Surviving as the Sacheon Dang Clan’s Servant - Chapter 124

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 124
Dang Gak cut off Jo’s wife midsentence, as if to silence her foolish prattle.
“It wouldn’t look right for me to act when there are younger elders available.”
“……I understand. Then who do you think will go? Can’t we draw toward our side the elder who’s meant for the Demonic Cult’s main headquarters?”
“It’ll probably be Elder Seven. No other elder would want to take on such a tiresome burden.”
“That’s no good! That man will shield the illegitimate child. We need to send someone who will testify that woman is definitely a spy for the Demonic Cult.”
Jo’s wife raised her voice, and Dang Gak shook his head.
“If we meddle clumsily in the Demonic Cult’s affairs, we’ll only turn their suspicion toward ourselves. And if they misunderstand that we’re trying to cover our tracks—how would we manage the aftermath? Let’s wait until the interrogation is finished.”
“We can’t kill her directly, we can’t keep her from leaving the Demonic Cult—what exactly do you want me to do?”
Jo’s wife cried out, gripping her teacup so tightly her knuckles went white. All color had drained from her hands. She was barely containing her rage.
Dang Gak, his ear still ringing from her sharp voice, seemed a touch irritated himself and answered curtly.
“Just leave her be until she returns to the Dang Residence.”
“If that woman has any sense, she won’t come back to the Dang Residence at all.”
“That’s precisely why Elder Seven must be the one to go. He had a close enough relationship with her—she won’t refuse to return to the Dang Residence if he comes for her.”
“……I’m not convinced. Didn’t Elder Seven also just stand by and watch when that woman was driven away? What reason would she have to trust him and follow?”
“The Martial World is no gentle place. That woman has faced threats to her life more than once and lived as a fugitive for a long time. By now, she must be longing for the embrace of her clan. If she knows he’s my grandfather’s man, she’ll trust him and return.”
At the near-certainty in his tone, Jo’s wife fell silent, her lips pressed together.
“When that child returns, then we’ll make our move. At that point, I’ll act directly myself.”
“……Yes.”
Jo’s wife answered slowly, her eyes narrowing fiercely.
“But don’t forget that promise. The moment that illegitimate child sets foot in Sichuan, you must go out there yourself.”
“Of course.”
Dang Gak stood, his agreement straightforward.
“Too frequent meetings that draw attention won’t do. Don’t seek me out for a while.”
“Yes. I won’t see you to the door. Please go carefully.”
Having finished their conversation, the two smiled mockingly at each other.
‘A cowardly old fool.’
‘A foolish woman.’
Dang Gak turned coldly away and slipped out of Jo’s wife’s quarters.
A bitter laugh escaped him at Jo’s wife’s arrogant confidence. He slowly clenched his fist.
Look at how the son of Dang Cheon Gi—everyone’s celebrated genius—was destroying the clan.
And what of his greedy, witless wife, brought into the family by that son?
Like a pack of starving wolves chasing only what was in front of them, they gnawed at their own flesh without pause.
The position of Family Head didn’t truly belong to Dang Cheon Gi’s blood.
Soon his beloved grandson would claim the seat of glory.
So all that remained was to wait a little longer.
Just a little more patience.
At the end of long endurance, sweetness would be waiting.
Dang Gak’s cold eyes fixed on the direction of the Family Head’s chamber.
A sharp gust of winter wind clawed across his cheek and passed on.
* * *
The Dock was teeming with crowds.
Porters bustled about loading cargo onto merchant vessels bearing trading house flags, and many passengers lined up to board passenger ships.
I thought the Face Veil might obscure my vision, and with so many people, moving about could be difficult—but it turned out to be needless worry.
The moment everyone saw Yeon Liang and Beop Gong, they shrank back and instinctively made way.
‘With these two around, won’t my Face Veil actually stand out even more? Shouldn’t these gentlemen be the ones wearing it, not me?’
Uncomfortable under their relentless stares, I hesitated, and Yeon Liang gently pulled me forward.
“Sohye. Do that and you’ll board the wrong ship. Come over here.”
Meanwhile, Beop Gong, who had already boarded and paid our passage, called to us.
“Yes, little one. Don’t go getting on the wrong boat—come here.”
The two of them seemed utterly indifferent to the stares around them. I was the only one watching for reactions.
“Are you paying for me?”
“It’s a long journey. I can spare passage fare. Consider it travel money.”
“Don’t say unlucky things.”
Beop Gong, chuckling, asked a question.
“Little one. Have you ever dealt with water pirates?”
“No. I’ve never even met one.”
“Is that so? Then we should practice defending against enemies who use water techniques.”
The moment Beop Gong muttered this and began to extend his arm, Yeon Liang quickly blocked it.
“No, no. Don’t.”
“What? Why?”
“Would there be reason to poison the river? Do you think I’m going to throw the child into the water when I know how many poisons Sohye carries on her person?”
“Ah. I hadn’t thought of that.”
Beop Gong smacked his lips and withdrew his hand. I stared at him blankly, trying to make sense of what he’d just said, then my jaw went slack.
“What are you talking about? You were actually going to throw me in the river? In this cold? In weather like this?”
“Don’t regret it. There’ll be plenty of chances.”
Not that I regret it. This man truly has no sense of propriety.
I quickly ducked behind Yeon Liang’s back, and Beop Gong let out a snort before pulling out a wine bottle and bringing it to his lips.
The monk drinking straight from the bottle drew all eyes in the vicinity.
But the bulging muscles made frightened passengers think twice before murmuring anything at all.
They simply edged away in silence.
“Ahhh. Good wine.”
…I need to pretend I don’t know him. Any closer and I really will end up in that river.
I naturally took a step back, putting myself further and further from Beop Gong.
* * *
Beop Gong watched Sohye disappear into the crowd and gave a light nod.
“Hey. Your sister’s slinking off. Just going to let her?”
“She doesn’t want to be grouped with the likes of us. It’s her first time on a big ship—she’ll want to look around. Let her go.”
“What? What’s wrong with me? Where else would you find a reliable companion like I am?”
“Put that bottle away before you say another word. Everyone’s staring.”
At Yeon Liang’s rebuke, Beop Gong wiped the liquor from his mouth and asked a question.
“Yeon Liang. What will you do?”
“What do you mean?”
“What will you do from here on? You were planning to clear that child’s name and disappear. But she’s your blood—you’ll just leave her alone?”
At a question that struck home, Yeon Liang’s mouth fell open and he looked away.
“…You’ve got sharp instincts, don’t you?”
“Can’t I read your mind? The moment I heard it, I knew what you were thinking. Whether you die or rot in prison, you were planning to tell the child that you’d gone far away.”
“…”
Yeon Liang clamped his mouth shut and gazed up at the sky. Beop Gong spoke matter-of-factly.
“That’s something you can’t do to your sister. If she finds out later, it’ll stay in her heart for the rest of her life.”
“…I know. I won’t die.”
He muttered this, blinking slowly. The crystalline brilliance of the winter sky filled his eyes completely.
“Want a drink?”
Beop Gong thrust the wine bottle at him. Yeon Liang nodded and took it to his lips.
As the rough liquor went down his throat, it burned like fire.
Yeon Liang bit his lip and spoke with resolve.
“Somehow…. Somehow I’ll live. I can’t die and leave that child behind.”
“That’s the spirit.”
Beop Gong chuckled and took the bottle back, tilting his head. He licked the dripping drops of liquor from his tongue and grumbled.
“Damn. It’s gone already. You only had two sips?”
“Ha, and you’re bragging over a single mouthful? I’ll buy you a whole barrel, so stop whining.”
“Really? You promised with your own mouth? You won’t take it back?”
“…When I’m around you, I get the illusion that I could live with some dignity.”
“What dignity could you possibly lack? You’re decent enough.”
At Beop Gong’s response, Yeon Liang laughed with a hollow sound.
“You’re both strange. Knowing what I am, how can you be so untroubled?”
“It’s a shame, a little. If you’d mastered the Zheng Gong, we could’ve put you to good use in the crew.”
“Get out of here. I’m not playing lackey to you.”
Yeon Liang shot Beop Gong a look and turned his gaze to the flowing Yangtze River.
In a life that was either long or short, he’d found something to protect for the first time.
So he would have to change.
To give the child who’d brought him an ordinary life, a new existence, something to hold onto.
He would live for his only family.
…He would absolutely not die.
* * *
By the time I finished watching the sailors adjust the sails to catch the wind, evening had fallen.
The ship cut through the orange-tinted waters of the river with the swift grace of a fish.
They say if the wind is good, half a day makes the journey. They weren’t lying. This thing is incredibly fast.
As I stretched my neck over the rail to peer below in fascination, a sailor suddenly shouted at the top of his lungs.
“Suryong Wang! It’s Suryong Wang!”
“Water bandits! They’re here!”
Water bandits?
I lifted my head in alarm, and sure enough, several vessels were approaching from the distance.
All of them flew black flags, and when I looked closer, each one bore the image of eighteen tangled fish.
The crew hastily adjusted the sails, but the gap between us only narrowed—their efforts were futile.
“No, this can’t be! My wife is waiting for me at home!”
“Everyone prepare to hand over what you have! Better to lose everything than lose your life!”
The terrified passengers shrieked and huddled down as the water bandits drew closer. Some fumbled to gather their valuables.
Beop Gong crossed the chaotic deck in seconds and planted himself beside me, shading his eyes with his hand.
“The Suryong Pirate Crew? I just hope they don’t use fire arrows. I can’t stand the heat.”
“Fire arrows?”
“Yeah. When they want to kill everyone, they burn the boat or sink it. But look—they’re circling us with multiple ships. This doesn’t look like a simple ransom job.”
“Aren’t water pirates supposed to take their passage toll and let you go peacefully? If they kill everyone, isn’t that a loss for them too?”
“But Suryong—or whatever water serpent this one is—he’s different. The bastard has a sick hobby of playing with fire on the water.”
Beop Gong shrugged and jutted his chin forward.
“Five ships. Two for you, two for me, one for the kid—we’ll wrap this up quick. What do you think, Yeon Liang?”
Yeon Liang, who had silently moved closer, nodded.
“Agreed.”
“I’ll take the flagship. As for the runt—looks like she won’t need to go far. They’re already here.”
Beop Gong rubbed his jaw and pointed to the water bandits hooking their grappling lines to our railing.
One of them locked eyes with me and grinned wickedly.
“Khehe… wearing a veil, are we? Must be some noble’s daughter. Quite pretty too, I’d wager. We’ll offer you to Suryong Wang himself.”
Beop Gong, watching the bandit spout his nonsense, turned to me with a question.
“Kid. What did I tell you before?”
“If you want to have a rational conversation, first beat them into submission?”
“Exactly. You’re sharp.”
“I told you not to teach her strange things.”
I heard Yeon Liang sigh. Beop Gong chuckled and flicked his hand.
“You’ve got fifteen seconds. Clean up that boat by yourself.”
“What if I go over?”
“Then I’m throwing you in the river. Counting starts now. One, two…”
“Wait, wait! That doesn’t count! Start over!”
I shouted and leaped toward the water bandits climbing aboard.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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