Book 6 Chapter 11
Moyonghwi Makes a Savory Pancake
'How did it come to this?'
Moyonghwi couldn't understand the situation he was in.
How had he ended up like this?
This is absolutely not clean.
'Leave it all to me!'
That voice, ringing in his ears at the time!
"Hooow…."
He shouldn't have just accepted it when told to leave it to someone else. What trust did he have to entrust all the expenses and travel plans necessary for the joint training camp to Biryuyeon!
It was no use regretting it, holding onto the railing on the boat drifting with the rippling waves. It was already too late. The boat, carried by the waves, could not be turned back.
Biryuyeon hadn't said a single word about this kind of thing waiting for them.
Originally, when leaving for the joint training camp, the travel expenses, though not luxurious, were sufficient and were all paid by Cheonmu Academy.
But now, their situation was no different than being tagged along like cargo. Of course, they weren't treated badly, but it wasn't something that could be understood. It made no sense to just be carried like cargo. The only convenience was that they were very skilled in travel.
Moyonghwi sometimes felt burdened by their persistent gazes, which looked at him with envy. He couldn't understand why he had to be their spectacle, not a decorative animal in a cage.
They say life is suffering, a continuous stream of the incomprehensible… Moyonghwi found himself unable to grasp his current situation from time to time.
Moyonghwi poured out something hot, welling up from deep within his chest, with all his might.
"Ugh!"
The first river journey was quite interesting. Biryuyeon, who had always lived in the mountains, was experiencing a boat trip for the first time.
Moreover, he didn't suffer from seasickness, which people with weak stomachs often experienced, so everything was peaceful. Therefore, Biryuyeon was completely at ease, unlike someone else who had their head buried in the boat's railing, lost in thought. In fact, it would be more abnormal for a martial arts master to suffer from seasickness.
Even now, Moyonghwi was fiercely battling his churning stomach.
"Hey, Hwi! Are you alright?"
Cheongheun, his rival and senior, patted him on the back and said.
"I-I'm fine."
He didn't look very convincing.
Among this group, Cheongheun was a slightly awkward presence. Everyone secretly felt discontent about why they had to accompany Cheongheun.
To the first-year Cheongjom, he was a sky-like senior, respected but difficult to approach, and to the Jujakdan, he was a peer who was awkward to face.
But how could their feelings compare to Moyonghwi's complex and boundless emotions and feelings! It was probably the same for Cheongheun.
However, when the situation arose, it unfolded in an unexpected direction. The two, who were accompanying him to Mount Wudang, surprisingly showed a friendly demeanor, astonishing those around them.
Moyonghwi and Cheongheun!
The two had peacefully shared a bed in the medical hall for a month. The wounds they had inflicted on each other in the finals of the Samsung Mujie Geomseongjeon were that severe.
However, even now, after recovering, neither of them harbored resentment or hatred in their hearts. Instead, they were even more impressed by each other's martial arts achievements. Although it was unavoidable to have various complex thoughts.
But perhaps because they acknowledged each other's skills? The two, who had unexpectedly grown closer after the Samsung Mujie Geomseongjeon finals. They had secretly acknowledged each other as worthy rivals.
Perhaps that's why Cheongheun was the only one among the group who was concerned about Moyonghwi's condition.
Cheongheun said with a pitying tone.
"Haha! To think that the 'Seven Severed Divine Swords of the world' would be defeated by mere seasickness and surrender! Even I, who am witnessing it, cannot believe it. Who could have imagined you in such a state."
He was right. There was no trace of the renowned perfection and cleanliness of the Seven Severed Divine Swords in Moyonghwi's current appearance.
"I am ashamed."
"Oh dear, I'm not trying to blame you! Just take care of yourself. You'll adjust soon."
"That's what I hope for. When that time comes, I will finally have achieved my sole wish and should thank the heavens and earth. Ugh…."
He spoke well, but his pale face clearly showed he was enduring it with difficulty. It was an unbelievable discrepancy for an unparalleled genius of the world to suffer from mere seasickness.
"Why are we here?"
Even while diligently making savory pancakes on the surface of the water, Moyonghwi truly couldn't understand. Even for him, who was officially recognized as a prodigy and a genius, this situation was incomprehensible. Then, Cheongheun, who was also recognized as a formidable genius, nodded his head, fully agreeing with Moyonghwi's sentiment.
They were on a boat. Of course, there was nothing wrong with traveling by boat. The problem was that the boat they were on was no ordinary boat. Why were they on this boat?
They were not escorts. Nor were they the items being escorted.
A group of people wearing identical martial arts uniforms, indicating their professional and organizational identity.
Stacks of luggage! Flags planted at precise intervals around the luggage! The pattern on the flags was identical to the pattern embroidered on the chests of the martial artists' uniforms.
A flag embroidered with a lotus and a sword, Yeonhwageomgi!
This was on the Yeongyang Express Agency's escort boat. They were, in effect, tagging along with the Yeongyang Express Agency's escort.
Entrusting the money to Biryuyeon from the beginning was a huge mistake. Under the guise of taking responsibility for travel expenses, Biryuyeon monopolized all the expenses for the joint training camp. It was like entrusting fish to a cat or delicate undergarments to a young lady.
Of course, there was no possibility of the money that fell into Biryuyeon's hands being returned. That would greatly contradict Biryuyeon's principles and will in life.
Not only that!
Biryuyeon was not the type to stop there. He extorted protection money from the Nanchang Branch, in the form of a head escort's salary, for all 17 people! He was no different from a robber.
Of course, he didn't inform the group that he had received the money. This was due to his extremely personal and rational(?) judgment that there was no need to do so.
Southern Boat, Northern Horse!
There's a saying that in the south of the Yangtze River, you use boats, and in the north, you use horses.
Due to the intricate network of waterways in the south of the Yangtze River, which cuts across the Central Plains, boats are convenient for travel. In the north of the Yangtze River, vast plains stretch out, making horses convenient for travel.
Especially in Nanchang, the location of Cheonmu Academy, which borders Poyang Lake, waterways are extremely developed, making boats the most convenient means of transportation.
Therefore, the Nanchang Branch of the Yeongyang Express Agency, located at the center of this intricate waterway transportation network, also had its own waterway transportation system. That was the escort boat.
So, what is an escort boat?
An escort boat refers to a boat owned by an express agency that is used when transporting escort items on waterways. Surely, no one would simply assume that escort missions only take place on land.
Because escort missions require swift travel in a short period, the most convenient and fastest means of transportation is naturally used. When traveling along the Yangtze River, there is nothing better than a boat.
'But why are we on this escort boat?'
Moyonghwi couldn't understand that point.
It was natural to use the waterway through the Yangtze River from Nanchang, bordering Poyang Lake, to Hubei Province, where Mount Wudang is located. However, there was no reason to ride on an escort boat, which the express agency only used for transporting escort items. There were plenty of other boat routes.
'An escort boat only moves when transporting escort items; it doesn't move for other private matters! But why?'
But now, an exception was happening before Moyonghwi's eyes. They were, in effect, tagging along on the Nanchang Branch of the Yeongyang Express Agency's escort.