Chapter 6

San An-jin from the Gonbung Post was surprised.

What exactly is that woman’s charm?

Did she just eat the heir of the Hebei Pang family and her friend in an instant?

It seemed a bit careless at first glance, but it was astonishingly skillful.

Moreover, she was a master at the peak of martial arts!

The world is vast, and there are many talented individuals; it’s not strange that such a master remains unknown.

However, San An-jin was the pillar of a post.

If the post head were to say, “Ah, there are plenty of geniuses!” and overlook it, he wouldn’t have a leg to stand on even if he got kicked out right then and there.

Pillars come in many, and losing one doesn’t mean the post would collapse.

Connections! I can smell the connections.

Surely, a young master is valuable.

The ‘young’ part was more crucial than the ‘master’ part.

Moreover, she was still an unknown wanderer.

In fact, there were points where she might be considered more valuable than the eldest son of the Pang family.

The eldest son of the Pang family was already overflowing with strong ‘connections.’

The Gonbung Post spanned two territories.

But it couldn’t even compare to the Hubei Pang family, which was practically a royal household.

No matter how well treated Pang Dae-san was, it was only to break even.

It was only natural for the Pang family to receive such treatment.

But A-Qing was different.

You could tell at a glance that she was poor; just look at how she was gobbling down food like there was no tomorrow!

It really reaffirmed how deprived she must have been.

“Is the bi-cha boiled meat to your liking? Here, take this!”

“Oh, you really don’t have to order more. I’m fine, really…”

“How can you say that? Bring a lot of bi-cha boiled meat here!”

“No, really, you don’t have to go that far…”

A-Qing trailed off, half grateful and half embarrassed.

A-Qing, coming from the Eastern land of etiquette, felt a bit overwhelmed by the attentive San An-jin.

If it were just an old man with a lot of bad deeds, she could throw all sorts of insults at him.

But against a kind elder, she couldn’t suppress the instinct rooted in her genes to respect the elderly.

“Three plates? How thick-skinned of you, but then again…”

“What are you talking about? Why are you picking a fight?”

“Was it that delicious to empty two plates?”

“You don’t lose anything if you eat while you can, right?”

Pang Dae-san sighed heavily.

Not that he was shameless (though he kind of was); it was just that he lacked common sense.

Looking at that sorry state, how could you tell how many times he had been properly hosted before?

“An empty plate is an insult.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean it’s rude to clean your plate to the point of licking it. At least leave a piece or two.”

A-Qing didn’t quite get it.

“Are you telling me to leave food?”

“Yeah.”

“If I don’t leave food, that’s rude?”

“Did you not know?”

“Why would I leave precious food?”

Why eat rice? Why sleep? Why breathe? Those were some outrageous words.

Pang Dae-san clicked his tongue. Tsk!

“Hey. A table with empty plates is the host’s shame.”

“Just like a wound is the swordsman’s shame?”

“……? What’s that about? ……? It makes sense, but…”

The only thing a guest can empty is alcohol.

All food should be left over a bit.

An empty plate is something that embarrasses the host.

Whether it’s a lack of money or a narrow heart, it means they weren’t able to properly host their guests.

A guest emptying the same plate twice?

It implies, “I didn’t like your hospitality today, and this is the only dish worth eating. Hahaha.”

A-Qing’s eyes widened in shock.

“Head of the post, I didn’t know and made a mistake…”

“Haha, it’s alright!”

San An-jin had already figured out A-Qing’s ignorance.

Acts done out of ignorance aren’t considered rude.

Not acting on knowledge is what’s rude.

“So you mean I should leave something behind, no matter what?”

“If it’s a simple meal, it’s fine. But still, it’s good to leave at least two pieces when you’re being treated.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.”

“What else don’t you know?”

A-Qing was gradually getting civilized.

Living in another culture is inherently difficult because there’s a lack of such common sense.

Anyway, it was a valuable lesson for Qing.

When you’re being treated, leave some food behind.

It was a precious teaching for her to eat more in the future.

A small retreat to eat more.

In fact, she had already eaten quite a lot.

A master is simply someone who is naturally hosted.

A-Qing didn’t realize that the expenses for San An-jin’s hospitality had already exceeded the cost of feeding her.

Neither did Pang Dae-san.

Moreover, it was as natural as breathing for the heir of the Pang family to host her.

There was no need to worry about the financial situation of the post.

That said, San An-jin wasn’t suffering a loss.

It wasn’t because of the uncertain future benefits of investing in a talented young female warrior.

He was simply covering that loss right away from the post itself.

A wild bandit appeared!

“Stop!”

“Troublesome. I’m a master.”

A-Qing, who had been lounging on the lead carriage enjoying the warm spring sun, drew her sword.

As the energy from her sword rose, the bandits, swaggering in, naturally stepped back and vanished as if time had rewound.

It was an unbelievable sight.

The largest expense of logistics in the Central Plain was these tolls.

A-Qing had long thought there were many bandits in the Central Plain.

Now she realized that was just the tip of the iceberg.

A swordsman walking around armed isn’t an appealing guest to bandits.

They wouldn’t gain anything by provoking her, but they were a terribly dangerous lot.

This meant not many bandits had dared to touch A-Qing.

It was such a high level that, even in ancient China, she thought there were bandits everywhere in the world.

But now that she experienced being part of a post, she understood the truth.

Every mountain has its bandits.

Every valley has its bandits.

Even in the sparsely populated woods, bandits were lurking.

Had Pang Dae-san not told her not to attack unless the bandits gave an opening, A-Qing would probably have been walking the blood-stained path while accumulating lots of karma.

A-Qing realized.

Traveling with the post was comfortable and well-fed, but it was a bit hard to deal with the bad guys.

Still, she has to see blood at least once a week.

After all, there’s no perfect path in the world.

To gain one, you must lose one.

Nonetheless, since she was comfortable and well-fed, she didn’t particularly miss the bloodshed.

Now that she had the Buddha’s Physical Body she had been aiming for, accumulating karma didn’t seem too pressing; the thousand points felt too demanding.

As A-Qing was gradually becoming lazier, the post’s carriage rolled all the way to Luoyang.

—-

She knew that Luoyang was a big city from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.

But she had read it only once, just skimming through; she only remembered characters like Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhuge Liang.

However, the actual Luoyang was massive and grand even to a modern person.

It wasn’t for nothing that Luoyang was called “Luoyang Fortress.”

Luoyang had endured countless actual wars throughout its long history.

The city walls stretched endlessly left and right, rising higher than most modern shopping buildings.

Through the wide-open great gate, a hugely dense population jumbled with carriages, making quite a chaotic scene.

Indeed, A-Qing had a tendency to underestimate the Central Plain civilization.

Somewhere between primitive and something more.

As a modern Korean person, such perceptions of ancient China were inevitable.

All the proud and magnificent aspects of ancient China were burnt to ashes by the red army, leaving modern Koreans with nothing to have heard or seen.

Especially the height of these city walls!

She didn’t think she would be overwhelmed by the height.

She had lived through an era where large buildings like the Eye Tower of the Rings were seen anywhere in Seoul and the second whatever towering structures.

Moreover, the density of the buildings was incredible.

The walls of adjacent buildings belonged to both.

There were no alleyways to be found; the buildings were built continuously.

Having unloaded her luggage at the Gonbung Post’s Luoyang branch, chatting over tea with the branch chief, A-Qing found herself with nothing in particular to do.

“Hey, San.”

“No way.”

“What now? I barely said anything.”

“You’re just going to suggest going sightseeing in Luoyang, right?”

Annoyingly, that was exactly correct.

However, A-Qing had a reason not to back down.

She had no money!

Especially with a solid sponsor here, she couldn’t walk away.

“Follow me quietly, and there won’t be a bloodbath.”

Pang Dae-san glared at Qing with an annoyed look.

When you think about it, sometimes refined vocabulary slipped out of him.

How could he, despite such overwhelming ignorance?

“My Moonlight Sword is starving. If you don’t want to be the blood sacrifice under the crimson moon, lead the way to Luoyang, human.”

“Yeah, that. I’ve been curious about it for a while. Moonlight Sword? Isn’t it just a standard iron sword?”

“You have to give a name to a beloved sword.”

Pang Dae-san frowned.

One of the famous lessons from the warriors.

Never name your weapon.

If a warrior grows attached to a weapon, they end up getting stabbed by it, as per the foresight of their seniors.

However, having seen how A-Qing used that Moonlight Sword, there was no need to explain further.

He doubted his eyes when A-Qing used it as a poker over the campfire (Moonlight Sword, No. 6).

Using a sword as a tool was enough to call into question her qualifications as a swordsman.

“That aside, why is it called the Moonlight Sword?”

“Because I’m a master of the Moon Lady Sword Technique?”

“……?”

“Moon Lady Sword Technique. Moonlight Sword.”

“……?”

“Not getting it? Moon Lady Sword. Moonlight Sword.”

“……Let’s just stop talking.”

Moon Lady is an abbreviation for the women of the Yue Kingdom.

And naturally, the Yue Kingdom was not the Land of the Moon.

How could a kingdom be named after the moon?

“Anyway, let’s go. San. Luoyang is waiting for us.”

“I said I’m not going.”

“You’ll be bothered until we go. Surrender.”

Pang Dae-san’s brows twitched.

The statement slightly brushed against his sensitive nerves.

Although he had become more of a swordsman than a woman or an ignorant person, sticking so closely raised questions about his motives.

Could it be? A strategy? After all, she is a woman?

He was seriously struggling with the symptoms of a severe suspicion.

Fortunately, A-Qing, blurting out nonsense without thinking, extinguished the sparks from his mouth.

“We’re eating dinner at the Chosun Building. Do you agree?”

“You know where that is, right?”

“They say it’s the best place in Luoyang! I heard it from the post officials.”

Indeed, it was true that it was the best in Luoyang.

The Chosun Building was the top-class kirlou (an establishment serving food and drinks).

“That’s expensive, though. Don’t you have any money?”

“What kind of friends only worry about money? When would I ever get to go to such a top-class tavern? Isn’t that right, San?”

She was outright plotting to take advantage of him.

It wasn’t temptation but a blatant act of exploitation.

Pang Dae-san’s suspicion began to settle.

Instead, he felt a peculiar discomfort.

Why did he feel uncomfortable?

“Alright, I’ll take you there. But I won’t guide you to the Chosun Building…”

“Sounds good.”

“Huh? What did you just say?”

“Sounds good. Take me to the Chosun Building.”

A-Qing blinked her eyes.

“Really? Is that place expensive? San, are you serious? Do you have that kind of financial power?”

“Are you asking me if I can pay for it, after asking me to take you there?”

“I was just trying a negotiation strategy. Put forth a big demand, and if it’s declined, ask for something smaller.”

That was a sharp remark that occasionally slipped out amidst her ignorance.

This time, it was even sharper.

Pang Dae-san pondered over those words.

A-Qing took the silence differently, wearing a slightly apologetic smile.

“If it’s burdensome, it’s fine. I was just throwing it out there.”

Pang Dae-san’s brows twitched again.

Earlier, her mentioning of financial power raised suspicions too. Could it be…

“Do you know where my family stands?”

“Hubbe Pang family, right? The post head says that all the time.”

“Do you even understand what that means?”

“I guess it means your family is well off? Oh, I’m sorry. I was just trying to ease the burden. I didn’t mean to rub your pride.”

It seemed she didn’t know what the Hubbei Pang family was!

She probably understood it as just some wealthy family.

There’s a limit to ignorance.

A-Qing could only encounter thugs or lower-class warriors.

They were people who couldn’t even dare to speak the names of the five great families.

The least that could happen if you were caught gossiping about the five great families was losing an arm.

At the minimum.

“Going to the Chosun Building is no burden at all. Let’s go.”

It wasn’t a burden, but his pride had been slightly scratched.

More so, Pang Dae-san wasn’t volunteering out of goodwill.

There was a reason he didn’t want to go.

Plus, he was curious about A-Qing’s reaction to the kirlou.

Oblivious to those, A-Qing hurried outside, and—

She found herself facing a crowd of beauties from Luoyang.

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