Chapter 734: PAID

The fourth round had concluded.

The matches, which had stretched late into the night, were over. Now, only sixteen competitors remained.

With only a few steps left before a new Champion was crowned, the scorching heat of the Hanam region felt particularly intense that day.

Though summer had officially ended, the lingering heat wasn’t entirely due to the martial arts tournament. If one were to pinpoint the cause...

“Let me meet So Yeomra just once!”

“I—I’m the head of the Northern Jade Trading Company! Someone from the Baekhwa Trading Company, please—”

It was undoubtedly because of the crowd packed outside the gates.

The area outside the lodging, which should have been quiet in the early morning, was instead bustling with noisy individuals.

It was already chaotic enough after Paejon stirred up trouble the other day.

But this time, it was even worse.

“So Yeomra is here, isn’t he?”

“Just one word—please!”

…And this time, it was more than half my fault, so I couldn’t even make excuses.

“Ugh...”

I pressed my aching forehead. It wasn’t even noon yet, and already this many people?

‘Damn it.’

I’d expected this might happen, but there were far more people than I imagined.

Should I just run away now? There were still two days until the round of sixteen began, so wouldn’t it be fine to hide out in the mountains for a while?

I was seriously considering it when—

“If you’re thinking of running away, I’d advise against it.”

A sharp voice from ahead erased that thought immediately.

“You’re not seriously thinking of disappearing after causing this mess, are you?”

“Of course not.”

I forced a smile at the voice’s owner—Moyong Hee-ah.

She nodded at my response and sipped her tea.

Her movements were still as elegant as ever.

“The Northern Jade Trading Company... the Milong Escort Agency... some truly hard-to-see faces have shown up.”

By reputation alone, they were all quite famous in Zhongyuan.

“Those people never even showed their faces when we tried to open trade routes with them... yet here they are, practically groveling.”

Her sharp smile sent a chill down my spine.

“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve used you much earlier.”

“Haha. Right?”

“Right...?”

Crap.

It seemed I’d said the wrong thing. Moyong Hee-ah’s expression grew colder.