Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#010

“Tch!”

Ja-gang-cheon, who had come down from Mudang Mountain, kicked the ground in sorrow. Then Cheon-gu, who was beside him, said.

“That’s not how you do it.”

“What?”

Cheon-gu turned his body to look toward Mudang Mountain. A Wudang Sect disciple could be glimpsed at the foot of the mountain.

“Hoo-eup!”

Cheon-gu took a deep breath and shouted toward Mudang Mountain.

“Hey! You tiger-nosed bastards! People who tell others to abandon heavenly bonds call themselves Taoists! As expected, chivalry belongs to the Beggar’s Sect! And justice belongs to Shaolin! With such petty hearts, only spouting shit from your mouths, go become outhouse ghosts!”

“Cheon-gu…”

Startled, Ja-gang-cheon stared blankly at Cheon-gu.

“This is how you do it. Want to try it too?”

“But I think that person heard us?”

“Huh?”

Cheon-gu had the illusion that the Wudang Sect disciple’s eyes were sparkling.

“Sh-shall we get going?”

“Pfft.”

At Cheon-gu’s suddenly anxious appearance, Ja-gang-cheon couldn’t help but chuckle. Though his heart was still heavy, thanks to Cheon-gu, his mood had improved a little.

“Phew. Yeah. I’m fine.”

As Ja-gang-cheon tried to console himself, Cheon-gu said.

“Don’t force yourself to pretend you’re okay. When I was captured by pirates, I did that every day, but it wasn’t very helpful.”

“But it would be embarrassing to cry loudly.”

“Sometimes that can be helpful too.”

They were still not far from Mudang Mountain. Looking at Mudang Mountain again, where he had come with hope, the surging and bitter feelings in his heart raised their head once more.

“Tch. I don’t want to cry because of people like that.”

Honestly, it hurt too much. So he deliberately shouted loudly.

“I don’t need the Wudang Sect! Father! I will be filial to you, so please forget about the Wudang Sect!”

Listening, Cheon-gu realized the real reason Ja-gang-cheon was in pain.

‘He’s hurting because of his father.’

How sad would his father be if he knew this fact?

That was the reason for Ja-gang-cheon’s depression.

“Cheon-gu! I hate this place now! Let’s leave quickly!”

“Good! Then shall we go to North Cheon City this time?”

Cheon-gu mentioned the next destination, but Ja-gang-cheon shook his head.

“No. Let’s not go there either.”

“Why?”

“It’ll be the same anyway. This time, my father will be the problem.”

Ja-gang-cheon didn’t want to go out of his way to experience the same thing.

“Didn’t you say you had to save your parents? Are you going to give up?”

“I can’t do that. Let’s go to Zhen-hai Port.”

“You want to go back?”

“Yeah. There are people who build boats at the port. I’ll do it myself. I don’t need help.”

Ja-gang-cheon already had a determined expression.

“Alright. If you want to go, we should go.”

The two retraced their steps.

***

In Jiao-nan’s Zhen-hai Port, a fairly large-scale trading market had formed around the port. However, not all residents of Jiao-nan could use the trading market.

The place mainly used by the natives of Jiao-nan was the South Market, where daily necessities were traded.

At the edge of the South Market, lined with small-scale shops, there was an old manor.

Thanks to good maintenance, traces of time were beautifully stacked layer by layer on the old walls.

‘Donghai Merchant Guild.’

It was like a symbol of the South Market, having started as a distillery and created the current merchant guild.

Counting from the distillery, three generations had done business in the same place, and since the current Merchant Guild Leader inherited the guild, he had put effort into trade. Thanks to those achievements, they were finally on the verge of advancing to the Central Market, but suddenly he went missing and even their existing foundation crumbled.

Although he had dramatically returned two months ago, it was difficult to clean up the problems that had erupted during his absence.

Nevertheless, they had hope.

“Donghai liquor trading is recovering quickly. With all the stock that had been released during that time now sold out, there are many backed-up orders.”

The old subordinate, who had recovered his health, sighed as if relieved. However, the Donghai Merchant Guild Leader’s expression didn’t soften at all.

“We need to bring back our guild members who were sold to various places first. There are some we can’t even get any information about.”

There were twenty Donghai Merchant Guild members that the pirates had sold off. Fortunately, they had records so they made inquiries, but only eight had returned.

“Merchant Guild Leader. If our guild collapses, we won’t have the resources to bring back the guild members either.”

Guild members weren’t something you could get back just by asking. Demanding at least three times the money paid was their way.

“Please stay at the guild for the time being. You’ve been away from your position for too long.”

The Merchant Guild Leader had been personally going around negotiating to get back the guild members. As a result, he couldn’t properly take care of the guild.

“Moreover, flies have swarmed the distillery.”

“Flies?”

“The Uirimdan Members are claiming half the shares.”

As always happens where money gathers.

Especially around a honey pot that had lost its owner, flies were bound to swarm.

“It seems the Jujojang Duju fell into a trap. While you weren’t here, Merchant Guild Leader, he got into an argument at an inn, and they suddenly demanded compensation for silk clothes stained with food. They demanded an absurd amount of money, saying if he didn’t pay within the deadline, they’d kidnap him and make him brew liquor.”

It was a typical method of back-alley thugs.

And in Jiao-nan, the ones best at this were the Black Society called Uirimdan.

“I met with them, and they said they’d overlook it if we gave them half the distillery shares.”

“Hah. No matter how difficult our guild’s situation is, even back-alley Black Society members are ignoring us?”

“Isn’t this world originally full of wolves and hyenas? When you’re wounded and fall, getting devoured is the natural order.”

Someone says that the merchant world is more vicious than the Martial Arts World.

“If we lose the distillery, our guild is finished too.”

“I suppose I should meet with them directly…”

It was when he was saying that.

“Merchant Guild Leader! The Uirimdan Members are causing trouble at the distillery!”

The Merchant Guild Leader immediately rushed out of the guild.

The old shop adjacent to the guild.

The signboard of Donghai Distillery, which had been like a symbol of the Donghai Merchant Guild, was split in two and scattered.

This was a place that still kept its position even though the guild headquarters was built to honor the history of ‘Donghai Distillery.’

Clang!

A jar full of liquor was thrown out of the shop.

As the rich aroma of alcohol spread instantly, people gathered.

“What the hell are you doing!”

At the Merchant Guild Leader’s roar, five burly men turned their heads in unison.

“Oh ho. Now the Merchant Guild Leader finally shows up.”

“That’s right. I’m Jo Pilseong, the Donghai Merchant Guild Leader. If you have something to say, say it to me.”

Though he had a small stature and slender build, his spirit was not inferior to the ruffians at all.

However, the group called Uirimdan wasn’t just a simple Black Society. Because they had stronger backing than anyone else, their actions were unrestrained.

“This place has its own laws that belong only to the South Market. Uirimdan shouldn’t be entering this area, so why are you causing trouble?”

Black Society also had territories.

In fact, the South Market wasn’t a place where big money changed hands, so Uirimdan, which had already taken control of the Central Market, hadn’t even looked at this place.

“Your subordinate at the guild owes me a debt, but he doesn’t seem to have any intention of paying it back. Will you, Merchant Guild Leader, pay it back for him?”

“You said it was the price of silk? Tell me how much.”

“One thousand silver taels.”

“You crazy bastards!”

One thousand silver taels was enough money to build a small manor or a three-story inn.

If they called that the price of one silk garment, it meant money wasn’t their real purpose from the start.

“What is it that you want?”

“Didn’t I say money? If you really don’t have money, then give me that subordinate of yours.”

“You mean you want a person? How dare you…”

Clang!

The Uirimdan members all drew their swords at once.

Even the onlookers stepped back at their menacing aura.

Jo-jang, who was leading the Uirimdan members, sneered and walked toward Jo Pilseong.

“You’ll only suffer if you resist. You should have stayed out of our sight from the beginning. Since you’ve already caught our attention, just think about saving your life and running away.”

“I already died once on the sea. Do you think such threats will work on me?”

Jo Pilseong actually took a step forward.

Seeing him unintimidated even before sword blades, Jo-jang’s face flushed red.

Unable to back down in front of his subordinates and the onlookers, Jo-jang made a vicious decision.

“Since you won’t listen, you won’t need one of your ears.”

Swoosh!

Jo-jang swung his sword aiming for Jo Pilseong’s ear. Unlike other thugs, he was someone who had actually used a sword before.

It was when the onlookers gasped in surprise.

Jo Pilseong squeezed his eyes shut at the suddenly approaching blade.

Thud!

Unlike the heart-crushing sense of crisis, he felt no impact. When he cautiously opened his eyes, he saw a sword stopped in front of his face.

And Jo-jang, who had swung the sword, was flying backward as if swept away by a typhoon.

Only then did Jo Pilseong see the person who had grabbed Jo-jang’s hand and thrown him backward.

“Ah. How did you, my benefactor…”

“Merchant Guild Leader, why do you always try to get yourself killed?”

The one who appeared was Ja-gang-cheon. Behind him was Cheon-gu, glancing at the fallen man.

“Merchant Guild Leader, your debt of gratitude has grown even more.”

“So it has. I’m glad you returned safely.”

When Merchant Guild Leader Jo Pilseong made a complicated expression, Ja-gang-cheon asked.

“But who are those people? They seem similar to pirates.”

“They’re called Uirimdan, a Black Society that controls Jiao-nan.”

“Black Society?”

Ja-gang-cheon searched his memory for a moment. He felt like he had heard the term Black Society before.

“Ah! I remember! Those bastard sons who roll rat-like eyeballs in mosquito snouts and even eat shit?”

The Black Society members, called bastard sons, glared and approached.

“Huh? But mom said they’re cowards who tuck their tails in front of martial artists.”

“This little brat is running his mouth carelessly.”

A Uirimdan member with a scar on his face took another step forward with a growling expression.

Crack!

The Uirimdan member’s body floated in the air. When he hit the ground, his ankle was twisted the wrong way.

Shing!

At that sight, all the Uirimdan members raised their swords.

That’s when it happened.

“Stop!”

It was Jo-jang, who had been thrown back first.

“We retreat today.”

Having experienced it firsthand, he realized they couldn’t handle Ja-gang-cheon.

Supporting their fallen comrade, they withdrew while leaving hostile glances at Ja-gang-cheon.

Ja-gang-cheon considered capturing them but let them go for now, wanting to hear the situation first.

‘Since they’re Black Society, I can catch them anytime.’

Once the situation settled, Jo Pilseong led Ja-gang-cheon inside the Merchant Guild.

“I’m sorry for showing you such a disgraceful sight.”

Jo Pilseong’s voice was agitated from being threatened just moments ago.

“Not at all. More importantly, please take care of my carriage first.”

“Yes. I understand. But did your business go well?”

“No. It didn’t go well. More importantly, I need a place to stay for a while. If you know a decent inn, please introduce me to one.”

“If it’s about rooms, we have them in our Merchant Guild too. I’ll make you as comfortable as possible, so please stay at the guild. If I let my benefactor stay at an inn, people will curse me.”

Ja-gang-cheon didn’t bother refusing his kindness. The Merchant Guild was more convenient than an inn for storing his carriage too.

“Thank you. Then I’ll trouble you for a while.”

“You can stay for life. Please think of it comfortably.”

While talking, Ja-gang-cheon first confirmed that his carriage was being moved inside the Merchant Guild.

“I’ll make sure no one can approach here for the time being.”

While moving the items to the deepest part of the inner storehouse, Jo Pilseong prepared a room for Ja-gang-cheon to stay in.

“Please come this way.”

Jo Pilseong guided Ja-gang-cheon to guest quarters near the storehouse.

Since it was originally prepared for guests, it was clean enough to lie down on the bed immediately.

Next to the large bed was a round table, just the right size for four people to sit.

Overall, it had an elegant atmosphere without being flashy, and for Ja-gang-cheon who had lived on an uninhabited island, even this much was satisfactory.

“Cheon-gu, you stay by our benefactor’s side.”

“Yes. Merchant Guild Leader.”

The Merchant Guild Leader left the room saying he would prepare refreshments and tea. But Cheon-gu got up from his seat.

“Where are you going?”

“We’ve been away for a long time, so I should at least give a basic report. And aren’t you curious why Uirimdan was causing trouble?”

“I’m curious.”

“I’ll go find out and come back.”

Cheon-gu knew well what Ja-gang-cheon wanted.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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