My Younger Siblings Are the Greatest Masters in the World - Chapter 78

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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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78.

“Why is Hwanggeum-i’s mother leaving while crying? Did that child do something tactless again?”

“Go right now and tell Mujin-i to come here.”

“Why Mujin-i?”

“Hurry up and go. Quickly.”

Yeon Seobi, who tilted her head in confusion, appeared with Seol Mujin after half a hour had passed.

“What did you call me for?”

“Is it true that Hwanggeum-i’s father is the Third Prince?”

Seol Mujin, who was about to sit on the chair, hesitated, and Yeon Seobi, who was about to close the door and approach, stopped walking.

After a silence filled with surprise flowed through the room, Seol Mujin asked.

“Who did you hear that from?”

“Jangsim came earlier.”

Seol Mujin nodded with an ‘Ah!’ expression.

“Is it true?”

At the repeated question, Seol Mujin sat across from Hwa Seonhwa and answered.

“It seems so.”

Yeon Seobi repeatedly exclaimed ‘My goodness! My goodness!’

“Then Jangsim is the Third Prince’s wife… what do you call that?”

At Yeon Seobi’s question, Seol Mujin firmly shook his head.

“Jang’s Wife will never marry the Third Prince.”

Hwa Seonhwa also chimed in agreement.

“It’s something that could never happen. How could a courtesan marry into the royal family?”

In fact, even Hwa Seonhwa marrying Go Bongsu was something close to a miracle.

Even if one quit being a courtesan now, the label of having been a courtesan follows like a curse.

Courtesans, who are treated on the same level as butchers, are shunned even by common people when it comes to marriage.

If it became known to the central government that Go Bongsu married Hwa Seonhwa, who had been a courtesan, he might have to give up his magistrate position.

That’s why Hwa Seonhwa firmly refused when Go Bongsu first proposed to her.

If Go Bongsu’s courtship hadn’t been so persistent and sincere, the two could never have been together.

If even a mere local magistrate faces such difficulties, a member of the royal family marrying a woman who was a courtesan would be harder than a snake ascending to heaven.

“Then what will happen to Jangsim?”

Yeon Seobi’s question was met with silence.

How could Seol Mujin or Hwa Seonhwa know the outcome of this matter?

But one thing was certain.

“This matter must never leak to the outside.”

“Of course. If the fact that the Third Prince has a child becomes known, it would cause chaos. Hwanggeum-i and his mother might not be safe. Seobi, you must absolutely watch your tongue.”

Yeon Seobi grabbed her lips with her index finger and thumb and answered with unclear pronunciation, ‘I don’t know anything.’

Hwa Seonhwa asked Seol Mujin.

“But why is the Third Prince here?”

***

“The Shandong gathering is still five days away, so why is the Third Prince in Jinan?”

At Namgung Bongseong’s question, Namgung Cheolsang smiled and said.

“Isn’t it because of Seol Podoo?”

“The Third Prince went to Jinan early to meet Seol Podoo?”

“Seol Podoo must have quite impressed the Third Prince.”

“Then should we consider that Seol Podoo has also entered under the Third Prince’s command?”

“He’s the Third Prince, no less. There’s no reason not to join him.”

“Finally, he’s in the same boat as us.”

“We can’t be relieved yet. Just being on the same side isn’t enough, is it?”

“Hyemin departed for Jinan, right?”

“She should have almost arrived by now.”

***

Hwangbo Ryeoseon and Sang Chiyeon on horseback were slowly crossing through downtown Pyeongeumhyeon.

At the thought of being able to meet Seol Mujin this evening, her hand kept going to the whip.

“Young Lady, you should eat.”

The tactless Sang Chiyeon tried to make sure she ate her meals regularly.

“Let’s just have some dried rations while traveling…”

Someone interrupted Hwangbo Ryeoseon’s words.

“Sister Ryeoseon!”

When she turned her head, a woman on horseback was waving her hand from among the crowd.

The reason she didn’t recognize her at first glance was because the woman was wearing cotton cloth that covered the lower part of her face below her eyes.

And soon, because of that cotton cloth, she could tell who the woman was.

Sang Chiyeon also recognized the woman.

“It’s Namgung Hyemin.”

Namgung Hyemin, accompanied by three bodyguards, hurriedly closed the distance with Hwangbo Ryeoseon.

This was absolutely the last face she wanted to meet near Jinan where Seol Mujin was, but they had ended up meeting like this.

“What brings you here?”

Hwangbo Ryeoseon asked even though she knew.

“The same business as you, sister?”

“How do you know what my business is?”

“You’re on your way to Jinan, aren’t you?”

“So what’s my business in Jinan?”

“Preliminary reconnaissance for the Shandong branch meeting, right?”

‘Cunning little fox.’

What she was reconnoitering was definitely Seol Mujin, not the Shandong branch meeting.

“That’s right. We have the same business.”

Namgung Hyemin said with a smiling face.

“It’s almost lunchtime, so let’s go to that restaurant over there and eat together. I’ll pay.”

It seemed Hwangbo Ryeoseon wasn’t the only one in a hurry.

Including Namgung Hyemin’s three bodyguards, about six people took the same path for the meal.

She felt uncomfortable having unwanted company, but Namgung Hyemin chattered away with this story and that.

It seemed heaven had given Namgung Hyemin beauty and sociability instead of martial arts talent.

After finishing their meal and riding their horses quite diligently, they arrived at Cheonseongsan.

Once they crossed that Cheonseongsan, they could reach Yeonji-ru in less than two hours.

Even though they were in the same Jinan, the path to Seol Mujin was this long and treacherous.

Cheonseongsan was a mountain with more rocks than trees.

Still, the road was well-paved enough for carriages to pass through.

Going up the winding road, around the middle of Cheonseongsan, a road called Nakparo appeared.

The road carved through the middle of a slanted cliff had a slope leading to the summit on one side and a cliff-like slope on the other.

The slanted slope looked like a vertical cliff when viewed from above.

Nevertheless, they could feel at ease because the road was quite wide.

Since the width was mostly over one jang, carriages could pass through.

Occasionally, when two carriages met, fights would break out over who should yield.

They rode their horses with the cliff on their right and staying close to the left wall.

Namgung Hyemin, who glanced down at the cliff below that had no railing, shook her head.

“If you fall, they won’t even be able to collect your bones.”

Sang Chiyeon said.

“It looks like a cliff, but it’s actually just a steep slope. If you slide down well, you might survive. Of course, it would be better not to fall at all…”

Hwangbo Ryeoseon cut off Sang Chiyeon’s words.

“Wait a moment.”

Her gaze was directed backward as she listened intently.

Soon Sang Chiyeon could also hear what Hwangbo Ryeoseon was listening to.

“Quite a large number.”

“What is?”

“I can hear the sound of horse hooves from behind.”

A moment later, they could see the horses and riders that appeared behind them.

They were military cavalry carrying a large banner that read ‘Seomseo-do Jidosa’.

The number of soldiers wearing light brown armor stretched so long that the rear couldn’t be seen.

“Why would Seomseo Province’s military come all the way here?”

Namgung Hyemin, who asked the question, didn’t expect an answer, so the silence wasn’t unpleasant.

Approaching at a quick pace, they soon drew near.

“Let’s go too.”

Hwangbo Ryeoseon urged her horse forward again.

Nakparo, which wound around the mountainside, stretched quite long.

Hwangbo Ryeoseon occasionally turned her head to observe the military cavalry following them.

The military cavalry following about fifty zhang behind didn’t seem to have any intention of overtaking them.

So they didn’t bother to increase their speed, but an unavoidable situation arose that forced them to stop.

A carriage appeared from around the corner ahead.

If it had been an ordinary carriage, they could have passed by pressing against the wall, but the carriage in sight was so large it was nearly one zhang wide.

In places where the road was even slightly narrow, one of the carriage wheels would precariously hang over the cliff.

Namgung Hyemin, seeing the carriage, let out an exasperated voice.

“How could they bring such a large carriage onto Nakparo?”

If it were just people, they could climb over the carriage, but horses had no choice but to go back to a wider area.

The slowly approaching carriage stopped five zhang in front of them.

On the driver’s seat sat a man who appeared to be in his mid-thirties.

One of Namgung Hyemin’s three bodyguards stepped forward.

“Look here. How do you expect to handle bringing such a large carriage on such a narrow road?”

The man on the driver’s seat scratched the back of his head with an embarrassed expression.

“I’m sorry. This place has so few people, I didn’t expect to encounter horses.”

“Oh my, this is quite something. To get to a place wide enough for carriages and horses to pass, we’d have to go back fifty zhang.”

But they couldn’t go back either, as the military cavalry was already passing through the wide area.

The bodyguard said to the coachman.

“You’re in big trouble too. When those military cavalry arrive, they’ll push your carriage off the cliff.”

Several thousand soldiers wouldn’t step back because of a carriage.

“Oh dear, this is a big problem. I’d better run away before the soldiers give me a beating.”

The coachman climbed over the carriage roof and disappeared toward the back.

They were the ones left bewildered.

It was already absurd to encounter such a large carriage, but for the coachman to abandon the carriage and run away!

“Something’s strange about this.”

A small stone fell in front of the muttering Hwangbo Ryeoseon, rolled with a tapping sound, then disappeared over the cliff.

Hwangbo Ryeoseon raised her head to look upward.

‘A smell.’

Faint but unmistakable, it was the smell of gunpowder.

“Damn! Everyone take cover!”

But it was too late.

Just as they dismounted, a thunderous boom echoed and rocks began pouring down.

Thud!

A massive boulder fell right on a bodyguard, scattering blood and flesh in all directions.

“Ahhh!”

Namgung Hyemin, losing her balance, fell from her horse and rolled toward the cliff.

“Young Lady!”

Two bodyguards simultaneously threw themselves toward Namgung Hyemin.

The cliff crumbled at a terrifying speed, pouring down rocks like hail.

Hwangbo Ryeoseon and Sang Chiyeon barely avoided the rocks, but at this rate, they would be buried alive.

“Ahhhhh—!”

The soldiers following behind were crushed by rocks and fell off cliffs, creating a scene of chaos.

Hwangbo Ryeoseon, having avoided a large boulder, shouted to Sang Chiyeon.

“Chiyeon! Down below!”

Just as the two were about to throw themselves off the cliff, a sharp scream erupted.

“Ahhh—!”

The bodyguard holding Namgung Hyemin was struck by a rock and lost his grip on her.

“Damn!”

Hwangbo Ryeoseon threw herself toward Namgung Hyemin, who was about to be swept away by the rocks.

Hwangbo Ryeoseon barely managed to grab the wrist of Namgung Hyemin, whose body was tilted backward, horizontal to the ground with her arms outstretched.

“Stay conscious!”

“S-Sister!”

Namgung Hyemin called out to Hwangbo Ryeoseon with an expression that looked ready to cry.

Though Namgung Hyemin had learned martial arts, she was helpless before the hail-like shower of rocks.

Hwangbo Ryeoseon tucked Namgung Hyemin under her arm and looked at Sang Chiyeon.

“Get on a rock and slide down! Got it?”

“Yes!”

Dust from the crumbling cliff began to obscure their vision.

“The big rock on the right!”

As Hwangbo Ryeoseon shouted and threw herself forward, Sang Chiyeon followed closely behind.

Using the Thousand Catty Drop technique, her body sank down and landed on the falling boulder.

The rock, large enough for both of them to stand on, fell rapidly before colliding with another boulder.

Bang!

As the bouncing rock spun around, Hwangbo Ryeoseon and Sang Chiyeon moved their legs to match its rotation.

Above their heads, other rocks were fiercely chasing after them.

Seeing the rapidly approaching ground, Sang Chiyeon shouted.

“Young Lady! We’re going to hit!”

The two leaped upward just as the rock was about to hit the ground.

Crash—!

The rock shattered into pieces upon hitting the ground, sending fragments flying in all directions.

Though they deployed their protective qi, it wasn’t enough to block all the blade-sharp rock fragments.

Feeling sharp pain in her forearm, Hwangbo Ryeoseon lost her grip on Namgung Hyemin.

“Ahhh!”

Screaming, Namgung Hyemin fell between the rocks piled on the ground.

“Hyemin!”

Crash!

Large and small rocks continued falling from overhead.

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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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