A Debt That Must Be Repaid
Moyong Sehui slowly opened her eyes, and the ceiling came into view.
It wasn’t the room from the main house, nor the one the unfriendly waiter had shown her. This was somewhere entirely unfamiliar.
She bolted upright.
The inn burned down! Then… where am I?
Only fragmented memories drifted through her aching head, bringing a wave of confusion.
The last thing she remembered was a wall covered in sweaty handprints.
After that, she must have collapsed.
With a tense expression, Moyong Sehui slowly scanned the room.
It was clean, spotless, and carried an elegant, old-fashioned atmosphere.
A space that clearly reflected the refined tastes of its owner.
She flinched in surprise.
Only then did she realize someone was sitting in the room, watching her.
She hadn’t sensed any presence, any inner energy—nothing at all. The shock of discovering the man’s existence hit her hard.
“Looks like you’ve come back to your senses.”
A familiar voice.
A tone she had heard before.
Without thinking, Moyong Sehui let out a long sigh.
“D… Dan Hyunwoo, Young Master?”
“So you finally remember who I am?”
“How could I not recognize you?”
“It seems you’ve finally regained your sanity.”
“Was I out of my mind before?”
“……”
Dan Hyunwoo closed his mouth.
As if he had no intention of answering.
An ominous chill ran down her spine.
What on earth had she done while she was out of her mind that made him clam up like this?
Moyong Sehui stared at him intently, practically begging for an answer, but his lips remained sealed.
While the two of them sat in awkward silence, the sliding paper door opened and an impossibly beautiful woman entered, carrying a bowl of medicinal decoction.
“It looks like you’ve finally come back to your senses. Did the Captain tell you that you were bedridden for seven full days and nights?”
“I was out for that long? Wait… Captain? Are you referring to Young Master Dan?”
“The Captain is the Captain. That’s all there is to it.”
It was an unusual way to address someone.
Moyong Sehui felt a slight sense of unease as she glanced at Dan Hyunwoo.
He simply met her gaze in silence.
Instead of waiting for an answer from the quiet man, the physician Hwa Yuhwa spoke directly to Moyong Sehui.
“Systemic inflammation. High fever. Dehydration. The wound from the iron thorn became infected and festered. You’ll need to stay in bed a few more days, so drink this and rest.”
“I did receive treatment at a medical hall, but…”
“So you went to a quack. That explains it.”
Hwa Yuhwa practically forced the medicine down her throat.
The moment Moyong Sehui swallowed it, the bitter taste nearly made her vomit.
But the pain in her iron-thorned shoulder kept her from pushing the bowl away, so she gulped it down.
The moment the decoction hit her stomach, she felt the heat inside her body drop sharply.
“Thank you. In the Moyong Clan, we repay every favor twentyfold. So if there’s anything you desire…”
“There’s nothing I want. I’m not lacking in anything.”
“Still, I must repay the kindness I’ve received…”
“She really has come back to her senses. She’s not spouting nonsense anymore…”
“Did I… say something strange while I was delirious?”
“Captain, I’m leaving now.”
Hwa Yuhwa dumped the responsibility of answering onto Dan Hyunwoo and quickly slipped out of the room.
Moyong Sehui had no choice but to turn her gaze back to him.
But Dan Hyunwoo stood up and opened the sliding door.
“Young Master! What exactly did I say that makes no one want to answer me?”
She prayed desperately that she hadn’t babbled anything related to the Six-Horse Golden Plaque.
Her expression grew urgent.
But Dan Hyunwoo simply let out a small sigh.
“In this world…”
He paused for a moment, then continued as if he had made up his mind.
“There are some things it’s better not to know.”
With those final words, the sliding door closed behind him.
Cold sweat trickled down her back.
“What… what on earth did I say?”
Five days later.
She had been told that this place was the Dan Manor, and that the beautiful woman was the divine physician Hwa Yuhwa.
She also learned that she had nearly died seven times over those seven days and nights, only to be brought back each time by Hwa Yuhwa, and that Dan Hyunwoo had urgently carried her here after finding her collapsed on the roadside.
Her head bowed deeply.
To have received a life-saving favor from the same person twice in the brutal, cutthroat world of Murim—it was almost too much to bear.
Moreover, because her fever refused to break, they had even added a portion of the Heavenly Heart Herb stem to her medicine.
That priceless treasure…
Thanks to it, Moyong Sehui could feel that her inner energy had increased.
After completing a full circulation, the qi returning to her dantian felt noticeably more lively.
They said consuming an entire Heavenly Heart Herb could grant sixty years of inner energy, but it seemed she had gained roughly five years’ worth.
And it wasn’t just any qi—it was incredibly pure, with all the turbid energy completely removed.
How can I possibly repay this debt?
If her father found out, he would probably scold her until his dying breath.
To owe the same person twice was considered a disgrace among martial artists.
With the faint remnants of heat still lingering in her body, she rose from her bed.
Hwa Yuhwa had finally given her permission to go outside starting today.
After lying down for so long, she desperately missed the sunlight.
She opened the sliding door and looked out at the Dan Manor courtyard for the first time.
And the moment she did, her pupils trembled as violently as if she had just witnessed the legendary Taishan Step.
Huh? Yu Sucheon? Why is he at the Dan Manor?
He was standing there holding a chicken.
He casually handed it to the burly man beside him, telling him to pluck the feathers. The scene felt completely out of place.
When she saw the man who received the chicken, Moyong Sehui’s eyes shook once more.
Jeon Akgwan, the former boss of the Nine Dragons Sect? But why is he plucking chicken feathers so skillfully?
It was over in the blink of an eye.
The chicken was stripped bare in seconds.
Where had he learned such godlike dexterity?
Moyong Sehui searched her memory.
Before coming to Hangzhou, she had studied the local power structure through the Murim Alliance’s intelligence division.
Yu Sucheon and Jeon Akgwan.
They were the two people she had been warned to watch out for most in Hangzhou.
Yu Sucheon was one of the Five Great Experts of Hangzhou and a vicious practitioner of the unorthodox path.
Jeon Akgwan led the largest force in the area and was infamous for his savage temperament.
Yet here they were, expertly removing the innards of a plucked chicken and washing it with swift, practiced movements.
Is this even real?
Then Moyong Sehui noticed another strange person.
A man with a horribly swollen face.
Yu Sucheon shouted at him.
“You idiot! I told you to throw out the water you washed the chicken in right away! Hurry up and dump that bloody water and bring fresh stuff! This bastard still thinks he’s the head of the Mokhwa Merchant Group!”
“Shorry. I’ll go get new water right away.”
Once again, it felt like she had stepped on the Taishan Step—her eyes… well, never mind that!
The head of the Mokhwa Merchant Group? The one who built his power through wicked deeds? Why does someone like that have a face like a balloon?
His lips were so swollen that every word came out with a lisp.
These were the infamous Three Villains of Hangzhou.
And all three of them were currently at the Dan Manor.
Acting like servants.
Something is very wrong here! Yu Sucheon and Jeon Akgwan are butchering chickens… and that guy is happily preparing pork with such a joyful expression?
Moyong Sehui became certain.
Yu Sucheon was definitely not the owner of the Six-Horse Golden Plaque.
On the other hand, Dan Hyunwoo was sitting quietly on the wooden veranda with Hwa Yuhwa, gazing into empty space.
Yes.
This was exactly what the master of the Three Villains of Hangzhou would look like.
Could this man be the true owner of the Six-Horse Golden Plaque?
Still caught in her confusion, Moyong Sehui approached Dan Hyunwoo and Hwa Yuhwa.
“Thanks to your care, I have fully recovered.”
“You do look mostly healed. By the way, isn’t there anyone in Hangzhou worried about you?”
“I have no connections in Hangzhou. I was just staying at an inn.”
“An inn? During that fire…”
“Yes… it burned down.”
She gave an awkward smile.
She had accidentally revealed that she had nowhere to go.
Now that I think about it, this is quite the crisis.
The only money exchange that did business with the Murim Alliance had burned to the ground. She couldn’t even withdraw her funds.
Would she have to sleep under a bridge with beggars now? The thought actually crossed her mind.
Her complicated feelings must have shown on her face, because her expression grew forlorn.
Dan Hyunwoo turned his gaze toward the empty air.
“You’re still not fully well. Stay here and continue your treatment.”
“Is that really alright?”
“Just let me know a few days before you plan to leave.”
For a moment, Moyong Sehui felt her face grow slightly warm.
He must have noticed I’m in a difficult situation.
She had thought this before.
That he was someone who understood people’s hearts well.
But right now, that fact felt strangely off.
He was a martial artist, yet he seemed unfamiliar with the customs of Murim.
He didn’t appear to live in the jianghu at all.
And yet he possessed martial prowess that could shock anyone.
Moyong Sehui turned her head and looked around the Dan Manor.
It felt like a rather small estate.
Compared to the main Moyong Clan residence, it was less than a twentieth of the size.
I briefly considered that this man might be the owner of the Six-Horse Golden Plaque, but this estate is far too ordinary for someone with absolute authority.
She had also learned a few things during her stay.
The Dan family made and sold silk and had built a long-standing merchant house in Hangzhou.
Dan Hyunwoo. I don’t know his true identity, but he may have nothing to do with the Six-Horse Golden Plaque. In that case, staying here while searching for it might be…
The Three Villains of Hangzhou had wide networks.
She might be able to borrow their help, and since this was a merchant family, they would interact with many people.
When she thought about it, there was no better place than the Dan Manor.
Having reached that conclusion, Moyong Sehui spoke.
“Would I not be a burden?”
“A house… is better when it’s lively.”
“Then how about I stay as a guest who helps with household chores? I wouldn’t feel comfortable eating and sleeping for free.”
To track down the Six-Horse Golden Plaque, she first needed to get close to the people of the Dan Manor.
Dan Hyunwoo nodded.
“Do as you like.”
Perfect!
She could stay here until the money exchange reopened and use the time to search for the plaque. Everything would work out.
Moyong Sehui rolled up her sleeves and headed toward the kitchen.
Now was the time to move her body and build trust.
Inside the kitchen, the rich aroma of pork boiling filled the air.
Moyong Sehui entered the bustling kitchen.
“Can I help with the work too?”
“How about you stop bothering us and leave?”
Yu Sucheon shook his head.
As a former unorthodox practitioner, he knew exactly who she was.
She was a direct descendant of the main Moyong Clan.
During the fire in Hangzhou, the way she had swung her sword to cut down enemies was not the skill of an ordinary martial artist.
A proper young lady from a prestigious family wanting to work in the kitchen? He would sooner believe an assassin had decided to stop killing people.
“If you really want to do something, how about washing the dishes?”
“I know how to cook too.”
“Is there really no option where you just don’t do anything?”
“Why don’t you let me try first and then judge? You haven’t even tasted my cooking yet.”
Seeing her wide-eyed, confident declaration, she seemed quite sure of herself.
Yu Sucheon sighed.
“Fine. Then make some chicken porridge for today’s snack.”
The freshly prepared chicken was placed in Moyong Sehui’s hands.
As Yu Sucheon watched her cook, he had many things he wanted to say but held them back.
After all, she was the daughter of the Moyong Clan.
No matter how strong a Sapa expert he was, he had no desire to pick a fight with a daughter of the main house.
So he simply observed.
And when the chicken porridge was finished.
Yu Sucheon crossed his arms as he looked at Moyong Sehui’s finished product, which had a rather murky color.
If he served this without tasting it first, the Captain would…
Dan Hyunwoo would draw his sword…
Fuck. I guess I have to taste it myself.
In the end, Yu Sucheon picked up a spoon, scooped a mouthful, and put it in his mouth.
And he immediately thanked the heavens that he had tasted it first.
He had nearly died at Dan Hyunwoo’s hands today.
Was this assassin bastard trying to get him killed?
“Akgwan!”
“Yes, Brother Yu?”
“Go buy two more chickens.”
“Did it fail that badly?”
“Want to try it?”
“I’ll be right back.”
Strongly rejecting the offered porridge, Jeon Akgwan used his lightness skill to quickly buy two more chickens.
Yu Sucheon could feel Moyong Sehui looking at him with pitiful eyes.
Her gaze clearly asked if she could try again.
Nope. Not happening.
He didn’t know why she was so insistent on working in the kitchen, but she clearly wasn’t the type to give up easily.
If she weren’t a daughter of the main Moyong house, he would have just told her to screw off. In the end, Yu Sucheon relented after seeing her pitiful expression.
“If you really want to cook, I’ll teach you one thing at a time. But!”
“But?”
“Don’t do anything I haven’t taught you. I’ll teach you step by step. For now, start by slaughtering the chickens I just bought.”
“Yes!”
Moyong Sehui picked up the kitchen knife.
She walked confidently toward the chickens.
The chickens tilted their heads curiously, completely unaware they were about to die.
The way they bobbed their necks was strangely charming.
The chickens clucking and wandering around the yard were actually…
Kinda cute?
It felt different from when she simply saw them as ingredients.
Moyong Sehui couldn’t take her eyes off the little creatures approaching on their short legs. She turned to look at Yu Sucheon.
“They’re so pretty and cute. Do we really have to kill them? I don’t think I can do it.”
“What? A martial artist can’t even kill two chickens? What are you going to do if you meet bandits in the mountains?”
“I’d kill them all, of course. Cut off their heads and take them to the authorities.”
“And the chickens?”
“I can’t kill them.”
“What if you meet water bandits on a river?”
“I’d dismember them limb from limb. They’re evil bastards who’ve been sucking the blood and tears of innocent people. We need to make an example of them so they never do it again.”
“And the chickens?”
“I can’t kill them.”
“What if you meet someone from the Saheol Alliance?”
“I wouldn’t go out of my way to fight them, but if I have no choice, I wouldn’t feel bad about killing them.”
“And the chickens?”
“They’re too pitiful. I can’t kill them.”
“Are chickens more important than people?! You’re the scariest one here! Even the Saheol Alliance doesn’t have anyone like you!”
“You’ll spare these chickens, right?”
“……No.”
Yu Sucheon felt like his future had gone dark.
How was he supposed to teach her anything?