CLS-Chapter 103

Chapter 103

Yan Zheng-li, the Governor of Hubei, ground his teeth as he looked at the young man before him.

To be precise, he had no choice but to grind his teeth while looking at the booklet that the young man was casually waving around.

“So… how much did you say it was?”

“Two nyang of gold.”

“You’re telling me you came to find me just for a mere two nyang of gold?”

“Yes.”

“Grrrrrrrrr.”

Who was he?

He was Yan Zheng-li, the Governor of Hubei, before whom even flying birds would fall in fear. Yet here he was, unable to restrain a single upstart young man right before his eyes—naturally, his insides were churning.

“You came to find me to collect two nyang of gold! Two nyang of gold!”

“Whoa, Governor, you’re talking as if two nyang of gold is nothing special. Is a governor’s salary really that high?”

“Grrr.”

A governor’s salary was obviously meager.

How much of the money he had accumulated so far could possibly come from his official salary?

If it were anyone else, they wouldn’t dare say such things in front of him, but a Royal Inspector was someone whose job it was to ferret out exactly such matters.

Moreover, this wasn’t just any Royal Inspector—this was someone carrying the Royal Inspector’s Gold Sword personally bestowed by the Prince. As long as the evidence was in his hands, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say he held the man’s lifeline.

“Haven’t I already given you massive wealth! Yet you say you came to find me in the dead of night for such pocket change—that’s why I’m so flabbergasted.”

“Money really is futile, you know. It flows out like an ebbing tide… wow, I seriously thought I was going crazy.”

I’m the one going crazy! I am!

I’m the one going crazy, you bastard!

Unable to calm his boiling insides, Yan Zheng-li grabbed the entire teapot beside him and gulped down the tea.

“Aaaahhhhh! Hot hot hot hot hot!”

“Oh my.”

Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue as he watched the governor jump up from his seat and hop around.

How impatient must a person be to grab a scalding teapot and drink from it whole?

“Governor, you really need to control your temper.”

“Is there no one outside!”

When the door opened and a servant entered, the governor threw the teapot in his hand to the floor and shouted.

“Who told you to prepare hot tea!”

“B-but Governor, you always told us to prepare it hot…”

“Argh! Who are you talking back to right now!”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head from side to side.

“Hurry up and bring something cold.”

“Yes, yes sir!”

The servant’s manner was so natural that without time to think about who Wei Yan-ho was, he rushed outside and returned with a teapot filled with cold tea.

“Bring it here!”

Taking the teapot, Yan Zheng-li gulped down the tea roughly, then set it down hard.

After fuming by himself for a while, he looked at Wei Yan-ho and spoke.

“Fine! I’ll give you two nyang of gold! But if you keep coming to find me and threatening me like this, I won’t just quietly take it anymore either.”

“This is the end.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. It’s over.”

“Hmm…”

Yan Zheng-li looked at Wei Yan-ho with deeply suspicious eyes. Hadn’t he spoken in a tone last time suggesting they’d have no more business? Yet here this bastard was, breaking into his bedchamber at dawn and waving around that book—how could he possibly trust him!

“And honestly, I can’t understand you, Governor.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re that worried, why don’t you just write a letter to the Prince? If you declare your support for the Prince’s faction, you’d have nothing to fear.”

“It’s not as easy as it sounds.”

Yan Zheng-li pondered whether he should say such things, then opened his mouth.

“Nok-gi is far more frightening than you think. You just don’t know it because you’re the Prince’s man.”

“I’m not on the Prince’s side though.”

“…Then what? What about that Royal Inspector’s Gold Sword?”

“I just brought it because they told me to take it along.”

“Grr.”

It would have been less burdensome if he’d just said he was on the Prince’s side. What kind of bastard shamelessly spouts such words?

“That’s something I’ll handle myself. Will two nyang of gold be enough?”

“Well…”

“What now!”

“If possible, could I get just one more nyang? I realized I don’t have any living expenses.”

Yan Zheng-li shook his head vigorously as if dealing with someone completely inevitable.

“Is there no one outside?”

The servant rushed in again and stood at attention.

“Did you call for me?”

“Go and bring ten nyang of gold.”

“Ooh!”

Wei Yan-ho’s face lit up at the mention of ten nyang.

As soon as the money pouch was brought in, Yan Zheng-li tossed it to Wei Yan-ho without hesitation.

“Here!”

“Hehe, thank you.”

Wei Yan-ho was even polite about it.

Watching Wei Yan-ho bow in thanks, Yan Zheng-li clicked his tongue.

“However.”

“…Yes?”

“Keep in mind that if this happens again, I too will no longer endure it.”

Yan Zheng-li radiated authority as if to say his position as Governor of Hubei wasn’t won in a gambling den.

“Yes. I won’t have any reason to come again. Well then.”

As Wei Yan-ho walked outside, Yan Zheng-li sighed.

“He’s no ordinary fellow.”

Despite all that intimidation, the fact that he didn’t even blink—he was definitely someone with great nerve.

“Telling me to side with the Prince…”

Who dares say such things to whom?

“Huhuhuh.”

Looking toward where Wei Yan-ho had gone, Yan Zheng-li burst into laughter and shouted toward the outside.

“Bring writing materials!”

***

“That old man has quite the peculiar personality.”

Wei Yan-ho never considered his own actions.

Feeling the weight of the money pouch jingling in his hand, Wei Yan-ho turned his head and called out.

“You’re there, aren’t you?”

There was no response.

“I know you’re there, so come out.”

Swish.

A figure in black clothes sprouted up from the ground.

Even seeing this bizarre sight, Wei Yan-ho didn’t blink an eye, then took out two gold pieces from the money pouch and threw them.

“This should be enough, right?”

The one who caught the money took the gold and stared silently at Wei Yan-ho before speaking.

“When did you first notice?”

“From the beginning.”

“…”

Seo-o, a top-grade agent of the Hao Clan, trembled all over.

Though he thought his stealth skills were second to none anywhere, Wei Yan-ho claimed to have known he was following from the very beginning.

Where should he start believing?

‘There’s no reason not to believe it.’

If it weren’t true, he couldn’t have discerned his movements on this night.

‘Requires caution.’

He couldn’t help but feel wary of this person called Wei Yan-ho.

“It’s not good to trail people like that.”

“I apologize.”

“No need for apologies. Instead, I’d like you to carry out one more commission.”

“For free?”

“It’s not a difficult task.”

“That’s not for me to decide. I’ll hear the commission first and then determine the price.”

“I’d like you to find someone’s whereabouts. As for who he is…”

Hearing Wei Yan-ho’s words, Seo-o chuckled.

“I don’t understand why you’re looking for him. Fine, since I was caught, the fault is mine, so I’ll tell you that much. He’s at the Moonlight Benefactor.”

“Moonlight Benefactor?”

“It’s the name of a tavern. It’s not far from Sacred Hand Hall where you’re staying, so you can ask passersby for directions.”

“Thank you.”

“Well then.”

“Oh, and please tell them I hope the commissioned work proceeds properly.”

“The Hao Clan treats commissions as precious as life.”

“I hope so. If possible, it would be nice if an expert of your caliber could handle it. It would have been nice if you were a woman though.”

“Hehe…”

As Seo-o disappeared into the darkness, Wei Yan-ho sighed.

“Phew, this place is finally finished too.”

He’d spent far more time than expected. At the Hanrim Grand Academy, though it was brief, he’d gained something, but here, despite spending even more time, he felt like he hadn’t gained anything in particular.

He’d gained wealth, but what use is wealth after death?

“Now I really have to go.”

Wei Yan-ho looked up at the sky forlornly.

He seemed to see his master’s face laughing mockingly at him.

“I know! I’m going!”

If he didn’t experience more and learn more, he would one day be unable to handle the Internal Core his master had left behind and—pop!—his body would burst and he’d die. And Wei Yan-ho could tell that there was nothing more for him to feel in this place.

Jin So-ah and Jin Ye-ran were both physicians, but what they pursued was different.

They had the same goals, but it was amazing how much they could oppose each other based on differences in disposition alone.

He’d felt that if he kept watching them, he might realize something, but unfortunately, nothing particularly resonated with Wei Yan-ho.

Both Jin So-ah’s life and Jin Ye-ran’s life… were too distant for Wei Yan-ho.

The life of a physician who treats other people also failed to give him any particular enlightenment.

“Can this really be learned!”

Even at Hanrim Grand Academy, if it hadn’t been for his conversation with Moon Yu-hwan, Wei Yan-ho would have gained nothing.

Either he was arrogant to think he could gain something just by observing others’ lives without experiencing them himself, or his master’s expectations had been too excessive from the start.

Either way, the result was the same.

“Fine, I’ll go! Just one more thing before that!”

Wei Yan-ho railed against his master who was no longer in this world and quickened his pace.

The moonlight was brightly illuminating the world.

“Nights like this are good for self-reflection.”

Though Wei Yan-ho was constitutionally weak at moving around at night, he had a premonition that he had to finish everything tonight.

“Whew.”

Wei Yan-ho walked sluggishly toward Sacred Hand Hall. After walking for a while and asking passersby, he was able to find the tavern called Moonlight Benefactor.

“…They chose the wrong name.”

There was a damp feeling from inside the main gate. Rather than Moonlight Benefactor, Moonlight Drunkard seemed more fitting.

Wei Yan-ho poked his head through the gate and looked around inside.

‘Not there?’

Enhancing his eyesight and looking around again, he could spot someone sitting alone drinking in the most secluded corner.

“Found him.”

Wei Yan-ho entered the tavern.

“Hey!”

The person guarding the front of the tavern blocked Wei Yan-ho’s path.

“Kids shouldn’t come to places like this. Get out quickly.”

“Who’s a kid!”

“This brat wants a beating!”

“I’m here with someone.”

“Someone?”

At that moment, the person who had been drinking alone inside raised his hand.

“It seems like a guest looking for me, how about letting him in?”

The owner looked back and forth between the drinker inside and Wei Yan-ho, then slightly frowned and stepped back.

“Hehe.”

Looking smug as if to say ‘see?’, Wei Yan-ho went inside and sat across from the one who had welcomed him.

Thud.

As soon as he sat down, a cup was placed in front of him, and the person across from him picked up the wine bottle.

“Would you like a drink?”

“I wouldn’t refuse if you offered.”

“Good.”

He poured wine into Wei Yan-ho’s cup with a trickle, then filled his own cup as well.

“Isn’t it a good night for a drink?”

“Honestly, I don’t know much about the Way of Wine, so I don’t know what to answer.”

“How unfortunate that you don’t enjoy drinking. But surely we can share a cup together?”

“I can do that for you.”

Wei Yan-ho lifted his cup.

The man smiled faintly, then raised his one and only arm to grasp and lift his cup.

Wei Yan-ho and Dok-bi’s cups clinked together in midair.