Chapter 255 : An Unexpected Proposal (2)

Chapter 255: An Unexpected Proposal (2)

I stood up, tucking the plaque into my chest.

“I will take my leave now, Lord.”

As I gave my farewell, Martial Flower Lord spoke.

“Think carefully. And once your thoughts are clear, go find Woohee and tell her. Know this as well—this Lord cannot wait long for your decision, Yong Gongja.”

“Yes, my lord.”

My mind weighed down, the stairs ahead felt longer than usual.

When I finally descended with difficulty, Jeomsoi approached and spoke.

“Um, Young Master-nim. The food you ordered is ready. What should I do?”

If I left now, all the trouble I went through to eat would be in vain.

“Bring it here. I’ll eat.”

Jeomsoi brought the food to the table, and I approached the Three Chivalrous Sisters and said,

“Thank you for waiting. Please eat.”

As I reached out for the famous roast chicken first, Jeong Suji spoke, dumbfounded.

“You can eat at a time like this?”

“Let’s eat. We went through all that trouble for this.”

Jeong Minji sat down across from me and pulled off a chicken leg.

“Let’s enjoy the meal.”

She knew that at times like this, following my lead without complaint was the best way to support me.

“I’m hungry too.”

Jeong Daji picked up her chopsticks and began eating the stir-fried pork.

“Oh! This is really good!”

She exclaimed in delight after taking a bite.

Then Jeong Suji, unable to resist, also sat and began to eat.

From the second floor, Head of the Royal Guards watched me eat and murmured.

“I can’t tell if he’s bold or just sly. I doubt someone like that can bear such a heavy burden.”

Watching the four of us chatter and eat without a care for the second floor, Martial Flower Lord spoke.

“I quite like that sight. He’s not afraid, even before power. Says whatever he wants. Watching him eat is making me hungry too.”

At her words, the guard shouted toward the tavern owner.

“Bring food, quickly!”

Startled, the owner rushed to the kitchen and began yelling at the cooks.

I left Ssanghwa Pavilion and slowly rode toward Hajeong Escort Agency.

Just thinking about how things had become such a tangled mess gave me a headache. Now I was about to become Vice Captain of the Muhwa Corps—this burden was no small matter.

But looking at it another way, it wasn’t a bad proposal.

As Martial Flower Lord had said, the offer to use her support whenever I needed it was tempting.

Besides, given my current situation, being at odds with the Heavenly Demon Sect, it was clear that having more power on my side would be advantageous.

And if that power came in the form of top martial artists and Martial Flower Lord herself, then it would be a reliable backing.

I decided to think positively.

Unaware of the discomfort in my heart, Jeong Suji asked insensitively,

“By the way, is this woman named Cho Woohee really as stunning as people say?”

Her words piqued Jeong Minji’s interest.

“Everyone has their own tastes. She is a beauty, that’s true, but she didn’t particularly appeal to me.”

“Then why did you challenge the Omugwan?”

That, in the end, was what she really wanted to ask.

“To be honest, Lady Cho had a martial art I needed. I challenged her to obtain it.”

“Did you get it?”

“Yes, I got the martial art and left immediately after.”

“No wonder. That’s probably why Cho Woohee holds such resentment toward you. You trampled on her pride, Yong Gongja. You must be careful with women. Especially the ones who know they’re beautiful.”

I apologized to Jeong Minji.

“I’m sorry, Jeong Sojeo. I only meant to treat you to a good meal and ended up bringing you trouble.”

As I apologized, Jeong Minji smiled faintly.

I liked that subtle smile of hers, as if she were smiling and not smiling at the same time.

“It’s alright. Thanks to that, you gained great insight, Yong Gongja. So it’s a good thing.”

Even now, I could clearly recall that it was only thanks to Myeolhwa, under Yi Yung’s command, that I reached such a high level—nearly attaining the Boundary of the Upper World and achieving Sword Unification.

Fighting Myeolhwa, observing her unique characteristics, the impression I felt in that instant had led directly to my enlightenment.

Honestly, to gain such enlightenment from sheer luck like that was the kind of thing that might not happen even once in a lifetime.

I asked Jeong Minji,

“What do you think about me becoming Vice Captain of the Muhwa Corps?”

Jeong Minji felt pleased that I would ask her opinion on something so important.

Until now, I had always made decisions and choices on my own.

When the soul of the Demonic Master was still present, I had always relied on his advice to make decisions. Naturally, that made me appear headstrong in the eyes of others.

But now, without the Demonic Master’s soul, I had to make decisions alone, and it weighed heavily on me.

Then, realizing that Jeong Minji was thoughtful and wise, I had decided to ask her.

“In my opinion, operating as part of the Muhwa Corps isn’t necessarily a bad thing. After all, the Muhwa Corps follows the will of Martial Flower Lord, which means there may be disgrace in the eyes of the world for martial artists interfering with royal affairs. That’s the most troublesome part. That must be why the members of the Muhwa Corps all conceal their identities. However, from a broader perspective, since they exist to oppose the Cheonmamon, they will undoubtedly become a significant power in the future. Now that I think about it, if the Muhwa Corps had moved earlier, they might have been able to more effectively block the assault from the Cheonmamon. The Sky Ocean Merchant Union might have suffered less damage, too. But what worries me is that the Muhwa Corps may only act in opposition to the Cheonmamon. If their purpose becomes twisted and they’re used elsewhere, they might be branded in disgrace.”

Jeong Minji spoke her thoughts plainly and without embellishment.

It aligned almost perfectly with what I had been thinking. I smiled, feeling glad I had asked her.

“Thank you for your advice.”

As the two of us conversed warmly, Jeong Daji jabbed Jeong Suji in the ribs.

“Second Sister, step back.”

“Why?”

“Seriously, have some sense. Can’t you see the atmosphere between those two?”

“Oh!”

Jeong Suji had been lost in thought and hadn’t noticed us.

“Seriously, what were you thinking about so intently?”

“You remember those people who rushed past us earlier?”

“Earlier?”

“Yeah, about twenty people from the merchant group passed by.”

“Right, that was just a short while ago. So what?”

At that time, I and the Three Chivalrous Sisters had come across a small well and were watering the horses. Those riding past hadn’t seen us resting on the side.

But Jeong Suji had seen them pass in a hurry and hadn’t said a word until now.

“I think I saw that person.”

“Who?”

Jeong Suji hesitated with a troubled expression.

Jeong Daji had never seen her sister so uncertain. She was usually far too bold, to the point of being reckless—seeing her this hesitant was rare.

“I’m not completely sure, but…”

“But who?”

“I think I saw Geum Gongja.”

“Geum Gongja?”

Jeong Daji replied without thinking, but her eyes widened in shock.

“You mean Geum Yujin Gongja?”

Jeong Suji nodded.

Jeong Daji knew how sharp her sister’s eyes were.

Even if it was just a glimpse, if her sister said so, it was almost certainly true.

“Why would Geum Gongja be here?”

Jeong Suji then shared her thoughts.

“Maybe he came to see you. It’s been a while since we left the manor, and all the rumors have been grim. He must have come looking for you. The place they passed is where the Hajeong Escort Agency is. I’m sure he stopped by the Sky Ocean Merchant Union and, hearing that we were headed to the Hajeong Escort Agency, went that way. But maybe he didn’t expect us to be traveling so leisurely and rushed ahead trying to catch up.”

“Was it really Geum Gongja?”

“I hope I was mistaken.”

By this point, it was clear the person Jeong Suji saw was none other than Geum Yujin, the first young master of the Geum Clan.

“Did you see anyone else?”

“Only people who appeared to be his guards.”

The two of them looked at Jeong Minji, who was chatting gently with me, with eyes full of concern.

The engagement between Geum Yujin and Jeong Minji was already a settled matter, nearly finalized.

They had progressed to the point where all that was left was to choose a date, but then Jeong Minji had abruptly left the manor, using the excuse of chasing down the thief who stole the Black Silk Celestial Silkworm.

Jeong Daji and Jeong Suji had felt deep heartache watching their sister seem happier during the harsh days of fighting enemies together with me.

They also knew it was only possible because I had been by her side.

That’s why both younger sisters felt pained.

Could Jeong Minji truly leave my side?

Or could she disobey their mother’s command?

They gazed at their sister’s future with gloomy expressions.

“Sigh… What should we do? Honestly, I feel more at ease when I have a sword in my hand and a fight before me.”

Jeong Suji’s words made Jeong Daji nod as well.

Jeong Suji and Jeong Daji turned off the main road and entered a different path.

“Hey, why are you going the wrong way?”

Jeong Minji called out to her sisters as they took a right instead of heading toward the Hajeong Escort Agency.

Even though the sign pointed to another path, the two of them led their horses down a different trail.

“The Hajeong Escort Agency is this way.”

When I said that, Jeong Daji replied,

“I heard this way has more to see. Even if it adds about one si-jin, it’s nothing to worry about. Just one si-jin longer, that’s all. In return, we get to enjoy some beautiful scenery.”

Jeong Minji pondered over those words.

She knew full well that Man Inhwa was likely scheming something, but with the Five Swords of Mount Hua present at the Hajeong Escort Agency, she wasn’t too concerned.

And she was thankful that her sisters seemed to understand her heart—how she wanted to spend a little more time talking with me.

Instead of scolding them, she turned to look at me.

Until now, I had barely had any quiet conversations with Jeong Minji. But today, as we talked, I found her to be incredibly knowledgeable and insightful.

In my past life, I had no relation to martial arts. I enjoyed talking about matters outside of martial cultivation.

Chatting with Jeong Minji was enjoyable, and I thought a small detour wouldn’t be so bad, so I agreed.

“Sounds good. We’re not in a rush, so let’s take our time and enjoy the scenery. It’s been a long time since I last strolled so leisurely like this—it’s refreshing.”

As I gave my approval, Jeong Suji and Jeong Daji steered their horses onto a narrow path that barely fit one carriage.

During that extra time, they would devise a way to avoid heading to the Hajeong Escort Agency altogether.