Chapter 357 – Can’t You Have a Pointed Spear? (1)
“Ba, Bangju… Are you really okay?”
“Don’t worry. The basic principle of melting into the surroundings is to become confident.”
No Hee-bang tilted her glass nonchalantly as if it was nothing, but in Hwangbo Hyoseon’s eyes, the three women were too noticeable.
Just looking at their composition was enough. Yeo-seung, a female beggar, and a high school student carrying a sword. Who are they trying to follow with such a combination?
If the two women had changed their clothes, she would have tried to hide her unique swordsmanship, but the composition of the group was not a combination that would not be noticeable even if she hid her sword.
“Think about it carefully. When Hwangbo Women’s Association first saw the Monga incident, didn’t you not recognize who it was in an instant? Even though it wasn’t the first time you saw them.”
“Why are you talking about that now…?”
Hwangbo Hyoseon glanced at Monga, but Monga seemed to be unconcerned and was playing with her chopsticks.
“The point is the problem of attention. The attention of a martial artist is often devoted to the gaze or perception that is watching them, and if you are careful about that part, you can be less sensitive than ordinary people.”
Hwangbo Hyoseon nodded her head at the convincing words that seemed to have nothing to do with it, but soon she could think of another problem from those words.
“But if we keep following like this, won’t we definitely get caught by Unjeol Daehyeop, even if Kang So-hyeop doesn’t know?”
That’s right.
No matter how high Kang Yoon’s martial arts level is, he still can’t overwhelm the women here.
Therefore, there is no need to worry about being noticed if you are careful, but in the case of Unjeol Yeongunja, the level is different.
“You don’t have to worry about that.”
“…?”
“Because we’ve already been caught.”
“…No, then…!”
Hwangbo Hyoseon was speechless, but when No Hee-bang signaled her to be quiet with her index finger, she had no choice but to lower her voice.
And she glanced at Monga, who was eating her food silently next to her, but as Hwangbo Hyoseon, she couldn’t know what she was thinking.
‘Why?’
The three of them started following the man two days ago, the day he left on his journey.
When Hwangbo Hyoseon heard the news that the man who had started to attract Kang Ho’s attention suddenly hid his appearance, just as No Hee-bang had guessed, she couldn’t understand why he would say that he would follow him.
Chapter 357 – Can’t You Have a Pointed Spear? (1)
Hwangbo Hyoseon herself felt a suspicious vibe from Kang Yoon, but No Hee-bang’s suspicion that he might have intentionally manipulated the situation to gain fame may have lost its power.
“According to the stories that have been heard about the Monga incident, it seems that they have been connected with those people even before that. Maybe there is a bigger conspiracy going on by leaving this place now.”
However, without Hwangbo Hyoseon’s knowledge, Monga had also met with the man before and had secretly followed him. In the end, Hwangbo Hyoseon, who was anxious about leaving the two alone, had no choice but to follow them.
She didn’t completely trust Kang Yoon, of course. It was hard to explain, but she could intuitively sense that he was still hiding something.
But until he fulfilled his promise, that he would create a future where the Jungsa faction and the Chungwon could coexist, she wanted to watch over the path he was taking.
“What are you saying, old man?! Where can I taste your fist?”
“Oh, my, Hyungjang! Please bear with me! I will apologize instead!”
“What did I say wrong? If my guy was late, I would wait even if it took time for the food to come out. How can you bully this young one?”
But for some reason, it took a day to catch up with them, and the man was already traveling with Unjeol Yeongunja, who was one of the top martial artists, and they were causing a commotion wherever they went.
Just like now.
‘What’s the relationship with Unjeol…?’
She already knew that he was receiving teachings from Hwajol Paengyeonhwa. Moreover, he probably had connections with the Magyo and Sogyo leaders, but it was surprising that he had any relationship with Unjeol.
Even though it seemed like they were traveling together, Unjeol was beating up a thug-like person and causing a fuss, and Kang Yoon was trying to stop him, so she couldn’t figure out what they were doing.
That’s why a lackluster voice naturally flowed out of Hwangbo Hyoseon’s mouth.
“Why are they doing that…?”
The thug-like person showed some signs of training, surprisingly. But his level was probably something that Hiryu or Kang Yoon could silence with a gesture.
Yet, he was still struggling, and it didn’t look good in Hwangbo Hyoseon’s eyes, but it seemed different in No Hee-bang’s eyes.
“Well, if he’s behaving like that because of that little girl over there, then Kang So-hyeop’s choice seems wise.”
“What…?”
Chapter 357 – Can’t You Have a Pointed Spear? (1)
No Hee-bang downed his drink in one gulp before speaking.
“In the end, Kang So-hyeop is the one who’s leaving, and we can’t retaliate against him. So that guy will take out his anger on someone else.”
“Oh…”
“Unless you plan on killing him or destroying his entire gang, it’s best not to mess with him. If we try to interfere, we might end up causing trouble for ourselves or the innkeeper over there.”
Hwangbo Hyoseon nodded in agreement after hearing No Hee-bang’s words. It wasn’t a method she was familiar with as a martial artist, but she understood that it was a way to protect the weak.
And then she realized something. Maybe Kang Yoon’s ability to handle situations like this was what made him believe in a future where the Jungsa faction and the Chungwon could coexist.
She couldn’t say for sure whether this method was right or wrong, but it was worth trying something new instead of relying on the same old ways.
Hwangbo Hyoseon decided that she would watch over Kang Yoon and the situation, and intervene if necessary.
“Hmm… I didn’t think about the people who will be left behind.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
After hastily finishing their food, they left the inn. Hwangbo Hyoseon asked Unjeol Yeongunja why he had to resort to violence against the thug-like person, but she couldn’t understand his explanation.
“Unless we completely uproot them, they will cause trouble as soon as we leave. I’m thinking ahead, unlike what you might expect.”
Unsure if he was complimenting her appearance or her intelligence, Hwangbo Hyoseon lowered her head and sharpened her sword.
While it was common for martial artists to suppress their opponents, even if they were from different factions, it was not something that could be taken lightly.
But Hwangbo Hyoseon had no intention of doing so.
“Okay, but I won’t do it.”
Chapter 357 – Can’t You Have a Pointed Spear? (1)
As someone who practiced martial arts, I couldn’t let anyone openly observe my training. It was unlikely that lightning would strike and I would suddenly remember how to use the Dragon’s Roar technique just because I showed it a few more times.
But this old man with the messy hair kept following me, and the closer we got to our destination, the more anxious I felt. Did I really have to do what this old man wanted?
Not until a gun was pointed at my head.
“Hmm, but won’t bowing your head to such a lowly person tarnish your reputation?”
“It’s just a name. Aren’t there many people in the gang who are better than me? The eyes of the saints may seem foolish, but they are wise, and they will evaluate me according to my abilities.”
Even if I said I was at my current position in the gang, it was only at an intermediate level. If I said I was at the peak intermediate level, I could still hold my own against most people, but there was a possibility that rumors about my age could be exaggerated.
Besides, my name wasn’t even written on my forehead. I was going to act in a way that was completely opposite to what Unjeol Yeongunja expected of me.
“Hmm…”
Unjeol Yeongunja seemed to be lost in thought, with no more words to say. It was quite satisfying to see him like that.
“But that alone is not enough of a problem.”
I didn’t know why he had followed me all the way from Gonryunsan to Sachon, but he didn’t seem like someone who had urgent business to attend to.
If we continued on this path, we would soon cross over to Honam, and I was already feeling a headache about how to get rid of this old man before meeting Yeonghogyeong.
If I left him alone, I had a bad feeling that he would follow me all the way to my destination and even try to become my guest.
Unless he was a fool, everyone would use their earthenware pot technique to hide their magic, but a master like Yeongunja would surely recognize that his opponent was a magyo.
“If I could secretly contact someone, I could fake my destination and buy some time to send him away…”
Of course, there was no way to contact anyone. It was fortunate that I didn’t send any of my subordinates, or else it would have been worse.
“Listen.”
“Yes, sir.”
While I was lost in thought, Yeongunja spoke up.
“It seems like it’s going to be dark soon. Will you be staying at this inn?”
“…I suppose so.”
Chapter 357 – Can’t You Have a Pointed Spear? (1)
In fact, there was still some time before the sun set, and I wasn’t in a hurry to move. Above all, it would be better to take it easy if I couldn’t shake off these old men.
“Hmm, I see. Then we’ll come back here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I have someone to meet briefly. I’ll be back soon, so you wait here.”
Could I really escape while Yeongunja was away? After a moment of thought, I concluded that it was impossible.
“Understood, sir. Please go ahead.”
I hoped that something good would come to mind while this old man was away. I booked a room and gave Yeongunja the location, praying for the best.
