Chapter 37: Chapter 37

Chapter 37: The Path Home

"Then, I'll be going."

Kwak Daebang and I just needed to part ways at this alley.

He also nodded and seemed to turn away.

"Are you some hidden child of a clan or something?"

"This alley. Why are masters gathered here?"

He detected the Rogues' Guild masters.

The Rogues' Guild matter wasn't about me but related to Jayeong.

Separate from Kwak Daebang's trustworthiness, it wasn't something to mention carelessly.

"It's not because I'm here. I came to live here because it's this kind of alley."

He had a doubtful expression but didn't ask further.

"Anyway, even running around smashing Black Path , your family must be at ease."

"Why don't you come to this side too, Brother Kwak?"

"I don't even have family. I can protect this one body of mine."

Kwak Daebang had learned body protection technique.

Even if enemies attacked, he could extract himself.

"Moreover, won't Black Path not show even their noses for a while?"

"Mm? Didn't you hear?"

"I was continuously at the vanguard."

"Ah. That's right. Right now, Luoyang's Black Path are fleeing en masse."

"Because of you. Luoyang's Black Path Butcher, Sword Demon, Sword Demon, Cursed Swordsman." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ NovelHub(.)net

When I first heard the words Black Path Butcher at Tiger Might Society, I had thought about it.

I wished Black Path would be reluctant to enter Luoyang because of my alias.

But fleeing on such a scale.

"Keuheuhe, would anyone want to stay when tomorrow might be their turn? Even if I were Black Path, I'd run away."

"Is that so? Then let's do it."

"Black Path Butcher, Sword Demon, Sword Demon, Cursed Swordsman. If Black Path runs away because I'm here, I don't dislike it."

Kwak Daebang turned away with a final loud laugh.

After seeing him off, I entered the alley.

I thought the day was ending .

"Ink Sword Hero, please stop for a moment."

There was a visitor looking for me.

"Captain Zhu Hochong?"

He was at his busiest time now.

Unless I went to find and meet him, for him to come directly.

He held a half-eaten dumpling in his hand.

"Are you eating Master Pao's dumplings?"

"The dumpling vendor is Mister Pao? Anyway, the dumplings are delicious."

If you come with ill intentions toward my family, you can eat an iron dumpling to the back of your head.

Captain Zhu put the rest of the dumpling in his mouth in one bite.

Chewing, his cheeks moved.

"Who is the person beside you?"

Beside him stood a man with fair skin and a gentle impression.

His appearance was so neat I wondered if he was a Peking opera actor.

He too stuffed a dumpling in his mouth and chewed like Captain Zhu, and when our eyes met, he showed a slight eye smile.

Was he really an actor?

Captain Zhu seemed to have come looking for me because of that person.

"I was about to introduce him. Rather than doing this on the street, shall we move somewhere briefly?"

Inside the alley, I could see our house's door.

I wanted to see Jayeong and Taebok.

Of course, I had sent someone to Jayeong earlier in the day.

I had conveyed that I would return today after annihilating Black Path sects again.

The person who returned told me Jayeong's reply.

Thoroughly smash them and come back, she says.

'Right. If Captain Zhu came , it must be related to Luoyang's stability. Let's take some time.'

Luoyang's stability was the stability of the place where Taebok would live.

Safe, abundant, and healthy.

Instead, after parting with Captain Zhu, I should enter the house as quickly as possible.

"Let's go. Would the closest place be alright?"

We entered an inn and sat facing the man I was seeing for the first time.

Captain Zhu sitting in the middle introduced the man who looked like an actor.

"Now, let me formally introduce."

"This is Henan Magistrate Yang Daeryang."

Who governs all of Henan Province?

The new magistrate who captured the corrupt previous magistrate by surprise and cleared Zhu Hochong's false charges?

The man's identity wasn't the only surprising thing.

"Nice to meet you, Ink Sword Hero. I'm Henan Magistrate Yang Daeryang."

A person at the magistrate level clasped both hands first and greeted me.

It was a courteous attitude without exaggeration.

"I am Jin Yeomyeong, a citizen of Luoyang."

I also observed courtesy.

"Hero Jin, I definitely wanted to meet you once. So I pestered Captain Zhu and came to visit suddenly . Please forgive the discourtesy."

The Henan Magistrate wanted to see me?

"Isn't the Ink Sword Hero accomplishing things the government should have done? I definitely wanted to meet the person calming Luoyang's chaos."

In the Henan Magistrate's eyes, I appeared that way.

"I merely wished to create a Luoyang where children could live well."

The things I did for Taebok were influencing everyone living in Luoyang.

"Oh. A Luoyang where children can live well. Indeed, indeed! The Ink Sword Hero's heroic reputation is truly well-deserved."

It seemed to be conveyed to Yang Daeryang slightly differently from my true intention, but it didn't particularly matter.

He nodded greatly with admiration.

I looked at Yang Daeryang again.

There wasn't much occasion to meet government officials. Such matters were Namgung Jeheon's or Zhuge Sheng's role.

On the very rare occasions I met high-ranking officials, generally I didn't feel good.

They were people who regarded the government and Alliance's friendship as if the government was bestowing favors on the Alliance.

Naturally, there were no occasions when they showed courtesy first either.

Their stiff heads came to mind. They waited for this side to bow first.

The Henan Magistrate unhesitatingly bowed his head first.

"Has the government abandoned Luoyang?"

I threw a cold question at his smiling face.

The ambushed magistrate stopped speaking briefly.

He had personally visited a martial artist and offered words of gratitude.

He probably hadn't thought such a question would return.

Captain Zhu Hochong stepped forward first.

"Ink Sword Hero, seems you don't know well about courtesy at such occasions. Indeed fitting for a martial artist who has devoted himself to martial arts training. I hope the Magistrate will also understand this point."

He covered my question with a martial artist's straightforwardness.

"Otherwise I cannot understand this situation. Though Luoyang is in decline, it's a large city. What trading companies did here could never have been accomplished without government neglect. I'm curious how the government views this matter."

I thrust the question more sharply.

Now, what would he do?

Would he rebuke a martial artist's rudeness? Say it wasn't the government's responsibility?

Captain Zhu tried to stop me once more.

The Henan Magistrate opened his mouth.

"This is all the government's fault."

He clasped both hands and bowed his body deeply.

In that state, he continued speaking.

"I too thought it strange after coming as magistrate. For how often my predecessor had been in Luoyang, it was strangely isolated."

"The government directly handled few matters, leaving everything to trading companies. Even fund execution was mostly left to trading companies."

A sigh flowed out briefly.

"The previous magistrate colluded with certain trading companies and embezzled funds."

Captain Zhu Hochong nodded from beside.

The person who caught that evidence and submitted it to the court was Captain Zhu himself.

"When upstream water is clear, downstream water is clear. The previous magistrate's muddiness probably brought Luoyang's chaos. So this can all be called the government's fault."

He bowed his already bowed body even deeper and brought out his final words.

"As a government official, I apologize to citizen Hero Jin for the wrongs."

I could see the back of his head.

Three years from now, the Demonic Cult would rampage through the martial world.

Not long after, war would break out over the throne.

The deceased emperor had deposed his nephew twenty years ago and ascended the throne.

Twenty years later now, the same situation was repeating.

While the current emperor who inherited the throne was still young,

the Qi Prince who had avoided purging twenty years ago had now entered middle-aged maturity.

Was it karmic retribution?

Why must even the common people bear that karma?

The Henan Magistrate hadn't been able to exert much power amid the chaos.

Golden Cloud Trading didn't exist, and controlling Luoyang where the Demonic Cult arose was difficult.

Stopping the war spreading throughout Henan was also difficult.

What I wanted to learn through questions was:

Was it that he couldn't, or that he didn't?

If he couldn't, then the situation would be different from now on.

Golden Cloud Trading existed, and Luoyang's power dynamics had changed.

However, if he didn't—

if behind the scenes he was equally corrupt,

and furthermore if he had colluded with Black Path or the Demonic Cult—

'I will act as I please.'

I had intended to act as I pleased together with Mukheun.

I looked down at his crown.

If it were acting, would he go this far? But let me ask one more thing.

"Could you station elite soldiers in Luoyang?"

Whether by words or by actions.

"Of course. Since I learned there are many who must be driven out of Luoyang, I will do so."

I also bowed my head deeply.

"Citizen of Luoyang Jin Yeomyeong offers thanks to the Magistrate."

"I have something to tell you."

"It's a story about someone who calls himself the Black Path King."

All the tests until now were to learn whether I could tell this story.

The story about the Black Path King surprised the magistrate.

He said he would station elite soldiers even more.

The Black Path King will definitely prepare counterattack.

I could know from experience.

Those who create forces at this level don't just back down.

You said the trading captain close to the Black Path King is Guyang Je? They say he's creating a reservoir in Luoyang's outskirts and holding a poetry gathering. He invited me too, but I shouldn't go.

The magistrate said more work had arisen and returned with Captain Zhu.

I also left the inn and headed toward the alley where the house was.

The reason I had stopped by the Alliance late yesterday was because I wanted to spend the day with Taebok today.

But I couldn't do so.

This morning I went house-viewing with Jayeong, dissolved Tiger Might Society, and gathered White Path to attack Black Path sects.

On the way back, I met the Henan Magistrate.

"Do I still need to be a bit busier?"

I took childcare leave but have no time to even open my eyes.

Since I submitted a leave application, it's childcare leave. I think I misspoke. When saying leave, doesn't it feel like resting?

How exhausting childcare is.

In my case, I need to be even busier for Taebok's treatment.

I finally returned to the alley entrance.

...Returned, but killing intent is caught in an aura sense.

"Hahat, it's been a while."

"Turn around. Or do you recognize just from voice? Hmm, that's possible too."

"The voice of the man who beat you. You clearly remember my voice declaring victory, right? Now, turn your body and see senior's face."

As he requested, I turned my body.

Cloud-Severing Sword Jong Dohak stood there.

The same somewhat arrogant expression as before.

"Hm? Ink Sword Hero, what's that expression?"

"Why such an irritated face?"

"Senior, the killing intent was thick—are you here as an assassin now?"

"Hahat, that's right. To eliminate you requires using someone who beat you. Now, let's go to a secluded place..."

I drew Mukheun first.