Chapter 204
The Youngest Son of the Silver Sea Trading Company Chapter 204
Chapter 204. Yangyang Martial Arts Academy (3)
The journey to Zhejiang Province was relatively easy.
There was nowhere to stop along the way, and they weren't transporting any goods.
So they decided to take a boat along the Yangtze River.
There wasn't much snow, so we were able to reach the ferry landing without any trouble.
“The Yangtze River is really wide.”
“No wonder it's called the Yangtze River.”
The Yangtze River doesn't freeze even in winter.
This is because it flows through the relatively warm southern part of the Central Plains.
However, even the Yangtze River froze over in parts during this cold spell. That's how bitterly cold it was.
The river that had frozen upstream thawed, and heavy rains caused flooding in many areas in the middle and lower reaches.
As a result, we also suffered considerable damage.
Most of our branches, including the one in Hubei where our headquarters is located, were located along the Yangtze River.
This paralyzed logistics, and as we were busy dealing with the aftermath, my captain's announcement ceremony had to be postponed.
As I was smiling bitterly to myself, I heard Head Escort Ha say, “We will soon arrive at Huangshan.”
“That means we have to get off now.”
“Yes.”
Huangshan is the largest mountain in Anhui Province.
Anhui Province is home to the Namgung Clan, one of the most prestigious martial arts families.
It is the family of Namgung Kang, who killed me in my previous life, and Namgung Bo, who clashed with me during the competition to supply silk to the imperial court.
The Namgung Clan is the most active supporter of the Martial Alliance.
This is because the leader of the Martial Alliance is a member of the Namgung Clan.
The Yeom clan, the local powerhouse, is also an ardent supporter of the Martial Alliance.
Come to think of it... The reason why Yoo Yoo-geom, the husband of Padu-pa, fell into qi deviation was because of the Yeom clan's scheming.
I don't think they will treat the Yeom clan kindly if they meet them.
Actually, I had a reason to go to Anhui, but I deliberately avoided it.
Anhui Province is where I died.
To be precise, it was at the foot of Huangshan Mountain.
It was within the territory of the Namgung Clan, so it would be easy for them to fabricate evidence.
Honestly, who would want to go back to the place where they died?
But I couldn't keep avoiding it.
That's why I decided to solve my master's problem. To do that, I had to pass through here.
Once I said it, I had to keep my word.
But when I actually saw Huangshan, I felt like I couldn't breathe.
“Young master? Are you all right?”
I tried to smile at Pal-gap's worried expression.
“I'm fine.”
“You look pale.”
“I'm always pale. Isn't it just because it's winter?”
“...”
Pal-gap looked at me silently in response to my meaningless words.
It seemed like he was cursing me with his eyes.
Still, thanks to him, I felt a little less nervous.
Soon, the boat docked at the landing stage, and we got off and decided to rest at a nearby inn and leave early the next morning.
The inn we decided to stay at was a place I knew well.
“Welcome.”
A middle-aged woman with a dignified appearance greeted us.
“We'd like to stay for one night.”
“Yes. You're lucky, we have plenty of rooms available. Please choose whichever you like.”
“Then...”
We took our time and chose one room each, and I decided to stay in the same room as Pal-gap.
“It's very clean.”
“Yes, it is.”
The rooms weren't very big or fancy, but they were spotless.
This inn prided itself on its cleanliness and affordability.
That's why it was always crowded, but today we were lucky to find a room.
Actually, we were prepared to take one room for each of us.
This was a place that Changin Escort Agency always stopped at when they came to Anhui Province, so I had stayed here many times.
I used to wonder why they chose this place when there were other better places, but there was a reason.
Unlike other good inns, this place is free from the interference of martial arts groups.
The woman who welcomed us is the owner of this inn and the wife of the head chef.
In fact, they are martial artists.
Both husband and wife are martial artists at their peak.
The elders of the more renowned sects are at the peak of their powers, so the average martial artist would not dare to mess with this place.
The couple severed their ties with the martial arts world.
It was because of the death of their two sons.
Their eldest son participated in the Dragon and Phoenix Duel held every five years by the Martial Alliance to make a name for himself.
However, his opponent was too strong.
His opponent was a prodigy from a famous martial arts family, and his techniques were too ruthless.
Even though it was just a duel, he suffered serious internal injuries and eventually died.
The younger son went to find his opponent to avenge his brother, but he was only toyed with and returned home.
Unable to overcome the shame, the couple committed suicide, and suddenly, they lost both of their sons.
In the end, the couple lost their will to seek revenge and cut off all ties with the martial arts world, living quietly and running an inn.
I learned about this story through the information network operated by the Eunhae Trading Company.
Of course, most people don't know about this story.
However, it was well known among martial artists that the couple who ran the inn were quite skilled, so no one dared to cause trouble there.
Therefore, it was only natural that Seolpunggung, who had to hide their identities, would frequent this place.
I also felt comfortable here.
It was a place where the Martial Alliance and the Namgung Clan would not look, so I could do things in secret.
.
.
.
When I finished washing up and came downstairs, Head Escort Ha and the other escorts were already there.
“Oh, I'm the last one.”
“No, we just came down. What would you like to eat?”
“I don't have any particular preference. I'll just have whatever you recommend. This is my first time in this area.”
“I see.”
Head Escort Ha stood up, went to the kitchen to place the order, and returned.
A moment later, the innkeeper's wife brought tea.
As they were enjoying their tea, the food began to arrive one by one.
The first dish was noodles in chicken broth, followed by steamed fish.
“Ugh! What is that smell?”
Pal-gap looked at the fish and grimaced.
“It's a dish made by marinating and frying yellowtail, then steaming it.”
Come to think of it, Pal-gap hated this dish in his previous life.
When winter approaches, the fish caught in the Yangtze River naturally ferment during transport.
The fish is then fried, seasoned, and steamed, and this dish is famous as a local specialty in the Huangshan area. The locals like it because they believe that the stronger the smell, the better it is fermented.
At first, I didn't like it because of the smell, but after trying it, I fell in love with its chewy and springy texture.
I also liked the salty and sweet seasoning.
“How did you know that this was fermented yellow perch?”
Oh no, I'm new here, so I shouldn't know this.
I smiled awkwardly and quickly made an excuse.
“I heard it from my brothers. They said it's a delicacy.”
“I see... That's nice.”
“Just looking at it makes my mouth water. I'll enjoy it.”
Then, I quickly picked up a piece of rockfish with my chopsticks and put it in my mouth.
It smells fishy, but it tastes good.
Seeing me, Head Escort Ha tilted his head.
“You're eating better than I expected.”
“It suits my taste.”
However, Pal-gap couldn't even bring his chopsticks to his mouth.
Come to think of it, Pal-gap would eat anything without being picky, even Sichuan food, but there were a few foods he disliked.
Steamed pickled chub and fermented tofu...
He dislikes pickled foods.
Come to think of it, bears don't eat rotten meat... Is he really a bear?
Ha, Head Escort looked at me and smiled.
“Seeing you eat so well, I'm glad I ordered this food.”
“Hahaha, thank you.”
“This fermented fish would be perfect with a glass of wine. Ka!”
The escorts nodded in agreement with Head Escort's words.
However, there was no alcohol on our table. That was because they were on a mission.
They were here to protect me.
“Let's buy some fermented catfish on our way back. It's cold, so it shouldn't be difficult to store.”
“That's a good idea.”
Of course, we would have to deal with the smell ourselves.
The next morning.
We left the inn early.
And once again, I couldn't help but feel nervous.
We were about to arrive at the place where I had died in my previous life.
Even now, when I close my eyes, I can still vividly remember that moment.
At that time, I had decided to take a boat and was on my way from Zhejiang to Anhui, heading for the ferry landing where we had arrived the day before.
It was exactly 20 miles from the inn where we had stayed the night before.
Suddenly, martial artists from the Martial Alliance appeared and blocked our way, attacking us without warning.
We desperately fought our way out, but the martial artists were waiting for us there.
In the midst of the chaos, Pal-gap died after taking numerous arrows with his body to create an escape route for me, and the other bodyguards also died one by one.
And the last one to die while protecting me was Kwak Joon-ha.
As I recalled those memories, my heart suddenly felt heavy.
And in that moment, the scene in front of me took my breath away.
The screams of countless people, the voices of my bodyguards shouting to protect me, the sound of footsteps chasing me, my breath coming in gasps as I ran with all my might, my lungs feeling like they were about to burst...
And the pungent smell of blood.
My eyes blurred.
I saw a tree.
It was a fairly thick tree next to a cliff with a large rock exposed.
Below it was the place where I had died in my previous life.
Gasp...
Was it too soon?
Five years had passed since I returned, and I thought I was fine.
I hardly have nightmares anymore, but perhaps I still need more training to face the place where I died.
I couldn't breathe.
“Young master? Are you all right?”
“...
Pal-gap was the first to notice that something was wrong with me.
”Liege!“
Seo-woo, the warrior who was closest to me, hurriedly approached and supported me.
”You look very pale.“
”...
I barely managed to say in response to their words.
“Let's rest for a while.”
With the help of Pal-gap and Seo-woo, I got off my horse, but after that, I have no memory.
.
.
.
It was a dream.
It was definitely a dream. Otherwise, how could I have seen myself dead?
The blood from the sword wound on my neck was splattered everywhere.
No, maybe that was reality and I was a spirit. So my wish came true...
Puk!
“Ugh!”
At that moment, I felt a tremendous pain in my head and unconsciously covered my head and screamed.
“Did you see that idiot!”
I turned around at the familiar voice and saw Seolpunggung's investigator standing there.
“Huh? Investigator?”
Seeing him clenching his fist, it was clear that he had hit me on the head with it.
No, more importantly, why is he here?
“Look straight ahead! Does that really look like you?”
“What?”
The investigator approached me, grabbed my shoulders, and forced me to turn around to look at my corpse.
“Do you really think that's you? Don't look away, look at it as it is.”
“...Huh?”
Before I knew it, my dead body had disappeared.
No, all that was there was a pile of dirt that had fallen from the cliff.
“I thought you were smart, but you're more stupid than I thought.”
Those words made me angry without realizing it.
“Why am I stupid?”
“You're stupid because you can't tell the difference between reality and illusion. Are you really that smart? You even mastered the Taeum Byeonghae technique.”
“...”
I had no words.
“You are the only Eunseoho I see. You are the one I saved with my life. I can't change your memories, but you are wallowing in misery over something that never happened.”
“...!”
The investigator's words brought me back to my senses.
Yes, my death has not happened yet.
It's just a memory from the past, and it won't happen in the future, so why did I do that?
The investigator smiled and pointed to the tree next to us.
“You seem to have come to your senses. Dig there. I have a gift for you.”
.
.
.
“Huh? Young master? Are you all right?”
When I opened my eyes, Pal-gap was looking at me with a worried expression.
“Yes, I'm fine.”
When I got up, my bodyguards and Head Escort Ha approached me with worried expressions.
“We were alarmed when you suddenly fainted.”
“I'm sorry. I stayed up all night working before we left, so I think I was exhausted.”
I said with a smile.
“Still, I feel refreshed after a good sleep.”
It was true.
The tension that had made it difficult to breathe was gone, as if it had never been there.
I got up and approached the place where I had died. I stared at it for a while, then turned to Pal-gap.
“Pal-gap, can you dig here?”
“What?”
Pal-gap tilted his head at my sudden request, but soon nodded and brought a small shovel and began digging.
The others also tilted their heads, but waited silently for me.
Thud.
Soon, we heard a sound as if something had been hit.
“What? There's something buried here.”