Chapter 71: Ghostly and Elusive (2)
Hubei Province, Yichang.
When Jin Seong-un and Seo Yu-gyeom entered Yichang, they got off the carriage and began walking.
There was no need to draw attention by riding a carriage inside the city.
On the way, they kept hearing rumors about the Great Thief.
That he had stolen the brush of a high-ranking Luoyang official.
That he had stolen a stake from the Zhongnan Sect.
That he had even stolen the plaque of a Black Path gang in Chang’an.
And, incredibly, the audacious bastard had stolen a scabbard from the Murim Alliance Leader’s villa at East Lake.
It was certain that all of these were his doing.
At each spot where something had disappeared, a letter inscribed with the words “Righteous Intention” was left behind.
The only ambiguous part was the type of items the Great Thief stole.
If he had stolen rare treasures or committed notorious crimes, the martial world might have branded him an enemy. But most of the items were so trivial that unless he left a letter, people might not even have noticed they were missing.
“To preach about righteousness after stealing from the Murim Alliance Leader’s villa… he must be insane. You don’t suppose a thief will sneak into our inn, do you?”
Seo Yu-gyeom’s words sounded like worry at first glance. But in his expression, tone, and attitude, an undeniable sense of anticipation showed through.
Jin Seong-un looked at him in disbelief before answering.
“What could there be to steal from an inn that would attract such a great thief? Even if he did come, the best he could take would be a few wine cups.”
“Is that so.”
Seo Yu-gyeom looked dejected.
As a former assassin, he longed to face such a thief. Moreover, he wished to test his Ice Arts, cultivated through consuming the Thousand-Year Ice Crystal.
How satisfying would it be to freeze the thief who had eluded even the Namgung Clan, right in the middle of the marketplace, and then boast, ‘Look! The cook of Seong-un Inn caught him.’
Jin Seong-un let out a deep sigh.
Thus, the two crossed Yichang’s bustling streets. As acquaintances came up one by one to greet him, Jin Seong-un felt as though he had returned to a second home.
Yet, something about the atmosphere was strange.
The closer they got to Seong-un Inn, the more people there seemed to be.
“There are far more people here than in Deyang.”
“……”
A foreboding feeling crept over Jin Seong-un.
It was likely because he had left the inn in others’ hands for quite some time.
While the experienced Han Seong-chun and Wudang Sect elder Hyeon-un were there to manage things, he couldn’t help but worry since the notorious Seomun Ak was also involved.
Before long, Seong-un Inn came into view.
And both of them stopped walking at the same time.
“That’s it, isn’t it?”
“It is, but…”
Seong-un Inn had changed a little.
It had already been the busiest inn in Yichang, but now it was so crowded that a seemingly endless line had formed.
Jin Seong-un stopped a man carrying a bundle on his back and asked,
“Why are there so many people at that inn?”
“Ah, that’s because Seong-un Inn is the only place in the Central Plains where you can drink the famous Yangha Daegu liquor. Otherwise, you’d have to travel all the way to that remote village, Deyang, and that’s far too distant.”
Sichuan was located at the far southwestern edge of the Central Plains.
Meaning that almost every other region—Hubei, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Henan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan—was sending gourmets who wanted a taste of Yangha Daegu.
Those who came for the taste of fine liquor were, of course, people with ample leisure in their lives. And such people would not just taste the wine and leave.
“That inn’s struck gold. No doubt its owner will soon be a wealthy man.”
The owner, Jin Seong-un himself, nodded. He had expected some effect, but the scale was far beyond his imagination.
Seong-un Inn was not particularly large to begin with.
At least half the people waiting in that line would have to leave without even stepping inside.
Seo Yu-gyeom came beside the dazed Jin Seong-un and muttered,
“If I were the thief, I’d target that inn first.”
“……”
Jin Seong-un let out a long sigh.
Jin Seong-un spread his senses around before stepping inside the inn.
He deliberately ignored someone shouting, “Hey, no cutting in line!”
As soon as he and Seo Yu-gyeom entered, Seomun Ak, wiping sweat from his face with a half-dazed expression, spoke up.
“Ah, first, please hand me your number ticket…”
But once he recognized their faces, Seomun Ak froze for a moment.
Then, a series of emotions swept across his face—resentment, exhaustion, anger, bitterness, a hint of joy, and immense relief.
“You’re back!”
His eyes were sunken and weary.
His whole body reeked of food and liquor.
No wonder—the inn was overflowing with guests drawn by the rumors. Even after shoving aside the original tables and adding more, it was still jam-packed.
Behind him were Hyeon-un and Oh Jeong-san, wearing similar expressions.
No matter how strong their martial arts were, the battlefield of business was a different matter entirely.
The guests had no idea that the people serving their food and wine were none other than the eldest son of the Seomun Clan, a Wudang Sect elder, and a direct disciple of the Wudang Sect.
Seo Yu-gyeom’s gaze turned toward the kitchen. Waves of heat burst forth as if it were a battlefield itself.
The seasoned cook Han Seong-chun must have been working his wrists to the bone.
“Let’s just get to work first.”
Rolling up his sleeves, Seo Yu-gyeom entered the kitchen.
From inside came Han Seong-chun’s desperate yet relieved cry.
The day passed like a typhoon.
Everyone except Jin Seong-un sat slumped in their chairs, faces gaunt and drained.
“You…”
Seomun Ak looked at Jin Seong-un in astonishment.
Even with three martial masters working at full strength, it had been impossible to handle the flood of guests. Yet the moment Jin Seong-un joined in, the situation changed instantly.
Seomun Ak had always admired Jin Seong-un. Despite being of similar age, he possessed unfathomable martial skill.
But what he saw today impressed him even more—Jin Seong-un’s ability as an innkeeper surpassed even his martial prowess.
“What a monstrous guy.”
Jin Seong-un scratched his head.
It was indeed the busiest day of his life, yet since it was work he had done all his life, it wasn’t particularly difficult.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel both apologetic and grateful to those who had been managing the inn in his absence.
“I’m sorry. I never imagined it would become this hectic.”
As Jin Seong-un offered his awkward apology, Hyeon-un and Oh Jeong-san waved their hands dismissively.
They had been the ones who boldly declared that Jin Seong-un would return safely, so they had no intention of boasting over something like this.
“So, was everything resolved well?”
Hyeon-un asked while looking at Seo Yu-gyeom.
This trip into the martial world had been meant to temper Seo Yu-gyeom’s killing intent.
With a confident look, Seo Yu-gyeom nodded.
“It was resolved perfectly.”
“Judging by that arrogant tone, it seems you’ll need to go again.”
At that, Seomun Ak cleared his throat. The last thing he wanted was for Seo Yu-gyeom and Jin Seong-un to disappear once more.
Laughing heartily at Seomun Ak’s reaction, Hyeon-un continued.
“Tell us the details.”
Seo Yu-gyeom glanced at the cups of wine on the table, then gathered them together.
He placed his palm over them.
Just as the others watched in puzzlement—
Crackle—!
A layer of white frost spread over the cups, forming thin ice on the surface of the wine.
Not only Oh Jeong-san and Seomun Ak, but even Hyeon-un stared at Seo Yu-gyeom in shock.
“Did you already practice Ice Arts before?”
“I had a miraculous encounter. Thanks to it, I became cold-blooded and can now control my killing intent.”
Though “cold-blooded” was an exaggeration, it was true that since learning the Ice Arts, his mind and heart had become much calmer.
Especially ever since resolving the matter with the Hwa-un Trading Company and returning to Yichang—his killing intent had never surged out of control.
Hyeon-un let out a hearty laugh.
“And the Hwa-un Trading Company?”
“They are doing well. Jin Seong-un, you explain the rest. I’ll go prepare some side dishes.”
As Seo Yu-gyeom entered the kitchen, all eyes turned to Jin Seong-un.
He recalled the events in Deyang in order, then began to speak.
“There was this place called Deyang Inn…”
His account was given in his usual calm tone.
Without emotion or judgment—simply a listing of events.
Even so, the listeners’ eyes grew wider as the story went on.
And when it reached the part about the death of Sa Ryeong-geuk, the Vice Leader of the Heavenly Poison Alliance—
“What, what did you say! That bastard is dead?”
Hyeon-un exclaimed in shock.
Though the Heavenly Poison Alliance was in Sichuan and the Wudang Sect in Hubei, the distance wasn’t too great, so the two sides had long been wary of each other.
Naturally, as a Wudang elder, Hyeon-un knew Sa Ryeong-geuk well. He was a rare master of the Swift Saber.
“Yes, his saber technique was indeed unusual.”
Jin Seong-un nodded simply as his explanation continued.
The help of Tang Clan’s great elder Tang Tae-san, the actions of Hwa Yeon-seol, the famed Yangha Daegu liquor, the death of Commander Ho Yeon-baek, and even the thought of building guest rooms.
When the story ended, none of them could say much. They simply sat with dazed expressions, recalling the calm account they had just heard.
Han Seong-chun was astonished at the scale of the tale. He knew the inn’s cook and waiter were strong enough to kill the Food Butcher, but this was even more surprising.
Seomun Ak was struck by Jin Seong-un’s martial prowess. It was unbelievable that someone his age could possess such skill—it left him feeling somewhat defeated.
Oh Jeong-san felt much the same. Despite a lifetime of effort, he had yet to reach even the late stages of Peak Master Level.
Of course, the most shocked of all was Hyeon-un.
Because he knew firsthand Sa Ryeong-geuk’s martial prowess and the nature of the Heavenly Poison Alliance, he understood better than anyone what had transpired in Deyang.
But what concerned him even more was—
“What did that Poison Lord say?”
“Whether I had a lover, whether Sichuan food suited my taste, whether I had ever met a woman whose eyes shone like jewels… I’m not sure what he was getting at.”
Hyeon-un trembled in anger. The Poison Lord’s intentions were all too obvious!
What? A woman with jewel-like eyes?
Surely he was referring to Tang So-yeon, the Tang Clan’s Poison Maiden.
‘What a brazen bastard!’
Hyeon-un swallowed his fury.
No matter what anyone said, Jin Seong-un was a gem he had discovered first. Moreover, he was destined to inherit the Quanzhen lineage and become the Sword Immortal of Daoism.
“So, how did you answer?”
“I said I had no lover, that Sichuan food was delicious, and that I had not yet met a woman with jewel-like eyes, so I wouldn’t know.”
Hyeon-un’s expression eased slightly.
It seemed Jin Seong-un held no special feelings for Tang So-yeon.
‘Of course, the Poison Phoenix’s feelings matter as well. But the chances of her harboring affection for Seong-un are slim.’
Poison Phoenix—that was Tang So-yeon’s alias.
The Five Dragons and Three Phoenixes. A title given to the eight greatest prodigies of the era.
Hyeon-un had his reasons for believing Tang So-yeon would not easily fall for Jin Seong-un.
First, as the Tang Clan’s Poison Maiden, she had surely been raised in luxury all her life. Ordinary backgrounds would not satisfy her.
Second, those who trained Poison Arts to their extreme, regardless of gender, developed ruthless hearts and rarely embraced love.
Finally, the two had only met once.
As Hyeon-un nodded at these thoughts, the door of Seong-un Inn suddenly swung open.
Given the late hour, it was unlikely to be customers.
Two people entered, laughing heartily.
“Hero Jin, it’s been a while. I heard you recently returned from Sichuan?”
“Seong-un, we meet again. Ah, Senior White Cloud Sword is here as well? It seems Wudang has little to do these days! Hahaha!”
It was Poison Phoenix Tang So-yeon and Poison Lord Tang Tae-san.
They were precisely the two people Hyeon-un least wanted to see at that moment.
“What brings you here?”
There was a sharp edge to Hyeon-un’s voice.
Tang Tae-san replied with a genial laugh.
“I heard that an insolent thief has been stirring up the world lately. His trail led here to Yichang, so I came by to catch him—along with other matters.”
“Other matters? Sounds like you have another purpose.”
As Hyeon-un snapped at him, Tang Tae-san only smirked, a quiet confidence in his smile.
Right after the Food Butcher incident, the great masters who had gathered had all coveted Jin Seong-un.
But Hyeon-un’s influence at the time had been too firm for anyone to openly reveal their greed.
Now, things were different.
The alliance of the Hwa-un Trading Company, Seong-un Inn, and the Sichuan Tang Clan had been forged in blood.
As Tang Tae-san and Hyeon-un locked eyes in a fierce battle of wills—
Tang So-yeon spoke in a rare, soft, and composed voice.
“But… where is Young Master Seo?”
At that very moment, Hyeon-un’s eyes flashed.