The Owner Of The Thousand Gold Coins Is A Military Official - Chapter 81

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 81

Whenever he left Cheongeumjang like this, there was always one thing that followed.

It was Geou following behind.

“I, I’ve been waiting with my neck stretched out for you to come out.”

“Why were you waiting for me?”

“Hehe. Why, you ask. I was wondering what interesting thing you’d do again.”

“My plans have become mere entertainment.”

“That’s not what I meant. I apologize.”

“No. This time, it seems you could come along.”

“Oh, is that so? Then I’ll follow along appropriately.”

Excluding Geou, no one else was following.

Well, when had he ever gone with anyone before.

Perhaps due to habits from his previous life, he was always comfortable doing things alone, and it worked out well.

He should try to fix this habit as much as possible.

Wasn’t he the Patriarch of Cheongeumjang.

“More importantly, where are we going first?”

“We need to go to Shandong, so it’s a long journey.”

“Heh, quite far indeed. Is it related to the families over there?”

It wasn’t related to the families.

He needed someone who was living in seclusion there, or rather, working as a Jyangjaasu.

A Jyangjaasu was typically someone who took care of all sorts of odd jobs.

Speaking of trading houses in the Shandong region, it would be the Jinhua Trading House.

The fact that the damage from attacks had grown severe meant that the strange person had not yet revealed their identity.

‘Isn’t it a place where he received kindness?’

If not, then something else must be hidden there.

“Then, are there places to stop by on the way?”

“What places are you referring to?”

“…Tsk. You have a seasoned side that doesn’t match your age.”

Though it was a brief conversation, it was sufficient for understanding each other’s intentions.

On the path to Shandong, great sects and families were positioned.

Jongnam and Mount Hua, Wudang, Gongdong, Qingcheng, Shaolin, as well as the Zhuge and Danggga, and if you moved up or down a little, there were many more like the Jinju Yan Family, Haebuk Peng Family, Namgung Family, and so on.

Geou’s question was about places with business.

He was trying to figure out Cheongun’s purpose based on places where he could infer it, and conversely, Cheongun asked back to determine whether the scope included great sects and families, or if other places were included as well.

“Is that so.”

“Right, you have no intention of telling me?”

“If there’s business, wouldn’t we go? Anywhere.”

“Really? So that’s how it is…”

Would Geou really have no purpose at all?

Geou was also a branch leader of Gaebang, and it was certain that Gaebang was his top priority.

That’s why he remained by Cheongun’s side like this.

Look.

Already, significant figures were positioning themselves around Cheongun.

Sinui and his Master.

The Patriarch of the Tang Clan.

And even Gomujin.

However, Geou knew well who among them should be watched most carefully.

It was Cheongun.

Without Cheongun, could these people have gathered in one place?

Even if they had gathered, they couldn’t have harbored the same intentions like this.

The intention they harbored was one.

Following Cheongun’s will.

This was possible because Cheongun had left such debts with everyone.

Was it because he inherited a merchant’s bloodline?

Cheongun had the instinctive eye to see through what others wanted.

This was originally important in all aspects.

For this journey, Cheongun had set aside his black iron sword and brought out a sword with a new name called Baekya Sword (White Night Sword).

True to its name, it was a sword that emitted a gentle and noble white light even at night.

A sword suited for the Righteous Sect Martial Arts Alliance, perhaps?

In areas that could be considered Cheongeumjang’s territory, nothing particularly special happened.

However, as they entered the area between Gansu and Shaanxi, he could feel the atmosphere had changed quite noticeably.

If it had been at an ordinary level, Cheongun would have just passed by, but this was not ordinary.

Had such a thing happened in the past?

No, there had been no such thing.

Originally, it wasn’t a place with particularly good relations, but this wasn’t something that came from that kind of atmosphere.

Something else.

Unless there was something else.

“The person most needed at times like this has gone somewhere.”

Geou had stepped away, saying he had something to look into.

He had probably sensed the current strange things and gone ahead first, but Cheongun didn’t pick up much speed.

It was scenery he was seeing after a long time.

It felt somewhat different too.

In terms of distance alone, the Demonic Sect was farther, but considering what he had passed through, it felt several times longer.

Countless villages.

Should it be called a brighter atmosphere than the Demonic Sect?

“This is the best place to gather information.”

Wherever you go, all information comes from inns.

Inns are the source of rumors, and inns are also places where you can unexpectedly hear tremendous information.

Finding a branch of Gaebang was also a method, but Cheongun didn’t particularly prefer the act of searching for them.

The act itself carried meaning.

Also, previously, he could count on his fingers the times he had gone to inns.

‘The crowd is indeed tremendous.’

Cheongun, wearing his hat pulled low, blended into the crowd.

The inn he arrived at like that.

All he did was sit in a reasonably empty seat and order something appropriate.

Aside from wearing his hat pulled low, he looked and acted like anyone you’d see anywhere.

“Did you hear? They say another incident happened this time…”

“What do you mean? Another incident occurred?”

As expected, not long after, interesting content appeared as a topic of conversation.

“Why, wasn’t there an incident recently where a Daoist from Gongdong Sect lost his life?”

“There was. They said his condition was truly miserable…”

He hesitated for a moment, then began looking around at his surroundings.

“…Keep this to yourself. There’s a rumor that it was actually Jongnam Sect’s doing.”

“…Wh, what? Jongnam…?”

No matter how different Gongdong Sect’s tendencies were, weren’t they of the same Daoist lineage?

But to say Jongnam Sect had killed a Daoist from Gongdong Sect.

It was an unbelievable story, but sometimes such unbelievable stories were the truth.

“Huh… how could this…”

“Didn’t I say there was one more thing?”

“Ah, right. You did. What is it?”

“This time, they say a Daoist of Jongnam died.”

“…Then could it be…”

Zhongnan and Gongtong.

Are these two places killing each other?

Thud.

At that moment, a sword sheath fell onto the table where the conversing people sat.

“Eek!”

“Wh-what!”

Being a place in the middle, it was frequently visited by people from both Zhongnan and Gongtong.

Someone who clearly appeared to be a Daoist of Zhongnan was making no effort to hide his displeasure.

“Is that truly so.”

“D-Daoist Master. That’s not…”

“Y-you misunderstand. We were just…”

Silence fell.

No words followed after that.

“Why do you stop speaking when you were talking? I am waiting here.”

“W-we have committed a mortal sin.”

“Daoist Master, we were just…”

Then, another voice was heard from one side.

“Hah, these are ones unworthy of Zhongnan’s name. How can they intimidate innocent common folk?”

Daoists of Gongtong had also appeared at this place.

Unfortunately, they seemed not to have heard what these people had said initially.

Cheongun waited for his ordered food to arrive, finding this quite an interesting situation.

Should he call it good luck?

Cheongun was seated right next to them, at the center of this commotion.

The bustling inn soon became quiet.

While the upper floor would have many other martial artists, the first floor was usually visited by merchants or ordinary common folk.

“…Are the Daoists of Gongtong protecting innocent common folk? Or are they protecting what these people spoke of?”

“If innocent people spoke of it, wouldn’t there be good reason for it all?”

“Then, are you also protecting the words that ‘a Daoist of Zhongnan was killed by the Gonggong Sect’ just now?”

Though he appeared young, the Daoist showed not an inch of retreat.

“What nonsense is this!”

“Do you think it’s nonsense?”

Though he had flared up because of the content, wouldn’t this mean he had to directly deny his own words?

“…Shouldn’t a Daoist determine the truth of such matters?”

“Then the hasty words spoken before that would be insults to Zhongnan. Wouldn’t the same apply to Gongtong?”

“…It seems the young Daoist of Zhongnan is not intimidating innocent people after all. Let us go.”

Perhaps because there were more watching eyes, the Daoist of Gongtong soon turned and left the inn.

Though he had been cornered by the young Daoist, he seemed to quickly realize that staying longer would bring unavoidable great shame.

‘It ended rather anticlimactically.’

Though he hadn’t wished for bloodshed with ordinary people present, he still hadn’t expected one side to retreat like this.

“…I ask that you all be careful with your words and actions. Your single word can spread as rumors and greatly affect both sects.”

“Y-yes! Daoist Master.”

“We will keep it in mind.”

The young Daoist, quickly erasing his displeased expression, soon took a seat at one end.

Before long, the quiet inn began to bustle again.

Then, a female Daoist appeared in the inn and headed toward the young Daoist from before.

“Priest. I heard you had an incident with a Daoist of Gongtong.”

“No, Sister. It was just a brief commotion.”

“Sigh…he must have spouted sophistry again before leaving.”

“Don’t they have their own intentions too?”

“Priest, you’re too mature.”

“That’s because Sister is…”

Quite an interesting combination.

If the situation was interesting before, now should he say those people are interesting?

“Let’s go up to the upper floor. This isn’t something to discuss here.”

“Yes. Understood.”

As soon as he heard those words, Cheongun rose from his seat and headed to the upper floor first.

It’s easily resolved by slipping the innkeeper a few silver coins.

Since the food hadn’t come out yet anyway, moving seats wasn’t difficult.

Coming up to the upper floor, the atmosphere was quite different.

There were people dining alone like Cheongun, and most had the bearing of martial artists.

Gazes briefly gathered on Cheongun before dispersing.

He had only covered his face, and nothing particularly special could be felt from him.

As he found an appropriate seat and sat down, the Daoists of Zhongnan also came up.

Though they took seats somewhat distant from Cheongun, the distance wasn’t really meaningful anyway.

If Cheongun wanted to listen, he could hear them.

“We’ll have this and…”

The Daoists’ orders were also finished.

“Right. Let’s each share what we’ve learned.”

“Yes. I…”

“Wait.”

The female Daoist looked around and then deployed a qi barrier to block sound.

It was quite an elaborate qi barrier, difficult even to notice its existence.

Cheongun had already fully grasped the flow of internal energy running through such a barrier.

The flows of those called Daoists all seemed similar somehow.

Was it because they had roots in the Daoist tradition?

“Did you find out anything? I’d like to hear yours first, Priest.”

“Yes, Sister. Yesterday…”

The conversation that soon began.

And the content was stimulating Cheongun’s interest more than expected.

Though the road ahead was long, he knew all too well that hurrying wouldn’t gain him anything more.

So he was moderating his pace appropriately, and just in time, a story began that would provide that entertainment.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————