Chapter 75: Invitation (5)

Chapter 75: Invitation (5)

Travel and assassination should not be undertaken impulsively.

In games, you might simply press the fast travel button and complete the quest upon arrival, but reality is far from a game.

Preparation for expenses, transportation, scheduling, and contingency plans for unforeseen circumstances are all essential.

Sohee mentioned she needs a day or two to prepare for it.

Today is the last performance of this street play in Chilgok County!

Thanks to her, I had time to perform the final show in Chilgok County.

No! How can it end when weve just discovered a few new stories!

Speaker! My wife and I were planning to come tomorrow! Please extend it until tomorrow!

My daughter praised it so highly that I came! It would have been a disaster if we hadnt made it today!

No! I wanted to try playing the main lady role if there was no audience!

Sister! Im so glad I came out today!

The audiences reactions alternated between sighs of regret for not being able to see it again and sighs of relief that they could witness it today.

This street play! Since its the last performance, Ill give it my all!

I must gather as much money as possible until the last moment.

I announced the final performance in Chilgok County with a booming voice.

Ah! Was that lady the main lady? I cant quite recall!

The last mention of the heroines role has been made.

Perhaps the female audience realized it was their last opportunity to be the main lady in Chilgok County.

When I stepped down from the stage and approached the audience, the women previously rushed to the front.

Ill be the main lady!

Use that money to buy candy! Im going to do it!

Lady! Use that money to cover the wrinkles on your face!

What, what did you say!

Dont outbid the main lady Ive chosen!

Lady! Dont you dare bid!

Starting from a single coin, to dozens of coins, and then to silver coins, my basket was filled with a considerable amount of money.

Counting them became a task in itself.

Without the enhanced eyesight from the Soyunsimsanggyeol, I might have confused how much money each lady put in and caused a scuffle.

Ah! I lost!

I won!

The lady who had put five silver coins in the basket clenched her fists and shouted in victory.

Ah! Main lady! Would you honor me, a Romeo so enchanted by your beauty that I forgot even your name, by telling me your name?

I asked politely, as if a fantasy knight was requesting a dance from a lady.

So, So, Soyeong!

Why is her voice trembling?

She might accidentally say Ju Sosoyeong instead of Soyeong.

Main lady Soyeong! Just looking at your beautiful appearance feels like I could lose my mind!

Th, thank you!

I was really the thankful one.

I praised her throughout the story with the generosity of a karaoke bar owner who added a lot of service time on slow business days.

Are you really leaving?

After successfully finishing the last performance, when I visited Mr. Wangs fabric store, he asked with a surprised look.

Yes. Im thinking of going somewhere else now.

No. If youre making a good living here, why not stay? Did I do something to offend you?

How could that be? Mr. Wang, you are my benefactor. This friend has been nagging me about when well start touring the Central Plains, so Im planning to leave now.

I pointed to Sohee, who was standing quietly behind me.

This friend was going to sponsor the tour of the Central Plains in return for her service, right? Ah, time has passed so quickly.

Mr. Wang smiled bitterly and nodded.

Mr. Wang, I truly appreciate everything. You are the greatest benefactor of my life.

I bowed 90 degrees and greeted him respectfully.

The master carpenter who introduced me to Chilgok County was a benefactor, but Mr. Wang, who provided clothes, arranged a stage, and spread my fame when the time came, truly deserved to be called my greatest benefactor.

Ha! My friend, you have a knack for moving people. Well, if youre leaving, take this with you!

Mr. Wang pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to me.

A black coin?

Upon closer inspection, the black coin was inscribed with the character for pollution ().

Its a currency Ive never seen before; what is it used for?

What is this?

If you ever need to ask Hao Clan for a favor, hand this over. Theyll help you once for free.

Mr. Wang, are you also a member of Hao Clan?

Hao Clan ().

Brother, thanks to you, our entire bandit stronghold can retire! Well spare your life as a special favor!

Becoming a real estate owner was not the reality, but rather providing a pension service for the bandits of the Central Plains.

I recounted the event as cheerfully as possible to So-hee, even adding some acting.

Where do those bandits live now?

So-hee seemed angry that I was robbed so quickly by the bandits, her voice tinged with faint anger.

Who knows? Maybe they bought a house and land and are living well. Its a thing of the past now, so no need to worry too much about it.

I wanted to say, Go, So-hee-mon! and request a cash recovery, but I dont know where they are. I was very thankful for having survived the ordeal, at least.

But So-hees face still showed anger. There have been much sadder things. Better not to delve into them.

I continued climbing the mountain while talking about the more pleasant experiences Ive had in the Central Plains to keep So-hee entertained.

Yun-ho. Ahead.

How long had we walked? So-hee interrupted my endless stories and pointed to the path ahead.

The path is blocked.

The way was blocked by fallen logs.

Was it struck by lightning?

Focusing my enhanced vision, I noticed that they werent naturally fallen but showed signs of being cut with a tool.

If someone deliberately blocked the path, it means theres a reason for it.

In the mountains, usually, theres only one reason for this.

I hastily surveyed the surroundings.

As I looked around, men with knives jumped out of the bushes with ominous laughter.

My expectations were not wrong.

Hehehehe. A woman with a sword and a man carrying loads of stuff.

Black hair? Saw black hair earlier too. Is today some barbarians feast day?

Boss, lets kill the man and have a taste of the woman.

Walking as a pair and getting surrounded by bandits!

Wow. This. Was. Big. Trouble.

Ugh!

Shit!

Please spare us!

You think it was big trouble for you?

So-hee effortlessly defeated the bandits as if she were participating in a bottle cap challenge rather than a life-or-death struggle.

Dont they know in the martial world to be wary of children, women, and the elderly? They should have been cautious upon seeing a woman armed with a sword.

Yun-ho. What are you doing?

Just a moment.

I was checking if there was anything worth salvaging from the bandit corpses, but it seems they were as destitute as beggars.

Dont they know to carry some emergency cash and cards when going out?

Pl please spare me

I was about to stop looting when I heard a faint voice from somewhere.

Was there a surviving bandit? Unless their heads were severed, making them not Dullahan, there shouldnt be any talking.

Yun-ho.

So-hee also hurried over to me, alerted by the voice coming from somewhere.

Following the source of the voice, So-hee and I ventured into the bush where the bandits had been hiding earlier.

A Korean?

There lay a Korean man, dying from blood loss, the black-haired individual the bandits had mentioned earlier.

Ah Kor, ea

His face was too pale from losing too much blood.

There was no hope for him.

Life was slowly ebbing away from the mans eyes.

Excuse me!

Should I ask him if he has any last words?

That box

As the man raised his arm to point somewhere, something gleamed from under his naturally lifted sleeve.

What?! Wha-what?

Instead of looking where the man was pointing, I found myself staring at his wrist.

What? Why do you have that?

To Sichuan

The unidentified man died with those words.

Hey! What am I supposed to do if you just die! I had questions!

I hastily rolled up the sleeve of the deceased man again to examine his wrist.

Why is this here?

What was on the mans wrist was a bracelet.

This was something I recognized.