The Owner Of The Thousand Gold Coins Is A Military Official - Chapter 10
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 10
The business at the Kunlun Sect was finished.
With the thought of perhaps taking a look around the surroundings, he was descending the same path he had climbed to leave the Kunlun Sect’s territory.
While going down the path that led up this towering mountain, he noticed an old man holding a worn broom, sweeping the area around it.
Heukjeon didn’t pay much attention to it, but Cheongun couldn’t take his eyes off the old man.
“….”
The sound of rhythmically sweeping the ground was heard several times, and soon the old man also turned around, sensing the gaze watching him.
“By any chance, do you have some business with this old man?”
“….”
Even at the old man’s question, Cheongun said nothing.
The old man watching such Cheongun showed an inexplicable smile and began sweeping the ground again.
One moment, half a moment, one hour.
The old man gradually moved his position while continuing to sweep the ground, and Cheongun never took his eyes off the old man for even an instant.
‘Sigh… what is this…’
Heukjeon also couldn’t do anything and just had to watch the old man.
Since his young master was staring blankly, he couldn’t do anything else alone.
He could tell Cheongun was concentrating on something, but he had no idea what it was.
Another hour passed like that.
The sky that had seen the sun rise was now tinged red, and even that redness was beginning to disappear into darkness.
“…It’s already been nearly three hours.”
It was rather the old man who couldn’t endure it first.
It had to be so.
After all, he was the one who had approached Cheongun first.
“Yes. So it is.”
It was a surprisingly calm reaction.
Since he couldn’t understand the reason for being watched like this in the first place, it was the old man who had to ask first.
“You don’t seem like a bad child with a hobby of teasing old men.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Cheongun was also persistent.
The old man still hadn’t turned around and was still sweeping with his broom, but he was only focusing his gaze on this.
Heukjeon’s mouth was also itching to speak, but since he couldn’t bring up the conversation, he didn’t know what to do…
‘Not to me… he spoke to the Young Patriarch.’
Anyone could see that the person who should be engaging in conversation right now was himself.
A man with considerable martial prowess, returning from the Kunlun Sect.
But why did this old man speak to the Young Patriarch instead of him?
Now that he thought about it, he was being thoroughly excluded, as if the old man didn’t even know he existed.
‘He knows.’
That old man knows Wun’s identity.
He didn’t know how he found out, but he couldn’t sense any energy right now.
However, Gangho was a place where one had to be careful of many things.
An old man sweeping the steps of the Kunlun Sect.
The more he thought about it, the more out of place it felt.
“Hehe… Should this old man speak first?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Come to think of it, Cheongun had also naturally continued the conversation.
‘Could it be that the Young Patriarch also knows who that old man is?’
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have answered the old man’s first words first.
In times like this, the best strategy is to stay still without saying or doing anything.
“Child. You seem to already know.”
“That’s right.”
“Hehe… How did you know?”
He still hadn’t turned around, but even just looking at his back, it was felt.
That he was very interested.
“Shall we have a conversation for a moment? I have good tea.”
“Yes. I will do so.”
“Follow me.”
The old man leaned his broom against the wall and soon walked down the path with his hands clasped behind his back.
At the entrance of Gonryun Mountain, there were several crossroads, and after passing through those crossroads several times, a surprisingly flat place came into view.
Grass of uniform height and a small pavilion within it.
Behind it, a waterfall was flowing, and while it didn’t give a magnificent feeling, it was a place that could truly be called a scenic view.
“I have fragrant tea. It’s tea I enjoy drinking.”
“Thank you.”
Sitting in the pavilion, on one side he could see peaceful, verdant grass, and on the other side, he could see a dynamic valley.
Just being here gave the illusion of practicing energy cultivation.
“You don’t dislike tea, do you? There’s someone your age in our sect, but he particularly dislikes tea.”
“I like it. Doesn’t it have a good fragrance?”
“Hehe, indeed.”
When the old man gestured in the air, teacups began to float in the void.
‘Void Grasping…!’
Heukjeon was startled enough to flinch, but Cheongun’s reaction was surprisingly calm.
It didn’t end there.
Next, steam was rising from the teacups.
‘Even Samadhi True Fire…’
Only then could Heukjeon grasp the identity of the old man before his eyes.
‘It’s the Patriarch.’
The Patriarch of the Kunlun Sect.
The model for all Taoists and the one who leads them.
“Drink.”
“Thank you, Patriarch.”
It’s fragrant tea.
Even without drinking it, just smelling the fragrance gave the feeling that one’s mind was becoming clear.
“But why did the Patriarch come looking for me?”
“Hehe, you’re quick-witted. That’s right. I came looking for you.”
“Were you watching from the beginning?”
“Yes. I was about to go see my senior brother on business when I saw a very interesting sight.”
He seemed to be referring to the small quarrel between Cheongun and Juhyeokjo.
The Patriarch also knew Juhyeokjo well.
While not arrogant, he couldn’t be considered well-mannered either.
However, his talent was still outstanding.
He had dealt with such Juhyeokjo in just one exchange.
Even then, Juhyeokjo had drawn his sword, while Cheongun hadn’t even drawn his.
‘So I was just going to watch, but…’
Originally, he hadn’t planned to bring him this far.
This place was unknown even to the disciples of the Kunlun Sect.
Unless one properly entered the path from the crossroads, one could fall into a formation and wander for a lifetime.
Nevertheless, the reason he brought Cheongun to this place was because he was too curious about what happened earlier.
At first, he thought it was just curiosity.
Trying to deduce who he was?
But it didn’t make sense for that curiosity to continue for as long as three hours.
“It was an interesting sight.”
“That’s right. At this age, sometimes things that could be inconvenient become interesting.”
It was an indirect expression.
That it could have been an unpleasant matter.
However, Cheongun’s expression still remained unmoved.
“This isn’t an important matter. What I’m truly curious about is the reason you watched sweeping for three hours.”
“Have you ever swept with a broom, Patriarch?”
“I do it occasionally.”
“Have you ever done it daily?”
“Hmm… that’s an old story. I did it daily from when I was a third-class disciple until I became a second-class disciple.”
That meant he didn’t do it daily after that.
Probably after his talent was recognized, he devoted all his time and energy to training every moment.
“No one else. Sweeps like that.”
“Hmm?”
For a moment, the Patriarch recalled his own sweeping.
How had he done it?
“Hahaha! I see.”
“It was sweeping that displayed Kunlun’s unique and offensive techniques.”
“You were watching that. For three hours.”
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“What did you feel?”
Though Cheongun had answered all questions immediately, he didn’t answer this one question.
The Patriarch thought this was because he had realized nothing or very little, but that wasn’t actually the case.
“If I answer what I felt, will you become my master?”
“Hahaha! That’s true too.”
Already the second hearty laugh of the day had emerged.
Though the Kunlun Sect is called Taoist, they are very warlike and bold people.
Enough that you can feel this even in their swordsmanship.
He thought he had suppressed this a lot after rising to the position of Patriarch, but looking now, that didn’t seem to be the case either.
“Surprisingly, I find myself thinking it wouldn’t be bad if that happened.”
“Don’t you know who I am?”
“Haha. Right. It’s just a figure of speech.”
Though the Patriarch brushed it off lightly, regret was rippling in his eyes.
If he took him as a direct disciple and taught him, he would surely become someone remarkable.
“Do you know this?”
“What do you mean?”
“What Taoist entertainment is.”
“Taoist… entertainment?”
Entertainment wasn’t really a word that suited them well to begin with.
“I feel like I experienced that entertainment for the first time in a long while today.”
The Patriarch, having emptied his teacup, immediately held up one finger and said:
“Just one. Whatever question it may be, if it’s something I can answer, I’ll answer it for you.”
With just a little thought, it was a very good opportunity that could be used in many ways.
However, what Cheongun would ask was already decided.
The most important thing.
“Do you think the Jeongma Great War will break out?”
At that question, the Patriarch didn’t hide his surprise.
It wasn’t a question a child should ask, and even if he knew about the recent movements of the Demonic Sect, it was a question he couldn’t ask without taking it seriously.
“Huh… this is also an interesting question.”
The question itself was interesting, and above all, the fact that the questioner was a ten-year-old child was also interesting.
“It will not.”
To Cheongun, who knew the future, it felt like a somewhat disappointing answer, but just then.
“I’d like to say that, but I can’t turn away from it.”
“You mean…”
“It won’t be too far off. But don’t worry. We are the great Kunlun.”
Even Cheongun couldn’t bring himself to say that this great Kunlun had collapsed miserably.
Now it was time to return.
Cheongun also finished the fragrant tea remaining in his teacup and immediately rose from his seat.
“Where are the Demonic Sect’s marks usually located?”
“Weren’t the questions finished?”
“Since you said the question was interesting, wouldn’t that make it one more?”
“Hahaha. Right. I did say that. Most have marks on their hearts, but in the case of spies, it’s different each time.”
“Spies. Spies indeed. Thank you.”
It was information not many people knew.
The fact that spies’ marks were in different places was something revealed during the Jeongma Great War.
Thus Cheongun paid his respects to the Patriarch and left Gonryun Mountain together with Heukjeon, who had been waiting at a distance.
“Let’s go.”
“Mm, right. There’s a decent inn, so let’s go there.”
Together with Cheongun, who had returned to being a servant, Heukjeon headed to an inn near the Kunlun Sect.
The Patriarch, having finished the conversation, still couldn’t erase the interesting gleam from his eyes.
“He shines…”
To think talent could emit such brilliant light.
However, it was proper to end emotions with sentiment.
Going further than this wouldn’t do.
As he headed back to the Kunlun Sect, for some reason the interior was in chaos.
“…must do it!”
“Yes!”
What could be happening?
Looking, he saw a familiar face lying with a cold expression.
“What’s going on?”
“P-Patriarch!”
“The Patriarch has arrived!”
Everyone began to pay their respects, and the Patriarch didn’t take his eyes off the cold corpse.
“Isn’t this Apothecary Munjeong?”
“Yes, for some reason… he suddenly lost his life.”
“Suddenly lost his life?”
“Yes. The only unusual point is that the Eldest Son of Cheonjingjang’s servant briefly stopped by the apothecary. So we’re beginning a search.”
Right. He had been disguised as a servant.
‘…Spies?’
For some unknown reason, that word suddenly came to mind.
That word he had repeated twice at the end.
“…Remove his clothes.”
“Pardon?”
“I said to remove all of Munjeong’s clothes.”
“Y-yes. We’ll do so.”
So they removed all his clothing.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————