Chapter 547
Chapter 547
Chapter 547. Death-Taking Guest (7)
Hanging from the ceiling of the Black Cat Sect Leader’s office, I watched the scene and grinned.
So that was how it was.
After I escaped with the people imprisoned in the prison, I thought the Black Cat Sect would pursue us.
But since there had been no reaction at all, I had thought it strange, and it turned out the Alliance Leader’s side had ordered them to stay still.
That aside, they really did kill him without mercy.
After dealing with the Black Cat Sect Leader, the Tiger Justice Captain left without lingering.
Now.
I gently descended below and looked around the office.
There should definitely be something that could serve as evidence.
It was not that I had given up on obtaining evidence.
It was difficult to deal with the Black Cat Sect while obtaining evidence at the same time, but if there were people to deal with them for me, that was a different story.
Because I could secretly infiltrate while taking advantage of the commotion like this.
Since everything was inside the blazing flames, others would not even dare, but I was different.
Thanks to the Great Yin Ice Sea Divine Art, I am not harmed by a certain degree of fire.
That is also why I came myself instead of sending someone else.
I examined the area around the writing desk.
The writing desk had fallen over, and the fact that there was an empty space opened inside it meant there had been something there.
But the Tiger Justice Captain had not taken anything with him.
Then...
My gaze turned toward the fallen Black Cat Sect Leader.
And just as I was about to search his chest.
Tak!
A hand grabbed my wrist.
I was startled.
He should definitely have been dead.
The Black Cat Sect Leader’s eyes trembled open, and he asked in a strained voice.
“Wh-who...” (Black Cat Sect Leader)
“A passing traveler.” (Young Master)
I do not know what he thought, but he said to me,
“A request... the envelope in my chest... evidence... reveal it to the world...” (Black Cat Sect Leader)
And soon, his head dropped.
Phew, it must have been terminal lucidity.
A faint smile hung at the corner of his mouth.
He had intuitively realized from my words.
Though I introduced myself as a passing traveler, I was someone who would strike a blow against the Martial Alliance.
I hurriedly searched his chest and found an envelope.
This must be the evidence the Black Cat Sect Leader spoke of.
Well, if he was the head of a Black Path sect of this scale, he would have prepared to some extent.
He simply got eliminated without being able to use it properly.
I will make good use of it in your place.
And I also swept up all the expensive things he had packed away. It would be a waste if they burned up like this, and it was not as though money had a name on it.
Right?
“Kui!” (Geumnyeong)
Geumnyeong kui-ed as though agreeing with my thoughts.
“Geumnyeong, are there perhaps any valuables left?” (Young Master)
“Kui!” (Geumnyeong)
Geumnyeong swiftly found the things hidden here and there, and I packed them all away one after another.
Fwoooosh!
Before long, the flames had spread all the way here.
It is about time to leave.
“Geumnyeong. Let’s go!” (Young Master)
“Kui!” (Geumnyeong)
I leisurely left that place and looked at the blazing Black Cat Sect.
Seeing it like this made my heart feel somewhat complicated.
Because Snow Wind Palace must have met an end like that too.
After I died, did the Eunha Merchant Guild also meet an end like that?
I shook my head.
They probably would not have, if only because they would have considered the Eunha Merchant Guild’s assets too valuable.
Though they would have killed everyone they needed to kill.
Just as they killed me.
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I returned to the campsite.
Since there was no suitable place to stay nearby, our party was camping.
Our bodies might be a little uncomfortable, but this was more comfortable in our hearts.
The next morning.
The Tiger Justice Captain, who had dealt with the Black Cat Sect, came to us.
“You may rest assured now. The Black Cat Sect has now been completely exterminated.” (Tiger Justice Captain)
“Thank you.” (Rescued Person)
“To think you avenged us like this!” (Rescued Person)
The Tiger Justice Captain answered as though it was nothing.
“I merely did what had to be done. And since all of you must have suffered greatly, please go to the Martial Alliance and recover there.” (Tiger Justice Captain)
At those words, I stepped forward gently.
“Thank you for your consideration. However, we intend to stay at a nearby inn.” (Young Master)
“You will stay at an inn?” (Tiger Justice Captain)
“Yes. As you can see, everyone is not in very good condition to travel a long distance. So I believe it is best to recover in the closest possible place first. So please do not take offense at our refusal of your offer.” (Young Master)
At my words, the Tiger Justice Captain seemed slightly flustered, but soon nodded.
“My thoughts were lacking. In a situation like that, how could I take offense? Understood. I will tell the Alliance Leader so.” (Tiger Justice Captain)
“Thank you.” (Young Master)
“Hm, hm. But I heard you also contacted the Imperial Palace.” (Tiger Justice Captain)
“Yes. That is correct.” (Young Master)
I confidently lied to him.
“But since you, Captain, have dealt with all of them, I intend to send another letter saying there is no longer any concern about treason.” (Young Master)
“Hm, hm. I entrust that to you. If His Imperial Majesty were to concern himself with such a small matter, how troublesome would that be?” (Tiger Justice Captain)
“I will do so.” (Young Master)
“Ah, do you perhaps need martial artists? It seems you should have some martial artists with you, if only for protection.” (Tiger Justice Captain)
“It is all right.” (Young Master)
I refused with a smile.
“I and my guards are here. As you know, we are at a level where we can protect ourselves to some extent.” (Young Master)
Why are you so persistent? Just give up and go.
“So you may return without worry. If you are truly concerned, I ask only that you escort us to a nearby inn.” (Young Master)
“Let us do that.” (Tiger Justice Captain)
He accepted my proposal as if he had been waiting for it.
I did not like it, but I had to throw him at least this much for him to be satisfied and give up.
We cleaned up the place and headed to an inn in a nearby village under their escort.
Come to think of it, this will be my first time going to that inn.
Not long ago, I heard an interesting piece of news.
The news that Young Master Moon Juseong, whom I met before when I went to Shaanxi Province to obtain the Fuxi Spirit Fruit, had newly opened a Songshan branch of Yechun Inn near Songshan of Shaolin.
Since it was a place that upheld cleanliness as its foremost virtue, everyone should be satisfied staying there.
Young Master Moon Juseong is certainly a person whose luck becomes extremely good from the middle onward.
Of course, he has that much merchant talent as well.
No matter how good one’s luck is, if one does not have merchant talent, maintaining and developing it would be difficult.
And so, after two days, we arrived at a village near Songshan.
Originally, we could have gone faster, but I deliberately slowed our pace.
It was to show that the people I had rescued were not in good physical condition.
I had also hinted to them to pretend to be in worse condition and feign illness.
“Do you intend to stay in this village?” (Tiger Justice Captain)
“Yes. That is correct.” (Young Master)
I sent Palgap to Yechun Inn, and soon Palgap returned.
“Young Master! Fortunately, there are rooms!” (Palgap)
“That is a relief.” (Young Master)
“So I reserved all the remaining rooms.” (Palgap)
“Well done.” (Young Master)
We arrived at Yechun Inn and exchanged farewells with the Tiger Justice Captain.
“Thank you very much for escorting us all the way here.” (Young Master)
“Then please take care of yourself.” (Tiger Justice Captain)
“Yes. It would be proper for us to stop by the Martial Alliance and offer our gratitude to the Alliance Leader, but please tell him we apologize that we cannot, as our road is urgent.” (Young Master)
“There is no need for apology. Such things can happen. The Alliance Leader is not such a narrow-minded person.” (Tiger Justice Captain)
“Of course. I spoke out of needless concern.” (Young Master)
Well, applying medicine like this is my specialty.
And so we exchanged farewells, and the Tiger Justice Captain turned his horse’s head as though he had no lingering regrets.
Watching that, I chuckled inwardly.
He has completely let go of suspicion.
I thought as I glanced over the people I had saved entering the inn.
They are certainly no ordinary people.
It seems the number of old foxes hidden in their hearts increased by a few more after being imprisoned in that prison this time.
I said to the waiter,
“Please prepare washing water for each room. And for the meal, please make it as soft as possible.” (Young Master)
Then I held out a gold coin.
“......!” (Waiter)
Seeing it, the waiter was startled.
There would be almost no occasion to see a gold coin at an inn.
“I will pay in advance.” (Young Master)
“G-guest. This is far too much!” (Waiter)
“It is all right. We will be staying here for a long time.” (Young Master)
“If that is the case, understood.” (Waiter)
Only then did the waiter nod and accept the gold coin.
I looked around the Songshan branch of Yechun Inn.
Waiters dressed neatly. And a clean interior without a speck of dust.
I like it.
Then shall I go buy clothes?
The clothes worn by the people I saved were practically no different from rags, so they needed clothes to change into.
That evening.
After washing with warm water for the first time in a long while and changing into new clothes, everyone looked much brighter.
They filled their stomachs with soft porridge and expressed their gratitude to me.
“I am truly grateful that you have cared for us this much.” (Rescued Person)
“I will never forget this grace.” (Rescued Person)
“If I return to my main family, I too will be sure to repay you.” (Rescued Person)
At their words, I grew pleased without realizing it.
Should I say it was as if I could hear the sound of money entering my pocket?
And I had merely saved them because I could not leave them there.
“As expected of Seonhyeop Mirang!” (Rescued Person)
“There is no one that alias suits as well as you.” (Rescued Person)
“......” (Young Master)
Why is it that the alias Seonhyeop Mirang still does not feel familiar to me?
As I was exchanging words with them while feeling embarrassed, the Death-Taking Guest came down from above.
“Hyung-nim! Master has regained consciousness.” (Death-Taking Guest)
“Ah! That is a relief.” (Young Master)
“And Master wishes to meet you, Hyung-nim.” (Death-Taking Guest)
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A short while later.
I entered the guest room that the Death-Taking Guest and his Master were using together.
The middle-aged man lying on the bed raised himself and tried to come down from it.
I stopped him.
“Do not strain yourself! Your body has not fully recovered yet, has it?” (Young Master)
At my words, he shook his head.
“It is all right. Not only did you take me out of the prison, you even gave up the Poisonless Herb and saved this life. I am truly grateful.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
“I am glad you are recovering safely.” (Young Master)
“I have received a grace I cannot repay. I do not know how I should repay this.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
“Why think about such things? Please only think about recovering completely.” (Young Master)
“Truly, you are the very embodiment of the alias Seonhyeop Mirang. And yet he tried to steal the alias of someone like this!” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
At his words, the Death-Taking Guest scratched his cheek and said,
“I confessed all of my misdeeds to Master.” (Death-Taking Guest)
I nodded slightly.
That could not have been easy, yet he is impressive.
“Thanks to Hyung-nim, I was able to think about and realize many things.” (Death-Taking Guest)
He knelt before me.
“I was foolish. From this moment on, I will abandon the alias Death-Taking Guest.” (Death-Taking Guest)
“Does that mean you will stop your activities as the Death-Taking Guest?” (Young Master)
“Yes. That is right. Since I have found Master like this, I no longer have any reason to wander all over the empire.” (Death-Taking Guest)
The eyes of the Death-Taking Guest as he said that were serious.
“And I will return all the aliases I stole as well.” (Death-Taking Guest)
His Master continued speaking.
“If compensation is necessary, I will make it so that compensation is paid.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
“I see.” (Young Master)
“And to repay the grace of my life to you, and also to compensate for my unworthy disciple, I intend to hand over one of the businesses our sect owns.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
“Pardon?” (Young Master)
I quickly waved my hand.
“You do not have to do that!” (Young Master)
“No. It is my sincerity, so please be sure to accept it. If not for you, I would have died in that prison. And is that all? This unworthy disciple would have accumulated evil deeds here and there like an unbridled foal and eventually died an unnatural death. Then our sect’s line would have been cut off, and the businesses would have fallen into the hands of others.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
“......” (Young Master)
He knows well.
Because in reality, that is how it flowed.
“Since you prevented such a future, handing over one business is not a waste at all.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
I let out a sigh and clasped my hands.
“Understood. Then I will accept it. But what kind of business is the one you are giving me?” (Young Master)
“There is an inn in the Fuzhou area of Fujian Province. I intend to give you that.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
“......” (Young Master)
I was momentarily at a loss for words. But since I had already decided to accept, there was nothing I could do.
“I have one request.” (Young Master)
“What is it?” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
“Even if you hand it over to me, I would like you to keep it a secret that I am the owner of that inn.” (Young Master)
The Death-Taking Guest’s Master readily answered.
“That is not difficult. I will do so.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
It was an inn I obtained unexpectedly, but that inn would later be used by me in a very vital way.
“By the way, what relationship do you have with the Martial Alliance?” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
“Pardon? Why do you ask that?” (Young Master)
“Do you trust the Martial Alliance?” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
If he asks like this, there is surely something.
“Though I am called a hero of the murim, in truth, my essence is that of a merchant.” (Young Master)
I continued speaking.
“A merchant does not easily trust anything. However, I myself always keep trust. Would that be an answer?” (Young Master)
“That is an answer.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
In that moment, his eyes grew grave.
“Be careful of the Martial Alliance.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
“......!” (Young Master)
There is something.
“In the Martial Alliance, there is someone you must not trust.” (Death-Taking Guest’s Master)
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I left the guest room.
Beside me was the Death-Taking Guest.
“I heard you have not eaten yet. Please eat together with your Master.” (Young Master)
“Understood. Thank you for your concern, Hyung-nim.” (Death-Taking Guest)
“Younger Brother Death-Taking Guest.” (Young Master)
At my call, he shook his head.
“Please call me by my name now, not Death-Taking Guest. My name is Woo Gyeok.” (Woo Gyeok)
“Very well. Younger Brother Woo Gyeok.” (Young Master)
I continued speaking.
“Then what happens to our alias contest?” (Young Master)
At my question, he smiled and answered.
“Naturally, it ends here. And I have lost. The only person the alias Seonhyeop Mirang suits is you, Hyung-nim.” (Woo Gyeok)
The Death-Taking Guest, no, Woo Gyeok, said,
“And from now on, I will serve you as Hyung-nim for the rest of my life. Even if you say you dislike it, I will do so.” (Woo Gyeok)
I thought that would be the case.
Well, I received an inn as compensation too, so I cannot tell him not to call me Hyung-nim.
“Do that.” (Young Master)
“Thank you. Hyung-nim Seonhyeop Mirang!” (Woo Gyeok)
“......” (Young Master)
Brother Jeongho. You can be happy.
Because I protected the alias Seonhyeop Mirang.
But sorry.
You told me not to cause trouble, but this could not be helped.
Still, I cleaned up afterward properly.