Chapter 203: Chapter 203
Cheon-hwi’s eyes, which had been staring intently at Danmok Rin’s brightly smiling face, narrowed.
“You’re going to the Zhuge Clan together?”
“Yes!”
Danmok Rin answered energetically with an incredibly bright face.
“I’ve never heard such a thing.”
“The Sect Leader decided it.”
“The Sect Leader?”
As if she had been waiting for those words, Danmok Rin poured out her words with her eyes sparkling.
“Yes! It’s not just anywhere but the Zhuge Clan’s banquet. So the Sect Leader said that since it’s like this, it would be good if someone who knew well about the clan went together, and he told me to assist Senior Martial Brother.”
As if that wasn’t enough, Danmok Rin continued speaking in an excited tone.
“It will be comfortable if you travel with me. I don’t know if I can attend to you properly like Jeok-geom and Seol Ran…… but I will do my best!”
She spoke desperately.
It was understandable, for wasn’t this a journey with just her and Cheon-hwi that she had looked forward to so much.
‘I absolutely don’t want to miss it!’
She clenched her two fists tightly.
The opportunity to travel together, which seemed possible only if she became a Plum Blossom Swordsman, came faster than expected. And not wanting to miss this opportunity, she looked at Cheon-hwi with an earnest expression and spoke.
“……Can’t I? I also want to go to the banquet and meet the people of the clan…….”
She poured out even the last words she had saved up, and looked up at Cheon-hwi.
Like that, their gazes intertwined for a moment.
“Do as you please. You said the Sect Leader told you to.”
Cheon-hwi threw out the words as if it were bothersome, and flopped down opposite her.
“Thank you, Senior Martial Brother!”
At Cheon-hwi’s approval, Danmok Rin’s expression brightened. On the contrary, Cheon-hwi had an indifferent expression, regardless of what she did.
‘Well, it shouldn’t matter.’
Although it was unexpected that Danmok Rin was coming along, he actually didn’t even care whether she followed or not.
‘She already knows all about me drinking liquor and eating meat, and she said she would attend to me like Jeok-geom and Seol Ran.’
Meanwhile, Go Sam, as soon as he confirmed Cheon-hwi sitting down, roughly snatched the horse’s reins and shouted.
“We will depart now!”
As he pulled the horse’s reins along with his words.
Neigh!
Along with the horse’s cry, the carriage rattled and began to go down the narrow mountain path.
“The carriage will shake a little since there are many people coming up.”
Go Sam, who spoke carefully toward Cheon-hwi and Danmok Rin, drove the carriage forward.
The numerous carriages and merchants coming up.
How long had it been since they went down while passing them, Cheon-hwi, who was looking out the window, frowned and looked ahead.
“He found out somehow and chased after us.”
“Pardon?”
Just when Danmok Rin was wondering about the incomprehensible words.
Neighhhh!
The carriage rattled greatly.
Go Sam, who was startled by the old man who suddenly appeared and stopped the carriage, frowned.
“What is this behavior?”
Go Sam spoke while suppressing his anger.
At that, the old beggar blocking the front of the carriage, Heavenly Ear Beggar, scratched his greasy hair.
“Ahem, ahem. I am sorry for suddenly blocking the road. But I was a bit in a hurry.”
“No, what is so urgent that you block a carriage with your bare body? Are you crazy to die?”
Go Sam turned his head along with his words.
“I apologize. There was a person who suddenly blocked the road…….”
When he offered words of understanding, Danmok Rin opened her eyes widely and parted her lips.
“……Those knots are from the Beggars’ Sect?”
She was terrified as she quickly counted the number of knots tied at Heavenly Ear Beggar’s waist.
A total of seven knots.
If it was that much, he was a person who belonged to a position that could be counted on one hand even in the Beggars’ Sect.
“At that level, he’s of elder rank…….”
As she became tense, the complexion of Go Sam, who had shouted at Heavenly Ear Beggar, turned pure white.
“An, an elder of the Beggars’ Sect?”
He had poured out his words haphazardly thinking he was a crazy old man, but if he was an elder of the Beggars’ Sect, he had made a mistake.
Around the time he was dripping with cold sweat.
“By the way, why are you making a fuss blocking the road?”
Cheon-hwi, who stuck his face out the window, threw his words at Heavenly Ear Beggar.
“Da, Taoist?”
“Senior Martial Brother?”
Startled by his unhesitating words, Go Sam and Danmok Rin looked at Cheon-hwi.
An elder of the Beggars’ Sect was someone who possessed a seniority that could be counted on one hand even in Jianghu.
However, it was surprising to just address him like that.
At the moment Danmok Rin was about to stop Cheon-hwi.
“What? Why did I block it? Look at this insolent fellow. Are you asking because you don’t know that right now?”
Heavenly Ear Beggar grumbled.
At the sight that seemed to be complaining rather than being angry, Danmok Rin and Go Sam alternately looked at them with expressions of what was going on.
“Even though I handled all your aftermath.”
Meanwhile, Heavenly Ear Beggar approached Cheon-hwi.
“Are you leaving without even telling me?”
“Why? Can’t I do that?”
“…….”
For a moment, Heavenly Ear Beggar was at a loss for words.
As he said, there was no law stating that Cheon-hwi had to tell him before leaving.
However, Heavenly Ear Beggar did not back down.
Who was he.
A figure who had no one following behind him in Jianghu when it came to being stubborn and eccentric.
He skillfully laid an iron plate on his face.
And as if he was greatly angry, he trembled his hands and suddenly shouted.
“Would it kill you to say something?!”
A shout close to a reprimand.
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who had nothing to retort with, shouted like this to pressure Cheon-hwi, but.
“Yes? Why should I do that? It’s not like I have to get permission from you to leave.”
Cheon-hwi picked his ear and ignored him.
“More than that, why don’t you stop blocking the road and step aside? Look here. He is troubled because he can’t go because of you.”
Cheon-hwi said while looking at Go Sam.
Seeing the terrified Go Sam stiffened without being able to do this or that, Heavenly Ear Beggar clicked his tongue.
“Eing! This guy can’t be communicated with!”
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who was snorting heavily, naturally opened the firmly closed door of the carriage and tried to slip inside.
Thud.
However, Cheon-hwi’s hand blocked his approach.
“What are you doing right now?”
“……I am also going to travel together. Didn’t I say from before that I would give you information. I will give you enough information about the Zhuge Clan on the way.”
Along with his words, Heavenly Ear Beggar lowered his head under Cheon-hwi’s blocking hand and attempted to enter the carriage again.
However, this time a foot blatantly appeared and blocked him from trying to enter.
Veins popped up on Heavenly Ear Beggar’s forehead.
“Is it not right for me to travel together?”
“It’s not that. It’s not like you won’t chase us anyway even if I block you.”
“Then why are you blocking me from entering…….”
Cheon-hwi spoke while blocking his nose.
“The stench.”
“What?”
When Heavenly Ear Beggar opened his mouth blankly with an absurd expression at the unexpected words.
“It is a long journey to the Zhuge Clan, but you are trying to ride in the carriage together looking like that right now?”
Cheon-hwi said while looking him up and down.
Clothes that couldn’t be recognized whether they were clothing or rags, and hair full of grease.
On top of that, the stench that made his nose sting even though he hadn’t even entered the carriage made Cheon-hwi’s gaze resolute.
“If you want to enter, wash up before entering.”
“Good grief, are you telling a beggar of the Beggars’ Sect to wash right now?”
“Yes.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar spoke as if it didn’t make sense, but Cheon-hwi did not waver at all.
How could he endure that smell on the way?
It would be a different story if they were walking separately or riding horses, but inside a carriage was different.
“Are you telling me to break the sect rules of the Beggars’ Sect?”
“If you don’t like it, ride on the driver’s seat, or chase us separately.”
“This guy……! It wouldn’t be enough even if you respectfully revered this elder!”
“You have to be like an elder for me to respectfully revere you.”
Cheon-hwi ignored the furiously jumping Heavenly Ear Beggar, pushed him away, and lightly closed the open door of the carriage.
After that, he spoke to Go Sam.
“Let’s hurry up and depart.”
“Wo, would that still be okay?”
Go Sam asked carefully while watching the mood of Heavenly Ear Beggar, who was glaring at the closed door.
“It’s okay. If anything happens or he blocks the road again, I will handle it.”
At Cheon-hwi’s words, Go Sam swallowed his saliva.
“U, understood.”
Just when Go Sam, who had answered, was about to grab the horse’s reins.
“W, wait a moment!”
Heavenly Ear Beggar was startled and shouted.
“It is like this for now, but I will stop by a guest house on the way down the mountain and wash!”
“You should have done that earlier.”
* * *
A moment later, the carriage that descended Mount Hua stopped at a modest guest house located on the street corner.
Chwareureuk…
As Cheon-hwi opened the beaded curtain and entered.
“Heup!”
“Mo, Mount Hua Sect!”
The pupils of the customers eating their early breakfast shook as if an earthquake had occurred.
Looks of envy and respect settled in their eyes as they directly witnessed the Taoists of the Mount Hua Sect, who had recently been shaking Shaanxi.
When some were looking at them openly as if watching a spectacle.
“W, welcome.”
The guest house owner hesitated and approached.
“……Did you come for a meal?”
At the question, Cheon-hwi pointed to Heavenly Ear Beggar and Danmok Rin behind him, and spoke.
“That person over there would like to take a bath, and we want to get simple clothing suitable for three people, would that be possible?”
“It is possible, but the price is…….”
When the guest house owner subtly trailed off.
Jjalrang…
A small pouch shook before his eyes.
Danmok Rin, who had approached before he knew it, wore a refreshing smile and handed the pouch to him.
“Here are two taels of silver.”
The guest house owner’s eyes bulged out.
Two taels of silver was an amount of money that exceeded the guest house’s daily revenue.
He quickly rubbed his hands together.
He smiled brightly as he rubbed his two hands together like a fly.
“I will prepare it in a hurry.”
“And please prepare a meal too.”
“Of course, I will prepare it right away! You may sit anywhere! And as for you great man, please follow me.”
“Ahem, I understand.”
As Heavenly Ear Beggar left following the guest house owner with an expression still full of dissatisfaction.
“Leave things like this to me, Senior Martial Brother!”
Danmok Rin said, puffing out her chest.
Wanting to be helpful rather than a burden on the journey, she took the lead before Cheon-hwi stepped forward.
“I see you had money separately.”
“It’s because I have what the main family gave me.”
She smiled beamingly.
At the time she said she was entering Mount Hua, the Danmok Clan made a fuss saying they opposed it, but they still secretly packed money for her when she left.
It wasn’t a lot of money.
It made sense, since they had spent quite a lot on her treatment.
However, it was more than enough to use for such a journey, to the point of overflowing.
“Then this journey will be comfortable.”
Cheon-hwi smiled with satisfaction.
If she took care of the attendance and money on her own, he had nothing more to worry about.
“Let’s sit over there, Senior Martial Brother.”
Danmok Rin pointed to a table in the corner.
A moment later, the two sat at the table, and the chef carefully placed the food down.
“……Tsk, it’s just grass.”
Cheon-hwi’s nose wrinkled.
Was it perhaps because they were Taoists.
The chef, thinking he was being considerate in his own way, had completely excluded meat and brought mainly vegetables, plain noodles, and tea.
“It can’t be helped for now.”
Cheon-hwi moved his chopsticks.
When the two were intensely focused on their meal like that.
“To think I would look like this…….”
Heavenly Ear Beggar came out grumbling.
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who had hurriedly finished his bath, approached and sat next to Cheon-hwi.
“Now, is it done?”
Heavenly Ear Beggar scratched his head vigorously.
Perhaps thanks to having already washed cleanly, the dandruff that would have normally piled up thickly on the shoulders of his clothing was completely absent.
“It is a bit okay now.”
Cheon-hwi was satisfied.
The stench that used to pierce his nose just by being next to him before had completely disappeared.
Danmok Rin, who was eating, also opened her eyes widely when she saw Heavenly Ear Beggar’s appearance.
“Are you truly the elder?”
“Why, is it strange?”
“It is not strange at all. Rather, it looks good since you are neat.”
Danmok Rin let out words of praise.
It made sense.
Even without that, Heavenly Ear Beggar had a solid physique for his age, and his back was straight.
However, it had been hidden by filth, but now that appearance was shining.
On top of that, his white hair and beard that had been sprawling in all directions when he was unwashed were neatly trimmed, and he was even wearing clean clothing.
He looked much better than before.
However, despite their words, Heavenly Ear Beggar continued to grumble with a displeased expression.
“Tsk, to think I would take on this appearance. It is the shame of my life, a shame.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar writhed in shame.
He was someone who had lived as a beggar his entire life.
And he was also proud of it. But not only did he wash cleanly like this, he even wore new clothing, so it was no different from a disgrace to him.
“Eing, if other disciples of the Beggars’ Sect saw this appearance…… Ugh. It would be terrible.”
While grumbling and shivering his body, he soon moved his chopsticks.
Munch, munch.
Unlike his clean exterior, he hadn’t fixed his habits, as he busily flapped his lips while devouring the food.
“Chomp chomp, but why is it only grass, munch. Gulp, chomp chomp. Of course it is tasty, but munch munch…….”
Debris started to fly out of his mouth as he spoke with food inside.
Clatter…
Danmok Rin, who had put on a troubled expression, soon put down her chopsticks and smiled awkwardly.
“Gulp, what is it?”
“I’m full now.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar looked at Danmok Rin’s bowl.
“Tsk, your appetite is, gulp. So small.”
“Let’s eat quietly when we eat.”
At that time, Cheon-hwi cut his words off.
“Gulp, why?”
“The table will become covered in spit.”
“Good grief, how much spit could fly even if it does.”
“…….”
Cheon-hwi quietly stared at Heavenly Ear Beggar.
At the gaze looking at him without a word, Heavenly Ear Beggar backed down like a dog tucking its tail.
“Tsk. I got it. I got it.”
As Heavenly Ear Beggar soon quietly focused on his meal, Cheon-hwi began eating again.
“I can eat a little comfortably now.”
Danmok Rin, who was discreetly reading the mood, also swept down her chest, picked up her chopsticks again, and put the rest of the vegetables she was eating into her mouth.
A moment passed as the meal continued again.
“Excuse me, guest…….”
The guest house owner approached carefully.
He carefully handed the plain gray clothing he had been hugging to his chest to Cheon-hwi, and moved his lips with an embarrassed face.
“I have brought the clothing here. I tried to get the best possible one, but this was all they had at the drapery shop…….”
He said, at a loss.
He went to the drapery shop in a hurry, but among the things he could find, this gray clothing was the only decent one.
Cheon-hwi received the clothing.
The scratchy feeling let him know it was made of poor quality cloth.
“It is fine.”
It didn’t really matter.
The reason Cheon-hwi wanted the clothing was to enjoy himself for a while while avoiding people’s eyes before arriving at the Zhuge Clan’s territory, not to set the mood with luxury goods.
“Here, you wear this too.”
Cheon-hwi handed the clothing to Danmok Rin.
“Yes.”
Danmok Rin had no idea why they had to change their clothing, but she immediately received the clothing and got up from her seat.
A moment later, after finishing their meal and even changing their clothing, the three climbed onto the carriage.
“Burp, good. Good.”
Heavenly Ear Beggar, who had dressed neatly and was patting his belly with a burp, looked ahead.
“Oho.”
Seeing Cheon-hwi and Danmok Rin wearing the same gray martial arts uniform, he laughed wickedly.
“Look at this. Matching clothes like this, anyone looking would mistake you for a married couple.”
Danmok Rin’s face immediately turned red.
On the contrary, Cheon-hwi didn’t even care and asked him.
“Stop with the silly jokes, do you know the geography of this area well?”
“Geography? I know to some extent.”
“Then please inform the driver of the way.”
“The way? If it’s the way, it will just appear right away if you follow this official road all the way, what do you mean.”
“If we were going to follow the official road like that, why would I have bothered changing clothes. Since we have started our journey to the Central Plains, shouldn’t we enjoy it properly?”
The corners of Cheon-hwi’s eyes curved greatly.
“We must stop by all the famous taverns and guest houses on the route to the Zhuge Clan.”
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