episode_0018

Externally, the four thousand branches of the Cheonmasingyo are disguised as a symbol.

Jang Mu-gyeong, the head of the branch office, is the head of the state office, and the martial artists of the Demonic Cult who move around in low-ranking positions in the branch office are called Pyo-du and Pyo-sa.

However, his work as a trader was only an illusion, and his main business was smuggling with the South, so his circumstances were quite comfortable.

The evidence was a bundle of silver coins held in the hand of Yu Ye-hyang, who had just returned from the battlefield.

In the event of the visit of the Sogyo leader, Jang Mu-gyeong hurriedly gathered all the vouchers that would not interfere with the payment, and presented them in silver worth a whopping 100 nyang.

In return for excessive loyalty, the livelihood of the Sacheon Bunta will be considerably strained, but what can you do? To the martial artists of the Demonic Cult, the status of a junior cult leader is comparable to that of a royal family member, such as a prince.

“It’s noisy. There are a lot of people walking around. If the number of saints is this big, I can’t even guess how much bigger Nanjing or Beijing are.”

“This is my first time going outside of school, but there are so many people. If I’m not careful, I might get lost and end up missing.”

As Yeonjin stood there blankly, looking around, mumbling, Yu Yehyang answered with a soft smile.

Not to mention Yeonjin, an orphan who was kidnapped by the Demonic Cult before she could do anything in her second life, and Yu Yehyang, who was born with the qualities that made her a Heavenly Demon.

For the two who had spent their entire lives, or nearly their entire lives, in the Shimandaesan Mountains, the city of Seongdo was like a completely different world.

Compared to the steep skyscrapers and the crowds of her previous life, it was certainly shabby, but for Yeon-jin, who had already fully adapted to the Central Plains and the martial arts world, this sight, which she had not seen in nearly twenty years, was quite dizzying.

The loud voices of merchants shouting and soliciting customers.

The strong, appetizing aroma of seasoned meat being grilled on a skewered table.

Yeonjin was blankly staring at the sight that felt so unfamiliar, and Yu Yehyang’s eyes, which were looking at Yeonjin, gently curved.

Since both of them are martial artists whose aura is incomparable to that of a criminal, it doesn’t really matter, but if you were an ordinary person, it would be a disaster if you were to get separated from your group because the crowd was so bustling.

Yeonjin, who had been blankly looking around, came to her senses and held out her hand, since she had to make her way through the crowd from now on.

“Sister.”

“Huh? Why are you like that, Jin-ah.”

“I think we should hold hands and go.”

Yeonjin, who was looking at the gap between people with slightly tired eyes, held out her hand and said.

We linked arms only for a moment when we left, and neither Yeonjin nor Yu Ye-hyang had the guts to do so in front of so many people.

To begin with, their relationship is not one of formal dating, and although they are aware of each other as a romantic interest, there is a subtle distance between them, but they are also not shy. It is a relationship that is difficult to describe in words.

If it were Yeonjin’s past life, then it would be different, but in her second life, just holding hands in front of other people is quite an eye-catching action.

But it seemed inevitable that I would have to make my way through the bustling crowd.

“… … ”

Yu Ye-hyang stared at the outstretched hand for a moment in silence, then took it and smiled faintly.

“Let’s do that.”

Slightly reddened cheeks.

It is called a martial arts trip or something, but in essence, it is a trip to the Central Plains to travel and broaden one’s horizons. In other great sects, the disciples’ departure to the martial arts world was more like a kind of rest or vacation.

That means, leisurely sightseeing in this way, walking around the city, and buying delicious food is the most true to the essence of relaxation.

Because for now, it was okay to put aside all the other troublesome stories.

“There are so many people.”

Even Yu Ye-hyang, who would normally be disgusted by places with so many people, stopped at expressing only that level of appreciation.

In fact, I was rather thankful that there were so many people.

Now, she could naturally hold his hand whenever she wanted, but being led around by Yeonjin while holding his hand like this was quite an unfamiliar experience for her as well.

Have you ever experienced something like this before your regression?

Yu Ye-hyang thought for a moment and came to a conclusion. It probably didn’t exist.

“Would you like to buy one of those? It seems like a lot to eat alone.”

“Okay.”

While I was in the lingering mood for a moment, Yeonjin, who was walking ahead, pointed to a street stall.

Sacheon is also called the land of the heavenly rich, the land where the heavens bestowed granaries. As expected from Sacheon, which is rich in natural resources, the skewers sold at street stalls also had large pieces of meat on them.

It’s a bit too authentic for street food, but can’t I buy you one dish that you want to eat? As Yeonjin was about to pay for the spicy skewer she was pointing at, the middle-aged man selling the skewers jokingly spoke to her.

“You two look good together. It’s originally three nyang in coins, but I’ll bargain it down to two nyang. There’s no such thing as a handsome man or a beautiful woman.”

“… … Ahem ahem.”

Even though you could tell he was a martial artist by the way he wore his clothes and the sword he was carrying, Yu Ye-hyang’s face turned slightly red at the merchant’s playful compliment and she coughed in vain.

‘It must seem that way to others.’

A boy and a girl in the prime of their lives.

They are both adults since they should have been baptized a long time ago, but they are not yet of age, so they fit into the category of boy and girl.

Moreover, since they are walking around the city holding hands, it wouldn’t be strange if people mistook them for a couple.

‘It’s not like that yet, but… … .’

It is ‘still’. Perhaps, to this extent, it can be considered a fait accompli. Although it has become colorless as it has gone through regression, wasn’t it her one and only companion in the time that has disappeared while buried in Sato?

Whether Yoo Ye-hyang, who suddenly remembered that fact, looked at Yeon-jin with a hazy look or not, Yeon-jin, who heard the merchant’s non-virtuous remark, smiled and answered jokingly.

“It’s so big, is it okay if you lower the price? How much profit would I make if I sold one?”

“Oh my, don’t worry about me.”

When Yeonjin tried to hand her three coins, the merchant waved his hand. However, when she insisted on paying the full price without even haggling, the merchant holding the coins spoke awkwardly.

“Even if you give me a discount, it’s still the same. Next time, the two of you should definitely come back together. I’ll take better care of it.”

“I’ll come again next time.”

Yeonjin smiled and responded to the merchant’s words, which sounded like he was sorry, and then turned to Yu Yehyang, who had been looking at him with a wistful look in her eyes, and said.

“It’s bigger than it looks. It’s a bit much for a snack. It’s before a meal, so let’s share it.”

“Huh? Oh, yeah. Okay, then.”

Only then did Yu Ye-hyang, who had suddenly come to her senses, nod her head, and Yeon-jin bit into the skewer first.

Although bitter herbs had not yet been introduced, the meat skewers were made spicy using seasonings such as pepper and ginger, typical of Sichuan cuisine, which is known for its spicy flavor.

Taking a bite, the juicy and savory flavor spread through her mouth, and Yeonjin opened her eyes slightly wide at the stimulating taste that was different from the food she usually ate while training.

“It’s more delicious than I thought. Sister, try it too.”

You wouldn’t expect much from street food, but Yeonjin held out a skewer to Yuyehyang because the taste exceeded her expectations.

As I put food in her mouth, Yu Ye-hyang, who had been blankly staring, instinctively bit into the skewered meat and began to chew, then thought.

‘Well, normally, no matter what, we don’t share the same food like this… … ?’

At least that was what she knew as common sense.

Especially, wouldn’t an ordinary man be even more sensitive to this kind of thing and get sick of it?

They say that personality varies from person to person, but should I say that this is too easygoing? Or should I say that this is too insensitive?

Yu Ye-hyang, who couldn’t figure out which way to go, mumbled for a moment and then tilted her head. On the other hand, just before her face turned red at the thought that their lips had indirectly touched, Yeon-jin asked her as if she was urging her.

“It’s tastier than you think, right?”

“Ah, uh, uh… … It’s tastier than I thought.”

However, the response to that question was lukewarm.

Seeing that reaction, Yeonjin made a face as if to say, “Isn’t it tasteless?”, but Yuyehyang was trying her best not to blush with embarrassment.

Judging from her reaction, it was clear that Yeonjin was unaware of it. It was clear that she was not thinking about this at all.

Then wouldn’t Yu Ye-hyang be the only one having strange thoughts, and wouldn’t she become a shameless person whose face turns red from having strange thoughts?

‘… … This, kissing starts after we start dating officially.’

Yu Ye-hyang, who had been picturing the scene in her head for a moment, slowly shook her head.

A sense of guilt came over me belatedly.

“… … ?”

What bothered Yu Ye-hyang the most was the fact that Yeon-jin had an expression on her face as if she didn’t know why she was acting like that.

But what can I do? I was the one who was imagining things and feeling embarrassed on my own.

Yu Ye-hyang let out a sigh and spoke with a resigned tone, still holding hands tightly.

“It’s nothing, Jin-ah. Eat a lot.”

“It’s a bit much to eat alone.”

It was annoying to hear her say things that she didn’t know about, but Yu Ye-hyang just nodded and gave up.

Unlike the life and death results achieved through martial arts, this was an extremely unfavorable fight for Yu Ye-hyang, who had fallen for that aspect first.