Chapter 26
The people's stories continued, and those who had been listening quietly also joined the conversation.
"Even though the righteous faction has the Zhuge family, they didn't care about the people being kidnapped and couldn't even find out about Mohwa Mountain Manor or the Blood Flesh Herb. I hope the Heavenly Demon Sect will get more involved in the affairs of the Central Plains in the future."
"That would be a hundred, a thousand times better for us."
That was a truly surprising thing to say.
Somehow, it seemed that I had succeeded in one fell swoop in the proselytizing that countless sect members had been working on for so long without much success.
Yeon Cheongha looked at me with a meaningful gaze.
Danli Yeonmuk also looked at me with a proud gaze and smiled.
It was a position where he couldn't easily congratulate me, unlike Yeon Cheongha or Pae Maseong.
For us, it was a victory full of glory, but for him, the battle at Mohwa Mountain Manor must have been a victory that left him full of scars, and I was a little grateful that he could make such a face.
The story didn't end there, and after that, the story about Pae Maseong continued for a long time.
When people praise someone, they don't just praise that person, but they often elevate that person by putting down others who were next to them, and it was the same then.
The stories that the people in the inn were telling were probably rumors spread by the people we had rescued from Mohwa Mountain Manor.
So, in the end, the words that those people had said were spreading, and it seemed that they had put down Yeon Cheongha and Danli Yeonmuk to talk about how great Pae Maseong was.
While listening to the story, I was embarrassed for Yeon Cheongha and Danli Yeonmuk, but rather, the two of them did not have offended faces.
As I came out, I realized that Pae Maseong's era would begin much faster.
"It's really gratifying and good that good rumors about the sect are spreading."
Danli Yeonmuk said with a smile that filled his face.
Now, he seemed to have shaken off the wound of having lost all his team members to some extent.
If he returned to the Heavenly Demon Sect like this, it seemed that the Danli family would also praise him and give him a reward.
Although Danli Zong had died and would return as a corpse, I was relieved and looked forward to it, thinking that they would not just be sad about it.
On the way, we stopped at several places.
They were all like secret branches of the Heavenly Demon Sect.
At first, it was not planned, but Danli Yeonmuk and Yeon Cheongha talked to each other and decided to stop there.
Seeing the good stories about the sect spreading in the inns and on the streets, it seemed that they had become curious about the atmosphere of the Heavenly Demon Sect officials.
Although Yeon Cheongha was keeping some distance from the sect, it seemed that if he had the chance, he also wanted to return to the Heavenly Demon Sect, have his abilities recognized, and pursue his ambitions.
Danli Yeonmuk also tried to extend a hand to Yeon Cheongha, and it seemed that if things went well, Yeon Cheongha might get a chance in the Danli family.
Danli Yeonmuk would also casually bring up such stories to me and try to read my mind.
If the events at Mohwa Mountain Manor had not been so widely known, it would have been a burden to take us to the Danli family and introduce us, but the situation was changing as time went on.
It was a situation where knowing us could become his great pride.
In that atmosphere, we visited the Heavenly Demon Sect branch.
Just as the people of Mohwa Mountain Manor had set up a pawnshop and operated there while hiding their identities, the people of the Heavenly Demon Sect were the same.
Since they had been persecuted if it was known that they were sect members, they probably couldn't have dared to reveal their identities and operate openly.
So they would have proselytized secretly and only spoken about themselves a little after they were sure, but it seemed that that atmosphere would also change now.
"Let's rest here today. It's a manor managed by the main family's people."
Since we were moving the corpses to the Heavenly Demon Sect, it would have been right to hurry a little more, but Danli Yeonmuk showed no signs of hurrying.
If he was like that, we also had no need to hurry.
In a sense, it seemed to be similar to a funeral for the dead.
Although he hadn't been able to say it proudly before, now Danli Yeonmuk could mourn by telling the people he knew about their deaths.
Of course, some embellishment was needed.
He omitted the part where they had not followed his orders, coveting the Blood Flesh Herb, and only said that they had died while trying to destroy the Blood Flesh Herb to save people.
The people who heard his story were amazed and moved.
They would have been more sensitive than us to the change in people's thoughts about the Heavenly Demon Sect. Whether they had heard anything else, they couldn't hide their amazed faces as they looked at me and Pae Maseong while talking.
They knew that Danli Yeonmuk was moving the corpses and each asked him to send things they wanted to send to the Heavenly Demon Sect.
Having lived in hiding in the Central Plains for a long time, away from their hometowns, their longing must have been deep.
Danli Yeonmuk willingly accepted the things they entrusted to him.
Many people wrote letters to their relatives and friends in their hometowns, but not everyone could write.
As I saw a few people standing by and watching with envious eyes, I wondered if it was because they couldn't write.
"If you have something you want to write, I will write it for you."
When I said that, the people were surprised and asked if I could really do that.
"It's not difficult. Please dictate."
Soon, a long line of people formed next to me.
As much as they hadn't met for a long time, it seemed that the stories they wanted to tell were overflowing endlessly.
Thinking that the paper wouldn't be able to handle it if I wrote in a normal size, I sat down and started writing the letters in earnest.
Seeing the people who were rambling on about things that weren't very important, I also felt a little sad.
I also thought of the people I had left behind and wondered what they were doing now.
Once I felt that way, I didn't feel that it was annoying, and I thought it would be good to help with what I could do, so I diligently wrote for them.
After one or two people had their letters written, the other people looked at those letters with envy.
They seemed to be envious of the people who had written a lot, as they couldn't write so small and had only said what they really wanted to say.
Knowing that they were in a situation where they couldn't even get paper freely, I quietly called Pae Maseong.
"Pae Maseong, go buy some paper. When will these people be able to send news here again? Let's let them write down everything they want to say and send it."
Pae Maseong immediately nodded and then disappeared.
Since we had the money we had earned from selling the carriages and horses we had brought from Mohwa Mountain Manor, it was not a waste to spend some of it on paper.
After Pae Maseong left, I told them that I had decided to buy paper, so they should say everything they wanted to say, and the people even had tears in their eyes.
When paper was scarce, the people who had only sent news to the closest people or had only dictated general content later talked about trivial things.
Until I wrote the letters, I had no expectations.
But among the information that came out from there, there were things I could use, and I also recognized people who had appeared in the novel.
Although they had no presence now, there were also people who would become very active later, and it was a great thing that I could now put them in my debt, even if it was a small one.
Pae Maseong bought a lot of paper, but it was not enough.
Later, when Danli Yeonmuk found out that I had asked Pae Maseong to buy paper, he paid for it himself.
He said that it was natural for him to do that much for the people who were suffering far away, but that was a good calculation on his part.
Considering how good a feeling they would have about the Danli family, it was not a matter of sparing a few silver taels.
When we left that place, the people were really sad and asked us to be sure to stop by again anytime.
It seemed that they would not forget our names in the future.
* * *
Pae Maseong could not go with us until the end.
On the way, he received a message and was told to return quickly.
There were times when he would disappear alone and then return whenever we passed by a certain place, and it seemed to be a place where they managed carrier pigeons.
Now, even when he came outside, he had to check for messages frequently in that way.
It was amazing that he had become such a person, but on the other hand, it could also feel like a shackle.
Pae Maseong was sad to go first, but since there wasn't much left anyway, and we had received enough help, we sent him off coolly.
As if he had been waiting for Pae Maseong to leave, Danli Yeonmuk began to make his offer to us in earnest.
"Since there is a gap in the Danli family's strength, we will be recruiting new martial artists."
Then he asked us to go with him.
He also promised to guarantee Yeon Cheongha at least the position of grandmaster of the Danli family's martial force.
That was not something just anyone could say, and it seemed that he had really thought well of Yeon Cheongha.
He must have had confidence in Yeon Cheongha's individual martial prowess, but it seemed that he was more attracted to the powerful connections that Yeon Cheongha had.
He was the master of Pae Maseong, who would rule the world.
Yeon Cheongha seemed to want to do so if only I agreed, and he asked for my thoughts.
I had no objections, as it was good for me to rely on Yeon Cheongha for the time being and learn from him.
"I will go with you wherever you go, master. Please accept me into your martial force."
"Then let's do that."
Since the topic had come up, Yeon Cheongha made that clear as well.
When he told Danli Yeonmuk that he wanted to take me into his martial force, Danli Yeonmuk had a disappointed expression.
"Socheong is..."
Then he asked if he could yield me to him.
Then, from then on, he began to persuade Yeon Cheongha very seriously.
He started by saying that, to be honest, wouldn't he be the one who could help me more?
"It's not just about helping Socheong; it's also necessary to protect Socheong from those who would try to harm him."
As the story continued, the vitality disappeared from Yeon Cheongha's face.
He also seemed to realize that that was true.
The important thing was my decision, and my heart was leaning towards Yeon Cheongha.
But Yeon Cheongha seemed to think that Danli Yeonmuk's words were right.
"Socheong, the assassination missions I have been in charge of have also been carried out in that way. That was also the role of Cheonrim. An important talent that is a strength to another force is a threat to the force that competes with it. We have been doing the work of eliminating such people. From now on, there will be many people who will target you. There will be many times when an arrow will fly from the dark and aim for you, and countless assassins will try to take your life."
With that one word, there was a lot to think about.
(End of Chapter)