The Owner Of The Thousand Gold Coins Is A Military Official - Chapter 47

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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 47

 

How could Cheongun not know this fact?

 

Dealing with those who are old and experienced is no easy task.

 

However, the changes brought by time that have come to them are difficult to prevent or hide.

 

“Since the Patriarch has left his position… now would be the time when they’re briefly regrouping.”

 

No matter how much they are the Demonic Sect, they cannot ignore the Patriarch of Kunlun.

 

Whether due to the position of Patriarch, or his personal martial prowess.

 

But that doesn’t mean they would remain idle.

 

More secretly, more quietly.

 

They would move to achieve the original purpose they harbored.

 

While Cheongun didn’t know much about the Demonic Sect, he still understood their habits well.

 

The Patriarch of Kunlun is someone even the Demonic Sect must not encounter, but due to his position as Patriarch, he cannot stay away for long or venture far.

 

So they would surely attack places on the outermost periphery.

 

“The closest place to them, yet the farthest from here.”

 

This place was precisely Cheongun’s destination.

 

The farther he moved from Kunlun’s territory, the more signs of human presence gradually disappeared.

 

There might be bandits and such, but with the Demonic Sect and Kunlun on either side, it was a structure where their scale couldn’t grow large.

 

As he drew closer to his destination, the scenery of surrounding villages came into view.

 

Places that had been the homes of those who sustained their lives by gathering herbs in the mountains or through hunting.

 

Since Cheongun had once lived like that himself, it wasn’t a particularly pleasant sight.

 

Going deeper, toward places closer to them, Cheongun began searching for villages that hadn’t been attacked yet.

 

Even that wasn’t an easy task.

 

Places that could be called villages were already in a state of near-complete destruction.

 

There was one place that caught Cheongun’s eye.

 

A small house situated not on the mountainside but near the very peak.

 

It was the kind of house that seemed like it would collapse if the wind blew just a little harder, yet he could sense signs of life from there.

 

Being at the peak, it seemed to have escaped the Demonic Sect’s notice so far, but that too was only a matter of time.

 

When he reduced his heightened speed to match the pace of ordinary people’s footsteps.

 

Cheongun slowly approached someone’s house.

 

“Grandfather! I caught a squirrel!”

 

Contrary to its appearance, he could hear the voice of a spirited and lively girl.

 

The house on the mountain peak, along with an appearance Cheongun had never once possessed.

 

With mist thickly filling the surroundings, it felt like a dream-like scene.

 

“Hehe… *cough*! Is that so? It’s not an ordinary nimble animal, how did you catch it?”

 

“I put acorns below and…”

 

As he made his presence known while listening to their ordinary yet special-feeling conversation, both people’s gazes turned toward him.

 

“Wh-who are you?”

 

“Ah, I got lost, you see. Do you happen to live here?”

 

“We do, but…”

 

Due to the lingering wariness, Cheongun also maintained his distance without approaching further.

 

“Since it’s an unfamiliar path, I wandered here and there, thinking I might see the way if I looked from a high place, so I climbed up. I apologize for startling you.”

 

At Cheongun’s polite attitude, their wariness began to gradually fade.

 

Though their guard didn’t completely disappear due to the sword at his waist, knowing that wouldn’t change anything anyway.

 

“This may be sudden, but…”

 

The two people tensed at his deliberately serious expression.

 

“How about if I catch some animals and we share a meal together?”

 

“Animals… you say?”

 

“Yes. It’s been quite a while since I’ve had a proper meal, so I’m making this shameless request.”

 

“Hehe… that’s fine. Please do so.”

 

“Yes. Then for a moment…”

 

The start wasn’t bad.

 

Their wariness had almost completely disappeared.

 

“Grandfather! Who is that person?”

 

“Didn’t he say so himself? He’s someone who lost his way.”

 

“Aha…!”

 

During that brief conversation.

 

A thud was heard from the yard, and soon a huge wild boar was lying there.

 

“Al-already…”

 

“Ah! It’s a pig!”

 

“I’ll prepare it myself.”

 

There was no need to be impatient.

 

While time is absolutely necessary for relationships to form between people, that wasn’t everything either.

 

Thanks to past memories, Cheongun finished preparing each part in an instant.

 

“Since you’ve brought delicious ingredients, just wait a moment.”

 

“Yes! Grandfather!”

 

After moving the ingredients to the kitchen, Cheongun came out and sat for a while.

 

The child showed interest in Cheongun.

 

“Mister…?”

 

“How about calling me big brother instead?”

 

“Ah! Big brother!”

 

She was a cute and bright child.

 

What had Cheongun been doing at this age in the past?

 

He seemed to recall stealing at markets or wandering the mountains searching for food.

 

Though no particular conversation continued, just sitting side by side facing the mountain peak’s wind together felt like they had conversed enough.

 

“Now, please eat.”

 

“Thank you, elder.”

 

To the two people, Cheongun was also a welcome presence.

 

People from nearby villages had come to tell them to be careful, and above all, sharing a meal that was usually eaten by just the two of them was welcome.

 

“You said you were lost, where are you headed? *cough*!”

 

The elder’s condition didn’t look very good.

 

From what he could see, he wasn’t someone who had learned martial arts, and it seemed his condition had worsened from continuously facing the cold, harsh winds of the mountain peak.

 

There wasn’t much time left.

 

That was Cheongun’s conclusion.

 

After that, Cheongun spent time at this place.

 

At first, he was just someone who had lost his way.

 

It was no more than that, but as time gradually passed, they were becoming quite close.

 

Going to the waterfront with the child, being introduced to the surrounding scenery, and so on.

 

One day, two days.

 

The more time passed, the more Cheongun’s presence here was becoming natural for the two people.

 

It wasn’t a bad experience for Cheongun either.

 

Had he ever once lived such a carefree life throughout his past and present?

 

Normally, calling someone carefree would be an insult, but Cheongun didn’t feel that way now.

 

The child’s name was Hwawol.

 

Flower and moon.

 

Wasn’t it a name that perfectly suited a girl?

 

The way she proudly said her grandfather had named her kept catching his eye bit by bit, so he couldn’t bring himself to ask where her parents were.

 

Just their absence alone, whatever the reason, wouldn’t be a good memory for the child.

 

It had already been four days since Cheongun came to this place.

 

Even in this excessive peace, Cheongun didn’t let his senses dull even slightly.

 

Today was the day to go gather honey with Hwawol.

 

He had been with Grandfather, but recently his condition had worsened and he couldn’t come along, so the elder personally asked Cheongun for this favor.

 

The past.

 

He never knew that memories from the bottom would be so helpful, but Cheongun was already at an expert level when it came to harvesting honey.

 

“Brother, it seems like there’s nothing you can’t do!”

 

“That’s right. There’s nothing I can’t do.”

 

Cheongun thought that while the child’s life wasn’t ordinary, it was closer to ordinary than the life Cheongun had lived.

 

Just as he was thinking it seemed quite nice.

 

An energy that reminded him of his purpose for coming here began to be felt nearby.

 

“Hwawol. Go home first.”

 

“What about you, Brother?”

 

“I have a place to stop by briefly.”

 

“Yes! You must come back quickly!”

 

With Hwawol returning home like that, Cheongun placed his hand on the sword he always kept close to his chest.

 

This place where he came to gather honey.

 

The path Cheongun had taken when coming here, and the only route leading to the house up there.

 

“Hmm…”

 

Cheongun looked not toward where the energy was felt, but toward where the house he had been staying at was located.

 

“It would have been fine to stay about one more day.”

 

Well, wouldn’t this also be fate?

 

Closing his eyes briefly, Cheongun recalled everything that had happened here during this time, not missing a single detail.

 

Then, he began to send away the emotions he had harbored during that time.

 

The memories from this place were sufficient for what needed to be treasured.

 

“There’s a child and an old man staying up there…”

 

“Stop. There’s someone ahead.”

 

They had come to handle the job as a pair after hearing there were only a child and an old man, but quite a powerful force was being felt from up ahead.

 

As if warning them not to approach.

 

It was a force containing a warning that if they crossed the line any further, there was no telling what might happen.

 

“What… will you do?”

 

“If there’s something blocking the way, we just clear it…”

 

Swish.

 

The sound of something thin swiftly passing by could be heard.

 

“…?”

 

Eyes filled with questions were looking at each other.

 

However, strangely, that gaze began to gradually tilt, and the height was getting lower and lower.

 

Thud, thump.

 

Even though their eyes hadn’t closed, nothing was reflected in the two people’s pupils anymore.

 

“I clearly drew a line.”

 

Didn’t I even kindly give a warning with my internal energy?

 

More than that, this is just the beginning.

 

Those who went to deal with one child and an old man aren’t returning?

 

It’s only a matter of time before they realize there’s a problem.

 

Before long, they’ll send more people to solve that problem and achieve their original purpose.

 

“It doesn’t seem like it will take long.”

 

For some reason, the mysterious woman he had briefly encountered at the inn came to mind.

 

And Cheongun was already aware of the surveillance eyes that had been on him.

 

They probably know too.

 

That the person who created this new problem here was that man they encountered at the inn.

 

Cheongun more kindly emphasized the line where the necks of the unfamiliar uninvited guests had been cut.

 

To make it more visible.

 

Making it impossible to even make excuses for what happens when the line is crossed.

 

Drawing his sword, which he hadn’t even taken out when cutting the necks of the two men just moments ago, Cheongun.

 

Began to tidy up the surroundings a bit.

 

Well, an environment optimized for combat against multiple opponents?

 

Preparations to prevent passage through this sole corridor?

 

It wasn’t tidying up with that kind of meaning.

 

Cheongun’s tidying up was preparing places for those who would come to lie down.

 

Still, this was where a child lived, so it wouldn’t do to have corpses scattered all around.

 

The fact that Cheongun, who originally thought animals would take care of such things, personally took action had quite a lot of meaning in itself.

 

After some time passed, as Cheongun expected, a report about the two people whose necks had been cut was delivered to the main force.

 

That those who should have returned long ago were not coming back.

 

“Hehe… Is that so?”

 

There was definitely a problem, but the one receiving the report couldn’t stop smiling behind the veil.

 

“How far did they follow, you said?”

 

“Right to the entrance of the mountain. Until then… it felt like we had permission.”

 

“Well, I expected as much.”

 

The woman who finished speaking and rose from her seat.

 

“Are you planning to move personally?”

 

To that question, the woman answered with a smile.

 

“He’s saying it over there. To hurry and come to where he is.”

 

Though they’d never had a conversation, this was a conclusion based on instinct.

 

She was certain both rationally and emotionally.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

“Yes, my lady.”

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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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