Chapter 570
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 570
Chapter Title: Do You Know How to Read?
"You two go inside and stay there."
After placing the kitchen knife back in the kitchen, Gong Yeop-myeong's words sent Gong Hae-bin and Gong Hae-jun, the two children, into the room behind the kitchen where their family stayed.
Three people sat at the empty table.
The tea that Eun Cheong-seon had brought steamed gently.
"To be honest, we're against it."
Gong Yeop-myeong spoke in a heavy tone.
Ha Mu-baek nodded as if he understood.
It was only natural from a parent's perspective.
"We're even thinking of returning to Luoyang."
There had been no such incidents in that place.
Ha Mu-baek nodded once more, as if he understood that too.
"Is there a spot for you to set up again in Luoyang?"
"Luoyang is such a large city, so surely there's room somewhere... but..."
Gong Yeop-myeong trailed off, unable to finish his sentence easily.
"The problem would be settling things here."
As Ha Mu-baek spoke as if he could guess the issue, Eun Cheong-seon nodded quietly.
This place was quite spacious and proper compared to their previous inn.
A property like this wouldn't stay vacant for long.
It meant it hadn't been an easy sell before.
Which implied it would take time to dispose of it now.
"Is anyone home? Why is the door smashed like this?"
A voice came from outside then.
"Ah."
Gong Yeop-myeong stood up as if something had just occurred to him and headed to the door.
A middle-aged man stood there with a shoulder pole.
"Please come in."
"Did something happen?"
The man asked, eyeing the broken door.
"Yes, there was a bit of trouble."
The man nodded at Gong Yeop-myeong's reply.
"I see. It can't be as safe as Luoyang."
"Ah, Merchant Leader Im might know even better than we do."
Gong Yeop-myeong spoke with a face as if this was fortuitous.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
The man called Merchant Leader Im, who had been setting down his pole, looked puzzled.
"If it's alright, please join us here for a moment."
Gong Yeop-myeong asked his permission and led the man to the table where Ha Mu-baek sat.
"This is Merchant Leader Im Sa-heun of the Myeongju Merchant Group. He's been supplying our group with liquor from Luoyang."
This was the reason the modest So Haeng Inn carried such fine liquors.
"And this is the great hero staying at our inn."
Come to think of it, they didn't even know his name.
He remembered being called some kind of corps leader back in Luoyang.
"I'm Ha Mu-baek."
Only then did Gong Yeop-myeong and Eun Cheong-seon learn the guest's full name.
Gong Yeop-myeong carefully explained the recent events to Im Sa-heun.
Im Sa-heun nodded after hearing everything.
"Danger lurks everywhere under the heavens, doesn't it, Chef Gong? You've wandered the world yourself and nearly died before."
Gong Yeop-myeong's face stiffened at Im Sa-heun's words.
Memories of that time flooded back.
The brush with death.
"Well, it turned into a blessing in disguise for you, didn't it?"
His face relaxed at the follow-up.
He had been saved in Baekjok Village and even met his wife there.
It was fate.
And by chance, Im Sa-heun had come looking for good liquor right then, forging a connection that lasted to this day.
"That's how the world works, isn't it? No one knows what'll happen. Even if you flee danger back to Luoyang, who knows? The Righteous Heaven Alliance's main headquarters is there, but is it truly eternal? Think back to the last great war in the martial world."
Gong Yeop-myeong fell deep into thought at Im Sa-heun's words.
"They won by luck. If they'd lost, what would Luoyang be like now?"
It might have been a living hell.
"No one knows how the world turns. I could leave here for another city tomorrow and meet a gruesome end."
Im Sa-heun smiled faintly as he spoke.
"Please don't say such frightening things."
Eun Cheong-seon said, startled.
She too shared that long-standing bond with Im Sa-heun.
"That's why you shouldn't worry ahead of time. Just do your best in the situation you're given. That's all people like us can do."
Ha Mu-baek gazed steadily at Im Sa-heun.
The Myeongju Merchant Group was a small outfit, he had heard.
Its leader roamed the world procuring and supplying liquor.
Yet he was a sage.
Ha Mu-baek sensed profound wisdom in his words.
'Just do your best in the situation you're given.'
It was something Ha Mu-baek knew well. He had lived that way.
But this time, he had momentarily forgotten.
He had worried first about what lay ahead.
Nothing more.
He had been too fixated on the idea of 'happiness.'
This family seemed happy, and he had hesitated, fearing his choice might shatter it.
But no.
Their happiness came from living faithfully in the present and giving their all—its natural result.
Ha Mu-baek had overlooked the most important thing.
A profound shock hit him.
"Why are you looking at me like that...?"
Im Sa-heun asked, flustered under Ha Mu-baek's piercing gaze.
"Thank you for the great lesson."
Ha Mu-baek rose, clasped his hands in respect, and said.
"N-No, that's too much. I'm just a humble merchant—what do I know to teach?"
Im Sa-heun stood in a panic, flustered.
Being called a great hero meant he was a martial artist, making such gestures burdensome.
While the two did this, the couple Gong Yeop-myeong and Eun Cheong-seon were lost in deep thought.
Im Sa-heun's words had struck them too.
Especially recalling what they had forgotten while in Luoyang.
Baekjok Village hadn't been entirely safe either.
The couple exchanged glances.
And nodded.
Whether the children learned martial arts or not, the world they would face was harsh.
As parents, all they could do was watch over them, cheer them on, and always be a home to return to.
They realized that now.
The couple rose together, clasped hands toward Ha Mu-baek, and bowed deeply.
"We entrust our children to you, great hero."
"You don't need to do this."
Ha Mu-baek returned the gesture with clasped hands.
"For now, I'll teach them a simple martial art. Whether I take them as disciples, I'll decide after seeing, but I'll at least train them enough to protect themselves."
Im Sa-heun watched the scene with a pleased expression.
A new path was opening for the children of this couple he had watched over for so long.
"Heh heh. Looks like I came on a good day. Even that horrific incident today turned into fortune. I can't just sit still on a day like this."
Im Sa-heun rose and went to the large box on his shoulder pole.
Lifting the lid revealed it packed with liquor bottles.
He took one out.
"On a day like this, we should toast. This is my gift."
Gong Yeop-myeong was startled upon seeing the bottle Im Sa-heun placed on the table.
"Ah, no, Merchant Leader Im. You don't need to do this."
Im Sa-heun simply uncorked it, ignoring Gong Yeop-myeong's frantic waving.
He knew that would disarm any refusal.
"Bring some cups, quick."
"Th-Thank you."
With the bottle already open, Gong Yeop-myeong bowed deeply in thanks and headed to the kitchen, resigned.
The children were there, ears pressed to the kitchen entrance.
Despite being told to stay in their room.
He chuckled, figuring they must be that eager.
Their startled jumps were endearing too.
"Take this and go."
He loaded cups on a tray and sent the children off.
With Im Sa-heun gifting fine liquor, they couldn't just drink it plain.
Gong Yeop-myeong whipped up simple dishes that paired perfectly with it and emerged with steaming plates.
The cups were already filled to the brim.
They had been waiting for him.
As he set down the food,
"Now, a toast to those two children's future."
Im Sa-heun raised his cup high, and Ha Mu-baek, Eun Cheong-seon, and Gong Yeop-myeong followed suit, bringing them to their lips.
"Excellent."
Ha Mu-baek exclaimed, startled by the taste.
"Liquor from Guiju Castle. Aged thirty years, no less."
Ha Mu-baek's eyes widened at Im Sa-heun's boast.
He instantly grasped its immense value from the aging alone.
"It's called Motaeju. Brewed at Motaejin in Guiju Castle—fresh batches are already rare. But one aged thirty years..."
Gong Yeop-myeong added, unable to continue.
He didn't know how to respond to Im Sa-heun gifting such a precious liquor.
"Your bond must be truly special."
Ha Mu-baek said admiringly at Gong Yeop-myeong's explanation.
The flavor kept drawing the cup back to his lips.
Its aroma warmed the heart, lifting spirits.
And the potency was fierce—only a seasoned drinker could handle it.
"It's a long connection. I've known them since they got together. Plus, he's a master chef, and now he'll be parents to peerless masters, so I'm currying favor early. Ha ha ha."
Im Sa-heun laughed heartily.
Gong Hae-bin and Gong Hae-jun blushed at his words.
Peerless masters? They hadn't even started training.
Im Sa-heun, laughter fading, gazed intently at Ha Mu-baek.
"This Im has wandered the world and met many people, gaining an eye for the real from the fake. You're the real deal, great hero. So those children becoming peerless masters is only natural."
His voice was utterly sincere.
Before they knew it, the bottle was empty amid the back-and-forth.
"Tch. A shame. But liquor should stop just when it's this satisfying. Drink more, and it drinks you instead. Looks like I'll stay the night."
"I'll prepare a room."
Eun Cheong-seon rose.
Her face flushed from the alcohol too.
She took the two children upstairs.
To ready Im Sa-heun's room.
It was nearly time to prepare for evening business.
Gong Yeop-myeong thought a moment, then decided. He fetched a placard from under the counter and hung it outside.
It read "Closed".
Meaning business was done for the day.
No new guests beyond current lodgers.
Im Sa-heun glanced at the placard as Gong Yeop-myeong hung it and spoke in surprise.
"Closing up shop already? That's not like you."
"The alcohol's hit me hard. Can't cook properly like this."
Not wrong, but not the only reason.
He just wanted to savor this mood longer.
Eun Cheong-seon came down meanwhile.
"Room 3 on the third floor."
"Thanks."
Im Sa-heun nodded and climbed the stairs.
Not bothering with his pole.
He trusted Gong Yeop-myeong to watch it.
Ha Mu-baek looked at the two children who had come down with Eun Cheong-seon.
"Do you know how to read?"
The children nodded in unison at Ha Mu-baek's question.
"Do you have brush, ink, and paper?"
Eun Cheong-seon answered Ha Mu-baek's question.
"I'll prepare them right away."
They were ready in no time.
On the fresh white paper, Ha Mu-baek wrote swiftly in one go.
In just fifteen minutes, two books were complete.
The two volumes, bound with leather Gong Yeop-myeong provided, bore the same title.
Three Talents Heart Method.
The true Three Talents Heart Method of the Infinite Sect.
"Read this first and practice it on your own. You have three days."
With that, Ha Mu-baek rose and stepped out of the inn.
Much time had passed.
He needed to check on Gwanpo and visit Yuun Martial Hall too.
Sensing outward, Gwi-hwi was still deep in meditation.
In that case.
Ha Mu-baek lightly pushed off the ground, and his figure vanished.