Without warning, he kicked Escort Guard Myeong Jong, who had been standing in front of me.
“Urgh!”
Caught off guard by the sudden attack, Escort Guard Myeong Jong nearly shouted in outrage before abruptly freezing.
“What the hell are you… Mu Hyeon?”
“That’s right! I’m Mu Hyeon, you stupid bastard!”
I chuckled at the sight.
Escort Guard Myeong Jong wasn’t standing far from me. I could easily have stopped Mu Hyeon from kicking him, but I hadn’t.
There hadn’t been the slightest trace of killing intent behind that attack.
That was probably why Escort Guard Myeong Jong had allowed the kick to land in the first place.
Mu Hyeon grabbed Escort Guard Myeong Jong by the collar and shook him violently.
“I heard what happened. But even so, how could you not show your face even once? You could’ve at least sent us a letter!”
“I’m sorry.”
“You think saying you’re sorry makes everything fine? Did you throw all the bonds we forged while training together and surviving one brush with death after another straight into the gutter? You rotten bastard!”
“I’m sorry.”
“I asked if saying sorry makes everything fine!”
At that moment, several disciples who had been guarding the inn came running, apparently drawn by the commotion.
“What’s going on? Mu Hyeon? It’s not like you to get this worked… up. Damn. I can see why.”
“Wait! Is that really you, Senior Brother Myeong Jong?”
Escort Guard Myeong Jong gave them a bitter smile.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
He was still trapped in Taoist Mu Hyeon’s grip, however.
Which meant he had no way to escape the enthusiastic welcome that followed.
“You bastard! Why did you take so long to come back?”
Wham! Thud!
“You little shit! Do you have any idea how worried we were about you?”
Thud!
“Senior Brother! You’ve seriously gone too far!”
Thud! Thud!
“Argh! You bastard! Don’t you know it’s insubordination for a junior brother to beat his senior brother?”
“No, I don’t!”
Escort Guard Seo Wu laughed as he watched.
“That’s quite the welcome.”
“It certainly is.”
I answered while subtly turning my head toward Escort Guard Chang Un.
Escort Guard Chang Un belonged to a different sect, but his circumstances were much the same as Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s.
Perhaps that was why the sight seemed to stir so many emotions within him.
“I should probably rescue my escort guard now. At this rate, they’re going to leave him bedridden.”
With that, I approached them.
“I believe that’s enough of a welcome.”
“And you… are?”
Escort Guard Myeong Jong quickly rose and straightened his disheveled clothes before answering.
“He is my lord.”
“Your lord… You mean the Handsome Young Hero?”
“That’s right.”
Escort Guard Myeong Jong answered with unmistakable pride.
“He is also my benefactor. He prevented a catastrophe caused by my mistake and saved me when I was about to be expelled from the sect and have my dantian crippled.”
Taoist Mu Hyeon nodded.
“We know about that. We heard what happened to you from Martial Uncle.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet Escort Guard Myeong Jong’s fellow disciples.”
I offered them a cupped-fist salute, then headed toward Brother Jin Ho.
It was already a little too late to return to Luoyang today.
Besides, I wanted Escort Guard Myeong Jong to have time to catch up with his fellow disciples.
Brother Jin Ho was speaking with Escort Chief Gi.
From what I overheard, Escort Chief Gi wanted to give him half the escort fee as thanks for helping them arrive safely. Brother Jin Ho was refusing, and the two were caught in a polite argument.
I gently intervened.
“I understand how you feel, Escort Chief, but we cannot accept that money.”
“But…”
“We’re fine, so please put that money toward death benefits for the guards who lost their lives during this job. That’s all right with you, Brother, isn’t it?”
“Of course! I was thinking the same thing.”
“Then please withdraw your offer to reward us.”
I had heard that Escort Chief Gi had lost four guards during this assignment. How could we possibly accept a reward from him?
No matter how much I loved money, I still had some shame.
“…”
At my words, he bit his lip.
“To tell you the truth, the guards who died have been weighing heavily on my mind as well. Thank you for showing such concern for our escort bureau’s men.”
He tucked the money pouch back into his clothes and continued.
“I’ll use this money exactly as the Great Heroes have requested.”
“Good.”
“Please do.”
“Once again, thank you for helping our escort bureau.”
“All within the four seas are fellow travelers. Fate merely brought our paths together.”
Escort Chief Gi bowed respectfully before returning to the remaining guards.
I turned toward Brother Jin Ho.
“Brother, let’s spend the night here and leave early tomorrow morning.”
“That would probably be best. Still, our parents and the Outer Chief Administrator must be worried sick.”
I sighed at Brother Jin Ho’s words.
“You’re only thinking of that now?”
“…Hahaha.”
I chuckled.
“I already sent Father a letter. I told him we had to escort some young ladies to Mount Hua Sect and that we’d head for Luoyang as soon as we finished.”
Of course, I had asked Geumryeong to deliver it.
And there was no way I could expect Geumryeong to work for free.
“Two silver taels.”
“Huh?”
“Hand over two silver taels. That’s how much money I spent because of you.”
Brother Jin Ho immediately shrank back and obediently pulled two silver taels from his money pouch.
I swiftly snatched them from his hand.
“Now let’s go inside the inn and rest. I’m exhausted.”
“R-right…”
A short while later.
We found rooms at an inn near the one where the women were staying.
Escort Guard Myeong Jong undoubtedly had plenty to discuss with the fellow disciples he hadn’t seen in so long, but he couldn’t stray too far from me when I was the person he had been assigned to protect.
I therefore gave Escort Guard Myeong Jong permission to go out and told him to at least share a meal with them.
Unlike my other escort guards, I had no intention of keeping Escort Guard Myeong Jong and Escort Guard Chang Un at my side forever.
I had accepted them as my escort guards, but only because I had needed a way to save them when they were innocent of any crime.
One day, they would have to return to their respective sects.
I had grown deeply attached to them, so sending them back would certainly leave me feeling lonely. Even so, I believed they could accomplish far greater things within their own sects.
I sat down on the bed and called for Geumryeong.
“Geumryeong.”
“Kui!”
Geumryeong had already figured out why I had called and was staring at me with sparkling eyes.
“Here. You worked hard this time.”
I chuckled and held out the silver. They were the two silver taels I had just collected from Brother Jin Ho.
One tael was for finding Brother Jin Ho, and the other was for delivering the letter to Father.
Geumryeong hugged both silver taels and rolled gleefully across the bed.
Geumryeong really loved silver.
So did I.
After all, none of it had come out of my pocket.
Myeong Jong was sitting inside a restaurant near the inn where Eun Seo Ho was staying.
Eun Seo Ho had reserved the restaurant, ordered the food, and even paid for everything so Myeong Jong could enjoy a meal with his fellow Mount Hua disciples.
Mu Hyeon, who belonged to the same martial generation and was also his close friend, spoke.
“Seriously… Your lord is incredible. After he went this far, how could we possibly refuse to eat?”
“Even I have to admit my lord is remarkable.”
“Well, I won’t turn down the meal.”
Mu Hyeon picked up his chopsticks and began eating. Only then did Myeong Jong finally lift his own chopsticks.
The others beside them had already begun their meals.
Of course, not every Mount Hua Sect disciple was eating with them.
They were standing guard in three shifts, so the disciples currently on duty would come to the restaurant and eat later.
“Still, don’t you think you went too far? I thought you would at least send me a letter.”
Mu Hyeon grumbled as he looked at Myeong Jong.
Myeong Jong had participated in the Dragon-Phoenix Martial Gathering because he had been the strongest disciple of their generation at the time.
Thus, when he had left for Luoyang with their Martial Uncle, none of them had imagined anything so terrible would happen.
‘I thought he would proudly show the world the might of Mount Hua’s sword before returning.’
There had admittedly been a few people who took pleasure in Myeong Jong’s downfall.
However, Mu Hyeon and most of Mount Hua Sect’s other disciples had grieved over Myeong Jong’s misfortune as though it had happened to them personally.
That alone proved Myeong Jong had never been the sort of man who made enemies through a disagreeable personality.
“Ah! Let’s climb Mount Hua right now! Martial Uncle and Elder Yeong Jeong will surely be delighted to see you.”
Myeong Jong shook his head.
“No, I can’t. I cannot stray far from my lord’s side. Nor do I have any desire to.”
“You truly follow your lord with all your heart.”
“Of course.”
“He is your benefactor, so I understand why you’re loyal to him. But it feels as though there’s something more…”
Myeong Jong set down his chopsticks.
“Who knows? Honestly, I don’t entirely understand it myself. But I’m certain there’s something special about him. I just can’t put my finger on exactly what it is.”
“You’re no fun.”
Mu Hyeon smirked, but Myeong Jong could only smile bitterly.
“Besides… I’m still not permitted to enter the main hall.”
“Ah…”
Myeong Jong was currently a Secular Disciple, not a Core Disciple.
Unless there were exceptional circumstances, Mount Hua Sect’s Secular Disciples were not permitted to enter the main hall.
“Sorry. I spoke without thinking.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for. It isn’t your fault.”
Just then.
Bang!
The restaurant door flew open, and someone stepped inside.
Myeong Jong and Mu Hyeon frowned the instant they saw him. The man approached Myeong Jong with a mocking smile plastered across his face.
“What are you doing here? I thought you’d run away because you were too ashamed after falling from your lofty perch.”
“Did you come here just to pick a fight, Cheong Jin?”
Cheong Jin belonged to the same martial generation as Myeong Jong and Mu Hyeon. However, he had never been close to either of them.
That was because Cheong Jin had always envied and resented Myeong Jong.
They had tried to get along with him since they were all disciples of the same generation, but Cheong Jin had rejected every one of their efforts.
He had even taken pleasure in Myeong Jong’s downfall.
“Pick a fight? Is stating the truth considered picking a fight now?”
“Enough. Leave.”
“Who are you to order me around? Do you honestly think you’re still in any position to speak to me that way?”
He repeatedly prodded Myeong Jong’s chest with his index finger.
“I’m a Core Disciple, while you’re nothing more than a Secular Disciple.”
“…”
“A Secular Disciple who fell so low that he became a merchant’s escort guard.”
Among martial artists, escort guards were not held in particularly high regard.
Many looked down on them because they believed escort guards sold their martial arts for money.
“It’s the perfect position for you.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Cheong Jin furrowed his brow at Myeong Jong’s answer.
“Have you lost your mind?”
“You said being my lord’s escort guard was the perfect position for me, didn’t you? That’s the highest praise anyone could give me.”
“…”
Cheong Jin looked thoroughly displeased by Myeong Jong’s response.
“So the rumors were true. You really are the guard of some lowly merchant who’d sell his own guts for money. I suppose you’re no better than he is.”
Myeong Jong raised his head and stared directly into Cheong Jin’s eyes.
The intensity in his gaze forced Cheong Jin to flinch.
“You may insult me all you like. But don’t you dare insult my lord!”
“W-what did you say, you bastard?!”
Unwilling to admit that Myeong Jong’s presence had overwhelmed him, Cheong Jin deliberately became even more aggressive.
“Then come at me! It’s not as though we were ever the kind of people who settled our differences politely with words.”
“That’s true.”
Myeong Jong rose from his seat and spoke to Cheong Jin.
“Wait here.”
“…?”
“I need to ask my lord’s permission first.”
I was eating dinner when I saw Escort Guard Myeong Jong returning to the inn, and I tilted my head in confusion.
There was no way he had already finished eating dinner.
“My lord.”
His expression looked unusually serious. Had something happened?
“What is it?”
“A situation has arisen that requires me to fight a duel. I have returned to ask for your permission.”
A duel?
Why was he suddenly asking to fight a duel?
“Would you explain what happened?”
At my question, he nodded and began explaining.
Ever since he had first entered Mount Hua Sect, there had been someone who envied and resented him. That same person had now insulted me.
“You don’t need to push yourself merely for the sake of my honor.”
“This duel is for your sake, my lord, but it is also for mine.”
“So there’s more to the story.”
He nodded.
“Yes. He used to torment not only me, but many of the others as well… and I’m told he still does.”
“Why haven’t the sect elders intervened?”
“Because he never makes his harassment obvious enough. He’s so calculating about it that the elders have no grounds to interfere.”
In that case, there was little they could do.
“His martial arts are also considered among the best of our generation. As a result, there are no other disciples capable of keeping him in check.”
“…”
“I may have grown distant from the sect, but I am still their senior brother. I would like to settle this matter myself.”
After thinking for a moment, I nodded.
“Very well. But you must win.”
“Thank you. I accept your command.”
“Then let’s go.”
“Pardon?”
“My escort guard is about to fight a duel. What kind of lord would I be if I stayed holed up inside?”
I gathered the rest of our party and left the inn.
A dueling ground had already been prepared in the courtyard outside the inn where we were staying.
I studied the man known as Taoist Cheong Jin.
I had heard that he was the one who had arranged to hold the duel here… He must have been desperate to humiliate Escort Guard Myeong Jong.
The courtyard saw plenty of passing traffic, so our party was far from the only group present. A considerable crowd of interested spectators had already gathered.
But… was he an idiot?
Why hadn’t he considered that the humiliation might fall upon him instead?
Then again, someone that arrogant might never have entertained such a possibility.
I looked from Taoist Cheong Jin to Escort Guard Myeong Jong.
This was starting to worry me.
Not for Escort Guard Myeong Jong, but for Taoist Cheong Jin.
The duel soon began.
Escort Guard Myeong Jong raised his sword and assumed an opening stance.
A breeze blew in from somewhere, carrying the delicate fragrance of plum blossoms.
It seemed Escort Guard Myeong Jong had no intention of holding back.
I looked at Taoist Cheong Jin and chuckled.
You’re dead, you bastard.
–TL Notes–
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