episode_0048

It’s damp.

This would be the best way to describe Cheongho.

Before the sun rises, Cheongho is always a city covered in thick fog.

Wide and deep. According to legend, when the thick fog that comes from Cheongho, where a dragon lives, settles in, the people of Cheongho Fortress slowly open their eyes.

Afterwards, people come to their senses from the moisture that clings to their bodies and begin their morning routine.

Even with empty words, the place where the thick fog had encroached was not suitable for going out. But still, the people of Cheongho did not want to leave Cheongho.

Because they all knew that this thick fog was only the beginning of the day.

The sun, the most diligent climber, begins to climb the sky, and the strong sunlight pleasantly dries up the village that had been drenched in the water fog of Cheongho Lake. The children going to the school frowned as if they were dazzled by the light shining on the sparkling water, but none of them disliked Cheongho.

As I entered this space of people living with pride in their home, the first person I encountered said something quite impressive.

“This is a scam!!”

…It looks like he lost his money on the Cheongho carriage race.

Even in the bright moon of heaven, you could often see people like this when you went to Cheongho Castle. They probably bet on a night race with high odds.

As he passed by, crying and throwing the card, which was now nothing more than kindling, on the floor, Chae-jin, who was sitting on the carriage, giggled.

“It’s Cheongho’s specialty.”

“It’s amazing to have something like that as a specialty.”

Even if you go to a casino, or even a racetrack, there are a lot of people like that.

I waved the reins as I watched people heading to work, some grumbling and others happy.

“That. Where do you plan on going? I know a good guesthouse.”

“Can I ask you a favor?”

“Of course. Go straight from here.”

She naturally came out and sat down next to me, stretched out her hand and pointed in the direction. The guesthouse we arrived at after moving like that was literally a guesthouse to which the word ‘ordinary’ best fits.

“Chamo!!”

Upon arriving in front of the guesthouse, a servant stops a horse and carriage in the empty seat of the guesthouse. Chaejin naturally jumped off the carriage and confidently entered the guesthouse.

“Oh my? Lady Chae?”

What greeted her was a good-looking middle-aged hostess who looked to be in her early or mid-fifties. She smiled brightly and hugged Chaejin, not hiding her joy.

“I heard you are busy these days? Where are you wandering around like that??”

“Hehe. I was busy one way or another.”

“But next to it…?”

The hostess, called Chamo, looked at Chaejin and me in turns. Then he snapped his fingers and started smiling brightly.

At that laugh, Chaejin hurriedly shook his head.

“Isn’t that what it is?!”

“I didn’t say anything?”

She responded slyly, patting Chaejin’s puffy cheeks on the shoulder and then bowing her head to me.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Chamo, the owner of Cheongho Soma Guesthouse.”

“Nice to meet you. I am Yuwol, the guest housekeeper of Seomhwachon.”

“Guest janju…? This is true. I didn’t know that a guest from another place would come. anyway. meal? alcohol? Or…”

“Please give me a simple meal. I’m done drinking. And I’d like to stay overnight.”

“I understand. Please wait a moment?”

Chamo walked towards the kitchen with such rough steps that I thought I might hear a thumping sound. Although it is not a very large guest cup, it seems to double as a place to stay.

After ordering and sitting down, Chaejin smiled awkwardly.

“Chamo is the maid who took charge of me.”

“You seemed friendly somehow. But why didn’t you continue working as a maid and take charge of the guest house here?”

“Um…”

Chaejin laughed bitterly.

“It’s because of me that Chamo became the owner of the house.”

Did something bad happen?

The only time maids leave a well-working family is when they do something wrong. So I asked out of curiosity, and she answered without hiding anything.

“At the first Cheongho carriage race I participated in, they bet everything on me and made a lot of money… At the time, almost no one predicted that I would win.”

“…Ah.”

It seems like you don’t betray your enemy.

It was such a big hit that you took over the guesthouse?

That’s awesome.

“Anyway, since then, I have taken over the guesthouse, and thanks to that, I often stay here when I come to Cheongho.”

“Don’t you sleep at home?”

“Hehe. I like other places better than my home.”

I’ve seen this happen often too. Because I hate home, or because I hate people at home.

People who were supposed to be peaceful at home were becoming more uncomfortable than outside, and we could see many people around us.

If Chaejin is that way too, then there won’t be any problem.

“Still, don’t sleep overnight. It’s not good for your health.”

“If you’re an expert like me, there’s no problem, right?”

It was then. Chamo must have already finished cooking when he came out holding a tray in his large hands.

Somen with a lot of meat, and dumplings and five-spice pork. Cheongho’s special dish was served.

After filling up his stomach to some extent, Chaejin sipped the tea and asked.

“But why did you come to Cheongho? Just a request from the coffin? Or…”

“There is a request from the officer, but there is someone I need to meet. Chamo. I have something to ask. Perhaps a medicinal chef who retired from the imperial palace? I heard that a man named Yohwan is staying in Cheongho. Do you know?”

“I’m sure there’s no one who doesn’t know anyone who works in this area in Cheongho, right? It’s already been more than half a year since that old man, Yohwan, came here. There is a person who was making a fuss because they wanted to take him from various guesthouses, kiru, and restaurants, but suddenly stopped doing so.”

“There is such a person? No, but how did you know that?”

“Haomun informed me.”

It was a story I overheard while drinking with Hano, branch manager Hao Mun Yang.

Last year or so, the palace’s chief servant retired, and many of the servants who followed him were replaced.

Of course, most of the guests were taken to famous houses or restaurants near the capital, but one of those who did not was said to be staying in Cheongho.

At Heavenly Moon, we were able to receive help from people with these stories through events, and the same was true for Sayoon.

Yohwan, whom I came to meet now, was also that kind of person.

If you build a friendship with her through an event, she will cook you a dish that increases your physical abilities when you bring her certain ingredients.

In addition, there are several other events related to her affiliation.

I don’t know if that will happen here too… but anyway, shouldn’t we do everything we can?

If I were to serve that dish not only to Sayoon but also to the Hongseong students and increase their physical abilities even a little, it would definitely be of great help in the future.

Because dust gathers and becomes a mountain.

“So? Where is that person?”

Chamo casually informed Chaejin, who was curious.

“You can see it when you go to Cheongho Carriage Stadium?”

After eating, we moved right away. It was not impossible to walk from Cheongho to the carriage stadium.

Is it because Cheongho is Moonwoljeong’s territory? It wasn’t that difficult for people to bow down or get out of the way when they saw Chaejin wearing Moonwoljeong’s costume as she moved through the busy city.

“Oh. That looks delicious. Right?”

“I see.”

“Wow. Look at that. Isn’t it amazing? The monkey breaks the chain!”

“It’s amazing.”

“…what a reaction.”

“No, how should you react when you see something like that… There are many similar things in Yang Wisung.”

While looking around, I arrived at Cheongho Carriage Stadium. There was a wide dirt road outside the large building. People were raising paddles and roaring, as if they were running a short distance race.

“Run! Awesome power!”

“I risked everything on you!! Black gale!!”

They say the best place to see human desires is in a gambling place. At Cheongho Carriage Stadium, most people were fascinated by the chance to make a fortune.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones like that.

It seems that among some of the martial artists, there were people who just came out to watch.

Among them, a few gamblers grumbled when they saw a martial artist wearing a uniform.

“Tch. Why does a Taoist come to a place like this?”

Chaejin glanced at me and I shrugged my shoulders.

“For Taoists and monks, there is no better training center than this place.”

“Huh? Why?”

“It is said that human desires are inherent and difficult to express outside of oneself. However, the madness of desire here is not small at all, so even those who have been swept up in it and have trained can easily face their desires, right?”

Just as you can’t cut it if you can’t see it, if you can see it, you can cut it out.

For those who cultivate the path by throwing away their desires one by one, wouldn’t a place like this pit of desire be a great training ground?

“Oh. That’s a really interesting opinion.”

“Sure. That’s an interesting opinion.”

It’s a surprise.

A voice other than Chaejin’s was heard.

When I turned around, I saw that it was a sturdy old woman with white hair. What was unusual was that her left eye was covered with a black eyepatch.

“Nice to meet you.”

So I gave her a hug, and I saw a look in one of her eyes.

“My name is Yuwol, the guest of Seomhwachon. Are you sleeping well? If it’s okay, would you like to work at my guesthouse?”

She, Yohwan, the person I was supposed to meet, shook her head. As if to stop saying things that aren’t funny.

But that only lasts for a moment. She grinned and took out a goal card from her arms.

“Ha. Actually, I don’t want to work for someone else because I think I’ll make some money this time? But I heard an interesting story, so I’ll give it a chance. If you compete with me and win, I will work with you. How about it?”

“Let’s do that.”

This also happened at the event. I smiled and nodded, and she took me and Chaejin towards the side of the carriage stadium. Goals are laid out casually on a large box there.

“Now. Pick it.”

“Does the person who draws the highest card win?”

Instead of responding to Chaejin, who was curious, I drew a card. 8-point loss. Not bad considering that a hand with a total of 10 points is the best.

Yohwan, seeing that, grinned and stretched out his hand.

When I tried to extend my hand, Chaejin grabbed Yohwan’s hand with a cold expression.

“The person I go with has a good sense of perspective. Are you a lover?”

“That…! Not really. anyway! This is a scam! Scammer!”

In Yohwan’s hand, which Chaejin grabbed, there was a hidden goal card. The score is 9 points.

It seems like they couldn’t fool expert Chaejin’s sharp eyes.

“It was a battle to reveal this in the first place. The lady of Moonwoljeong.”

right. Yohwan never said a word because this was a game where he had to draw a high card. It was just Chaejin guessing.

“Anyway. So did I win? Anyway, Chae Sojeo is on my side.”

I thought it would resist.

Anyway, the winner was mine, and I knew it, but Chaejin revealed it.

But Yohwan didn’t seem to mind.

“Ah. good. It’s getting more and more annoying to be here, so I thought about going when someone from another neighborhood comes to hire me.”

That’s probably why Heavenly Moon accepted Sayun’s offer and made a bet.

“Ah. Before that.”

She took a card out of her pocket. She looked at it lovingly and smiled.

“Since we are working together, I will treat myself with this. Hehehe. I just walked away with solid information. If you win it, it’s a jackpot!”

Smiling triumphantly, Yohwan took us to the stadium.

The game has already started. As several carriages ran wildly, Yohwan held his hand tightly and trembled.

And then, a carriage crosses the finish line.

“Ah… ah…”

A person can fall apart like this.

The card fell out of her hand as she sat helplessly on the chair, as if it had been completely burned. When I picked it up and checked, the carriage she had driven was ranked 4th.

“Draw, draw… Make it a draw…”

I shook my head as I listened to the soulless mumbling. Will it work? that is.

“Let’s go. Because I am going to live today.”

It was then. Like the ebb of the tide, people begin to flow out. People started to murmur.

And what came out of there was a woman familiar to me, with sharp eyes that fit perfectly with the outfits worn by Moonwoljeong’s disciples.

“…Chaejeokyo.”

Chaejeokyo.

Chaejin’s cousin and one of the inner disciples supported by Byeokromun, a subordinate force of Moonwoljeong.

And like Chae-ryeon, she is a woman who is aiming for the position of great disciple.

He was also one of the hostile people who appeared in Chae-ryun’s main story.

“Hmm… I was here. And the great disciple who ran away from home is also here?”

Chaejin raised an eyebrow at the sarcastic voice. The woman smiled arrogantly at her and held out her hand to Yohwan.

“I heard the story. I heard you lost a lot this time? ruler. There is no choice now, right? Now, let’s go to Munwoljeong Pavilion.”

“Uuuuu…”

Yohwan, who was moaning like a dead man, slowly came to his senses and glanced at her.

“If I go under you, I will bite my tongue and die.”

“Hehe. But you. There’s nowhere to go, right?”

“Why is there no place to go? This person from Seomhwachon came to hire me.”

At those words, Chae Jeokyo quickly turned his head and looked at me.

When I reacted angrily to the look in her eyes that would have stabbed me right away if she was holding something sharp, she chuckled.

and.

“Is it you?”

“That’s right.”

“Do you know who that woman is?”

“That’s right.”

“Experience of working in the imperial palace? aha! iced coffee. you. You’re not a martial artist? Hehehe. Then you might not know anything else other than that.”

For a moment, Yohwan’s expression darkens. The old woman’s dry hands were turning white, probably due to the strength she exerted in holding the chair.

“That woman. It’s called Amipa’s apostate monk.”

Apostate monk.

A monk who was stripped of his rank for violating the precepts.

Unless a serious crime is committed, there is no punishment equivalent to excommunication.

Nevertheless, being an apostate monk was a reason enough to be disliked, so Chae Jeok-yo had a triumphant expression on his face.

That’s why I answered.

“I know.”

“Yes!! So… what?”

okay. Know.

Why was Yohwan betrayed, and why did Amipah ban her and kick her out?

Amipa, a sect of nuns located in Sacheon, declared to the Murim Alliance that other forces should be prepared for hostility if they touch her.

Also, if you take Yohwan to a place that is not under the influence of the martial arts, there will be no conflict with Amifa as long as it does not cause problems.

There is also the fact that Yohwan is in regular contact with Amipah through the mail.

and.

Also about the importance of Yohwan and Amipah in our scenario.

“Everyone in the know knows this. What a great secret. Safain Hao Mun also knew.”

Silence settled in.

Chaejeok urethra, urethra urethra. And Chae Jeokyo’s subordinates.

I stood there dumbfounded, unable to keep my mouth shut.

Only Chaejin is nodding his head, feeling quite proud for some reason.