Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 49

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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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#049

 

“Ugh….”

 

When Hwangbo Jeong, who had lost consciousness after being struck on the back of his head, opened his eyes, it was deep into the night.

 

His mind was still foggy as if shrouded in thick mist, but his bodily senses awakened one by one regardless of his will, making him aware of his surroundings.

 

“Kuk.”

 

As he tried to lift his body that had fallen to the side, the first thing he felt were chains binding his body.

 

He tried with all his might, but the chains around his hands and feet wouldn’t budge.

 

“They won’t come off. If you strain against them, they’ll tighten more, so it’s better to just stay still.”

 

“You are….”

 

“I’m Gu Dong-gu, who served the Third Young Master.”

 

Inside the cargo hold, two people were thrown with their hands and feet bound.

 

“I’ll tell you in advance, it’s better not to think about escaping. They notice like ghosts if you even get near the door.”

 

Hwangbo Jeong didn’t want to hear Gu Dong-gu’s explanation.

 

It was already humiliating that someone was seeing him in this state, but the fact that it was Gu Dong-gu made it even worse.

 

“People from the Hwangbo Clan will come soon. I just need to endure until then.”

 

“Yes. Merchant Guild Leader. I think so too.”

 

Gu Dong-gu didn’t resent the Hwangbo Clan.

 

‘This is my last chance to get out of here.’

 

Though he had already sustained wounds that could never heal in his lifetime, he was still looking for a chance to escape.

 

‘Once the conflict with the Hwangbo Clan is settled in some way, I become useless.’

 

The reason the manor kept him alive was because he was a witness who could prove the Hwangbo Clan’s dirty deeds. So Hwangbo Jeong was his last chance.

 

But there was something he had overlooked.

 

After a moment of silence, Hwangbo Jeong, having grown accustomed to the darkness, looked toward where Gu Dong-gu was and spoke.

 

“You must have suffered greatly.”

 

“Ah….”

 

Gu Dong-gu let out an exclamation at the sudden words of comfort.

 

‘Would it have been comfortable then? You bastard.’

 

He swallowed those feelings inside.

 

“I’d like to hold your hand at least, but I can’t see you.”

 

“Ah, I, I’ll come over.”

 

Gu Dong-gu, who had been here for a long time, could vaguely see Hwangbo Jeong’s form.

 

As he moved his cracked arm and dragged his broken foot toward his only hope, it happened.

 

“I pledge my loyalty…. Kuk!”

 

Hwangbo Jeong grabbed his throat with his chained hands.

 

“A bastard who should have died long ago doesn’t know his place and acts up. Do you know how much you’ve ruined things? You’re worse than vermin.”

 

Killing Gu Dong-gu was nothing to him.

 

“Keu….”

 

Just when he couldn’t even ask to be spared and his consciousness was fading.

 

Clank!

 

The cargo hold door opened and someone entered.

 

“Why are you fighting among yourselves when you’re both captured?”

 

Thud.

 

With one light gesture, the force pressing on Gu Dong-gu disappeared.

 

“Keoook! Kek! Kek!”

 

Rolling on the floor and gasping roughly, Gu Dong-gu saw Hwangbo Jeong through the light coming through the open door.

 

With his pressure points struck, he was frozen like a stone statue, and Ja-gang-cheon beside him spoke as if lecturing.

 

“Get along well.”

 

Ja-gang-cheon left those words and exited the cargo hold.

 

Darkness returned again.

 

“Keoook. Keoook.”

 

Gu Dong-gu, who had just escaped death, was still looking at Hwangbo Jeong.

 

The savior who was supposed to rescue him had lowered not a lifeline but a rope for hanging.

 

‘These bastards will never save me.’

 

He realized that.

 

If given another chance, Hwangbo Jeong would try to kill him.

 

“You bastards….”

 

Gu Dong-gu raised his upper body. Groping the floor, he found a wooden stick.

 

It was used as a handle for a farming hoe, but when held with one hand, it became an excellent club.

 

That’s when it happened.

 

-Don’t kill him.

 

Hearing the voice that pierced his ears, he quickly looked around, but there was nothing visible.

 

‘This is definitely permission.’

 

Gaining confidence, Gu Dong-gu spoke as if grinding his teeth.

 

“If you won’t be my lifeline….”

 

Using the club as a cane and crawling on his knees, he arrived in front of Hwangbo Jeong, who couldn’t move with his pressure points struck.

 

“I’ll have to wag my tail to my new master. I’ll survive that way.”

 

Thwack! Thwack!

 

“Hey! You bastards! What did I do so wrong!”

 

Thwack! Thwack!

 

“I just wanted to live! Just let me live! Let me live!”

 

Thwack! Thwack!

 

Even in the midst of this, he didn’t hit the head to follow the command. That didn’t mean there was no pain.

 

With his pressure points already struck and his qi flow blocked, he couldn’t even use his protective inner energy.

 

It meant he had to take the beating without being able to block it with his internal power.

 

‘St, stop!’

 

No matter how much he screamed inside, Gu Dong-gu didn’t stop.

 

“Huk. Huk. Filthy bastards….”

 

When Gu Dong-gu stopped beating him due to exhaustion, tears flowed from Hwangbo Jeong’s eyes for the first time in twenty years.

 

It was the first time since he had given up the position of Lord of the Hwangbo Clan.

 

***

 

“Mother. So you’re saying the brother of the Hwangbo Clan Lord is in that cargo hold?”

 

“That’s right.”

 

“And he was beaten by Gu Dong-gu and cried all night?”

 

“I don’t know if it was from pain or lamenting his situation. In any case, it’s true that he cried.”

 

Han Pilsaeng stared at his mother who was saying this.

 

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

 

“You don’t seem to think it’s very serious.”

 

“Do I seem that way?”

 

“Yes. Rather, you seem to be expecting something.”

 

Song Ja-in tried to help her son, who was walking with a cane instead of crutches, sit in the wheelchair.

 

“Rest for a moment.”

 

“I’ll rest on that bench over there.”

 

“It’s quite far.”

 

“I can do it.”

 

Han Pilsaeng tried to minimize the time he spent sitting in the wheelchair.

 

After moving to the bench with all his strength, he let out a comfortable breath on the bench.

 

Song Ja-in, who found that sight admirable, sat beside him and massaged his legs.

 

“Mother must have her reasons for not worrying.”

 

“I’m planning to protect you myself.”

 

“From the Hwangbo Clan? You can’t do it alone, Mother.”

 

“If it’s the Hwangbo Clan, it might be possible.”

 

“You must have some reason. Is it a secret you can’t tell your son?”

 

“Why does it seem like you know me better than I know you?”

 

“Just as Mother has taken care of me, I’ve grown up watching your every expression.”

 

As Song Ja-in’s expression was about to turn sad at those words, Han Pilsaeng quickly spoke.

 

“Now it’s something we can talk about with smiles.”

 

“Yes. But I still won’t tell you my secret. I haven’t received permission from the Lord yet.”

 

“He must have told you to keep it secret.”

 

“No. He didn’t say anything at all. But I received something big enough that I should keep the secret.”

 

“Then I won’t ask any more questions.”

 

“You truly are my son, so wise.”

 

“I must take after Father a lot?”

 

“Yes. He was warm and caring. But don’t inherit his recklessness.”

 

“Was Father reckless?”

 

“Didn’t he love me?”

 

She found herself thinking of her deceased husband from time to time.

 

“Father was indeed wise. I think I really do take after him.”

 

“That smooth talking definitely comes from your father.”

 

Song Ja-in and Han Pilsaeng smiled brightly.

 

After taking her son to his room, Song Ja-in went to the courtyard behind Bingokgo.

 

There, quite an interesting sparring match was unfolding.

 

The tall man held a heavy iron staff, while the short young man, who was only half his height, held a plain sword without patterns diagonally downward.

 

Clang!

 

Even to Song Ja-in’s eyes, it was quite an intense fight.

 

Overwhelming strength versus dazzling footwork.

 

It was a battle between destructive staff techniques and ever-changing sword techniques.

 

The short young man moved precariously like a swaying shadow through the powerful external energy that stirred the wind around them.

 

‘Good.’

 

It was enjoyable to watch. Especially after obtaining the martial arts manual, their skills were improving day by day.

 

‘This must be the joy of raising disciples.’

 

Actually, nurturing successors at Dogok had never been enjoyable. But now she was researching what more she could teach them.

 

‘Hmm.’

 

As their fight intensified, Song Ja-in approached closer and drew up her internal energy.

 

‘It’s getting dangerous.’

 

Since they were wielding such powerful weapons, even a slight impact could kill the opponent.

 

“Whew.”

 

She took a deep breath and prepared to intervene at any moment.

 

But she wasn’t the only one thinking this way.

 

Ja-gang-cheon, who was also anxious about his friends’ sparring with real weapons, was making full preparations not far from Song Ja-in.

 

Fortunately, they didn’t need to intervene, and the match ended when Cheon-gu tapped Pansuk’s back with the flat side of his sword.

 

“Ah! I lost again!”

 

Even the good-natured Pansuk showed a frustrated expression at this moment. But Cheon-gu, who won, wasn’t particularly happy.

 

“We’re almost at the same skill level now. I only won thanks to the techniques of Moonlight Swordsmanship.”

 

Cheon-gu was directly inheriting the legacy of Pung-cheong-seol, the Swordsman of the Moonlight.

 

Moonlight Mind Technique and Moonlight Swordsmanship.

 

Excluding footwork, it could be considered orthodox.

 

However, while the primary research had been completed on Gwigokdo, he faced difficulties in actual application.

 

The one who helped supplement this was Song Ja-in.

 

When Cheon-gu’s persistent nature was combined with her experience, the techniques began to show their power, becoming the strength that allowed him to beat Pansuk every time like today.

 

“Lord. A guest has come to see you.”

 

Jang Geon, a former waitstaff member, approached them while they were training.

 

He was serving as a secretary who oversaw the workers.

 

As the person who helped Subordinate Cheon-gu the most, he had earned the deep trust of the manor’s family.

 

“Dan-ju of Hao-mun’s Fifth Division has come to visit.”

 

“I’ll go see her.”

 

Yeon-hee was waiting for Ja-gang-cheon in the middle of the front courtyard as usual.

 

“Sister, why do you stand here every day?”

 

“Because having nothing around me makes my beauty shine even more.”

 

Showing her characteristic confidence, she smiled and bowed her head.

 

“Lord. Have you been well?”

 

“I’m always good. But sister, you’re later than expected. Did you have other business?”

 

Yeon-hee’s role was to prevent the Hwangbo Clan from interfering while the caravan was being dealt with.

 

Five days had passed since that matter ended, yet she was only appearing now. If it were the usual her, she would have come quickly to receive the promised merchant guild branch.

 

“There was an incident at the Hwangbo Clan, so I went to investigate.”

 

“Really? What happened?”

 

“The Third Young Master went missing on his way to the clan. The clan was in chaos because of it.”

 

When Ja-gang-cheon didn’t react strongly, Yeon-hee asked casually.

 

“You’re not involved in this, are you, Lord?”

 

When Ja-gang-cheon shrugged his shoulders, Yeon-hee didn’t press further and looked around.

 

There were more people coming and going at the manor than usual.

 

While people working at Bingokgo and the apothecary did reside there, she noticed different individuals from them.

 

Sharp-eyed Yeon-hee couldn’t miss this.

 

“Are you building guest quarters?”

 

“I’m making personal training rooms.”

 

Yeon-hee looked at Ja-gang-cheon as if surprised.

 

“You’re telling me without me even asking.”

 

“I’m letting you know so you don’t waste your energy unnecessarily.”

 

“Don’t be so cold to me. I stopped by the manor first on my way from Jinan. See how much I think of you, Lord.”

 

There was a reason she came without even resting from her journey.

 

“I didn’t expect you to handle Shandong Trading Company like that too.”

 

Her tone was ambiguous, somewhere between praise and reproach.

 

“The merchant guild interfered while I was dealing with the caravan. The Merchant Guild Leader made the first move.”

 

Since many people saw that scene, Yeon-hee already knew about it.

 

“You didn’t kill him, did you?”

 

“Of course not. He’s perfectly alive.”

 

“That was well done.”

 

Yeon-hee stated the reason for her visit.

 

“What’s important is the negotiations that will unfold from now on.”

 

“When do you think the Hwangbo Clan will make their move?”

 

“They’ll probably contact me.”

 

“Good. Since you handled the job well, I’ll give you a gift. Aunt prepared something nice.”

 

“I don’t really want to trouble her.”

 

She found Song Ja-in burdensome. But as soon as her refusal ended, the person in question appeared.

 

“If you refuse, I won’t force it on you.”

 

“I greet you, Senior. It’s not that I dislike it, but I’m shameless. I haven’t shown you such a pretty side of myself.”

 

“Gok-eun-cha has found the wrong master today. If you dislike it, there’s nothing I can do.”

 

“Wait a moment!”

 

Gok-eun-cha, the tea that even emperors covet.

 

‘He’s acknowledging that he’s from Dogok.’

 

Yeon-hee changed her mind.

—————
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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