Chapter 384

The warrior gazing at Myeonsanya has no idea if she’s truly the Cheonhwa-geom or not.

But she was thrown outside the tavern, lost consciousness, and is now being unilaterally slaughtered by wandering performers, Myeonsanya, and a barbarian woman.

So, it’s not that I’m fleeing; I turned back to report this urgent situation.

My heart was truly torn as I left my companions behind.

Sahun’s answer was a palm raised high to the level of his head.

The Sapa warrior shrank his neck.

But he wasn’t a turtle, so he didn’t bury his head in his shell.

It was just an effort to mitigate the shock, after all—

“Hmm. No, that’s not it. The idea isn’t bad.”

Sahun slowly lowered his arm.

The Sapa warrior relaxed his neck as if sighing in relief at that moment.

*Slap!*

With a delayed response, the Sapa warrior’s head snapped around.

“I don’t think this is how you treat a master! Are you telling me to believe the ridiculous tales no dog would buy?”

“I’m sorry!”

An Orthodox Warrior, even one with supreme martial prowess, wouldn’t bother to use assassins, would they?

And where is the employer who sends an assassin out and then openly fights alongside them?

However, the very notion entwined with the Cheonhwa-geom is actually quite brilliant.

It could provide grounds to break the current standoff.

Whether that’s the real Cheonhwa-geom or not, it’s excessively cruel to take eight lives just for the sake of toying with a woman.

So, it means she just seized on a pretext for trouble.

Sahun then rushed over to the leader of the two advanced combat teams.

“I’ve heard that that woman with the Cheonhwa-geom has been wandering around the main street of Namnyeong as if it’s her own home.”

At this, Master Baekho, Moon Jeong-yeok, clenched his teeth.

“Right! Damn her. She’s just gotten lucky by timing her arrival with that of the prince, and now she’s acting all high and mighty. How dare she be so audacious in the realm of the Sado Sect?”

“Oh, don’t be so angry. That’s precisely that woman’s strategy. Didn’t Zhuge Liang provoke Sun Quan to lead him into battle? By provoking, she’s flipping the situation and achieving her goals. This is a classic scheme of Chess Strategy.”

This was the tactical nonsense from Jo Kwang-ang, the master strategist.

“That so-called strategy! And what can a little girl with no experience do? She’s just gallivanting without a clue in a foreign land.”

“Tsk tsk. You think the opponent is weak, eh? Do you want to commit an error of underestimating a supreme martial artist? To know your enemy and know yourself—”

“Leads to a hundred battles without defeat! I know that!”

“Tsk tsk, it’s not a hundred victories but a hundred not-failed. If you’re going to listen to something, at least get it right.”

At Jo Kwang-ang’s jibe, Moon Jeong-yeok’s face flushed pink.

Just when he was about to explode and shout something—

Timely, Sahun opened his mouth.

“Ahem. Since that troublesome Cheonhwa-geom is bothering us, I’ve instructed my team to tease her whenever we spot her during operations.”

“Wow! Good thinking! Why didn’t I think of that? Why didn’t I consider using Chess Strategy this way? You’re using your head.”

Sahun’s eyes squinted.

Even if there’s a hierarchy between the Baek급 and Heuk급 combat teams, Sahun is indeed the elder.

Of course, he’s older but lacking in combat prowess and skill.

Yet still, “you” is quite rude.

That’s why Sahun had been keeping his mouth shut.

“Since you’ve come, you must have found something, right?”

Looks like the legendary No. 1 Sword in Fuzhou isn’t just a person after all.

Sahun then continued.

“Seeing that girl at the tavern, there happened to be a wandering performer singing, so she must’ve toyed with her. Naturally, she got pissed off and drew her sword. And then—she took down as many as eight warriors from the Sado Sect!”

Words can be interpreted in various ways, depending on how you use them.

This is the wisdom of a warrior who has rolled around in the world for over fifty years.

At the moment, he was transforming from an incapable leader who lost eight of his men due to poor management into a cold, calculated strategist who sacrificed the lives of his subordinates for a grand agenda.

At this revelation, both leaders’ eyes gleamed.

“How dare she! To harm the great Sado-gun!”

“That young girl seems to be heedless of her actions, causing bloodshed.”

Even with eight deaths, Jo Kwang-ang is just chuckling as he pulls out a scheme.

“If she drew her sword first, then we have nothing to hold back. Let the game grow larger. Is the prince with the Gye-rim Sword Faction or somewhere else? If we eliminate the Orthodox warriors one by one, those Gye-rim Sword Faction bastards will realize relying on the prince isn’t the best strategy.”

Moon Jeong-yeok nodded.

“Oh? Didn’t you just say ‘prince’? Then are we acknowledging the stakes now? The failing tactics of Jo Kwang-ang. A fitting alias indeed.”

Jo Kwang-ang’s expression soured.

In response, Moon Jeong-yeok grinned smugly and continued.

“Separate from that, we must punish the reckless youngsters who don’t know the fear of their seniors in the martial world.”

“Oh? Do you think you can manage that? She’s supposed to be the girl who took down the Flame Demon King?”

Jo Kwang-ang scoffed, feeling insulted.

“As I’ve heard, you frequent Yonggungru, right? Just have those filthy bats of the sewers bring back some Rat Poison or Paralyzing Powder. That should suffice. I’ll depend on the master for some assistance, but, um, hasn’t the master been rather scarce lately? Did her recent amusing endeavors not go well, or what?”

Just for reference, ‘filthy bats of the sewers’ refers to the members of the Sapa sect who would not be seen as proper martial artists.

As Moon Jeong-yeok said this, he glanced over at Jo Kwang-ang.

The one who sent the mysterious letters, causing undue suffering for the disciples of the Gye-rim Sword Faction, now shrugs at him.

“Well, anywho, we’ll draw a large number of spectators and insult the clansmen to the point they can’t run away. So, what do you call this in your beloved tactics?”

“Hmm, let me think…”

A person’s actions aren’t defined explicitly by tactics, so naturally, the answer was delayed, and Moon Jeong-yeok was teasing him with delight.

“Seeing you struggle to answer means your readings on tactics are lacking, huh? Even if you read it a hundred times, if you can’t answer, it just means you need to read a hundred more.”

Jo Kwang-ang’s face contorted.

—-

Boyeol had told Qing to wait just five more days, but on the sixth day, another letter arrived.

“Chukshi, Seokbong-sil.”

Wow, just one line!

Unless all food had run out which it clearly hadn’t, just looking at that single line is enough to know Boyeol is seriously annoyed.

But what of Seokbong-sil?

Seeing as room names are determined in the order of gems, trees, flowers, insects, and beasts, calling it “honeybee?” Must mean she’s sunk another level.

Is that old man’s dealings with the money bag getting worse?

Anyway.

As Qing tossed the letter into the furnace, she pondered.

“If I could just get one more bottle of Blood Poison before I’m done here…”

The old man seemed surprisingly naive for someone that age. Maybe with a little coaxing, I could persuade him to part with it.

Then, Qing snapped her fingers.

Chukshi.

Boyeol was thoroughly annoyed.

“This girl is not just looking down on me; she treats me like a complete fool! She never had any intention of keeping her promise in the first place. That little wretch.”

The old man’s specialty is mumbling to himself.

As Boyeol fumed, pacing back and forth in the cramped room of Seokbong-sil, he muttered, “Damn her, I’ll make her pay for this,” in a distraught mess.

*Knock knock.* The sound of someone knocking on the door interrupted Boyeol’s rage.

“Come in! What do you want, you wretched girl?”

Just as he was about to yell, he halted.

It wasn’t Qing. Judging by her outfit, it was a serving girl from the tavern.

“Ahem, what is it?”

“The guest in the Yonggung-sil asked you to come over, sir…”

The girl was unfairly scolded.

Shrinking in front of the imposing aura of a master, she trailed off at the end of her sentence.

“A guest in Yonggung-sil? Someone called for me? Who? Do they know who I am?”

“I don’t know either, but, um, a masked guest specifically asked to bring the elder of Seokbong-sil respectfully…”

Who else would be pinpointing Seokbong-sil but a masked guest?

Boyeol headed toward Yonggungru.

The moment he stepped into the corridor, it glowed golden, the crimson silk and countless decorations making it blinding even at night.

As he knocked on the door to Yonggung-sil, it swung open to reveal Qing smiling sweetly.

“Oh, you’re here?”

“Ha! How dare you call me over. Where do you get the gall? Hmm? This fragrance?”

Boyeol’s nose was suddenly filled with a strong tea aroma.

“Is the renowned master just staying in Seokbong-sil? I felt uneasy, so I chose this place. Today you’re kindly here. Look, I’ve prepared some rejuvenating herbal tea just for you.”

“Hmm. I didn’t call you over to drink tea.”

Naturally, tea etiquette is part of the education provided by Seomun Sulin.

Qing had been trained in the art of serving tea, grading its quality based on leaf condition and brewing technique.

As she carefully skimmed the top layer off the kettle, it was part of the process known as ‘Chun-pung-bul-myeon’ or infusing tea with the essence of spring winds.

Boyeol held the teacup, inspecting the tea.

Perfect temperature, color, and aroma.

After enjoying a cup, Boyeol’s mouth loosened.

“Hmm, you’ve learned the tea ceremony quite well.”

“What are you talking about? My skills are still lacking.”

All the intentions he had to confront had vanished, as Boyeol was now smiling as he savored the herbal tea.

“Wow, this is good. You know, in my land of Namnyeong, I won’t find another cup like this. You’re much better than that salt merchant!”

“Heh heh. What would come from a salt seller other than brine?”

“Right! Exactly! It’s so cliché.”

After three infusions and enjoying the lingering fragrance, Boyeol suddenly felt the mood wasn’t right for anger.

“Ahem. By the way, the promised time has passed, yet I haven’t heard any news?”

“Oh, don’t get me started! To have a meal requires sticking a sharp spear in the ground, and to have five stuck in at once would ruin the entire dish.”

“What do you mean!?”

“Hear me out. Is there some internal conflict over there? I’ve heard whispers that someone sent an anonymous letter warning to be cautious with poison. Surely, you didn’t send it, right?”

“Who else besides you and me would know about this plan, huh?”

Boyeol held back his confusion, suddenly closing his mouth.

After realizing something.

Those little brats, are they getting their jollies from sabotaging an old man trying to do something?

Isn’t it better for everyone to quickly finish instead of dawdling in this backwater countryside?

But they’re being a pain.

“Indeed. Was it sent from your side? What’s going on? Are you trying to hinder me?”

“Ahem. It wasn’t me.”

“So it can’t be me or anyone else who got the foolish idea of trying to sabotage this. I wonder… do you happen to have another bottle?”

“What! You mean you failed?”

“Not that I failed, but…”

Qing trailed off, unsure how to explain.

“I didn’t know a letter would come flying my way. With five poisoned needles…”

Qing feigned innocence, trailing off with her words.

If only Qing had lost her temper, they could go head-to-head, but with the tea not finished and the letter weighing on his mind, he felt a bit stuck.

“This is really the last chance. I don’t have anything else to give you, so it must succeed this time. I’ll give you five more days, so please do your utmost.”

Bingo. Three bottles.

Qing grinned widely and packed away the Blood Poison.

—-

Meanwhile, the serving girl who had unfairly scolded Boyeol hurried down to the lower levels, making her way to the basement.

A tearful serving girl? She isn’t hiding to cry over her lowly status.

On the contrary, she welcomes her lowly position; she’s part of a group that uses it to their advantage.

It’s the band known in the martial world as the Sapa.

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