I Became the Owner of the Heavenly Flower Palace-Chapter 45: They Are Gone Now

The presence of Neung Gayeon, the North Wind Commander, was chilling.

It was so intense that no one dared to speak—except for Gi Seoran, who calmly offered her thoughts.

“I doubt this was a targeted act. Given the rumors about the carriage, I suspect they’re simply testing for a response.”

It was only natural that such a dazzling carriage, traveling with breathtaking beauties, would stir up gossip.

With over seventy mounted escorts, most bandits would give up right away—but the fact that some had made a move meant they were persistent and greedy.

“A test, is it...”

A faint sneer touched Neung Gayeon’s red lips.

“Ja Unjang.”

A woman on horseback rode up smoothly to Neung Gayeon’s side, as if drawn by water’s flow.

“Yes, Commander.”

“Take two squads and make sure they understand our response. Let them learn precisely what it means to lay a hand on the Red Dragon’s carriage.”

“Yes, Commander.”

“Once it’s done, rejoin us before sundown.”

“Understood.”

Ja Unjang, wearing the Black Cord around her neck, offered formal salute to both Jincheon and Neung Gayeon, then slowly eased her horse back and dropped out of line.

Jincheon recognized her face.

Was it Yu Hyerin...?

As Ja Unjang, she was the first among the Twelve Signs Commanders to be tied with the Black Cord.

He remembered the Ox Commander, Ji Baanna, as well—her name was unusual enough to stick, and earlier she’d fired a bow that shattered a massive tree.

Tak, tak.

Jincheon turned to see about twenty mounted riders separating from the formation.

Looks like they’re driving them out.

The ambushing bandits were definitely a threat.

Of course they needed to be chased off—and any other hidden ambushes had to be identified too.

Jincheon turned to Neung Gayeon, who was riding beside the carriage.

“Will it be alright?”

“Ja Unjang is more than capable. She’ll handle it without issue. However...”

With a slightly awkward expression, Neung Gayeon continued.

“...I may have overreacted a bit.”

Jincheon was caught off guard.

Neung Gayeon was... embarrassed.

That composed, graceful woman who always carried herself with elegance was now looking away awkwardly, slightly flustered—it was a rare sight.

“It’s alright.”

Jincheon met her gaze gently and continued,

“They say excess is as bad as deficiency, but when it comes to safety, isn’t going overboard better than falling short? You did nothing wrong, Commander Neung.”

Her eyes softened.

“Thank you.”

The sight was so fresh that Jincheon couldn’t help but smile.

Neung Gayeon, returning to her usual calm and gentle tone, asked,

“Is the carriage comfortable?”

She was probably trying to be considerate.

“Thanks to you, it is.”

Jincheon replied.

Maybe because it had been so long since he’d had a pleasant conversation, Jincheon didn’t want it to end just yet.

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“The sun is fierce here, despite the cold. Is it always like this?”

He asked, the question suddenly coming to mind.

He had meant to ask what she meant earlier by “make them understand our response,” but that thought had already passed.

“It’s always like this. When snow piles up, even the ground blinds you along with the sky.”

“Hahaha.”

It wasn’t much, but he found it funny.

Jincheon continued chatting with her lightly.

Even while riding, Neung Gayeon’s breathing didn’t falter and her voice came through clearly.

Maybe it was because he’d finally found someone to talk to in this long, dull journey—this small talk continued for quite some time.

And before evening fell, the group of about twenty riders returned and rejoined the escort.

Contrary to Jincheon’s earlier concerns, they looked exactly the same as when they left.

“It’s done.”

Ja Unjang—Yu Hyerin—reported, and Neung Gayeon nodded.

“Well done.”

That was all.

There was no request for a detailed report, and no further explanation was given.

Ja Unjang Yu Hyerin bowed to Jincheon before steering her horse back to her place.

Looks like she didn’t get hurt. That’s a relief.

Jincheon thought, but didn’t say aloud.

Who knew what Neung Gayeon or Ilyo might misunderstand next?

...Was there no fight at all?

For someone who had just gone up against bandits, Ja Unjang Yu Hyerin looked far too pristine.

Not even a speck of dirt.

It was possible there hadn’t been any contact at all.

Maybe the bandits had taken one look at the escort and fled.

Well, not getting hurt is the best outcome.

More important than chasing off whatever Yellow Wind Gang these bandits were was making sure no one on their side got injured.

Jincheon was glad things had ended without escalation.

“Gi Cheonhwa.”

Gi Seoran immediately responded to Jincheon’s voice.

“Yes?”

“Shouldn’t we report this?”

“Forgive me for asking, but report what exactly...?”

“No, I mean—shouldn’t we notify the authorities? Bandits on an official road and all.”

The main road fell under government jurisdiction.

Who knew whether the local office would actually respond?

Still, letting them know was the right thing to do—so others could stay alert.

“If you command it, I shall.”

As always, her answer came without delay.

But she wasn’t finished.

“Though I hesitate to speak so freely...”

Gi Seoran added cautiously.

“They are gone now.”

“Gone?”

“Yes.”

Jincheon stared at her, not understanding.

“You mean those bandits who blocked the road earlier?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“And they’re gone now?”

“Yes.”

She nodded as she spoke.

Jincheon didn’t quite get it.

“So you’re saying, Cheonhwa, that there were bandits before, but now there aren’t?”

“Precisely.”

Jincheon was still puzzled.

Do bandits really move around that easily?

Mounted bandits were highly mobile. It was possible they didn’t even have a fixed base.

As he was thinking that, Gi Seoran added,

“I will send word to the authorities, as you’ve ordered.”

“Ah, yes—please do.”

Gi Seoran lowered her head in a polite bow.

Jincheon wanted to keep looking at her beautiful face, but fearing what might follow, he simply offered a faint smile and turned away.

Well, if they’re gone, that’s good enough.

There was no reason to dwell on the fate of a bandit group he had never even seen—one he hoped he’d never see in his life.

Jincheon shook off the unnecessary thoughts.

Tak, tak.

The carriage rolled on without rest, heading toward Nanzhou.

The destruction of the Yellow Wind Gang—once a name that had inspired fear—wouldn’t be known until much later.

****

Nanzhou was the central city of Gamsuk Province.

As the administrative capital of a territory nearly the size of a nation, it was as grand and bustling as any major metropolis.

The province's highest-ranking officials were all stationed here: the Inspector-General (Anchalsa) responsible for judiciary and oversight, the Prefectural Commissioner (Pojongsa) overseeing administration, and the Provincial Commander (Dojihuisa) who held military authority.

These top officials, normally hidden away behind bureaucratic walls, were now out on the official road outside Nanzhou, waiting for someone with uncharacteristic idleness.

“Tsk.”

Wang Cheongmin, the middle-aged Inspector-General, clicked his tongue.

Now in his third year of appointment, he was an ambitious figure who had risen to the highest local rank at a relatively young age.

Born into a prestigious family and possessing no lack of talent, his path in government service had been nothing short of meteoric.

But the higher one climbed, the longer the shadows.

Because of his inherent arrogance and insatiable hunger for recognition, he’d earned the ire of certain people—and was exiled here, to the far-off province of Gamsuk.

Technically, he still held a top post, but anyone could see it was a demotion.

Yet Wang Cheongmin wasn’t the kind of man to wallow in defeat.

Instead, he resolved to use Gamsuk as the springboard for his comeback.

He would build a reputation so unassailable that he’d return to the capital in glory.

“To do that, I need an incident.”

He ignored his mundane duties like trials and civil suits—those brought no fame.

But uncovering corruption among fellow high officials? That was the perfect way to prove one’s loyalty and ability.

Wang Cheongmin discreetly observed the Prefectural Commissioner and the Provincial Commander.

If even the slightest opportunity presented itself, he was ready to report them—to the capital—with just the right mix of exaggeration, distortion, and careful fabrication.

Unfortunately, the clever Prefectural Commissioner and the stoic old Provincial Commander had given him no openings.

Until now.

Heh.

A smile curled Wang Cheongmin’s lips.

“Did I finally catch a tail?”

The tip he’d obtained in secret was puzzling.

Apparently, both the Pojongsa and Dojihuisa were preparing for a chul-yeong—a welcoming escort.

Going out to receive someone wasn’t unusual in their line of work.

But there was no official record of it.

No court documents, no imperial edict.

Not even an expected visit from a high-ranking dignitary.

And yet, the two top officials of Gamsuk Province were both preparing to greet someone.

Wang Cheongmin’s instincts flared.

Two possibilities.

The first: they were welcoming an undisclosed member of the royal family or someone secretly powerful.

In that case, he too needed to be present—to curry favor.

The second: they were colluding with someone illegal, or at least someone whose identity couldn't be made public.

That was less likely, given their positions—but if true, it was damning enough to have them removed from office.

Either way, he had to be there and witness it firsthand.

“Heh heh.”

Wang Cheongmin chuckled softly, casting a leisurely glance at the two men.

Under the waning sun, the elderly Provincial Commander Im Hochung stood silently, while the plump, kindly-looking Prefectural Commissioner Jeong Deokun sat beneath a shaded area, wiping sweat from his brow.

Neither man seemed fazed by the Inspector-General’s unexpected appearance.

“Let’s see how long that composure lasts...”

Just as the thought passed through his mind—

“Oh!”

The round Prefectural Commissioner Jeong Deokun brightened and rose from his seat.

Even the silent Im Hochung turned his head.

Are they here?

Wang Cheongmin quickly shifted his gaze in the same direction.

At first, there was nothing on the road ahead.

But then something emerged.

Tak, tak.

A grand carriage followed by dozens of mounted escorts.

No doubt, these were the guests the Inspector-General and Provincial Commander had been waiting for.

Wang Cheongmin frowned.

A vivid red carriage roof caught his eye.

“Tsk.”

He clicked his tongue again—though not out of frugality or humility.

It was jealousy.

“So gaudy.”

He tried to dismiss it—but couldn’t take his eyes off the sight.

Dozens of riders exuding authority and presence—it was hard to ignore such spectacle.

And that wasn’t all.

Takadak, takadak.

As the entourage drew closer, Wang Cheongmin noticed something else.

The people ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) surrounding the carriage were all women.

And they weren’t ordinary-looking either—each one possessed a beauty so rare, he couldn’t recall seeing the likes of them before. Each had her own distinct allure.

He scowled.

“How vulgar...”

A proper woman should hide her face, cover her figure, and act with modesty.

But these maid-like women rode boldly with their faces exposed.

Their curvaceous figures were clearly visible even through their uniforms.

To Wang Cheongmin, the sight was downright indecent.

Even many of the escorts riding behind them were women.

Tsk.

Just as he clicked his tongue again, still unable to look away—

One particular woman entered his line of sight.

Tak, tak.

She rode quietly, calmly.

Black hair gleamed in the sunlight, eyes sparkled with light, and her youth and breathtaking beauty overwhelmed his senses.

In an instant, everything else vanished from his view.

“A woman like that exists in this world...?”

Wang Cheongmin couldn’t tear his eyes away.