Need To Leave Secretly (2)

There were several ways to get to Hunan from Shaanxi.

Yu Jinsan had chosen to take a boat from the north port near Luoyang.

His purpose was to hide their movement and avoid the attention of Kangho.

Yu Jinsan and his granddaughter held hands, each with a bundle tied to their backs.

“Woah~”

They were passing through the gates of Chang’an. It took them ten days to travel from Ho County, where the clan was, to arrive in less than a day.

Yu Seol couldn’t contain her anxiousness.

When had she ever visited such a city? It was natural for her to be shocked.

The main road led to the fortress, and magnificent buildings surrounded them.

“Is this nice?”

“Yes, and look at that!”

She pointed her finger at a high statue.

The statue of a general, sword strapped to his waist, was so majestic it seemed to pierce the clouds.

The area was crowded with people, as if it were a tourist attraction.

It was rare for someone to have such a large statue in a big city, which was only possible with direct orders from the Emperor.

This meant that the statue’s subject was someone with great achievements who was favored by the Emperor.

“That’s General Somu. He is a war hero who saved this nation.”

“So cool! Grandpa, do you want to go over there and play with me?”

Looking into her eyes, he could tell she was thinking about using footwork to jump across the palace roofs.

Yu Jinsan was happy to see his granddaughter so delighted.

However, in large cities where officials were stationed, the use of martial arts near their property was prohibited.

“You see those people in armor?”

“Yes.”

“If we use martial arts here, they will catch us. After being tied up, you’ll be hit on the butt with sticks.”

“……”

Yu Seol looked sad.

The child looked as though she had lost her entire world. Her heart seemed heavy, and Yu Jinsan felt bad, but he didn’t give in.

“And not just here. One must never use martial arts in front of people until we board that ship and arrive at our destination.”

“…even outside the province?”

Yu Jinsan nodded, looking serious.

“Yes. We must not let rumors that we left Shaanxi spread.”

“Why?”

“Because this is a wide world. There’s even a bounty on us, and people don’t know much about the Twin Monsters. So, let’s keep it that way without letting them find out.”

“Why can’t they know?”

“It doesn’t matter to Grandpa, but for Seol, you have to live a new life in the world. So we have to be careful until we arrive.”

The Murim Alliance’s order for arrest was limited to Shaanxi.

The people of Hunan wouldn’t know about the existence of the Yin Yang Twin Monsters. There was no need to hold her this strictly.

But one day, her fame would spread throughout Kangho. However, that was a matter to consider at a later time.

Had she become sad after hearing she wouldn’t be able to make much use of her martial arts?

Well, Yu Seol lowered her head, not responding.

“……”

Yu Jinsan shook his head, attempting to dispel the gloomy expression on his granddaughter’s face.

He cleared his throat and then said softly.

“This is probably the place with the most food in Shaanxi, right? I heard they have delicacies we’ve never tried before.”

“…really?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her head slowly turning. Yes, she seemed curious.

Yu Jinsan tried hard to suppress his laughter and looked intently towards the market.

“Have you ever heard of pork feet with fat?”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

Of course, she hadn’t. What could an eight-year-old child have heard?

Yu Jinsan smiled to himself as his granddaughter showed interest.

“They say that the feet of pigs are boiled in five fragrant fruits and then fried in oil. They season them and garnish them with thinly sliced vegetables. It’s crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. When the soft texture and the light seasoning come together, it feels like…”

Yu Seol gulped dryly and grabbed her grandpa’s hand before he could finish his sentence.

“Let us quickly head there!”

“Want to try it?”

His granddaughter whined like an exhausted puppy.

“Uhhh… hurry.”

Yu Jinsan, holding back a smile, said,

“Haha. Right, let’s go there.”

After one visit, the two had finished eating and came out of the place.

Yu Seol was patting her stomach, looking full.

“It was tasty.”

Seeing his granddaughter’s bulging stomach, Yu Jinsan’s heart swelled with happiness.

“Right. When we arrive in Hunan, there will be a lot more things for you to try.”

“Really? I can’t wait to go there.”

Yu Jinsan was secretly trying to imitate the speaking manner of the child, aiming to learn it to conceal his real age.

“We’ll arrive at the port soon. You haven’t been on a ship before, right?”

“Yes. It will be fun… but why does Grandpa suddenly talk like that?”

“I need to use the same tone as Seol to avoid being seen as suspicious. That’s why I’m practicing now.”

“Really? Then repeat after me, ‘We’ll arrive at the port in a while~.’ Like this.”

Yu Jinsan hesitated for a moment. It was awkward to be taught by his granddaughter. Feeling embarrassed, he cleared his throat and tried to say it again.

“Ahem. We’ll arrive at the port in a while.”

“No, softly… Do it again. ‘We will arrive~.’”

“We will arrive~.”

“Wrong!”

Being scolded by his own granddaughter made him feel sad, but there was no shortcut when it came to learning.

Despite trying numerous times, he couldn’t quite speak like her.

Well, if he trained, he would eventually understand it.

“I guess it won’t work now. When we arrive at the port, if someone talks to us, the answer will come on its own.”

“Okay.”

“And we might get noticed, so do not say ‘grandpa’ until we reach the place. Just act like we are siblings.”

The two spoke for a long time, and by the time their food was fully digested, they arrived at the ferry overlooking the river.

Ships were departing from there, moving through several ports.

At that moment, one ship was ready for its departure.

It was a civilian ship that traveled to and from the ports of cities—a luxurious one with three-story windows.

Because it was large, it looked expensive to board, but the convenience was so good that they were lucky.

It seemed like boarding had started a while ago.

“We need to get on early to get to a good place. Let’s go quickly.”

“Yes. Hold my hand.”

After paying the fare, Yu Jinsan and Seol held hands and waited in line.

The estimated travel time from here to Maengjin Port was 10 days.

It wasn’t easy for two young kids to travel such a long distance on ships. Naturally, people began to get curious about them.

“Just you two? You look like siblings.”

When they looked back, a middle-aged man with a bundle over his shoulder asked. He was a warm-looking man wearing light clothes.

He had a fairly solid body with hints of martial arts training, but he was still a third-rate warrior.

Yu Jinsan gave his granddaughter a look, signaling her to behave nicely.

“Yes. We are going to Hunan. What about you, mister?”

Why would they tell their destination without asking him in return? Besides, was he really interested in Yu Jinsan, or was there another reason? It was a bit absurd, so Yu Jinsan decided to wait and see.

“Hunan? Then, you’re going as far as Maengjin Port. I happen to be heading there too.”

“Hehe. Then, would you like to come with us?”

Yu Jinsan, who was watching from the side, flinched. Was he seeking a companion without knowing them? But he couldn’t intervene.

Although shocked, since the deed was done, he tried to think positively.

‘Maybe this is for the best. If two kids move alone, it will attract too much attention. It might be more natural to blend in with him.’

The middle-aged man nodded and asked,

“It is nice! Since you’re a little taller, I guess you are the older sister. Am I right?”

Yu Seol smiled brightly and placed her arm on the old man’s shoulder.

“Right, so true. Isn’t my little brother adorable?”

“Indeed. He looks quite cool too.”

“But my younger brother isn’t much of a talker. He’s a bit shy because of his peculiar way of speaking.”

Yu Seol’s acting skills were far from mediocre. Yet, Yu Jinsan never imagined she would cast him as a speech-impaired child.

It was ludicrous to see a middle-aged man looking down at him with pity.

“Then… your parents?”

“They died, leaving just the two of us.”

“Oh heavens…! It seems you have relatives in Hunan. I don’t know about your past but just stick with me until we arrive. It’s dangerous for two kids to wander alone.”

“Thank you~.”

After a while, the three of them boarded the ferry and made their way to the deck.

Yu Seol, seeing the river for the first time, was so captivated that she couldn’t tear her gaze away from the deck.

Behind them, the middle-aged man mumbled as he placed his hands on Yu Jinsan and Yu Seol’s shoulders.

“It has been a long time since I left my hometown, so I don’t remember my parents’ faces. I ran away from home and practiced martial arts for ten years. Now that I have achieved my goal, I will confidently return to Hunan, where my family is from.”

Despite ten years of martial arts training, he still hadn’t surpassed the level of a third-rate warrior. Yu Jinsan found this hard to believe.

Out of boredom, Yu Jinsan asked quietly.

“Where did you learn martial arts?”

“Hmm. I heard you aren’t good at speaking, but you seem to be doing fine. You have to maintain that and create a nice flow. If not, the conversation will become awkward.”

“Yes.”

“The clan I joined is the best. I’m not sure if you know it, but it’s a first-class clan in the Murim.”

A sect Yu Jinsan didn’t recognize.

He had never encountered an established place for a clan.

It was likely a neighborhood clan without even a name. There were countless small clans in each region.

Since those sects and clans lacked proper cultivation techniques, let alone martial arts, it was natural that there was a limit to their growth, no matter how long they trained.

Then, it suddenly started to rain.

Pkkk! Daduk!!

“Oh my! It’s raining. Let’s head into the cabin now.”

The pavilion installed in the center of the ship had three stories, with each floor narrowing as one ascended. The top floor was a special room reserved for wealthy officials.

Space for general passengers to rest was confined to the lower floor. It was quite cramped, accommodating a crowd of about a hundred people.

At that moment, the middle-aged man pulled a small blanket from the bundle on his shoulder.

“Hurry and dry yourself off. If you don’t…”

Suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise, and he trailed off.

Both the girl and boy were drenched, but the girl’s clothes seemed unaffected. It was as if not a single drop had touched her.

“What’s the matter, mister?”

Yu Seol blinked her round eyes, puzzled.

Only Yu Jinsan understood the reason. The unique technique to repel the world’s elements was inherent to the Grandmaster’s body.

At that moment, Yu Jinsan’s hand swiftly caught something. It was a piece of board that someone had discarded.

“I stopped the rain.”

Seeing the board, the middle-aged man smiled.

“Hahah! Is that true? For a moment, I thought I saw a ghost or something. It’s nice to see you looking after your sister.”

Hearing the word ‘ghost,’ Yu Seol asked with a curious look.

“Are there really ghosts in the world?”

“Well, of course. Since we have a lot of time alone, let me tell you this story. Come on, sit, and listen.”

Yu Jinsan and Yu Seol sat across from the man.

The man introduced himself as Gong-gu.

Living on the water could be exceedingly boring. He was a simple-minded and well-spoken man and a great companion to have on board.

So, the three of them spent two days together on the boat without any incidents. Because it rained often, they spent a lot of time in the cabin.

“Mister? Why is it raining so much here?”

Dong-gu looked at Yu Seol, who was squatting in front of him.

“It’s because this is a dry and humid rainy season here. It’s a time when it rains a lot.”

“Well, does Mister have a lot of people in his family?”

Yu Seol had endless questions, but Dong-gu answered every single one without showing any displeasure.

Yu Jinsan didn’t dislike the man either, so he leaned back and closed his eyes.

“Of course! I have many members in my family. Our family is a well-known one in this neighborhood. Now I can head back there with confidence. If it were me, my father would surely…”

But he couldn’t finish his sentence.

This was because the entire hull of the ship shook as if something had hit it.

Tunggg!

The cabin suddenly became very noisy.

The sound of sailors running around gave the impression that something bad had happened, and after a while, someone shouted.

“The enemies have appeared!!”

When the passengers in the cabin heard this, their faces turned contemplative.

“Wh-what do we do?”

“P-pirates…?”

“Do we all die in here then?”

Although the Yellow River pirates were known to be small in size, they were also swift and cunning.

The reason they were strong was that they were the only ones who had survived until the end, despite the constant search by the officials.

“Do not worry, and stay behind me, kids.”

Dong-gu positioned Yu Jinsan and Yu Seol behind him.

Soon after, the cabin door burst open.

Kwang!!!