Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 43

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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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#043

 

It was late at night.

 

Since there was a fishing boat coming in at night, So Yeon-dok remained at the Labor Office until midnight.

 

His subordinates had offered to handle it, but today he didn’t want that.

 

He was concerned about the young boy who had boarded a boat for the first time today after turning sixteen.

 

He was a young head of household who had lost his parents at sea but went back to the sea to save his younger siblings.

 

-The sea doesn’t go easy on you just because you’re young. Will you still do it?

 

He had spoken bluntly, but he felt sorry for that pitiful fate and wanted to at least go welcome him back.

 

It was well past midnight.

 

He was about to leave the office while watching a boat returning from night fishing in the distance.

 

When he saw a shadow under the dim moonlight, he had an ominous feeling.

 

Before he could stop walking, the other person approached first. But before he could even react, his side became hot. He had managed to twist his body to avoid a vital spot, but losing strength was unavoidable.

 

Even as he was falling, So Yeon-dok grabbed the attacker’s collar.

 

“Wh-who are you?”

 

He asked through gritted teeth, but the opponent raised his hand once more instead.

 

He was trying to finish what he had started.

 

Then, a voice calling for So Yeon-dok was heard from afar.

 

“Manager!”

 

Hearing that sound, the attacker hesitated, then turned and ran away.

 

Thud!

 

So Yeon-dok’s body collapsed after losing his target. Dark blood flowed between his hands clutching his side, and warning signals flashed in his mind.

 

“Over here! Please help!”

 

Sailors came running at the young boy’s cry. Listening to the sound of their footsteps, So Yeon-dok lost consciousness.

 

When he opened his eyes again.

 

So Yeon-dok faced an absurd situation.

 

“You caught the guy who attacked me?”

 

Only about half a hour had passed.

 

“Yes. We caught him.”

 

The Vice Manager’s voice trembled as he answered through gritted teeth.

 

“I’ll go see him.”

 

“It’s not a fatal wound, but you need to rest well for several days.”

 

“Lead the way.”

 

When So Yeon-dok revealed the venom from his Black Society days, the Vice Manager had no choice but to accept.

 

“Carrying you on my back won’t work, so at least let me lend you my shoulder. Or I could carry you in my arms.”

 

Because of the side wound, carrying him on his back was impossible.

 

“Being carried in your arms would be too embarrassing.”

 

“Then lend me your shoulder. Getting stabbed like that is embarrassing enough. Sheesh.”

 

The Vice Manager, who had been respectful, sighed and spoke familiarly.

 

It was a tone he often used when they were alone, but he hadn’t done so since opening the Labor Office.

 

“I once carried you on my back and ran too.”

 

“Why are you bringing up old stories? Next you’ll be talking about how you wanted to jump into the sea after Wolhyang dumped you.”

 

“You bastard… Ugh!”

 

“Geez. Let’s go quietly.”

 

Bickering like this, they arrived at the Labor Office warehouse.

 

The office staff who heard the news had thoroughly searched the surroundings and found the culprit.

 

When they opened the warehouse.

 

“This guy?”

 

It was a familiar face.

 

“Jeong Chil-sang.”

 

He was someone he had often seen when running the Black Society.

 

He was someone who ran a competing Labor Office and conspired with ship owners to backstab sailors, so he had personally driven him out.

 

His last memory was of him crawling away like a bug after Pansuk had roughly thrown him and broken his leg.

 

“So you do remember! You demon!”

 

“You’re the one who stabbed me?”

 

“I should have killed you! Even heaven is indifferent! How many people have had their lives ruined because of you!”

 

A ghost from the past had come to visit.

 

If it were So Yeon-dok who had reformed, he might have been shocked, but if the person saying this was Jeong Chil-sang, the story was different.

 

“At least you have no right to blame me.”

 

So Yeon-dok sat in front of the bound Jeong Chil-sang and met his eyes.

 

“It was really you?”

 

He looked around and picked up a large skewer. When he checked the pointed end, Jeong Chil-sang flinched.

 

“Untie this guy.”

 

“Manager.”

 

“It’s fine. Untie him.”

 

Eventually, the Vice Manager untied the rope binding Jeong Chil-sang.

 

“Wh-what are you trying to do?”

 

“Take it.”

 

So Yeon-dok held out the skewer.

 

“Try again.”

 

“What?”

 

“Try to kill me. You said you wanted to.”

 

“You think I can’t!”

 

Jeong Chil-sang roughly snatched the skewer. But he couldn’t bring himself to thrust forward the skewer he had pulled back with all his might. Seeing him only threaten and tremble, So Yeon-dok was certain.

 

“Sticking metal into a person’s body is never an easy thing to do.”

 

When So Yeon-dok took a step closer, the terrified Jeong Chil-sang collapsed on the spot.

 

“Who ordered you?”

 

“I-I did it.”

 

“They said they’d pay off your debts.”

 

“Wh-what are you talking about! I did it!”

 

At those words, So Yeon-dok snatched the metal skewer. Then he held the sharp end in front of Jeong Chil-sang’s eyes.

 

“Last chance. Who ordered you?”

 

“I said I did it!”

 

Watching him squeeze his eyes shut, So Yeon-dok put down the skewer.

 

“Seeing a coward like you endure this much, you must have backing you can’t handle.”

 

So Yeon-dok reached a conclusion.

 

“Did Hwangbo Sega order you?”

 

“Wh-what nonsense!”

 

“You were always bad at reading situations. Same this time too.”

 

“What?”

 

So Yeon-dok said to the Vice Manager.

 

“Let’s say this guy is the culprit.”

 

“What?”

 

“This incident was done by this guy. Wrap it up like that and hand him over to the Government Office.”

 

“W-wait! You’re handing me over to the Government Office? Right now my affiliation is…”

 

“Shandong Trade Guild? Or Shandong Trading Company? It’s one of the two.”

 

So Yeon-dok sighed.

 

“You fool. Do you know what we do in the Black Society to fight other guys? We send subordinates to the opponent’s territory to pick fights. Then when one guy gets hurt or dies, we use that as justification to start a fight. That’s the role you’re playing right now. Throwing away your life so Hwangbo Sega can create justification to fight Deungmyeong Manor.”

 

It was a strategy all too familiar to someone from the Black Society. So he was trying to hand him over to the Government Office without getting unnecessarily involved.

 

“If it’s someone at the level of the Hwangbo Clan, they wouldn’t do something like this out of shame at least….”

 

So Yeon-dok intended to just bury this incident.

 

“Then what about the injustice my brother suffered? Even if this bastard gets imprisoned, it won’t resolve the grudge.”

 

“Forget it. It’s something that can be resolved if I just endure and let it pass. If the Lord finds out about this, things will get complicated.”

 

“Sigh. I’ll do as you wish for now, but I’m not sure if this is right.”

 

The Vice Manager reluctantly grabbed Jeong Chil-sang and left the cargo hold.

 

But when he opened the door, he froze in place.

 

“L-Lord….”

 

Ja-gang-cheon was standing there.

 

“Where is Manager uncle?”

 

When So Yeon-dok quickly came out the door, Ja-gang-cheon approached him.

 

“Uncle. Let me see your injuries first.”

 

“I’m fine….”

 

Ja-gang-cheon didn’t even listen to the answer and lifted up his shirt to check the wound.

 

“That was dangerous.”

 

“Lord….”

 

“Is that bastard the culprit?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

Bang!

 

Ja-gang-cheon grabbed Jeong Chilseong’s neck and slammed him against the wall.

 

“Lord! You mustn’t!”

 

“Keu. Keu.”

 

Jeong Chilseong saw Ja-gang-cheon’s eyes turn coldly and felt the genuine fear of death.

 

“Lord! That bastard is a trap! It’s the Hwangbo Clan’s scheme, so you mustn’t get caught up in it!”

 

Thud.

 

“Kkeok!”

 

When Ja-gang-cheon released his hand, Jeong Chilseong collapsed to the floor.

 

“What do you mean by that?”

 

“It’s called a throw-away. If you deal with this bastard, the real culprit will appear later. It’s a trap the Hwangbo Clan created to attack you, Lord.”

 

Ja-gang-cheon nodded and grabbed the collapsed Jeong Chilseong’s shoulder.

 

Crack!

 

“Aaaaah!”

 

Ja-gang-cheon’s fingers crushed the shoulder bone and touched the muscle directly. Jeong Chilseong writhed in pain, foamed at the mouth, and soon fainted.

 

Ja-gang-cheon tied up his limp body with rope, dragged him outside, and threw him into the sea.

 

He submerged him in the water until just before his breath would stop, then pulled him back up to the port and grabbed his broken shoulder again.

 

“Lord….”

 

They didn’t dare try to stop him from the side.

 

The aura surrounding Ja-gang-cheon was so fierce that it was hard to even approach.

 

“P-please spare me. Please….”

 

Jeong Chilseong begged like that. But after both shoulders were crushed and he went into the sea three more times, his words changed.

 

“P-please kill me.”

 

Only after those words came out did Ja-gang-cheon ask.

 

“Who ordered you?”

 

Jeong Chilseong looked up blankly and stared at one place.

 

It was the Shandong Outpost located in the center of the port. Just then, several people had come outside due to the midnight commotion.

 

“Say it exactly.”

 

When Ja-gang-cheon grabbed his shoulder again, Jeong Chilseong flinched and spoke urgently.

 

“Branch Manager Gu!”

 

“Say the name.”

 

“Gu Dong-gu! Shandong Outpost manager! Gu Dong-gu ordered it! He said to just go and claim to be the culprit! He said he’d give me a position in the caravan and clear all my debts!”

 

His shout echoed through the dark port.

 

“Uncle. Take this bastard to the manor.”

 

“Lord. What are you planning to do?”

 

Without giving an explanation, Ja-gang-cheon moved.

 

“Lord!”

 

The place Ja-gang-cheon headed for was the sea.

 

Ja-gang-cheon stepped on the dark sea under the moonlight and soon arrived at the small port where Gu Dong-gu’s Secret Hideout was located.

 

And he immediately leaped up to the second floor where he could sense people.

 

Bang!

 

Breaking through the wall and entering, what spread before him was a feast of delicacies, naked courtesans, and Hwangbo Taeseong drinking alcohol with Gu Dong-gu standing beside him.

 

“Y-you bastard, do you know where this is….”

 

Thwack!

 

Gu Dong-gu, who was shouting, clutched his stomach and collapsed.

 

“Keu….”

 

Seeing him vomit bile from one punch, Hwangbo Taeseong shouted.

 

“What is the meaning of this! Right now the Hwangbo Clan and….”

 

Ja-gang-cheon ignored Hwangbo Taeseong and grabbed the collapsed Gu Dong-gu by the back of the neck.

 

“Any name that comes out of this bastard’s mouth will pay a price. Whether it’s the Hwangbo Clan or whatever.”

 

Leaving those words, Ja-gang-cheon dragged Gu Dong-gu away.

 

“Stop! I said stop!”

 

Hwangbo Taeseong shouted with a red face, but Ja-gang-cheon’s steps didn’t stop.

 

“What are you doing? Catch that bastard!”

 

Angry, he shouted at the clan guards protecting the surroundings, but they didn’t follow the order.

 

-Our priority is protecting the young master.

 

In the end, Ja-gang-cheon disappeared with Gu Dong-gu.

 

***

 

Gu Dong-gu wished this was a dream.

 

He never expected to be kidnapped while with Hwangbo Taeseong, his golden lifeline.

 

Who would have known there was someone in Shandong Province who would ignore the Hwangbo Clan connections?

 

Thwack! Thwack!

 

His ribs broke from the persistent beating.

 

“Keu….”

 

He was a vicious bastard.

 

Those who beat people usually tell you your crimes or ask questions before hitting, but this bastard was different.

 

With emotionless eyes, he just kept pounding as if beating was the only purpose.

 

At first, he endured out of stubbornness. He believed the Hwangbo Clan would come to rescue him soon.

 

It would become a big commotion.

 

Then the beating would stop.

 

‘Damn bastards….’

 

The Hwangbo Clan didn’t appear as quickly as he had thought.

 

Thanks to that, starting with his ribs, his ankles, wrists, and shoulders were broken in sequence.

 

During that process, he fainted more than ten times and repeatedly woke up to cold ice water. The fact that Deungmyeong Manor had ice was a terrible misfortune at this moment.

 

Then he saw sunlight coming through the crack in the door.

 

Morning had come.

 

‘The Hwangbo Clan abandoned me.’

 

It wouldn’t be strange if he had died. If they left him alone until now, they had abandoned him.

 

From that point on, he gave up his will. He could no longer think.

 

In his dazed mind, only one thought remained.

 

‘For this time to end.’

 

Not knowing when it would stop made the pain even greater.

 

“Please, stop….”

 

So he begged. He shed tears and clawed at the floor with his broken arm, pleading desperately.

 

Thwack! Thwack!

 

It was useless.

 

‘Ah. He’s just planning to kill me like this.’

 

Once he realized that, everything felt futile.

 

He had ruthlessly exploited children to make money and done all sorts of despicable things to get under the Hwangbo Clan’s protection.

 

To think this despair was the end of it all.

 

Tears poured out from the injustice of it.

 

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

 

The beating that wouldn’t even allow those tears shattered his knees, bringing excruciating pain.

 

“Please spare me! I beg you! I’ll do whatever you command! Just let me live! This is unfair! So unfair!”

 

Surprisingly, the beating stopped.

 

Seeing a glimmer of hope in his despair, he writhed like a worm and clasped his hands together.

 

Though his shattered bones collided and caused terrible pain, he crawled across the floor in that state.

 

He rubbed his face against Ja-gang-cheon’s feet as he stood tall, fawning like a dog.

 

“I’ll do whatever you command….”

 

“Tell me everything from beginning to end.”

 

It was the first voice he’d heard after three full hours of beating.

 

Like a believer who had received salvation from those words, Gu Dong-gu began to confess everything.

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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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