209

Chapter 209 - Reopening - Part 1

"It simply doesn't make sense in this world."

A woman with pink pigtails was stomping down the street furiously.

Even in the metropolis of Uichang, it was rare to see such a stunning beauty, enough to make numerous men suffer pinches on their thighs from their partners, yet they couldn't take their eyes off her.

"To be saved by that man, of all people."

The sudden attack on the Hao Moon Clan's Umbrella Branch.

She was the only one who could escape alone thanks to her exceptional lightness skill. The attack was too well-planned, causing her to fret over whether she could safely escape from under the umbrella's reach.

Surrounded by enemies, with no one to call for help, the moment of crisis that she hoped would never come eventually arrived.

Is this the end? Can I survive if I run away? In that moment, when concern and worry dominated her thoughts.

A man with black hair appeared. And not just once, but twice.

Once might have been out of kindness. But to help, even after realizing that she was a fugitive entertainer?

Usually, when it was known that a lowly entertainer had fled from a brothel or music house, the reality was to either capture them for a reward or to simply ignore them. However, this man had instead protected and aided her.

With a confident expression and astonishing agility, he rescued her as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

She recalled a character from a novel she truly adored when she saw Kang Yoon Ho's actions.

"He's like Tang Jeong from 'The Whirlwind of Tang'…"

The protagonist of 'The Whirlwind of Tang', a character she adored without measure.

Of course, he was only about a quarter of a quarter of a quarter of a quarter as cool as the real hero of the age, Tang Jeong, but still, she thought he seemed quite, no, very much like Tang Jeong.

"What is your name, Sir?"

Determined to remember the name of her benefactor, she mustered the courage to ask him his name.

"Before that, shouldn't you tell me something?"

What should she say?

Even though he was her savior, telling the truth could be dangerous, since she was a fugitive entertainer. After much thought, she had a bright idea.

If he was Tang Jeong, of course, her name would be unique too.

"My name is Doo Eung Hyang."

A hero saving a fallen entertainer. If he is Tang Jeong, then naturally, her name is Doo Eung Hyang.

"Do I look a bit like Doo Eung Hyang?"

"Have you lost your mind? Someone like you compared to the foremost beauty of Hubuk, Miss Doo Eung Hyang?"

"Hey!"

She would have been chastised by the other trainee entertainers in the Umbrella Brothel if they heard her claim to be Doo Eung Hyang, but it didn't matter.

There was no one around to hear anyway.

She hoped the man would remember her as Doo Eung Hyang, while giving the pseudonym of her favorite novel character.

And that was a mistake so embarrassing that it could wake her from her sleep in shame.

"I never imagined it was Kang Yoon Ho."

Although not as much as rumors about the author Ho Pil, the gossip surrounding Kang Yoon Ho was also rampant within the Umbrella Brothel.

A villainous bookstore owner who had taken author Ho Pil hostage.

Rumors were spreading that he was a wicked merchant squeezing Ho Pil dry and fattening his own pockets.

Of course, these rumors were a cunning mix of truth and falsehood.

Partially true and exaggerated tales about Kang Yoon Ho's outrageous marketing tactics, his preventing the next volume of 'The Whirlwind of Tang' from being published, and stories using author Ho Pil.

Moreover, the entertainers of the Umbrella Brothel, who had become fervent fans of 'The Whirlwind of Tang', continuously bad-mouthed Kang Yoon Ho, adding to the issue.

In the end, the more they loved 'The Whirlwind of Tang', the stronger their resentment grew towards Kang Yoon Ho, whom they saw as the reason the next volume couldn't be published.

Yet, she had indirectly received a favor from the very dishonest merchant she detested.

"I called myself Doo Eung Hyang in front of Kang Yoon Ho! Ugh!"

How much he must have laughed inside after hearing her alias.

Mentioning a character from the very novel that feeds him as her alias.

He probably helped her because he thought the story funny enough to deserve a tip. He might even brag about it as a good tale for his drinking friends.

"Nevertheless…"

She took out the purse Kang Yoon Ho had given her.

He might be the worst bookstore owner, a despicable merchant, but he seemed not to be a villain. He didn't look like the barbaric and rugged foreigner the trainee entertainers imagined either.

In fact, upon a second thought...

"No, that's not it. He's the worst shopkeeper, Kang Yoon Ho!"

She swiftly cleared the rising thoughts from her mind. It was one thing to be grateful, but it remained that he was a dishonorable merchant.

To receive help from the nemesis of author Ho Pil.

For her, as the leader of the Umbrella Brothel Literari Club, an avid reader of 'The Whirlwind of Tang' and a passionate supporter of author Ho Pil, it was an unbearable humiliation.

She put away the purse Kang Yoon Ho had given her, shaking off the complex emotions, and headed towards the Hao Moon.

**********************

"Kang Yoon Ho has returned aliveeeeee!"

The moment he set foot in Uichang, he let out a loud cry of victory.

It was a little embarrassing, but since he said it in Korean, it didn't matter. After all, in the noisy port, anything undecipherable was just another sound.

He had left for Uichang with a resolve to face death at Tang House.

Fortunately, he had resolved the Tang House problem, and the tigers he feared would take his life had become strong allies.

He protected both the tea shop and the 'The Whirlwind of Tang'. The issue of Hwarin's poison was essentially resolved. Although it was painful to part, even briefly, he knew that with effort, they would meet again sooner.

Coming back to Uichang after sorting everything out, he couldn't describe his joy.

"Did you say something in Korean just now? What did you say?"

A porter, directing the unloading of cargo, came up to him upon hearing his shout.

"I said I'm glad to be home."

"Haha, I see. Though you're glad to be back, we have lots of cargo, so let's head to the Uichang branch of Seochon Courier Service together."

"Let's do that."

He wanted to go straight to the tea shop, but it couldn't be helped.

There were things he brought from Sacheon Tang House, and the Tang clan warriors and other martial artists who had escorted him also needed accommodation.

Of course, there was the tea shop, but the idea of cohabiting with those men was out of the question.

The Seochon Courier Service had offered accommodations for the Tang House people, so it was only right to head there to sort things out.

"They will surely be surprised when I get there."

I wonder what's happening. The porter, with an inscrutable smile, led our group towards the Seochon Courier Service.

"This is the new Uichang branch of the Seochon Courier Service."

The place the porter had introduced as the branch of the Seochon Courier Service was a very familiar location.

"The Hundred Family Manor?"

The Hundred Family Manor was where Tang Hwarin's maternal grandfather had lived. It was put up for sale to settle his debts, but they had said it was too large and expensive to sell easily.

"Please come in. We have been expecting you."

Upon arriving in front of the Hundred Family Manor, a familiar face was there to greet us.

"Chief Steward Uncle!"

The person Hwarin and I had most trusted and relied on in Uichang. Even as the Hundred Family Manor was brought to ruin by debt, this uncle had taken responsibility and tried to wrap up the loose ends to the very end.

The Chief Steward of the Hundred Family Manor approached me with a face full of joy.

"I heard of your arrival and have prepared for guests. Please come in."

After guiding us to the guest room, the Chief Steward served tea and requested to hear about what had happened in my absence.

"...Because of that situation, Hwarin could not come with me."

I explained to the Chief Steward in detail about the recent events, avoiding sensitive issues concerning the Sacheon Tang House.

"Ah, Miss Hwarin has become a poison master and is staying at the Sacheon Tang House."

The Chief Steward stroked his beard with a conflicted look, unsure whether to be pleased or to feel sorry.

"I am ashamed she couldn't return with me."

I bowed slightly to apologize.

The Chief Steward was someone who could be considered family to Hwarin in Uichang. Although he might not be as upset as I was, I was certain he was heartbroken.

"No, not at all. It's a joyous occasion that Miss Hwarin has cured her lifelong incurable illness. Rather, I worry that you, Young Master Kang, may be heartbroken."

Yes, I wanted to come back to the Daseo Pavilion with Hwarin and have meaningful experiences in life every day.

"I'll just have to wait at the Daseo Pavilion until I meet Hwarin again, so it's fine. If the Chief Steward had seen Hwarin lately, you would have been astounded. She became startlingly beautiful."

I'm not dressing it up because she is Hwarin, but truly, she has become stunningly beautiful enough to be called the most beautiful woman in Sacheon.

Any man who might deny her being the most beautiful would kneel in recognition once confronted with her overwhelming physical presence.

"Living long enough, surely I will be able to see Miss Hwarin's beautified face."

"Yes, definitely. But what happened to the Hundred Family Manor?"

The Hundred Family Manor becoming a new branch of the Seochon Courier Service. It was a tremendously large mansion, and they had said no one wealthy enough to buy it had appeared.

"The Sacheon Tang House has purchased it."

"The Tang House?"

"They said they would buy it to manage the birthplace of a Tang House person. At first, I was skeptical about what they meant. It seems that since Miss Hwarin has been recognized as a person of the Tang House, they stepped forward."

"I see they bought it because it's where Hwarin was born."

They bought a mansion as grand as the Hundred Family Manor just because it was the birthplace of a poison master when she was young.

As someone who's struggling to pay off debts to the point of converting an attic for living, I can't fathom such purchasing power. It must be Sacheon Tang House, the overlord of Sacheon.

If they were going to do this, they might as well pay off the debts of the Daseo Pavilion.

Since I received the Daseo Pavilion from Hwarin, I had to inherit the mortgage loan like a debt succession.

It would have been great if Hwarin could pay it off, but her position within the Tang House isn't solidified yet, and it's awkward for both of us to reach out to the Tang House for help.

So, in the end, like a breadwinner tearing up over a 35-year-long mortgage for a two-story house with a red roof, I must diligently work it off.

"Having managed the Hundred Family Manor for a long time, the Tang House has hired me to oversee its care. And since people from the Seochon Courier Service have moved in to help with the management, you can't imagine how much easier it has become."

Did the Sacheon Tang House purchase it and then rent it to the Seochon Courier Service, which is under the Tang House? It's like the parent company owns the building, telling its subsidiary to pay the rent.

A house with no one living in it and without consistent upkeep degrades quickly. Regardless of the situation, it's better for Hwarin's birthplace to be owned by someone else than by strangers.

"That's great news. Hwarin will be happier knowing it's used by the Seochon Courier Service rather than by people she doesn't know. Speaking of which, have you heard anything regarding the Daseo Pavilion or 'The Whirlwind of Tang'?"

With a hint of worry, I asked the Chief Steward whether there were any issues with the Daseo Pavilion during my absence.

"Didn't you stop by the Daseo Pavilion before coming here?"

"No."

"Ha, if you go there now, you'll see a group of people in front of the Daseo Pavilion crying out in lamentation. There are those who set up a shrine and are praying for the safe return of Manager Kang."

"..."

What's all this about?

"Recently, someone even said that since perhaps author Ho Pil fled and Manager Kang seemed dead, they should hold a funeral ceremony. That nearly turned into an actual funeral for that person."

"Hahaha."

Members of the Dasuhoe are as dramatic as ever.

"I heard 'The Whirlwind of Tang' has also become quite famous in neighboring cities too. You'll be very busy once business starts again."

It had surprised me too. I never expected the Munyeong Shinto to know about 'The Whirlwind of Tang'. Seems like 'The Whirlwind of Tang' continued to gain popularity while I was away from Uichang.

It was a good choice to use the book as a means of increasing fame. If I'm not in this martial world to slice through demons, cultists, and even the heavens, I must rely on the speed of word of mouth.

Hiding my pride, I spoke with a worried tone.

"I'm concerned too. Hwarin did so much, and now I have to do it all by myself."

There's managing the Daseo Pavilion during work hours, taking care of sales and inventory after work, writing novels, handling printing jobs... The list is endless.

How am I supposed to handle it all without Hwarin? It's overwhelming.

"Why not consider hiring some people?"

"I'll have to think about it. But by the way, did any issues arise regarding the debt?"

I had left all matters of the Daseo Pavilion's debt in the Chief Steward's hands during my absence. I hoped nothing had come up.

At the mention of debt, the Chief Steward gave me a grave look.

I have a bad feeling about this.

"Actually, there is an urgent matter regarding the debt of Daseo Pavilion that I need to discuss with you."