Chapter 161
'Phew! It's like even ten bodies wouldn't be enough. Luck with people? Aww! What luck with people. It's luck with work, luck with work! I'm destined to die working like a cow!'
While complaining, So-ah devoted himself to his work day and night.
If he were to go out to Gansu this time, he would not be able to set foot in the family estate for at least half a year to a maximum of a year.
Although the chief steward and Yuk Jeong-ran would take care of the business he had started, it was only natural that he was concerned.
Furthermore, So-ah felt sorry for Yi Baek.
Although he should have devoted his time to the achievement of his top disciple, Yi Baek, he could not help but feel heavy-hearted as he was unable to take proper care of him with the great cause of the White Lotus Cult subjugation right before his eyes...
That was why.
That was why So-ah drove Yi Baek like crazy, at least while he was staying at the family estate.
"Ugh... ugh..."
How bad must it have been for Yi Baek, who had never once let out a groan, to repeatedly let out a groan...
"My disciple. Are you tired?"
"N-No..."
"If you're tired, you can give up. It's comfortable if you give up, right? Right now, pack your bags and go back to the Yi family. You can learn business and do business there."
"N-No, Master! I, your disciple, will train even if I die!"
'Wow! He's a really cool guy.'
But there was no such thing as giving up in Yi Baek's dictionary.
Waking up with the morning dew and starting with a beating like a dog for about two shichen, and after recovering his energy through acupressure and medicinal water, the extreme physical training that followed.
Furthermore, after finishing all the form training, speed control training, and repetitive training for perfect posture correction that began around sunset, the time had become the Hour of the Ox (1-3 AM).
This was truly a fanatical training routine.
Because even the cadets of the Baekmu Academy had never trained on such a tight schedule.
But So-ah trusted Yi Baek.
As expected, Yi Baek's physical ability had now reached the level of a second-rate master.
Of course, since a second-rate master was literally just a second-rate master, he was only at the level of a fairly experienced escort of an escort agency, but considering his appearance when he first entered, which was nothing short of sickly, the current Yi Baek, with his bulging muscles and stamina that was not inferior to that of any other martial artist, had made great strides.
Also.
"Chief Steward. Lady Yuk. Then, for the third dispatch of miners, the budget will be..."
So-ah, even while pushing Yi Baek, did not hesitate to overwork himself by discussing the matter of the ice spirit stone distribution and the new construction of the family estate with the chief steward, Yuk Jeong-ran, and others.
In a word, it meant that the current So-ah was not only not sleeping, but was also not eating and was just working day and night.
A few days passed like that...
So-ah visited the Martial Alliance's Liaoning branch.
***
"Wow...!"
The moment he saw Myo-seon, So-ah let out a cry of admiration.
After breaking through the gate of the Profound Realm, So-ah had obtained a kind of foresight, and in other words, he had become able to guess the approximate level of martial arts just by looking at the opponent's body and aura.
And the appearance of Myo-seon, reflected in So-ah's eyes, was.
"You... what on earth happened? Not to mention the brilliance of your two eyes, the aura of your whole body... it's like a single, well-polished famous sword. Have you perhaps even reached the unity of body and sword?"
...being imprinted as a dignified, top-level master of the martial world.
"Hee-hee! This is all thanks to you, So-ah!"
"Huh?"
"The Sunflower Manual!"
"Ah!"
Only then did So-ah realize the reason for the short-term, quantum leap in Myo-seon's martial arts.
"Hey, hey! Let me see, the Sunflower Manual."
His heart was pounding.
How great of a martial art must it be for a person to become so strong in such a short period of time?
Therefore, So-ah urged Myo-seon as soon as he arrived at the branch.
And...
The moment he went up a deserted mountain path and witnessed Myo-seon's Sunflower Manual.
"C-Crazy!"
A cry of astonishment flowed from his mouth without him realizing it.
"Is this for real? No, is this really for real?"
"Ah~ what! Hehet."
"You punk, isn't this cheating? What..."
Not only So-ah, but Myo-seon herself was also bewildered.
Why wouldn't she be?
In the past few months, Myo-seon had gone beyond the divine ki of opening her Conception Vessel and had experienced the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, the stage of the Harmonious Realm.
The pleasure she felt when the three ancient and brilliant ki flowers bloomed above her head during her ki circulation was nothing short of the most moving moment of her life.
Of course, there were clear levels even in the Harmonious Realm.
People like Myo-seon's master, Abbess Hongryeon, the Beggars' Sect Leader, Hong In-geol, the King of the Green Forest, and the Waterway King had all experienced the three strange phenomena of the Harmonious Realm: the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak, the Five Ki Returning to the Origin, and the Bone and Marrow Transformation, and had achieved a perfect Harmonious Realm, so there was a clear difference from Myo-seon's Harmonious Realm, which had only achieved the Three Flowers Gathering at the Peak.
But even so, the fact that Myo-seon, who was still only twenty-two years old, had overcome the congenital disease of the Nine Yin Severed Meridians and had broken through the gate of the Harmonious Realm was a major event that would shock the entire martial world.
Although Myo-seon had been a great talent since her academy cadet days, to the extent that no one could follow her except for Namgung Mun and Tang Il-gi, a corner of So-ah's heart was moved by the growth of his childhood friend.
"Thank you. It's really all thanks to you. The Sunflower Manual you saved was assimilated as if it were mine from the beginning. Of course, it will still take another two or three years to learn all 12 stars, but I will train hard until then."
'Wow! Myo-seon-ie. Maybe, if she masters the Sunflower Manual... she might catch up with me.'
It was not a thought he was just having.
If things continued like this, in three years, Myo-seon might transform into the strongest master representing her era, along with So-ah and Wi-ji Chan.
"Myo-seon-ah. You owe me one."
"I'll repay you for the rest of my life, So-ah."
"Haha! I'm kidding, you brat. Just get stronger. Let's the two of us just take over the whole martial world. And Myo-seon, you, at that level, you can stand in the vanguard with me."
"The vanguard?"
"You haven't heard that, have you?"
"No?"
"I'm talking about the White Lotus Cult's Gansu subjugation this time."
"Yes."
"I'm the commander-in-chief."
"Huh?!"
"You. Stand in the vanguard with me."
***
Around the time the red sunset flowers were in full bloom.
Bao Qingtian and the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jin Won-tak, arrived at the Moyong family, accompanied by only a half-dozen or so escorts and scholars.
At the visit of the distinguished guests, So-ah, the chief steward, and the Moyong Baek couple, as well as Bao Qingtian's older brother, Teacher Bao, were all present and had a simple banquet, and Jin Won-tak, who had resolved all misunderstandings, admitted that he had been rash to So-ah and Moyong Baek, and So-ah also released the acupoints of the Embroidered Uniform Guard members who were staying in the first annex, and the conflict between the two sides was thus subdued.
"Lord Bao... if it weren't for you, I would have been completely taken in by that dog... no, that eunuch's cunning tricks."
So-ah once again bowed to Bao Qingtian and expressed his gratitude.
If it weren't for the guarantor named Bao Qingtian, the confrontation between the Moyong family and the Embroidered Uniform Guard would have intensified, and in the end, they would not have been able to avoid the great disaster of clashing with the military.
"It is I who should be grateful, Young Hero Jin. Anyway, leave the matter of Eunuch Han to me. I plan to have an audience with His Majesty on this path. Besides, if the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard also lends his strength, it will be much easier to help His Majesty understand. I will risk my official position to punish Eunuch Han and the group of traitors, as well as the corrupt officials who are deceiving His Majesty by putting him forward. Of course, on this occasion, we will suppress the White Lotus Cult at the national level, so Young Hero Jin, please defeat them in the martial world."
At Bao Qingtian's words, a bright color spread across the faces of the Moyong family members.
If the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult and the Martial Alliance were to join hands to subjugate Gansu, while the government suppressed the White Lotus Cult in the private sector?
Because it could not be anything other than a perfect pincer movement.
"Lord Bao. You are truly reassuring."
"Hoho! It is I who should say that. I am endlessly grateful that a righteous person like Young Hero Jin is active in the martial world."
Thus, Bao Qingtian and the Moyong family side exchanged words of blessing and joined forces.
Just then.
"Young Hero Jin."
Jin Won-tak opened his mouth in a low voice.
"Yes?"
"I heard you are from Sichuan. Is that right?"
"So what?"
"And from Deokyang-hyeon, right?"
"That's right too."
"And you're an orphan?"
'This guy is rubbing salt in a person's wound. What is he trying to do?'
So-ah could not hide his bewilderment as he looked at Jin Won-tak, who was suddenly asking about his background.
He had just managed to kill his temper and create a field of harmony, but the thought that he was picking a fight again came to him.
But.
By all means, the words of Jin Won-tak that followed came as the most shocking one sentence in So-ah's life.
"Do you perhaps have a red mole on your left side?"
"...!"
So-ah could only stare at Jin Won-tak with his eyes wide like a lantern, and could not answer anything.
Also, at the same time, Moyong Baek, perhaps because he was also surprised, had a bewildered expression, because the fact that So-ah had a red mole on his side was a fact that very few people in the family knew.
"Head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Jin... how do you?"
Why?
So-ah was more puzzled by the fact that his heart was pounding with an indescribable, strange emotion than by the fact that Jin Won-tak knew his physical secret.
This feeling was very unfamiliar and heterogeneous.
Although So-ah was an affectionate and pure person, on the other hand, he was a meticulous person who was precise in his dealings and always certain in his calculations.
Therefore, there were almost no cases where he felt an ambiguous emotion towards someone...
From the first moment he saw Jin Won-tak, he had felt an unknown bond, and now, So-ah had a hunch that a once-in-a-lifetime important moment was upon him.
"Young Hero Jin. I will tell you an interesting story."
The head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard opened his mouth again with a heavy voice and expression.
***
A lonely silence hung in the room.
Most of them were looking back and forth between So-ah and Jin Won-tak with expressions that they could not understand, but since the atmosphere flowing between the two was not just complex and subtle, they were frozen, swallowing their dry saliva.
Just then.
"I became the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard at the age of thirty. The high-ranking officials gossip about me as a person who has risen on an unprecedented path to success, but in fact, there is no reason for the nobles to be envious of me for becoming the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard at my age. Nevertheless, do you know why I am evaluated as a person who has achieved an unprecedented glory?"
"..."
"It is because I am from an orphan background. In the imperial palace, where the imperial family and powerful families are rampant, for a lowly orphan like me to get a chance to be freed from servitude and become the head of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, it must be like a heroic tale to the people of the world."
At a glance, it might have sounded like he was boasting, but no one in the room took Jin Won-tak's words that way.
Because they were sincerely impressed by the sincerity in his voice and the success story of a human who had overcome adversity.
"But I have never once resented being an orphan. Although I lost my parents when I was young and had to beg, it was not my fault."
Jin Won-tak's voice rose.
He was telling his past story with a hollow voice as if he were making a confession, but on the contrary, because of that, the listeners could be more immersed.
"But. In reviewing my life, I have not been able to shake off one big mistake. It is about my younger sibling whom I lost when I was young."
In that moment...
"...!"
A look of astonishment flashed across So-ah's face.
A few years ago, So-ah had talked with Myo-seon.
He had confessed that he clearly had a family, but he could not remember how he had become an orphan and had ended up wandering around Deokyang-hyeon.
At that time, Myo-seon had said that humans try to forget their most terrible nightmares on their own, and that such a defense mechanism must have consciously erased the miserable past, and had comforted So-ah.
At this moment, in So-ah's mind, the shattered fragments of memory, which had been fragmented on the other side of his subconscious, were slowly, slowly rising and confusing him.
And...
"The name of my lost younger sibling is Jin So-ah. He went missing in Mianyang-hyeon, which is located near Deokyang-hyeon, Sichuan, and if he is alive, he would be twenty-two years old. Also, my younger sibling had a red mole on his side when he was young. I think he must have suffered a great misfortune while I was away earning a living by doing manual labor. At that time, there were terrible incidents of children being kidnapped in Sichuan."
(End of Chapter)