Chapter 361 – Found, Inspiration (3)

She was tall, much taller than any of the women I had seen before, even Yeonghogyeong who was on the taller side. I couldn’t be sure, but her fingers were probably longer than mine.

“And her whole body is huge…”

I desperately tried to hold back my gaze from her massive chest and buttocks that were proportional to her size.

But what was even more surprising about this middle-aged woman was that she spoke informally to the famous martial artist, Unwonja.

“Inspiration, didn’t the young master call for you? How long have you been searching?”

“Hmm… do I really need to go? Don’t you understand the situation with Gonryun better than me?”

I briefly considered whether she was a highly skilled martial artist with a high ranking, but it seemed that her martial arts were on par with mine or slightly above. When she intervened earlier, she used the correct technique of the Unryong Dae Pal Sik, so she was probably under the command of Gonryun.

However, despite being inferior in rank and martial arts, Unwonja did not seem to be uncomfortable with the woman’s informal speech.

“But I don’t know much about the Maegyo. I don’t know how good Inspiration’s martial arts are. Without Inspiration, I can’t speak properly.”

I didn’t know the exact situation, but from what the woman named Biyeon said, it seemed that Unwonja had followed me out of boredom rather than having anything else to do.

And it was related to the world of the martial arts.

“If you don’t follow me like this, I’ll tell Jangmunin…”

“Ah, I understand. Can’t I just go? Can’t I…”

When Biyeon threatened her, Unwonja trembled. I thought she was a person who lived freely according to her own desires, but it seemed that she had a reason why she couldn’t raise her head in front of Jangmunin.

“And what about that child? It seemed like she was being attacked by several people. Are you okay? Did you get hurt anywhere?”

“… Are you talking to me?”

I didn’t think deeply about the child’s words, thinking it was a slip of the tongue in a desperate situation, but now it seemed that it wasn’t.

“…I’m fine. Thank you for the help of the Yeohyeop.”

“If you’re not hurt, that’s good. And you guys, what are you doing to a child with so many people? Aren’t you ashamed in front of the sages?”

As her booming voice became quieter, her accent became more indistinct.

I took a step forward and surrounded her.

“Madam, my name is Gang Yoon. I am holding the position of Iljwa of the Guryong with my inadequate body.”

“Is that so? Impressive. I am Yongbiyeon of Gonryun.”

“And she’s also my disciple. Biyeon may come off as rude due to her lack of words, but please understand.”

As expected.

I never thought that the person who was pestering Unwonja was actually Yongbiyeon’s disciple, but it made sense that she was using informal language due to her poor speech.

“I see. I was a little surprised, but thank you for your help, madam.”

“…Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“What?”

I couldn’t understand Yongbiyeon’s question right away.

Afraid? Why?

She intervened to help me and the Maegyo, so there was no reason for me to be afraid of her.

Perhaps she understood the thoughts behind my expression, as Yongbiyeon’s eyes widened and she laughed.

“You’re only the second person who hasn’t been afraid of me since my husband passed away.”

After hearing her words, I finally understood. When I glanced at the Maegyo, they were desperately trying to avoid her gaze, perhaps because her blonde hair and blue eyes made her look strange to Asians in this era, almost like a demon or goblin.

“Although we have slightly different appearances, you are beautiful.”

“Is that so?”

Yongbiyeon clearly seemed pleased. Despite her muscular body and towering height, she had a beautiful face and a well-proportioned figure that made me happy to look at.

“I, ahem… I should go now. It’s already too late.”

“Is that so?”

After a moment, Yongbiyeon cleared her throat and announced that she would be leaving soon, saying that she needed to retrieve her horse that was tied up a little further away.

I was disappointed, but since she was a member of the Gonryun, I knew I could find a chance to meet her again. I decided not to show my disappointment and bid her farewell.

While Yongbiyeon was away, Unwonja approached me.

“It was impressive. It was worth teaching you.”

“…Indeed, without your guidance, I would have been in many dangerous situations. Thank you for your teachings.”

“Hehe, is that so?”

Although Unwonja’s attitude was irritating, it was a completely different feeling from before.

It was like the feeling of removing the rust and stiffness from an old bicycle and lubricating it with oil, allowing my body to move smoothly as I pleased.

“Hmm, a bicycle? Can I sell it?”

“I don’t know about anything else, but I’m not sure if I can make chains or gears. The road conditions are also a concern. For now, I’ll just remember it as an idea.”

“But we still have a long way to go. It will take some time to reflect on what I have taught you and the true meaning behind it.”

“Of course.”

Although there were many annoying things during the past few days of traveling with him, now that I was thinking about parting ways, I felt a strange sense of sadness.

Perhaps it was because I had reconfirmed that Yongbiyeon’s teachings were truly remarkable, and the old man’s laughter as he advised me with a warm smile was quite picturesque.

“Come to think of it, did you feel anything after seeing Shinbeop?”

In the end, the old man never said, “You were a disciple of Hyeolma!”.

Since there were no people around and Yongbiyeon knew that the Maegyo were disciples of Cheongseong, she probably didn’t realize that I was a disciple of Sabu, whether she recognized me or not.

“Thank you for everything. Please take care.”

“If you’re really grateful, use the martial arts you’ve learned to help Gangho’s peace.”

“Of course.”

Ultimately, my martial arts were improved, and my connection with Sabu was not revealed.

Feeling relieved, I politely said goodbye, and Yongbiyeon also showed her seniority as a member of the Gonryun by wiping her white beard.

Indeed, although he sometimes did strange things, he was fundamentally a decent person. His request to help Gangho’s peace had a solid weight.

As I admired him inwardly with a new perspective, Yongbiyeon approached me with her words.

“Inspiration, I’m leaving now.”

“Okay, I got it.”

With a short answer, Yongbiyeon jumped onto her horse and slowly rode away, holding the reins.

Since the sun was setting, it was quite picturesque, and I was admiring her back when suddenly Yongbiyeon stopped walking.

“Oh, but I forgot to tell you something.”

Yongbiyeon turned her head back and looked at me. Waiting for my mouth to open, I heard her words and my face twisted in surprise.

“You lied when you said you had seen Shinbeop.”

He really was a despicable old man.

“Inspiration, can I really leave you like this?”

“What else could be wrong?”

Yongbiyeon looked back worriedly. Although she had put enough pressure on the disciples of Cheongseong, there was always a chance that something could go wrong and they would clash again.

But in reality, Yongbiyeon was at peace, and I couldn’t help but feel frustrated.

“If we face them head-on, we won’t be able to handle all five of them. But if that kid doesn’t stand up and runs away, those five won’t be able to harm him.”

“…I don’t think he’ll run away.”

“He will. No matter what.”

If it was the Kang Yoon that Yeong Un Ja had seen, there was no doubt. He was the kind of young martial artist who didn’t have the typical arrogance, and he even humbled himself to the beggars to avoid trouble.

But unlike Yeong Un Ja, Yong Bi Yeon, who didn’t know much about Kang Yoon, couldn’t hide her worried expression.

“Hmm, that kid seems to be quite likable. But at his age, he shouldn’t be with a man who’s not his husband…”

“That, that’s not the case!”

Yong Bi Yeon interrupted Yeong Un Ja’s words in shock.

Twenty years ago, when she was a girl, she was kidnapped by pirates and sold all over the place, eventually ending up in the central plains. Yeong Un Ja was the one who rescued her.

In a place where not even a single word could be properly communicated, Yeong Un Ja and her now-husband, who was his disciple, were the few people she could trust.

Fortunately, she had talent in martial arts and was able to reach a considerable level. Now she could return to her hometown if she wanted to, but her heart’s hometown was Gonryun.

Just one thing was missing, a child between her and her husband. Seeing the child who treated her without any shame, she felt a sense of familiarity, but the idea of adultery was ridiculous.

“Just, a son? I said it because he seemed like a son…!”

“He’s Nong.”

Yong Bi Yeon’s face turned red as she pronounced the unfamiliar word ‘son’ and Yeong Un Ja chuckled.

If it weren’t for this strange part of him that rubbed people the wrong way, he would have been a more respectable master. It was a pity that his distribution and martial arts were not up to par.

If the conversation continued on this topic, only she would be at a disadvantage, so Yong Bi Yeon slightly changed the subject.

“Inspiration, what did you see in Sachon?”

“Can you call it seeing something? I just happened to meet that kid while wandering around, and from then on, we traveled together and did some martial arts work.”

If Kang Yoon, who had been causing trouble everywhere, had heard this, his clothes would have burst, but Yeong Un Ja naturally summed up their journey with just one sentence.

But it wasn’t a particularly important issue for Yong Bi Yeon.

“Weren’t you going to see that kid from the beginning?”

Yeong Un Ja was generally free-spirited, but he wasn’t the kind of person who would break a promise for no reason.

It’s much more likely that he deliberately avoided Yong Bi Yeon to meet Kang Yoon from the beginning, rather than just coincidentally running away and meeting him.

“I don’t know… What do you think?”

But the only answer Yong Bi Yeon could get from Yeong Un Ja was his sly smile.