The Return of the Sw Chapter 19 : The One Who Changed Fate. -02

Chapter 19: The One Who Changed Fate. -02

Geum Hoyeon showed a genuinely regretful expression.

As he had said, he wanted to repay the life-saving grace, but because there was another intention as well, he smacked his lips inwardly.

“Just the food is enough.”

“That will not do. It was not just any help—you saved my life. That value cannot be repaid with re food. I may be a rchant, but that does not an I am ignorant of gratitude. So, please accept this.”

Tak.

Geum Hoyeon took out a small gold plaque from his bosom.

It was a round gold plaque about the size of a palm, and Geum Hoyeon’s na was engraved in relief at its center.

“What is this?”

“It is a kind of identification token that proves you are my benefactor. It is real gold as well, but more importantly, it is given only to those I personally choose. Simply by showing this gold plaque at the Geum Family Estate, you can borrow fifty taels of silver without any compensation.”

“I cannot accept this.”

Ban Hojin shook his head.

To Geum Hoyeon, the second young lord of the Geum Family, fifty taels of silver might not be much, but to Ban Hojin, it was a large sum.

Moreover, he had not saved Geum Hoyeon for this purpose.

Of course, deep down, he had thought that it would be nice to receive sothing, but not to this extent.

“Please accept it. Compared to the price of my life, it is truly a trivial amount. I would like to give you much more, but I had a feeling that Great Hero Ban would not accept it, so I am offering this instead.”

“Hm.”

At the words ‘price of my life,’ Ban Hojin flinched slightly.

Certainly, compared to Geum Hoyeon’s life, fifty taels of silver was by no ans a large amount.

Moreover, the one Ban Hojin had saved was not only Geum Hoyeon.

Even just Iron King’s contract fee alone was far from being covered by fifty taels of silver.

“Please accept it. That way, if you ever need my help later, you can make good use of it. Please give

the opportunity to repay my life-saving grace.”

“I also ask you to do so.”

Not only Geum Hoyeon, but even the Head of the Escort Unit, who had been standing quietly behind him, deeply bowed his waist.

Although he was now serving as an escort warrior for the Geum Family, he too had once been a martial artist who had set his sights on Murim.

But above all, the greatest weight behind this action was the fact that his life had been saved.

Thus, the Head of the Escort Unit did not feel even the slightest sha in bowing.

“You are putting

in a difficult position.”

“Please think of it comfortably. If one gives a favor, is it not natural to receive sothing in return? There are many uncouth people who do not even keep such basic common sense, but I am not one of them. In the twenty-five years I have lived, I have never deceived or slandered anyone even once. I did strive harder than anyone else to leave a profit, but at the very least, I have never committed fraud nor betrayed trust.”

Geum Hoyeon spoke confidently.

It was as if this alone was sothing he could say with absolute certainty.

“Refusing too much is not good either, so I will accept it for now. Just because I have accepted it does not an I must use it, right?”

“That is correct. When you use it is entirely up to Great Hero Ban. I am fine with that as well. It ans that my connection with Great Hero Ban will continue for a long ti.”

“Hahaha.”

At the words implying that he intended to naturally continue their association, Ban Hojin let out a small laugh.

However, he did not feel displeased.

For one, the attitude was not irritating at all, and from Geum Hoyeon’s standpoint, it seed more than reasonable.

And it was not a bad thing for Ban Hojin either.

“So, does that an you have completely descended from Shaolin?”

“That is not the case. I ca out briefly due to so personal business.”

“Then do you plan to continue staying at Shaolin in the future?”

Geum Hoyeon asked with an expectant expression.

Although he was the Abbot of Shaolin’s disciple, Ban Hojin was an Unregistered Disciple.

Since he was, in the literal sense, a Lay Disciple whose na was not recorded in the monastic registry, he could settle elsewhere at any ti.

Thus, Geum Hoyeon subtly probed his intentions.

“Well. I have no plans at the mont, but it could change later.”

“Haha. Then please put

on the list of candidates as well.”

“That sounds like a joke, yet not a joke.”

“That is correct. Even if it is not now, no one knows how things will turn out later, do they?”

Geum Hoyeon was straightforward.

In conversations like this, acting as if one were holding back did not look good.

The behavior of poking at a grape one could not eat could make the other party uncomfortable, so Geum Hoyeon openly expressed his thoughts.

Based on what he had observed so far, Ban Hojin also seed to be the type who disliked being tested.

“That is true. No one knows what the future will bring. The Neo-Outer Murim could suddenly invade and reduce the Murim of the Central Plains to utter chaos.”

“That is not an unfounded story. Invasions from the Outer Regions have happened several tis in the past. In that sense, I am always grateful to the Orthodox Martial World. Compared to a world ruled by Demonic Path or Heterodox Path, the present is far better for doing business as a rchant.”

“Thank you for saying that. However, I still have no intention of entrusting myself to another place or settling down.”

“I understand. I did not an to burden you, so please do not take it too seriously.”

Perhaps because he was a rchant, his sense of when to advance and when to withdraw was quite sharp.

He was also honest and good-natured.

For the second young lord of the Geum Family, it would not have been strange for him to be arrogant, yet Geum Hoyeon had none of that.

Seeing how he acted as though he could bend his pride as much as necessary, Ban Hojin revised his evaluation upward.

‘Was it because he died in my previous life that I did not know this?’

He had changed fate, but at least he did not regret it.

And a strange excitent also arose.

It was because he felt that he had truly returned to the past and properly changed fate.

“If you ever need my help, please do not hesitate to contact . Unless it is sothing truly urgent, I will run anywhere.”

“Thank you, even if it is just words.”

“I an it sincerely. The price of my life is at least that much.”

“Then I will rember it clearly.”

“Yes.”

Geum Hoyeon smiled with a good-natured expression.

Then he naturally shifted to another topic.

Rather than trying to entice Ban Hojin, he focused on becoming acquainted and getting to know him.

As the saying went that today was not the day, Geum Hoyeon looked long-term and far ahead.

Early the next morning, Ban Hojin left the inn early, just as he had said.

He stayed for exactly one day and then departed.

Geum Hoyeon watched Ban Hojin’s departing figure together with the escort unit.

“As expected, special things are not easily obtained.”

“I believe that soday you will achieve what you intend.”

“I must. I am a rchant, after all. Human relationships are also, in a way, a kind of transaction. And I have plenty of ti as well.”

Looking at Ban Hojin’s retreating figure, Geum Hoyeon shook off his lingering regret.

If it were up to his heart, he wanted to take him under his wing imdiately, but worldly matters never flowed exactly as one wished.

And through his past experiences, Geum Hoyeon knew well that the more precious and special sothing was, the harder it was to obtain.

“That is correct.”

“From now on, keep your eyes open. There will surely co a ti when you will need my help.”

“I understand.”

“Of course, before that, I will have to speak with the third.”

Since Ban Hojin had left, it was now ti to deal with the matter of the Third Young Lord.

Because he intended to return more than he had received, Geum Hoyeon turned his body.

He, too, was about to depart.

However, the number of people following Geum Hoyeon had more than doubled compared to yesterday.

“We will escort you.”

“Move as discreetly as possible, and quickly.”

“Yes!”

Since they did not know when the Third Young Lord might send assassins again, the Head of the Escort Unit had reinforced their numbers as soon as they arrived at the village.

Even so, he did not feel at ease.

The possibility was slim, but if a martial artist on the level of the Iron King were to target Geum Hoyeon again, he had no confidence in stopping it.

If there was even the slightest possibility, caution was the right course, so the Head of the Escort Unit moved while thoroughly scanning the surroundings with eyes completely different from when he had been with Ban Hojin.

anwhile, Ban Hojin, having parted ways with Geum Hoyeon, headed straight for the valley he had visited yesterday.

Because sothing unexpected had happened, he hurried all the more.

“Impressive.”

Perhaps because it was still early, thick fog blanketed the mountains.

Near the valley, dense mist rose from the water, and the sight was quite spectacular.

One might say it had a charm entirely different from Songshan.

“It looks mysterious—perfect for eting that fellow right now.”

It did not feel as majestic or numinous as Songshan, but this place had more than enough of its own allure.

Rather, because there were few traces of people, it felt even more beautiful.

However, Ban Hojin quickly pulled himself together.

Enjoying the surrounding scenery could be done slowly after achieving his objective.

“There are plenty of toads, but I don’t see the white one.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, Ban Hojin swiftly crossed the area around the valley.

Since it was a toad, it was certain to live near water.

Being a spiritual creature, its range of activity would be wider than that of ordinary toads, but even so, it surely could not live in a place without water.

From what he had heard in his previous life, it had been discovered near this valley.

“This is interesting. It’s like hide-and-seek.”

Because of the thick fog that covered everything, his field of vision was noticeably narrower than usual, but Ban Hojin found that amusing.

In any case, it would have been hard to find even without the fog.

A spiritual creature was not called a spiritual creature for nothing.

A being that had lived for countless years and awakened spirituality was a spiritual creature, so thinking of it as an ordinary beast would lead to serious trouble.

“A contest between one who hides and one who searches.”

There were cases where spiritual creatures beca demonic creatures and attacked and devoured humans, but most of the ti, they avoided people when discovered.

Spirit herbs could not move and thus concealed their energy as much as possible, but spiritual creatures were different.

They could move freely, so they hid their energy and concealed their bodies.

That was why Ban Hojin had to examine his surroundings even more carefully to find it.

Step. Step.

Although he had so leeway in terms of ti, that did not necessarily an the situation was advantageous for Ban Hojin.

Spiritual creatures and spirit herbs were beings one could not even encounter, let alone et, unless fate allowed it, so Ban Hojin steeled his mind.

If he failed to achieve his objective here, he could not move on to the next stage, and Ban Hojin’s gaze grew serious.

“But it feels like I’m living way too earnestly.”

While searching the surroundings, Ban Hojin suddenly felt empty.

When he opened his eyes again, he had resolved to live this life differently from his previous one.

Yet, when he thought about it carefully, he was living more earnestly than anyone else.

“This is all because of those damn Four Tyrants of the World.”

Ban Hojin ground his teeth.

He thought that his death, his resurrection, and all the hardships he was enduring now were all because of the Four Tyrants of the World.

If the Four Tyrants of the World had not harbored ambitions to conquer the Central Plains, none of this would have happened.

And Ban Hojin would have quietly trained in martial arts and ended his life.

“Haa.”

However, human greed was not sothing one could control for others.

If that had been possible to begin with, there would have been no wars, no fights, and no conflicts.

Swish!

Perhaps because of the humid weather, dozens of toads and frogs were hopping around near the valley.

Tadpoles swam about in the water.

Then, as Ban Hojin was letting out deep sighs, sothing pale wriggled within the undergrowth.

“Huh?”

Lowering his head instinctively while sighing, Ban Hojin spotted it and his eyes flew wide open.

But as if what he had just seen had been an illusion, the whitish sothing had already hidden itself.

At that mont, Ban Hojin’s figure shot forward like an arrow.

“As expected!”