Chapter 43
Chapter 43
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 43
Chapter Title: Can You Handle This?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Can you handle this?
“Lady Yeon, it seems you’ve met an acquaintance. Might I ask for an introduction? For some reason… they seem like people we should get to know.”
Seo Munjehak was in a foul mood, but he barely showed it as he spoke.
Right now, Seo Munjehak, along with Guyang Su and Chu Yeonghak, were keenly scrutinizing Byeok Taesan's party one by one.
Behind them, their family warriors were arrayed in formation.
It was an impressive display of power, but it had no effect on anyone in Byeok Taesan's group.
Yeon Harin felt a pang of anxiety.
If they decided to attack, dealing with Byeok Taesan alone would be trivial.
The Seo Mun Family, the Guyang Family, and the Chu Family Manor were all incredibly powerful clans.
As Yeon Harin briefly pondered how to answer, Seo Munjehak looked directly at Byeok Taesan and spoke.
“Are you perhaps the man named Byeok Taesan, Lady Yeon's former fiancé?”
At Seo Munjehak’s question, Byeok Taesan tilted his head.
“Former?”
Byeok Taesan looked at Yeon Harin and asked.
“Did we break off our engagement?”
Startled, Yeon Harin vigorously shook her head.
“Of course not!”
Byeok Taesan had wanted to end the engagement. But Yeon Harin had resisted and held on until the end.
She couldn’t describe how hopeful she had been when she met him at the Yeon Family Estate last time.
Byeok Taesan's health had improved so noticeably that she began to hope he might even make a full recovery.
So why would she end the engagement? The situation was better than before.
Byeok Taesan nodded and looked at Seo Munjehak.
“That’s what she says.”
Seo Munjehak’s eyebrow twitched. He was extremely displeased, but he couldn't show it openly.
But then, the women standing behind Byeok Taesan caught his eye.
It was Danyeong, Chaewol, and Soso.
Seo Munjehak's eyes widened. They were that beautiful. Except for Soso, of course.
Although they were certainly a step down from Yeon Harin, they still radiated their own distinct beauty, even in her presence.
He had experienced countless times just how remarkable that was.
After all, most beauties lost their luster just by standing near Yeon Harin.
In truth, it wasn't just Seo Munjehak who reacted this way. Guyang Su and Chu Yeonghak behind him, and even their escort warriors, all wore similar expressions.
“Anyway, we met by chance, but since we're engaged, how about coming with us to our lodgings?”
At Byeok Taesan’s words, Yeon Harin nodded frantically.
She would have begged to come even if he’d told her not to, so why wouldn't she accept such a polite invitation?
“Are we going straight to the inn?”
Yeon Harin quickly moved to Byeok Taesan’s side and asked.
She didn't dare hold his hand or link arms with him, but just standing side by side like this was good enough.
Byeok Taesan gazed at her quietly.
Yeon Harin looked up, her eyes sparkling as she met his gaze.
“What is it? Is there something on my face?”
“Just curious.”
“Pardon?”
Byeok Taesan glanced at the three men a short distance away, their eyes darting back and forth.
“Aren't their families pretty decent?”
“What does family matter?”
Byeok Taesan said no more and turned his head to look forward again. Then he slowly began to walk.
“Let’s go.”
At his word, the group started moving together.
‘Why is she so hung up on me?’
The question had just occurred to him.
He hadn’t cared before and paid it no mind, but as his interest slowly grew, the question naturally followed.
When he thought about it, besides being engaged as children, there was nothing else between them.
‘Did something happen when we were young?’
For now, that was the only thing he could guess.
In any case, he could figure it out slowly later. If he got more curious, he could just ask her directly.
For now, he would just do what he wanted to do.
As Byeok Taesan started to leave with Yeon Harin, Seo Munjehak and the others glared at the scene.
“What will you do?”
At Guyang Su’s question, Seo Munjehak scoffed.
“What do you mean, what will I do? We need to find a place to stay, too.”
Then Chu Yeonghak spoke with a hint of urgency.
“Then what are we doing just standing here? We have to follow them.”
Shouldn't they stay at the same inn? Or at the very least, find one nearby.
“Let’s make a plan as we go.”
The first to move was Seo Munjehak. He didn't bother to hide his unpleasant expression.
‘To think she could make a face like that.’
The moment she met Byeok Taesan, Yeon Harin had smiled in a way he had never seen before.
It was infuriating. Yet, at the same time, it made his heart tremble. It was that beautiful a smile.
The other two men felt much the same as Seo Munjehak.
They walked slowly, their eyes fixed ahead.
Yeon Harin and Byeok Taesan were the first thing they saw. They instinctively gritted their teeth.
Then Danyeong and Chaewol came into view.
“Somehow… I feel like I’ve found a treasure.”
At Seo Munjehak’s mutter, Guyang Su and Chu Yeonghak unknowingly nodded in agreement.
* * *
Standing in front of the inn, Yeon Harin’s eyes widened.
She never imagined such a magnificent inn would exist in Jingzhou.
She hadn't seen an inn of this caliber even in Wuhan.
“I never thought an inn that seems like it wouldn't even exist in Wuhan would be here.”
The sign read ‘Golden Moon Inn,’ and even the calligraphy on it was exquisitely elegant.
It was likely not the work of an ordinary person.
“Judging by the name, it seems to be related to the Golden Moon Trading Company.”
If it was an inn owned by the Golden Moon Trading Company, it was somewhat understandable.
“This place, Jingzhou, is somewhere the Golden Moon Trading Company pays quite a bit of attention to.”
The Divine Doctor of the Ages said, as if boasting of his knowledge.
As all eyes turned to him, he continued his explanation with a slightly haughty expression.
“The trading company closest to being the greatest under heaven is the Golden Moon Trading Company, and they’re a peculiar bunch. For a trading company, they have three martial arts sects under their command.”
Everyone showed expressions of keen interest.
A trading company commanding martial arts sects was something they had never imagined. Just how much money did they have to be able to do something like that?
Everyone knew the Golden Moon Trading Company was formidable, but they had never heard such details.
“Anyway, one of them is here in Jingzhou. This inn is run by that very sect.”
Yeon Harin looked at the Divine Doctor of the Ages with admiration.
“You truly know so much.”
“Ahem. It’s because I’ve traveled all over and heard all sorts of things. That’s how it is for a physician. We must rush to wherever a patient is. And rapport with the patient is essential. Naturally, I’ve been to Jingzhou several times. Speaking of which, the last time I came to Jingzhou…”
Just as the Divine Doctor of the Ages was about to launch into a long story, Byeok Taesan cut him off with a raised hand.
That simple gesture was enough to silence the Divine Doctor.
“Alright, that’s enough explanation for now. Let’s go inside. Given its size, we probably don't have to worry about them being out of rooms.”
As Byeok Taesan’s party entered the Golden Moon Inn, Seo Munjehak’s group arrived right behind them.
“Hah. The Golden Moon Inn? He must be a rich bastard. His spending is on another level.”
The Golden Moon Inn was famous for being expensive.
Seo Munjehak had only heard of it by name; this was his first time seeing it in person.
At least Seo Munjehak, who often traveled rather than staying cooped up in his family estate, knew about the Golden Moon Inn. The other two didn't even know that much.
“It seems to be an inn built by the Golden Moon Trading Company.”
“That’s right. Since it was built by a bunch of money-grubbers, you can imagine how expensive it is. You’d have to pay ten times the price of other inns just to get a room.”
“Good heavens. Is it that much?”
“Let’s go in, anyway.”
They entered the inn.
From the outside, it had just seemed impressive, but once inside, the atmosphere was so overwhelming it was almost suffocating.
This was especially true for those with a discerning eye.
Not a single decoration inside, no matter how trivial, was crudely made.
It was, quite literally, a place built with a mountain of money.
No wonder they charged such exorbitant prices.
Even the inn's staff who greeted guests were not ordinary. The women, beautiful enough to be courtesans, were elegantly dressed and welcomed guests with utmost courtesy.
Seo Munjehak spoke confidently.
“We are with the party that just entered. We would like to get rooms in the same area.”
The staff member replied with a calm expression.
“They are staying in a separate villa. Shall I contact them for you? The villas at our Golden Moon Inn are quite spacious, so there would be no inconvenience even if all of you stayed together.”
Seo Munjehak’s mind raced.
He didn't want to pathetically contact them and ask to stay together. This was a matter of pride.
“That won't be necessary. We’ll stay in a villa as well. Guide us to the one closest to theirs.”
The staff member bowed politely.
“I will escort you. For your reference, the lodging fee is thirty gold taels per day.”
Seo Munjehak stopped in his tracks.
His expression was colored with bewilderment.
“Thirty gold taels?”
Seo Munjehak turned his head to look at Guyang Su and Chu Yeonghak.
The two men discreetly averted their gazes.
Thirty gold taels. This was far more than ten times the price of other inns.
Even a reasonably decent inn wouldn't charge more than two gold taels to rent a villa for a day.
Reading Seo Munjehak's expression, the staff member added an explanation with the gentlest smile she could manage.
It seemed she was used to such situations.
“The villas are divided into three tiers. The deeper you go, the quieter and more secure they are. The villa near where those guests are staying is thirty taels, but if you come out a bit, ten gold taels will be sufficient.”
Even ten gold taels was a lot.
Why should they have to pay ten gold taels just for one night’s sleep?
If they stayed for two days, it would be twenty taels.
“Did those people earlier go to the third villa?”
Seo Munjehak gritted his teeth. It was a huge expense, but not one he couldn't afford.
“They went to a place deeper inside. There is a special guest among them… It is the only villa of its kind in our inn, so we ask for your understanding that we cannot offer it to you.”
“A… deeper place, you say?”
“Yes. It costs sixty gold taels per day and is reserved only for very special guests.”
The words ‘very special’ and ‘sixty gold taels’ struck him hard.
“Hah! What in the world are those bastards?”
The staff member stood politely, waiting for Seo Munjehak’s decision.
“Wait, did you say a special person?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Do you just call anyone special here?”
“Of course not. We have internal standards that have been established.”
“Then tell me who in that group was so special.”
“They requested that their privacy be maintained.”
Seo Munjehak scoffed.
“Hmph, I bet anyone can get in as long as they throw enough money around. Do you know who we are?”
The staff member’s gaze briefly swept over the group. Then she answered politely.
“I would surmise that you are from the Seo Mun Family, the Guyang Family, and the Chu Family Manor.”
Seo Munjehak’s eyes widened slightly.
“Impressive. That’s right. We are direct descendants of those three families. Now then, do you have any objection to the fact that we are more special guests than the ones who just went in?”
“I apologize.”
At the staff member’s reply, Seo Munjehak’s eyebrow twitched again. He really didn't like this.
“When you say you apologize, is it for disrespecting us? Or because the people inside are greater than us?”
For the first time, a look of trouble crossed the staff member’s face.
It wasn't her first time dealing with an unreasonable guest, but there were few cases she couldn't resolve on her own.
“Just send word inside. Tell them you'll switch the rooms. We will be using that villa. Surely our qualifications aren’t lacking, are they?”
“Your qualifications are more than sufficient. However…”
Honestly, they weren't exactly more than sufficient. They were borderline, but depending on the situation, she could have offered them a villa. But not now.
“However, what? Think carefully before you speak. If you don't want to face dire consequences later.”
A sharp, sword-like aura began to emanate from Seo Munjehak.
There was no way a mere staff member could withstand such pressure.
Her face turned deathly pale.
Just then, someone walked out from inside.
“I'm that special person. So stop causing a scene and say what you have to say to me.”
Seo Munjehak’s head snapped around. His expression turned peculiar.
It was the same for Guyang Su and Chu Yeonghak behind him.
Seo Munjehak said in a growl.
“You… can you handle us?”
Hearing this, Byeok Taesan let out a smirk.
“And you, can you handle me?”