The Owner Of The Thousand Gold Coins Is A Military Official - Chapter 17

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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 17

I don’t know what kind of request it was, but it was a commission that would pay a whopping hundred taels of gold just for staying at my post until tonight passed.

There would be no problem with it.

Couldn’t I just say I was handling business for Cheongeumjang until late at night?

“Hahaha! With just this…”

Just then, I felt a presence outside the door.

“Who…”

This was a time when no one should be here.

The fact that someone came at this hour meant they had been targeting this moment from the beginning.

“Have you already finished the job and returned?”

I closed my mouth that was about to ask who it was, and spoke different words instead.

Naturally, as if someone was supposed to come at this time.

“Yes. It’s all finished.”

At that answer, the Branch Manager showed a sinister smile.

Got you.

I don’t know who it is, but there’s no one who should come at this hour.

It seems they either needed to launch a surprise attack, or buy time if the surprise attack failed, but unfortunately for them.

“Go back for now. Come back in about an hour.”

“I cannot do that.”

“…What? Are you defying my orders right now?”

“Yes.”

“What the…!”

The Branch Manager’s forehead flushed with anger at this unprecedented insubordination.

However, he instantly realized that whoever was beyond that door had been toying with him.

“You bastard…!”

He drew the sword from his chest and swung it at the door with full force.

The door tore apart like paper under the slash infused with internal energy.

The Branch Manager knew well that even if the opponent reacted, there was no room to retreat further from behind the door.

‘I can at least inflict minimal damage!’

If it was damage that would significantly affect the battle, he would continue fighting; if not, he would flee.

It could be considered the best judgment he could make in the current situation.

However, the door that had been tearing with a ripping sound suddenly stopped in the middle, as if blocked by a massive boulder.

The sword stuck with a clatter.

He quickly tried to recover his sword and execute his original plan, but another variable occurred.

‘The sword… won’t move?’

Was it really blocked by a rock?

His curiosity as a martial artist was strongly piqued, but now wasn’t the time to resolve this.

And what struck him even stronger was his crisis instinct as a human.

The door that his sword had been tearing through.

Through the gap in the torn door, sharp blue eyes came into view.

Though they seemed emotionless, they held such clear killing intent that his forcibly suppressed instincts rang alarm bells once again.

“Urgh…!”

To think he had to retreat because of such a situation.

And from the branch closest to Cheongeumjang’s heart, no less.

He immediately released smoke and threw himself out the window.

“Jegang Sword Technique, First Form.”

A sword technique that no one except Cheongun knew, spanning both his previous and current life.

The technique itself pursued the beauty of restraint.

“Jeolsa Sword.”

Like the Branch Manager had swung, Cheongun’s black iron sword was swung.

As the black iron sword, bathed in the full moon’s light streaming through the window the Branch Manager had crashed through, glinted, the sword that had been swung was already back in its sheath with a click.

Jeolsa Sword, the first form of Jegang Sword Technique.

The Jeolsa Sword, meaning a sword that cuts like a snake, wasn’t called a snake because its sword path curved like a snake.

The moment a snake targets its prey.

A sword path that snatches with instantaneous speed.

If there was one difference from a snake, it was that while a snake targets prey, Cheongun’s sword right now had targeted the Branch Manager’s neck.

Thud, thump.

The sound of something falling to the ground in different rhythms could be heard.

Late at night.

Perhaps because it was a street where no one walked, the sound carried quite well.

“Tsk.”

Like when he first left Cheongeumjang.

Since his sword was already in its sheath, he leisurely approached the window with his hands clasped behind his back, and there lay the completely severed body part of the Branch Manager.

“Fortunately, the lighter part fell.”

The body that had tried to grab the gold and flee was caught on the window, and the gold was rolling around on the floor.

The head was rolling around down there.

Such a simple thing.

Dealing with a parasite that had latched onto Cheongeumjang.

Though everything was finished, Cheongun didn’t leave his position.

He turned the chair the Branch Manager had been sitting in toward the window and sat there, gazing at the shining full moon.

“Hmm, they’re late.”

The full moon was covered by clouds and appeared again several times.

He felt another person’s presence outside the door.

“You’re late.”

“…I apologize.”

Heukjeon, who had left earlier, appeared carrying something wrapped in blood-red cloth.

“The results?”

“Everything is fine. Since we prepared for so long, we’ve avoided all suspicion.”

“If they’re individuals from forces other than Cheongeumjang, not a single one should be missed.”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

Heukjeon confirmed the Branch Manager’s corpse next to Cheongun.

Even with just a brief look, he could tell what had happened.

The sword marks around the area, the cut surface on the Branch Manager’s body.

‘One exchange.’

He had killed the Branch Manager in just one exchange.

At some point, Heukjeon had become unable to gauge the level of Cheongun, the master he was supposed to serve.

It wasn’t that he had neglected his training, but Cheongun’s rate of becoming stronger was far too fast.

Heukjeon was someone who had been with Cheongeumjang for a very long time.

He knew the Branch Manager well too.

‘He was at the peak of the Peak realm.’

To kill a martial artist who was on the verge of the Transcendent realm in just one exchange.

He wasn’t even twenty yet, but he handled a martial artist at the peak of the Peak realm like a child.

“More importantly, what’s that?”

“Ah, this is…”

Something soaked in red.

From its size to the fact that it was soaked in red.

Anyone would suspect one particular thing, but inside was something unexpectedly different.

“These are belongings of those who cooperated. It seems they didn’t leave any lists or such, just left these items like this.”

“So it was individuals, not a group.”

“It appears so.”

Indeed, how would Cheongun deal with these people?

Seeing how coldly rational he had been, almost to the point of ruthlessness, Heukjeon expected he wouldn’t just leave them be.

“Just leave them.”

“Understood.”

It was unexpected.

When it came to spies, he would eliminate even the most trivial ones completely, yet he was leaving those who cooperated with them alone.

“Then, I’ll send these ones back as they are.”

“Yes. Let’s go back now.”

It ended so easily it felt anticlimactic.

Just about right for a brief evening stroll for entertainment.

‘The Steel River Sword Technique seems to have returned to its previous level.’

At this level, at least he wouldn’t die as a stranger somewhere.

Perhaps because this land was so vast, there were so many masters.

Names like Sazeon and Samje?

Naturally they possessed powerful martial arts, but they weren’t everything.

If one aimed for something, one should naturally strive for what was above, and Cheongun naturally did so.

Walking like that, he had returned to the front of Cheongeumjang before he knew it.

“Ah.”

Cheongun, who had suddenly stopped, drew his sword from his chest again.

He swung it once through the air, shaking off all the red blood drops that had stuck to parts of the black blade.

With a sliding sound, he sheathed the sword back into its scabbard and went inside, where Mother was waiting.

“Son. Did you finish well?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“No blood on you either?”

“Because it’s dirty.”

“Hoho, yes. It’s better not to get dirty things on you at all. Anything.”

He had quite a few good memories with Mother.

Even though she hadn’t particularly taught him anything special.

Rather, that seemed to make him feel that way even more.

He had been a little surprised when he learned of Mother’s strength.

Father visibly looked a little older compared to when he first saw him, but Mother showed no particular changes.

Why didn’t she teach him anything?

He had wondered if treating him just like ordinary people on the street was all there was to it, but now it seemed that was actually more helpful.

“Right. Son.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“So, when are you leaving?”

“…Leaving?”

“You’re of age now, you have martial prowess, and you’ve sorted out family matters appropriately. I can clearly see that you’re thinking of leaving?”

“Hmm… I can’t fool Mother’s eyes.”

She always wore a smile, making her an inscrutable person.

Moreover, Mother’s name, Sowol.

This was also a name he had never heard in his previous life.

“I’m leaving tomorrow.”

“Huh? Tomorrow?”

For the first time, quite a big change came over Mother’s face.

“Oh my… I didn’t expect tomorrow.”

“Isn’t this age impulsive?”

But how many people would say that with their own mouth.

“You’re not saying you have no plan, are you?”

“I may be an impulsive son, but I’m also Mother’s son.”

At the answer closest to being correct, Mother showed a smile again.

Her son lacked some sociability and didn’t feel very childlike, but what did that matter?

When he showed her the appearance and answers she wanted like this.

Now he had grown much taller than her, reaching the point where she had to look up slightly.

“Take some lunch with you before you go.”

“Yes, Mother. I understand.”

This was the last conversation of the day.

Mother went back like that.

Tomorrow was the day to leave Cheongeumjang.

He had gone out once before when he followed the Kunlun Sect’s trade mission, but that time he had followed the trade mission.

This time he was officially going out into Gangho.

How was it in his previous life?

Had he been excited about going out into Gangho?

Had he been elated about making his name known with his outstanding talent?

Somehow he didn’t seem to remember any of it.

There was no need to recall a life that had failed.

However, he was certain it wasn’t the same as back then.

He was strangely calm and also peaceful.

It just felt like setting out on a long journey.

This wasn’t a purposeless journey into Gangho.

Gangho was a familiar place to Cheongun.

Which made it all the more dangerous.

As if to foretell the future of his Gangho journey, the particularly bright full moon soon set, and the next day dawned.

Getting up a little earlier than usual and dressing properly, he saw a sword placed in one corner that he hadn’t seen yesterday.

It seemed Mother had brought it during his night stroll.

Previously she had given him a black sword, but this time it was the opposite – a white sword.

Well, she must have made it from something better than black iron.

Leaving his room and heading to Father and Mother’s quarters, he heard a voice as if they had been waiting.

“Come in.”

“Yes.”

After showing proper courtesy, Cheongun spoke briefly.

“I’ll be going now.”

Should it be called arrogant, or should it be called typical of Cheongun?

No, thinking about it, wasn’t this the most fitting greeting for Cheongeumjang’s Young Patriarch?

Where couldn’t Cheongeumjang’s Young Patriarch go in this land?

If he wanted to go, he could go, and if he couldn’t go, he would make it so he could.

“Yes. Go and come back.”

“Take care. Our son.”

After finishing his greetings to Father and Mother, Cheongun soon left Cheongeumjang.

At first he had thought about entering Gangho as Cheongeumjang’s Young Patriarch, but he soon changed his mind.

Wouldn’t that be no fun?

He wasn’t hiding it, but he didn’t plan to reveal it unnecessarily.

If needed, he could reveal it then.

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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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