Chapter 49

The next day, Seomunjaehak, Gu Yangsu, and Chu Younghak took a boat returning to their families.

Thinking about the effort they put in coming together so far, Yeon Ha-rin watched them as they left.

And beside Yeon ha-rin, Byeoktaesan was standing. With a very meaningful expression.

The three stood on the deck and looked towards Yeon ha rin. Their expressions were intertwined with regret, sorrow, and fear.

Their gaze suddenly turned to Byeoktaesan.

At that moment, Byeok Tae-san pointed at his eyes with two fingers, then turned his finger to point at them.

It was a hand signal that meant he was always watching.

The three people saw that and trembled all over. Even just glancing over them, it was obvious they were tightly tightening their buttocks.

It was a reflexive action that came out of being done in, twice.

“Too bad for them.”

Byeoktaesan smiled at the words of Yeon Ha-rin.

She could say that because she didn’t know what they were going to do to her.

Probably if she knew it, Yeon Ha-rin would have come out and struck a rage.

“They probably won’t be able to do anything about the rumors that would spread, right?”

Byeoktaesan nodded.

“Of course.”

Even if he didn’t say anything, Chun Chu Shin Ui will spread the rumors on his own.

It was one of his hobbies.

“We should get going.”

At Byeoktaesan’s words, Yeon Ha-rin looked at Byeoktaesan with a happy expression.

It was like hell on her way here, but she couldn’t hide her expectation that the rest of the road would be paradise.

They climbed onto a fairly large ship at the dock.

It was a ship prepared by Chun Chu Shin Ui and Cheon Gyeong-wan by diligently looking around.

It was a borrowed boat, but it cost enough money to be able to buy a small boat.

The outside was simple but the inside was a gorgeous ship.

It was also very fast compared to its size. It was natural that movement and balance were stable as well.

In a word, it was a ship that was worth the cost.

Byeoktaesan and Seomun-deok, who now have to return to Homu-ryeon, boarded the boat together.

Seomun-deok asked for a request in advance, and Byeoktaesan accepted it.

Soon the ship left.

* * *

There wasn’t a particularly big incident until they arrived at Uichang, where Homu-ryeon was located.

The ship was so fast that they reached their destination in two days.

What kind of incidents would even occur in that short of a time? Unless they met pirates or something there wouldn’t be any trouble.

However, there weren’t a lot of pirates who dared to attack the ship with Homu ryeon’s flag.

The people on the Homu-ryeon side, including Seomun-deok, did not come out from the cabin throughout the journey.

While renting the ship, they also hired sailors and workers, who were responsible for all the chores.

Driving the boat, preparing meals, cleaning, and even small errands.

So, everyone was able to get along with both body and mind.

But not everyone did that.

There was only one person, who was very uncomfortable, it was Soso.

The day Byeoktaesan told her to visit him at night, Soso couldn’t go.

That day, Soso stayed up all night in Yeon ha rin’s room.

Yeon Ha-rin asked her all kinds of questions about all the things she was curious about.

Soso was the person who had served Byeoktaesan the longest, so it could be said that she knew about Byeoktaesan the most.

However, Soso couldn’t confidently say that she knew Byeoktaesan well these days.

Anyway, from the day after she talked to Yeon Ha-rin to the limit she knew, for some reason, she couldn’t look straight at Byeoktaesan.

However, as they got on the boat together, she continued to run into Byeoktaesan.

Now was one of those moments.

On the way to ask for food,  she ran into Byeoktaesan on the deck.

Soso tried her hardest to avoid his gaze.

Byeoktaesan, who saw that, clicked his tongue.

“Are you conscious of something?”

“Oh, i-it’s not like that?”

Even though she said so, her gaze was still pointing to the side.

“Well, if it’s not like that, why stutter?”

Soso’s cheeks slightly swelled at the words of Byeoktaesan. She was struggling because of a certain someone right now, so how can he do this?

Byeoktaesan was amazed at himself.

He was not originally this kind of person.

He wasn’t a person who played with words like this and made fun of people. It would be unthinkable if he was the same before.

But now it was so natural and fun.

Whether this was because of wearing the body of Byeoktaesan, or whether his spirit was purified and a new personality was revealed.

“Why? Even though you didn’t come that day, you must be upset I didn’t call for you again, right?”

Soso jumped in amazement.

“W-what, what are you talking about! That is not the case!”

Byeoktaesan smiled and passed by Soso.

“It’s difficult on the ship, so come to me on the day we arrive, at night.”

Soso stared blankly at the back of Byeoktaesan, who had passed by leaving the words behind.

Soso, who soon became sad, rustled her head.

“What am I supposed to do?”

It seemed to be inevitable this time.

* * *

“Hoh. This is Homuryeon.”

Byeoktaesan was slightly admired as he looked around the view of Homu-ryeon.

Honestly, he slightly belittles them because they were called the Hubei Martial Arts Alliance.

What the Cheonma Shinkyo dealt with were huge organizations such as the Moorim League or the Black Lotus.

Their array of networks dominated the world.

It can be said that they competed with them for the world.

So, to him, he cared less about the small fries that messed around in a tiny area like Hubei.

However, when he arrived in Homu-ryeon, the scale was much larger than he had imagined.

“If they like this, they would be equivalent to about half of the Moorim League.”

Chun Chu Shin-ui, who was next to the muttering Byeoktaesan, said.

“I mean isn’t it because it’s Homuryeon? Sure the title is Hubei Martial Arts Alliance, but in fact, they also reach out to the vicinity, Honam, Gangseo, and Anhui, so it is equal to about half of the Moorim League in scale.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes. At the same time, it can be said that it is a small Moorim League because they are actively interacting with the Moorim League.”

“I heard that they were decent a few times, but I didn’t know their scale was this much.”

Byeoktaesan’s words were sincere.

When he was Cheonma, there was no reason to be interested in things like Homu-ryeon.

Even so, considering the number of reports that had been given to him before, it was certainly not an ordinary organization.

He briefly recalled the report he had received at that time.

As expected, the memory was engraved in his mind very clearly.

“So, you can think of it as an alliance created by warriors who have it difficult to exert direct influence on the Moorim League.”

This was exactly the content of the report that just came to his mind. Of course, there were more details, but the gist was exactly what Chun Chu Shin Ui said.

Byeoktaesan looked at him with a fresh eye.

“Why do you see me with such a burdensome gaze?”

Chun Chu Shin Ui’s expression was trembling.

“Surely… Are you going to call me again tonight? How about using that acupuncture old man over there for tonight?”

“Sigh. I want to sew it up.”

In the distance, Il Chim Gui muttered with clenched fists.

“Oh, my lord. Please save me. I can’t live because of that old man who often threatens me. Please…Please call him for like 5 nights in a row.”

“Hey!”

Il Chim Gui screamed at Chun Chu Shin Ui. He finally thought he was free from that hellhole, but when he saw that he was trying to push him back into the pit of hell, his anger exploded.

“The two of you solve it between yourselves. I have no intention of calling either of you today.”

Both of their faces lit up.

Byeoktaesan, who saw that, asked.

“Did you try to look for a doctor?”

The two faces hardened in an instant.

“That… A clumsy doctor won’t do, right?”

Byeoktaesan smiled and walked toward the main gate of Homu-ryeon.

Chun Chu Shin Ui and Il Chim Gui swallowed their saliva as they watched Byeoktaesan heading towards the main gate.

“Look for some starting today.”

“You mean to tell me to do it alone?”

“All the doctors run away from me when they see me so.”

“Are you really saying that like it’s something to be proud of?”

“what do you mean proud of. I too am going crazy because I regret my past days. Shit, how do I not know of a single doctor.”

“Don’t do that, and let’s look around the nearby neighborhood for doctors. I’ll only find out the location, so we can divide it in half and look around.”

“So, are you saying to kidnap doctors?”

“How is it that every time you open your mouth you say such trash things? This is the territory of Homu-ryeon. Do you think they’ll sit still if you do that?”

“Then what?”

“We have enough money. Let’s hire them.”

“Hire?”

“They just need to visit once, so what could be so difficult?”

The eyes of Il Chim Gui became wider. He looked at Chun Chu Shin Ui in a new light.

“You, you’re not normal aren’t you?”

“I am kind of like that. Man, the life of this guy is really tiring. I can’t just sit still in a pocket somewhere going unnoticed.”

“Alright. Let’s start today. We’ll just go round and pick a usable doctor and call one by one.”

“Keep in mind that you can’t call a fool.”

“My ability to see whether it’s a good doctor or not is better than yours. Don’t worry about it.”

Chun Chu Shin Ui smiled.

“This… is looking like we should have a bet on who finds a better doctor?”

Il Chim Gui laughed as if he was petty.

“I’ve been a doctor for a long time already. Let’s do it, bet. However, you will have to share the location of the clinic. Because the only thing to return to the coward is punishment. Please don’t let me sew your mouth.”

“What are you going to bet?”

“What are you going to bet on?”

“Well, do you have anything you want?”

Il Chim Gui glared at the Chun Chu Shin Ui with intense eyes.

“Your identity.”

“I mean, don’t you already know that? I’m Chun Chu Shin Ui, just a Chun Chu Shin Ui. Chun Chu Shin Ui that is right above Il Chim Gui.”

The face of Il Chim Gui suddenly distorted.

Anyway, whenever he tried to get serious, he turns the inside of a person upside down in this way.

“Not that, but the real identity. The real identity you are hiding. As I see it, the lord already seems to know, and I’m going to be with you all my life anyway so you can tell me no?

Chun Chu Shin Ui’s smiled.

“Can you handle it?”

“That’s my concern. What are you going to do?”

“Alright. Bet. Then I would have asked for something of similar caliber… Oh, I can do that.”

“What?”

“Il Chim Gong.”

The face of Il Chim Gui was completely distorted.

“Are you crazy? You are practically asking for something that makes my existence?”

Il Chim Gong was all and the reason why Il Chim Gui could be called one.

It was both acupuncture and a killing style, and in itself, it was also a naegongsim method.

“I’m not asking for everything, I just need acupuncture tips. Is that difficult too?”

The face of Il Chim Gui turned red and green. But soon he nodded.

Chun Chu Shin Ui smiled and said.

“To be fair, there must be a judge too… … .”

“Let’s have the lord do it.”

“The lord?”

Chun Chu Shin Ui opened his eyes round and looked at Il Chim Gui. But soon he nodded.

He thought maybe the lord might be the fairest judge.

‘By the way, I’m really curious.’

The reason Byeoktaesan is searching for a doctor was probably no different from the reason he went to the brothel.

That means that he was correcting the vein by doing something through the doctor, but he couldn’t figure out what he was doing.

Even though he was done in as well.

However, he was afraid to have a look himself. If he did that, he couldn’t really figure out what he would do to him.

Anyway, the bet was established.

The two stared at each other with sparkling gazes.

The confrontation was immediately broken.

“What are you doing not coming?”

Byeoktaesan’s shouted from far away.

“Oh, I’m coming, my lord.”

Chun Chu Shin Ui hurriedly ran forth. And Il Chim Gui also hurriedly followed.

Byeoktaesan and the group finally arrived at Homu-ryeon.

* * *

“Wow, it’s really spacious here?”

As soon as she arrived at the lodging that Homu-ryeon had assigned them, Soso said eagerly.

She was strangely excited. Of course, there was a lot of tension under the excitement, but not many people noticed it.

Ho Mu-ryeon’s warrior who was watching her happily explained to the group.

“It is because Seomun household, Gu Yang household, and the Chu household did not come. And there is an important guest here as well.”

Although the accommodation was adjusted, they couldn’t be reassigned correctly because they suddenly fell out.

So, a large and good accommodation was assigned to Byeoktaesan and the group.

Of course, it was also because the party included Il Chim Gui.

Everyone went to the right room.

And Byeoktaesan said, passing by the side of the excited Soso.

“It’s tonight. Do not forget.”

Soso trembled.

And without even knowing, he looked towards Yeon Ha Rin.

Yeon Ha-rin was looking towards them with a very strange expression.

Soso cried.