“Let’s head to the Hwa Wol Roo.”
“If you’re talking about Hwa Wol Roo, you mean the top-tier gisu? Ah, understood.”
What kind of misunderstanding is this?
Of course, I wasn’t heading to a gisu to soothe the shock of an assassination attempt with a woman.
“Please tell Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju that Kang Yoon-ho has arrived.”
The place I was headed was Hwa Wol Roo, operated by Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju. If I wanted information from Wuhan, there was no better place than Hao-mun.
“Yes. I will relay the message…”
“Who has come?!”
Before the staff of Hwa Wol Roo could deliver the words, the door to the gisu swung open, and a beautiful woman with light gray hair rushed toward me.
“Master! I’m here.”
“Are you alright? Are you okay?!”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju asked me with a look of horror.
“So you’ve heard the news?”
“I just heard that assassins invaded the mansion! To be attacked twice in one day! What on earth is Man Geum-jeon doing about protecting its heir?!”
“Calm down. I’m not seriously hurt.”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju seemed uncharacteristically agitated.
“Come closer. Are you injured?”
Approaching her, who looked at me with concern, I smiled as if nothing were wrong.
“At this rate, I still have decades before I’d be harmed.”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju chuckled softly at my joke, then grabbed my chin and began examining my face.
“Seeing you joke so calmly, it seems you’re really not injured at all. Your face seems fine, and your body…”
“Haha…”
“What’s wrong? Do you have any pain?”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju asked, surprised.
There’s no pain. It’s not bad having you worry about me.
It’s just a small issue.
“That is…”
I subtly threw my gaze toward the back of Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju.
“What are you looking at? …Huh?”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju, still holding my chin, turned to see what I was looking at. After realizing what was happening, her face stiffened.
Her reaction was understandable.
“Kaah! Come quickly!”
“Why?”
“You’ll never see this again!”
Through the slightly opened door, I could see curious eyes peeking at the situation.
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju must not have heard the giggles from earlier; they’ve been echoing since a while ago.
“Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!!! Unbelievable. Unbelievable.”
“What in the world? Master of Hwa Wol Roo?!”
“Who is that? That young master.”
“Don’t you know? It’s Ho Pil. Ho Pil.”
“What? Ho Pil? Wait, what does that mean for the current situation?”
“…What are you all doing? Get back to work!”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju’s sharp command spread throughout the gisu.
“Kya-hahaha.”
“Run away. Run away.”
“Tsk.”
“Haha…”
It seems this was quite a scene even for the courtesans.
“F-follow me in!”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju’s voice as she quickly turned to her office sounded slightly trembling.
——
“Huuuuu.”
Did you think I’d shown an embarrassing side? Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju struggled to light her pipe until the room looked like a raccoon den.
“Isn’t it normal for kids that age to act like that?”
Who likes who? Who’s dating? Really. I’ve seen where they hang out together. It’s quite typical for that age, isn’t it, to exaggerate and laugh over trivial matters?
They’ll forget it soon anyway. There’s no need to worry too much. I offered a clumsy consolation.
“If someone sees you, they’ll think you’re quite the kid yourself.”
“Hahaha.”
Since she was throwing comments like usual, she seemed to have calmed down.
“Tsk. I showed a foolish side.”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju clicked her tongue like someone who made a painful mistake and turned her gaze away.
“How could I not be delighted that Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju is sincerely worried about me? If you truly think I was embarrassing, then it would make me feel very hurt.”
I placed a hand on my chest, looking at Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju as if I were genuinely hurt by her words.
The fact that the courtesans witnessed this was enough to show she cared about me, her disciple’s child.
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju, it was just an inappropriate moment, but please continue to take care of me.
“…Do you treat women like that usually?”
“Excuse me?”
“Enough. So, what brings you here?”
“I want information on the Blue Robe Swordsman.”
Putting aside the brief commotion, I brought up the main point directly.
“Blue Robe Swordsman?”
“That’s the assassin’s identity. They escaped heavily injured, but it seems difficult to find them from Man Geum Battlefield. I thought I’d come to Hao-mun for help.”
“That’s a nickname I recall… An assassin hired by a ronin. It must have been quite a venture. Good. I’ll send someone to investigate immediately. Please wait a moment.”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju called someone to bring materials about the Blue Robe Swordsman.
“Thank you.”
“You must be deeply troubled. So, who do you think is behind it?”
“Anyone who dislikes the black-haired heir connected to Man Geum Battlefield could be guilty.”
I shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.
It could very well be one out of five successor candidates. Any one of the five could have carried it out, which is the problem.
“Huuuu.”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju stared at me for a moment, her expression unchanging, before smoke billowed from her lungs.
“I think I’m troubling you too much, Master.”
The success of the assassination largely depends on the element of surprise.
It’s not as if someone with no witnesses is a legendary assassin who kills with just one blade. After two failures, a third attempt would be hard to even think of.
“What’s there for me to worry about if you’re managing well? Real worries would be like risking your life for a fleeting heat during spring.”
There’s a bone in that phrase.
No need to ask who that might be.
“I’ve always been loved like spring, so I try to live without bringing shame to my beloved mother.”
“….”
I won’t worry like my mother. I smiled at Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju, who lowered her pipe in shock like a grown child’s smile.
“Master! I have brought information about the Blue Robe Swordsman.”
A member of the Hao-mun arrived in the office and handed documents to Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju, the atmosphere momentarily falling silent.
I wonder if there’s any information on who the mastermind is.
“Huuuu. It seems we will need more time.”
“Time?”
“The Blue Robe Swordsman is said to have been spotted again about a month ago in Wuhan. This means we need to check whether they appeared after accepting a request there or whether they received the request from Wuhan.”
“If they received the request from outside Wuhan, then finding the mastermind would become tricky.”
“What’s tricky about it?”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju smirked as she spoke to me.
“Excuse me? What do you mean by that?”
“Someone targeted your life; would any of the Masters not step forward willingly? Whether it’s finding the Blue Robe Swordsman or the one who commissioned them, I will search Hubei Province and find out somehow.”
“Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju….”
That’s reassuring.
“I will have the documents for your gambling license finalized quickly. Not even the world-renowned Man Geum-jeon could interfere, I’ll make sure to finish all the paperwork, so why not take a good rest for about a fortnight?”
“If you could do that, it would ease my burden greatly.”
“I’ll send word as soon as I hear anything. Until the work is done, rest comfortably at the mansion.”
“Thank you. I’ll take my leave now.”
It may take some time, but they will find out for sure. If Hao-mun and Man Geum Battlefield take action, I’m sure a clue will be discovered somewhere.
“I’ll see you off.”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju stood up.
“It’s alright. You don’t need to come out just for me.”
“If something happens in my gisu, I have restless nights, so come along with me.”
Actually, there are other things to attend to.
“You shouldn’t have to suffer strange misunderstandings because of me… Uagh!”
Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju’s pipe puffed out smoke.
“Enough of that nonsense, just follow me.”
I had no choice; I walked out of the office alongside Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju.
“Wow. Is it real?!”
“Of course it is.”
What was so unbelievable? Walking side by side with Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju, I could feel all the gazes in the gisu on us.
“Don’t daydream and walk properly.”
Did I look too curious? Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju asked me as if wanting to know what was going on.
“I have someone I’m looking for.”
“Someone you’re looking for?”
Now that I’m here, there’s one more matter I need to resolve.
“Ho Pil!”
Fortunately, he’s here.
“Lady Mi-hyang! I was just looking for you.”
“You’re looking for me? Ho Pil?”
The person I was looking for was the courtesan, Mi-hyang.
“What?!”
Why are you both so surprised?
“I have something to return.”
“What is this…?”
I took out a small pouch from my possession.
“Though I appreciate the sentiment, it’s not something I can accept.”
“Oh.”
It seems this is a hero-grade set item, even if it’s not legendary. Unfortunately, due to gender restrictions, I can only store it for achievements.
Please just take it back.
“Is that so?”
A relieved voice came from behind.
Yes. That’s right. Gugu saved my life; I don’t think it would be right to make them run errands for me for a while.
“Ho Pil…”
“I’m sorry.”
Just as Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju said, ties must be clear.
I have many women I’ve promised a future with. I bowed my head as a sign of rejection.
“Why are you blocking a busy person’s path? If you heard, then leave.”
Seemed like Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju was pleased with my acceptance of the advice, as a strange smile appeared on her face.
Mi-hyang’s expression darkened, though.
Mi-hyang tightly clenched the pouch in her hand, glancing back and forth between me and Master Gi-mun Hyang-ju.
“Ho Pil, was that really the case?!”
“Excuse me?”
“I knew something was off!”
“Lady Mi-hyang?”
“It’s okay! Even though I’m leaving now, I’m a woman who grows stronger in adversity!”
What on earth is she talking about?
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