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Episode 149: Romance is a Luxury
The Heart-Reading Solitary Flower, Namgung Yeon, opened the creaky door and stepped inside.
The Blue Cloud Swordsman, Namgung Cheon, who was sitting on the veranda, looked up.
"Did you not find him?"
"He seemed to be resting by the river, so I left him alone."
"Oh? Sometimes one needs time alone. You did the right thing."
Namgung Cheon thought that his sister had considered Yeon Jeokha's feelings and decided to leave him be.
Namgung Yeon, who was about to take off her shoes and enter the room, stopped.
"Elder Brother."
"Yes?"
"Why haven't you married yet?"
Namgung Cheon's shoulders stiffened. It was the first time his usually reserved sister had asked him a personal question.
"Why? Obviously because I haven't found the right woman."
"Ah."
Namgung Yeon nodded slightly and entered the room.
Namgung Cheon continued with his usual speech.
"Yeon, if you find a man you like, don't let him slip away. If you keep waiting, you'll end up like me, growing old alone. Time waits for no one. It feels like just yesterday when we went with our parents to Five Peaks Mountain, and now I'm already thirty-two."
He meant it sincerely.
He had been eighteen years old when he visited Waryong Manor with his family. Fourteen years had passed in the blink of an eye. Now, he felt embarrassed that people still called him the Blue Cloud Swordsman.
The coachman, Lee Sa, had prepared a simple breakfast.
Although everyone was eating hard provisions, Lee Sa cooked rice because he disliked those provisions.
Even though there was only grilled fish and some foraged vegetables, everyone ate voraciously.
The soft rice and tasty fish were much better than the hard provisions.
Perhaps not wanting to eat in silence, Yu Geunsik, who was meticulously picking the meat off the bones, suddenly asked a question.
"Younger Sister, where were you this morning? I didn't see you."
"Oh, I was learning how to skip stones on the water with the young master Yeon by the river."
"tsk! If you're going to learn something, it should be a martial technique, not how to skip stones. What's the use of that? Will you throw stones if bandits attack you?"
"Tch! You don't understand romance, Elder Brother."
"We're in a situation where our lives are at stake, and you're talking about romance? Isn't that right, Miss Namgung?"
Yu Geunsik directed his comment towards Namgung Yeon, expecting her approval.
However, Namgung Yeon, who was eating in silence, responded with a serious face.
"Lee Maehwa of Musansocho is an intelligent and persistent woman. She won't back down easily. You should think about how to survive before thinking about romance."
Her expression was as cold as her words.
Jin Seolha, feeling disheartened, responded in a low voice.
"I'm sorry. I just said it without thinking."
"Of course, I knew you didn't mean it seriously. I also misunderstood."
Yu Geunsik, feeling uncomfortable, set down his chopsticks.
He felt as empty as the fish skeleton he had eaten.
"Haha! Miss Jin, young master Yu, don't worry. My sister has always been very serious. We must not lose our sense of humor, even in dangerous times. Isn't that right, Old Shim?"
Namgung Cheon tried to lighten the mood by involving Shim Tong.
The old fox, Shim Tong, did not disappoint him.
"You're right. Our young master has always taught me that. Always keep a piece of your heart, no matter the situation."
"Oh! To reach a higher state, perseverance is essential. It's a valuable teaching."
But Namgung Yeon quickly replied.
"Perseverance in swordsmanship and romance are different things. Perseverance is what a swordsman needs when walking on the edge of a sword, while romance is a luxury for those with free time."
"…."
Namgung Cheon remained silent in the face of her logic. Trying to ease the tension had only revealed his own foolishness.
On the other hand, Jin Seolha blushed. Namgung Yeon's words made her feel like they were aimed at her.
During the tour of the clans, she and her companions hadn't done anything useful. In fact, it was a relief that they hadn't hindered Yeon Jeokha.
In front of the Demon Warriors, she had been protected several times by Namgung Yeon and Shim Tong. And yet, she had spoken of romance. If there had been a hole, she would have crawled into it.
After spending about three months together since their encounter at the best inn in Zhengzhou, she had felt that they had grown closer. But now, it felt like they had regressed to the first day.
Around noon.
The boat carrying Yeon Jeokha and his group was slowly sailing past Madangjin.
The captain, who was enjoying the scenery, cautiously approached the group.
"Um, gentlemen."
He seemed to have something to say but hesitated to speak directly.
Yu Geunsik, who had been handling trivial matters, approached him.
"What is it?"
The captain pointed to an island in the middle of the river.
"It's called Wanboju. Sometimes bandits appear there. Normally, we pay a toll to pass, but I'm not sure what to do this time."
In short, he was asking for protection from the bandits.
Namgung Cheon showed interest when he heard about the bandits.
"How large are they?"
"About ten bandits on a boat. They sail the river doing this."
"Tsk! They're not even registered in Nokrim, are they?"
"No, to reach the Nokrim bandits, you have to travel another day. The Wanboju bandits aren't that strong, but to us, they're like demons."
"Are they brutal with travelers?"
"Yes. They don't just charge a toll, but they rob and kidnap women."
Namgung Cheon frowned.
That kind of evil surpassed even some of the worst bandits in Nokrim.
"I see. Don't worry and act as you usually would. If the bandits appear, we'll take care of them."
"Thank you! Thank you so much."
The captain's face lit up.
Until now, he had been robbed every few days. But with these powerful warriors offering their protection, he felt like he had won a fortune.
About half an hour later, as the boat passed near Wanboju, another boat approached quickly from the shadows of the island.
They were the bandits the captain had mentioned.
When the bandits' boat blocked their way, the captain quickly stopped the boat.
Both boats rocked slightly with the waves.
Despite the encounter with the bandits, Jin Seolha looked around with a calm expression.
The midday sun glistened on the water's surface, creating a beautiful landscape.
'Ah, how beautiful!'
Jin Seolha was about to express her admiration but stopped, recalling the incident from the morning. She didn't want to attract Namgung Yeon's attention.
She glanced sideways at Namgung Yeon.
Namgung Yeon's expression remained as cold as ever.
'Haa! I shouldn't have learned how to skip stones. I should have asked for martial arts training like Elder Brother Yu said…'
Jin Seolha reproached herself for doing something so trivial.
Yang Jin-ho, the Young Master Yin-Yang, who had boarded to plunder, quickly assessed the passengers.
'Whoa, they're warriors!'
Seeing the warriors, his face hardened.
Sometimes, one encounters such days while looting. Despite having scouted, he hadn't seen the warriors due to the people and cargo that had hidden them.
There were seven of them. Their sharp eyes and calm faces indicated that they weren't ordinary people.
Yang Jin-ho quickly turned around and jumped back onto his boat.
"Retreat!"
His men, surprised by his sudden order, didn't react immediately.
Namgung Cheon and his group struck like lightning.
The four bandits, who had moved arrogantly, fell to the ground after receiving blows to their faces.
Hearing the cries of his men, Yang Jin-ho didn't stop. In fact, seeing the strength of the warriors, he decided to flee immediately.
He jumped onto his boat and screamed like a madman.
"Sail! Quickly!"
His five men began rowing desperately.
When Yang Jin-ho's boat had advanced about three meters, Namgung Cheon gracefully leaped and landed in front of him.
Yang Jin-ho's face turned pale.
He drew his sword and shouted.
"Who are you? We haven't done anything to you!"
"Are you the evil bandit of Wanboju?"
"No, we're just passing through. We ran out of water and food."
"Lies! Stop the boat."
The bandits looked at Yang Jin-ho, seeking instructions.
Yang Jin-ho bit his lip, evaluating the man in front of him.
The distance between the boats continued to increase; it was now about six meters.
'It's better to face this man than to return.'
He decided to take the risk.
"Attack!"
The other bandits also drew their swords and charged at Namgung Cheon.
The sound of swords clashing echoed.
Surrounded by five bandits, Namgung Cheon remained calm.
Fourteen years ago, he had already been known as the Blue Cloud Swordsman, an exceptional swordsman.
Since then, he had surpassed several limits while training with Yeon Jeokha. Compared to the Demon Warriors, these bandits were nothing.
With a simple movement of his sword, he wounded the shoulders of three bandits.
Seeing Namgung Cheon's skill, one of the bandits dropped his sword and stepped back.
Namgung Cheon stared at Yang Jin-ho and asked.
"Do you want to continue? Or will you stop the boat?"
Yang Jin-ho, desperate, threw down his sword.
"Master, we're desperate. We haven't harmed you. Please, let us go."
"If you had only stolen money, maybe. But you've kidnapped women. I can't let you go."
"Will you kill us?"
"No. I'll hand you over to the authorities at the next port."
"They'll kill us if we go to prison. We'll give you all our riches. Please, let us go."
"Did you spare the people who begged for mercy from you?"
Yang Jin-ho, desperate, dropped his sword.
"Stop the boat."
Yang Jin-ho pointed to a long pole.
Namgung Cheon stepped aside to let him pass.
But as Yang Jin-ho leaned down to grab the pole, Shim Tong shouted.
"It's a hidden weapon! Watch out!"