Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 14
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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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#014
Ja-gang-cheon, who had returned to the merchant guild, informed Merchant Guild Leader Jo Pilseong that the Uirimdan problem had been resolved.
“Uirimdan has disappeared.”
“What? What do you mean by that all of a sudden?”
Jo Pilseong had met with someone connected to the government office today as well to protect the brewery.
But no matter what methods he tried, everyone he met coldly refused to help.
At least one official with whom he had deep connections told him the reason with a pitying expression.
-It won’t be easy to get out of this situation. Rather than that, how about thinking of getting something in return for handing over the brewery?
It was absolutely unacceptable.
Donghaejoo made at the brewery not only held historical significance for the merchant guild but was also their best-selling product.
‘I must protect it even if it costs me my life.’
Just as he was making that resolution, the benefactor who had saved his life once again rescued him.
It was as if he was saying, ‘I just had a bowl of water dumplings at the market.’
“Merchant Guild Leader. Let me explain.”
Cheon-gu took over the explanation.
After hearing the entire story, Jo Pilseong couldn’t close his mouth in amazement.
“So you actually defeated Gwimyeon Ssangssal…”
“Those bastards won’t be bothering you anymore, so don’t worry.”
“How can I ever repay this kindness…”
At Jo Pilseong’s repeated thanks, Ja-gang-cheon spoke.
“I also have a favor to ask.”
“Please tell me anything.”
“I need a boat.”
“I’m keeping the boat we took from the pirates. If you need it, I’ll prepare it for departure anytime.”
“That won’t be enough.”
Ja-gang-cheon, who hadn’t lost his composure even when facing Gwimyeon Ssangssal, showed a serious expression for the first time.
“I need a sturdy boat that can break through storms. Please find someone who can build that.”
This was the reason Ja-gang-cheon had returned to Jiao-nan.
***
It was the day after a heavy rain had poured down.
“Whew.”
Ja-gang-cheon, who had been sitting cross-legged on his bed, opened his eyes while exhaling a long breath.
“Mm. Peaceful.”
Today marked two weeks since he had come to Jiao-nan. It was the first time he had stayed in one place for so long on the mainland.
It felt different from the uninhabited island.
“This is what cozy feels like, right?”
His mind was at ease and stable.
It wasn’t an emotion that could be obtained simply by staying in the same place.
“Are you awake!”
The people of Donghai Merchant Guild greeted Ja-gang-cheon energetically as he left his room.
“Yes. Good morning.”
After exchanging warm greetings, they looked at each other and smiled.
“Oh my. You’re up already? I’ll bring you tea first.”
“Thank you, sister.”
Even though they saw each other every day, they were equally happy to meet.
It was a quiet, peaceful, and lively morning. Good people were here with him.
This was why Ja-gang-cheon started every morning joyfully. But today, something was added to his ordinary routine.
“Pansuk is waiting in front of the merchant guild. He asked me to tell you when you woke up.”
After dealing with Uirimdan, Pansuk had also returned to Haeryongbang.
“What could it be?”
He left the merchant guild with a somewhat puzzled expression, and saw a familiar 6-foot frame. But his protruding lower lip was trembling as if he was about to cry.
“Brother Pansuk. What brings you here?”
“I was kicked out of Haeryongbang.”
“What are you talking about?”
While they were talking, Cheon-gu, who had heard the news, arrived.
“Brother Cheon-gu. I was kicked out.”
Unlike Ja-gang-cheon, Cheon-gu thought for a moment and then showed an understanding expression.
“The Haeryong faction leader must care about you a lot.”
“What? If he cares about me, why would he kick me out?”
Pansuk looked truly pitiful. When tears welled up in the big man’s eyes, he looked even sadder.
“When the Haeryong faction leader kicked you out, he told you to go to Gangcheon, right?”
“Yes.”
“He’s trying to protect you. Because you’d be safe next to Gangcheon.”
Ja-gang-cheon was equally unable to understand.
“Come in first. I’ll explain.”
At Cheon-gu’s words, Pansuk wiped his tears with his thick forearm and entered the merchant guild.
Ja-gang-cheon was equally clueless, so he stuck close behind Cheon-gu and followed.
“I’ll go tell the Merchant Guild Leader, so wait in the room.”
Since traveling with Ja-gang-cheon, Cheon-gu’s position within the merchant guild had changed.
By receiving Ja-gang-cheon’s complete trust, he naturally became someone who transcended his official position. Even so, Cheon-gu didn’t cross the lines he needed to maintain. Reporting to the Merchant Guild Leader about bringing in an outsider was one of those things.
“Follow me.”
With just the two of them left, Ja-gang-cheon naturally guided Pansuk to his room.
“Oh my!”
But when Pansuk saw a middle-aged man loading cargo onto a cart, he quickly ran over.
“Heave!”
Pansuk easily lifted the grain sacks that two middle-aged men had been struggling to stack.
“Oh? It’s Pansuk. What brings you here?”
“I came to see Brother Gangcheon.”
Even while talking, Pansuk quickly moved the sacks. Ja-gang-cheon found this sight interesting and approached to ask.
“Did you know each other before?”
“Everyone in the market knows each other.”
“You’re really part of the Black Society? Why are you so good-natured?”
The two middle-aged men reacted to those words.
They were the oldest workers in the merchant guild, and they also called Ja-gang-cheon their benefactor.
“This guy was famous even before he became part of the Black Society. He was just big but so kind that his nickname was ‘the bear next door.’ Not much changed after he joined the Black Society. Haeryongbang itself didn’t mess with the market either.”
“Brother. Please wait a moment. I need to help Uncle Jeong Jun because his back isn’t good.”
“What? Who said my back isn’t good?”
“Auntie did.”
“My wife?”
“Yes. She laments every night that your back is so bad that you just sleep.”
At those words, the middle-aged man let out a long sigh and his colleague patted his back.
Only after finishing moving the cargo could Ja-gang-cheon take Pansuk to his room.
“Why did you join the Black Society?”
Since Cheon-gu hadn’t arrived yet, Ja-gang-cheon asked about something he had been curious about. From the beginning, he had felt that except for his size, Pansuk didn’t look like someone from the Black Society at all.
“I had a friend in my childhood. He was taking care of his younger sister after their parents died, but he went out on a boat and never came back. I was worried about the sister left alone, so I often looked after her. One day, I saw a sailor from outside trying to assault her.”
“I guess that person you killed before was that bastard.”
“Yes. Actually, I didn’t intend to kill him. I pulled his head hard to get him off her, but his neck broke.”</Human: You are an ELITE PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR for Korean web novels (COMMERCIAL QUALITY).
To break someone’s neck with pure strength at fourteen years old—he was truly born with natural power.
“So what happened after that?”
“I was taken to the authorities and my younger sister went to a distant relative’s house. Brother Yeon-dok was the one who got me out of prison and sent my sister to our relatives’ house. He proved that the foreign sailor had tried to assault her, so I was released immediately.”
In fact, there were several details missing from that story.
Since it was a murder case, he should have received some punishment even with justifiable cause, but So Yeon-dok had eliminated even that.
He held the ship owner responsible for failing to manage the foreign sailor. Using that responsibility as leverage, he extracted quite a lot of money, which he gave entirely as bribes to the authorities.
“He’s someone I’m grateful to.”
“The problem is that you’re only grateful to him, isn’t it? In the end, it’s still the Black Society.”
“That’s true.”
Pansuk lowered his voice and hung his head.
“Why are you getting all gloomy again?”
Knock. Knock.
Fortunately, Cheon-gu opened the door and came in, changing the atmosphere.
“Brother Pansuk. What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing.”
“The Merchant Guild Leader said Gangcheon can stay as long as he wants.”
Pansuk looked at Ja-gang-cheon with a pitiful expression.
“Fine. I won’t kick you out for now.”
“Thank you, brother.”
Watching Pansuk’s expression brighten instantly, Ja-gang-cheon shook his head.
‘He’s more troublesome than Gwimyeon Ssangssal.’
As he was thinking that, Cheon-gu asked Pansuk.
“Other Black Society groups are targeting Jiao-nan, right?”
“Yes. That’s right. I tried to fight too, but I was kicked out. They said I wasn’t needed.”
“They’re trying to protect you. It seems they don’t have confidence in defending Jiao-nan’s commercial rights.”
Cheon-gu explained so that Ja-gang-cheon could understand too.
“Uirimdan disappeared and the Central Market and Black Market lost their owner. Normally, Haeryongbang, who won the fight, should take over, but they lack the strength to manage it. External groups know this and are targeting Jiao-nan, so Haeryongbang has many concerns.”
The owner of the goose that laid golden eggs had disappeared, but the heir lacked the power.
A fight to claim that goose had begun.
“Right now they’ll be watching your moves, Gangcheon. Once it becomes clear you have no relationship with Haeryongbang, they’ll start attacking in earnest.”
The only reason things had been quiet so far was because of the martial arts master who killed Gwimyeon Ssangssal and dismantled Uirimdan.
“Is the value of Jiao-nan’s market that great?”
Pansuk answered instead.
“The trading market alone isn’t small in scale, but I heard the real prize is the Black Market. They said 70% of Uirimdan’s profits came from the Black Market.”
It was a Black Market at a port where ships came and went. Its scale was beyond imagination.
“Then they should just give up. If they say they’ll only run the Labor Office like before, no one would bother them.”
“I said the same thing, but they have something they must do.”
“What’s that?”
“They said they need to eliminate three things. The gambling den, the brothel, and the illegal pharmacy. They’ll hand over Jiao-nan’s market to whoever accepts those conditions.”
Ja-gang-cheon didn’t know what those were, so he looked at Cheon-gu.
“A gambling den is literally a place for gambling, and a brothel is a giru where bodies are sold. An illegal pharmacy is a place that sells illegal drugs including aphrodisiacs and poisons.”
“Such places exist?”
“They’re quite famous in Jiao-nan’s Black Market.”
Even Cheon-gu’s expression wasn’t good as he answered.
“But why does Uncle want to eliminate those?”
“Many of the sailors we manage got caught up in the Black Market.”
“Caught up?”
“They lose everything at the gambling den and end up selling their bodies. They get dragged into the Black Market, and not just themselves but their families too.”
It was dragging people who lived day to day into hell.
“I only thought the village was pretty, but inside it’s completely rotten.”
Ja-gang-cheon fell into thought with an unpleasant expression. After a long while, he spoke to Pansuk.
“Brother. I need to meet with Uncle.”
Ja-gang-cheon went directly to find the Labor Office at the port.
***
So Yeon-dok, who received the message, tried to send all his subordinates away. But those who had been engaged in heated debate until just moments ago couldn’t easily let go of their emotions.
“Brother. How long will you keep deliberating? At this rate, we’ll really lose everything. The Black Market and the trading market. If we give up one, we can take the other.”
“Instead of that, how about we take the gambling den? That alone would be better than most businesses.”
“Brothers! What are you saying! How can we run a gambling den! Isn’t helping sailors the purpose of our Haeryongbang!”
It was a fight that had been continuing for days already.
‘They say seeing something makes you want it.’
So Yeon-dok was keenly realizing that fact.
When they were pushed back by Uirimdan and only ran the Labor Office, no one dreamed of living luxuriously.
But when faced with the possibility of owning a huge market, they wanted to have it even at the risk of danger.
“Enough.”
“Brother!”
Finally, So Yeon-dok, who had been holding back, raised his voice.
“You bastards! Do those businesses look like ripe fruit to you? They’re poison. Poison! Even Uirimdan, backed by Gwimyeon Ssangssal, was completely destroyed. What do you think will happen to us if we take that market?”
“That’s why we should get that person on our side…”
“You bastards! Our Haeryongbang has survived on pride alone even when we had nothing! Have you lost your shame along with being blinded by greed?”
When So Yeon-dok exploded, his subordinates finally shut their mouths.
“Everyone get out! If you say such things in front of that person, we’ll also be thrown into the sea as fish food.”
They were the ones who had personally thrown Uirimdan into the sea. When he thought of himself becoming that target, he got goosebumps.
Eventually, the subordinates left the Labor Office sheepishly.
Had about an hour passed?
Knock. Knock.
“Brother. It’s Pansuk.”
Ja-gang-cheon, guided by Pansuk, entered the office.
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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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