I observed it.
The probability of a cat being in the box is half.
After all, Schrödinger’s cat should arouse curiosity until you open the box, but unfortunately, this wine barrel was made in China.
Inside the wine barrel, a pair of eyes were nervously debating whether to meet my gaze or to stare at the barrel itself.
The moment our eyes met, thankfully, I wasn’t faced with a martial artist yelling, “You’re already dead!” but there was a different problem.
‘Why on earth is she here?’
I know this person.
No, I know this character.
A woman with pink hair tied into two braids, secured at the nape of her neck.
Though flustered and embarrassed, she undeniably had the beauty that anyone would acknowledge as remarkable, fitting for a martial arts visual novel character.
Her slightly silly personality didn’t seem to be limited to just the story; it shone through even in a hidden situation.
Her face looked younger compared to my memory, but there was no doubt she was the character I recognized.
‘Is the martial arts world smaller than I thought?’
That can’t be! The Central Plains I felt with my own two feet were endless and vast!
Hubei Province is nearly twice as big as South Korea, and it took a month and a half just to get here from Sichuan Province.
Why is this woman here in this expansive Central Plains?
“Um… could you pretend you didn’t see me?”
While I remained silent, the pink-haired woman seemed to have come to a conclusion about the situation.
She awkwardly asked me after barely managing to compose her panicked expression.
“I just need to check the wine barrel. The one that’s being sent from Shihualu to Yichang!”
“Eek!”
As soon as she mentioned the wine barrel, the pink-haired woman let out a small scream and sent me a look of desperation.
I guess I have no choice.
“Stay quiet.”
I pressed my finger to my lips and cautioned her, then closed the lid.
‘What should I do now?’
I could just close the lid and pretend I didn’t see anything. But if I do that, the Sabomun warriors will come closer and check the broken seal, and I’ll be caught immediately.
“Why is it such a problem to confirm?”
“A non-member cannot approach the cargo!”
“A non-member? There’s someone from Shihualu who entrusted the cargo here.”
“What is this?”
The loud voices were approaching.
I need to decide quickly.
‘Should I try to make a small connection?’
Not every woman in the story can be a heroine. Still, I shouldn’t miss the opportunity to gain favor with a character from the original work.
I sat on the wine barrel, big enough for a person to fit in and tall enough to climb onto.
‘Surely not every woman can be a heroine, right?’
I questioned myself anxiously, but no one in this world could answer me.
——–
Just like humans and orcs will cooperate when a burning demon descends from space, it’s best to cover over conflicts with new ones.
First, I sat atop what the Sabomun craved most.
No need to show signs of confrontational intent from the outset.
I feigned indifference, staring blankly at the docks where boats were anchored.
“That wine barrel is the one being sent from Shihualu!”
Before I knew it, Sabomun’s warriors, along with the postmen, had grouped together and approached the wine barrel.
“Is that so? Then the possibility is high that it’s there!”
Without turning my head, I merely glanced sideways and spotted a burly warrior that looked like he was the leader at the forefront.
The warrior approached as if he had finally found a hidden piece.
“You can’t touch the cargo.”
Pyo-du stopped the warriors along with the postmen.
“Why be such a hardass? That wine barrel belongs to Shihualu. The owner of the cargo says they want to confirm it; what’s the problem?”
The man who seemed to be the leader of the Sabomun pushed a frightened, small man forward.
Is that guy from Shihualu? He looks like he was dragged here against his will.
“The entrusted cargo remains under the control of the post office until it reaches its destination. It isn’t just some minor figure from Shihualu who can open it as they please.”
Pyo-du spoke sternly, ensuring the post office’s duties weren’t taken lightly.
“Ha! News travels slowly. The Shihualu owner is dead.”
The warrior scoffed at Pyo-du.
“What do you mean by that?”
“The Shihualu owner had an incident yesterday… Ahem, anyway, something happened.”
“In that case, there’s even less reason to show it.”
“Hey! Our Sabomun took over Shihualu yesterday. So, as the new owner of Shihualu, I should definitely have the right to confirm it!”
“You can’t confirm the cargo just like that.”
“It’s not arbitrary; it’s a rightful claim. Black-haired barbarian! Get out of the way!”
The warrior shouted at me, who was seated on the wine barrel, thinking he had won the argument.
“……”
For now, I pretended not to hear and tried to provoke him.
“Did the barbarian not hear?”
“I don’t want to. I like the view from here.”
If you want to ask a favor, it should be done politely. Who do you think you’re calling a barbarian? Even without anyone below me, I have no intention of moving.
“Has this barbarian lost his mind?”
“Being up here looking at the Yangtze River is making me slightly tipsy.”
I pretended to be drunk, caressing my forehead with my fingertips exaggeratedly.
It was clearly a situation where anyone could see I was just fooling around. In such conditions, a polite person would kindly encourage me again, but these guys were definitely not martial artists of that caliber.
“What? That crazy guy!”
“Crazy guy, huh?”
Wow. They responded harshly just for a little push. Now that the barbarian can be considered like a black guy to me, “crazy guy” hits differently.
Crazy guy.
In modern terms, it’s like saying “chink” in front of a Chinese person or “jap” before a Japanese person—talk about a loaded term.
“Yeah. Crazy guy. Should I show you my insides? Or do you want me to take a look at your brain to see how messed up it is?”
As I returned with an incredulous face, even worse insults flew out of the warrior’s mouth.
Yeah. I get it.
You wouldn’t want to look weak to those around you, right? You’re scared of Seocheon Post Office and scared of those from the Tang family watching from the side—now you’ve got a punching bag to vent on.
You wanted to trample on someone like me, someone undeniably seen as a target of scorn, to gain superiority over the other martial artists.
But let me tell you something. You’ve miscalculated.
“How dare you address Master Kang?!”
“In the presence of our esteemed guest from Seocheon Post Office!”
“You guys! I was trying to let it slide, but you’ve gone too far!”
In an instant, the postmen from Seocheon Post Office and the Tang family warriors drew their weapons.
“What, what’s happening?!”
“Brother! I don’t know what’s going on, but it feels like we’re in deep trouble?”
“Is he really a high-ranking person?”
Since I’m sitting up high, I guess I am a high-ranking person, right?
“Hey.”
The atmosphere was set.
With a relaxed demeanor, I landed and approached the warrior directly.
“Hey?”
“Yeah. Hey. What are you doing?”
Who does this idiot think he is, radiating murderous intent? I’m not even slightly bothered.
“I’m the leader of Sabomun.”
As I called out confidently, the leader of Sabomun seemed to realize something was amiss, responding with a tone that seemed subdued.
“I’m from a faction that manages a few rivers.”
Pretending to ask for more information, I looked at Pyo-du, who quickly responded.
“A faction? So you don’t know your manners, huh?”
I deliberately shot an arrogant look at him and walked over, brushing off the dust from his clothes.
“Who the hell are you?”
“Do you think that just because I heard you curse once, Sabomun and Seocheon Post Office would immediately draw their swords?”
Just imagine. I kept pressuring him with a laughing face.
Fear breeds suspicion, and suspicion breeds further fear.
He’ll start wondering if he made a grave mistake, or whether he’s opened the gates to hell.
“Are you a very high-ranking person?”
The leader’s voice trembled severely, sensing he might become a pin cushion for the Tang family.
“Let’s go with that. You should accept that for your mental health. Yeah. So, you think you can grab that wine because the owner is gone, huh?”
What a lackluster imagination. Yeah, let’s keep it at that.
If you’re going to know my story, you’ll need to understand the recent international changes caused by events in Joseon and the hidden secrets of the Tang family too.
“Yes. That’s correct.”
“Then I’ll let you live.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’ll buy that wine. So, be quiet already.”
With the hand brushing off the dust, I suddenly grabbed his collar, simultaneously frowning my smiling face.
You’re annoying me right now, and you’re starting to get irritating. Looking down, I pressed on as he squirmed in discomfort.
“Uh… that wine is not for sale…”
“Here. Take it.”
I interrupted the leader’s attempt to speak and pulled out a single coin from my pocket.
I held up that coin with my fingers for everyone to see—neither gold nor silver, just a single copper coin.
That single coin would have a tough time filling even a small wine cup, let alone the dozens of barrels behind me.
“How dare you?!”
“How dare me? Hey. Take it if I’m being insulted, and I’ve got something to give in return.”
The leader might have noticed there’s someone missing from the barrel he was looking for.
But what can they do? My mercy ends here.
One man, dozens of barrels, a few insults, and a coin. It’s humiliating but cheaper than a life.
I held onto the leader’s wrist and placed the single coin on his palm.
“Guh!”
“Guh? Do you want to use this as a toll for the afterlife?”
“… I will sell the wine.”
Eventually, the Sabomun leader folded and walked away without looking back.
————————-
“Master Kang, thank you for sorting out the ruckus.”
Pyo-du from the Seocheon Post Office expressed his gratitude as the Sabomun retreated.
“I just didn’t want the commotion to escalate on my way home.”
“I’ll escort you swiftly.”
“Please ensure safe passage. And I have one small request later.”
“What’s your request?”
I wasn’t done yet.
————————
The boat from Seocheon Post Office set sail for Yichang with cargo and people on board.
“There’s a stowaway!”
“They’re escaping! Catch them!”
“How did that girl get onto the ship?”
“There’s nowhere to run since we’re on the rapids!”
Just as I expected.
I tidied my clothes and opened the ship’s door.
“Alright then, let’s go find out why the legendary Shadowless Thief is here.”
