The Owner Of The Thousand Gold Coins Is A Military Official - Chapter 7

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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 7

What Sowol had prepared for Cheongun were elixirs that he could consistently take during the month-long journey.

Elixirs that could be considered the concentrated essence of Cheongeumjang’s alchemy techniques.

“Mom won’t have to worry, right?”

“Yes. Of course.”

“Do you remember Juhyeokjo?”

“Who?”

I thought it was because of Juhyeokjo, but was I wrong?

Cheongun’s eyes, as Sowol looked at them, were filled only with puzzlement.

“The child from the Kunlun Sect who came before.”

“Ah… so that was his name.”

“Hehe, when you see him after a long time, make sure to greet him.”

“Yes. I will.”

I had completely forgotten, but there was such a child too.

After Juhyeokjo from Kunlun, I hadn’t been able to meet anyone.

It would be more accurate to say I didn’t want to.

Occasionally guests would visit, but Cheongun didn’t want to meet them.

Thanks to that, rumors about the Cheongeumjang heir were spreading in strange ways.

That he suffered from an incurable disease, or that his appearance was hideous.

Of course, that was Sowol’s doing.

Thanks to this, those targeting Cheongun were now almost nonexistent.

When the child was born, they held feasts not only in the surrounding area but at all Cheongeumjang branches, but after that, there was nothing.

“Have a safe trip.”

“Yes. Mother. I’ll be back.”

Cheongun bowed to his mother and left the room.

Cheongjin was also waiting outside, and he bowed to his father as well.

“Have a safe trip.”

“Yes. Father.”

After exchanging only brief and simple greetings, Cheongun boarded the prepared carriage and left the manor.

It had been ten years since he last left this manor.

Although he had prepared thoroughly during that time, for Cheongun who had already experienced Gangho to the point of exhaustion, it was still a frightening yet exciting place.

The beginning stage of the Peak realm.

It was an achievement that made no sense considering his age, but when looking at all of Gangho, it was actually nothing.

While he could walk with his shoulders straight anywhere, this vast Gangho was a place full of all sorts of extraordinary people.

Whether disciples of reclusive masters, or children of great sects and families.

Even if not that, there were many who entered as lay disciples and bloomed their talents.

‘Power is both relative and absolute.’

When setting standards, it’s absolute, but when comparing, this power becomes relative.

The moment he left the manor, he switched carriages.

After traveling a certain distance, he switched carriages again, and each time he switched, the carriages became increasingly shabby and worn.

When people’s voices became close enough to hear, Cheongun got off the carriage and began walking directly.

“Young Master. From now on, I’ll use different forms of address. I’ll also need to speak informally.”

“Alright.”

Heukjeon, the deputy leader of Cheongeumjang’s Black Elixir Unit, personally took on the escort duty.

The Black Elixir Unit always wore only black clothes, but today he wore ordinary martial attire for the escort mission.

“I’ll call you Wun.”

“Yes. Please call me that.”

Though he’s the lord’s son, he couldn’t be more clever.

Both his martial prowess and his ability to grasp situations.

At such a young age, he could find this informal speech unpleasant.

In fact, Cheongun wasn’t particularly interested.

All his attention was focused solely on conserving his energy as much as possible.

The Peak realm was a rather ambiguous level for Cheongun.

‘It’s just the right level to die. While encountering Transcendent realm masters wouldn’t be easy, it’s not impossible for those below that level.’

There were quite a few Super Peak experts, and Peak experts were fairly numerous.

The difference in level varied greatly depending on whether one was at the beginning or mastery stage, and it also differed based on practical experience.

Thinking about this made him chuckle.

That’s what made it Gangho, and that’s also why he liked this place.

“Wuna. This trading journey is exactly about briefly visiting the Kunlun Sect, delivering goods to a Cheongeumjang branch, and returning.”

They naturally blended in among the people.

As he aged, his appearance became increasingly radiant, so he covered about half his face.

“Yes. I understand.”

“Since the Kunlun Sect is located at the edge of Qinghai Province, always keep in mind that we might encounter bandits and other ruffians on the way there and back.”

“Yes. I’ll keep that in mind.”

After walking a bit, people came into view.

Since this could be called Cheongeumjang’s headquarters, the scale of the market was beyond imagination.

It was much larger in scale than the headquarters of major sects.

Even the inns alone sometimes had five-story buildings.

“Do you want to visit an inn?”

Heukjeon, who noticed Cheongun’s gaze, asked, but Cheongun shook his head.

“No. Let’s go directly.”

Heukjeon thought he might hear an answer about wanting to visit the largest place in the surrounding area, but it seemed he needed to understand more about the prospective lord.

“We go this way.”

The two headed toward where the trading journey would begin.

And there was a gaze following these two people.

“He’s come out.”

The gaze that followed to see where they were heading didn’t leave them until the moment they arrived at the trading company.

The trading company had been notified in advance that a direct Cheongeumjang escort and his attendant would be joining.

“Oh my, you’ve arrived. We’ve been waiting.”

“We’re a bit late.”

“Not at all. We’re grateful that you came. Is this child the attendant?”

“That’s right.”

“Hello. I’m called Wun.”

“Hehe, yes. You’re quite polite.”

The acting was top-notch.

There wasn’t a trace of suspicion in their eyes.

“This child is new to trading journeys, so please understand if there are any shortcomings.”

“Of course. Since he’s the escort’s attendant, there probably won’t be much for him to do anyway.”

Along with the pleasant trading company leader, the two also boarded the carriage.

Since the escort was for all the goods rather than just the trading company leader’s escort, Heukjeon climbed onto the driver’s seat, and Cheongun naturally climbed up beside him.

“Wuna. You can go inside.”

“No. I can see better from here.”

Did he know that outside the carriage was actually easier for preparing against danger than inside?

At first glance, it sounded like a child who simply wanted to see more variety outside, but the hidden meaning didn’t seem to be that.

‘I must be mistaken.’

There’s no way he could think that far yet.

To disguise his words like a child’s while cleverly hiding his intentions.

“Alright, let’s depart!”

With the trading company leader’s voice, all the carriages began to depart.

Although he had ridden carriages when coming here, this was the first time traveling with so many people.

“How does it feel?”

“Refreshing. The wind is.”

The deputy leader had been assigned to guard Cheongun almost daily for ten years, but this seemed to be the first time he’d heard such pure personal impressions.

Indeed, within the Cheongeumjang manor with only direct blood relatives and minimal servants, it was difficult to grasp his personality.

But coming outside like this, it seemed like he could see glimpses of it.

“Still, we mustn’t let our guard down.”

“Yes. I’m keeping that in mind.”

The goods to be delivered weren’t particularly special items.

There were things used by ordinary people who weren’t martial artists, and some that martial artists might use.

It was a leisurely and relaxed trading journey.

Even so, the two didn’t let their guard down.

The same went for the others in charge of escort duties.

During meal times throughout the journey, Cheongun ate the elixir pills his mother had prepared along with the food the others ate.

Though Heukjeon watched with somewhat worried eyes, Cheongun ate everything down to the last bit without any change in expression.

Before his death, he had eaten worse than this.

After his dantian was broken, he wasn’t even in secluded training, yet he had eaten only fasting pills for nearly a year.

Like that, one day, two days.

Time gradually passed, but Cheongun remained the same.

Usually on such first trading journeys, one would inevitably show displeasure when not receiving the treatment they were accustomed to, but Cheongun showed no such signs.

At first it was curious, then interesting, and as more time passed, it was now almost strange.

“Hmm?”

On the night of the third day.

Everyone was trying to sleep, and Heukjeon and Cheongun were also about to fall asleep.

Heukjeon sensed an unfamiliar presence and got up from his spot.

When he approached the carriage where Cheongun was sleeping and opened the door, Cheongun was also awake, not having fallen asleep.

“Weren’t you sleeping?”

“Huh? I’m Wun.”

Naturally correcting Heukjeon’s manner of speech, the question came back again.

“Ah… ah, why aren’t you sleeping?”

“It feels strange. The sensation.”

Did he sense an unfamiliar presence?

He had just felt it himself too?

Basically, if one’s internal energy is outstanding, they can grasp presences instantly.

If not that, there are people who are naturally sensitive to presences.

‘Come to think of it, you weren’t startled when you were five either.’

It seems he has both the peak level mastery and that innate sensitivity.

“I sense an unfamiliar presence.”

“An unfamiliar presence…”

What kind of reaction would he show?

If lucky, they’d just be bandits, and if unlucky, they’d be those who thoroughly targeted Cheongeumjang’s trading journey.

However, whatever it was, the important point was that it was a life-threatening situation.

Click.

Heukjeon, who had been expecting something, was able to confirm results more impressive than his expectations.

Wasn’t he grabbing his sword first?

The one he had received when he was five.

The black iron sword that was somewhat large for Cheongun at that time.

Of course, even now it wasn’t a perfectly fitting size, but it was much more convenient to wield than back then.

“…Real combat is different.”

“We can’t avoid it.”

It was a gaze that went beyond impressive to something that might cause cognitive dissonance.

It felt even more so because no great emotion could be sensed.

There was no competitive spirit or excitement about first real combat, nor fear about threats to life.

Just that combat had come, so he would face it.

It was like the gaze of someone who had rolled through battlefields countless times.

‘Can he not feel emotions?’

He wasn’t sure yet.

If he had lost emotions and gained talent, it seemed like that would explain things.

“…They’re approaching closer.”

“What will you do?”

“Defensive fighting is always twice as difficult. I’ll go first to face them, and depending on the situation, I’ll retreat. You should stay with the other guards and if it seems dangerous, flee immediately. Immediately.”

Leaving only those words, Heukjeon immediately disappeared.

Cheongun was left alone.

Though told to stay with the other guards, Cheongun had no intention of doing so.

To them, he would become someone they had to protect.

The one most shunned by them.

Cheongun headed to where the Jyangjaasu were and stood in front of them, gripping his sword.

“K-kid!”

“Hurry and hide down here…!”

“You’ll die if you step out wrong!”

It was both pitiful and amusing.

Who was worrying about whom?

Were they worried about Cheongun, or were they worried about being discovered after Cheongun was taken down?

Whatever it was didn’t matter.

A sense of mission or duty to protect the weak?

No.

Not all weak people are good.

There are countless cases of becoming evil toward those weaker than oneself.

He simply didn’t want to see damage to Cheongeumjang’s assets that would someday become his.

“Whew…”

He let out a deep sigh and steadied his breathing.

Because winter was approaching, he could feel the cold air entering and leaving deep into his lungs.

Then he focused his gaze on only one direction.

As if someone was there.

He hadn’t drawn it yet.

Because the enemy wasn’t visible?

“No. Now.”

There was an appropriate moment.

Swoosh.

It was a sensation he was feeling for the first time in ten years.

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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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