episode_0006

The head of the Gonbongpyoguk, Sang Anjin, was surprised.

What is the charm of that woman?

Becoming friends with the enemy of the Habeokpaengga in the blink of an eye?

It seemed sloppy at first glance, but it was an amazing skill.

Moreover, a master of the late peak!

With the vast and deep connections in the world, it was not strange for such a master to still remain unknown.

However, Sang Anjin was the pillar of a country.

If someone were to say, “There are many old people in the world,” there would be nothing to say even if they were kicked out immediately.

There are many pillars, and if one is missing, the country will not fall.

Connections! The smell of connections.

Young masters are rare.

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

Moreover, still an unknown beast.

There were even parts that were evaluated as more valuable than the eldest son of the Paengga.

The eldest son of the Paengga is someone who already has a tight ‘relationship’.

The Gonbongpyoguk had a scale that crossed two castles.

It was impossible to compare it to the royal family of Habeok or the Habeokpaengga.

No matter how well you treat the Paengdaesan, it is still a business.

It was natural for the Paengga to receive hospitality.

But it was different for Acheong.

Just look at her, she looks like a queen, and look at her eating until her stomach is about to burst!

It makes you realize how pitifully she has lived.

“Do you like the fried pork belly? Here, take this!”

“Oh, you don’t have to order more. It’s okay…”

“Why are you saying that? Bring more fried pork belly here!”

“No, you really don’t have to…”

Acheong’s gratitude and embarrassment mixed as she trailed off.

Acheong, who came from the Eastern Courtesy State, felt a bit burdened by Sang Anjin’s excessive care.

If it were an old man who had a bad temper, he could have cursed at her.

But it was impossible to resist the instinct of respecting the elderly who treated her well.

“Three plates. You have a thick face, indeed.”

“What? Why are you picking a fight?”

“Was it so delicious that you emptied the plate twice?”

“If you leave some, you won’t lose out, you know?”

Paengdaesan sighed deeply.

It wasn’t just shamelessness (although that was true), but the absence of common sense was significant.

Indeed, how many people had experienced being treated like that?

“An empty plate is disrespectful.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Eating so cleanly that you lick the plate is disrespectful. You should leave at least a couple of points.”

Acheong didn’t understand.

“Leave the food?”

“Yes.”

“Why should I leave the precious food?”

“Why do you eat? Why do you sleep? Why do you breathe? It was a sudden outburst.”

Paengdaesan clicked his tongue. Tsk!

“Hey. An empty plate on the table is a disgrace to the host.”

“Is it like a doctor’s pride being hurt by a patient’s wounds?”

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

The only thing the guest can empty is the drink.

All food should be left little by little.

An empty plate is an act that humiliates the host.

Whether you’re broke or stingy, not properly treating your guests means you failed.

If the guest empties the same plate twice?

It becomes a message that says, “I didn’t like your hospitality today, so this is the only dish I’ll eat, haha.”

Acheong’s eyes widened.

“Master Sang, I made a mistake because I didn’t know…”

“Haha, it’s okay!”

Sang Anjin had already noticed Acheong’s ignorance.

He said that actions done out of ignorance are not rude.

It is rude not to act when you know.

“So, you have to leave everything? Anyway?”

“If it’s a simple meal, it’s okay. But still, it’s better to leave the last two points when you finish eating.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that.”

“What do you know, then?”

Acheong was gradually becoming civilized.

Actually, living in a different cultural sphere was originally difficult because of the lack of common sense.

Anyway, Cheong had a valuable realization.

Leave food when receiving.

It was a precious lesson for gaining more in the future.

A setback for gaining more in the future.

In fact, Cheong had already gained a lot.

Achyeong, who had established the common sense that masters naturally gain.

He did not realize that the food expenses had already exceeded the budget due to the skyrocketing food prices.

This fact was also unknown to Baek Dae-san.

Furthermore, receiving hospitality from Baek Dae-san, who was in the red in Pungga, was a natural daily occurrence like breathing.

There was no need to know about the circumstances of the food expenses.

However, Baek Dae-san did not suffer any losses.

It was not because of the uncertain future gains from investing in the new female master.

He was currently making up for his losses in the food expenses.

Bandits appeared!

“Stop!”

“Trouble. This body. A master.”

Achyeong, who had been lying in the warm spring sun on the lead carriage, drew his sword.

As the sword was drawn, the bandits who appeared confidently would naturally step back and disappear.

It was a sight that seemed to rewind time.

The biggest expense of the central logistics was this toll fee.

Achyeong had always thought that there were a lot of thieves in the central region.

Now he realized that it was just a drop in the bucket.

A lone swordsman who carried a sword and wandered around was not a welcome guest to the bandits.

If Baek Dae-san had not told him that attacking without provocation was not advisable unless the bandits gave cause, Achyeong would have walked the path of blood leisurely, stacking up the bodies.

Achyeong realized.

It’s comfortable and well-fed to travel with the masters, but it’s a bit difficult to deal with the bad guys.

But still, you have to shed blood at least once a week.

There was no perfect way in the world.

If you gain one thing, you have to give up one thing.

But still, since he was comfortable and well-fed, he didn’t miss the blood.

When Achyeong finally achieved the goal of the new female master, the central logistics did not pull back. It was too strict.

As Achyeong gradually became lazy, the carriage of Poguk rolled all the way to Nakyang.

—-

Cheong also knew that Nakyang was the name of a city. Must be a big city.

I saw it in the Three Kingdoms.

But even if it’s called the Three Kingdoms, I only read it once.

I only knew about Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Zhao Yun.

But the actual Nakyang was huge and magnificent even with the sensibility of modern people.

Nakyang was not called Nakyang Castle for nothing.

Nakyang served as a real battlefield fortress that had experienced countless actual wars over the years.

The towering walls extended endlessly to the left and right, higher than most modern commercial buildings.

The wide open main gate swallowed people mixed with carriages and caused chaos.

In fact, Achyeong had a tendency to look down on the central civilization.

Somewhere above the primitive level.

As a modern Korean, it was an inevitable perception of ancient China.

What was proud and great about ancient China had already been burned to the ground by the Red Army’s guns, so modern Koreans have never heard of it or seen it.

Especially the height of this city wall!

He thought there would be nothing overwhelming in height.

Achyeong had lived in the era of the Eye of the Ring, a giant building from the era of the second something that could be seen from anywhere in Seoul.

Moreover, the density of the buildings was tremendous.

The walls touching between neighboring buildings belong to both of them.

Buildings connected without a concept of alleys.

Unloading luggage at the Ganbungpyo country’s Nakyangji country, having a drink with the country lord, and then having nothing else to do.

“Hey, San.”

“No.”

“What, I didn’t even say anything yet.”

“Aren’t we going to tour Nakyang anyway?”

Unfortunately, that was the correct answer.

But there was a reason why Acheong couldn’t back down.

No money!

Not to mention a reliable water source here.

“If you just follow along, there won’t be any bloodshed.”

Pangdaesan looked at Cheong with a sly look.

Occasionally, sophisticated vocabulary would pop out.

Despite the ignorance worthy of refinement. How?

“My Moonlight Sword is hungry. If you don’t want it to become a blood sacrifice to the crimson moon, guide me to Nakyang immediately, human.”

“Fine. But, I’ve been curious. Moonlight Sword? Isn’t it just a regular iron sword?”

“It’s a way to give a name to a beloved weapon.”

Pangdaesan furrowed his brow.

One of the famous teachings of the martial arts.

Do not name your weapon.

It was the experiential wisdom of seniors who said that if a martial artist becomes attached to their weapon, they will end up being cut by it.

However, seeing how Acheong wielded that Moonlight Sword, there was no need to explain further.

When he used the bonfire as a Moonlight Sword, he doubted his eyes.

Aside from being wasteful and reckless, it was a matter of questioning the swordsman’s qualifications.

“Okay, but why Moonlight Sword?”

“Because I am a master of Moon Maiden Swordsmanship.”

“…?”

“Moon Maiden Swordsmanship. Moonlight Sword.”

“…?”

“Don’t you get it? Moon Maiden Sword. Moonlight Sword.”

“…Just stop talking.”

Moonmaiden is a shortened form of Moon Country women.

And of course, Moon Country was not a land of the moon.

How could a country be named Moon Country?

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

“I said I’m not going.”

“I’ll keep bothering you until you do. Surrender.”

Pangdaesan’s eyebrows twitched.

The remark brushed against Pangdaesan’s pride.

Now, rather than a woman, he had become more of a friend-like figure, a master of the sword, an ignorant person, a beggar, but still.

But in sticking so closely, there was a suspicion of ulterior motives.

Could it be a strategy? To focus on the topic of women?

It was a severe symptom of axe-wielding late-stage.

Fortunately, Acheong’s thoughtless chatter extinguished the spark caused by his words.

“We’ll have dinner at Chosunru. Do you agree?”

“How do you know where that is…?”

“I heard it’s the best in Nakyang. That’s what the travelers say.”

It was true that Chosunru was the best in Nakyang.

“Although it’s expensive. Don’t you have no money?”

“What’s the point of having a friend? When will I ever have the chance to visit such a high-class inn in my life? Right, San?”

It was a blatant scam.

It wasn’t a temptation, just a swindle.

Pangdaesan’s suspicion subsided.

Instead, he felt subtly upset.

Why am I feeling upset?

“Fine, I’ll be generous. But I won’t go all the way to Chosunru…”

“Fine.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“I said okay. I’ll take you. To Chosunru.”

Acheong blinked.

“Really? It’s expensive there, right? San, are you serious? Are you really that wealthy?”

“Are you asking me if I can afford it, or are you asking me to take you there?”

“It was just a negotiation strategy. Make a big demand first, and if rejected, make a smaller one.”

Sharp words that sometimes popped out of ignorance.

This time, the words were even sharper.

Pangdaesan pondered over the words.

Acheong, interpreting the silence differently, gave a sheepish apologetic smile.

“If it’s burdensome, forget it. I just wanted to give it a shot.”

Pang Daesan’s eyebrows twitched.

Talking about wealth earlier was one thing. Could it be?

“Hey. Do you know where my family is from?”

“The Ha Buk Pang family? The head of the family always talks about it.”

“Do you know what that means?”

“You don’t have to brag about your family’s wealth. Oh. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scratch your pride by saying something about being burdensome. Don’t worry about it.”

He didn’t know what the Ha Buk Pang family was!

It seemed like he understood it as a famous wealthy family.

Ignorance has its limits.

The people he could meet were either scoundrels or lower-class commoners.

They were people who dared not speak ill of the Great Five Families.

The Gupailbang, even if caught gossiping, would beg for forgiveness on their knees.

If caught gossiping about the Great Five Families, at least one arm would be lost.

At least.

“It’s nothing to worry about, just a first-rate tavern. Let’s go.”

It was true that there was no need to worry.

It was also true that his pride was slightly hurt.

Most of all, Pang Daesan offering to go with him was not just a gesture of goodwill.

Pang Daesan had a reason for not wanting to go out.

And he was curious about Acheong’s reaction to the invitation.

Without knowing any of that, Acheong hurriedly stepped outside-

And came face to face with a group of beautiful women from Nakyang gathered there.