Chapter 538

It was the third day in Suzhou. Normally, this morning would be a busy one as we prepared to dismantle the military tent and move the supplies.

But the soldiers were taking their sweet time.

“Oh, Commander Cheon-ho, breakfast is ready.”

“Uh, what’s breakfast, even…?”

“Dried fish fried with some batter, sautéed zucchini with garlic and eggplant, and Donghae soup—”

Dried fish fried? That’s just some salted fish tossed in the fryer. Sautéed zucchini? It’s basically veggies tossed in oil until they just barely wilt. And Donghae soup? Well, that’s just water with almost no ingredients to speak of.

“Get this away from me. Ugh, this isn’t just going to ruin my appetite; it’s going to beat it to death. I’d rather skip it entirely. You eat it!”

What a sad excuse for breakfast.

But a miserable meal for soldiers is a universal reality across cultures.

It’s not a new thing for the military.

There are always ways to pocket some cash, and if you’re a group without professional cooking facilities, you can find such sad meals anywhere.

Why were these soldiers lounging around on this late morning instead of gearing up for a lunch on the road?

Well, they decided to stay for another day.

Why? The goddess wanted to see the Sword Testing Stone.

So, we’re basically delaying our trip for a tourist detour.

But surprisingly, no one seemed to mind, and even the soldiers nodded in agreement.

After all, when you come to Suzhou, it’s only right to check out the famous sights. They had been training in the duel arena all this time; how could they not take in this beautiful land of Gangnam?

And now, off to Hu-goo!

The precise name is Hu-goo Mountain.

But it’s just a gentle hill, barely ten meters high, certainly not much taller than a three-story building back in Qing’s hometown.

It’s too embarrassing to call this a mountain, so everyone just uses the nickname Hu-goo for this top tourist attraction in Suzhou.

This little hill can boast quite a few sights, being a prime location for tourism.

First off, you have the Hu-goo Tower.

As the poet Su Dongpo once lamented, it’s a pity to come to Suzhou and not see the Hu-goo Tower.

The tower stands at six stories tall, towering over the gentle Hu-goo Mountain by almost a factor of one and a half.

Its defining feature? It leans at a quirky angle.

“Oh, I know this! It’s called a pagoda!”

In Qing’s hometown, the Hu-goo Tower is often referred to as a pagoda.

Of course, the Hu-goo Tower might feel wronged.

It was built two hundred years earlier, so it rightly deserves to be the original.

Why should a structure that came two centuries later always be the one referenced?

But honestly, even the people in the Central Plain joke about it rather than genuinely push that claim; it’s probably because when you compare it to pagodas, it doesn’t quite measure up in height or style.

If they want to feel wronged, maybe they should lean in further.

“Hey, sis, do you see that pond down there? That’s the pond where the king of Wu, He Li, is said to have tossed away three thousand treasured swords. Of course, no one has found them, so I’m guessing that’s just a tall tale, but wouldn’t you like to know how that story came about? They say the pond looks like a sword, which—well, you can’t really tell from here, but from below, it looks long and sleek—”

“Will you shut up already? Here, eat this.”

Pang Dae-san cuts him off while shoving a shiny pink rice cake towards Je-gal Lee-hyun.

“What!? Where did you get this treat?”

“I found it on the way.”

At this, Qing squints suspiciously.

But there’s a smile on his lips.

She doesn’t seem to grasp how charming she is.

Her face is truly beautiful, and that mischievous smile is downright alluring.

Pang Dae-san’s eyebrows twitch.

“Don’t give me that flirty smile.”

“What? Why?”

“…Because you look too cute, and it’s making me want to punch you.”

“I said I’m cute!”

“Yeah.”

“But seriously, where are you getting all these treats? I want to know. There must be a secret stash somewhere around here.”

Pang Dae-san clears his throat and turns his head in a huff.

However, oblivious to the situation, Qing is thrilled.

Is our Pang Dae-san different from before?

He can’t let me go around with an empty mouth now, can he?

He’s always been the one to begrudgingly buy food and snacks.

But it’s not the same now.

The old Pang Dae-san used to pretend he didn’t want to give in, but now he’s acting as if he’s desperately trying to feed me like an over-eager grandmother.

While his words say, “Just eat this,” or “Close your mouth and eat this to save energy,” he’s still dishing out treats.

And if you ask him where he got them, he’ll just say he found them or someone gave them to him, or that he bought them from a merchant who was having a rough time.

What gives, is spring potato really that delicious?

Is he trying to be cute?

But the rice cake was indeed delicious.

Although it looks like it should have honey or sugar inside, I was disappointed to find it plain, and that was a bit annoying. Nevertheless, the rich texture and slightly sweet hint made it all even more enchanting.

I can’t let this stand, though!

Three strikes, you’re in big trouble, mister! I’ll make sure to chew you out!

As Qing was busy chomping on the rice cake, Tang Nan-ah suddenly popped up in front of her.

“What’s this? Qing Ah, I’m hungry too, you know?”

“Eh? Didn’t you just eat lunch? Already? I’m still full! Why are you hungry already? Didn’t you eat a ton earlier?”

Tang Nan-ah’s eyebrows twitched at this revelation.

But since it was Qing saying this, it wasn’t a fun fact to hear.

No matter how you look at it, it’s unacceptable for me to scold her for pulling her weight after consuming ten times as much as anyone else, gulping down treats without a care.

“I… I don’t know. Mmm—”

“Unless you’re saying that your share wasn’t enough, you should’ve just said so!”

Tang Nan-ah shoved all the leftover rice cake and the mystery snack into her mouth at once.

Seeing this, Qing thought, oh, she must have really been hungry. Then I guess I’ll have to get more for lunch.

“Lady, look! That carp is as big as my arm!”

“Oh, really? Wow, that’s huge! If it’s properly cooked, it’s delicious. The bones can be a hassle, but a carp soup? Yum, carp soup sounds great.”

“…?”

“…?”

“Ah! Lady! Do you see that pavilion over there? That’s the place where Sun Wu trained his army—the very same Sun Wu who wrote The Art of War!”

“That Sun Wu? Is that true?”

“Absolutely! The rise of the Kingdom of Wu was not just due to the abilities of He Li, but also depended heavily on two great advisors: the brilliant official Wu Zishi and the great general Sun Wu! Which clearly points to how the state thrives on astute and capable individuals like Guanzhong of Qi, Xianqi of Qin, and Sun Suwo of Chu—”

“Shush! Eat this!”

“What?! This is what?! What do you want me to eat? Wow, Pang Dae-san, have you suddenly turned into a sweetheart?”

“Hmph. I haven’t had any reason to spoil you.”

“Well, that’s true. Haha, I’ll eat it well.”

Whatever happens, the Hu-goo Mountain tour was great.

With this group, it would be fun even if we just walked down the street instead of scaling Hu-goo Mountain, but still, the effort to stretch the day for this was worth it.

And finally to the Sword Testing Stone!

Qing was thinking if she just suggested we take a day off and chill, her suspicious friends might show up.

Then there was that endless chatter from Je-gal Lee-hyun, who could keep talking for days.

Speaking of which, why has Je-gal been getting more talkative? He wasn’t this bad before, now he just follows along, adding commentary to everything.

But, he’s got a good reason.

That reason is the Sword Testing Stone itself.

The Sword Testing Stone is literally a stone used to test swords.

This was the site for the most famous weapon in the Central Plains, a legendary sword and not just any sword but the pair known as Ganjiang and Moye—the testing ground for Moye.

He Li’s obsession with swords was unparalleled, and so he summoned the renowned craftsman Gan Jiang to create the best sword imaginable.

Gan Jiang learned iron crafting with Gu Ya, who was the finest swordsmith of that time, and he pushed for the best sword to come out of this.

Eventually, Gan Jiang made the sword.

Some say his wife Moye helped, with local tales suggesting she literally threw herself into the furnace like some kind of fairy.

And thus, two swords were created.

He named them after himself and his wife, making them the legendary weapons of Ganjiang and Moye.

However, Gan Jiang only presented Moye to King He Li.

Why? Because he foresaw his own demise.

Legend has it that upon receiving Moye, King He Li struck a rock and marveled at how smoothly it was sliced, without so much as a scratch on the legendary sword.

That sliced rock? That’s the Sword Testing Stone.

So, it’s not bizarre for Qing to want to see the sword marks on it.

What’s strange about a swordsman wanting to see the marks of a sword?

With Qing dubbed a sword master who can read the inscriptions on the Jeolgeumbyeok, she gathered her friends to go over as if to say, let’s put our hands together and leap past this wall!

And finally, Qing sees the markings on it.

But, carefully and brimming with curiosity, Gongson Yo-ye speaks up.

“Lady Seomun? Do you sense anything unusual about this…?”

“Hmmm? It’s just a rock.”

Well, it’s quite obviously just a rock.

The Sword Testing Stone is nothing but a split rock, right?

“It’s just a rock? Swordmaster! Can you not see this sharp-cut surface!? Indeed, Moye stands true! Even among countless famous swords, there’s only this one pair, Ganjiang and Moye! Look at this tale that endures the ages! Ah, if I could just see it once, I would have no regrets! And since this swordmaster has an interest in dual swords, I thought heaven must be opening a path to these two divine swords! But this outcome is just beautifully moving!”

Namgoong Shin-jae exploded with excitement.

Yet for Qing, it was literally just a split rock.

She couldn’t believe that some primitive people from two thousand years ago could craft a legendary sword with such techniques.

Even if it were a real legendary sword, it would still be ridiculous.

The primordial martial art, the Moon Lady Sword, was created during the reign of King He Li’s son, Bu Cha.

At that time, the concept of martial arts was practically nonexistent; seeing any sword marks was literally impossible.

So, the Sword Testing Stone is just a ploy to draw in tourists.

Meanwhile, Qing totally grasped why the Kingdom of Wu collapsed.

King He Li, having obtained Moye, thought, if I keep this craftsman alive, he could craft more swords like this!

The notion of having only one supreme sword loses its charm if it multiplies, meaning the craftsman should be eliminated.

What a disgusting mindset, but who was there to stop a king from doing that? He followed through.

And how did he treat the dead?

He refused to share his three thousand treasured swords with the afterlife, insisting on taking them all to the grave with him, leaving behind the pond of discarded swords.

Truly, there’s never been a scoundrel like this in all the world.

Across from the sword pond was a large plaza littered with red stone slabs, called the Blood Rock.

After He Li died, his son Bu Cha built a tomb for him at Hu-goo Mountain.

Fearing that the tomb might get robbed, Bu Cha left no stone unturned to conceal its location.

When the work was done, he held a feast for all the workers to celebrate, only to kill them all afterward.

The banquet turned into a bloodbath, causing the Blood Stone to stain red, hence the name.

Some records claim there were a hundred thousand workers; well, that seems a bit extreme.

Regardless, Bu Cha failed to repay the people he harshly exploited while protecting his dead father’s bones; he rather had them all silenced instead.

What a scoundrel’s son in a long line of scoundrels!

From the previous king to the current one, they were all despicable.

No wonder the kingdom fell apart.

According to legend, it was the will of the heavens that the Nine Thousand Fairies descend to destroy Wu, ruled by such scoundrels.

On the first night in Suzhou, it was Tang Nan-ah and this worm.

On the second night, it was Ye and Young Lady Seomun.

And on the third night, back to Tang Nan-ah and this worm as they crawled into bed with Qing.

But Tang Nan-ah just wouldn’t fall asleep.

Finally, after a long while, it seemed she curled up and exhaled a deep sigh as if she dozed off, but her ears were anything but dull.

Whenever Qing made a noise, she immediately would wake up with a “Oh, Qing Ah? What is it? Do you need to go to the latrine?”

Compared to that, Gongson Yo-ye and Mo Yong Joo-hee intertwined like best friends, wrapping around one another for a deep slumber that could drift on into a dream vacation.

And so it was as Qing, like a snake, smoothly slipped out of bed, only to see the two of them snuggled up sweetly together.

Qing couldn’t help but smile softly.

And thus, the night continued. Cautiously, dressed, Qing quietly slipped out of the tavern.

Just like when Li Bai lamented about departing alone in the past.

Off to Dodu, off to Dodu!

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