Chapter 24

Upon arriving in Beijing, the first thing Namgung Woo prioritized wasn’t finding Haomun or locating the Yopyeong Escort Agency, which had arrived earlier. It was something entirely different.

“Hmm… this is incredibly satisfying.”

It was a meal at an inn.

With the single-minded thought that one must eat Peking duck when in Beijing, Namgung Woo, as soon as he entered the city, led the Yang Brothers in search of an inn.

One might wonder where his confidence came from, but Namgung Woo wasn’t some clueless traveler who just wandered into any inn. His body, having reached the pinnacle of martial arts, had senses that transcended human limits.

Namgung Woo could predict the taste of food by its aroma alone. After visiting several inns and food stalls, he finally settled on one, and his choice was impeccable.

“This duck is good, but the black pepper beef is exceptional.”

“I heard it’s hard to find a place that serves Peking duck, but you managed to find one, Boss.”

Though Peking duck has Beijing in its name, its origins are actually from Nanjing.

Being a royal dish, it was renamed when the Yongle Emperor moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. As a royal dish, it’s difficult to prepare and expensive, so there are actually more places serving it in Nanjing than in Beijing.

Namgung Woo silently moved his chopsticks, ignoring the brothers’ comments.

Eating was akin to a sacred ritual for Namgung Woo. It was one of the only two joys he had, having been transported to a distant world far from his own.

Martial arts, which allowed him to break free from the limits of the human body and experience boundless freedom.

And meals, where he could vividly experience various flavors and textures with his heightened senses.

These two were the only things that alleviated the stress and anxiety that accumulated in Namgung Woo’s life, like a drug the world had allowed him.

In his original world, meals were merely about filling his stomach with nutrients. There were nutrient supplements that had some flavor, and he could eat real food if he wanted, but it all cost money.

Virtual reality? Chasing Deer Murim, being an early virtual reality game, lacked in simulating taste.

Thus, for Namgung Woo, meals were always a fresh and unfamiliar pleasure.

“Ah… that was good.”

“Boss, I feel a bit guilty saying this after eating so much, but we might run out of funds at this rate.”

“We’re wanderers. We just need to take on a couple of jobs.”

“Boss, this is Beijing.”

Namgung Woo looked at Yang Kwae as if to say, “So what?” Yang Kwae, thinking that the young master still didn’t understand the ways of the world, explained.

“There are no martial arts factions in Beijing.”

Namgung Woo asked, puzzled.

“But there’s Haomun.”

“Boss, Haomun isn’t a pure martial arts faction. They’re more like merchants who buy information from courtesans, gamblers, and coachmen, then sell it.”

“Hmm… so there’s no place for wanderers here.”

“That’s about right.”

Beijing.

The heart of the Northern Metropolitan Region, directly ruled by the emperor.

If the Northern Metropolitan Region is the emperor’s front yard, then Beijing is his inner courtyard.

Who would dare to cause trouble with weapons here? If there were such reckless individuals, the Imperial Guards would swiftly and silently take care of them.

“There are martial artists, but none have established a base in Beijing. Even the Hapbuk Paeng Family moved to Tianjin when the Yongle Emperor relocated the capital.”

It’s not that there are no wanderers at all.

Namgung Woo’s group heard the guards grumbling about wanderers when they entered Beijing. But jobs for wanderers were outside Beijing, not within.

So, apart from escorting caravans or merchants leaving Beijing, there were no jobs for wanderers.

Namgung Woo briefly calculated their remaining funds.

‘We’ve spent quite a bit.’

His body’s high maintenance had led to this result, as he had been carelessly spending on food.

“There were quite a few rumors about what happened in Muan County, right?”

“That’s right.”

“If the Boss hadn’t tried to hide his identity, he might have earned a couple of impressive nicknames.”

Before leaving Muan County, Namgung Woo had asked Paeng Mu-ho to keep his name from being revealed.

It wasn’t that Namgung Woo enjoyed hiding his identity, but he wanted to maintain a sense of honor.

“That would be a breach of contract.”

Instead of Namgung Woo’s personal fame, it was the name of the Yopyeong Escort Agency that spread from Muan County.

The rumor that an unknown escort from the Yopyeong Escort Agency had performed remarkably in the Ghost Gate Sealing Battle significantly boosted the agency’s trust and reputation.

That was the proposal Namgung Woo had made to Pyeong Choyul. He had essentially volunteered to be a sort of ambassador.

Pyeong Choyul had only lent the agency’s name to help Song Chaeji’s benefactor, but Namgung Woo had been very diligent in his role.

“At least they won’t kick us out.”

At Namgung Woo’s words, the Yang Brothers thought of their next destination: the four characters of the Yopyeong Escort Agency.

“Let’s go.”

If we’re out of money, we’ll just borrow some.

No collateral.

It’s a credit loan.

§

“Nam Hero! We’ve been waiting for you!”

When Namgung Woo entered the inn where the Yopyeong Escort Agency was staying, Pyeong Choyul’s reaction was extremely enthusiastic.

Not quite barefoot, but with his shoes hastily shoved on, he rushed out and spread his arms to welcome Namgung Woo.

“Thank you for coming all this way. Was the journey to Beijing comfortable? Haha, I have so much to talk about, I can’t stop talking. Please, come inside.”

Thank you for coming? Not really. Namgung Woo thought Pyeong Choyul was being overly dramatic.

Finding the Yopyeong Escort Agency was easy. After inquiring about a recently arrived escort agency in Beijing, they quickly found the agency’s location.

But seeing such a warm welcome, Namgung Woo couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.

As they entered, familiar faces greeted Namgung Woo. Exchanging light nods with the Yopyeong Escort Agency members, Namgung Woo gestured for the Yang Brothers to follow.

Seeing this, Pyeong Choyul also greeted the Yang Brothers warmly.

“Ah, are you Nam Hero’s companions? Please, come this way. If you’re with Nam Hero, you’re guests of the Yopyeong Escort Agency!”

“Then we’ll excuse ourselves.”

“Thank you.”

The Yopyeong Escort Agency had rented the entire third and fourth floors of the inn. As they climbed the stairs, Namgung Woo exchanged light pleasantries with Pyeong Choyul.

“Master Pyeong, was your escort mission successful?”

“Ah, it went well. It was so smooth that my story might not be interesting. But more importantly, what happened with you, Nam Hero? It was quite the uproar.”

“Was it that big?”

Namgung Woo had also been quietly looking for rumors about himself as they traveled to Beijing.

Everyone has a desire for recognition, and even Namgung Woo, who had transcended human limits, wasn’t exempt from this natural instinct.

He wasn’t exactly a recognition-hungry monster, but if he heard people talking about him nearby, he would sharpen his hearing a bit.

From Namgung Woo’s perspective, Pyeong Choyul’s reaction seemed a bit exaggerated.

‘The rumors shouldn’t warrant this much reaction.’

But Pyeong Choyul’s reaction was 100% genuine.

Because the miracle of a major figure seeking out the Yopyeong Escort Agency had happened, despite all their previous efforts!

‘Chaeji has sent us a treasure! Chaeji, this brother will cherish you. When I return, I’ll make a big donation to the Hangsan Faction!’

Pyeong Choyul was overjoyed, planning to shower Namgung Woo with gifts to solidify their alliance.

If this goes well, the Yopyeong Escort Agency will stand tall as a leading agency, spanning beyond Shanxi to Hebei. Then his father and brother will surely praise him, saying, “Indeed, my son,” or “Indeed, my brother.”

But Pyeong Choyul’s happy future was cut short.

“Boss! They’re here.”

“Here? Who… oh no. So soon…”

Pyeong Choyul muttered in dismay.

“Nam Hero, it seems we’ll have to catch up later.”

“If there’s a guest, I don’t mind. Don’t worry.”

Though Pyeong Choyul’s reaction suggested that Namgung Woo had far exceeded expectations in terms of publicity, Namgung Woo, having come to borrow money, prioritized the agency’s matters.

But it seemed this matter wasn’t just about the Yopyeong Escort Agency.

“Ah, it is a guest, but…”

Pyeong Choyul stopped on the stairs, looking down at the first floor. Following his gaze, Namgung Woo saw familiar faces entering the inn.

“The Paeng Family?”

As the rumors said. Pyeong Choyul clicked his tongue.

“They’re more here for you than for our agency.”

Had they heard Namgung Woo’s comment?

The woman with the Paeng Family martial artists looked up.

“Ah…!”

When her eyes met Namgung Woo’s, Paeng Ha-ryeong’s already large eyes widened even more, and a bright smile spread across her face as she exclaimed.

“Benefactor!”