Chapter 4
Chapter 4
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 4
Chapter Title: Do You Eat Properly? - 2
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A silver tael of unknown origin, from who-knows-where.
A single letter of utterly baffling meaning.
The ripples it created were more than enough to throw the three women's heads into chaos.
"Could someone be spying on the Crimson Star Sect?"
Yuhee's remark made Hongryeon's lips press together. It was a very plausible notion.
The Crimson Star Sect was home to the Sword Saint. As such, it drew interest from countless people in the martial world. The Sword Saint Nayerin rarely emerged from her own sect unless something extraordinary occurred.
She only ventured outside when a massive crisis gripped the martial world.
Or.
When one of her disciples was in danger.
"I've heard there've been a lot of disturbances in the martial world lately."
The sudden surge in demonic beasts.
The bandits starting to move in more organized ways.
She had heard about suspicious movements in supply lines and even within the imperial palace when she had gone to the Martial Alliance for an inspection and investigation mission before.
Given all that, if there was some shadowy force aiming to sow chaos in the world, Hongryeon couldn't deny that the Sword Saint would be one of the first people they'd want to keep in check.
"Trying to shake the youngest to sow discord in the Crimson Star Sect...?"
But even so, the odds of that seemed low. It was true that Sayoon was the beloved baby of the sect, but did she wield any real influence over the Crimson Star Sect itself? Not in the slightest.
Even if she got rattled by a letter or two like this, the sect could easily manage it.
If someone wanted to stir things up this way, they'd target someone other than Sayoon.
"Right. They'd target me."
Nayerin might be the nominal head of the Crimson Star Sect, but Hongryeon was the one who actually ran it and trained the disciples.
Without her, the sect would crumble in an instant.
"Hmm... So maybe they predicted we'd react like this—getting all confused—and that's why they sent it?"
Send these baffling items to plant seeds of doubt and suspicion, keeping them from acting rashly.
Hongryeon slowly crossed her arms, pressing them tight enough to swell her mature chest and jolt her body into sharper focus.
But no clear answer came to mind.
It was too vague to pin down like Yuhee suggested—too many possibilities—and if the goal was to hinder the Crimson Star Sect's movements, there were far better methods than this.
"Or... um. What if it's purely to support Sayoon?"
"Who?"
"...W-Well, s-someone?"
Yuhee glanced slightly at Sayoon. She didn't seem to know herself, so how could Yuhee?
"If it were someone like me or the other sisters who's shown their skills outside, maybe. But the youngest hasn't even mastered the first half of the Crimson Star Divine Art properly. Sponsor Sayoon?"
"Seeing her potential and investing..."
"If it was an investment in potential, they'd have revealed their identity, not hidden it."
Hongryeon's calm words made Yuhee shut her mouth tight.
Yeah, that made sense.
"Sponsoring without revealing a name... Nah, that doesn't feel right."
As Yuhee muttered, Hongryeon glanced at Sayoon. In her small hands, she clutched the letter.
A single line of writing. A small hand trembling around the note that bore only a message of concern: Do you eat properly?
"Little one."
"Y-Yes, Senior Sister."
"I don't know who sent it. But if it's meant to harm you, don't worry."
Assuming the youngest was anxious, Hongryeon raised her hand. She forced a smile onto her somewhat stern lips, reached out to stroke Sayoon's head, and spoke earnestly.
"We're all sisters under the Master. We'll all protect you, little one."
"...Th-Thank you..."
A flush of red aura enveloped the girl. Joy, and guilt. Tickled by the strange sensation in her chest, Sayoon bowed her head slightly.
"Anyway, the letter itself doesn't seem problematic for now... If another comes, we'll look at it together."
That left the silver tael. Hongryeon stared at it intently before placing it in Sayoon's hand.
"It's addressed to you, so you should use it."
Sayoon gazed at the silver tael in her hand. Nayerin had taken her as a disciple, and under her guidance, she had entered the Crimson Star Sect.
But due to the sect's frugal nature, she had never seen or touched such a large sum before.
Who knew a single silver tael could feel so heavy?
Sayoon clutched it tightly, then held it out to Hongryeon.
"Hm?"
"C-Could you use it for the sect's operating expenses?"
She had received too much. Too happy a life.
But she had nothing to give in return.
So if this silver could contribute even a little to the sect's expenses...?
Meeting Sayoon's resolute eyes, Hongryeon chuckled and shook her head.
"The Crimson Star Sect isn't that poor. Use it to buy what you need."
"...Yes."
Stung by the clear refusal, she deflated a bit. Hongryeon stroked her lowered little head and pointed to the letters and boxes.
"Now finish up your tasks."
A silver tael.
A large sum to some, trivial to others.
And to Sayoon, who had lived her whole life as a beggar orphan, an absurdly huge amount.
"What're you gonna buy with it?"
"Uh, well...?"
As they left Hongryeon's room, Yuhee asked, and Sayoon pondered.
One silver tael could buy twenty of those delicious candies.
No—when descending to shop in the Crimson Star Sect, they always stopped at that one store, and buying twenty got one free, so twenty-one in total.
"Pocket money like that? Best to spend it quick."
"Is it... pocket money?"
"Of course it's pocket money. We don't know who sent it, but it came in your name, right?"
"True, but... what if using it causes trouble...?"
"Psh~. What trouble from this?"
To Yuhee, one silver tael wasn't much. So Sayoon hesitating over it was both cute and a little pitiful.
She patted Sayoon's head.
"Someday you'll see silver taels like this as no big deal. And a Crimson Star Sect disciple can't let money weigh her down like that."
"Umm..."
"Or wanna go out with your big sis later?"
"...Yeah. I'll think about it."
Clutching the silver tael in her pocket, she nodded faintly.
Days passed since receiving the silver tael. After agonizing over it, Sayoon finally decided what to do with it and resolved to head out with Yuhee.
Island Flower Village below seemed dazzling and comfortable to Sayoon, like another world.
The bustling market had stalls selling mouthwatering treats and wondrous items galore.
As a beggar, she couldn't enter markets freely. Makes sense—beggars often begged and stole. But clad in Crimson Star Sect robes, she was no beggar now, so the vendors smiled and hawked their wares to her.
Sayoon felt a persistent itch in her chest.
She wasn't a beggar anymore.
She wasn't alone anymore.
Feeling the small hand gripping hers tighten, Yuhee grinned and squeezed back harder.
"Um... Senior Sister."
"Hm? Oh, right. Decided what to buy? Clothes? A hair ornament or...?"
"...Candies."
Face flushing, Sayoon mumbled. Seeing her lovely skin turn beet red, Yuhee laughed and led her straight to the store.
Arriving at the village's sole trading house, Sayoon's eyes went wide.
Market goods were nice, tempting even, but the trading house's were even better.
Jade hairpins, silk trinkets.
So many things to excite a girl's heart.
But Sayoon eyed just one thing: the colorful, delectable candies.
"Um... I want to buy candies."
"Yes! How many?!"
The cheerful clerk beamed, and she pulled out the silver from her pouch.
"With this one silver tael... how many can I get?"
"Let me see... Yes! Twenty, plus one free!"
"All... of them, please."
"Right away!"
Soon, the bamboo box brimmed with stacked candies. As she received it, Yuhee returned with her purchases.
"Oh, bought 'em?"
"Yes."
"Lemme see... Huh? Why so many candies?"
To the puzzled Yuhee, Sayoon smiled sheepishly.
"...To give to you sisters... and Master."
The Master who saved a worthless beggar like her.
The sect sisters who cherished her like blood kin.
Those who became her light, when she knew no happiness and merely survived day by day, exhausted.
She wanted to give back, even a little.
Sayoon clutched the bamboo box tight. Yuhee beamed at her.
Meeting that smile, Sayoon thought.
The one who sent that letter created this 'chance' for her to give back.
Was there some way to convey her thanks to them too?
Days had passed since entering this world and living as 'Yuwol'.
No real issues with daily life.
Running the trading house wasn't particularly tough.
Sometimes rowdy drunks caused a fuss at the inn, but that was minor trouble, laughable even.
Real troublemakers were on another level.
I scanned the documents, stubbed out the last of my cigarette in the ashtray, and took a bitter sip of tea. The flavor spread in my mouth, sharpening my mind.
"Hm... Send this lot to the Clear Stream Trading House. And the inn's food has issues—raise the ingredient quality."
"Yes, sir."
My subordinates filed out to carry out the orders.
I stowed the gold and silver on the table into the safe.
Yuwol had plenty of money. Far more than I'd expected.
But that didn't mean I'd increase what I sent Sayoon.
Yeah. Her allowance was one silver tael every two weeks.
Nothing more, unless something special came up.
What I—we—wanted was for Sayoon to be happy and grow strong, not be swayed by money.
Sure, crying in a Benz beats crying on a bench, but excess cash would just burden her.
The sect would cover real necessities, so occasional candy money was ideal.
Overdoing it risked turning her into a 'giveaway junkie'.
I recalled seeing her a few days ago from the window: Sayoon heading back to the sect with her sisters, carrying candies from the trading house.
That smile from a mere silver tael—beautiful, brimming with joy—was everything we'd hoped for.
Way better than approaching her directly as a 'secret friend' and getting hauled off by authorities.
Our 50 Million Sayoon Fans would've rejoiced seeing that shy, flushed smile too.
"Hoo..."
Shaking my head at the memory of her smile, I sat back at the desk.
I could provide these small joys, but getting stronger? That was for her sect, the Crimson Star Sect.
Preventing its destruction was essential to making Sayoon the protagonist.
Of course, I'd offer occasional help along the way.
"No major issues so far..."
I reviewed the martial world's situation over the past days.
The Iron Blood Clan hadn't shown themselves yet, but the chaos they stirred was building.
Demonic beasts multiplying, for instance.
Bandits getting more active, for another.
The world was inching toward disorder.
But no worries.
Sayoon was what mattered.
As I lit another cigarette, pondering next steps, a black-clad man appeared outside the window.
"Hm?"
A Postal Gate courier. I hadn't summoned one today?
Puzzled, I watched him hand me the letter politely and speak cautiously.
"The recipient requested info on you, sir, but we didn't disclose."
"Good man."
"They insisted on this delivery... If you wish, we'll discard future ones."
"No need. Deliver it."
Unexpected, but not bad.
I tapped the letter. The courier vanished as swiftly as he'd come.
I turned to the letter in my hand.
Scrawled on the worn, rough envelope:
'From Crimson Star Sect disciple Sayoon to her benefactor.'
Small, round handwriting.