Return (5)
Thud.
Kang Yeon pulled a pouch of silver taels from his robes and set it on the table.
"Here. Principal plus interest."
Jo Hwan stared blankly at the pouch full of silver.
"You… you really went to the Five Flowers Sect?"
Kang Yeon nodded.
"That's what I said."
"And you actually got the principal back?"
"Principal plus interest."
Jo Hwan's face stayed blank.
"In… interest?"
"If you go around spending other people's money, you pay interest."
Jo Hwan let out a short, helpless laugh.
"I… I suppose so."
Good heavens. Against the notorious Five Flowers Sect, of all people, he had come back with principal and interest—and looking no different from when he left. As if those cutthroats would have just said, "Oh, of course, sir," and handed it all over with a smile.
Jo Seol was staring at Kang Yeon with the same dazed expression.
"O… Oppa went to the Five Flowers Sect?"
Kang Yeon grinned.
"Yeah. Nothing impressive. Just went and had a light conversation."
"And those people actually do conversation?"
Kang Yeon shrugged.
"Seemed to work."
He carefully omitted any mention of the certain amount of physical persuasion involved. A brief silence settled, and Kang Yeon smoothly changed the subject.
"Anyway. We got the money back, so let's find a proper craftsman and fix this inn first. Even I can see how run-down it is. Ilyeong Inn looked downright magnificent earlier."
Jo Hwan heaved a long sigh.
"Hah… That's because their owner poured an absurd amount of money into the place."
"Still, we should do what we can. Fix the inn, then reopen for business."
Jo Hwan looked at Kang Yeon carefully.
"I'm glad you got the money back, but… what if the Five Flowers Sect comes after us again…?"
"Don't worry about them. They won't dare show their faces around here twice."
"Is… that so?"
He still had no idea what had actually happened, but when Kang Yeon told him to rest easy, the anxiety really did ease. And he remembered the martial skill Kang Yeon had displayed earlier. Jo Hwan knew nothing of the Murim or of martial arts, but even he could tell the boy's ability was no ordinary thing.
He figured Kang Yeon must have handled the Five Flowers Sect just well enough to reclaim the silver. If a martial artist was involved, even that gang wouldn't touch the inn lightly.
"But Yeon-ah."
"Yes?"
"You seem to have learned martial arts… so why come back to work at an inn?"
Jo Seol nearly jumped out of her seat.
"Oppa learned martial arts?"
"Ah. Nothing special. Just enough that I won't get beaten up wherever I go."
"What on earth have you been doing all this time?"
"I'll tell you later. Come on—enough talk about useless martial arts. Learning them doesn't put food on the table, you know."
Jo Hwan nodded.
"True enough. I hear the long war that tore through the Murim is finally over. Even martial artists must be scrambling for a way to make a living now."
"Well… yeah. Anyone who isn't from a major sect is going to have a hard time."
Jo Hwan clicked his tongue.
"You can never understand those Murim folk. Who would have thought a little quarrel would explode into a war that lasted this long?"
For decades the Murim had been swallowed by a savage vortex of conflict. The spark itself had been almost nothing—a dispute between one Orthodox family and one Demonic cult sect.
And the root of that dispute had been, of all things, a love story.
A promising young heir of an Orthodox family and the treasured only daughter of a Demonic cult sect master had fallen for each other. The sort of thing that happened anywhere people lived. Young man and woman felt drawn to each other—what further reason did they need?
But the wall raised by their origins stood far too high. In the end, facing the opposition of both houses, the pair chose to end their lives together.
A familiar tale, perhaps. At any rate—
The aftermath was catastrophic.
The Orthodox family accused the Demonic cult woman of seducing their pure-hearted son. The cult master who received that insult was enraged beyond measure. He had already blamed the man for the death of his only daughter; now they dared call her a frivolous woman as well.
And so the feud between the Zhuge Family of the Orthodox side and the Sword Demon Sect of the Demonic cult began. The longer it dragged on, the bloodier it became. Supporters of the Zhuge Family among the Orthodox factions and supporters of the Sword Demon Sect among the Demonic cult poured in until the conflict spiraled out of control.
In the end it became a full war between the Orthodox and Demonic cults.
They fought for a very long time.
So long that eventually no one even remembered why it had started. Only mutual hatred, rage, and baseless hostility remained. Those who suffered most through those endless years were the martial artists of the Murim itself.
Though, if one thought about it, the Orthodox and Demonic cults had always been at odds. This was hardly the first great war between them.
Countless lives had fallen to that endless strife, and the Central Plains Murim had grown steadily more desolate. The one who finally ended that ancient enmity was none other than the Absolute Martial God.
Kang Yeon sighed, something distant flickering behind his eyes at Jo Hwan's words.
"Exactly. Over something so pointless. A man and a woman can like each other, can't they?"
"My thoughts exactly. Orthodox or Demonic—if they cared for each other, just let them be. What good did all that petty pride do anyone?"
"Agreed."
"Anyway, since you learned martial arts you must have walked some dangerous roads. Lucky you made it back alive."
Kang Yeon clapped his hands together, steering the conversation away.
"Enough useless Murim talk. Let's focus on getting the inn back on its feet. Uncle, you take the kitchen like before, and I'll assist. Seol can handle the front."
"That works. Shall we just open as we are, then?"
Kang Yeon glanced around the room.
"No. We repair first."
"I'm glad you got the money back, but it won't be enough to fix the whole inn."
"What I brought should be more than enough."
Jo Hwan tilted his head and opened the pouch.
"Heavens! What's this? Why is there so much?"
It was far more than the amount the Five Flowers Sect had extorted.
"So much? I told you—principal plus interest. And I also collected damages for lost business while they interfered with the inn, plus compensation for the mental anguish you, Seol, and Brother Un suffered. Including, of course, the emotional distress I myself endured."
"Why would you…?"
As Jo Hwan trailed off, Kang Yeon shrugged.
"Walking in and seeing the inn like this hit me hard. Nearly went into qi deviation from the shock, you could say."
Jo Seol snorted a laugh.
"Same as ever."
Kang Yeon grinned.
"People don't change. So—with this money, let's go find a craftsman to repair the inn."
"Leave that to me."
Meticulous Jo Seol could be trusted completely.
"Good. Seol's on craftsman duty. And you can quit Ilyeong Inn right away, right?"
"Mm. I already told them today would be my last day."
"That's my Seol. Sharp as ever."
The moment she heard Kang Yeon had returned, Jo Seol had known instinctively: West Lake Number One Inn was finally waking from its long winter sleep and stretching its limbs once more.
"But Oppa, what about the craftsman?"
"Leave that to me. I know someone who can restore this place beautifully."
Jo Hwan looked startled.
"You know a craftsman in Hangzhou?"
Hangzhou was thick with inns. With so many competing for customers, it was no longer enough to win with food and wine alone. Inns raced to beautify their exteriors to lure guests—and Ilyeong Inn was a perfect example, drawing eyes with its splendid façade. Skilled craftsmen had become so scarce that even money couldn't always secure a slot on their calendars.
Yet Kang Yeon, who had been away from Hangzhou for so long, claimed he knew one.
"Yes. Probably."
Jo Hwan cocked his head.
"'Probably'?"
"Well… I can't be completely sure. I told him to come wait, but he might have gone elsewhere. No—he'll be in Hangzhou. He's usually good about keeping promises."
"Is that so…?"
Jo Hwan looked thoroughly lost.
Jo Seol spoke up, curiosity bright in her voice.
"Take me with you when you go see the craftsman. I want to know who it is."
Kang Yeon nodded.
"Sure. Let's go together."
He turned to Jo Hwan.
"Then Seol and I will go meet the craftsman."
"All right. Be careful."
Kang Yeon and Jo Seol left the inn. Outside, Hangzhou's streets were already steeped in sunset. This was the hour when the city truly came alive.
Inns and wine houses everywhere began lighting their lanterns, declaring their presence. As if competing with one another, they set their buildings ablaze with light to flaunt every ornate line of their architecture.
Kang Yeon looked around and let out a low whistle of admiration.
"Wow. Hangzhou's streets have gotten even more incredible."
"Of course—how many years do you think have passed? Hangzhou changes every single year."
Kang Yeon glanced back at their own shabby inn. Compared to the others, it looked little better than a ruin.
"With everyone throwing flowers around to lure the bees, no wonder our place couldn't do business."
"Right. Even the money-purse dumplings that used to be our specialty—every other inn is copying them now."
Kang Yeon grinned.
"Still won't beat the original. Now that I'm back, I'll show them what the real thing tastes like."
"First let's meet the craftsman. Any later and the crowds will make walking impossible."
"Stay close."
Kang Yeon took the lead, Jo Seol following. Just as she had predicted, Hangzhou's streets steadily filled with people. She pressed close so she wouldn't lose him.
"Oppa, wait for me."
Kang Yeon glanced back and scratched his head.
"Ah… sorry."
In that instant a faint aura flowed from his body and wrapped around Jo Seol. Amazingly, the throng packing the street could not approach them; people were gently pushed aside.
"Hey! Who's shoving?"
"Come on! Stop pushing!"
Jo Seol's eyes went wide.
"Whoa? Oppa, what is this?"
Kang Yeon shrugged.
"Just a little parlor trick. Nothing special."
He kept walking as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world. Jo Seol's eyes sparkled at the strange ability he had just displayed.
"Oppa, what did you really do while you were away from Hangzhou?"
"I already told you. I went and saved the world."
"Haa… stop joking for once."
Kang Yeon halted and simply looked at her for a moment. Then he scratched his head again and said quietly,
"I'm serious, though…"