Chapter 169 - An Unexpected Encounter - 6
Was it surprise that caused such an unexpected noise?
The voice sounded like that of a friend who, after insisting on not having snacks during a diet at a studio apartment, is caught red-handed sneakily making bibimbap with stolen side dishes from the refrigerator in the middle of the night.
"Perhaps I woke thinking an intruder was bathing."
"What is that… Ahem. It seems you were woken by the sound of water."
Cheongun Sohyeop responded to my absurd statement with a strained voice as if to tackle me with questions, but then he regained composure and spoke as if he understood the situation.
Now that I've confirmed the intruder isn't wasting water, should I just go back to sleep? As I rubbed my sleepy eyes and looked towards the washroom area, I spotted something white in the moonlight.
Bandages?
"Cheongun Sohyeop, have you been injured?"
I asked with a tone of concern.
"No. Why do you ask?"
"I can see bandages in front of the washroom."
"Ah, that. During a battle, I sustained some minor scratches."
To a warrior, minor scratches hardly counted as injuries. And here I am, someone who would scream for a medic even with a paper cut.
I recalled that after saving us, Cheongun Sohyeop had bandaged his forearm. It's remarkable that he came out of a fight with a horde of black-clad men with only scratches to show.
Thanks to my Jade Surface Protection Technique, I no longer faced death by unseen blades, but I had never even considered trying secret techniques like grabbing a sword blade.
"Is Young Master Kang asleep?"
Engrossed in my thoughts, the washroom door creaked open slightly, and Cheongun Sohyeop spoke cautiously, as if not to wake me.
"I am not asleep."
"Oh!"
Bang! The washroom door hastily shut.
"Do you need a towel?"
I glanced at the casually thrown towel on the nightstand as I asked. I had forgotten to place a fresh one out after eating the dumplings Cheongun Sohyeop had given me.
"I-I have a towel!"
Perhaps something else was needed.
The guestroom was dark and quiet. There was no sound of running water from the washroom, only the sound of feet tapping nervously on a wet floor.
"Cheongun Sohyeop?"
I called out to him, wondering if he needed something other than a towel.
"Ah! Could you, um, please ask the owner's daughter in the room at the end of the corridor to turn on some hot water?"
So that was it. It seems the cold was more bothersome than expected.
"Haha. Warm water baths are indeed preferable to cold. But given the late hour, is she likely to be awake?"
"The lady said she would be awake even late at night."
"Ah."
That's probably not how she meant it. Is it really alright for me to go?
"It's harder than I thought in the cold. My apologies."
Cheongun Sohyeop's voice carried a mix of embarrassment and earnestness.
"No need to apologize. I will go."
It might be a bit of an embarrassing errand, but after receiving such a favor, it's the least I could do.
With an internal note that even as a Daoist, cold showers were challenging in this weather, I left the guestroom.
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"Oh dear. I thought it was the Daoist master... but it isn't."
Upon opening the door, I was greeted by a woman dressed as if for the most important duel of her life.
I quickly appreciated the scantily clad woman's cover, which boasted a sensual figure, saving this image quickly to my mental memory before pretending to see nothing and looking at her face instead.
The innkeeper's daughter seemed clearly disappointed that I wasn't Cheongun Sohyeop, but since I couldn't transform into him, I simply relayed my message.
"Hmm. It's not difficult. But since you're here, would you like to see something interesting inside?"
The innkeeper's daughter scrutinized me up and down before pointing to some sort of contraption in the room.
"I must depart early tomorrow. I apologize for the late hour, but I would appreciate your assistance."
What's so fascinating about a boiler control to see? With that thought, I nodded regrettably and left her behind.
What a sight to see in the dead of night. This is crazy.
The fact that such a woman tempted me to spend the night with her. It's only because Cheongun Sohyeop is a Daoist who keeps away from lust and is oblivious to female interactions that things didn't go astray tonight.
Given Cheongun Sohyeop's nature, I foresee such encounters likely to become frequent. As a professional in matters of men and women, I should offer him advice when the opportunity arises.
"Young Master Kang?"
As I pushed aside my envy for the life of a handsome man and was about to return to my room, I bumped into a member of the Yi-gap troopers, carrying a kettle.
"Are you awake?"
Perhaps he had some errand that had brought him out.
"To guard Miss Hwarin, we are taking turns keeping watch."
They were standing guard, even in the inn, alert to the possibility of an attack at any time.
"If you were heading out, you could have asked for my assistance."
"I'm fine."
"But I am not."
I intercepted the kettle from the Yi-gap trooper as I spoke.
"Then, could you bring me some medicinal water from the carriage?"
I wanted to offer some small assistance for the trouble caused by a friend. Nodding, I filled up from the medicinal water in the carriage parked in the stables and headed back to the guestroom.
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"How is Hwarin doing?"
While placing the kettle in her room, I asked the Yi-gap trooper watching over her.
"She has lost consciousness, but fortunately, the poison inside her body has not started to corrode her health."
"It would be nice if she could open her eyes if she is alright."
I said this while looking at Hwarin, who seemed peacefully asleep. It felt strange to see her with her eyes closed while I was awake.
Even when writing novels at night, she would stay up until I slept, and she always woke up earlier than me, making it rare to see her sleeping face unprotected.
'Hwarin, you need to wake up.'
I yearned for Hwarin's voice telling me it was late and to get up for the bookstore opening. I longed to see her shy insults when I played jokes on her, to hear her snickering laughter at something funny.
Hwarin, you're not going to stay like this, are you? The anxious thought that I never wanted to entertain pressed hollowly against my chest.
"Miss Hwarin seems to be hibernating like it's winter."
As I darkened with worry for Hwarin, the Yi-gap trooper spoke to me.
"Hibernating?"
"Yes. In the harshness of winter, animals hibernate to focus on surviving the cold alone, without other bodily activities. It seems Miss Hwarin is not undertaking unnecessary body functions in order to combat the poison within her."
"So there won't be any problems for the time being?"
If Hwarin, like animals enduring winter through hibernation, was controlling the poison while unconscious, then surely, no major problems would arise.
"Yes. The problem is..."
"What's the problem?"
"If the cold of winter persists too long, some animals fail to wake from their hibernation."
"We need to get to the Tang family home as soon as possible."
I said this, carefully taking Hwarin's hand in mine.
"Once she receives treatment at the Tang family home, she should regain consciousness. First, we need to awaken her, and then absorb the poison of the Demonic Face Pillar to counteract the poison of Thousand-Year Solitude."
Is there a method to awaken her at the Tang family home? Then we must hurry all the more.
"I seem to have needlessly occupied your mind late into the night. I shall take my leave now."
The night was deep. I couldn't possibly trouble the fatigued Yi-gap troopers any further.
"How could concern for a friend be needless? Do not worry too much, Young Master Kang. Please get some rest."
I nodded and, with Hwarin's unconscious face imprinted in my heart, I returned to my room.
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As I entered the guestroom, I felt Cheongun Sohyeop stir where he lay.
He finished bathing quickly. Perhaps he managed to bathe in warm water. Considering the remaining steam around the washroom, it seemed likely that he had used warm water.
"Cheongun Sohyeop, are you awake?"
I called out to him in a quiet voice.
"Yes, I'm awake."
"About the bandages..."
"Ban-bandages? What about them?"
Cheongun Sohyeop replied with a voice mixed with confusion and caution.
"I have obtained fresh bandages from the Yi-gap members; in case you bound up old ones yourself, I can assist you in replacing them."
I showed the bandages in my hand to Cheongun Sohyeop, whose eyes were the only thing peeking out from under the blankets.
"I'm fine!"
"It would be better if you used fresh bandages."
"Pressure—that is, I mean, they're just tied as a temporary measure to stop bleeding. The bleeding has stopped now, so it's fine."
Thinking of infections, it would be better to rebandage with fresh ones. But with the night deepened, I refrained from insisting further, not wanting to pester him.
With my inner power capable of miraculous recovery, it should be fine.
"Then I will leave the fresh bandages beside you. Please use them later as needed."
"Thank you."
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After making peace with Cheongun Sohyeop and with no further attacks, our journey encountered no major problems.
"Besides the stories about Guge Daehyeop, have you read any other novels?"
Certainly, I had to engage Cheongun Sohyeop in conversation throughout the trip, but getting the protection of such a formidable guardian was surely something I couldn't complain about.
"We will handle the guestroom reservations and purchasing of medicinal herbs."
After days on the road, we arrived at the next village.
"I will go buy food supplies."
"Let me give you the list."
"I will go with you."
I went with Cheongun Sohyeop to replenish our depleted provisions.
"Please save us!"
While we were looking around the stores to buy food, three boys, just coming of age with their fortunes turning black, rushed to us in a panic.
"What's the matter?"
Cheongun Sohyeop, true to his heroic nature, clutched the sheath of his sword, ready to spring into action. The boys looked somewhat nervous as they began to explain.
"Our brother has been taken by men in black masks!"
Black masks? The men in black? In an instant, my eyes met Cheongun Sohyeop's. Could they have been lying in wait here?
"Where? Let's go join them!"
"There in the alley. Over there!"
One of the boys pointed in the direction of a nearby alley when Cheongun Sohyeop asked.
Isn't this too dangerous? If it's the men in black, we shouldn't follow but alert the Tang family instead.
As I was about to stop Cheongun Sohyeop from heading towards the alley, I had a chance to witness a very interesting scene.
Is that what this is about?
"Cheongun Sohyeop. There's no need to go."
I grabbed the wrist of one of the boys swiftly and held him up, restraining Cheongun Sohyeop.
"Ouch! Let me go!"
As the boy flailed helplessly with his feet off the ground, he glared and struggled against my grip.
"Young Master Kang, what are you doing?"
Cheongun Sohyeop, not yet fully grasping the situation, looked at me with surprised eyes.
Is it due to his inexperience in the martial world
that he hasn't dealt with such situations before? Then I must enlighten him myself.
I looked at the boy I'd caught with disbelief and then opened my mouth to Cheongun Sohyeop.
"It's a trap."
The boy I had grabbed—clutched in his hand was Cheongun Sohyeop's money pouch.