Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Spring Guest Inn
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A pair of eyes watched the spot where a whirlwind of bloodshed had just raged.
It was a ronin who had trailed Yi Hwan.
“What a joke. He disguises himself to leave the camp, and now he’s even wearing a mask to pull off something like this?”
He kept his gaze fixed on Yi Hwan. Disappointment was already clouding his eyes.
“Is he not one of ours?”
The man he sought would never stoop to such acts. It would tarnish the honor of their ancestors.
“No. The ones under attack might be villains, so it’s too soon to judge.”
In that moment of hesitation, Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok—right in the thick of the fierce fight—suddenly vanished into the woods. The ronin furrowed his brow.
“He sets all this up, then leaves the apparent leader of the group behind just like that?”
Fresh doubt settled over his disappointed eyes.
The ronin stared into the woods where Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok had disappeared, then melted away like a ghost.
* * *
Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok watched Wang Ji-kyeong’s group flee in haste. Cheol Mu-ok gazed at Yi Hwan’s profile, his own eyes steadying.
“He’s been hiding his true strength after all.”
Today’s Yi Hwan was far stronger than before. Even after facing down an expert like the Black-White Twin Swords, his breathing remained as calm as a child’s.
Unaware that Yi Hwan was gradually recovering his power, Cheol Mu-ok could only think as much.
“Will that bastard move according to plan?”
“He tasted fear worse than death. He’ll do exactly as we want.”
“But why show him a fatigued appearance on purpose?”
“We need a pretext for leaving Wang Ji-kyeong behind. If we turn back unscathed, he’ll grow suspicious—and suspicion breeds variables.”
Cheol Mu-ok didn’t grasp Yi Hwan’s words at once.
Yi Hwan removed his mask and turned.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
* * *
Go Mi extended a sheet of paper.
“The owner of Spring Guest Inn has been brokering martial artists for Wang Ji-kyeong. He’s a former unorthodox expert—the one who connected the Black-White Twin Swords, too.”
“So he lines up hires and pockets the fee.”
“Yes. Wang Ji-kyeong has dealt with him for years. Going through him should work.”
“But what if this innkeeper brokers for other powerhouses as well?”
“He does. Spring Guest Inn specializes in job placements for martial artists. The stronger the expert, the higher the pay and the more influential the family they end up with.”
As he listened, Yi Hwan felt a pang of bitterness at how the martial world had come to this.
“Good work.”
“But did you really kill the Black-White Twin Swords?”
“Or else how could I be talking to you now?”
Go Mi was stunned inwardly.
By her intel, the Black-White Twin Swords were monstrous experts. Yet Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok, just the two of them, had slain such foes.
Not to mention the other guards—that made nearly twenty in total.
“I knew he was hiding his strength, but I never imagined it ran this deep.”
“Moon Lord.”
“Yes?”
“Planning to stick around?”
“Ah! Then I’ll take my leave.”
Once Go Mi left, Yi Hwan sank into a bathtub filled with steaming water.
Splash!
“Not bad... I’ve gotten fairly sturdy...”
His whole body ached.
His right arm, which had wielded the sword, throbbed with muscle pain at every movement. He was growing stronger by the day, but he still couldn’t fully handle his own power.
Yi Hwan lay back in the water.
He savored the warmth until his muscles loosened, circulating his breathing technique all the while.
“Not bad at all.”
* * *
Spring Guest Inn was a well-known establishment in the city, boasting impressive scale. The chef’s skills drew crowds, and a recent renovation made it gleam with splendor at first glance.
Today, too, the inn buzzed with patrons.
What stood out was the unusually high number of martial artists compared to other inns.
Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok stepped inside.
“Welcome!”
“Guide us to the quietest spot.”
“Yes, sir! Follow me!”
They climbed the stairs after the waiter. Yi Hwan asked casually,
“I hear this place helps martial artists find work. That true?”
“Here for a job?”
“Answer the question.”
“Yes, it is. You’ve come to the right place.”
“Who do I see?”
“Write up an introduction letter first, and I’ll pass it to the innkeeper.”
“So he only meets if there’s a letter?”
“Yes. We get so many visitors daily, we have no choice. Ah! This way, please.”
Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok were shown to a window table. Surveying the room from their seats, they noted several figures radiating extraordinary auras.
One man had ink and brush at his table, scribbling intently.
“Shall I bring writing supplies?”
“No need. Tell your master that people he’ll regret missing are waiting.”
“Even so, you need to write the letter...”
The waiter trailed off and clamped his mouth shut. Cheol Mu-ok’s menacing glare had overwhelmed him.
“Two bottles of Gold Purity Wine. And the house specialties.”
“Understood.”
The waiter fled down from the fourth floor.
Cheol Mu-ok asked,
“Will the owner come?”
“He has no choice.”
“How can you be sure?”
“That waiter’s no pushover himself. He shriveled like a monkey under your glare, so he’ll relay it properly. Worst case, if the owner doesn’t show, I’ll pick someone in here and give a casual show of strength.”
Cheol Mu-ok smiled faintly.
As always, Yi Hwan’s offhand remarks held not a single wasted word.
“How much should we ask for?”
“The Black-White Twin Swords got five thousand taels a month, so at least ten thousand.”
“Will Wang Ji-kyeong pay that much?”
“I told you—after tasting fear worse than death, he’ll agree to anything we demand. Of course, we’ll need to prove we’re superior to the Black-White Twin Swords.”
“Hahaha.”
“Why laugh?”
“It’s just... your casual words never have anything to discard. I find it amazing.”
Heh.
The waiter returned first with the wine.
No ink or brush.
“Hey.”
“Yes?”
“Among recent arrivals, who’s the strongest?”
“Hmm... The Black-White Twin Swords came by, and so did Mount Sang Blood Blade... But I’d say the Twin Swords were the strongest. They’re so renowned, after all.”
His casual tone suggested word of the Twin Swords’ deaths hadn’t spread yet.
“Did you tell the owner?”
“Yes, I passed on the message.”
“Tell him again. If he doesn’t show by the time we finish eating, we’re gone.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll relay that.”
The waiter left.
Glug glug.
Cheol Mu-ok poured Yi Hwan a drink and asked,
“When will you visit Her Highness the Princess?”
“After we wrap this up.”
“Don’t you miss her?”
“Drink.”
“......”
* * *
A pair of eyes watched Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok.
It was a middle-aged man with a goatee and a prominent mole. He was the owner of Spring Guest Inn.
Plain-looking, but once a famed unorthodox expert.
“Hmm. They’ve got quite the presence.”
“The one with his back turned doesn’t seem ordinary. That glare... whew.”
The waiter pointed at Cheol Mu-ok’s back, shuddering.
The middle-aged man frowned and muttered,
“I’ve been fooled by vibes like that more than once or twice...”
“Trust my instincts this time. I swear, of everyone I’ve met, his eyes are the real deal. Don’t they say true masters speak with their gaze?”
“You and your dramatics.”
“It’s true. Just believe me once?”
“How can I trust your eyes? We’ll have to test them like last time.”
“What if someone dies like before? The authorities won’t stay quiet.”
“With Lord Wang handling things, what’s there to worry about? He takes care of the aftermath, so quit yapping and get downstairs.”
Once the waiter left, the middle-aged man stared at Yi Hwan and Cheol Mu-ok, his eyes sharpening.
“If they hit it big like the Black-White Twin Swords, that’d be perfect.”
* * *
“I hear the Qin Kingdom mobilized a ton of martial artists, smashing the Zhao Kingdom flat.”
“Yeah, I heard. Word is the Namgung Family—one of Qin’s top martial clans—moved out. Makes you wonder if war’s breaking out. Qin’s been quiet for ages, and now they suddenly strike Zhao. Doesn’t feel good.”
“No way it escalates that far, right? Probably just a one-off clash.”
Yi Hwan quietly eavesdropped on the neighboring table. They were talking about the clash at Gui Zhu Fortress between the two kingdoms. As they said, Qin had restrained its military moves for a while. Their sudden attack on Zhao had drawn all eyes. What caught Yi Hwan’s ear was the Namgung Family.
In his era, the Namgung Family had been the pinnacle among the Five Great Clans, a true pillar of the righteous sects.
“Ridiculous. The sects and clans we once ruled endure unbroken, yet Daye Fortress fell into ruin.”
Yi Hwan asked Cheol Mu-ok,
“Know anything about the Namgung Family?”
“I’ve barely been to Qin. The Namgung Family stayed low until recently, so I’ve only heard rumors.”
“What kind?”
“They say a once-in-a-millennium prodigy appeared there. Already beyond peak realm at just over thirty, and rumor has it the Qin Emperor wants him as Prince Consort. If true, it’s huge. The Emperor has only one princess, after all.”
Staggering news.
No emperor in history had ever taken a martial artist as son-in-law. Even supreme experts were little more than commoners to the political elite.
Let alone an emperor.
“That guy back then was something else, too.”
Yi Hwan recalled the Namgung Family head, called Sword God in his time. The man who dominated invincible duels—Yi Hwan was the first to defeat him. After that, Yi Hwan rose as a titan of the world, and the family head took his own life.
Glug glug.
Cheol Mu-ok refilled Yi Hwan’s cup.
Yi Hwan was reaching for his cup when he glanced aside—at two burly men entering the fourth floor.
One in a blue robe, the other black.
They strode over and took the table beside Yi Hwan’s, staring him down openly.
Cheol Mu-ok, facing away, hadn’t noticed.
Yi Hwan silently sipped his drink.
As he reached for a dish—
“Hey, you there.”
The blue-robed man called out to Yi Hwan.
Yi Hwan eyed him. Cheol Mu-ok finally turned.
The blue-robed man scanned them and asked,
“How’s the food? Worth eating? First time here for us.”
Cheol Mu-ok’s eyes sharpened.
Yi Hwan sent a transmission.
[They want to test our strength.]
Cheol Mu-ok looked puzzled. Yi Hwan continued.
[Beat them enough to hurt, but not kill.]
[Yes.]
Cheol Mu-ok drained his cup and stood.
The blue-robed man grinned.
“What? Upset I spoke casually?”
Cheol Mu-ok gripped a single chopstick and advanced on him. The mood turned tense, drawing every eye in the room.
“Gonna stab me with that chopstick? Think it’ll work? Why not draw your sword? Heh heh heh.”
“This’ll do.”
Then the black-robed man chimed in.
“Kid’s got pride. Hey, you. Careful, or you’ll lose an arm.”
“As if.”
* * *
Glug glug.
Thud!
Yi Hwan silently sipped his drink.
But his eyes peered past the doorway. A middle-aged man watched them from there, eyes alight with anticipation.
Yi Hwan had seen it.
When the two bruisers entered, they’d exchanged glances with the man.
“This’ll sort itself out easier than writing a letter.”
Glug glug.