The Lazy Young Master of the Jin Clan

Group Thirteen.

Jin Sohyun, who had been paired with Cheon Yerang of all the hundred officials, had a headache.

In fact, Cheon Gaseong flinched as if he had something to say.

It was understandable, as the task given to the officials this time was far from ordinary.

"It's a distance that takes a week to cover, no matter how fast you run."

The task given to the officials was to receive a token from the Martial Arts Alliance's branch in Guizhou.

It was a distance that would take half a month even by carriage, as they had to pass through two provinces.

"You must not reveal your identities, and you must not receive help from your sects or families. Everything must be solved by self-sufficiency."

They couldn't stop at inns, nor could they go to restaurants.

They couldn't walk along the main roads and had to cross only forest paths or woods.

"The beggars of the Beggars' Sect will be stationed everywhere to watch you. If you happen to be discovered by the beggars, you will be locked in the Dark Cave and have to undergo wall-gazing training for two weeks."

"Wall-gazing training!"

"And in the Dark Cave, at that..."

The officials, who had experienced the power of the Illusory Void Formation with their own bodies, trembled in fear.

"And I will not interfere if you happen to fall for each other and do something. If you have the time for that, that is."

The warning that followed was a warning to the officials who had been paired with the opposite sex.

Since they were young people full of vigor, it wouldn't be strange if something happened while they were together.

But to traverse a distance that took half a month in just one week, they couldn't rest for even a moment.

"Excuse me... Head of the Daoist Temple."

Zhuge Ming raised his hand.

"What is it?"

"When is the departure?"

"A good question."

Creeak—!

As the gate of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple opened, the officials showed puzzled expressions.

"You asked when the departure is? It's from now. If you don't return to the Daoist temple within a week, you will have to enter the Dark Cave and undergo wall-gazing training as well. If you understand, then depart!"

At Gwak Myeong's shout, the quick-witted officials hurriedly departed.

"Damn it! I couldn't even pack my clothes!"

"Shut up and just run!"

Oh Seolhwa and Moyong Susu, who had unfortunately been paired together, ran out of the Daoist temple while glaring at each other with sharp eyes.

"You, can you even run?"

"At what... speed?"

"Ha..."

Jong Ryeo'ak put his hand on his forehead.

The martial artists assigned to Group Forty-Four with him were two people.

Yu Useon and Siu.

The two trembled and looked at Jong Ryeo'ak.

Jong Ryeo'ak, who had ended up with two burdens, was having a hard time.

'I want to just abandon them and go.'

But because of Gwak Myeong's words that it would only be recognized as a success if all the group members returned with the token, Jong Ryeo'ak had to take Siu and Yu Useon with him.

"Just run! I'll kill you if you fall behind!"

"Hic!"

"Uwaang!"

Yu Useon and Siu had no choice but to run out of the Daoist temple, and behind them, Jong Ryeo'ak ran, shouting in anger.

"Mmm..."

Jin Sohyun, because of Cheon Gaseong who was glaring at him as if he would kill him, hurriedly ran to Gwak Myeong.

"Head of the Daoist Temple."

"What's wrong with you now? You don't have much time."

"Can't you change the groups?"

"No. I can't."

"Tsk."

At Gwak Myeong's firm attitude, Jin Sohyun quickly gave up.

Arguing was also a troublesome thing.

Having no choice, Jin Sohyun shrugged at Cheon Gaseong and then approached Cheon Yerang.

"Well, it can't be helped. Let's go for now. Where was Guizhou again?"

Jin Sohyun, who had taken out a map from the large pouch that had been given to all the officials, moved the map here and there, looking for Guizhou where the Martial Arts Alliance's branch was.

"Ah, here it is. It's really far."

A telepathic message from Cheon Gaseong flew into the ear of Jin Sohyun, who was about to leave the Daoist temple.

—If you touch even a single hair on Yerang, I won't stand...

Jin Sohyun quickly left the Daoist temple before Cheon Gaseong's telepathic message was fully delivered.

Thanks to that, Cheon Yerang also had to hurriedly leave the Daoist temple.

After all, she had to move with him until this task was over.

"Let's go."

"...Yes."

Although Cheon Yerang was worried about Cheon Gaseong, she decided to move for now.

The two did not run along the main road as per the rules.

Instead, they entered the forest.

***

The one and only lazy bum in the world. That was Jin Sohyun.

But due to a force beyond his control, he had to live on the mountain for a whopping six years, and naturally, he had to be self-sufficient in eating, sleeping, drinking, and resting.

'It's not difficult since I've done it before.'

The problem was Cheon Yerang.

'To think she'd be this useless.'

Cheon Yerang, who had grown up preciously in the White Moon Palace, had of course never slept outdoors or camped before.

She had always eaten three meals a day of nutritious delicacies and had bathed with water brought by her servants.

For her, life on the mountain was just difficult.

"Is this enough?"

Looking at the herbs Cheon Yerang had brought, Jin Sohyun frowned.

"You can't eat this and this. This one... tastes too astringent, and this one..."

Jin Sohyun picked out what could be eaten and what couldn't from Cheon Yerang's hand.

What was left was a handful of grass.

"They're all non-poisonous."

"Just because it's not poisonous doesn't mean you can eat everything."

We're not cows or horses.

"Is there anything else?"

"I tried to find something like a rabbit... but I can't see any no matter how much I look."

It was natural.

Since she was holding a sword and exuding a sinister aura, the animals, which had better senses than humans, had all run away.

At this rate, it was obvious that all the animals on the mountain would make a mass exodus to the next mountain.

Having no choice, Jin Sohyun scratched his head.

"Young Lady, please start a fire. I'll go get something to eat."

No matter how outstanding a martial artist was, they had to eat and sleep.

Jin Sohyun, who had entrusted the making of the campsite to Cheon Yerang, forced his body, which was about to become limp with laziness, and wandered around the mountain.

"I miss Nureongi."

The Nureongis, who would bring rabbits and deer with just a gesture, were sorely missed today.

Jin Sohyun picked up a twig and focused his five senses.

Ssssss—!

His qi sense, which had spread out like a net, caught the very faint movements felt nearby.

"Here!"

The twig in Jin Sohyun's hand flew like a dagger and stuck into the ground.

"You little rascal. I got you."

Discovering the snake that was stuck on the twig and struggling, Jin Sohyun licked his lips.

Judging by its triangular head and sharp fangs, it was clearly a poisonous snake that had lived for quite a while.

Although it was a venomous snake that carried enough poison to kill thirty adult men with a single drop, it was now nothing more than a health food for Jin Sohyun.

"Sorry. You and I both have to eat to live."

Jin Sohyun flicked the poisonous snake's head.

Thwack—!!

The snake's body, whose skull had been crushed, went limp.

No matter how venomous a snake was, as long as it didn't bite, it was no different from an ordinary snake.

Jin Sohyun put the snake, which had died from a broken head, in his pouch and then looked around.

"This won't be enough... is there anything else?"

While the lazy bum was searching the mountain like a louse for prey, Cheon Yerang raised her sword with a determined gaze.

"Hoo."

With a single breath, her sword was swung, emitting a flash of light.

Slice—!

"Hmm!"

As if something was not to her liking, a frown appeared on Cheon Yerang's beautiful forehead.

"This isn't how you do it."

She glared at the log that would be used for the campfire and swung her sword once more.

***

Jin Sohyun, who had caught a snake and three rabbits, hummed a tune.

If someone had heard his song, it would have sounded like a monstrous scream.

Of course, Jin Sohyun did not care about his own singing.

"The fire should be ready by now..."

Jin Sohyun, who had returned to the campsite, discovered Cheon Yerang standing blankly with a mountain of wood piled up.

"...What are you doing?"

"I was trying to start a fire."

"And?"

"I failed."

She was very confident.

Jin Sohyun couldn't understand how this had happened.

The logs were piled up like a mountain, and the stones were cut in half and were rolling around here and there.

'It seems she tried to create a spark with her sword.'

Perhaps because she had used too much force, the stone was smoothly cut instead of creating a spark.

"Sigh! What has my life come to?"

Jin Sohyun, who had planned to live his whole life as the number one lazy bum, sighed and put down the snake and rabbits he was holding, and then neatly arranged the logs.

Following that, he brought two suitable stones and struck them with appropriate force on a dry leaf.

Clack— Clack—!

After striking a few times, a spark flew out.

When he blew a breath imbued with internal energy into this, the fire quickly spread.

Cheon Yerang, who was watching this, was startled and asked.

"...Amazing."

It was a sincere admiration.

"It's nothing. Can you give me the snake and rabbits over there?"

Cheon Yerang brought the snake and rabbits that had been placed on the floor.

"What is this?"

"What do you mean? It's our food."

"..."

Cheon Yerang's eyes, which had not wavered even in front of the great Ghost-Faced Revolutionary Sword, Gu Jucheol, shook rapidly.

"Food... you mean this is our meal?"

"That's right."

Now, Jin Sohyun had no expectations of Cheon Yerang.

'Even if it's a hassle, I have to do it. If I leave it to Young Lady Cheon, I'll have to do the work twice.'

Jin Sohyun neatly prepared the rabbit and snake to be eaten.

"If I had a pot, I would have boiled a soup."

Since he had nothing, Jin Sohyun skewered the prepared snake and rabbit meat on a stick and roasted them over an open fire.

The skinned snake and rabbit meat were scorched by the fire and gave off a scent.

"There's no salt, so I can't get rid of the gamey smell. But you have to force yourself to eat it. That's the only way to get strength."

As Jin Sohyun extended the well-roasted snake meat, Cheon Yerang took it with a trembling hand.

"Eat up."

Watching Jin Sohyun, who had put half of the snake meat in his mouth and was chewing, Cheon Yerang also slowly opened her mouth.

Crunch— Crunch—!

***

"I'm going to die... no, just kill me."

"You really want me to kill you?"

"I'm kidding. What a temper."

"What!?"

"It's nothing. Hehe. Aigoo... I'm going to die..."

Siu was really having a hard time.

Although she glanced at Jong Ryeo'ak with a sense of expectation, he was glaring at Siu with bulging eyes.

"Tsk... I'm just a weak and cute girl."

Siu was resentful.

Yu Useon was a martial artist who had learned martial arts, and it was the same for Jong Ryeo'ak.

The two had run for half a day without much trouble, but she was not.

Just because she had trained her physical strength like a martial artist as an official of the Blue Dragon Daoist Temple for the past few weeks did not mean she had suddenly become a martial artist.

In the first place, it was impossible for an ordinary person to run for half a day with a martial artist.

"Heok heok—!"

As Siu gasped for breath, Yu Useon said with concern.

"At this rate, Young Lady Si might really collapse from exhaustion."

"Damn it!"

Jong Ryeo'ak looked down at Siu with an angry face.

Although he wanted to abandon her right away, according to the rules of this task, all the group members had to return together.

"You! Carry her."

"M-Me?"

"Then should I carry her?"

"Ah, I understand."

As Yu Useon carried Siu, Jong Ryeo'ak ran again.

But their running ended in less than half a shichen.

"This time, I'm... going to die... I'm going to die."

This time, Yu Useon gasped for breath, saying he was going to die.

It was understandable, as it was a difficult situation to just run, but he had also run while carrying Siu.

As Siu and Yu Useon took turns making dying sounds, Jong Ryeo'ak looked up at the sky.

Why was the sky keep giving him trials?

"What on earth did I do wrong?"

Even at Jong Ryeo'ak's question, the sky had no answer.

"Aigoo."

"I'm going to die."

Only the groans of Siu and Yu Useon, who were making wailing sounds, could be heard.

***

The officials, who had been divided into 50 groups, left the Daoist temple.

In response, Gwak Myeong also had to move in a hurry.

"Since the bait has been thrown, there will be a reaction in some way."

Gu Jucheol, who was standing next to him, stared at the empty air with a cold gaze.

"Didn't you say they weren't ready yet? Is there a reason to rush like this?"

"I had to know."

"Had to know?"

"That the Heretic's Path Alliance is paying attention to the Four Divine Daoist Temples. And that they will try to kill the officials when the opportunity comes."

"The Nine Sects, the Five Great Families, and even the White Moon Palace... are you doing this knowing that you could lose them all?"

Gwak Myeong nodded his head.

"The Martial Arts Alliance is not the only one in this."

(End of Chapter)