Chapter 72

Chapter 72

Clatter, clatter…

Dan Woo-hyun, who was traveling to Hubei in a carriage, had his eyes closed and had not spoken for several hours.

It was impossible to tell whether he was sleeping or meditating.

Even so, he did not seem to be circulating his energy. If someone were to practice martial arts in a place that shook this much, it would be no different from saying they were not human.

'But why is he suddenly going to Hubei?'

Gwon Mu-jin was most curious about that part.

He had heard Dan Woo-hyun talking about something with Namgung Cheon. However, he did not understand the situation well, and his eyes had been drawn to the map, so he had not heard properly.

Gwon Mu-jin spoke cautiously.

"Excuse me… Lord…"

"Speak."

As expected, he was not sleeping.

Dan Woo-hyun, who had his eyes closed, slowly opened them.

The brilliantly shining gaze flashed once and disappeared, but Gwon Mu-jin only smiled awkwardly.

"For what matter are you going to Hubei? The distance is also quite far…"

Had he ever gone this far out before?

Dan Woo-hyun did not like to leave the vicinity of the manor, as if he were bound by chains.

Of course, he had gone to distant places when there was some business, but he returned quickly in most cases, and even then, he never left the Hunan region.

But now it was different.

From Hunan to Hubei.

It was quite a long journey.

Even at a conservative estimate, it would take about a month and a half, and naturally, depending on what he did there, it could take even more time.

Gwon Mu-jin wondered if it was an important enough matter to waste such time while leaving So-mi behind.

"Do you know a man named Geum Wang-su?"

"I have… heard of him."

Gwon Mu-jin pondered the name Geum Wang-su several times. If it was someone who flew and ran in this Central Plains, there would be no one who had not heard that name.

"Is it not a title passed down for generations?"

"Hmm?"

"…Did you not know that?"

Gwon Mu-jin let out a small sigh.

The title Geum Wang-su had been passed down since long ago.

It first appeared about two hundred years ago, and at that time, it was the name claimed by the most outstanding thief in the Central Plains.

And as time passed, his disciples inherited the title of Geum Wang-su and came down to the present day.

Most people who liked old stories would know this much.

"I see. Is it passed down from master to disciple?"

"Yes, that is right. Rumor has it that the thief techniques are passed down through single-disciple inheritance. Therefore, the title constantly rises and falls on people's lips, but his appearance is said to change as time passes."

So the wanted poster itself was useless.

If it was Geum Wang-su, he was a man with a massive bounty on his head. It had been that way since long ago, but he had never been caught until now.

Having the best lightness art in the Central Plains played a part, but whenever they were about to catch him, the wanted poster would change, and the person who originally had that appearance would suddenly disappear and not show his face.

Dan Woo-hyun nodded.

Since there were so many eccentric and extraordinary people in this Central Plains, it was not that strange to have such people.

"Could this trip to Hubei… be related to Geum Wang-su?"

"Yes."

"Ha… I did not expect this. However, there is a rumor that he died a few years ago…"

"That has nothing to do with this. If there is one, it is good, and if not, we can just consider it a sightseeing trip."

Dan Woo-hyun took out the map and showed it to him.

Gwon Mu-jin, who was staring at it quietly, opened his eyes wide as if he recalled something. A map related to Geum Wang-su. Moreover, if it was to the extent that Dan Woo-hyun, of all people, was moving…

'Treasure!'

He thought that this might be the treasure map showing the treasure of Geum Wang-su, which he had only heard of in rumors. Gwon Mu-jin swallowed hard and looked up.

"Could it be the one I only heard of in rumors…"

"I do not know what the rumors are, but Namgung Cheon said this is a map where Geum Wang-su hid his treasure."

Indeed!

If it was the guarantee of Namgung Cheon, of all people, it must be the absolute truth.

The map that many people had been looking for since long ago.

Since it was a map full of treasure enough to buy a castle, it was also understandable that Dan Woo-hyun stepped forward himself.

Gwon Mu-jin swallowed his saliva once again.

Dan Woo-hyun looked at him and grinned.

"If we find the treasure… since you also have merit, I will buy you what you want."

"Th… Thank you, Lord! I will never forget this grace for the rest of my life."

"Haha, we have not found it yet."

"This humble one will search with all his might."

The two men looked at each other and nodded.

It was filled with the determination to find this without fail and live grandly for a lifetime, or to obtain a treasure that everyone in the Central Plains would envy.

Implicitly, they got along well in this aspect.

"That aside, I do not know if So-mi is doing well."

"Indeed. Since the place is spacious and even we are not there, it must feel empty…"

Treasure was treasure, and worry was worry.

Dan Woo-hyun, who crossed his arms, swallowed a small groan. The only people in that spacious manor were one useless servant and one useless old man.

At least So-mi was the most proper among them, but since she was still young, he was deeply worried. He wondered if she would cry or look for him because he was not there, or if she would feel lonely inside even while smiling.

They had been separated for a few days before, but they had never been separated for such a long time as this.

Dan Woo-hyun let out a small sigh, turned his head, and muttered toward the coachman.

"I wish we could go a bit faster."

Yah!

The carriage sped forward vigorously.

* * *

A few days had passed since Dan Woo-hyun left the manor.

Even though it was only two people who had disappeared, a different air from usual wrapped around the manor.

Although the sounds coming from inside were few, the laughter was truly loud.

"Hehehe! I won!"

"I told you it is not!"

"Hahaha! This old man is not dead yet."

"You are both wrong! So-mi won!"

The three people sat cozily in the yard and were playing using small stones. Lines drawn here and there were visible, and inside a large circle, their names were written.

So-mi's circle was the largest, and Jang Sam-tae's circle was the smallest.

At that moment, So-mi flicked the stone once more and completely erased Jang Sam-tae's and Namgung Cheon's circles.

Instantly, Jang Sam-tae's face turned pale. He wondered how many games he had already lost.

"I cannot beat So-mi at this land-grabbing game."

"Even at the school, So-mi gets to eat a lot of delicious things with this."

So-mi smiled brightly.

It was a game she played when she was bored at the school.

At first, since it involved getting dirt on the hands, Ji-yak waved his hand in refusal, but due to So-mi starting it recklessly, he reached the level of addiction before he knew it.

Eventually, it began to spread gradually among the children, and now it had become a trend, so many children were doing this land-grabbing during recess.

"Do… Do you get to eat delicious things?"

"Yes! The children bet this and that, saying it is not fun if we just play. Sometimes I even bring home some pocket money."

Namgung Cheon broke into a cold sweat.

It was merely a land-grabbing game.

Drip…

However, listening to So-mi's words, it did not seem to be at a level that could end simply. It seemed there were children who bet snacks, and there also seemed to be fools who sometimes bet money.

So-mi, who was smiling, was innocent.

To promote gambling with such a face and make a living from it.

Namgung Cheon felt like he saw the back side of So-mi.

Even though she was smiling with such an innocent face, he wondered if she was actually looking at them with a sly expression inside.

'Could that be?'

Namgung Cheon shook his head, trying to erase the thought.

"More than that, So-mi, instead of this kind of thing, shall this grandfather teach you good things?"

"…Good things?"

So-mi tilted her head.

Good things? Good things.

Land-grabbing was a very good and fun game.

First of all, she had never lost to anyone, and since she could get snacks and even make pocket money occasionally, she wondered if there could be a game better than this.

When she turned her questioning gaze, Namgung Cheon coughed.

"Martial arts."

"I do not want to."

So-mi turned her head away and shook it.

She had tried learning martial arts before.

It was something called the Three Talents Sword Technique, and although it was fun at first, as time passed, her body grew tired and it was mentally quite difficult.

Since muscle pain even developed in that small and tender body, an ordinary young girl would naturally have no choice but to avoid it.

On the other hand, Namgung Cheon was flustered.

The Sword Emperor of the realm was offering to teach her.

Any child would nod in astonishment, and it would not be strange if their parents bowed to Namgung Cheon hundreds of times.

Just by learning something from the Sword Emperor, it was no different from obtaining a miraculous encounter that martial artists could not get in a lifetime.

"Wh… Why on earth do you dislike it? Without even thinking about it…"

"I do not like fighting."

Twinkle, twinkle…

So-mi, who had turned her head away, looked at Namgung Cheon with her eyes shining. Along with her cute appearance, even her gaze sparkled, and the sound coming from her mouth was softer than ever, so he felt his heart thump! and sink.

Namgung Cheon felt dizzy for a moment and turned his head.

It shone to the point that he could not bear to look at it.

But would he yield to this level of cuteness?

Do not underestimate the Sword Emperor of the realm.

Namgung Cheon composed his mind as he regulated his breathing.

"So… So-mi. Just because you learn martial arts does not mean you do all the fighting. There are those who do mental cultivation, and there are those who want to make their bodies strong."

"But So-mi is strong?"

"No… to make it stronger than that…"

So-mi thought quietly.

To make it stronger than now?

She recalled one person in her mind.

Hong Jin-rang.

Surely, she heard that the girl had learned martial arts since she was younger than now.

Since Namgung Cheon said she would surely become strong, it was no wonder that the image of herself with rugged muscles and widened shoulders was drawn in So-mi's mind.

Instantly, So-mi's face turned pale.

"I… I do not want to. Absolutely not."

Momentarily, Namgung Cheon realized that he had made a slip of the tongue. Looking at the child's expression, she seemed to have recalled something she did not want to think about.

Then, suddenly, a good idea occurred to him.

"Right! So-hye! You know So-hye well, right?"

"Yes, of course I know sister."

"She is extremely pretty, right? That child."

"Hmm… That is true."

So-mi nodded.

Indeed, Namgung So-hye was very pretty. When they walked together on the streets of Luoyang, she would realize that men's gazes were directed toward her.

She was also envious in her own way. Even though she was young, So-mi was also a girl.

"If you learn martial arts, you can become like that, hahaha!"

"Really?!"

So-mi looked at Namgung Cheon in surprise.

If she could really become that pretty, she would have no other wish. Surely, Dan Woo-hyun would also cherish her more than now.

When So-mi asked with her eyes shining brightly, Namgung Cheon nodded readily.

"Of course!"

"Hehehe."

So-mi could be seen smiling softly.

Feeling that she had finally been won over, Namgung Cheon rejoiced.

Although he was strict when teaching Namgung So-hye, at the very moment he resolved to teach this child as a grandfather more gently than ever.

"Actually, never mind."

"What…?"

So-mi, who smiled widely, drove a dagger into Namgung Cheon's chest.

"Because when So-mi grows up, she will be prettier than that sister anyway."

At that radiant smile, Namgung Cheon was greatly disappointed.

However, So-mi giggled while looking at it, and then let out a soft, small voice.

"But since grandfather is teaching, So-mi will do her best!"