Cheongwol pressed the beggars.
“Pardon? Where’s the shopkeeper?”
“...”
The beggars only glanced at each other, refusing to speak.
These were the sa guys who would normally chatter away, spreading Cheongwol’s rumors far and wide, yet at this crucial mont, they chose silence.
Could they be any more infuriating?
They had been sprawled out in front of the Leather Room, but now they awkwardly got to their feet.
The older-looking man among them smacked his lips and spoke.
“Uh... miss, did our Seojin do sothing wrong...?”
“Yes?”
Cheongwol looked at the two of them before answering.
“No. He hasn’t done anything wrong. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, your expression looked so stern... just in case.”
Another beggar hurriedly chid in.
“That, uh, Seojin kid! He’s a good boy! If he did sothing wrong by any chance... please go easy on him...”
Only then did Cheongwol realize the weight of the aura she had been emanating.
She softened her stance, and the two middle-aged n both let out deep sighs of relief in unison.
“Haa...” “Hoo...”
Cheongwol awkwardly opened her mouth.
“...Sorry. May I have your nas...?”
The man who seed a bit older answered.
“I’m Gu Yeong, and this is Ma Childeuk.”
“...Gu Yeong, sir—then—”
“—No need for ‘sir.’ Speak comfortably.”
“Then... Gu Yeong. Could you tell where the Leather Room’s shopkeeper went?”
“Seojin stepped out for a bit on so business. Far as I know, he told the villagers sothing vague.”
...He didn’t tell .
Cheongwol’s insides twisted even more uncomfortably.
He’d shared the story with all the villagers but hadn’t told her, soone he’d spent ti with?
...Was he really that angry at her?
Cheongwol asked again.
“Where to...”
“No idea.”
Cheongwol imdiately knew that was a lie.
She could tell just from the way they cleared their throats and rolled their eyes.
Ma Childeuk cut in.
“Wait just a few days, and he’ll be back, so don’t worry too much.”
“When?”
“Well... probably around thirty nights...”
Cheongwol’s brow furrowed deeply.
“...Thirty nights?”
Where could he have gone that would take so long?
What business could the Leather Room shopkeeper possibly have outside that would keep him away for a full month...?
She could barely endure ten days, let alone thirty.
Cheongwol took a deep breath, then spoke in a calm tone.
“Truth is, I have sothing urgent to discuss with the shopkeeper. If you could tell where he went... I’d be grateful.”
Thirty nights was too long. She would go find him.
Gu Yeong shook his head.
“Didn’t say I don’t know.”
“...Sir.”
“Told you, no ‘sir.’”
Just as frustration began to bubble up, Ma Childeuk interjected.
“Miss.”
“...”
“We’re just beggars with loose lips and nothing to our nas, no learning either. But we live by our loyalty and righteousness. You might not know, but that Seojin kid is like a nephew to us. Even you won’t tell us why you’re looking for him—how could we sell out a kid like that?”
Cheongwol had no reply, her frustration matched only by her lack of words.
Ma Childeuk added one last thing.
“As I said, he’ll co back. Please wait.”
Cheongwol stood quietly in front of the Leather Room for a mont, gazing at the empty shop... then clasped her hands in a fist salute to the beggars before leaving.
“...Pardon the intrusion.”
.
.
.
Gu Yeong and Ma Childeuk watched Cheongwol’s retreating figure.
“...What the hell is that Seojin kid up to? Brother, you saw that miss’s face.”
Gu Yeong clicked his tongue in response.
“Yeah, no kidding. Never thought she’d make a face like that...”
It was practically a look that could kill.
Gu Yeong wiped his sweat-drenched palms on his pants.
His heart was still racing for no reason, so he quietly lay back down on the ground. He needed to calm his nerves.
Ma Childeuk lay comfortably on the ground as well, then rolled in the dust with a grin and looked at Gu Yeong.
“Oh, brother. What if it’s that?”
A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
“What?”
“This.”
Ma Childeuk wiggled his pinky finger.
Gu Yeong stared at the grinning Ma Childeuk, picked up a stone from the ground, and chucked it at his forehead.
Thwack!
“Ow!”
“Kid, say sothing that makes sense.”
“Hey, why! Last ti in the basent, didn’t Ei Sect robes co out too!”
“So that ans they’re a thing?”
“N-no... not like that... she’s not a nun from Ei, I didn’t an it that way...”
“Hey, you idiot! Even joking about that could get Seojin’s head chopped off! If that miss heard you, you’d be dead! And you’re old enough to know better, spouting nonsense like that!”
Ma Childeuk rubbed his forehead and groaned, while Gu Yeong smacked his lips again and continued his thoughts.
...But seriously. Why was Cheongwol so desperate to find Seojin?
There didn’t seem to be any connection between the two at all.
****
“Huff... huff...”
“Hey, Seojin.”
“Huu... cough! Huff...”
“Seojin.”
“D-don’t... make talk.”
My legs were shaking. How far does this uphill go?
It felt like climbing an entire mountain.
The road ahead was long, yet every single hill and slope left gasping for air.
It had already been two days since we started walking.
My legs were screaming. Blisters had already ford on my soles.
And yet, Gwak Du Uncle was fine as ever beside , looking at with eyes full of pity.
No matter that Uncle was older than , a Beggars’ Sect martial artist was still a martial artist.
On top of that, he was a branch leader. A second-rate warrior, sure, but his stamina was on another level.
Second-rate was still impressive.
He knew I was just a commoner who hadn’t morized a single incantation, so he didn’t nag about it, but his eyes said everything.
Uncle looked at for a mont, shook his head, and changed the subject.
“By the way, I heard the Tang Clan Leader invited late-stage disciples to Chengdu this ti. Won’t get everyone, but so big nas should show. Should be fun to watch.”
“Oh.”
Was that now?
Right. After Cheongwol and Dang Soran’s spar.
Talk about perfect timing.
I knew about it, but with my own nose to the grindstone, I’d forgotten for a bit.
Not like I could skip it.
I had no idea what Dang Soran and Cheongwol planned to do with .
It was a do-or-die escape situation.
Anyway, that gathering was where the protagonist, his companions, and a few villains all t up.
You could say that’s when the leads and supporting cast started getting familiar.
I let out a small sigh amid my ragged breaths.
...Gotta live quietly in Chengdu, stay out of sight.
Of course, why would martial artists care about a nobody commoner like ?
“Huff... huu...”
“Seojin.”
“Hoo... damn... seriously...”
“Seojin.”
“Uncle... please... just until this uphill ends... be quiet... I beg you...”
“You’re really not gonna talk about it?”
“About what?”
“Why you suddenly wanted to tag along.”
“...”
“You’ve never done this in ten years, so of course I’m shocked. You knew it’d be this tough, so what’s the reason? We’re not even staying long in Chengdu.”
I caught my breath and plopped down on the ground.
“Haa...”
I dusted off my palms for a mont and looked up at the sky.
Then I scanned the surroundings.
No Cheongwol in sight. No Tang Clan either.
Of course not.
I let out a deep sigh.
Yeah, it was sothing I had to say anyway.
“Uh, Uncle.”
“Yeah.”
I finalized the plan I’d been hiding for so long and laid it out plainly for Uncle.
“...I’m leaving Mount Ei for good.”
Uncle stared at blankly, as if speechless.
Then, after a mont, he finally opened his mouth with difficulty.
“...What?”
He looked genuinely shocked.
He mumbled wordlessly for a while before asking.
“Why?”
“Haa...”
Where to even start? How much to say?
I scratched my head vigorously.
I couldn’t tell the truth. But I had to say enough for Uncle to understand.
“...I’m screwed.”
“Screwed how? What?”
“I got on Cheongwol miss’s bad side.”
Uncle rolled his eyes and tilted his head.
“...What’re you talking about?”
“I pissed off Cheongwol in the worst way possible!”
“What did you do?”
I was frustrated too. I wanted to spill everything, but I absolutely couldn’t.
The SM stuff with Cheongwol was a secret I’d take to my grave.
The mont I confessed, the odds of my head rolling would snowball.
Plus, I loved Gwak Du Uncle dearly, but I knew he had a loose tongue.
“Ah... damn... it’s just... that kind of thing.”
“No, what did you do that’s got you running away, you fool! I can see the fear in your eyes.”
“...”
Uncle scratched his head and said.
“Can’t you just apologize or sothing? I’ll go with you.”
“Huh?”
“Whatever you did, she’s a nun you trained with for years—she’d forgive you no problem. Anyone else, maybe not, but abandoning your ho out of fear of Cheongwol miss? She’s so kind. There’s another reason, and you’re not telling .”
...Ah, Uncle doesn’t know her true nature. Makes sense he’d say that.
I dug in my ear and laid it out for him.
“Uncle. You speculated before.”
“About what?”
“The slaughter on Mount Ei. That it might’ve been Cheongwol.”
“That was just talk...”
Uncle realized what I was getting at and hardened his face.
I bit my lip and said.
“...I saw it, Uncle. I saw it all with my own eyes.”
“...My god.”
“I really thought I was dead back then.”
“...”
Thud.
Uncle plopped down on the ground at the news too.
“Don’t tell anyone. Not even the Sichuan branch leader. I’m the only one who survived that scene. If word gets out... Cheongwol would know exactly who spilled it.”
“...Hoo... so it really was the Extermination Sword?”
Shock was etched clearly on Uncle’s face.
He looked more worried than I did now.
Uncle mumbled for a long ti, then whispered even though no one was around.
“Hey, you idiot. Why tell now?”
“What would change if I’d said it sooner?”
“...Still...”
“It’s in a lull now, and she doesn’t seem about to do anything right away... but it’s only a matter of ti. Can’t live with this anxiety forever.”
“So what’re you gonna do?”
“Find a place to land. Can’t stay on Mount Ei anymore... Starting from Chengdu, I’ll find sowhere to live low-key. Save so money, prepare properly... then make a midnight run.”
“...Can’t you just live in Chengdu? I don’t like you going so far away...”
I didn’t mind Uncle’s straightforwardness.
He was truly the only person in this world I could call family.
Sotis annoying, sotis a hassle, sotis infuriating... but still the only one worthy of being called a great hero. In my heart, he was a father.
Uncle seed to see as a son to so degree too.
“Hm? Seojin. Then live in Chengdu. Even Cheongwol miss won’t find you there.”
“Uncle.”
“Yeah?”
I smiled and said.
“...I got on Dang Soran’s bad side too.”
Bam!
Uncle pulled out his staff and swung it at my head.
“Argh!”
“Hey, you bastard! What the hell have you been doing!!”
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