Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 5

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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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#005

Ja-gang-cheon witnessed a very wondrous sight.

“Huh?”

At first, he thought he was seeing the end of the world.

A massive shadow had appeared in the distance.

Could there be such a large object in the world?

Thump!

‘Ah!’

A feeling that was trembling but not unpleasant.

It was awe.

That’s why he couldn’t take his eyes off it.

“Is this really your first time seeing the mainland?”

The shadow Ja-gang-cheon saw was indeed the mainland.

“Yes! It’s my first time!”

He was so excited he looked ready to leap across the sea at any moment. Meanwhile, Cheon-gu let out a sigh mixed with various emotions.

“I thought I’d never be able to return.”

Many people on the deck came over to them.

The number of people brought back to life by Ja-gang-cheon’s hands reached as many as thirty.

This was also a unique experience for Ja-gang-cheon.

‘I killed thirty bad guys and saved thirty wronged people.’

He didn’t yet have enough experience to clearly recognize that emotion. So he simply remembered the special feeling.

“Ah! We’ve really returned!”

“I thought we were going to die for sure!”

“Thank you once again, benefactor!”

“Thank you!”

Someone’s burst of tears spread like a contagious disease, and soon everyone on deck was shedding tears.

As the mainland drew closer, one man approached Ja-gang-cheon.

“Though we are just a humble small merchant guild, we will never forget this kindness for the rest of our lives. I swear on the name of our East Sea Merchant Guild that we will help you with anything you desire.”

He was a middle-aged man with a small stature but thick eyebrows, a large nose, and a square jaw that gave him a manly impression.

He was the Merchant Guild Leader who had inherited the East Sea Merchant Guild from his father just five years ago.

-Three months ago, we had a big deal and were returning from southern trade when we met with disaster. We had over fifty people, but they were sold off here and there or died, leaving only these few.

Their bodies were just merchandise to the pirates.

Fortunately, the pirate ship had far more wealth than what had been stolen from them. But the authority over that belonged to Ja-gang-cheon.

“I will definitely repay the wealth you lent us twofold.”

“You can just keep it.”

“No. I have dependents to feed, so I shamelessly accepted it, but I won’t forget that it’s a debt.”

While they were talking about this and that, the mainland drew even closer.

***

Jiao-nan in China’s Shandong Province was a place where Emperor Qin Shi Huang had held rituals five times to search for the elixir of immortality, famous for its green tea and abundant seafood as a coastal city.

The port at the center of such Jiao-nan.

Zhen-hai Port had been the center of the economy for a long time, and its scale was still growing even now.

“Huh? There’s an unfamiliar ship coming?”

An old sailor who had been playing chess at the port turned his gaze to the appearance of the strange ship.

Among them, Wang-ssi, who had the best eyesight, raised his palm above his eyebrows.

“There’s no flag?”

Usually when entering a port, ships would hang a flag symbolizing the ship’s owner at the highest point. But the current ship had no such marking at all.

“Hmm. It’s quite a large merchant vessel?”

Han-ssi, who had quietly cleared away the nearly finished chess board, also showed interest.

“Really? I hope some rich and stupid mark has come.”

“Even if such a mark came, would there be anything left by the time it’s our turn?”

Just as they were suppressing their sudden greed with lamentation.

“Huh? Someone jumped off!”

Someone had jumped off from the ship that was just becoming visible.

“That crazy…”

“What?”

It wasn’t jumping off.

Like a seagull snatching prey, he began stepping on the sea and increased his speed even more.

Splash!

The person who rose powerfully trailing white droplets crossed over the port’s railing and arrived on land.

‘A martial artist!’

He landed so elegantly and lightly that the two watching almost clapped.

“Wow! I’ve come to the mainland! There are lots of other people too!”

But it was strange.

The teenage boy who had shown such an amazing scene suddenly began pounding the ground.

“Wow! It’s a stone road!”

Wang-ssi and Han-ssi tilted their heads at the boy’s behavior.

“Whoa! A horse!”

It was a large dog.

Wang-ssi and Han-ssi stepped backward so they wouldn’t be noticed.

Though they always quarreled, right now they shared the same thought.

‘The most dangerous person in the world is.’

‘A crazy martial artist.’

That young and crazy martial artist seemed very excited and kept bursting out with exclamations.

“Wow.”

Ja-gang-cheon, who had arrived on the mainland, found everything fascinating.

The ground he was stepping on, the mountains that looked like folding screens, the wind and smells different from Gwigokdo, the clean air, the quiet sea.

“There are so many colors.”

The world was far more colorful than Ja-gang-cheon had imagined.

The buildings, people, and even the sea that filled his vision were all splendid.

Especially the sea where the evening glow stretched long made the tranquil port scenery into a single painting.

While he was looking around at this and that, people disembarked from the ship that arrived later.

Only then did the port people who recognized them approach with welcoming expressions.

“What happened!”

“The ship disappeared and we lost contact, so we thought you’d been attacked by pirates!”

Leaving behind the East Sea Merchant Guild people who were moved by their safe return, the Merchant Guild Leader came to find Ja-gang-cheon first.

“How many days will you be staying, benefactor?”

“No. I’m planning to leave right away.”

“You said you’re going to Mudang Mountain, right? Please wait just half an hour. I’ll prepare the necessary things for you.”

“Yes. Thank you.”

When Ja-gang-cheon accepted without refusing, the Merchant Guild Leader also showed a relieved expression.

“Cheon-gu. While they’re preparing, show him around the market.”

“Yes, Merchant Guild Leader.”

As they moved busily, Cheon-gu called Ja-gang-cheon.

“Want to go see the market?”

“You’re going to guide me?”

“You saved me. So use me as you please.”

“Use? Not help, but use?”

“Oh. I need to repay the favor I owe you.”

When Ja-gang-cheon didn’t understand immediately, Cheon-gu asked.

“Aren’t you going to the market?”

“No. I want to go.”

“Then let’s go.”

Cheon-gu led Ja-gang-cheon to the market.

“Wow.”

Perhaps the word Ja-gang-cheon said most today was ‘wow.’ It was highly likely that ‘wow’ would be the word he’d say most in the future as well.

The market was truly another world.

First came the savory and stimulating smells he had never experienced in his lifetime. Not only the tempting fragrance of fruits, but even the fresh vegetables were different from those on Gwigokdo.

But what caught Ja-gang-cheon’s attention most of all were the people.

“Fresh steamed dumplings for sale!”

“Try our wheat pancakes before you go!”

“Hot meatball soup available!”

Merchants raised their voices, and customers bargained with various expressions.

Someone breathed out satisfyingly over a bowl of warm meatball soup, and those who met acquaintances exchanged cheerful greetings.

Though everyone lived with their own stories, nothing seemed out of place in the space called the market.

Seeing the strange harmony created by completely different appearances, Ja-gang-cheon stopped in his tracks.

“What are you doing? Let’s go.”

Thanks to Cheon-gu’s guidance, Ja-gang-cheon’s contemplation didn’t last long.

Tap. Tap.

The feeling of naturally brushing against people while passing through the narrow market was uncomfortable yet interesting.

Then he followed a scent that had been tickling his nose for a while.

“How do you buy and eat that?”

What Ja-gang-cheon was pointing at was an unusually shaped southern fruit.

“That’s called dragon fruit. It’s expensive, so I can’t afford it. If you want it, I could consider stealing it.”

“Is that also repaying a favor?”

“Right. Actually, I’m not confident I’d succeed. But I’ll do my best.”

“No. Don’t do that. And I have money.”

Ja-gang-cheon took out a promissory note from his chest.

“I heard this can be exchanged for money.”

Cheon-gu’s expression began to change as he examined the promissory note. It was because an enormous amount was written on it.

“You’re good at fighting and have a lot of money too. Follow me for now.”

Cheon-gu guided Ja-gang-cheon to the money exchange.

And from the moment they entered the money exchange, Ja-gang-cheon realized.

‘There’s nothing I can do by myself.’

The smallest denomination among his promissory notes was one hundred taels of silver. Though they verified the note’s authenticity, the money exchange owner, who found Ja-gang-cheon suspicious, asked about his identity.

But Cheon-gu answered instead.

“It’s written on the back of that promissory note that it should be honored unconditionally without identity verification. Are you trying to scam him because he’s young? Should I stage a protest in front of your money exchange? Word would spread quickly that this is a place that swallows promissory notes based on customers’ appearances.”

Eventually the money exchange owner produced one hundred taels of silver, and Cheon-gu snatched it up and handed it to Ja-gang-cheon.

“Thank you. Without you, I couldn’t have done anything.”

“That’s right. I’m a bit surprised myself.”

Having realized the reality, Ja-gang-cheon suddenly remembered the problem facing him.

“Can I go to Mudang Mountain by myself?”

“No. Absolutely not.”

Cheon-gu’s answer was firm.

“Setting aside finding the way, if it becomes known that you’re carrying such a large sum of money, pickpockets and swindlers will swarm you like flies in midsummer. Before you even reach Mudang Mountain, you’ll either become a murderer or end up penniless.”

The answer was so confident that Ja-gang-cheon imagined himself becoming a murderer and penniless fugitive.

“It’s not like there’s no solution.”

“What is it?”

“Ask me to go with you. I still have many favors left to repay you.”

“Oh? Really? You can do that?”

Ja-gang-cheon felt like seeing sunlight through dark clouds.

“Ask the Merchant Guild Leader for permission. The Merchant Guild Leader also owes a favor, so he won’t be able to refuse.”

While briefly rejoicing at Cheon-gu’s prediction, Ja-gang-cheon suddenly became curious.

“But if I just asked you to go, wouldn’t you go?”

“It’s not that I wouldn’t go, but that I can’t go.”

“Why?”

“I have to work for the merchant guild. That’s how I eat and sleep.”

“Ah…”

Ja-gang-cheon hadn’t known that obvious fact.

“Why are you making a disappointed face?”

“Just. I was hoping maybe I could make a friend too.”

“It’s still too early. I think you’re a good person, but I don’t feel close enough to be friends. You’re my benefactor, and you need me right now. That’s as far as it goes for now.”

Cheon-gu was as resolute as the Wudang swordsmanship his father had practiced.

***

“Is everything loaded?”

All of Ja-gang-cheon’s belongings had been moved to a large wagon. And Cheon-gu sat in the driver’s seat.

“There’s really nothing you can’t do.”

“If I couldn’t do it, I’d have to starve. So I have to do everything.”

Cheon-gu spoke calmly about his sad story.

“But do we really have to take all of this? It’s not a short distance to Mudang Mountain.”

“I can’t entrust it to other people.”

Ja-gang-cheon swallowed his next words internally.

‘It could become a disaster.’

In the end, there was no choice but to load all the luggage onto the wagon and take it directly.

‘It’ll be much safer if I entrust it to the Wudang Sect.’

With that thought, Ja-gang-cheon carefully petted the two horses that would pull the wagon.

The texture of their glossy fur was very fascinating.

‘So these are horses.’

Having directly confirmed the touch of horses he had only heard about, he finally climbed onto the wagon.

“Well then, we’re going.”

Ja-gang-cheon, sitting side by side next to Cheon-gu in the driver’s seat, said goodbye and left the village.

“But why are you going to Mudang Mountain?”

After leaving the village, Cheon-gu brought up the question he had been holding back.

“Originally I was just going to pay my respects, but now I have to ask them to save my parents. I considered going to North Cheon City, but I think Mudang Mountain would be better.”

“I understand that your father is from the Wudang Sect, but why North Cheon City?”

“My mother is from North Cheon City.”

“North Cheon City, the one in the north?”

“Yes. She said it’s in Liaoning Province.”

North Cheon City was the absolute powerhouse that had brought down the Moyong Family, the former hegemon of the north, and led the alliance of secular forces.

So Cheon-u, the 3rd Lord of North Cheon City who made North Cheon City the northern hegemon, and his eldest daughter was none other than the Demon Princess So-cheong-bi.

The person who was once so promising that there were talks of a woman being appointed as the 4th Lord of North Cheon City was Ja-gang-cheon’s mother.

“Your father is from the Wudang Sect?”

“Yes. His alias was Cheongheo Jinrin.”

Wudang Sect’s Cheongheo Jinrin Ja-un-hak.

He was a person who, just twenty years ago, was called a talent who would become the leader of the orthodox martial world.

Even Cheon-gu, who wasn’t a martial artist, remembered the alias of someone who had been missing for nearly twenty years – that’s how famous he was.

“Who exactly are you?”

Cheon-gu asked in bewilderment.

“I’m the son of Cheongheo Jinrin and So-cheong-bi.”

“Hmm. It’s complicated to think about, so I’ll just accept it. Well, that would explain how you beat up those pirates.”

Cheon-gu tried to just accept it, but couldn’t help himself and threw out one last question.

“But why did you choose Mudang Mountain instead of North Cheon City?”

“Ah. This is a secret, but…”

Ja-gang-cheon lowered his voice.

“I thought about it a lot. If I ask someone to save my parents, who would step forward first? I need to find someone who would move faster.”

“And so?”

“My father said this: The Shamans are fair and just, and don’t spare their lives for righteous causes.”

“Well, that’s what they say.”

“On the other hand, North Cheon City was a bit complicated.”

Ja-gang-cheon, who inwardly repeated ‘Mom, I’m sorry,’ shouted with a relieved expression.

“Let’s go to Mudang Mountain!”

The two left Jiao-nan and headed toward Mudang Mountain.

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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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