Huchang.
A place that was once the capital of the Later Han dynasty.
A city located near the center of Henan and known for its thriving commerce.
“Huchang is famous for being an expensive city due to being a logistics hub, I hear.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard that too! It’s even said to be hard to afford staying over for just a day…”
Though I’m not exactly broke…
If we stay here for almost half a month, my wallet will definitely take a hit.
“Looks like we can’t afford a nice inn.”
“At least if we go to the outskirts, there might be cheaper places, right?”
“Even the outskirts of a city like this will be pricey.”
While Hye-ryeong is correct that the outskirts might have better options, the price fluctuations within one city won’t be that simple.
Still, I can only hope it’s not as expensive as Wuhan.
Centuries ago, Huchang might have been different, but now it’s a city that doesn’t quite live up to its old fame.
“Let’s go down. We’ll probably have to line up to enter Huchang. And as for lodging… With the situation, it might be difficult to secure two rooms.”
Though it wasn’t intentional, the situation isn’t exactly favorable.
Where exactly are we?
Isn’t this the Central Plains where the saying, “Men and women should not share the same bed after the age of seven,” originated? It’s common knowledge that people will talk if a man and a woman who aren’t married share a room.
Even as I consider pointing this out, Hye-ryeong looks at me with hopeful eyes, clearly pleased at the prospect of sharing a room.
“Uncle…”
“I know what you’re thinking, but stop. It’s still early.”
I have no intention of engaging in such matters before the war begins. It could simply result in making a widow if things go wrong.
I’ve seen enough women lose their husbands on the battlefield, which is why I wouldn’t dare take such risks lightly.
To be confident that one can survive a battlefield is nothing more than hubris.
“I understand.”
“Responding with a bit of affection is fine, but anything more will have to wait until everything is finished… Clear?”
“…There’s someone else too.”
“Yes. We’re not the only ones here…”
Don’t glare so much, Mok-kyeong. You’re uncomfortable too. I gently rubbed Hye-ryeong’s head a couple of times and then we moved toward Huchang.
We need to arrive as early as possible to secure lodging.
“Let’s go.”
The two of them began to follow me, each with their own expressions.
—
“There are so many people here!”
“That’s because it’s a logistics hub for Henan.”
“Looking at the absence of people in martial robes, it seems like there aren’t many martial families around here.”
Indeed, as Mok-kyeong pointed out, there were hardly any visible martial artists in the streets. Maybe this place isn’t popular for martial artists to visit.
Most of the warriors visible here seem to be bodyguards for merchants, so places like ours don’t attract too many martial artists.
“…Ordinary martial artists can’t afford the prices here.”
We may be richer than the average martial artist due to various reasons, but being a martial artist generally doesn’t pay well unless you’re the offspring of a famous family or a merchant.
In the case of powerful families, they either own land or establish trade companies to make money.
Or they operate like the Nine Schools that collect donations.
Because of all this, outside of the Five Great Families, it’s difficult to categorize the righteous sects as wealthy entities.
Still, they’re better off compared to the criminal-heavy evil sects or the Demon Sect that exploits their followers for resources.
“Wow, it’s true. This place is even more expensive than Wuxia for sweets!”
“Really, checking prices at every candy shop? You’re really into sweets.”
How obsessed are you with sweet food? You lit up at the sight of the candy offered as dessert at the Pang family’s place.
“But they taste good, you know.”
“Understood. Let’s keep moving.”
“Alright~”
We continued exploring the streets of Huchang. Unfortunately, our search for an inn not full of people proved fruitless.
Even the inns with less flashy exteriors seemed designed to cater to the wealthy, so we found ourselves moving towards the outskirts.
“Eun-gong, it appears we might fail to secure lodging.”
“Yeah. Are we destined to be homeless?”
“Hm.”
I adjusted my wide-brimmed hat.
If my guesses were right and everything went smoothly, just wandering like this would lead us to the best accommodations.
At that exact moment, a short-built man accidentally bumped into my shoulder.
“Dear sir, I apologize. I was distracted…”
“No problem. It’s fine.”
As I naturally caught his hand, I felt something foreign in my palm.
“Dear sir… Thank you!”
The man quickly disappeared among the crowd. Once we were in a less crowded place, I cautiously opened the note he had passed to me.
“When one’s words do not startle others, one’s death will not bring peace…” (語不驚人死不休) “What’s this supposed to mean?”
Is it poetry?
I was scratching my head when Mok-kyeong explained the note.
“Du Fu’s poetry.”
“So we need to find an inn associated with this poem?”
“Probably named after ‘Zimei.’ Using names or aliases as inn names might seem too conspicuous.”
I see.
Since I don’t really understand these things, I’ll just follow Mok-kyeong’s advice. As I was thinking this, Hye-ryeong gently tugged on my sleeve.
“Uncle, that person just now…”
“One of the brotherhood.”
“One of the brotherhood…?”
At the mention of the brotherhood, Hye-ryeong lowered her voice cautiously.
It’s understandable that she’s surprised by the sudden appearance of the brotherhood, but I had anticipated this to a certain extent.
Chances are that the regional leader in Wuxia has already informed our headquarters, and it would be impossible for the brotherhood not to have tracked my movements. I hypothesized that once I came to Huchang, they’d arrange lodging for me in advance.
…Though I would’ve been in serious trouble if I was wrong, it appears my guess was correct.
I confirmed the existence of an inn named ‘Zimei’ by asking around and headed in that direction.
Fortunately, the inn wasn’t far from where I had received the note. It wasn’t as ostentatious as the inns in the city center, but it had its own unique charm.
And it was in a location that wouldn’t draw too much attention.
“Are we staying here?”
“Nice inn.”
“This is why having connections is important.”
Despite the crowd, the inn still had a few empty spots. We secured a nook that was moderately busy. As the innkeeper approached, we silently observed him, presuming he wasn’t a regular waiter.
He approached us tentatively and spoke softly.
“Are you the Lion Sword Hero?”
“Yes.”
“It seems you’ve received an invitation.”
“Correct.”
I showed him the note, and after confirming it, the man smiled.
“The costs have been taken care of by the head of the brotherhood. You can rest here until the matter is resolved.”
“What a generous gesture.”
“We are hiring, after all. Treating our valued guest properly only makes sense. If this wasn’t a confidential matter, we would have placed you in a better inn.”
“This is good enough.”
“Excellent. Allow me to bring your meal first, and after you’ve eaten, I’ll show you to your room.”
“Much appreciated.”
“Then I’ll…”
As the innkeeper walked away, the waiter began to bring food.
Each dish served was abundant and of high quality. Without a word, we picked up our chopsticks.
—
Life in Huchang flowed peacefully.
Part of that was due to avoiding unnecessary outings to avoid drawing attention, but also because we were busy inside, refining our skills through meditation. This process integrated our experiences and transformed them into true knowledge.
The Three Treasures Sword Technique.
The mistakes and learning derived from using light-stepping skills while traveling from Wuxia to Henan.
Embedding the teachings from Grandmaster Taeheo into swordplay.
Each task was intricate, so inevitably, my hours spent in meditation increased. Or I’d engage in Martial Prohibitions with the younger ones in a hidden space beneath the Zimei Inn.
“Uncle, you’re too powerful!”
“That’s natural when there’s a gap like that between a penguin and an eagle.”
“What does ‘penguin’ even mean? Why are you comparing me to that?!”
If I had a picture, I would’ve shown her immediately. Instead, I flapped my arms while watching Hye-ryeong pout cutely.
“There’s a cute one.”
“Cuuu-te…”
Watch her face melt.
Leaving the blushing Hye-ryeong aside, I turned my gaze to Mok-kyeong.
“Mok-kyeong, you’re next.”
“Wouldn’t consecutive fights be too demanding?”
“Not too tiring, so it’s fine.”
Though Hye-ryeong’s skills are superior to her peers, even with recent improvements from sparring with me, she still can’t compare to me.
Right now, reaching the supreme level allows me to easily handle even a hundred low-tier fighters. The grand masters in the martial realm earn their illustrious titles for a reason.
“Hye-ryeong, go giggle in that corner.”
“Yes!”
With a cheerful skip, Hye-ryeong moved aside.
Once the environment was set up for combat, both Mok-kyeong and I exchanged bows.
“I want to learn from you.”
“Let me teach you a thing or two.”
One who has scaled the peak of mastery and another who has yet to reach it.
Without a word, we both drew our swords and began our stances.
—
