Chapter 147
147
Wi Ji-gok's offer made me doubt my ears, and I stared at him.
He wasn't joking.
He said softly.
"Don't think of it as a difficult thing to ask. It's not like I'm asking you to join the Alliance. It would be easier to think of it as being a guest. You can stay until your Grandfather comes to find you."
"Uh... That..."
I clenched my fist inside my sleeve as I moved my lips.
The name of the Murim Alliance would be a good shield. If I entrusted myself to them, I could be guaranteed safety for the time being.
But what about after that?
I had learned the price of settling down while relying on someone else over the past two years. I had no intention of repeating the same mistake.
It was also suspicious that he set the deadline as when Grandfather came to find me.
It was as if he intended to take credit for taking care of me at the Alliance when Grandfather finished his seclusion.
If Wi Ji-gok was trying to use me as bait to lure Grandfather, as Beopgong said, I didn't want to play along with his tune.
I tried not to frown and said.
"You were dangling me on a fishing hook just a moment ago, but now you're saying you'll protect me, so I'm a little embarrassed."
"Haha. It's not a bad offer, but you're being overly cautious."
"I was taught that the Rivers and Lakes is a ruthless place, so don't trust anyone."
"Did your Grandfather tell you that? You learned well."
Wi Ji-gok, who answered, twisted his beard.
"Well... I'm not trying to force you, so you don't have to be so defensive. The experience of being chased wouldn't have been pleasant, so you'll need time."
"..."
"I'm just trying to give you a choice. That way, I can save face with your Grandfather. Come and find me whenever you want."
Wi Ji-gok, who closed his mouth as if it was nothing, gently sprinkled bait near the fishing rod.
He must be trying to gather fish, but I felt uneasy as if he was trying to catch me.
He grinds his teeth so hard that he gets excited as soon as he sees the Green Robe, and he's worried about not saving face with Grandfather?
Strange. It seems like he's doing that because a thunderbolt will fall if he doesn't help.
I looked at him with suspicious eyes.
"Alliance Leader. Did Grandfather ask you to take care of me in advance?"
"...Ahem, ahem!"
I knew it! This old man is trying to scam me from somewhere!
I was speechless when I realized his scheme to belatedly come out and try to cover up the favor to me.
When I thought about it, Grandfather had definitely left arrangements for me.
The letters Grandfather wrote just before his seclusion were dozens that I had seen. I was sure that it was about asking for me to be taken care of.
But no one helped me except Dang Geunmyeong.
Even considering the situation where they burned it without reading it like Gwisu-sin, or it was not properly delivered to the person concerned, it was an absurd number.
So, they all turned a blind eye.
Because there was nothing to gain from helping me.
Yes. If a dog of a high official dies, people go to pay their respects, but if the high official dies, no one goes. Who knows when Grandfather will finish his seclusion, so why bother being a nanny?
...Still, it pisses me off.
As my expression distorted, Wi Ji-gok laughed and comforted me.
"It's not just for that reason. Recommending talented Rising Stars is also an important task of the Alliance. You've already proven your ability, haven't you?"
"Me?"
"You don't know what it means to evade the Alliance's pursuit. Although it wasn't a formal armed force, the Swordmaster's disciple is a skilled person who is hard to believe is a Rookie of Jianghu. Not to mention the Ink Moon Squad. You escaped the grasp of Peng Dae-ju, the strongest of the three Dragon Phoenix Unit leaders."
He knows perfectly well that Peng Ji-yoon just let me go, but he's acting like that.
Wi Ji-gok continued to spew sweet words as if trying to ease my mood.
I understood why Grandfather shuddered and hated him so much for his cunning.
When my reaction wasn't good no matter what he said, Wi Ji-gok made a fuss and reeled in the fishing rod.
"Oh, a useful guy has finally been caught. Is this size okay?"
He shook the fish he had caught in front of my face as if to show me quickly.
A carp the size of a child was wriggling, hanging from the fishing hook. It was a large one that could barely fit in the basket.
I stared at the carp with cold eyes and barely nodded.
\ \ \
Wi Ji-gok, who had been comforting me for a while, gave me a handwritten letter of recommendation from the Murim Alliance Leader and a Murim Alliance access pass and left.
"Come and find me whenever you need help. This old man will do his best to help."
Seeing him leave, urging me to help with anything, it seemed like he was worried that the trick he had played would reach Grandfather's ears.
It's not easy to survive in the Central Plains. Everyone is just trying to take advantage of me.
I sighed deeply and looked at Ju-ryeong, who was fascinated by the new toy.
"Ju-ryeong. Do you like that?"
"Kiee."
"Don't lose that because it's your emergency fund."
"Kyoo."
The guy seemed to like the night-shining pearl that Wi Ji-gok gave him, and he didn't let go of it, holding it tightly with his front paws.
He liked the Peng family's jade pendant, and he seemed to be able to distinguish expensive stones like a ghost.
Should I get him to appraise jewelry later? I think he'll do well.
As I walked, thinking nonsense, I was already at the inn.
Jeomsoi, who was sweeping the yard, bowed his head to me.
"Welcome, Miss. Did you catch a fish...? Heek, you caught something this big?"
"I got some help. Can I light a fire in the yard? I want to borrow a big pot too."
When I asked, handing over a few coins, Jeomsoi, whose expression brightened, quickly replied.
"I'll light it for you. Please wait a moment."
He quickly made a makeshift stove and put a large pot on it that could fit the carp.
As I chopped up the medicinal herbs and started boiling them, the fishy smell spread.
Yeon-ryang, who came out of the inn because of the nasty smell, looked at the pot and exclaimed.
"Wow, you caught something huge. How did you catch something like this?"
"The Alliance Leader caught it for me."
"...Who?"
"The Murim Alliance Leader. He chased me all the way here. The Alliance Leader even prepared it for me."
"What is that...!"
"So-hye-ya. What are you doing? It smells bad."
Yang Gyo-jin, who appeared from somewhere, also covered her nose and looked into the pot.
Yeon-ryang chose his words with a serious face, then closed his mouth, conscious of Yang Gyo-jin.
"This isn't something you eat for taste. It's medicine."
I shrugged and covered the pot.
At that moment, a small wooden box I had put in my sleeve fell to the floor with a thud. Yang Gyo-jin, who picked up the wooden box, sniffed.
"Ooh, it smells good. Is this an Elixir?"
"Uh-uh, don't covet it. It's mine."
"What is it? Can't you give me half?"
"Would I? It's Wi Ji-ga's Secret Elixir Pill? Shoo. Go away. Shoo."
Yang Gyo-jin smacked her lips with a regretful face and handed over the wooden box.
At the same time, one of Yeon-ryang's eyebrows furrowed.
"Wi Ji-ga's Elixir Pill? So-hye, what have you been doing?"
"I'll tell you later. Brother."
Yeon-ryang, who crossed his arms with an unpleasant face, nodded.
He seemed to want to interrogate me right away, but he seemed to be holding back because it wasn't just the two of us.
Yang Gyo-jin, who didn't read the subtle atmosphere, asked innocently.
"So-hye-ya. What's the stone your ferret is playing with? It's shining."
"Night-shining pearl."
Yeon-ryang, who looked at Ju-ryeong hugging the night-shining pearl and rolling around, now looked like he was about to faint.
"What's that again? Where did you get the night-shining pearl?"
"The Alliance Leader gave it to me too."
"What?"
Yeon-ryang, who jumped up in shock, came closer and whispered.
"No, why is he doing that? For what reason? So-hye, did you catch that old man's weakness? Did you threaten him?"
"Threaten? I didn't do anything. Brother."
"But why is he giving away precious things? You shook him down for a night-shining pearl and even an Elixir. So-hye-ya! You can't keep acting like a Demonic Cultivator! You're from the Orthodox Faction!"
"Really. I didn't do anything."
I swear to God, I didn't do anything. I just kept looking at Wi Ji-gok with the sullen expression Grandfather makes.
It's not like I asked him to give it to me, he just kept taking it out, so I just took it all. So what.
I was confident.
Yeon-ryang, who was gaping, grabbed his head as if he was going crazy, then dropped his head helplessly.
His shrunken shoulders looked somehow sad.
\ \ \
Namgung Hwi stood at the bow of the ship and looked down at the golden shimmering waves.
The face of the boy wearing the Heroic Scarf rippled over the sunset river.
Unlike his youthful face, his long, slender arms and legs were quite manly.
The hands revealed between the long sleeves were covered with calluses and scars.
It was the hand of a Swordmaster.
As he slowly swept back his hair, the red knot ornament tied to his wrist fluttered in the wind.
"Hwi-a. It's cold, what are you doing here?"
"Big Sister."
Namgung Hwi, who turned around at Namgung Yo's call, smiled with his eyes.
Namgung Yo, who stood side by side at the bow of the ship, patted Namgung Hwi's shoulder and said.
"It's good to rest now. Once the bandit suppression begins, you won't have time to sleep."
"I was just a little stuffy. I'll go in soon."
"Are you nervous?"
Namgung Hwi slowly shook his head.
He wasn't nervous.
He had been doing small and large acts of chivalry in Anhui, so bandit suppression wouldn't be much different.
It's just...
He was just frustrated with himself for worrying that a reply might come while he was away, and for not being able to give up on a letter that wouldn't be answered.
As his expression darkened, Namgung Yo smiled brightly and asked.
"Shall we stop by Wuhan on the way back? It's time for our Hwi-a to go to the Murim Alliance headquarters."
"Haha, if we stop by Wuhan, Yeon-a will make a fuss that she was left out."
"Of course, we have to go without Yeon-a knowing. Hwi-a has come of age, so we should have a drink. Shouldn't we go up to the Yellow Crane Tower and have a glass of Hanfen Wine?"
Namgung Yo's face was full of mischief.
"So let's go in now. You'll catch a cold. Maintaining your body in top condition is also a virtue of a Martial Artist."
"Yes. Sister."
Namgung Hwi, who nodded at the affectionate pat, followed his sister.
