After escorting the escort agency, the wounded, and the bound bandits to the nearest city, Jin Cheon-hee handed the bandits over to the authorities. This netted him a small bounty.

When the magistrate’s men asked for his name, before Jin Cheon-hee could even speak, the escort next to him proudly declared, “He is the Little White Dragon!” The man stood with his chest puffed out, as if just being in Jin Cheon-hee’s presence was a source of pride.

“The Little White Dragon? Are you truly him? The disciple of the White Qilin Divine Physician…?”

The way the guards’ eyes rolled, Jin Cheon-hee could tell they were about to drag him before some high-ranking official. If he got roped into looking after the bodies of the local nobility, he’d never get out.

His Master had warned him about this. —Tell them you’re busy. Hee-ya. You must always tell them you’re busy.

No high-ranking nobleman would ever pass up a chance to be seen by a physician. Especially the disciple of one of the Three Great Physicians under the Heavens. He’d be trapped for at least a week. After a lavish banquet, he’d be forced to diagnose every last one of their in-laws and distant cousins.

“I have urgent business and must be on my way,” Jin Cheon-hee said curtly.

“B-But…”

“I will gratefully accept the bounty. Now, if you’ll excuse me!”

In a split second, Jin Cheon-hee used Heavenly Energy Bewildering Footwork, vanishing from their sight. The guards’ jaws dropped, as if they had just seen a ghost. The escorts, catching on, quickly bowed to the guards, “We’ll be on our way, then!” and ran after him.

Gong Il-sang, the Escort Leader, caught up to him. “Are you leaving just like that?”

“I believe I’ve done all I can.”

At his words, Gong Il-sang scrubbed a hand through his bristly hair. “My younger brother… I think he made a mistake. I am truly sorry.”

“It’s nothing. I was planning to leave immediately anyway.”

Gong Il-sang’s face flushed red. “You may say it’s nothing, Benefactor, but my heart is not at ease. You said you were headed to Hangzhou. If it’s not too much trouble, would you please stop by our escort agency? We will ensure you have a place to sleep.”

“…”

When Jin Cheon-hee didn’t answer, Gong Il-sang quickly added, “I cannot, in good conscience, let you go like this. Th-That is… ah! There is an inn in Hangzhou, famous for its food. I will have them reserve the very best room for you!”

Famous for its food.

Other things, he could take or leave. But “famous food” was a tempting offer. As a modern man, Jin Cheon-hee was quite the gourmet. In his old life, he could just pull out his phone and know the best restaurants and their ratings. Here, he had to rely on pure guesswork, a method that had led to several bitter, culinary failures.

‘Food. Food is… important.’

It was a crucial matter that could determine the quality of his entire day. And Hangzhou’s specialty was Dongpo Pork. Just the thought of that tender, jiggly pork, braised in rich, dark soy sauce, made his mouth water.

“…Very well.”

To go all the way to Hangzhou and fail to find good food would be a lasting regret. He had made up his mind. He would eat the best Dongpo Pork in the city.

Gong Il-sang then produced another pouch of silver. “This is the escort fee. I felt terrible only giving you the treatment fee before.”

“That really isn’t…”

“Please, accept it, Benefactor.”

As he took the pouch, Jin Cheon-hee realized, ‘Escort services… they make quite a lot of money.’

Perhaps it was because they risked their lives. For even a small service like this to be able to pay such a reward…

Jin Cheon-hee was not one to refuse money given freely. “Thank you.”

This, too, shall be spent on delicious things.

***

Hangzhou.

It was located at the end of the winding Yangtze River, where the river met the sea. Since the construction of the Grand Canal during the Sui Dynasty, it had flourished as a center of commerce. On Earth, Marco Polo had described it in his Travels.

Below the massive delta of the Yangtze, a sea of buildings stretched endlessly. The scents of star anise, chili oil, and soy sauce wafted from the market streets.

“Wow.”

Hangzhou itself was a commercial district, a tourist district, and an entertainment district all in one. But where there is great light, there are also great shadows. It was a hotbed for smuggling and was the city where the Hao Sect’s influence was strongest. The Yangtze River Water Sect also operated here.

Overall, the Unorthodox Factions held the most power, but that didn’t mean the Righteous Factions were absent. The Namgung Clan of Anhui was constantly trying to expand its influence into the region, and the Zhoushan Archipelago, home of the Putuo Sword Sect, was also part of this territory.

In other words, Hangzhou and the entire Zhejiang Province were in a state of delicate balance, with the Unorthodox Factions—like the Hao Sect and the Yangtze River Water Sect—and the Righteous Factions—like the Namgung Clan and Putuo Sword Sect—in a tense stalemate. It was a place where money gathered, so naturally, both sides fought to maintain their power.

‘It’s a good thing I studied the regional power dynamics with Master. But this place was also pretty significant in the novel.’

This was where the Hao Sect’s leader and Yeo Ha-ryoon finally met. The Hao Sect Leader was here, in Hangzhou. As the head of a massive criminal organization, he rarely showed his face. But he would eventually encounter Yeo Ha-ryoon, and their meeting would bring a close to a massive story arc… which would, in turn, be the beginning of a new one.

‘Still, that’s all about 15 or 20 years from now.’

The novel wasn’t specific, but it all happened after Yeo Ha-ryoon had become the Heavenly Demon, so he estimated it was about that far in the future.

‘Right now, the Hao Sect Leader is probably just a little brat. He was described as being quite young.’

It was hard to believe that cunning, vicious man was just a kid right now. He was so evil, he was the type to conspire with a snake.

‘Of course, I have no way of knowing if his younger self is even in Hangzhou.’

The future Hao Sect Leader was here, but there was no guarantee the past one was. The novel had never described his background or what had made him into such a villain. He was an antagonist shrouded in mystery.

‘The story I read is 15-20 years in the future. Things are probably very different now.’

According to what his Master had taught him, Hangzhou was currently under the joint control of four major factions: The Anhui Merchant Guild, a merchant group created by a relative of the Namgung Clan. The Celestial Pavilion, a business directly managed by the Hao Sect. The Putuo Escort Agency, founded by a lay disciple of the Putuo Sword Sect. And the Red Saber Sect, which was backed by the Yangtze River Water Sect. These four were the pillars of Hangzhou.

‘Complicated. Is the Putuo Escort Agency where I need to go?’

Gong Il-sang’s Gong-woon Escort Agency was in an alliance with the Putuo Escort Agency. In reality, it was a “subcontractor” relationship, with the larger Putuo Escort Agency outsourcing work to them. Both founders were lay disciples from the Putuo Sect, and the Putuo Escort Agency founder was the elder. As martial brothers who had once “eaten from the same pot,” the larger service was looking after the smaller one. A form of mutual aid.

‘They’re technically competitors, though. They’re very generous.’

In the Murim, the bond between fellow disciples held a profound meaning that was difficult for a modern person to grasp.

‘Seeing this… it makes my blood boil, in a good way.’

It was the romance of the Murim. Jin Cheon-hee grinned.

***

The Putuo Escort Agency was a massive operation, so it wasn’t hard to find. Countless escorts and clients were coming and going, even as he approached.

‘I have to go to the Zhoushan Archipelago anyway, and I’ll need a boat. It’s best to get help from an escort agency.’

He entered through a large gate, and an escort immediately approached him. “For service requests, you need to go to that gate over there.”

Whoops. This was apparently the back gate, for escorts only. Jin Cheon-hee pulled the plaque from his sleeve and showed it to him. “I’m here to see the men from the Gong-woon Escort Agency.”

It was the silver plaque of the White Qilin Medical Pavilion. The man’s eyes widened as he read the name. “My goodness! Are you the Little White Dragon? We received a message from the Gong-woon Escort Agency! You’re much younger than I expected.”

It seemed word of him had already spread here. “The Little White Dragon is here!” he shouted.

A moment later, a group of escorts came clattering down the stairs from the upper floor. They were wearing the uniforms of the Gong-woon Escort Agency, not the Putuo Escort Agency. So, they really were just renting a room here. Still, it was interesting to see how the escorts from both services called each other ‘brother’.

“I am Gong Ban-ha, the Chief of the Gong-woon Escort Agency. I am honored to finally meet the Little White Dragon.”

Gong Ban-ha was a woman with a pleasant, good-natured face. As befitting a lay disciple of the Putuo Sect, she wore a long sword at her waist. Her uniform was plainer than that of the Putuo Escort Agency, but she carried the clear aura of the Righteous Faction.

“Shall I guide you inside? You are our benefactor. We must treat you as a guest of honor.”

Though poorer than the Putuo Escort Agency, not a single one of her escorts was untidily dressed.

Jin Cheon-hee shook his head. “I would feel bad imposing like that. It’s quite alright.”

“Please, don’t mind us! If we failed to properly show our gratitude in a situation like this, our comrades in the Murim would mock us!”

This woman was determined to host him, one way or another.

“Really, it’s fine. To be honest, this is my first time in Hangzhou, and I was hoping to stay at an inn with delicious food.”

He finally revealed his true motive. Good food. When traveling, was there anything more important? Of course, the food in the escort agency’s VIP room wouldn’t be bad, but he desperately wanted a dish freshly made by an inn’s head chef.

Especially Dongpo Pork! Hot, freshly steamed Dongpo Pork served over rice… that was the taste of heaven! He could not miss this chance. He was desperate.

“Ah! I see. My apologies, Benefactor. I’ve made a mistake. Understood. I did receive a message to reserve a room at a fine inn for you. Is there anything else we can help you with?”

The branch head, Gong Ban-ha, was sharp. A normal person would have insisted on serving him tea, using the opportunity to get a free pulse diagnosis from the Divine Physician’s disciple. But she didn’t.

“I am on my way to the Zhoushan Archipelago to gather a rare medicinal herb. I need to book passage on a boat. I can pay handsomely. I just need the fastest possible ship.”

She shook her head. “Pay? Absolutely not! Just a moment… Escort Gak!”

An escort ran over and whispered in her ear. She nodded. “There is a ship bound for Mount Putuo in the Zhoushan Archipelago in three days. I will arrange a spot for you. Would you be able to wait until then?”

Three days. He had expected to wait at least a week. He hadn’t thought it would be this fast. ‘She must be pulling some strings to make a spot for me…’

Jin Cheon-hee was not one to refuse a kindness. “Thank you.”

“Then, Great Hero, would you follow me? I will arrange for your lodgings at the inn.”

He hadn’t expected the branch head herself to guide him. Jin Cheon-hee scratched his cheek. “If you just tell me the location, I can go myself.”

“The roads in Hangzhou are a complex maze. Outsiders often get lost. I would not be at ease letting you go on your own. Please, allow me to do at least this much.”

Jin Cheon-hee studied her for a moment. Her intention was obvious—to use this as a way to earn his favor—but he sensed no other ill will.

“Very well. I will follow you.”

“Then, if you’ll excuse my rudeness, I will lead the way.” She took a single step and began to walk.