Episode 55


    It was an offer that there was no reason to refuse.


    ‘If we move together, we can mostly avoid annoying things.’


    The woman in front of me is a talented person dispatched by Zhuge Dynasty who epted the military’s request for support.


    No bandit or bandit would be able toy a hand on her.


    However, there was one thing she was mistaken about.


    Her destination and ours were not the same.


    “Thank you for your kindness, but our destination is Hangzhou. “I have no intention of joining the government army.”


    “Oh, is that so?”


    The cotton woman tilted her head as if she was surprised.


    My guess is that she thought of us as immature,te-stage expats volunteering for the battlefield for fame.


    “What’s happening in Hangzhou….”


    “I’m on my way to meet an acquaintance.”


    “Do you really mean at this time?”


    “Because it is this time, I have something to say.”


    “……?”


    The cotton woman looked at my face in silence for a while.


    I couldn’t see her face because it was covered with cotton, but I could roughly imagine what kind of expression she was making.


    ‘I’m going to see all kinds of strange people. That’s probably what you’re thinking.’


    At that time, Dojang Cheonwoo, who had finished eating, put down his cleanly emptied bowl on the floor and greeted the woman from the silk thread.


    “Infinite Buddha. Come to think of it, I haven’t even introduced myself until now. My name is Hwang Sang-un, and I am a disciple of the Hwasan Sect. “My name is Cheonwoo.”


    I looked back at him with a slightly surprised expression.


    His name was Hwang Sang-woon.


    I knew this for the first time.


    “A former disciple of the Volcano Sect…?”


    Embarrassment was evident in the cotton woman’s voice.


    It seemed as if he had never thought that the scruffy man who worked as a coachman could be a master of the Hwasan Sect and also one of his disciples.


    “This is Tang Seoyeon of the Tang family.”


    “This is Cheon Ga-ryeong.”


    The woman in cotton took a breath as the two women briefly introduced themselves.


    She asked, fixing her gaze on Tang Seo-yeon.


    “Aren’t you the daughter of the head of the Tang family?”


    “Do you know anything about me?”


    “How could you not know?”


    It seemed that the woman in the cotton shop knew something about Tang Seoyeon.


    It wasn’t particrly strange since they were members of the same five generations.


    The cotton woman looked back at me.


    I opened my mouth as I threw dry twigs into the bonfire.


    “This is Yeon-yoon, the contemporary sessor to Tianlei-men.”


    “Tennis Gate?”


    “You wouldn’t know. “It is a one-man tradition and has never been active as a strongman.”


    “…This is Zhuge Hye of the Zhuge family. “For some reason, I cannot reveal my identity, so please understand.”


    “it’s okay. “I had an idea to some extent when I saw that you were wearing cotton thread.”


    Jegalhye.


    It was a name I had never heard of in my previous life.


    I nced sideways in the direction where Cheon Ga-ryeong was.


    At the same time, Cheon Ji-ryeong looked over and nodded slightly.


    Now that we know her name, it will be easier for Hao Wen to investigate the woman from Miansha.


    We will soon be able to hear detailed personal information about the woman from Myeonsa through Cheon Ga-ryeong.


    “It’s a pity that the destination is different. Then, how about we apany you at least to Hangzhou?”


    “We have no reason to refuse.”


    “Then please take care of me for a while.”


    “But why are you showing such kindness to us, who we just met for the first time today?”


    “Do you need a reason to help someone in trouble?”


    There was a faint smile in the cotton woman’s voice.


    “I don’t want to call you a minister, but could you be mypanion on the way?”


    “……?”


    “I wanted to make friends. “I rarely have to leave the family.”


    “If you have such a request, I will dly amodate it.”


    “thank you.”


    I picked up the bowl I had put down on the floor and resumed eating.


    Some people are ying with their spoons while gazing sideways at the profile of a woman in a cotton temple chatting with another group member.


    After putting down the cleanly emptied bowl, I threw firewood into the bonfire again and muttered.


    ‘I guess I’ll have to watch a little more to find out. ‘Will this meeting be beneficial or unfortunate?’


    * * *


    Heavenly Heavenly Hall Underground Small Port.


    If there is heaven in the sky, there are Suzhou and Hangzhou on earth.


    It was an expressionparing Suzhou and Hangzhou, which have outstanding scenery, to heaven.


    “As expected, Hangzhou is beautiful.”


    “There are many nice gardens.”


    “They say it’s a ce where bureaucrats who have retired from the front line flock, and the atmosphere is definitely different from other areas.”


    Zhuge Hye, Cheon Ga-ryeong, and Tang Seo-yeon eximed exmations one after another.


    The entire Zhejiang region was suffering from Japanese pirates, but Hangzhou seemed to have escaped the repercussions.


    The busy streets were crowded and people’s faces were full of energy.


    The group walked along while exchanging various stories and soon reached their destination.


    The main stage of Hwayang Sangdan.


    In front of the main gate of the huge manor, Zhuge Hui said goodbye to the group.


    “I think we should part ways here. “It was fun so far.”


    “Thank you so much. Sozer.”


    “I hope I can see you again next time.”


    After a brief conversation with Yeon-yun, Zhuge-hye turned around and muttered softly as he moved with his guards.


    They were a truly unique group.


    At first, I thought they were justter exponents who were blinded by a sense of resonance and wanted to apply to the government military.


    At this time, when I saw that they set foot in Zhejiang with only four people, I thought they were an immature bunch.


    But when I looked into it, I realized that the members were all out of the ordinary.


    Dang family’s women’s food.


    A disciple of Plum God Sword.


    These were people whose status could never be ignored.


    ‘The woman named Cheon Ga-ryeong also seemed to have a hidden background.’


    Cheon Ji-ryeong introduced himself as a member of the Hwangryong Military Academy, but Zhuge Hye, who had a keen sense, saw through that it was a false identity.


    Although I didn’t ask the person directly to confirm, I was confident in my heart.


    ‘Even the person leading the group was the heir to a sect of Japanese legends that I had never heard of.’


    I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.


    This includes the disciples of the Hwasan faction who grumble but faithfully act as coachmen, and the direct blood rtives of the Tang family who prioritize Yeon-Woon’s opinion over their own even though it is their first time going strong.


    It was a sight full of sights that Zhuge Hye could not understand.


    ‘There may be a need to investigate by mobilizing the family’s informationwork.’


    She nced back from the corner of her eye.


    The image of Yeonsun showing a red jewel to the warrior guarding the main gate of Hwayang Sangdan came into view.


    ‘uh?’


    Zhuge Hye’s steps suddenly stopped.


    The color and shape of the gem became familiar to my eyes.


    I remembered seeing the same item decorated in the Zhuge family’s family hall.


    ‘Why did Sohyeop open that…?’


    * * *


    The reception hall within the Hwayang Sangdan mainplex.


    I savored the tea brought by my wife and waited for Hwayang Sangdanju.


    I felt awkward sitting alone in therge reception hall drinking tea.


    ‘Maybe you should have brought Cheon Ga-ryeong with you.’


    The other party members were currently unpacking their luggage at the VIP amodation.


    [Take this.]


    [What is this?]


    [It is a sign indicating that the holder is an important guest of the upper level. If you show this, you will be able to easily conduct business with the branches of Hwayang Sangdan located in various ces.]


    The power of the jewel given to him by the head of Hwayang Sangdan before leaving Sacheon was incredible.


    Not only did the gatekeepers, who had been overbearing, suddenly show a polite attitude, but they were also able toe face to face with the owner of the Hwayang Sangdan, which normally would have requiredplex procedures to meet.


    ‘Anyway, I heard that Hwayang Sangdan has been growing rapidly recently…’


    I eximed in exmation as I looked at the precious decorations ced throughout the reception room.


    Hwayang Trading Company, which seeded in concluding a contract to transport goods with the government and military, was growing in power at a rapid pace.


    I heard that the size of the headquarters has grown iparablyrger than before.


    It took more than an hour just to get from the entrance to the reception hall, so what more can I say?


    ‘I will be among the top teenagers in the not-too-distant future.’


    Because he was aware of this, he created a bond of continuous exchange with Hwayang Sangdanju.


    Now is the time to actively use that string.


    “It’s been a while.”


    Approximately two minutes passed, Hwayang Sangdanju appeared in the drawing room.


    It looked slightly different from before.


    I gained a little more weight and my clothes became more shy.


    “Long time no see. Lord of the top.”


    I stood up and politely bowed.


    The owner of the top waved his hand to dissuade me and offered me a seat.


    “How have you been?”


    “yes. “Thanks to the owner of the top, I have been able to live with a bit of oil in my mouth.”


    “Speaking of which, I would like to ask you a question. “How on earth did you not know?”


    “What do you mean?”


    “The value of spices will skyrocket.”


    “I was just lucky.”


    “If you’re going to lie, how about being sincere?”


    “Before, when Soje Cheon asked the same thing, I came up with a usible lie. “In fact, I know how to read heavenly energy.”


    “So what?”


    “I was truly fooled.”


    “ha ha ha!”


    The owner of the top smiled brightly, took the kettle and cup from the center of the table, and poured tea.


    He asked with a soft smile on his lips.


    “So, why did youe all the way here and ask to see me?”


    “First of all, I wanted to see it with my own eyes. Has your son’s condition improved and is the sale of spices going smoothly? And was the ganja nted by the Demonic Cult properly identified?”


    “If it were my son, he would havepletely ovee Simma. Currently, I am focusing on practicing the Honghwa Divine Technique that you corrected. Although it is known to the outside world that he is still ill. “


    “Yes? “What does that mean?”


    “The fact that my son literally woke up from his hospital bed has not yet been made public. Didn’t you say that? “The person who put my son in a demon is the Demon Cult leader.”


    “I did.”


    “I thought it would be better to keep it hidden rather than reveal it. “It would be safer that way for a while, and more than anything, if you were harmed, wouldn’t you have to pay back?”


    “What you’re saying is…”


    “If the Demonic Cult tries to contact you by offering to treat Simma, I will let you know right away.”


    I looked at Hwayang Sangdanju with a slightly surprised expression.


    Once again, the middle-aged man with the goatee in front of me looked different.


    I never thought he would have a n like this.


    Should we really say that he is the leader of the caravan group?


    [Didn’t the demons attack you on the way?]


    [Yes. They say it was an easy journey other than a few encounters with bandits.]


    A conversation I had with Cheon Ga-ryeong in the past shed through my mind.


    Presumably, when he embarked on his journey to Sacheon two years ago, the owner of Hwayang Sangdan would not have revealed to those around him that he was going on a trip to treat his son.


    ‘Have you had a n to fuck up the Demon Cult leader in mind since then?’


    To think that far with only the uncertain information received through Hao Wen was not an ordinary thought.


    “For your information, the identity of the ganja nted by the Demonic Cult has already been determined. I haven’t kicked them out yet, I just put a watcher on them. “I don’t want the demonic cults to notice.”


    If what the Hwayang merchant leader said was true, there was a high possibility that the religious leader would not have felt anything unusual yet.


    ‘Wait. Then wouldn’t it be a problem to contact other victims who fell into a state of deep evil due to the martialw written by the religious leader?’