A short while later, the two of them stepped out of the pavilion.
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi had already finished setting up the small hut and were catching their breath.
“I’ll go prepare breakfast, then.”
As Dan Ak-seon walked off, Han Seol-hwa looked at Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi intently.
Beom Gye-wi shot back a disgruntled look.
“What? What now?”
“Go wash up.”
At her next words, the two of them frowned deeply.
“You smell.”
“What the—!”
Beom Gye-wi sprang to his feet, but at that moment, Han Seol-hwa spoke up again.
“Yesterday…”
Without another word, Beom Gye-wi turned on his heel and headed toward the pond.
Cho Ak-ryang reluctantly followed him. Then, suddenly realizing something, Beom Gye-wi turned back to look at Han Seol-hwa.
“Wait, did you just speak?”
“Now that you mention it…?”
Cho Ak-ryang also looked at Han Seol-hwa, surprised.
In response, a cold voice drifted toward them.
― Wash. Now.
Some time later.
Dan Ak-seon, having filled a basket with fresh herbs, placed them on the table and smiled brightly.
“Today’s meal is specially planned. Just eat what’s in front of you.”
After finishing their bath, Beom Gye-wi and Cho Ak-ryang arrived just in time, barely managing to suppress a sigh.
Today, too, it was all greens.
Bitter, sour, and astringent herbs.
Han Seol-hwa was the first to pick up an herb and put it in her mouth, beginning to eat without a word.
Since she couldn’t taste anything anyway, it didn’t really matter to her.
In contrast, Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi tried to look calm, but this was quite an ordeal for them.
While they continued their meal, Dan Ak-seon spoke up.
“I think I’ll need to visit the village again today.”
Beom Gye-wi gave him a puzzled look.
“Again? You went yesterday.”
“There are more people now. I need to check on a few things.”
He tried not to show it, but in truth, he was concerned about the safety of Pung Jin-seong.
Beom Gye-wi smirked.
“Then I’ll take you there.”
Just then, Han Seol-hwa, who had been quietly eating, spoke up.
“No, I’ll go.”
“Why? That’s supposed to be my job…”
Han Seol-hwa cut him off with a cold expression.
“You have something else to do, don’t you?”
“Me?”
“You need to make a bed, unless you expect me to sleep on the bare ground?”
“Why should I be the one to make it?”
“Because I know what happened last night?”
Beom Gye-wi was stunned by Han Seol-hwa’s blatant threat.
However, there was nothing he could do.
When someone has leverage over you, you’re in no position to fight back.
Dan Ak-seon nodded with a smile.
"Alright then. Today, Aunt Han, you’ll accompany me."
After finishing their meal, Dan Ak-seon and Han Seol-hwa headed to the village, leaving Beom Gye-wi grumbling behind.
* * *
Once they entered the village, Dan Ak-seon felt stares coming from all directions. This was something he had never experienced before.
But it didn’t take him long to figure out why.
It was because of Han Seol-hwa’s beauty.
Her appearance was mesmerizing, drawing the attention of everyone around her.
Han Seol-hwa, on the other hand, seemed completely indifferent.
She was accustomed to situations like this.
Dan Ak-seon didn’t mind the situation, either.
Ordinarily, the busy streets of the marketplace would be a hassle for someone small like Dan Ak-seon to navigate through the crowd. But walking with Han Seol-hwa felt like moving through an open avenue.
As she approached, people—both men and women—split apart to let them pass, like the ebbing tide.
Naturally, a stir arose behind them.
Men, sneaking glances at Han Seol-hwa, were getting scolded by their wives or lovers after being caught in the act.
They walked on, leaving the commotion behind.
Just then, a well-dressed man approached Han Seol-hwa. People's eyes shifted toward him.
From his hesitant demeanor, his intentions seemed quite obvious.
Most people thought he would try to flirt with Han Seol-hwa.
However, to everyone’s surprise, the man stopped not in front of Han Seol-hwa, but in front of Dan Ak-seon.
Dan Ak-seon looked at the man with a puzzled expression. He was clearly someone he'd never seen before.
"What do you need?"
The man smiled politely and held out a steaming skewer toward Dan Ak-seon.
"I just started my business over there today."
"Then why are you giving this to me…?"
The man chuckled awkwardly.
"Just hoping you'll come by often."
Practically pushing it into his hand, he left him holding the skewer in bewilderment.
"This many?"
Dan Ak-seon was taken aback.
The skewer the man handed him wasn’t just one but a whole ten. The man smiled sheepishly.
"Eat plenty."
Then he quickly turned around and ran off somewhere.
After running a while, he entered a winding alley, where someone was waiting for him.
"Did you make sure he got it?"
At So Jeok-san's question, the man nodded.
He was one of the subordinates of Eui-ui Gang, led by So Jeok-san.
"Yes, I chose the best one, grilled it, and made sure to give it to her before it got cold."
"Send out people to keep a close watch. If anything happens to him, we’re as good as dead that very day."
So Jeok-san shuddered slightly.
Because he recalled the terrifying face of Mangsanchoja and the spine-chilling threats he had made that day.
* * *
Half a shijin (one hour) after entering the village.
Dan Ak-seon’s appearance was quite different from when he had first left Shinmagok. Over his light clothing, he now wore a thick fur vest, and his hands were filled with various foods and toys.
Today, there were especially many newly opened shops.
It was clear that these were promotional events, yet somehow, he had the distinct feeling that all the promotion was aimed specifically at him.
Even now, a stranger suddenly approached and offered him a candied hawthorn skewered on a bamboo stick, glazed with honey and syrup.
"Please have a taste, young master."
"Thank you. Next time, I'll buy it myself."
What puzzled him was that whenever he asked for the location of a shop, people would all respond awkwardly, then quickly make an excuse and leave.
"You must have made quite an impression on the people. They seem so pleased to see you."
Han Seol-hwa secretly admired Dan Ak-seon. This was the kind of welcome even renowned heroes rarely received.
"That's not it at all…."
With the situation like this, Dan Ak-seon was growing frustrated. His purpose for coming to the village kept being delayed.
"Aunt, I have a favor to ask."
When Han Seol-hwa nodded, Dan Ak-seon handed her the items he was holding.
"Could you please look after these for a moment? I need to visit a place."
As Han Seol-hwa accepted the items, Dan Ak-seon started running off somewhere.
Lest he be held back by anyone, he ran with all his might.
The place he reached after running so hard was his usual herbal medicine shop.
When Dan Ak-seon opened the door and entered, the shopkeeper greeted him warmly and came closer.
"I was waiting, wondering when you’d come by."
“For me?”
The shopkeeper nodded.
“The head of the Jin-seong Clinic left a message for you.”
Dan Ak-seon’s face brightened. He had been worried about Pung Jin-seong, and that was why he had come to the village, hoping to hear from him.
“He told me to tell you not to come down to the village until this incident is fully resolved.”
“Incident?”
The shopkeeper sighed at Dan Ak-seon’s question.
“Last night, there was a fire at the Cheonghwa Inn, where the warriors of the Murim Alliance were staying.”
Seeing Dan Ak-seon’s eyes go wide, the shopkeeper continued his explanation.
“It was a commotion like no other. Who could have predicted that the fierce Passa Brigade of the Murim Alliance would be swept up in the flames and perish?”
“They… died?”
“Yes. I heard they found several jars of liquor scattered around the fire scene. It seems they were too drunk to escape the blaze.”
“……!”
“Luckily, they had rented out the entire Cheonghwa Inn, or it could have been a far worse disaster. Even the head of the Jinseong Clinic might have been in danger if he hadn't arrived late.”
While Dan Ak-seon was still speechless with shock, the shopkeeper relayed the rest of the message.
“The head of the Jinseong Clinic said he would come to see you personally once the situation is under control. So, it would be best to stay away from the village for now, as the mood here is tense after what happened yesterday.”
“I see.”
Dan Ak-seon sighed as he thought of Pung Jin-seong.
Although it was fortunate that Uncle Pung was safe, it was clear this situation would only cause him more hardship.
"Thank you for letting me know."
After purchasing the necessary medicinal herbs, Dan Ak-seon left the herbal store.
Han Seol-hwa, who had been waiting outside, watched his downcast expression closely.
However, she didn’t press him for an explanation.
She merely followed behind him in silence as he trudged along.
They walked for quite some time like this.
Just as Dan Ak-seon was about to leave the alley, he suddenly stopped in his tracks.
It was because of a conversation he overheard between some herbalists nearby.
“Did you hear that Mr. Wang hit the jackpot this time?”
“Oh, you mean that wild ginseng? I heard it’s well over two hundred years old.”
“Lucky guy. Something like that must be worth a fortune, right?”
“Of course! If the high-ranking officials hear about it, they’ll be all over him. They wouldn’t even mind paying a thousand gold pieces for it.”
“No wonder. I suddenly felt like hiking in the mountains yesterday.”
“A drunkard like you? A ginseng of that age is practically a spirit in its own right. You might only come across one like that once or twice in your life—if the gods are kind.”
Han Seol-hwa looked at Dan Ak-seon in confusion.
His face was flushed with excitement, a stark contrast to his previous gloomy expression.
“Excuse me, gentlemen!”
With an eager expression, Dan Ak-seon rushed over and interrupted the two men’s conversation.
“The wild ginseng you mentioned—who has it?”
One of the merchants turned and asked in response to Dan Ak-seon's question.
“What are you planning to do with that knowledge?”
“I’m planning to buy it!”
Seeing the merchant chuckle, Dan Ak-seon, feeling a sense of urgency, pulled a voucher out of his pocket. It was a ten thousand nyang voucher that he had received from Han Seol-hwa before leaving Shinmagok.
“There’s someone who’s hurt. So I really need that wild ginseng!”
The merchant flinched.
It wasn’t just the amount on the voucher; he was also taken aback by the strange, fiery determination in Dan Ak-seon’s eyes.
“Please let me meet that person.”
A short while later.
The transaction proceeded smoothly.
Negotiations typically take time, but after checking the quality of the wild ginseng, Dan Ak-seon immediately handed over the entire ten-thousand-nyang voucher.
“Hehe.”
After leaving the village, Dan Ak-seon couldn’t hide his grin.
He opened the silk wrapping inside the box several times to check the wild ginseng, occasionally sniffing it as well.
“Do you like it that much?”
“Of course.”
Dan Ak-seon nodded.
“It will be of great help in treating the three of you.”
“You’re quite bold.”
“Pardon?”
“I didn’t expect you to spend the entire ten thousand nyang to get that.”
“Oh, that’s right!”
Only then did Dan Ak-seon remember the other items he had intended to buy, and he looked embarrassed.
At the sight, Han Seol-hwa was inwardly dumbfounded.
Though calm and composed when practicing medicine, Dan Ak-seon was now acting like nothing more than a child.
'Great wisdom often seems foolish...'
Now, Dan Ak-seon embodied that very idea.
* * *
“What the...? What is this?!”
Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi couldn't hide their shock.
The surprise came from the new blanket Han Seol-hwa had handed them, supposedly to replace their tattered old one.
But calling this a "blanket" was almost embarrassing.
It was a colorful patchwork of leftover scraps stitched together, looking entirely makeshift.
“You expect me to sleep under this rag?”
“You chose this on purpose, didn’t you? Just to mess with us!”
Han Seol-hwa responded in a detached tone, almost as if she didn’t want to waste words on them.
— It was the cheapest option. Just shut up and use it.
Confusion showed on Beom Gye-wi's face.
“What happened to all the money?”
Dan Ak-seon answered on her behalf.
“Sorry... I used it all to buy a ginseng root…”
Beom Gye-wi waved it off with a smile.
“Oh? No worries. You should buy what you want. If Doctor Dan wants it, who’s to argue?”
“Hehe, thanks.”
Dan Ak-seon opened the box he had been holding close to his chest.
"Would you like to take a look? It’s such a fine specimen that even I’ve only seen it a few times."
At the sight of Dan Ak-seon proudly taking out the wild ginseng, Cho Ak-ryang and Beom Gye-wi held back a wry smile.
