Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 109

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

#109

East Sea Azure Dragon.

Most people who called Ja-gang-cheon by this name were those who had their base in the East Sea.

His reputation had spread not only throughout Shandong Province but also to the coastal villages of the East Sea. This nickname was given because there was a perception that he controlled the ports.

Ja-gang-cheon liked this nickname, not because he was fond of it, but because he hoped his previous nickname would disappear.

‘Sa-hyeol-hae-ju was a bit too much.’

Anyway, as much as Ja-gang-cheon had to greet people, Cheon-gu had to work hard too. In fact, Cheon-gu had the harder job.

“Cheon-gu. You should sit down too. Are you going to keep standing?”

“If a subordinate sits here, it would be presumptuous. It would damage your dignity.”

“Still.”

“Gangcheon. We’re working right now.”

“Oh. Got it.”

In the end, they each remained faithful to their roles.

“By the way, what is all this?”

Behind the reception room where Ja-gang-cheon received guests, there was also a small room. To be precise, it was a reception room that was just a bit smaller in scale.

But now it was filled with gifts brought by the guests.

“We’re giving just as much in return, so be grateful to receive them. There are many things you can’t buy with money.”

“Really? Is it okay to just accept all this?”

“It’s fine. We’re also giving things in return that can’t be bought with money.”

“Ah!”

To people who brought gifts, they were giving out medicine called Jamosung-dan within Deungmyeong Manor.

It was made as a premium version of Deungmyeong Sindan for the manor people to consume, and since it was quite useful in many situations, it was given the official name Jamosung-dan.

It meant medicine made by Dok-ja-mo.

“Please come this way.”

Cheon-gu’s role wasn’t simply to receive gifts and greet people. The important thing was to distinguish between Jeongpa and Demonic Sect people and make sure they weren’t uncomfortable.

While Ja-gang-cheon only had to greet people, Cheon-gu had already started categorizing visitors a month ago.

He had essentially started the new year a whole month early.

Fortunately, they were continuing the greetings without any particular complications.

‘It’s almost over now.’

A merchant guild leader who operated five trading ships from Jiangsu Province had come to pay his respects, and behind him stood a Demonic Sect leader who operated a small breakwater at the border between Shandong Province and Hebei Province.

Those were the last people who had submitted visiting cards in advance. But there was one more person standing there.

Cheon-gu decided to observe the situation first because the man was wearing a green hood.

“It was an honor to meet you.”

“For me as well. It was a good meeting.”

A man wearing a green hood stood before Ja-gang-cheon, who had said the same words a hundred times today.

Unlike the others, the man presented a single letter instead of a gift.

“What is this?”

“You’ll know when you see it.”

For a guest, his tone was quite arrogant.

Ja-gang-cheon checked the letter as he suggested. Then his previously kind expression immediately crumpled.

“Nokrim?”

The green hood symbolized Nokrim. Usually, they tended to wear it deliberately during official visits like this.

“You’re holding our merchant guild members captive?”

“That’s correct. We temporarily detained them due to unsuccessful negotiations, but according to our chief’s consideration, we are treating them with sufficient courtesy.”

It meant they had captured them but hadn’t harmed them.

Even so, Ja-gang-cheon’s expression didn’t soften in the least. While it was an unwritten rule not to harm messengers delivering letters, Ja-gang-cheon didn’t even know such rules existed in the first place.

“Our Nokrim…”

“Shut up and stay quiet.”

The middle-aged Nokrimdo closed his mouth at the chilling killing intent. He hadn’t expected such blatant hostility to be displayed.

Usually in such cases, they would show appropriate courtesy and then conduct proper negotiations.

He had come personally for that purpose, but Ja-gang-cheon seemed like he would really kill his opponent.

“Cheon-gu. Could you call the merchant guild leader?”

Cheon-gu sent a nearby servant to call the merchant guild leader. The merchant guild leader also had an uncomfortable expression, as if he had heard some news.

“Is Nokrim holding our merchant guild people captive?”

“I just heard the news myself. They’re being held in mountain strongholds near Tianzhongshan in Henan Province, near Tianzishan in Hunan Province, and near Fucheng in Shaanxi Province.”

He had timed his arrival so that this news could be heard.

“Is there a reason for Nokrim to hold our people captive?”

“Our chief… Hup!”

Ja-gang-cheon sent out finger wind to block his pressure points.

“I told you to shut up and stay quiet.”

No one stopped Ja-gang-cheon. This was a completely unexpected reaction for the Nokrimdo.

“It seems they want a new contract.”

“Was there an existing contract?”

“We paid sufficient tolls and they agreed not to touch our merchant guild.”

“But they suddenly captured them? To conduct new negotiations?”

“That’s my assumption.”

Ja-gang-cheon sent out finger wind again to release the Nokrimdo’s pressure points.

“What kind of behavior is this! There are laws of the martial arts world!”

Finally, Ja-gang-cheon moved.

“Kuk!”

Ja-gang-cheon grabbed his opponent’s throat and pulled him close.

“Just answer what I ask. Is what our merchant guild leader said true?”

The Nokrimdo frantically nodded his head in the situation where he felt like he might suffocate.

Thud.

Ja-gang-cheon threw him to the floor and said.

“You take hostages first when negotiations haven’t even broken down? And such a person talks about laws?”

“Are you saying you’ll fight with Nokrim?”

“If even one of my people is hurt, that’s what will happen.”

The Nokrimdo swallowed dry saliva.

When he came here, he had expected a young master who would bow and scrape, but now his own life was in danger.

‘To think he would regard Nokrim’s name so lightly.’

Those who operate merchant guilds never try to make enemies of Nokrim. This was because bandits were a group they could never escape from when traveling across the country.

That’s why Nokrim, a collective of bandits, believed they could control Deungmyeong Manor.

-We need to show Deungmyeong Manor their exact position.

This was Nokrim’s intention.

Since they knew about the enormous investment made last winter, they believed the negotiations would surely be accepted.

But Ja-gang-cheon didn’t say what he wanted to hear.

“Send a letter to Nokrim immediately and return my people.”

“I, I cannot do that.”

“What?”

Then, Cheon-gu approached Ja-gang-cheon. When he said something, Ja-gang-cheon nodded.

“Wait until we make our decision.”

Hearing those words, Cheon-gu immediately went in front of the Nokrimdo.

“Please follow me.”

Perhaps thinking he would receive some kind of treatment, the Nokrimdo smiled triumphantly and followed Cheon-gu.

But when they went in the opposite direction from where the feast was taking place, he felt something was strange.

“Where are we going?”

The place they arrived at was in front of a somewhat ominous warehouse.

Unlike the guest quarters that had an overall bright and open atmosphere, there were no people around and the door was tightly shut.

“Get in.”

“What are you doing right now….”

Cheon-gu grabbed the hesitating Nokrimdo by the back of the neck and threw him into the cargo hold.

Thud.

“You bastard! Do you think you’ll get away with this!”

Being oppressed by a mere subordinate rather than Ja-gang-cheon himself, the Nokrimdo couldn’t stand it.

‘I came here representing the Green Forest Chief.’

Gaining confidence from that fact, he swung his hand to slap the approaching Cheon-gu’s cheek.

Smack!

But the sound he wanted didn’t come. Cheon-gu simply caught his hand and roughly shoved him away.

Thud!

The Nokrimdo who was slammed against the cargo hold wall screamed in fury.

“Do you think you’ll get away with this!”

“There were two guys who said that same thing here.”

Cheon-gu slowly spoke their names.

“Shandong Trading Company leader Hwangbo Jeong, Hwangbo Clan’s young Lord Hwangbo Taesan. Hwangbo Jeong died right here in this spot.”

At those words, the Nokrimdo realized something had gone terribly wrong.

“We killed those guys too, so what makes you think we can’t kill someone like you?”

The Nokrimdo realized that this manor had more than just one crazy Jangju.

***

Seventeen-year-old worker Man Sangcheol joined a merchant guild expedition for the first time.

-From next year, we’ll be moving together, so it would be good to try moving once in winter as well.

It was like a gift.

-You’re now an official Merchant Guild Member too. Congratulations.

The East Sea Merchant Guild gave official membership qualifications from age eighteen. Since Man Sangcheol had been working as an apprentice since he was fourteen, they specially gave him the qualification a month early.

There was no such thing as working carelessly just because you were an apprentice.

There was only one difference for apprentices.

They couldn’t do work that took them outside of Jiao-nan.

They couldn’t board boats, and couldn’t join trading expeditions that left Jiao-nan.

Being an apprentice meant only doing work within Jiao-nan.

Since the East Sea Merchant Guild Leader paid generous wages even to apprentices, he could feed his younger siblings in place of their father who had been swallowed by the sea.

-I will definitely become an official Merchant Guild Member.

While it might not be difficult for someone who was already an adult, it was desperately important to Sang-cheol.

So when the Merchant Guild Leader broke the existing rules and gave him the qualification a month early, he even pinched his own cheek to see if it was a dream.

-Thank you!

He told his smart younger siblings what they needed to do several times over, and left words of request with the warm neighbors next door.

And finally set out on the merchant expedition with a joyful heart.

When leaving Jiao-nan for the first time in his life, his heart felt like it would burst. And when leaving Shandong Province, his legs even trembled.

The new scenery and dialects, clothing and food – there wasn’t a single thing that wasn’t fascinating.

Even the jerky porridge he ate while camping felt like a delicacy.

Though he lacked experience and rubbed his aching feet every night, the merchant guild men he’d known since childhood comforted him with their casual jokes.

And he tried alcohol for the first time in his life.

-If it’s fine now, there are times when it gets really cold that you need to drink a little.

He had tried alcohol out of curiosity before, but this was the first time he had downed a full cup.

It was fascinating how hot steam came out as if he had become a dragon. Of course, his stomach turned and he almost threw up.

Up until then, everything had been good.

An incident occurred at Tianzhongshan, Henan Province.

When Nokrimdo appeared, the Merchant leading this expedition calmly handed over a pouch.

Since it was prepared in advance, he tried to simply hand it over and pass through, but the bandits blocked their way.

Then thirty men who had been hiding suddenly appeared and captured all twenty Merchant Guild Members.

They had to climb the mountain like deer tied with rope.

And so they were locked in a cargo hold full of the smell of rotten food.

The first day was frightening. Even so, the Merchant Guild Members believed it wouldn’t be a big deal and would be resolved.

-Nok-rim has no reason to do this. There must be some misunderstanding.

They believed they would be released because they had a Merchant Guild Leader who wouldn’t just stand by and watch his members in danger.

But it was strange.

Even after more than ten days passed, they were still in that rotten cargo hold.

Three times a day.

Being dragged into the forest to relieve themselves was all they got. Even that was humiliating in front of the guards.

“Are we going to die like this?”

“Sang-cheol. Our Merchant Guild Leader is someone who brought back a guild member who was sold to pirates.”

“Yes. I heard about that too.”

“The reason they’re not killing us must be for negotiations, so don’t worry. Our Merchant Guild Leader and Jangju never abandon their people.”

“But am I really one of his people?”

“Of course. Aren’t you a Merchant Guild Member I vouched for?”

The Merchant in his late fifties was someone who had shared many things with the Merchant Guild Leader.

He had been captured by pirates and barely survived, and had been through the entire process of the collapsed merchant guild rising again.

“He will definitely come. So believe and endure.”

It was when he said those words.

Bang!

The door of the cargo hold that had been confining them opened roughly.

Since the person was backlit by the pouring sunlight, only a shadow was visible. But they heard a very familiar voice.

“Is anyone hurt?”

How could he forget that voice?

It was the Jangju who would call out ‘Sang-cheol!’ and buy him delicious things whenever he saw him at the port. So he held back the tears that were about to flow and shouted.

“Jangju!”

The shadow who heard that voice rushed over quickly.

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