague reply.
Since she was from another family, Yeo U-hui didn’t press further.
Then I’ll give this to Aunt. Let’s use it to buy something.
No. It’s fine. Keep it. I’ll be an aunt, so I can’t take away a gift with a kid’s snot on it. A blanket or something isn’t that expensive, so no need to worry.
Yoo Eunhyeon, thinking she had been pleased by the gift, hadn’t accepted it. With the situation as it was, he could no longer insist.
Thus, the two left Jinan quickly, having obtained only what they needed.
*
Someone had been watching intently as the pair slipped out the northern gate.
Earlier, the person who had been staring fixedly at the hoansuk Yoo Eunhyeon had taken out had entered the nearby back alley and vanished into a nearly collapsed ruin.
Hey. Contact the boss right away. A big one came.
At those words, the men playing jjajang inside the ruin hurriedly stood and moved toward a secret passage hidden in the building.
It was easy to guess what they were about to do, given they were using a secret passage instead of a normal door.
The women seem to be quite active. Gather enough people. If possible, finish them quickly with a surprise attack.
With that, the last man remaining also disappeared into the dark passage.
*
Unaware of the movements behind him, Yoo Eunhyeon had been following Yeo U-hui diligently. For a rest, he deliberately led her to a remote, sparsely populated forest and asked a question.
Where exactly are we going?
Hm? You were following without knowing where we were? Didn’t your mother tell you?
Yes. I know nothing about your family estate.
Hmm…… Really? It’s not a problem telling you, but should I just say it?
Is it difficult to tell?
No. It’s not that. I was wondering if there was a reason she deliberately hid it.
Yoo Eunhyeon’s words to Yeo U-hui were reasonable, but he couldn’t stop the faint sense of grievance from rising.
Whether there’s a reason or not, it’s pointless. Mother hides so much that unless it’s a secret of birth, I wouldn’t even be curious.
Yoo Eunhyeon, sounding like he had been waiting for an answer, vented his dissatisfaction with Su Hwa-seon. Yeo U-hui couldn’t hold back a laugh. Only after realizing she had spoken ill of her own parents did he clear his throat awkwardly.
Hmph…… Anyway, I’m old enough to know. It’s obvious, isn’t it? Mother is a martial artist who trained in the martial world?
Why do you think that?
Otherwise, where could Mother have learned martial arts? Obviously from her family estate. Since I know that much, you can tell me.
Yoo Eunhyeon shrugged and acted as if he knew.
Actually, he had only realized it after receiving the Neunggong Simbeop from Sa Unsik. The qi aura he had seen on Su Hwa-seon’s body was inner energy.
Yes. If you already know that much, hiding it would serve no purpose. Thinking about it, learning it upon arrival would be inevitable anyway.
Yeo U-hui seemed to think for a moment at Yoo Eunhyeon’s words, then set them aside. If Su Hwa-seon later resented it, she could easily accept it.
Seeing Yoo Eunhyeon listen intently, Yeo U-hui continued.
There’s no time to explain complicated things, so let’s keep it simple. First, the martial world is divided into the righteous path and the demonic path. Usually, we say the righteous are good and the demonic are evil, but…… fundamentally, good and evil aren’t absolute standards. Good and evil depend on what one pursues.
Really? How do you distinguish them?
To be honest, both sides do similar things. The difference is that the righteous path at least has a minimal reason for justice, while the demonic path moves purely for the desire to achieve its goal.
Yoo Eunhyeon nodded at Yeo U-hui’s words.
Different from So Biwon, Sa Unsik’s drive to encourage his desires was close to the demonic path.
In fact, hadn’t Sa Unsik ruined the field and dragged him away against his will?
Yoo Eunhyeon, lost in thought for a moment, asked again.
Is there no middle ground? One might not want to pursue both the righteous and demonic paths.
At those words, Yeo U-hui smiled meaningfully.
There is. Like your family estate, the Uiseon Suga.