Paeng Cheol-yeong hurried inside, with Namgung Jin following close behind. Paeng Mi-ryeong looked at the two of them with a meaningful gaze before slowly trailing after them.
"Hm?"
Just as she was about to go inside, Paeng Mi-ryeong spotted someone and stopped. Where her eyes lingered stood a handsome young man, and beside him was a pretty young girl.
She was so beautiful that even Paeng Mi-ryeong—confident in her own looks—felt a twinge of jealousy.
It seemed the two had noticed Paeng Mi-ryeong as well, as they looked intrigued and approached her.
"Excuse me, are you perhaps from the Martial Alliance?"
At the man's question, Paeng Mi-ryeong smiled brightly and replied,
"I'm Paeng Mi-ryeong."
"Ah, I'm Jo In. And this is my younger sister, Seol-yeon."
Only then did Paeng Mi-ryeong nod in understanding. She had grasped Paeng Cheol-yeong and Namgung Jin's intentions. She also knew that when the Martial Alliance went to Mount Hyeongsan this time, members of the Jo household had accompanied them.
So that's it. He took a liking to her.
Paeng Mi-ryeong glanced at Jo Seol-yeon.
Seol-yeon, seemingly uncomfortable under Paeng Mi-ryeong's gaze, quietly turned her head away. Paeng Mi-ryeong then shifted her eyes back to Jo In. He was quite an impressive man. She nodded inwardly in approval.
Coming along with the Jo household had been the right choice.
"If you have some time, would you like to come inside and have a cup of tea?"
At Paeng Mi-ryeong's suggestion, Jo In readily nodded. It was a perfectly reasonable offer. He, too, had been told by his father to build relationships with people from the Martial Alliance.
When Jo In and Jo Seol-yeon entered Paeng Mi-ryeong's room, Paeng Cheol-yeong and Namgung Jin quietly slipped in as well. They had been nearby and had heard everything Paeng Mi-ryeong and Jo In had discussed.
The atmosphere could have been awkward between strangers, but since each of them harbored their own ulterior motives, the mood gradually warmed. Only Jo Seol-yeon remained uneasy, unable to fully adapt to the situation until the end.
For several days now, Jo Seol-yeon had not seen Dan Hyung-u, and her thoughts were completely filled with him.
Whether anyone knew of her feelings or not, time continued to pass meaninglessly.
—
"No time to waste! Hurry it up!"
"Stack it carefully so it doesn't shake!"
The Hanam Escort Agency greeted a noisy morning. The day of departure for an escort mission was always this bustling. Preparations that began at dawn only wrapped up around the time breakfast ended.
Once the escorts finished eating and came out, the porters were finally able to have their meal.
Hyeong-pyo did not eat with the other escorts. Instead, he watched the porters at work—more precisely, he watched Dan Hyung-u.
Dan Hyung-u worked in step with the other porters. It wasn't as astonishing as what he had shown them before, but it was still impressive.
With a sword at his waist, he casually lifted and carried loads. They were heavy enough that the porters were groaning under the weight, yet Dan Hyung-u picked them up lightly with one hand. Everyone clicked their tongues in amazement at his strength.
Though he worked in coordination with others, the job finished much earlier thanks to Dan Hyung-u.
The porters gathered nearby in small groups to rest. They had to stay in place until the escorts arrived—more precisely, they had to guard the cargo.
Soon, the escorts poured in, and the porters were allowed to head off for their meal. Dan Hyung-u followed the other porters toward the dining hall. He already had a solid grasp of how the escort agency functioned. Hyeong-pyo's instruction had been excellent, and Dan Hyung-u's ability to absorb it was equally remarkable.
As he wondered what food would be served today, Dan Hyung-u subtly moved his lips. No one else would notice, but it was a smile.
Arriving at the dining hall, Dan Hyung-u sat down awkwardly on a chair. Though much time had passed since he escaped that hell, sitting was still uncomfortable for him.
Hyeong-pyo took the seat across from Dan Hyung-u, and soon a worker brought their meals.
Dan Hyung-u focused all his attention on the food placed before him. This was the best part of his day.
He had spent so long chewing and swallowing raw monster flesh so tough that an ordinary person wouldn't be able to pierce or cut it even with a blade. Naturally, food this soft was irresistible.
In truth, he couldn't properly taste it. After such a long time without decent meals, his sense of taste had nearly withered away. Still, he had recently begun to recover it little by little. To Dan Hyung-u, that alone was priceless.
"Every time I see you, I think this—but I've never seen anyone eat a meal like they're performing a ritual."
Even at Hyeong-pyo's remark, Dan Hyung-u continued savoring his food in silence. Watching him, Hyeong-pyo shook his head.
It was impossible to hold a conversation during meals. If someone were to interrupt him while eating, the outcome would surely be horrific.
Before long, the meal was over.
Dan Hyung-u immediately stood up. If it wasn't for eating good food, there was no reason to sit in such an uncomfortable position.
"I'm a bit uneasy, but it's time to depart. You're a porter, so act accordingly. And remember—you still know nothing about the world."
At Hyeong-pyo's serious words, Dan Hyung-u nodded. There was always sincerity in both his words and actions.
The two headed toward where the cargo was stored.
Worried about Dan Hyung-u's first escort mission, Hyeong-pyo continued to nag him along the way. To an ordinary person, it would have sounded like tedious scolding, but to Dan Hyung-u, it was enjoyable. He liked listening to such ordinary, peaceful talk.
"The destination this time is Sichuan. It's quite far, so it'll take a lot of time. The roads are rough too. But it's not all bad—especially for you."
As he said that, Hyeong-pyo wore a meaningful smile.
"Depart!"
At the shout of Ma Yuk, the escort leader in charge of this mission, the wagons loaded with cargo rattled into motion.
Thus began the long escort journey from Xuchang in Henan to Chengdu in Sichuan.
It was Dan Hyung-u's first escort mission.
Ma Yuk was in a slightly tense state. This escort mission had quite a few differences compared to usual. The destination of the escort was the Tang Clan, located in Chengdu, Sichuan.
The Sichuan Tang Clan was a truly formidable place, ranking at the very top even among the Five Great Families. The one who commissioned the escort was also the Tang Clan, and this time, quite a few Tang Clan members were mixed into the escort party.
There were no fewer than thirty of them. The number of escorts mobilized for this mission was also thirty, so in a way, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the Hanam Escort Agency was merely being used as porters or guides, while the real protection was being handled by them.
The Tang Clan martial artists all had piercing, brilliant gazes and looked extraordinary.
Even to Ma Yuk's experienced eye, they seemed to be individuals with considerable skill within the Tang Clan. And among them, there was one person whose face Ma Yuk recognized.
'To think even Tang Cheol-gi would come.'
Tang Cheol-gi was the most widely known figure outside the Tang Clan. He was said to be unrivaled when it came to concealed weapons, and especially poisons.
Yet even Tang Cheol-gi was not the representative of the group. Considering that Tang Cheol-gi was only in his late thirties, it was only natural, but to Ma Yuk, it was still astonishing.
The person leading the Tang Clan members was an old man. At a glance, he was so vigorous that it was hard to even tell he was elderly, and whenever their eyes happened to meet, it felt as if lightning struck the crown of Ma Yuk's head, sending a sharp jolt through him. His presence was that overwhelming.
'Just what in the world is the cargo…'
Ma Yuk's curiosity was natural, but he soon withdrew his interest. In this world, there were far more cases where not knowing was better than knowing too much.
Ma Yuk was the most skilled in martial arts among the escort leaders of the Hanam Escort Agency. Since all the escort leaders were from the Jo Family, Ma Yuk boasted superior skill even when compared to the Jo Family's warriors. The escorts he had brought along this time were also carefully selected for their excellence.
Of course, Hyeong Pyo was an exception.
Ma Yuk's gaze turned toward Hyeong Pyo. He didn't like it, but since it was the Agency Head's order, there was nothing he could do.
Hyeong Pyo was certainly a capable escort, but compared to those selected today, he was slightly lacking. Of course, whether that was the case or not, the Tang Clan members wouldn't care in the slightest.
Looking at Hyeong Pyo naturally brought Dan Hyung-u into view as well. A mere porter, yet he arrogantly carried a sword at his waist. Since Ma Yuk already disliked the fact that Hyeong Pyo was included, Dan Hyung-u naturally fell out of favor too.
Regardless of Ma Yuk's displeased stare, Hyeong Pyo stayed glued right next to Dan Hyung-u. He knew Dan Hyung-u was stronger than himself, but he didn't think that strength would extend even to Tang Clan warriors.
If Dan Hyung-u were to cause trouble by mistake, it would become truly difficult to deal with. At times like this, staying quiet was the best course of action.
"Listen. If bandits show up, stick close to the cargo. Normally nothing happens, but if a fight breaks out, the escorts fight centered around the cargo, so for even a bit more safety, it's better to do that."
Hyeong Pyo explained, one by one, the things Dan Hyung-u should know when traveling on an escort mission.
As they continued moving while talking, the sun had already begun to set.
Following Ma Yuk's instructions, the escorts and porters finished their meal in an orderly fashion.
When out on an escort mission like this, unlike when staying within the agency, the Hanam Escort Agency's escorts managed themselves more thoroughly than anyone. The same was true for the porters.
Ma Yuk assigned the night watch and ordered everyone to turn in, and his instructions were carried out in an instant. Excluding the two on watch, everyone else settled down to sleep around the cargo.
Hyeong Pyo did the same, while Dan Hyung-u stood quietly beside him.
Hyeong Pyo and the other porters knew that Dan Hyung-u was originally like this, having lived together for the past few days, but the other escorts had no idea at all.
"Hey. What are you doing? You're not sleeping?"
Seeing Dan Hyung-u standing there, Ma Yuk spoke roughly. But Dan Hyung-u didn't even respond and remained standing still.
Ma Yuk clenched his fist slightly, then relaxed it. Whether he slept or not, there was no need to care. On a long escort mission, self-management was each person's own responsibility.
'Tsk tsk. Just try saying you can't keep up.'
Ma Yuk clicked his tongue inwardly. Starting tomorrow, they planned to push the pace far harder than today.
Since it was the first day, they had adjusted the speed slightly, but even so, it was faster than the pace of other escort agencies. Speed was the pride of the Hanam Escort Agency.
If one didn't get proper sleep, their stamina wouldn't hold, making it difficult to keep up. Knowing this better than anyone, Ma Yuk frowned as he looked at the still-standing Dan Hyung-u.
If he complained about being tired, Ma Yuk intended to immediately leave him behind. And of course, after that, he would no longer be able to work for the Hanam Escort Agency.