The next morning, we left the Murim Alliance.
Anyway, we had gotten everything we needed from the Murim Alliance, and Sayoon seemed satisfied in her own way.
“Did we forget anything?”
Chaejin asked as she climbed onto the wagon, and everyone nodded.
“Are you leaving already?”
An unexpected farewell came from Namgoonghwa and Myojae.
As the two women approached the wagon and asked, I smiled and said, “Our original goal was to go to Cheongho. Donganryong. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Aha! Leave the investigation of Cheonho Mountain to us! We’ll show you what the justice of the Murim Alliance is all about!”
Saying it confidently made me feel a bit guilty. But considering we managed to disrupt the cult’s operations at the Legal Temple, I told myself we helped each other out.
“So, when do you plan to depart from the Legal Temple?”
“We’re planning to leave this afternoon. The Inspection Department and the Upper Combat Division will be accompanying us.”
Myojae said casually, then bowed to me.
“Thank you.”
“No, there’s no need to thank me. I should be the one thanking you.”
“Hehe, really? Anyway, have a good trip.”
As Myojae finished her greeting, Namgoonghwa waved toward Sayoon. Receiving the greeting, Sayoon smiled brightly, and Namgoonghwa said naturally, “Come visit the Namgoong Clan later!”
“Yes! Sister Hwa!!”
With that, the greetings ended, and it was finally time to depart. I climbed onto the carriage.
“We’ll be setting off now. Unless something special happens… we should arrive in Cheongho within three days.”
“Look forward to it once we arrive in Cheongho.”
Chaejin said as if she had been waiting for that moment, and Chaeran nodded as well.
“We’ll give you a grand welcome.”
How grand could it possibly be?
The journey from Mugakseong to Cheongho had no major issues.
Luckily, the weather was nice, and although a few seekers got in our way, it was something Sayoon or Chaeran could handle.
On the third day of our travel, I tried to take the reins, but Hyunhwi pushed me back, saying that I should rest.
The day before yesterday, Hongryeon had been driving since evening, and yesterday afternoon, Chaejin had taken over.
I insisted I was fine, but in the end, I was pushed aside, and the wagon driven by Hyunhwi traveled from dawn until the sun was high in the sky.
We finally arrived in front of a huge castle.
“Wow…”
I heard Sayoon’s exclamation next to me. Cheongho looked stunning enough to make her gasp in awe.
“Hehe, isn’t it beautiful?”
“Ye-yes…”
Sayoon’s voice was trembling.
It was no wonder; the big, wide, and green lake had frozen in the winter cold, reflecting the sky like a gigantic mirror, creating a breathtaking scene.
It was a beautiful sight, like a mirror reflecting the grandeur of nature.
“The winter in Cheongho is full of sights to see. Especially when the lake is completely frozen over, you can walk on it around this time. The water is so clear and clean that you can see all the way to the bottom of Cheongho!”
“Really?”
“Yes. Hehe. Shall we go see it next time?”
“Yes!”
With her eyes sparkling, Sayoon nodded enthusiastically. Chaeran smiled at her.
“Of course, there’s a condition that you must train properly at Moonjeong. If you don’t train well, it’ll be hard to go out. My father is quite strict about that.”
As Chaeran said, it’s not like they were just here to have fun.
Sayoon nodded again, this time with even more enthusiasm.
“I’m really looking forward to it!”
“Hehe. Me too.”
Chaejin watched the two chatting with curiosity. I asked her, puzzled.
“Why do you say that?”
“Well, it’s just surprising to see Ryun so excited like that.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. She used to be so calculated even when meeting people her own age… Hehe. It’s fascinating to see this side of her. Come on, let’s go. We’ll have lunch at Moonjeong today.”
With Chaejin’s cheerful voice, the cart rattled and began to move.
Was it because it was winter? The atmosphere in Cheongho felt quite different compared to my last visit.
“Oh! What’s that?”
“Oh, they’re preparing for the lantern festival. In winter, evil monsters called Donggui often appear. They are weak to heat, so they set up lanterns to keep the Donggui away.”
That was a sight you wouldn’t see in Seomhwa Village.
Though Cheongho is a place where energy gathers, it doesn’t have the power to chase away evil monsters.
Thus, the people of Cheongho have been preparing to fend off monsters in their own way.
Sayoon’s eyes widened as she looked at the lanterns hanging from the buildings by the street. Seeing her, Hongryeon chuckled softly.
“If you’re amazed by this, how will you handle when you go to the martial world later?”
The continent is vast, with plenty to see. There are many fascinating customs as well.
Hongryeon looked at Sayoon with a hint of fondness before shifting her gaze to Hyunhwi.
“Sayoon is going to have a hard time when she goes to the martial world later.”
“What? She’s adorable, isn’t she?”
She certainly is cute. The way she gets excited and blushes while exploring is just charming.
“Oh! Who are those people?”
Sayoon exclaimed, pointing at something in surprise. Chaejin glanced over and gave a wry smile.
Those were people wandering around with blank faces – the ones who had lost their way in the Cheongho cart race.
People were walking around. They were people lost in the Cheongho carriage race.
“Hahaha… Aren’t they the ones who burned everything down?”
“…?”
Hongryeon pulled Sayoon closer, who seemed not to understand.
Yeah. Don’t pay attention to things like that.
“It’s about time we’re getting close to Moonjeong,” Chaeran’s voice came through. As she said, the wide estate appeared in the distance.
There, I spotted a middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back, someone I had seen before.
Doje.
A strong person who could rival the Sword Saint.
The owner of Moonjeong was there to greet us.
“You’ve timed your arrival perfectly, haven’t you?”
“Probably a disciple of Moonjeong ran to let me know.”
Chaeran said it casually, but Hongryeon looked surprised by that reporting system.
Nonetheless, the cart kept moving and reached the front of Moonjeong.
“Welcome.”
It was a strict, solemn, and serious voice.
As Doje, who was in the lead, spoke calmly, I stepped down from the cart.
“It’s been a while.”
“Mmm. It has been a while. Have you been well? I’ve heard many things happened in Seomhwa Village.”
“Thanks to your concern and the help from Moonjeong, we were able to overcome the crisis. I appreciate your support back then.”
It was true that we received help from the Moonlight members during the last fight against the new Sahakyun.
Of course, it was Chaeran’s decision, but it was only natural to express gratitude, even afterward.
As I bowed my head in respect, he looked at me for a moment before speaking.
“I hear you’ll be staying at Moonjeong for a while. We shall talk more later.”
“Yes.”
Considering the sword saint’s gift as well.
I stepped back, and Hongryeon stepped forward to greet him on behalf of us.
“I am Hongryeon, the Grand Disciple of Hongseong.”
“It’s been a while. You seem to have gotten stronger.”
“Yes. I’ve had good people by my side.”
“Is that so? And you are Hyunhwi. I remember your martial arts.”
“Thank you.”
“And…”
Doje stared intently at Sayoon. Then, letting out a small laugh, he turned to Chaeran.
“You will make a fine rival.”
“And a good friend too.”
“Indeed.”
After saying that, Doje looked at Chaejin. He gazed at her with an indifferent expression and let out a little snort.
“You still have a long way to go. Make sure to learn properly while you’re here.”
That was the end of it. Doje turned and walked inside, while the remaining people smiled and guided us.
“By the way, why did Doje want to see the Innkeeper separately?”
Hongryeon asked as we entered Moonjeong.
“Really? What were you trying to say to me?”
“But in this case, I don’t really have anything to say either.”
I turned to Chaejin and Chaeran, but they just tilted their heads in confusion.
As soon as we arrived, we were treated lavishly. I mean, lunch was quite the feast!
While enjoying delicious dishes that rivaled Yohwan’s cooking and resting in our assigned room, I was lost in thought about what to do next when I heard footsteps coming from the garden.
“Oh? Is that you, Doje?”
“Mm.”
With a stoic expression, Doje stood in the garden near my room. I clearly heard that the others went off to train right away.
“I can’t guide you just yet. The real training starts tomorrow. Since you’ve been traveling and haven’t had proper training, today is reserved for personal practice.”
As for the martial arts part, Doje was right. If he said so, then it must be true.
I nodded, and Doje smiled as he said, “If you don’t mind, would you like to have a drink?”
“Sure, let’s do that.”
I headed into Moonjeong with Doje. The place we entered was a cozy room in the inner part of the building, refreshing air surrounding us.
After a moment, maidens entered and began to prepare a table for drinks, and soon the table was set.
Once the maidens left, Doje glanced at the drink barrels with a look of dissatisfaction and said, “With such a valuable guest, this amount of alcohol is insufficient. I’ll bring out some special liquor I have.”
When he returned, he was holding a large barrel in each hand.
Wow, looks like we’re drinking a lot today!
“Sorry for making you wait so long.”
“No problem. More importantly…”
I took out the letter that the Sword Saint had given me. Seeing it, Doje began to look puzzled.
“If you have a favor to ask, feel free. After all, I owe you, and my daughter is under your care there.”
“That’s not it. Also, it’s more accurate to say that I’m the one in your debt rather than Lady Chaeranjin being in debt to me. And this is… a message from the Sword Saint.”
Doje, tilting his head in confusion, took the letter I offered him. After unfolding and reading it, he burst into laughter.
“Do you know what’s written here?”
“Nope.”
Doje handed me back the letter, and the words written were amusing enough to make me laugh too.
[Yu Wol Innkeeper is one of us, so do not mess with them.]
Haha. “One of us.”
I thought of the smug look on the Sword Saint’s face before I left.
Feeling recognized sure is nice!
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