novelraw Chapter 10 : Chapter 10
Chapter 10 : Chapter 10
Chapter 10 - Would You Like to Work?
A place where ninety percent of where one steps is mountainous and hilly terrain.
Yunnan is a region widely known to people as a barren land.
However.
Even an ugly man has one redeeming feature.
To describe their home, the people of Yiliang County repurposed the old proverb that "even an ugly man has one redeeming feature," wryly calling their prosperous town "Yunnan's one redeeming feature."
This was because it was a village with a fertile plain that was rarely seen in the barren Yunnan.
Large inns(Guest Stations) and gisaeng houses(Entertainment houses) that could not be seen elsewhere in Yunnan could be frequently witnessed in Yiliang County.
“How dare this young brat tease an adult!”
In the bustling streets of Yiliang County where shops were lined up.
A loud roar echoed, so loud that passersby were startled and flinched their shoulders.
‘What? What’s going on?’
‘Judging by his martial arts uniform, he seems to be an escort guard…….’
A burly man with unusually developed trapezius muscles glared at a young boy.
The opponent was a handsome young boy who still had a youthful air, too young to be called a young man.
“Ha…… I'm going crazy. How long do I have to do this.”
At the escort guard's roar, the onlookers sent worried glances, but the boy himself just frowned and let out a sigh.
At his behavior, as if he didn't care about him at all, the escort guard's face contorted even more menacingly.
“Why are you so angry? It's really awkward for me to ask such a question too.”
“How dare this brat?”
The sight of the handsome boy with shining eyes was quite picturesque, but to the escort guard, it felt like a clear provocation.
Unable to bear it, the escort guard reached out his hand as if to grab the boy's collar.
It was a situation where the boy's body seemed about to be lifted up, making him choke.
Hwik.
“?!”
But then.
A strange thing happened.
The place the escort guard's hand was heading was not the boy's collar but empty air, and he had to take quick steps to correct his awkward posture.
“What is he doing?”
“Why is he grabbing at the wrong place?”
The passersby tilted their heads, and the escort guard who had corrected his posture had a chagrined face.
‘What?’
He had clearly tried to grab the arrogant boy's collar.
But just as his fingertips were about to touch, the boy's body momentarily swayed.
A strange movement that only the escort guard, the person involved, could feel.
Even he who had reached out his hand was dumbfounded, so it was no wonder the passersby were puzzled.
‘Did I grab at nothing? That can’t be……!’
The boy waved a hand at the flustered escort guard.
“Hey. Let's talk it out. Before we see something ugly. If you don't want to tell me, you can just go on your way.”
“!”
At his attitude, as if dealing with a common street ruffian, the escort guard's face turned as red as a Tanghulu.
Escort Guard Unmu.
He was one of the escort guards in this Yiliang County who threw his weight around a bit.
The fact that he was in charge of guarding a noble at the Quintessence Escort Agency proved this.
Most ruffians avoided even making eye contact with him, lest they get into a fight.
But the boy in front of him, far from being afraid of Unmu, was openly showing his annoyance.
Above all.
You were the one who asked me first……!!
“Today, I will thoroughly fix your arrogant attitude.”
It was when the escort guard rolled up both sleeves as if he had made up his mind.
“Stop it.”
A soft woman's voice was heard from behind the escort guard.
It was a clear warning, but the voice was so sweet it felt like walking on clouds.
“?”
The boy might not know, but the escort guard knew very well who the owner of that voice was.
It was the owner of Loyal Heart Pavilion, who had been assigned protection from the Quintessence Escort Agency, none other than Lady Mihwa.
“Madam.”
“I told you to buy some sweets while I was at the drapery store, but you were here doing this?”
“I apologize. Madam.”
The one who had stopped the escort guard was a beautiful woman who looked to be in her thirties.
The pink petals painted on her white silk clothes matched her magnificently, and the seductive eyes that peeked from under her red jeonmo made men's breath catch in their throats.
“What's going on that a special-class escort guard of the great Quintessence Escort Agency is intimidating a child? There must be a good reason, right?”
Her tone was gentle and soft, but it clearly contained reproach and ridicule.
Although this Yiliang County was quite a large village, Yunnan was still Yunnan.
There was no escort agency that deserved the character 'great'.
Unmu was also just someone who threw his weight around among the nearby escort guards, and it was embarrassing to call him special-class.
The escort guard, who had read her intention, had no choice but to confess the circumstances.
“That brat said he was on his way to the Answering Eye Bookstore for an appointment.”
“And?”
“He asked me where the Answering Eye Bookstore is.”
“……?”
The face of Lady Mihwa, who had been smiling brightly, changed strangely.
“That's not all. When I told him the way, he then asked which direction Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is. He said he had to meet someone who lives there.”
“Someone who lives on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.”
Lady Mihwa gave a meaningful look as if she finally understood.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain was a rugged mountain that even the martial artists of Jianghu found difficult to climb.
Not to mention the terrain, as its name, Snow Mountain, implies, it was covered in snow all year round, so it was not a place for children to climb.
Most importantly, the most crucial point was that there was no crazy person in this world who resided on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
‘The previous question, too…… it’s not unreasonable for Unmu to think he’s teasing him.’
Lady Mihwa slightly erased the smile on her lips and ordered Unmu.
“I understand the situation. However, considering the guest who is at Loyal Heart Pavilion, it won't be too late to sort out the rights and wrongs later.”
At the word ‘guest’, the escort guard's eyes flashed.
Currently at Loyal Heart Pavilion, an official from the government office that rules this Yiliang County and his children were enjoying the performance of the gisaengs(female entertainers).
“I apologize. Madam. I will hurry.”
Unmu apologized and then quickened his pace without even looking at the boy.
If he were to displease Lady Mihwa, the only order he would receive in the future would be to pack his bags.
As Unmu left, Lady Mihwa's gaze naturally turned towards the boy.
And soon, a beautiful exclamation escaped her lips.
“Oh my……!”
“?”
In front of her was a handsome man for whom it was difficult to find a comparison, not just in Yiliang County, but in all of Yunnan.
‘There’s something more tempting than sweets right here?’
Lady Mihwa swallowed her inner thoughts and approached the boy.
“Nice to meet you, young hero. I am Lady Mihwa.”
“Hello.”
‘Oho……?’
Usually, boys of this age are shy or embarrassed around gisaengs, but the boy returned the greeting without hesitation.
Curiosity began to stir in the heart of Lady Mihwa as she looked at the boy.
“I heard the story from Escort Guard Unmu. You said you have business on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.”
“Yes. I just asked him to tell me the direction, but I don't know why he's so angry.”
“Hoho. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is too dangerous a place for a young hero like you to go. Even strong men often freeze to death or fall to their deaths.”
Lady Mihwa subtly tried to scare him, but the boy himself didn't seem to think much of it.
“It's okay. I've been there a few times.”
“…………?”
Lady Mihwa erased her smile and stared intently at the boy.
Until she became the owner of the gisaeng house, she had dealt with countless men.
Later on, she could make a so-called ‘assessment’ just by exchanging a few words.
How much guts this man has, whether he is a person to whom she can entrust a job.
Things like that.
But…….
‘He doesn't seem to be bluffing…… or lying.’
In Lady Mihwa's assessment, there was no distinction between men and women, old and young.
Moreover, children who couldn't hide their expressions were easy to assess.
But, the more she looked at this child, the more she felt like she was falling into a labyrinth.
Lady Mihwa, who had been looking at the boy for a long time, suddenly gave a smiling-eyed smile.
“Young hero.”
“Yes?”
“Would you perhaps like to work at Loyal Heart Pavilion?”
At those words, the escort guard who was protecting her at her side twitched his eyebrow.
He thought it was too much of a joke to make to a child.
But Lady Mihwa's words contained about half-truth.
“If we dress you up well, it seems that ladies will come looking for you not only from Yunnan, but from as far away as Hebei or Shandong Province.”
Even a man with a considerably thick heart would not be able to find his composure at her lilting words.
However, the boy just looked at Lady Mihwa and smiled brightly.
“I'll think about that after I come back from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.”
“Hoho. Shall we?”
Lady Mihwa burst into a clear laugh and turned her body.
She had turned her shoulder to point the way, but the movement was so elegant it was like watching a dance.
“You'll see Jade Dragon Snow Mountain if you go west at the end of that road.”
“Thank you.”
As if her kindness was of no consequence, the boy was about to turn his body as if his business was over.
“But, I haven't heard the young hero's name yet.”
“My name is Biyoung.”
“Biyoung. That's a good name. Since the young hero Biyoung had two questions, I'd like to ask just one more.”
What more is there to ask me?
The boy nodded his head with that thought.
And at the question that followed, he had to harden his face a little.
“Where did you learn the martial arts you just showed me?”
***
“Hap! Hap!”
A clear shout of spirit filled the clearing firmly.
A boy with a particularly small physique and round eyes that were impressive was constantly throwing punches, dripping with sweat.
And Biyoung was lost in thought as he watched the scene.
‘How did she know I used martial arts?’
A beautiful middle-aged woman with a splendid gache on her head was smiling strangely in Biyoung's mind.
Biyoung had used martial arts only once.
It was when the escort guard tried to grab his collar, and he slightly moved his body with the technique of ‘Flying Eagle Steps’.
‘There's no way she recognized Flying Eagle Steps…….’
If he had displayed his martial arts in full force, it would have been something to dismiss.
But Lady Mihwa had discerned that the Flying Eagle Steps displayed in a fleeting moment was of the martial world.
The owner of a gisaeng house had recognized something that even the escort guard who had reached out his hand had not.
‘Well, whatever. It's not like we'll meet again.’
The words that he would think about Lady Mihwa's proposal when he returned from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
That was, of course, a lie.
A gisaeng house was a place he had never once frequented even in his previous life.
There was no way the suggestion of working there would enter his ears.
Biyoung, who had been squatting, soon stood up and corrected Sedong's posture.
“When you've fully extended your punch, your elbow shouldn't be bent too much. You can't properly transfer your strength.”
“Ah. I see.”
Sedong nodded his head and repeated the same movement once more.
‘He’s clever.’
A faint smile appeared on Biyoung's lips.
Sedong, who had admired the martial world, had asked Biyoung to teach him martial arts.
Since he had received help at Hoyul Martial Arts Hall, Biyoung had been thinking of teaching him a little of the basics of fist and foot techniques and then stopping.
But then.
This pipsqueak of a kid, who didn't seem to suit martial arts at all, seemed to have more talent than he thought.
That talent was more intellectual than physical.
Even if he lacked strength, the way he easily mastered the knack when taught showed that he had no ordinary mind.
‘This kind of physique is suitable for the Diancang Sect, though.’
Biyoung unconsciously compared Sedong to the disciples who had entered the Diancang Sect in the past.
In the Diancang Sect, which valued fast and strong quick sword, a large and powerful physique was not much of a boast.
Rather, it was small and nimble swordsmen like this who often showed prominence.
‘………What am I doing now?’
Biyoung had various thoughts while looking at Sedong, and then he smiled bitterly.
Sedong was the young master of the Lee family who would never enter a sect.
Even if the Diancang Sect were to be revived, the possibility of him walking the path of a martial artist had to be considered nonexistent.
“Alright. If you just repeat what I've taught you now and master it, you won't get beaten up wherever you go.”
“Thank you, Biyoung-ah. You seem to teach better than the headmaster of Hoyul Martial Arts Hall.”
“It's troublesome to be compared to such garbage.”
“Uh, huh?”
“Nothing. Nothing at all. Anyway, I think this is enough, so I'm going.”
“You're leaving already?”
Sedong's already large eyes widened.
He seemed quite disappointed, but there was nothing more to talk about.
Until a special word came out of Sedong's mouth.
“Just listen to this story and go.”
“What story?”
Sedong looked around for a moment, then continued in a small voice.
“It's about the master of Diancang Mountain.”
“!”