Cheon Sal-pa Massacre Incident.
As for me, I’d rather call it the establishment of justice, but it seems they call it a massacre in Chilgok County.
In a world where human lives are treated as if they’re as insignificant as flies, the brutal murder of 30 Black Knife members can indeed be called a massacre.
Even though the Cheon Sal-pa are a nuisance, their total extermination must have been a big event in Chilgok County, where incidents are rare.
Someone might have stepped up to assess the situation and identify the cause of this incident.
If during their investigation they realized that I was killed by a black-haired female master, it would be inevitable for my name to come up as someone who was with that black-haired master.
If the investigator actively makes connections, they might link the recent Kang Yoon-ho killing incident to that black-haired master, and then So-hee and I would have to flee Chilgok County.
“Do you want to hear the good news or the bad news first?”
“I want to hear the bad news first.”
When it comes to matters like this, the bad news is the rule.
“I tried to quickly cover up the incident, but I failed. It seems like there are pieces of meat flying all over the place.”
The middle-aged man looked at So-hee with a reproachful gaze.
How much carnage has been done, anyway?
Well done, So-hee.
“So, is the incident known?”
“It’s widely known. From the Sword and Spear Sect managing the market to other small sects near Chilgok County, everyone is in a frenzy trying to find the perpetrator.”
With that many people involved, wouldn’t it have been better to eliminate the Cheon Sal-pa beforehand instead of just searching for the perpetrator?
“It must have been a big deal.”
“It certainly was. Due to the horrific way they were killed, bizarre speculations have arisen, such as demons appearing or that the leader of a faction is hiding in Chilgok County. Really, couldn’t they have restrained themselves?”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
“Actually, you didn’t do enough.”
So-hee replied confidently to the man’s protest.
“Did you mention that you suddenly vanished during the investigation?”
“Really?”
In an instant, my heart dropped.
Could it lead to a bounty? Should I recover my body and practice martial arts before fleeing in the night?
What would happen if I got caught? Would I be fine if I left Hubei Province? That black-haired master stands out too much. Would I ever be able to work with her again?
Lost in thought, the middle-aged man opened his mouth again.
“Are you not curious about the good news?”
With a smirk on his face, he asked us.
“What’s the good news?”
“It seemed impossible to cover up the incident, so we quickly gave up and pivoted to hiding the perpetrator. With appropriate threats, we made witnesses give false testimonies.”
“What kind of testimonies?”
I asked, deliberately ignoring how serious the threats from the assassin group might be.
“They said they fought among themselves over money issues.”
“Did that work?”
Even if they said it was a money issue, I doubt anyone would believe they killed so brutally because of it.
“It worked. Fortunately, since there were no other victims aside from the Cheon Sal-pa, such testimonies were believable. Plus, if there’s a killer who can easily wipe out 30 Black Knife members, no sect in Chilgok County could solve that, leading to that conclusion.”
So they chose a fake truth instead of risking great losses in the investigation.
“What happens to our charges then?”
Of course, while people might generally think that way, someone might still suspect us.
“They disguised you as two Joseon people who were hospitalized, wrapped up in bandages after getting a beating from the Cheon Sal-pa. I doubt you’ll raise any suspicions.”
“Thank you.”
Is the man in front of us an executive from the assassin group? It’s nice of him to take such care.
I bowed at a 90-degree angle to express my gratitude and tried to hint at So-hee to do the same, but she remained unmoved.
Is it because it’s the assassin group’s work?
Seeing that the middle-aged man seemed to have nothing more to say, So-hee started training me in the Jade Face Protective Technique again.
—
So-hee continued the training in Jade Face Protective Technique, regardless of whether the man was watching or not.
Is it okay to practice martial arts in front of the assassin group?
If it’s their martial arts, it could be dangerous for her, but So-hee didn’t seem to care much.
The assassin group man observed my training with a serious expression, but soon smiled and leisurely watched as I practiced.
As So-hee said, it seems he’s not teaching their martial arts.
“I was wondering what you were teaching, and it turns out to be the Bobo Technique.”
The middle-aged man said, sipping tea from who-knows-where, directed toward me as I was absorbing all the medications I had applied on my body.
“The Bobo Technique?”
It couldn’t be the term used for game reviews; what does he mean?
“Do you know you’re putting silver on your body?”
“Silver? Like when you’re trading gold for silver?”
Although the units of currency are gold, silver, and copper, people here still refer to silver normally when referring to it specifically.
“This guy… He doesn’t even know how blessed he is while training.”
“Training. Don’t interrupt me.”
As the man tried to reveal some facts with a sly smile, So-hee interrupted him.
“Tsk, tsk. You can’t even tell him that he’s applying something that’s worth the same as silver on his face.”
“Really, So-hee?”
“……”
I looked at So-hee in shock, and she averted her eyes as a sign of affirmation.
The medication I apply daily is worth the same as silver?
“You don’t need to undergo exhausting training that might injure your bones like typical external martial arts, and your skin won’t roughen or get damaged either. Just apply the medication and absorb it, and you can block swords with it. Have you ever thought it was an absurd martial art?”
Of course, given the nature of this world, I expected there would be martial arts like this.
Noticing my puzzled look, the man sighed and continued speaking.
“You apply treasures on your treasures. That’s why this martial art is called Bobo Technique (宝宝功). It costs a fortune, so it’s never used to nurture ordinary martial artists. But then they choose to teach such martial arts to you. What could that mean?”
The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow slyly at So-hee.
“Because I accidentally hurt Yoon-ho, I’m teaching it to him.”
So-hee cut off the man’s words without hesitation.
“Hmm, if that’s the case, you can come to me and spend all the money you saved up for your operations… please…”
“You. You’re talking too much.”
So-hee drew her sword to interrupt the man’s words.
“Hahahaha! I shall take my leave!”
The middle-aged man quickly poured the remaining tea on the ground and hurriedly left the house.
After watching the direction the man had disappeared for a while, So-hee seemed deflated, mumbling to me.
“……. I just did it for fun since I have no use for money.”
—
As I recovered my body, I returned to the daily life of the master of the House of Memories.
“Ahh! Oh heavens!! Without travel expenses, I cannot go!”
After recovering and worried that no one would come to see me after a long time, many familiar faces and new spectators appeared, as Chilgok County is a bustling area.
“Here! Take this! I must avenge my father!”
“I’ve never seen someone use Donation Technique that well in my life!”
“I’m tired of hearing the same story! This time, try to seduce my new mother! I’ll give you money!”
“Such a violation of heaven’s principles (天伦) is not something this Hamurin Prince can do!”
I can’t just change the story because the sponsors are watching. If the author only caters to high-paying sponsors, they’ll get backlash from other readers.
“How about 1 silver?”
“Ugh! The origins of heaven have put me in a quandary!!!”
“I’ll throw in an extra 20 copper for 1 silver 20 copper!”
“I’ll give you 1 silver too!”
“We’ll save up some copper to give you, so make it a little spicy this time!”
“There’s more here! I come here often, so I’m getting bored! Make it different this time!”
Suddenly, the audience began to raise their voices in unison.
“The Hamurin Prince follows heaven’s principles (天伦)!! But! The will of heaven is heaven’s principles. If that’s the will of heaven, I will do something even worse than killing my new mother!!!”
If that’s the public opinion, then I’m absolutely not succumbing to money, but rather moving according to their demands.
“Waaaaaaah!”
“The master of memories is clever!”
“That’s why he’s the most famous around here lately!”
“Ugh! I’ve tied up my new mother. Am I allowed to go against heaven’s principles?! Ah! Oh heavens, please make your decision for me!!”
After proceeding to the audience’s requested part, I quickly wove my way through the crowd with my bag outstretched again.
“Take it!”
“Hurry! Hurry!”
Today’s turning out to be a huge success.
—
“What are you thinking, Yoon-ho?”
As I was sitting down with food in front of me but couldn’t pick up my utensils, So-hee asked.
“I’m worried about the memory master’s job.”
“It’s going well, isn’t it?”
“The income is one thing.”
The issue is that the audience is dwindling.
People flocked for a few days due to the spicy stories, but that was only temporary.
Although my knowledge of the Donation Technique has improved, and the revenue has not dropped significantly, the decreasing audience is certainly a red flag.
The story of the Hamurin Prince is nearing its end.
Chilgok County has a large flow of people, but new customers aren’t continuously emerging. Plus, I’m not in a position to write a book and earn money yet, and I still need more martial arts training at this house before going to a new place.
A new breakthrough is necessary.
“We have to eat and train, so eat quickly.”
So-hee picked up a piece of meat and placed it on my rice.
So-hee has been oddly kind lately.
It seems So-hee’s attitude has noticeably changed since I was beaten by the Cheon Sal-pa.
“Okay. Let’s eat.”
It’s not urgent, but after eating, I indeed have to consider.
A story that can pillage Chilgok County just like the Hamurin Prince.
A new tale of the master of memories is needed.
