I Decided to Give the Contract to the Male Vassal - Chapter 22
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 22
When Yeonhopyeong strangled my neck, there was something I snatched from his waist. It was a token of Majeokgak issued by the Cheonmugyo sect.
Majeokgak is the department that handles the most confidential affairs among Maryeongbalgak, a sect composed of the later generations of the Seven Great Families. Yeonhopyeong seemed to belong there.
“Shall I deliver it for you?”
Sawol asked cautiously.
“No, it seems like an important item that represents one’s status in the sect, so I’ll go myself.”
“Still…”
Sawol’s gaze turned toward my neck.
“I shouldn’t be afraid of the person I’m about to marry. The family head also told me to fulfill my duties as a wife.”
I meant that since he would be my husband, I should naturally take care of him.
“I understand.”
“We’ll follow behind you as well.”
Both Sawol and Okxiang bowed their heads before me.
“Could you guide me to the young master’s residence?”
When I asked Okxiang, she nodded.
Actually, I wanted to go while the energy of the Blood Bright Flower still remained to find traces.
But it seemed Yeonhopyeong hadn’t gone to his residence.
Even when I went to his residence, I couldn’t sense any energy of the Blood Bright Flower.
“Sawol. I came because I have something to say to the young master. Can you check if I can meet him?”
Hearing my request, Sawol went to Yeonhopyeong’s residence.
She returned with a troubled expression.
“He’s not at his residence. They said he probably went to the pharmacy.”
“Pharmacy?”
“Yes. They said he’s been going there frequently lately. So when I asked if he might be somewhere else, they said he’d probably be at the private training ground, armory, or inner residence. When he leaves the house, he’s often at Majeokgak within the main sect, but it doesn’t seem like today.”
“You found out quite a lot of details?”
“I have some acquaintance with one of Young Master Hopyeong’s attendants.”
The explanation was specific, so I wondered, but I didn’t know Sawol had such connections.
“Then shall we go to the pharmacy?”
Sawol asked me.
“No, it would be better not to go that far.”
If he was taking and absorbing Blood Bright Flowers one by one, there was a possibility he had hidden them in the pharmacy.
But since I had grasped the general situation, it seemed better to withdraw now.
There was something troubling about meeting Yeonhopyeong again.
His violent tendencies had covered his true intentions, so I didn’t realize quickly, but he had wondered several times whether I had recovered my memories.
He was probably curious if I remembered about the Blood Bright Flower.
In this situation, I shouldn’t do anything that would catch his attention.
“Sawol. Could you give this token to that attendant? Tell him to pass it to Young Master Pyeong.”
“I understand.”
I handed the Majeokgak token to Sawol and returned to my residence.
While the maids cleaned the residence, I organized my thoughts in the study.
If the places Yeonhopyeong frequently visits are the private training ground, armory, pharmacy, inner residence, and Majeokgak as the attendant said?
Among them, Majeokgak couldn’t be where he hid the Blood Bright Flower.
Majeokgak was an institution within the Mageyo, and there were too many outsiders.
‘Looking at it that way, the pharmacy is also too obvious.’
Using the pharmacy to catch people off guard would be too risky. If he was indeed brewing and absorbing Blood Bright Flowers as medicine, that place wouldn’t be a very good choice either.
Then it was likely one of the inner residence, training ground, or armory.
The inner residence or private training ground were optimal places to hide something.
However, despite his violent tendencies, Yeonhopyeong wasn’t simple or ignorant. In the past, when tormenting Chung-rin, he also tried not to be noticed by others.
Usually, rather than targeting Chung-rin directly, he chose to torment the people around her to gradually tame her.
There weren’t many times when he directly strangled someone like today. Even then, most cases were when he confirmed that Chung-rin wouldn’t go outside.
In other words, he wasn’t someone with a bad head.
If he hid it in the inner residence or private training ground and got caught, it would be entirely his fault, so he wouldn’t have hidden it there.
Then the scope narrows down to the ‘armory.’
The Yeomhwa Family’s armory wasn’t a place where many people came and went like the pharmacy or Majeokgak, but there were several others besides Yeonhopyeong who were permitted entry. Even if discovered, the culprit wouldn’t be limited to himself.
It was a place that stored supply weapons and armor, so it would be natural to hide an iron box containing Blood Bright Flowers there.
‘Good. Let me check it myself tonight.’
I made an excuse that I had a headache and was going to sleep early, sending Sawol and Okxiang back to their quarters.
Since I had been acting this way all along for mental cultivation training, the two didn’t suspect me.
When the hour of the Ox had passed, I secretly got up.
In the Yeomhwa Family, I officially couldn’t use martial arts.
Moreover, although I had lost my memory in an accident, I hadn’t caused any trouble since then, so there were still almost no suspicious eyes on me. Today, when Yeonjo had personally visited, was even more so.
This was the first reason it was easy to move secretly.
Additionally, the second reason was that I could now better utilize Sangteon-dang’s stealth technique and Sangcheonseong with a bit of internal energy.
It wasn’t difficult to completely conceal my identity and reach the armory.
There were no guards at the armory, but it was firmly closed. It seemed the manager had locked the door.
The lock was sturdy but not particularly sophisticated, so I quickly opened it using a hair ornament from my head like a needle.
The door could be locked from inside, so even if someone came in the middle, I wouldn’t be discovered.
I carefully entered the armory while confirming there were no other mechanical devices.
As soon as I entered, the fishy metallic smell of weapons stung my nose. If Blood Bright Flowers were hidden here, it would be a good place to cause confusion.
Since I visited without a lamp, I had to enhance my eyesight.
If these eyes were special, I should be able to sense the flow of Blood Bright Flowers here too.
On the surface, it was an ordinary armory. The weapons were neatly organized, showing good management.
‘The area under the lamp is always dark.’
An armory that not only the family head and direct lineage but also authorized people could enter.
No one would think to hide Blood Bright Flowers here.
From deep in the armory, a dark red current was seeping out.
As I thought, there were definitely Blood Bright Flowers here.
I went in that direction, but I couldn’t see any space suitable for hiding an iron box containing Blood Bright Flowers.
I looked around with patience.
Even a public armory has special spaces.
During my time working at Sangteon-dang, I used to bring important items to places like the Heavenly Tiger Alliance’s public armory or break rooms. Because such places had plenty of space to hide things.
This armory would be the same.
I looked around and headed to the back.
Behind the pillar was a sword display stand.
From an old sword that no one would touch, the energy of Blood Bright Flowers was seeping out thickly.
‘Yeonhopyeong used his head.’
When I touched the pommel area, I could see parts where the joints didn’t match.
When I twisted it open, Blood Bright Flowers like red crystals were emitting a brilliant light.
‘He was hiding Blood Bright Flowers by breaking them apart inside the scabbard.’
He had perfectly hidden them so that the blood scent of the Blood Bright Flowers wouldn’t be detected, masked by the metallic smell of the sword.
No one would have expected that he had emptied the inside of the scabbard and filled it with Blood Bright Flowers.
The crimson energy of the Blood Bright Flowers felt familiar.
It was when I reached out as if drawn to the largest crystal among them.
With a click, the armory door opened.
I hurriedly hid and watched the situation.
The person who entered the armory didn’t even have a lamp, but to my eyes, that figure was clearly visible.
It was Yeonhopyeong.
He had come looking for the Blood Bright Flowers.
That bastard Yeonhopyeong was approaching where I was.
The stealth technique was still in effect, but if I moved wrong, Yeonhopyeong could discover my presence.
So I lowered my breathing as much as possible and erased my presence.
Fortunately, he didn’t find me.
His entire mind seemed focused on the Blood Flame Flower, walking toward the sword display as if entranced.
I hid in an inconspicuous corner and watched him.
He found and picked up the iron sword.
He had clearly come looking for the Blood Flame Flower.
Though he made no sound in front of the Blood Flame Flower, his eyes blazed like flames.
It must be a craving for power.
According to Chung-rin’s information, Yeonhopyeong was a promising Sobaek.
However, after getting involved in an unsavory incident at Majeokgak, he fell into demonic obsession, and since then his achievements had been delayed as he remained at a similar level.
Six years had passed like that, so he must have been feeling increasingly frustrated and anxious.
That’s why he would have committed a taboo that no Mageyo follower should ever break.
Yeonhopyeong twisted open the ornament on the sword hilt and took out part of the crystal with his gloved hand.
As expected, my thoughts were correct.
He must have planned to dismantle the Blood Flame Flower and gradually absorb its energy.
That way, the danger would be reduced and others wouldn’t notice.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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