The Farmer Who Ended Up Teaching the World’s Greatest Martial Artist - Chapter 88
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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 88
“Brother Dong. Who is the highest-ranking person in this place?”
Perhaps because Yoo Eun-hyun’s question was so sudden, Yeo Chang-dong couldn’t answer immediately and stared at him blankly for a moment. Though a calculating look briefly flashed through his eyes, hazy with alcohol, he soon asked back as if nothing had happened.
“Highest-ranking person? Why do you ask?”
“Actually, I have one more bottle of Doyangju left. If the opportunity arises, I’d like to express my gratitude to the higher-ups as well… Since I’m ignorant about such matters, I wanted to ask you first if I dare offer it.”
Yoo Eun-hyun asked Yeo Chang-dong carefully. It was the first time since coming here that he had revealed his true intentions. Yeo Chang-dong made a short sound and stared at him for a moment before bursting into loud laughter.
“Hahaha! Excellent! What a proper mindset! Working for someone worthy of respect is the greatest joy of all.”
Yeo Chang-dong’s words seemed somewhat exaggerated, perhaps due to the alcohol, but there was a feeling that genuine sincerity was strongly embedded somewhere within them. Not missing this opportunity, Yoo Eun-hyun subtly continued his questioning.
“Then where should I deliver it? Would it be to Heukryeon Trading Company?”
Yoo Eun-hyun didn’t mention Mageodo’s name and deliberately mentioned Heukryeon Trading Company first. Since everything that had led him to this place had been through Heukryeon Trading Company, it was natural to say so.
“How could that be? Heukryeon Trading Company is just the place that creates and manages these farms. The person who ordered these farms to be built is someone else.”
“Who might that be?”
Yoo Eun-hyun asked subtly while reading the mood.
“This place is ruled over entirely by the great leader of Mageodo, Lord Cheon Se-hyeon-ma. Brother Hyeon must have heard of Lord Cheon Se-hyeon-ma’s reputation, right?”
“Of course. I’ve heard he’s an incredibly magnificent person.”
When the answer he wanted came from Yeo Chang-dong, Yoo Eun-hyun cheered inwardly. Though it was somewhat exaggerated, this much was sincere. He had revealed the emotions he felt when seeing Sa Un-sik without any pretense.
“I’d like this Doyangju to be delivered to the sect leader… But would it actually reach such an exalted person?”
Saying this, Yoo Eun-hyun made a dejected expression. Then Yeo Chang-dong patted his shoulder with a slightly flushed face.
“Don’t worry. Since I’ve been here longer than you, Brother Hyeon, I’ll try to help.”
“Would you do that for me? That puts my mind at ease too.”
Even Yoo Eun-hyun didn’t do something as foolish as asking how he would deliver it. Having already received an answer that he would deliver it, probing further might actually arouse suspicion.
‘Anyway, is the objective achieved now? If this works out, there’s no need for infiltration or escape. Let’s leisurely farm for the remaining time and then return.’
As things worked out more easily than expected, Yoo Eun-hyun felt his mood lighten considerably. Though Yeo Chang-dong clearly seemed to have something else going on, he considered that unrelated to his own purpose.
In any case, that day’s drinking session ended like that, and Yoo Eun-hyun handed over the remaining bottle of Doyangju to Yeo Chang-dong and saw him off with a relieved heart.
“You seem quite drunk, Brother Dong. Will you be able to get back?”
“Don’t worry. This much alcohol is nothing.”
Though he looked exactly like a drunk person, surprisingly Yeo Chang-dong’s pronunciation was clear and there was hardly any slurring in his voice. Yoo Eun-hyun only closed the door after seeing him disappear from view.
Swoooosh.
The rain had lessened somewhat, but was still falling quite heavily. Yeo Chang-dong, who had been walking somewhat unsteadily while holding an umbrella, suddenly lowered the umbrella that had been shielding him from the rain.
And at that moment, something amazing happened.
Whoosh.
Smoke began rising from the tip of the wooden umbrella, and soon fierce flames shot up. For an umbrella to catch fire while rain was pouring down would have been a shocking sight for any ordinary person. However, the flames instantly turned the umbrella to ash and then disappeared as if it had been a lie.
The heat must have been tremendous for that brief moment, as steam spread out and obscured Yeo Chang-dong’s figure. But soon the steam disappeared as if washed away by the pouring rain, and his figure was revealed again.
“Doyangju…”
And on Yeo Chang-dong’s revealed face, there wasn’t a trace of the drunkenness that had been visible just moments before. Looking somewhat pleased, he merely flicked the umbrella fragment that now consisted of only a handle to some rhythm. His appearance, even humming a tune, looked eerily ominous combined with the falling rain.
“Good alcohol. Alcohol made from flowers… worthy of being called flower wine. But flowers are bound to wither someday. To leave fragrance even after withering, one must face the sun. Even if it means becoming parched and twisted.”
Yeo Chang-dong, who had been muttering while recalling the scent of the Doyangju he had drunk with Yoo Eun-hyun, smiled broadly. Then he turned around and glanced once at Yoo Eun-hyun’s residence, which was faintly visible in the distance.
“I’m curious what choice you’ll make.”
*
The next day. Indeed, the rain continued until morning.
Thanks to this, Yoo Eun-hyun could pause his work and take a leisurely rest for the first time in a while.
“Shall I head out now?”
Still, perhaps because he was a farmer by nature, his body seemed restless from just resting. Seeing signs that the rain was letting up, he naturally went out to the nearby fields to check the situation.
“Fortunately it’s not as bad as last time. I just need to pay a little attention to drainage.”
Previously there had been heavy rain for a long period, but fortunately this time it wasn’t to that extent. After roughly surveying the work that needed to be done with his eyes, Yoo Eun-hyun raised his head to look at the clear sky.
‘Since I rested in the morning, shall I go out a bit early?’
He immediately returned to his lodging, put down his umbrella at his residence, and headed toward where the workers were.
“Hm? Something seems unsettled…”
Usually people who do physical labor tend to be quieter when morning comes. Since they have to work all day, there’s no need to raise their voices and waste energy from the morning. But today the atmosphere was different. He could hear voices from far away, and it was quite noisy.
When Yoo Eun-hyun walked toward the commotion, there were several unfamiliar people gathered there, moving about busily.
“Hurry up! We need to lay the road before the sun fully rises!”
Between the farming fields, there were usually paths called farm roads. Since they couldn’t trample on crops, these were paths made so people could walk and carts loaded with harvests or cargo could pass through.
But since they weren’t paths used that frequently, they were often left unmaintained in most cases.
But now it was different. People were picking out stones on the path, leveling and compacting the ground, and even spreading fine straw they had gotten from somewhere to neatly maintain the road.
“What on earth is this…”
Looking at the people working, they were all unfamiliar faces. It seemed they had brought workers from somewhere else to do the job.
“Team Leader Yeo Geum-hyeon. You came at just the right time.”
Byeon Ak, who had been busily directing the work, spotted Yoo Eun-hyun standing there and approached him. Yoo Eun-hyun immediately bowed his head in greeting.
“What on earth is this about? Is there anything our team can help with?”
“No. There’s no need for that. It’s almost finished. What work is scheduled for today?”
“Today and tomorrow we’re planning to harvest wheat.”
“Good. Team Leader Yeo, I’d like you to do the work a bit more neatly today. Is that possible? I’ll arrange for fifty percent extra daily wages.”
“We’ll do so.”
“Good. You’ve been doing very well so far, so I trust you.”
Having said that, Byeon Ak began directing people again. Having missed the opportunity to ask what was going on, Yoo Eun-hyun tilted his head and headed toward the lodging where other people were gathered.
“…This happened, but does anyone know what this might be about?”
Before starting work, when he explained what had just happened to the people who were lightly warming up in front of the lodging, Mo Cheol-dong and several other experienced people let out short sighs.
“Has it already been two weeks?”
“With all the various incidents this time, time seems to have passed faster.”
Seeing such reactions, there was definitely something going on. Receiving the gazes of people including the curious Yoo Eun-hyun, Mo Cheol-dong slowly opened his mouth.
“Once every two weeks. People come to see us farming.”
“Excuse me? Who?”
“They don’t tell us who. But… what’s certain is that they’re people who have learned martial arts.”
“Martial artists?”
As for martial artists in this place, it was obvious who they would be.
“Probably high-ranking people from Mado. Seeing how even the Heukryeon Trading Company people are flustered.”
As Mo Cheol-dong said, Heukryeon Trading Company wouldn’t be without people who had learned martial arts, but Byeon Ak’s attitude just now was definitely different from theirs. He had clearly shown signs of tension as if welcoming distinguished guests. Yoo Eun-hyun asked back with a puzzled expression.
“Why do Mado-in come to watch farming?”
“We don’t know that either. What’s certain is that once every two weeks, young people who seem to have learned martial arts come and watch us work for a while before leaving.”
“Young people? Are there no older people?”
“They looked to be in their twenties to early thirties. The faces were different each time they came, but they were all young people without exception.”
Mo Cheol-dong shook his head as if he ultimately didn’t know. Yoo Eun-hyun felt the same way.
‘Are they Mado’s junior disciples? But why would such people come to watch farming?’
Something seemed to vaguely emerge in his mind but not quite. But he still lacked the ability to grasp that clue.
In the end, Yoo Eun-hyun had no choice but to forcibly set aside that thought and head to the wheat field.
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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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