Heaven-Defying Hero - Chapter 54
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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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#054
It was a deep mountain untouched by human footsteps.
As if proving human survival instincts and adaptability, a single hut was built near the valley.
On a flat rock still wet with moisture.
Two people holding crude wooden staffs were engaged in sparring.
In fact, there was quite a difference in their builds to call it sparring, but the small-framed girl was radiating an aura no less fierce than the middle-aged man.
“Father! Prepare yourself!”
“You’re still far from ready.”
“Hmph! This time will be different!”
The girl stepped forward and thrust her staff straight out. The moment the man twisted his body to dodge, the girl struck the lower end of the staff she was holding.
The tip of the staff changed direction and pursued the man, but its speed wasn’t sufficient.
Thwack!
When the man forcefully pushed away the approaching staff, the girl’s balance wavered.
As her weakness was exposed, the man’s staff mercilessly pierced through.
Thud.
“Ah…”
“Your improvisation was good, but you lacked strength. Moreover, you were slow to recover your staff, putting yourself in danger. If you can’t find a way to compensate, it would be better not to use that technique.”
“I understand.”
The girl hung her head with a dejected expression. The man let out a long sigh at this.
“The Ak Family Spear Technique was originally created for men. How about practicing a different martial art?”
The man was Ak-pung-jin, the last leader of the fallen Jangpung Caravan. And the girl was his daughter, Ak Ha-rang.
“Does it make sense for the leader of Jangpung Caravan not to know the Ak Family Spear Technique?”
“I’m still the leader though?”
“Once we reclaim the caravan, Father should retire. You’ve suffered enough, so you should rest.”
It was truly unrealistic, but her heart was precious.
“Yes. Once we reclaim the caravan, I’ll retire.”
Ak-pung-jin said this lightly because he believed it would be impossible before his death.
Just then, the sound of a bell could be heard from far below in the valley. It was a pre-arranged signal.
“Uncle Gilseom must have come.”
Hearing the bell sound, Ak Ha-rang showed a pleased expression.
Not only did he supply lacking materials, but he also brought news from the outside world, making Gilseom one of Ak Ha-rang’s favorite people.
As expected, they could see a small-framed, shaggy-haired figure nimbly stepping on the valley rocks as he approached.
“Lord!”
Though usually calm by nature, today he urgently held something out.
“This was placed on the pagoda at Annam Temple.”
Annam Temple was an abandoned temple in Jinan. And what Gilseom held out was a plain cloth.
-If you ever need me for anything, please place a plain cloth on top of the broken pagoda at the abandoned temple south of Jinan. Then I’ll let you know where you can meet me.
He had once said such words to the benefactor who saved him and his daughter.
There was no chance of confusing this with someone else.
‘He was the only one who told me to place a plain cloth.’
Depending on the type of cloth placed, one could know the other party’s identity first.
“I’ll go myself.”
“Father! Me too!”
“Stay here with Uncle Gilseom for now. Once safety is confirmed, I’ll bring our benefactor back.”
“Really? You promise!”
Ak-pung-jin hurriedly descended the valley.
It was evening when the sunset was deeply spread.
Someone called out to Ja-gang-cheon, who was examining a broken Buddha statue inside the abandoned temple.
“I greet my benefactor.”
“It’s good to see you again.”
Ja-gang-cheon greeted him with a smile.
“You know why I came, don’t you?”
Ak-pung-jin heard all rumors related to the Hwangbo Clan. There was no way he wouldn’t know about the Jiao-nan incident that had been circulating for the past five days.
Not only that, but he had investigated the truth behind the rumors in his own way and was inwardly convinced they were true.
‘Because the Hwangbo Clan’s response is strange.’
If the rumors were fake, the Hwangbo Clan wouldn’t have stayed quiet. The rumors would disappear the moment Hwangbo Baek showed himself by going out just once.
‘Their complete lack of reaction doesn’t make sense.’
Because the rumors were so ominous.
-The Hwangbo Clan lord and key figures attacked Deungmyeong Manor, but all died and the young lord was taken hostage.
At first, it was such absurd content that it seemed like a false rumor. Still, he investigated because Deungmyeong Manor, which Ja-gang-cheon had mentioned when leaving, was involved.
And now Ja-gang-cheon appeared in person and told Ak-pung-jin.
“Now the real fight with the Hwangbo Clan begins. Jangpung Caravan should participate too.”
Ja-gang-cheon said that Jangpung Caravan, not Ak-pung-jin, should participate.
-Reclaim it yourself.
That’s what it meant.
He had thought there might never be an opportunity in his lifetime, but that moment came like a gift.
“If there’s a place for me, I’ll gladly risk my life.”
“Please do. And besides you, Lord, there will be many others to fight alongside. Please take the role of gathering them. I’ll lend you the names of Deungmyeong Manor and myself.”
Jangpung Caravan was sufficient to represent those who had been wronged.
He thought it would be a much better picture for Ak-pung-jin to step forward rather than Deungmyeong Manor managing directly.
Of course, it was Cheon-gu’s idea, not Ja-gang-cheon’s.
“I’ve brought someone to help you, Uncle. I heard you refused before, but this time it will be absolutely necessary.”
As he finished speaking, a woman who had been standing beside the Buddha statue approached.
Since she had deliberately stayed a step away, Ak-pung-jin had been aware of her from the beginning.
“Hello. I’m Miho from Hao-mun.”
The woman who had been caught while monitoring Ja-gang-cheon in the past revealed her name and bowed her head.
While her distinct features and boldly arched eyebrows were attractive, her manner of speaking was stiff.
She was one of the subordinates Yeon-hee trusted most, sent as the person in charge considering the importance of this matter.
“Work together only for this matter. You can decide what to do afterward on your own.”
Having heard that Ak-pung-jin had refused cooperation with Hao-mun, Ja-gang-cheon drew the line first.
“Right now, you need to cooperate with Hao-mun.”
“I’ll do so.”
Understanding the situation, Ak-pung-jin accepted without being stubborn.
Once that was settled, Ja-gang-cheon approached Ak-pung-jin and said.
“Let’s turn back the time of Shandong Province.”
“To when are we returning?”
“To the time when Jangpung Caravan was most brilliant.”
Ak-pung-jin bowed deeply before Ja-gang-cheon instead of expressing his overwhelming emotions.
“Jangpung Caravan leader Ak-pung-jin swears in the name of all the ancestors of the Shandong Ak family. I will engrave the grace you have bestowed in my heart and repay it with my life without fail.”
“Repay Ha-rang instead of me. That’s the happiest path, isn’t it?”
At those words, Ak-pung-jin’s heart grew hot once again.
***
Jiao-nan, the source of the rumors that shook Shandong Province, was continuing its daily life amid anxiety.
There was no one in Jiao-nan who didn’t know the status of Deungmyeong Manor.
They had cleaned up the black market, driven out the criminal organizations, and abolished booth fees. Furthermore, they had greatly revitalized the market.
-There is no resident of Jiao-nan who has not received the grace of Deungmyeong Manor.
These words didn’t come out for no reason.
Nevertheless, what they saw today was beyond their expectations.
“Huh? What am I looking at right now?”
It was when the sailors who had started their daily work arrived at the port.
It was just the beginning of dawn, yet they could see people busily carrying luggage in the center of the port.
“Could it be that the Shandong Trading Company and the caravan are withdrawing?”
“I heard that Hwangbo Sega suffered a crushing defeat at Deungmyeong Manor. It really seems to be true.”
It was the tenth day since the incident occurred.
All the key figures had already escaped, but a few working-level people still remained to maintain the caravan and trading company.
But now they seemed to have reached their limit, loading more than ten wagons full of luggage.
“To think I’d see Hwangbo Sega fleeing while living in Shandong Province.”
“Deungmyeong Manor is surprising people once again.”
As the sailors began to gather one by one, the wagons loaded with luggage all left the port at once.
They had cleared away even the signboards and flags, as if trying to erase all traces.
It was a complete surrender and flight.
However, they didn’t take everything with them.
They took even the broken tables, but left the people behind.
“What will happen to those children?”
These were the children that the Shandong Patrol Bureau didn’t take with them when they withdrew.
“They’re from Haejeonggol, right? Gu Dong-gu is dead and the caravan they entrusted themselves to has disappeared, so those children are truly pitiful.”
“Now they don’t even have Haejeonggol to return to.”
The children who had lost their destination still remained in the masterless caravan.
“Tsk tsk. A pitiful life becomes even more pitiful.”
“What can we do? It’s not like we have the means to help them either.”
The sailors clicked their tongues in sympathy and turned away.
It was a bustling morning.
The Haejeonggol children still couldn’t leave that place. At least some of the older children decided to become independent and left.
Due to the rules Gu Dong-gu had created, they weren’t close to each other, so even their conversations felt superficial.
“What do we do now?”
“Isn’t there anywhere to go?”
“I want to go back to Haejeonggol at least.”
They only voiced their individual worries. Since there was no solution, no one could step forward to lead.
Then, a man entered the masterless caravan.
The children who saw this man all focused their attention on him.
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
It was Cheon-gu, the chief administrator of Deungmyeong Manor.
Among those from Haejeonggol, some were seeing Cheon-gu for the first time, but they had often heard stories about him.
Surprisingly, it was because Gu Dong-gu himself had told them about him.
-I’m the one who created the position of chief administrator at Deungmyeong Manor.
He always went around bragging like that.
Most of the children knew this wasn’t true, but anyway, it was true that someone from Haejeonggol had become the chief administrator of the most respected manor in Jiao-nan.
So Cheon-gu was the children’s hope.
“Since we’re not particularly close to each other, I’ll skip the greetings. Today I came to deliver a message from the Lord of Deungmyeong Manor.”
The children swallowed nervously and waited for Cheon-gu’s words with tense expressions.
“The Lord of Deungmyeong Manor has ordered that you all be taken in. Those who wish will receive lodging and work through the Donghae Labor Office.”
“Um, Chief Administrator Cheon-gu?”
A child who appeared to be about ten years old asked with a trembling voice.
“Then do we now belong to the Donghae Labor Office?”
“No. We’ll only provide lodging and jobs for one year. I’ll tell you in advance that you’ll receive equal treatment. You won’t be exploited without wages like now, but you won’t receive any special privileges beyond room and board either.”
Cheon-gu looked around at the children and said.
“Choose for yourselves where you want to belong. But remember this. Good organizations require effort to enter. Conversely, places that accept anyone are not good places.”
Cheon-gu spoke his final words with sincerity.
“You did nothing wrong in the unfortunate life you’re experiencing now. So never look down on yourselves. You have unfortunate fates, but you’re not lowly humans. Your lives have been unhappy, but the future is unknown.”
Cheon-gu was proving that value with his own body.
“Don’t be defeated by fate and strive to seize your opportunities. Deungmyeong Manor will give you a chance.”
Those words were also meant for himself.
Seeing hope finally appear in the children’s expressions, Cheon-gu stepped aside. Then a person familiar to the children stepped forward.
“I am So Yeon-dok, chief of the East Sea Labor Office. It’s exactly as the chief administrator of Deungmyeong Manor explained. Those who wish, follow me.”
Since they were at the port, they couldn’t help but know about the East Sea Labor Office. So Yeon-dok was currently the person the port sailors trusted most.
In the end, all the children who had remained at the caravan followed So Yeon-dok without exception.
The onlookers who watched this scene smiled warmly and each made a comment.
“Deungmyeong Manor is taking responsibility for those children too.”
“The Young Master is remarkable. A true gentleman. A gentleman.”
“Actually, haven’t our lives become more livable since the Lord arrived?”
“Where is it just us? There’s no one living in Jiao-nan who hasn’t benefited.”
Their conversation naturally led to what would happen in the future.
“By the way, there will be quite a few people scared out of their wits. Our ship owner is one of them too.”
“Ah! Didn’t you say your ship owner is the cousin of the Haeshin Merchant Guild Leader? Isn’t Haeshin Merchant Guild the place that abandoned Cha Makdo of the East Sea Merchant Guild? Moreover, wasn’t it the place most loyal to the Shandong Trading Company this time?”
“It’s not just Haeshin Merchant Guild. Didn’t most of the existing merchant guilds end up abandoned after clinging to the Shandong Trading Company?”
“I heard the East Sea Merchant Guild is really preparing for something. It should be interesting to watch from now on.”
“We don’t have to worry since we registered with the Donghae Labor Office long ago. I was secretly anxious when Hwangbo Sega came in, but this worked out well.”
Everyone knew that a great storm would blow through Jiao-nan.
“By the way, what happens from now on? Will Hwangbo Sega and Deungmyeong Manor have an all-out war?”
“That’s what I’m saying. Deungmyeong Manor will have to hold out.”
“When has Deungmyeong Manor ever fought an advantageous battle? But they’ve won every time, so they probably will this time too.”
“Look at Chief Administrator Cheon-gu over there. Seeing how relaxed he is, there must be some plan, right?”
Had he heard those words?
Cheon-gu looked at the watching sailors and showed a slight smile.
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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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