Chapter 48
As soon as dawn broke, I finished preparing to head to Hunan City, where the Haomun Hunan Branch was located.
At that time, my subordinates hadn't even started their daily routines yet, so they all came out to see Yoo Somyung and me off.
“Elder Brother.”
“What is it now?”
“Are you sure you should go alone?”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake.”
Dongryong’s nagging was truly... worse than my mother's in my past life. He worried so much when I went to Sichuan, and now he’s worrying like this even when I’m just going down the mountain for a bit.
“Dongryong, you worry too much. And why am I alone? I’m going with Young Lady Yu here.”
“Hmm... that’s true, but...”
Dongryong looked at my back with an awkward expression and said,
“Can you really call this “going together”...?”
Yoo Somyung was tied up tightly, hanging on my back, at the end of Dongryong’s gaze.
“Let me go! I can walk on my own, why...!”
“Young Lady Yu. Didn’t I tell you to be quiet? If you make a fuss, I’ll gag you.”
*Smack.*
As I said that, I smacked Yoo Somyung’s rear.
“Ugh...”
Whether from embarrassment or pain, Yoo Somyung let out a whimper and shut her mouth. After silencing her, I spoke to Dongryong.
“Safety first. What if I just untie her and Young Lady Yu stabs me in the back? Just in case, I have to keep her tied up like this.”
“If Elder Brother says so...”
Dongryong nodded, but his eyes still showed anxiety about just the two of us going.
I found his reaction absurd.
“No, but Dongryong. Who exactly is worrying about whom?”
“...Huh?”
“I’m worried about you.”
“...Why?”
Is this bastard really asking because he doesn’t know?
“Don’t you remember what you did when I was away for a month in Sichuan? You *Bandit King* bastard?”
“No, that was...”
I grabbed Dongryong’s shoulder and whispered to him, with Dongryong sweating in embarrassment.
“Dongryong, you’re already a Bandit King. There’s nowhere higher to go. Unless you want to be a Bandit Emperor, just stay quiet while I’m gone.”
“...Yes. I understand.”
“Remember what I told you before? If this happens one more time, I’ll personally throw you into the Murim Alliance.”
“...I’ll keep that in mind.”
“...Sigh.”
...Still, Dongryong isn’t a complete fool, so he probably understood what I meant.
I looked at Dongryong’s solemn face and, uncharacteristically, lowered my voice.
“While I’m gone, you’re the leader, so take good care of the kids.”
“Yes.”
“There probably won’t be any trouble, but if something happens, handle it yourself.”
“Yes.”
Next, I turned to my other subordinates.
“Jeokyeom, train your Martial Arts diligently while I’m gone.”
“Understood, Leader.”
“Bangsam, don’t think about slacking off while I’m gone; work hard.”
“Of course.”
“The Entrance Pavilion is the most important part of our Green Forest right now. So don’t sulk about being given a tough job, and take responsibility...”
“Ah, I get it! Leader, why are you so talkative today? You weren’t like this before!”
“...”
Only after hearing Bangsam’s words did I become self-aware.
Uh... you’re right.
Why am I so talkative today? No, if I’m being precise, it’s not just that I’m talkative; my feet aren’t moving easily.
*Something...*
Should I say I have a bad feeling...?
A feeling that I’ll regret it if I leave the Mountain Stronghold like this...
“Hey, don’t worry too much, okay? We’ll do just fine even without the Leader.”
“...Alright.”
But a feeling is just a feeling.
It’s not good to be anxious about something that hasn’t even happened yet. At Bangsam’s urging, I took heavy steps.
“Then I’m off, you bastards!”
“Yes! Have a safe trip, Leader!”
“Have a safe trip, Leader!”
And so, I left the Mountain Stronghold, receiving their farewells.
It took half a day of walking to reach Hunan City, where the Haomun Hunan Branch was located.
We’d been settled in Hunan Province for a while, but this was my first time visiting the city. And my impression upon seeing it was...
“This is quite the *Hick Town*...”
...It wasn’t very good.
There was a shopping district, but most shops seemed closed for the night, and even in the few open ones, there weren’t many people.
Compared to Sichuan, which I’d visited recently, this was truly a *Hick Town*.
It makes me realize anew how splendid Sichuan was.
I wanted to have a drink at a decent tavern, but they all looked cheap, so I didn’t want to go into any of them.
Moreover...
“Oh my, how scandalous.”
I could feel people around us whispering, seeing me carrying a grown young lady on my back.
So I immediately headed towards the Haomun Branch.
As I moved deeper into the already rural town, to an even shadier spot, Yoo Somyung spoke with an anxious tone.
...Where are we going now? Didn’t you say we were going to Haomun?
“We’re going the right way. They’re like cockroaches, so you have to go to a slightly gloomy place to meet them. Look, there it is.”
It was an Inn that looked so shabby it might collapse at any moment.
The method for meeting a Haomun Branch Leader is always the same. Go to the Rendezvous Point and tell the owner the secret password appropriate for the region.
I recalled the password I’d been given and entered the Inn. But then...
“Welcome...”
“Hmm?”
The Inn’s Attendant stiffened his face as soon as he saw me. Then...
*Bow.*
“The Branch Leader is waiting.”
“Oh ho.”
...He bent at a right angle and guided me inside.
Seeing that, Somyung asked quietly from behind me.
...What is your true identity? Are you some big shot in the Unorthodox Faction that I don’t know about?”
“No, not really...”
More like a VIP of Haomun.
No, calling it a VIP wouldn’t be enough. With the Haomun Leader’s Ring in my pocket, I could probably control an entire branch as I pleased.
Anyway, the place I was guided to by the Attendant’s kind service was, as expected, the Basement.
But there was one difference: this time, when the door opened, someone was already waiting.
He raised his hand and smiled as soon as he saw me.
“It’s good to see you after such a long time.”
“You look well? This town must suit you.”
“It’s quite rural, so the air is good. Hahaha!”
Due to the nature of Haomun, Haomun often maintains a smiling facade. However, the face looking at me now was genuinely beaming, as if truly glad to see me.
Feeling his sincerity, I smiled back.
“Long time no see, Mister.”
“Actually, it hasn’t been that long, but it’s good to see you often.”
Yes... it hadn’t actually been that long, but...
Seeing Munseok’s cheerful face, I didn’t feel bad at all.