Chapter 106
Chapter 106
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Leaving Dong-ro Prefecture!
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I went to the Purple Cloud Pavilion and summoned Jang Ung and Ja-un.
“I’m thinking of going somewhere for a while.”
Jang Ung flinched, and Ja-un was startled.
“My lord! Where are you going?”
“Yueyang.”
“Yueyang?”
Ja-un was greatly surprised, and this time, even Jang Ung was taken aback.
“My lord, what is the matter?”
Yueyang, located in Hunan Province by the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake, was a long journey of over thirty-five hundred li by land from Dong-ro Prefecture.
“Why are you going there?”
While Ja-un was aghast, Jang Ung tried to remain calm.
“Will you be going by boat?”
“That’s the plan.”
“What should I prepare?”
Jang Ung naturally assumed he would be taken along.
“Ja-un.”
“Yes, my lord!”
Excited, Ja-un stood ramrod straight, her hands clasped as she stared at me.
“Would it be possible to take one of the chefs from the Purple Cloud Pavilion or the Peerless Restaurant with me?”
It would be the icing on the cake to enjoy delicious food during the trip to and from Yueyang.
“Of course, you can. Why not?”
I turned to Jang Ung.
“General Manager Jang, I'm entrusting Dong-ro Prefecture to you while I'm away.”
“My lord!”
Jang Ung was utterly shocked.
“What are you saying? Are you not taking me with you?”
“Have you forgotten how much there is to do in Dong-ro Prefecture? You are my proxy.”
“Urgh!”
“Imagine what would happen if both I and General Manager Jang were absent from Dong-ro Prefecture.”
Jang Ung was no fool.
“I understand.”
Ja-un took a step forward.
“What about me?”
She gazed at me with a pleading expression.
“It doesn't matter whether I'm in Dong-ro Prefecture or not!”
“Ja-un, you…”
“The Crouching Dragon Group is running just fine on its own. And if any problems arise, my brother will handle them. Right, brother?”
“Of course.”
Jang Ung smiled warmly.
Ja-un spoke with fervor.
“I, along with the best chef from the Purple Cloud Pavilion and a handmaiden, will accompany you and take good care of you, my lord!”
When I didn't answer, Ja-un grew anxious and stepped closer, grabbing my arm.
“I want to travel with you too, my lord!”
“Alright. Let's go together.”
“Aah! Thank you, my lord!”
Ja-un leaped up and threw her arms around my neck.
* * *
I went with Jang Ung and Go Un-hyo to the Fire Dragon Courtyard and summoned Ahn Do-pil and the other members of the Dong-ro Branch.
The Dong-ro Branch members and the Grand Courtyard members lined up on either side before me.
Ahn Do-pil and Hyeong In-geol had seen the Grand Courtyard Members during the screening of the new applicants' documents, but the other Dong-ro Branch members did not know them.
There was no reason for the Grand Courtyard Members to know or remember Ahn Do-pil, Hyeong In-geol, or the other Dong-ro Branch members. To them, the Dong-ro Branch members were of no consequence.
“Introduce yourselves to one another.”
The Dong-ro Branch members and the Grand Courtyard Members introduced themselves one by one.
“You all belong to the Dong-ro Branch.”
Everyone listened in silence.
“From now on, Ahn Do-pil will command the Dong-ro Branch members and oversee the public security of Dong-ro Prefecture.”
“Me, sir?”
Ahn Do-pil was greatly flustered by the sudden command. With the population of Dong-ro Prefecture approaching six hundred thousand, being told to handle security with only the Dong-ro Branch members was like being asked to dam the Qiantang River with a single sack of sand.
Moreover, Ahn Do-pil believed he was not capable of handling such a monumental task.
Just then, someone knocked on the main gate from outside.
Yang Rim ran to open the gate, and Do Hyeon-tak entered hesitantly.
I had summoned Do Hyeon-tak here.
Upon entering, Do Hyeon-tak spotted me and flinched, then clasped his hands and bowed respectfully.
“Come here.”
Do Hyeon-tak hurried over and stood before me, his body tensed.
“Greetings, Grand Branch Master.”
After the scolding he received from me and Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, Do Hyeon-tak had become a completely new man.
I plan to dismiss Mak Pyo, whose legs were broken by Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo, and not reappoint him.
A man who can't distinguish between bravery and recklessness is useless anywhere.
In any case, I must resolve the matters that have occurred in the Dong-ro Branch before handing the prefecture over to the Alliance Lord.
Do Hyeon-tak anxiously awaited my words.
“I am reinstating you to your position.”
“Thank you!”
Do Hyeon-tak bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the ground.
“Select personnel from among the new applicants to be in charge of Dong-ro's security.”
“What level of skill should they have?”
“You said the new applicants were divided into nine ranks, correct?”
“That is correct. Each of the nine ranks was further divided into three sub-ranks.”
“How many are in the ninth rank?”
“About three hundred.”
“Select them.”
Even though they were ninth-rank applicants, the martial arts screening standard for the Dong-ro Branch was so high that they were at the level of first-rate warriors.
“Understood!”
Having been on probation until now, Do Hyeon-tak was full of spirit, his reply loud and clear.
“Ahn Do-pil will lead the three hundred selected applicants and be in charge of public security in Dong-ro Prefecture.”
“But I…”
The task was so immense that Ahn Do-pil’s face showed he was completely overwhelmed.
“I have already spoken to the Dong-ro Magistrate. He will tell you what to do when you go to the prefectural office.”
Ahn Do-pil hardened his resolve.
“I accept your command!”
“Hyeong In-geol, you will assist Ahn Do-pil.”
“I accept your command!”
For Ahn Do-pil and Hyeong In-geol, who until recently had been utterly crushed and unable to stand tall under the chilling pressure of the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path, this was nothing short of a world-shattering event.
I pointed to the Grand Courtyard Members.
“These people are Grand Branch Members, directly under my command. Their main duty is to eliminate the masters who infiltrate Dong-ro Prefecture under the orders of the Demonic Emperor's Grand Union and the Ten Heavens of the Unorthodox Path.”
The Dong-ro Branch members would handle internal security, while the Grand Branch Members would block invading forces from the outside.
Song Ga-hyeon and the other Grand Courtyard Members looked slightly smug.
I commanded Do Hyeon-tak and Ahn Do-pil.
“Provide the Grand Branch Members with every convenience.”
“We accept your command!”
* * *
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo was at the construction site of the Martial Alliance Headquarters when Jang Ung came to see her.
“Young Lady.”
“General Manager Jang, welcome.”
“I have something to tell you.”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo looked into the distance behind Jang Ung, searching for Ak Bi-ryong.
“My lord was busy, so I came alone.”
“Ah, I see.”
“In a short while, the Alliance Lord's party will arrive at the port.”
“Oh, really?”
“I will escort you to the port, Young Lady.”
“Where is Brother Yong?”
“He has gone out of town for a while. Shall we go?”
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo realized that Jang Ung was intentionally not revealing where Ak Bi-ryong had gone. No, it was likely Ak Bi-ryong's will, not Jang Ung's.
Come to think of it, she had come here early this morning and hadn't seen Ak Bi-ryong all day.
* * *
The boat, its construction neatly finished, was moored at the shipyard's port.
A flag hung from the roof of the highest three-story pavilion, embroidered with the characters 'Bi-ryong (飛龍)'.
Jang Ung had hired three skilled and diligent sailors, all residents of Dong-ro Prefecture, and had purchased all the necessary supplies for the voyage, filling the ship's hold.
Ja-un, having brought a first-class chef and a handmaiden from the Purple Cloud Pavilion, had boarded the boat early and was brimming with anticipation.
Finally, the sailors untied the ropes mooring the boat to the port and set sail.
*Swoosh!*
Three sailors rowed with three oars—one on each side of the boat and one at the stern—gliding toward the center of Cheonmok Stream.
I remained inside the cabin with Go Un-hyo, Ja-un, and the others, not going outside.
It was around the time Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's entourage would be arriving at the Dong-ro port, so she would surely be there.
As I flopped onto the bed, Go Un-hyo quietly got up and went to his own cabin, while Ja-un left with the chef and handmaiden, saying she would prepare a meal.
I folded my arms behind my head for a pillow and closed my eyes.
I didn't want to run into Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's people as they arrived in Dong-ro, nor did I wish to associate with them.
So I had been thinking of going somewhere for a while, and it just so happened that Go Un-hyo suggested visiting Yueyang.
The home of the Blood Shadow Sword Venerable, Nu Jong-won, was in Yueyang, and beneath it lay a hidden cache of gold and treasures he had secretly amassed.
In truth, I had little interest in treasure or gold. The desire to simply leave Dong-ro Prefecture for a while was stronger.
I also wanted to travel leisurely outside Dong-ro, to face and fight the powerful figures of the martial world.
Now that I was actually on the boat with those thoughts in mind, I felt a sense of ease and contentment.
Come to think of it, I had never once in my life taken a trip.
* * *
Jang Ung pointed toward the Qiantang River.
“Young Lady, a boat is approaching over there.”
In the distance, where the Qiantang River and Cheonmok Stream converged, several boats were coming and going in a tangle. Among them, a medium-sized vessel heading their way came into Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's view.
Several people were gathered on the forward deck of the vessel, and among them, she could see Soyang-gun and Sang Gang-jo.
Just then, Soyang-gun and the others spotted Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo and bowed respectfully.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo smiled and waved.
Her heart swelled with emotion. After thirteen long years of wandering without a home as the Alliance Lord of the Martial Alliance, she was finally settling down.
Just then, Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo's eyes widened as she spotted a familiar medium-sized boat approaching the one carrying Soyang-gun and his party.
‘Isn't that Brother Yong's boat?’
Her gaze quickly swept over the entire vessel. Other than three sailors busily unfurling the sails, there was no one else.
On a flag fluttering from the three-story pavilion, she saw the characters for 'Bi-ryong'. It must have been named after Ak Bi-ryong.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo stretched out her hand and pointed to the vessel.
“General Manager Jang, that's Brother Yong's boat, isn't it?”
“It seems so.”
“It looks like they're doing a test run.”
“I suppose so.”
Jang Ung knew that Ak Bi-ryong and his party had embarked on a long journey of over five thousand li by water.
The Bi-ryong passed by the vessel carrying Soyang-gun and the others.
Hyukryeon Byeok-gyo tore her eyes away from the receding Bi-ryong and smiled at the approaching vessel.
Jang Ung gazed deeply at the departing vessel.
‘My lord! I wish you a safe journey!’
* * *
Only when the Bi-ryong had left the Qiantang River and entered Hangzhou Bay did I finally leave the cabin and go up on deck.
The Bi-ryong had six floors in total: three below deck and three above.
The first floor below deck was the hold for storage, and it also had a training room, a bathing room, and three cabins for the crew.
The third floor had five large cabins and a galley, while the first and second floors above deck were for cabins, and the third floor held a lounge and a pavilion.
* * *
The Bi-ryong exited Hangzhou Bay into the open sea and turned its bow northward.
After heading north for about one hundred and fifty li, it would enter the lower Yangtze River. From there, it would travel continuously west against the current to reach Yueyang.
While Go Un-hyo, Ja-un, and I were eating in the pavilion, a sailor came up.
He was a sturdy man in his early forties, with a sun-darkened face and thick forearms.
He bowed respectfully.
“It is an honor to serve you, sir.”
The low but resonant voice suited his sturdy frame.
“What is your name?”
“I am Chae Gwang.”
According to Jang Ung, there was no sailor in the Dong-ro port more skilled than Chae Gwang. He was the head of the Bi-ryong's crew.
He was originally a boatswain, commanding dozens of sailors on a large vessel, but Jang Ung had recruited him.
“It is one hundred and fifty li to Chongming, and it will likely take about three days.”
Chongming is a prefecture on Chongming Island, a large island where the Yangtze River meets the sea.
“A normal boat would take about five days. With a southeasterly wind like this, it would be a stop-and-go journey taking more than ten days.”
A distance of one hundred and fifty li could take five, even ten days. This was because they were heading north into what was essentially a headwind from the southeast. Such was the nature of sea travel.
“But with this boat, three days will be enough!”
The master craftsman at the shipyard who built the Bi-ryong had said it could advance even against a headwind, because its six sails each served a different function.
Chae Gwang spoke in admiration.
“I learned how to handle this boat from the master of the shipyard, and it is truly a magnificent vessel!”