I Became the Owner of the Heavenly Flower Palace-Chapter 4: What? Gireon Mountain?

The man didn’t take his eyes off the red orb for a long time.

The gemstone, resting in Jincheon’s hand, shimmered under the moonlight.

"Oh, by the way," the man suddenly spoke as if a thought had just crossed his mind. He lifted his head and continued.

"The people there all take after me—well, in that they’re a bit... unpleasant. So they tend to look down on polite and humble people."

'There' was likely the place where Jincheon was supposed to deliver the red orb.

The place the man had briefly referred to as ‘Gung’ earlier.

Jincheon frowned in confusion.

"They look down on polite and humble people?"

"Yes."

"What kind of place did you grow up in?"

"A good place. Once you get to know them, they’re all good people."

The middle-aged man smiled faintly and went on.

"But it’s a bit rough there... They think, ‘How incompetent must you be if you can’t even put on a front?’ That sort of mindset. People naturally want to boast about something, and if they think they’re great, they’ll act the part."

Extreme, but not entirely wrong.

"So... what’s your point?"

"Just act recklessly when you go there. Speak as arrogantly as you can. Something like, ‘What are you gonna do about it if I act this way? So, are you taking this or not?’—that kind of vibe."

Jincheon’s jaw dropped.

"What kind of—wait, and why are there so many conditions for delivering one damn orb—"

"Because the job comes with a high reward."

"Well, that works out just fine. I was never a particularly polite person anyway, so I suppose I’m the perfect fit."

The man grinned.

"Exactly. Even I think I made the right choice picking you."

"Wasn’t it just because you had no other option?"

"Isn’t that what fate is?"

The middle-aged man said it with a perfectly straight face.

Jincheon sighed.

"Where do I need to go?"

"It’s not far. Have you heard of Gireon Mountain?"

Jincheon froze for a moment.

"What? Gireon Mountain?"

"Yeah, Gireon Mountain. It’s a nice little trip if you think of it as a stroll—"

"You mean that Gireon Mountain? The one from Gireon Mountain Range? The one practically outside civilization?"

"Tsk, ‘outside civilization.’ It’s still well before Yumenguan, you know."

Outside civilization—saewoe—referred to the lands beyond the fortresses.

Regions past the Great Wall were called saewoe, and Gireon Mountain was west of the Wall’s terminus, near Jiayuguan and the gateway to the Great Desert, Yumenguan.

"What do you mean ‘well before’?! If it’s Gireon Mountain, it’s basically the middle of nowhere. And besides, we’re near Hefei right now! That’s absurdly far—"

"The farther it is, the greater the reward."

"...Well, nothing to do but walk, I guess. One step at a time, and no place is unreachable."

"Oh, that’s a nice line. A reference to a classic anecdote?"

There was an old story like that.

A king, admiring a grand wooden pillar in his new palace, once asked, "How did you transport something so massive?"

A minister had replied, "One step at a time, Your Majesty."

Of course, the ones who actually carried it weren’t the minister, but the poor, innocent laborers forced into hard labor.

Thud.

The man placed his hand on Jincheon’s shoulder.

"Just think of it as an experience and give it your all. When else would you ever get to visit Gireon Mountain?"

His smile was genuine, as if he truly found it amusing.

Jincheon tried to keep his face composed, but his expression kept twisting despite himself.

They decided to part ways there.

The middle-aged man hurried Jincheon along, saying, "You need to run far for my sake too," and Jincheon, deep down, wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Still, one thing weighed on his mind—the man who had introduced himself as ‘Gungju’ and was now Jincheon’s first client was injured.

"...Will you be alright?"

"I’ll be fine. And if I’m not, what else can I do?"

He answered so nonchalantly that it somehow made Jincheon feel uneasy. Then, suddenly, the man spoke up.

"Oh, before you go, help me wash up."

"...Alright."

He’d never washed another person before, but seeing as they were parting ways, this much was the least he could do.

Jincheon helped the man to the riverbank.

And just as he had done for himself earlier, he rinsed off the filth while still clothed.

Splash, splash.

The once-fine, luxurious robe of the middle-aged man was in ruins.

Still, after a rough wash, it at least looked like it used to be expensive.

Though, more than clothing, it resembled a rag at this point.

"Are you really sure you’ll be fine?"

Jincheon asked as he looked at the dried blood on the man’s side.

"Don’t worry about it. Weren’t you just saying you’d ditch me if things got bad?"

"Because things didn’t go bad."

"Pfft."

The man chuckled.

Even dirtied and disheveled, he still had a striking presence.

Jincheon thought to himself, Some people just look good no matter what state they’re in.

If he could, he’d like to become a distinguished-looking middle-aged man like that someday. Though, he doubted it would be possible.

"Why are you staring?"

"...Where exactly in Gireon Mountain am I going?"

Gireon Mountain was vast, not to mention it was the highest peak in the Gireon Range, making it especially treacherous. It was only natural to ask where, specifically, he needed to go.

"Listen carefully, I’ll tell you. It’s not difficult, so you won’t forget."

The man’s expression turned serious.

"Grilled silk carp."

"...What?"

"You don’t know? You know, those fish? The ones that swim like this, like this—"

"No, that’s not what I meant."

This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.

Jincheon’s face twisted in bewilderment.

"Grilled silk carp? Of all things, in Gireon Mountain? Right at the edge of the Great Desert?"

Gireon Mountain was home to Jiayuguan and Yumenguan, beyond which lay the infamous Great Desert.

It was a place where even drinking water was scarce, let alone fish.

"When you arrive near Gireon Mountain, find the biggest place in town—whether it’s a tavern or an inn, doesn’t matter. Order the grilled silk carp there, and then..."

Listening to the man’s instructions, Jincheon couldn’t stop his face from contorting.

Wouldn’t it be easier to just say the name of the place? What kind of ridiculous game is this?

"Do I really have to do this?"

The man nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Jincheon groaned.

"Ugh."

But he had no choice.

He needed money, and delivery jobs like this carried little risk of failure. Especially for a rookie peddler like him.

Besides, with all this effort, the reward had better not be a pittance.

"Fine. I’ll do it."

"Oh, and one more thing," the man said as if he’d just remembered something.

"Do you have enough money to get to Gireon Mountain?"

"It’ll be tight, but I’ll manage... Why?"

It was an incredibly long journey.

Jincheon wondered if the man intended to give him some travel funds.

Instead, the man casually extended his hand.

"I just realized—I don’t have any money."

Jincheon was speechless.

"How?! You were spending so lavishly earlier—"

"I don’t carry my own coin pouch. Too heavy and bothersome."

So he lived a life where even his purse was handled by someone else.

Jincheon blurted out without thinking.

"Why not just entrust your life to someone else too?"

"I did. And the result..."

The man pressed lightly on his wounded side.

"...is this mess you see now."

Jincheon had spoken too harshly to an injured man.

Feeling guilty, ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) he closed his mouth. The man gave a bitter smile and continued.

"I lived too lazily. I always thought that one day this might happen if I kept going like this, but... who knew today would be that day?"

With a deep sigh, he turned to Jincheon.

"Don’t end up like me. Take care of your own affairs, work hard, and don’t just laze around. No one’s going to live your life for you. Don’t regret it later, got it?"

"I thought you said you’ve never had regrets?"

"It’s not regret—it’s a lesson. If you don’t learn even after experiencing something firsthand, can you really call yourself human?"

His shameless confidence left Jincheon at a loss for words.

"So... do you have money or not?"

Ignoring Jincheon’s inner turmoil, the man asked shamelessly.

Jincheon sighed as he reluctantly opened his coin pouch.

A few lonely silver coins—his friend’s parting gift—jingled inside, utterly oblivious to his suffering.

****

Creak, creak.

The old wagon made an unsettling noise.

Every time the aged horse took a step, the entire cart seemed like it would collapse at any moment. Yet, aside from Jincheon, five other passengers had entrusted their bodies to this rickety old vehicle.

"Ha~aah."

Jincheon let out a long yawn as he crouched in the corner of the wagon.

Walking all night had left his entire body exhausted.

At least nothing happened—that’s a relief.

After parting ways with the middle-aged man last night, Jincheon had kept moving until daybreak, worried about the possibility of being pursued.

Then again, would they really have a reason to chase me?

Strictly speaking, the one they were after was that middle-aged man. Jincheon was nothing more than an innocent bystander caught up in the mess. But would people like that bother to consider such nuances?

They’re the kind of people who kill without hesitation.

Thinking back to the people who had bled out and died right before his eyes sent a shiver down his spine.

On top of that, he was now carrying a ‘red orb’ that looked both expensive and significant. If they mistook him for an accomplice, he wouldn’t be able to argue otherwise.

Jincheon had walked nonstop through the night, putting as much distance between himself and the tavern as possible. It was only in the morning that he finally reached a small village.

That was where he had boarded this old, rickety wagon. And before that, he had taken the opportunity to wash himself at the village well—several times.

But no matter how much he scrubbed, he couldn’t completely rid himself of the faint, lingering stench.

...Will he be alright?

The smell was one thing, but what really weighed on his mind was the middle-aged man.

Arrogant, shameless, and full of ridiculous jokes—but at the end of the day, he had still been wounded. How could Jincheon not be concerned?

Besides, the man had been the one targeted in the first place.

Well, he’ll probably be fine. He’s rich, and he has an entire group of elite guards with him.

That man was wealthy. Not just ordinary rich—probably incredibly rich.

After all, only a true hedonist would insist on filling his entourage with female bodyguards. And not just any women—strikingly beautiful, young, and undoubtedly skilled in martial arts.

Jincheon suddenly recalled the two women who had stood at the man’s sides.

They had positioned themselves like wings, flanking him at all times. Each one a stunning beauty. He had no doubt that their skills were just as impressive.

So really, what should be worrying him right now wasn’t that man’s condition. It was the fact that he had to make his way to Gireon Mountain with barely any money.

Thud.

"Ugh!"

Jincheon grimaced as the impact rattled through his body.

At this rate, he wondered if it would have been better to sit on his bundle rather than hugging it.

Looking around, he realized that everyone else had done exactly that. Each of them sat on something, having tucked their valuables away in their clothing beforehand.

I should do that next time.

Jincheon learned yet another valuable lesson.

Sitting on his bundle would both cushion his seat and prevent it from getting stolen. Right now, clutching it to his chest like this was practically advertising, “Look, there’s something important in here!”

Just then—

"Whoa, whoa!"

The old coachman suddenly pulled the reins, bringing the wagon to an abrupt stop.

The vehicle lurched violently, jolting everyone awake.

"Ow!"

"What the hell? Why are we stopping all of a sudden—?"

Annoyed voices filled the wagon, but they quickly fell silent.

Up ahead, a group of men stood blocking the road, gripping swords and spears, their eyes burning with hostility.

Jincheon felt his stomach drop.