I Became the Owner of the Heavenly Flower Palace-Chapter 5: Chaos and Uproar

The warriors blocking the wagon’s path did not seem like ordinary men.

Their drawn swords and spears sent waves of alarm through the passengers.

"Kyah!"

A woman sitting across from Jincheon let out a shrill scream.

"Be quiet!"

A warrior gripping a spear snapped in a gruff voice.

"We are in the process of apprehending a vicious criminal. As long as you obey orders, nothing will happen to you."

There were about six of them, all wearing identical martial robes. They were likely members of a martial household (muga).

It wasn’t unusual—larger martial sects or martial clans often acted as local enforcers, serving as a form of self-appointed militia.

"Everyone, get off."

The warriors’ tone was firm and authoritative.

The passengers hesitantly gathered their belongings and climbed down.

The wagon was little more than an old cart, so disembarking wasn’t difficult. But their forceful manner left a bitter taste.

"What’s going on that you need us to get off? You could just check our faces!"

Someone grumbled, but the warriors ignored them completely.

Jincheon clutched his bundle tightly and cautiously glanced around.

And then he noticed them—aside from the warriors, there were others wielding swords and spears.

Soldiers?

A group of about ten stood under the shade of a tree. Unlike the warriors, these were undoubtedly government troops.

Though they had leaned their swords and spears against the trees, their bows and quivers remained strapped to their backs and waists.

Among them, a lower-ranking officer stood out as their apparent leader.

"What are you looking at?"

A warrior frowned at him.

Jincheon quickly averted his gaze, but the warrior’s expression darkened with suspicion.

"Where are you headed?"

The man’s tone was demanding. Jincheon answered with a dull indifference.

"I’m traveling to visit a relative."

"Which relative? Where do they live?"

"My great-uncle resides in Xi’an."

The warrior narrowed his eyes.

"Xi’an? That’s a month’s journey from here... Let me see your belongings."

"You’ve already looked, haven’t you? And you’re not an official—do you have the right to inconvenience people like this?"

"You little—!"

The warrior’s glare sharpened, but Jincheon stood his ground.

"Don’t go calling me ‘little’ this or ‘little’ that. I am a saengwon from Henan."

The warrior flinched.

A saengwon was a scholar who had passed the preliminary state exams, granting them certain privileges. Unlike commoners, they didn’t have to bow before officials and could even own servants.

If Jincheon was truly a saengwon, it meant he had influential connections—making it dangerous to handle him carelessly.

Of course, Jincheon had long abandoned the exams, and he didn’t have a single powerful acquaintance.

"Ahem."

The warrior stole a glance at the military officer before clearing his throat awkwardly.

"Fine. You—"

Whoosh.

At that moment—

A blue flash streaked into Jincheon’s field of vision.

Then came the explosion.

BOOM!

"Aaagh!"

"W-what the hell?!"

Screams and startled shouts erupted.

The blue light tore through the air, slashing indiscriminately.

Swish—! Slash!

"Urk!"

The warriors didn’t even have the chance to cry out before blood sprayed from their bodies.

The soldiers scrambled, gripping their spears in a panic, but not a single one dared to approach.

Instead, they hesitated and backed away. Even their officer was frozen in place.

In the midst of the chaos, the figure responsible for the carnage slowly rose.

She was a warrior.

Her martial robes were stained with blood, and her loose hair hung messily around her face. The wounds scattered across her body made it clear she had already fought through numerous battles to get here.

Yet, despite everything, her gaze remained fierce—so piercing that there was an eerie glow behind her disheveled bangs.

"Y-you! Who are you?!"

The military officer, now gripping his sword, shouted.

But the woman didn’t answer.

Her sharp eyes swept over the surroundings, scanning the people around her.

Wait...?

Jincheon suddenly felt a flicker of recognition.

And then he realized—

She was one of the women from the tavern.

More precisely, one of the bodyguards who had been at that man’s side.

But unlike Jincheon, her eyes were clouded with disappointment.

"...Not here either."

A low sigh escaped her lips.

Having faced yet another letdown, she didn’t hesitate.

She kicked off the ground.

BOOM!

"Aaah!"

"Get back!"

The soldiers panicked, scattering like frightened birds.

But by the time they reacted, the woman was already gone.

Like a bird taking flight, she vanished in the blink of an eye.

Just as the soldiers began to breathe a sigh of relief—

"What are you standing around for?! After her!"

The officer finally barked out an order.

The soldiers exchanged baffled looks, as if wondering whether he had lost his mind.

But the officer wasn’t having any of it.

"Move! Now! Chase her down!"

"B-but..."

One of the soldiers hesitated.

Anyone with eyes could see—the woman was a master.

And they, a handful of low-ranking troops, were supposed to chase her?

Besides, weren’t there injured people ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) who needed attention?

But the officer was relentless.

"Anyone who disobeys will be punished under military law! Move! Now!"

He even brandished his sword as he shouted.

Mounting his horse, he forced the soldiers to comply.

Though clearly unwilling, the ten or so men grudgingly followed their superior.

And so, the only ones left were the bleeding warriors and the wagon’s passengers.

"Ugh..."

“P-please... help...”

The warriors who had been barking orders just moments ago were now groaning, begging for aid.

Jincheon let out a deep sigh.

“...Let’s get them onto the wagon.”

All eyes turned toward him.

“We can’t just leave the injured behind, can we? By the looks of it, they belong to a reputable martial sect. And since the government troops were with them, there shouldn’t be any issues helping them.”

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His reasoning eased the apprehension among the passengers.

“Y-yes, let’s do that.”

Without further hesitation, the people began lifting the injured warriors onto the wagon.

Jincheon also helped, hoisting a wounded man into the cart. A few women took strips of cloth and tied makeshift bandages around their wounds.

“T-thank you...”

One of the warriors, barely conscious, muttered his gratitude.

Jincheon responded with a wry smile.

The wagon wasn’t large to begin with. Now, with the injured piled inside, there was no room left for the original passengers. They stood by awkwardly, unable to climb aboard.

But the coachman wasn’t one to care.

“Hyah!”

Clop, clop.

As the wagon began rolling away, the people who had given up their seats were left standing there, dumbfounded.

“Huh?”

The confusion lasted only a moment before they realized what had just happened.

“...Tch.”

Someone clicked their tongue.

They had offered help in good faith, but instead of receiving gratitude, they were now forced to walk. It was only natural to be annoyed.

Thud.

Jincheon slung his bundle over his shoulder.

And then, without a word, he started walking.

The rest of the stranded passengers sighed and followed suit.

What a mess that was...

It wasn’t unusual for government troops to conduct inspections. And it made sense that local martial sects acted as self-appointed enforcers.

But seeing both groups working together? That was rare. Unusual.

And that woman...

The female warrior who had stormed in and caused chaos—she was undoubtedly one of his bodyguards. The middle-aged man from the tavern. Gungju.

Jincheon couldn’t remember her face clearly, but he did remember that she was beautiful.

She must be looking for that man.

The way her gaze swept over the crowd, the disappointment in her eyes—it was obvious.

A flicker of concern for that man surfaced in Jincheon’s mind. But he quickly shook it off.

Not like there’s anything I can do about it.

The tavern was already far behind him.

Even Jincheon had no idea where the man had gone now. The only thing he could do was focus on the task he had been given.

Gireon Mountain, huh...

The warrior earlier had scoffed at the idea of traveling to Xi’an, saying it was too far.

A month’s journey—yes, it was distant. And Jincheon hadn’t lied—his great-uncle was in Xi’an.

But his real destination was even farther.

From Hefei, I guess I pass through Xinyang, then Xi’an, and finally Lanzhou...

Gireon Mountain was deep in the west, in Gansu province.

For most people, it was the edge of civilization—a desolate frontier.

Luckily, Jincheon had at least studied the geography while preparing for his trade routes.

It’s far... And I’m broke.

His light coin pouch meant that a comfortable carriage ride was out of the question.

So, he went with the cheapest option.

A slow, tedious journey—one that involved constantly switching wagons, taking detours, and waiting indefinitely for transport.

It would be inconvenient. It would take ages. But he had no other choice. The one thing he did have was time.

Two months... no, maybe three? I guess Hangzhou will have to wait...

Unless he had a fine horse to ride, it would take at least two months to reach Gireon Mountain. More likely three.

His original plan had been to go to Hangzhou. But his goods weren’t perishable, so delaying that trip wouldn’t be a problem.

It was only natural to deal with the big matters first.

I should at least send a letter home.

For the sake of his anxious friend—who was probably fearing for his investment—he’d have to do that much.

Step, step.

Dust rose beneath his feet as he walked down the sun-scorched road.

Slowly, steadily, Jincheon left behind the tavern, the chaos, and the uproar.

****

Several days later.

After finally reaching a village near Xinyang, Jincheon boarded another wagon.

As the cart rocked along the road, he teetered on the edge of sleep.

"Ah, so you got caught up in it too, eh?"

"What, you as well?"

Two middle-aged merchants, seated nearby, spoke as if they were long-time friends.

But in reality, they had only just met on this wagon.

"Seriously, what a damn hassle. That inspection was ridiculous... Do you know how long I was stuck waiting? I lost a whole day just standing in line!"

Jincheon’s drowsiness faded in an instant.

An inspection?

That was something he had gone through as well.

Feigning sleep, he tilted his head slightly and listened carefully.

"Same for me. That was in Hefei, right?"

The other man nodded, prompting the first merchant to continue.

"For me, it happened in Huainan. Troops suddenly swarmed the roads and locked down the city gates. At first, I thought some massive disaster had struck! But no one explained anything. What the hell was going on...?"

Hefei. Huainan.

Both were cities in Anhui.

And both were places Jincheon had recently passed through.

"Wait, you still don’t know?"

The first merchant gave his companion a smug look.

The other man frowned.

"You do?"

"Of course I do..."

Lowering his voice, he whispered:

"...It’s treason."

"What?!"

The middle-aged merchant flinched. Jincheon’s breath caught as well.

...Treason.

It was a word that sent chills down the spine.

Jincheon listened more intently than ever.