The Owner Of The Thousand Gold Coins Is A Military Official - Chapter 98

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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 98

“Are you finished with your conversation?”

Geomma, who had briefly disappeared, was waiting for Cheongun in front of the branch.

“Yes. Where have you been?”

“Well, I went around doing some legwork for our disciple.”

Behind Geomma, Geou had a thoroughly crumpled expression on his face.

“To meet again in this lifetime…”

“It seems you two know each other.”

“Originally, when you reach this age, you tend to have met everyone at least once.”

“…Yes, well. That’s right. Sister.”

This was another unexpected scene.

“Was she younger than you?”

“…Yes, you brat. Just take this and go.”

As soon as he received that something, Geou immediately tried to leave.

“We should go together.”

“Sigh… I understand.”

In the end, he ended up going with Geomma.

Even in this vast Gangho, connections seem to be truly precious.

By the way, what did she give him?

When he briefly checked the contents, it was the locations of reclusive masters that Cheongun didn’t know about.

Naturally, he couldn’t know what they desired, but this alone was a great harvest for Cheongun.

Information more precious than any other information in the world.

This journey was flowing faster than expected, but that didn’t mean he would return quickly.

It just meant his next plans would be moved up a bit.

Cheongun, who had returned to the inn, sat in a spot with good sunlight and fell into thought.

“Reclusive masters from Shaolin and the Murim Alliance…”

Just hearing that content, one could easily imagine how remarkable these people were.

Shaolin, which boasts over a thousand years of history, and the Murim Alliance, which has the alliance leader called the undisputed number one under heaven.

There were other places as well, but the two places similar in direction to where Cheongun was going were these two.

Shaolin wasn’t too far from Mount Hua, and the Murim Alliance wasn’t as far as one might think either.

Originally, the only place that felt somewhat far to Cheongun was actually just the Demonic Sect.

“Even if not all of them, if just one place is possible…”

Gaining one person didn’t naturally mean gaining Shaolin and the Murim Alliance as well.

However, creating a connection was something that absolutely couldn’t be ignored.

“It would be better to go to Shaolin first.”

But doing so would make the merchant group he had prepared somewhat troublesome.

“It won’t be difficult.”

Cheongun immediately called for someone.

Then, the innkeeper who had been guiding him from the beginning appeared as if he had been waiting.

“It seems you’re exclusively in charge of me.”

“Yes, Patriarch.”

“Did the innkeeper assign you?”

“I volunteered to do it.”

“There are many who volunteer. Deliver this to the Branch Manager.”

Cheongun handed over a letter along with silver.

“Thank you, Patriarch!”

As the innkeeper left, Cheongun thought about Shaolin again.

Those who stood at the very forefront during the Jeongma Great War.

It was also a moment that proved once again that the lineage they had maintained for over a thousand years was absolutely not by chance.

Therefore, Cheongun also held some reverence for Shaolin.

Perhaps those who could possess the most.

It was quite impressive that such people tried to protect even when they possessed nothing.

It was also a place he simply wanted to visit, not necessarily with some purpose in mind.

He decided to go to Shaolin.

However, this time it was purely to express that respect.

Anyway, on the way back sometime.

Or it was located in a place he could easily visit while doing something else.

“I should tell them to pack more goods.”

He had owed his life to Shaolin monks several times.

What did he give those monks back then?

As he recalled that memory, a chuckle escaped him.

“Probably dried jerky that was even more withered.”

It was the most precious thing Cheongun had at that time.

So he offered that, but even now thinking about it, he wonders if he was half out of his mind back then.

In addition to that debt from back then.

And for maintaining the honor of being the vanguard, which was both glorious and painful.

Now that he had much, he intended to repay that debt accordingly.

“The merchant route is decided.”

Next was what could be called the most important matter among recent events.

Precisely, Geomma’s sword technique.

That sword technique he had never heard of through two lifetimes.

Since Cheongun could grasp the essence by observing the flow of internal energy, that sword technique that didn’t even utilize internal energy was literally something unknown.

Until now, there had been things he partially didn’t know, but it was the first time he didn’t know the entirety from beginning to end.

The sense of powerlessness from ignorance that came to such a Cheongun was surprisingly bringing him quite immense interest.

How long had it been since this sense of powerlessness?

That sword technique, whose essence he couldn’t even grasp, had actually only resulted in cutting his arm, but it felt like his neck would be severed.

Wasn’t that the exclusive domain of the weak?

Those who get scared in advance and judge their lives to be in danger even from attacks that might only cut their fingertips.

The laughter wouldn’t stop.

Because tangible things had appeared that could whip his complacent and lazy self that he had unknowingly become.

“If it was called Jeongmyeol… what would be next?”

He couldn’t help but anticipate.

It would have been good if he could have seen up to the next one.

Martial arts are originally learning.

Therefore, that endless exploration is necessary.

The reason he wanted to see what came after Jeongmyeol was to see if there would be any differences.

It meant Cheongun could continue it anew.

“I should ask when I meet him again later.”

* * *

“Wun, is that all?”

“Yes. That is everything. He stopped by Jongnam, then visited Mount Hua.”

“Mount Hua…”

A painting was held in the man’s hand.

“He’s said to be moving again next, but we haven’t found out the destination yet.”

“What’s the level of his martial arts?”

“I didn’t see directly, but…”

The man, who seemed restless somewhere, continued speaking with his head bowed.

“They said at minimum Hwagyeong level.”

“…What?”

That doesn’t make sense.

Was Hwagyeong a realm that could be reached simply by setting one’s mind to it?

No matter how much Gangho was a place where things beyond common sense frequently occurred, this was something completely incomprehensible.

“So… what you’re saying is that someone not even twenty years old is at Hwagyeong?”

“…At minimum… yes.”

“What kind of insane bastard would spout such nonsense?”

He wanted to see that face at least once.

“It was spoken directly by the Doma himself…”

“The Twilight… Doma?”

Someone who had reached that level couldn’t have been mistaken.

Moreover, the word ‘minimum’ was attached before it.

“However, he said there was something strange about it.”

“What was it?”

“If judging by the amount of internal energy alone, it would be correct to see it as at least the Hwagyeong realm, but he said there were many puzzling aspects in other areas.”

Should he be considered Hwagyeong or not?

The confusion was only growing deeper.

“He said that his internal energy alone was so deep and vast it seemed endless.”

“If he was going to relay such words, it would have been better for him to come directly…”

“…I apologize. There was tragic news…”

Since his cherished disciple and adopted son had died like that, even without saying it, he must be suffering mentally.

“Hah… it seems a major commission has come to this Salmaek after a long time.”

The one holding a drawing of Cheongun’s face was an assassin of Salmaek.

“We have prepared ample compensation.”

“That’s as it should be. You said he was at the Hwagyeong realm yourself.”

Assassinating a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle was no easy task.

It required either multiple vice-leaders of each division working together, or a leader-class martial artist to step forward.

But Hwagyeong?

This required multiple leader-class individuals.

Even then, it was something that couldn’t be guaranteed.

‘Rather, his youth should be considered an advantage.’

Inexperienced.

Martial prowess beyond common sense achieved at such a young age.

Talent so great that he wouldn’t even listen to ordinary flattery.

Beyond being an assassin, as a martial artist, he momentarily felt curious about where that end might be, but that was all.

It could be somewhere unimaginably far, or like many masters, he might fall into qi deviation due to excessive greed.

“This doesn’t seem like something for me to decide. Please wait a moment.”

“Yes. I understand.”

Soon left alone, the man looked around anxiously with restless eyes.

Salmaek was among the most renowned of assassin groups.

Just being in such a place made it impossible to feel at ease.

Fortunately, he reappeared not long after.

“We’ll take the advance payment.”

“Yes.”

“Five thousand gold pieces.”

“…Excuse me?”

Not silver pieces, but five thousand gold pieces.

And that was just the advance payment.

“Didn’t you say he was a Hwagyeong master? Then he’s easily worth ten thousand.”

In fact, he thought even this was low.

For assassins, mission failure meant death.

Multiple leader-class individuals.

If almost all of them stepped forward and still failed, Salmaek could disappear entirely.

Since assassin groups weren’t the only ones, every moment was competition.

“Ah, I understand.”

In the end, the man had no choice but to take out a promissory note and hand it over.

“Here it is.”

“Mm. Cheonjingjang’s promissory notes are trustworthy. Good. Your commission has been accepted.”

“Yes, thank you.”

The man quickly left the scene.

The assassin who received the commission memorized Cheongun’s drawing for a while.

Then he headed back to where the Daeju was.

“Daeju.”

“…Yes. Hwagyeong, you said.”

“Yes. That’s correct.”

The assassination of a martial artist who had reached Hwagyeong.

Successfully accomplishing this was something that could be counted on one hand throughout all of Gangho’s history.

“Have you set the timing?”

“There were no specific instructions. They said it wasn’t urgent, so it seems we have leeway.”

“With this, we will rise to the top again. Prepare thoroughly, so gather everyone immediately.”

“Yes. Daeju. I understand.”

A task that must succeed.

That’s what he would think, but it wasn’t necessarily so.

Due to Salmaek’s recent decline in scale, the Daeju regarded this commission as his last opportunity.

Not long after, the leaders arrived.

“Did you call for us, Daeju?”

“Everyone, prepare for a commission.”

“Everyone… you mean?”

Everyone here preparing for a single commission?

Were they trying to assassinate someone at the elder level of a major sect or clan?

“This commission is…”

Soon Cheongun’s drawing was revealed to everyone.

Everyone showed puzzled expressions.

“Perhaps… is he a prince?”

“No.”

“Then maybe the child of a patriarch or head of family.”

“That’s also not the case. We don’t yet know who or where he’s from.”

“But how could you require all of us…”

Everyone’s puzzlement began to grow.

It was inevitable.

The leaders present here were all individuals whose basic level was pinnacle martial prowess.

Some were about to become skilled, others had reached mastery or even the ultimate realm.

All possessed pinnacle martial prowess.

Moreover, they were people who had lived for assassination alone.

How many of even the same pinnacle level had lost their lives to these individuals?

Knowing this fact themselves, they showed puzzlement.

And then, a single word from the Daeju’s mouth as he looked around at them ended everyone’s puzzlement.

“He appears to be at Hwagyeong.”

“Hwa, Hwagyeong…!”

“Hah…”

It became the most definitive explanation of all.

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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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