Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province.
This is the place where countless tributaries of the Yangtze River flowing from the west converge to form a massive waterway.
It’s said that just like all roads lead to Rome, no matter which waterway you take upstream of the Yangtze, they will all eventually lead to Wuhan.
Naturally, since all the tributaries of the Yangtze gather in Wuhan, it became a hub that absorbs all human resources and goods, serving as a stepping stone for its growth into a gigantic city unparalleled by any other city in Hubei Province.
After a few days of traveling with Im Ha-yeon and the postmen from Seocheon, we finally arrived in Wuhan.
“Master Kang, you’re back! I sent word to contact the Seocheon Post Office regarding the Man Geum Battlefield.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Just like no city in Korea can compare to Seoul, Wuhan is a city so immense that it’s incomparable to Yichang! Without time to spare, we busily roamed around Wuhan.
“However, the Seocheon Post Office in Wuhan is too cramped to accommodate guests. We’ll need to find another place to stay.”
The postman spoke, bowing his head in apology as if he couldn’t lift it.
Hubei is the realm of formidable martial families, like the Mount Wu sect and the Sichuan Tang Family, with the wealth of the Man Geum Battlefield. In the underworld, the Hao-mun faction exists.
It seemed there was a lot of resistance to prevent the Sichuan Tang Family from expanding their influence in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei.
Gugugugug!
Gugut!
Be quiet!
Gugu…
When Im Ha-yeon uttered a word towards the large box containing carrier pigeons, all the pigeons immediately stopped their chatter.
Was bringing the pigeons a good idea? Im Ha-yeon thought they would be useful since she’s somewhat of a spiritual being, but they didn’t seem very useful at all.
“We have a guesthouse to stay in, so let’s go there.”
I took my gaze away from Im Ha-yeon and casually replied to the postman.
“Have you been to Wuhan before?”
“No.”
I had traveled a lot around the Central Plains, but this was my first time in Wuhan.
“Then?”
“I brought someone to guide us.”
I pointed to a man who looked like a minor official to everyone’s eyes.
Croak!
“Since your hair stands out, you should wear a straw hat and follow us.”
The man was a minor official from the Hao-mun faction.
While the postmen went to Seocheon Post Office and Man Geum Battlefield, Im Ha-yeon and I headed to the minor official group of the Hao-mun faction in Wuhan.
Although we couldn’t meet with Si-mun Hyang-ju, when I showed the iron token given to me by Branch Chief Gwak, Si-mun made arrangements for us.
Thank goodness it was worth getting slapped! Otherwise, I might have returned and repaid him with my boat.
“Where are we going?”
“I’m taking you to a place where we can avoid the eyes of the Do-mun and Gi-mun people.”
The man said this as he guided us away from the bustling area into a residential district.
I figured that fewer people around places like government offices or ports would help us avoid attention.
Following the steps of the Hao-mun official, we arrived at an old guesthouse. Was this where we were supposed to stay? From the creaky door of the guesthouse, I heard shouting.
“What are you doing back again?!”
“Brother An! Our kids are starving! Please, just one meal!”
“I’m gonna starve to death with no customers!”
“Didn’t you succeed more than any of us? I’ll do some minor work, so please!”
Ugh!
“Who cares about minor work?! Even if I cook and welcome guests, I’m still bored!”
“…Is this the right place?”
Am I being introduced to a failing guesthouse? I asked the Hao-mun official in a skeptical tone.
Ahem! “If you stay here, you won’t be noticeable in the busy area. Plus, there’s another reason.”
The Hao-mun official glanced at me and then pointed at the guesthouse owner.
“A Joseon person?”
The owner of the guesthouse was a middle-aged man with black hair and black eyes.
“Who the heck are you guys? Hey! Don’t tell me this is your friend? You guys won’t get any food!”
Was the beggar also a Joseon person? The guesthouse owner crossed his arms and looked at us with a scowl.
“It’s been a while.”
“Huh?! Why are you here from Si-mun? I’ve paid off this month’s debt!”
The guesthouse owner asked, shocked like bulldogs meeting their worst fear—a veterinarian on a walk.
“I’m not here because of debts.”
The Hao-mun official sighed lightly and explained the situation in a tone only the guesthouse owner could hear.
“I understand. I can give you that much help.”
“This place is secluded enough that you won’t attract attention from Do-mun or Gi-mun people. You can stay here until we contact you.”
“Thank you, please take care.”
When the guesthouse owner nodded, the Hao-mun official said a word to us and left.
“Tsk. I still don’t have a good feeling about this… What’s there to eat?! Or do we get a guest room first?”
The guesthouse owner approached us with a dubious expression.
It’s been a while since I saw a Joseon person. I found it pretty fascinating, but for some reason, the man asked us casually.
It’s troublesome if people are uncooperative when we need help to keep Im Ha-yeon safe.
“By the way, where is your hometown?”
I pondered for a moment before asking the guesthouse owner.
“Why would a Joseon person care about my hometown? It’s Namwon.”
“Namwon? Do you have relatives with the last name An there?”
“Uh? How do you know?”
I heard the surname An from outside.
“I lived in Namwon. Are you An by any chance? My close brother is from there.”
I patted my chest, half-heartedly.
“Is that so? Which part of Namwon did you live in?”
The guesthouse owner looked slightly less suspicious and asked cautiously.
He must be thinking there’s a chance I’m not from his hometown.
“Do you know Gwanghanru?”
“I know it. If a Namwon person doesn’t know Gwanghanru, what can I say?”
“If you follow the road between Namwon Office and Gwanghanru, you’ll find where people live…”
“Aha! I think I know where. My relatives live around there. Is there still a Kim family official there?”
“A Kim family official? Oh! I think I know who you’re talking about. That guy was reported to the court and was removed from his position. I heard rumors about it back in my childhood.”
“That fellow got removed…”
The guesthouse owner couldn’t help but stifle a laugh, covering his face with his hand as he mumbled.
“By the way, what brings you all the way here?”
Oppressive taxes and exploitation. Leaving one’s hometown due to a tyrannical official is sadly the same whether in the Central Plains or Joseon.
“Who is without a story? A guest who returned after a long time brings good news from his hometown! So! Let me show you to the best room!”
The guesthouse owner’s expression changed dramatically, and with a big smile, he spoke to me.
“Thank you.”
“Little brother! I made some cold noodle broth and wanted you to try it! It’s on the house!”
“Homemade food! Thank you, Brother An!”
Delivering food to our guest room, the service was great.
“It’s nice to meet a hometown person in a place like this.”
Im Ha-yeon said to me with a look of wonder.
“He’s not really from my hometown.”
I replied nonchalantly.
The cold noodles taste great. The food skills here are good, but it’s weird that there are flies buzzing around. Is there some backstory?
“Huh?”
“When chasing around for a few days, it doesn’t really matter.”
I’ve always liked to roam around, and I had some fun exploring Namwon at the foot of Jirisan.
“Did you lie?”
Im Ha-yeon asked me incredulously.
“I didn’t lie. Besides, we need someone to hide us for a while. We need to build trust.”
The guesthouse owner wouldn’t be able to verify if I was Kang Yoon-ho from Namwon, all the way back in Joseon.
Even though they introduced us through Si-mun, you never know. It’s important to keep things under wraps, especially to protect Im Ha-yeon.
If I’m both a fellow Joseon person and of the same hometown, they might look out for us and keep quiet about it.
“Wow…”
Im Ha-yeon looked at me in astonishment.
“Since Si-mun’s leader is away, let’s be careful and wait for a while.”
“Did Branch Chief Gwak give you all the information about Man Geum-jeon?”
“I’ve read everything, but it only talks about Man Geum-jeon. It doesn’t say why they’re targeting the Tea Bookstore.”
I’ve read enough to write a biography on Man Geum-jeon, but I still don’t know what’s on their mind.
Why are they targeting the bookstore of my close friend, the chief of the Baek family?
Just to mess with Jeon Gil-san?
A guy who raises his child Spartan-style wouldn’t be nice to his soft-hearted grandson.
Or is it about money?
If it was about money, they could have disposed of the Tea Bookstore when we met due to the debt issues earlier.
What in the world has changed for them to start acting out now, of all times?
“Right now, going to Man Geum Battlefield doesn’t seem to lead to any answers, does it?”
“Even with a lack of information, I have some plans in mind. Even if we go there, we can still have a conversation, so don’t worry too much.”
Though I might not understand people’s inner workings, collecting information about them can help us take action.
The issue is, from Man Geum-jeon’s perspective, I’m just some debtors with minimal connections.
Would Man Geum-jeon want to meet someone like me? If I can’t even get a meeting scheduled and have to turn back, the situation will only become more complicated.
“Master Kang! Someone from Man Geum Battlefield is here!”
I didn’t expect them to arrive so quickly.
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