Surviving as the Sacheon Dang Clan’s Servant - Chapter 81

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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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Episode 81
“I’m right about this, aren’t I?”
He laughed with a high-pitched cackle and drew his sword. I, panicking and rolling my eyes, quickly slipped my hand into my sleeve.
In an instant, the heaviest of the bandits surrounding us bellowed with a ringing voice.
“Hand over everything you’ve got, and we’ll let you keep your lives!”
It was startling enough to freeze the blood, yet somehow my spirit deflated. There was something so textbook-honest about the words that I let out a hollow laugh.
Yeon Ryang seemed to share the sentiment, surveying the bandits before speaking.
“Hey there, Nok Rim Brotherhood. Who’s your leader?”
At Yeon Ryang’s question, a bandit draped in tiger pelt stepped forward. An Iron Mace hung diagonally across his shoulder.
“I am Go Bul, leader of Jakhochae, at your service.”
“Go Bul?”
“Go Bul! You daft fool, it’s Go Bul!”
Go Bul’s whiskers trembled as he howled the correction.
“Right, Go Bul. Pleased to meet you. Our sister here—she’s still young, and we’d rather spare her the sight of blood. Think you could let us pass peacefully?”
“I already told you. Hand over everything, and you’ll keep your lives.”
“So you’ve got nothing to offer?”
“Kkhkhkhkh, now that’s a stupid question. You’re slow on the uptake, aren’t you?”
Go Bul made a gurgling sound and spat, laughing with a bleak edge. At once, the bandits’ encirclement tightened.
“Listen up, you lot.”
Whoosh! Clang!
The sickening ring of metal striking metal split the air.
Despite the bandits’ threat, Yeon Ryang remained unruffled. He even whistled softly as he adjusted his grip on the sword with casual ease.
That carefree confidence was contagious; my own nerves settled.
He might loaf about at home like an idle uncle, but Yeon Ryang’s Sword Technique was something I could trust absolutely.
The bandits didn’t look particularly strong either.
Unlike the rogues whose hair bristled at the mere meeting of eyes, surrounded by a dozen-odd men produced no anxiety in me whatsoever.
As I stood there gaping, a bandit dressed in bear pelt rushed at me.
“Think you can stay so calm while your sister’s being taken? Let’s see about that! Hyaaaah!”
“Oof, that startled me.”
I reflexively fired a Feather Needle and stumbled backward. The bandit with the needle embedded in his forehead cried out like he’d been wronged.
“Ack! Treacherous! Hiding needles like that…!”
“What, needles are supposed to be hidden. That’s how you use them, isn’t it?”
What was a bandit to complain about treachery?
As I fired back and reached into my sleeve again, another bandit leaped down before me, swinging a Broadsword with force.
“Sister!”
“Eek!”
The blade passed through my hair, and several strands tumbled down. Ju Ryeong, startled by the near miss, burrowed into my clothes in alarm.
If Yeon Ryang hadn’t grabbed the back of my neck and yanked me, I would have been slashed clean through.
Eyes wide, I clung to Yeon Ryang and pressed a hand to my racing heart.
The next instant, a blade came stabbing at my side.
On reflex, I wrapped Inner Power around my hand and caught the blade—and the metal snapped clean in two.
That’s odd. Why did it break?
As I glanced between the broken blade and the bandit, he shuffled backward, leaving only the hilt in his grip.
“Gaaah! M-m-monster…! Catching a blade bare-handed…!”
“Where do you think you’re going? You frightened our sister—you’ll pay for that.”
Yeon Ryang laughed and beat the bandit to the ground, then pointed at me with a grin.
“Our sister, you’ve got muscles that defy common sense, don’t you? No need to worry about you.”
“…”
That wasn’t strength on my part—it was his blade that was shoddy. It snapped like a wooden chopstick.
I tossed the metal fragment I’d been holding with a bitter expression, and the bandits’ faces went ashen.
“H-he’s a master. Boss. What do we do?”
“Nngh…. We surrender. Drop your weapons!”
At Go Bul’s declaration, the bandits who’d been hesitating threw down their arms and capitulated. Yeon Ryang sheathed his sword and threw in a rebuke.
“That’s what I said—let us pass in peace.”
“We apologize, Great Swordsman. We were foolish…”
“Never mind. Too bothersome. Out of the way.”
“Yes, Great Swordsman! Thank you! Travel safely!”
“Travel safely!”
Go Bul, his composure restored, bent at a right angle at the waist, and the other bandits likewise bowed deeply before retreating.
“Come on. Let’s go, sister.”
The crowd parted like the Red Sea before us, and Yeon Ryang waved me forward before striding ahead with long, purposeful steps. Following in his wake, I ventured carefully to speak.
“Say, brother.”
“Hmm?”
“We can keep their money, right?”
“……What?”
Yeon Ryang furrowed his brow as if he’d misheard me, and repeated my words back as a question.
I met his gaze directly and spoke again.
“I mean, think about it. If this money came from turning the pockets of travelers—those with no rightful owner—isn’t it ill-gotten money? Shouldn’t we be allowed to take some? Our funds are running low anyway.”
“……Huh.”
At my words, Yeon Ryang’s lips began to tremble. Then he pressed his forehead and burst into laughter.
“Ha-ha-ha-ha! Sister, don’t go around telling people you’re from Jung Pa. What’s a young lady from a noble family talking about?”
He laughed so hard tears streamed down his face—my words must have struck him as absurdly funny.
A sect was a sect, and money was money. How else were you supposed to eat? Even a ghost with a full belly looks presentable.
After laughing for a long while, Yeon Ryang finally collected himself and glanced back. Go Bul, whose eyes met his, began rolling his eyes nervously.
Something had clearly gone wrong in his mind.
“My sister says so, you heard her.”
“Y-yes, sir.”
“You have something for us?”
“……Sir?”
Yeon Ryang, with his sword sheath slung across his shoulder, broke into a sinister grin.
The scar cutting across the corner of his eye twisted into something menacing.
* * *
“That’s it? There’s really nothing else?”
“Y-yes, sir……. That truly is everything we have. Sob, sob—business has been terrible lately.”
Go Bul, kneeling, answered in a voice that seemed to crawl out of his throat.
Looking down at the top of his head, I folded my arms and spoke.
“I don’t believe you.”
“Please, sir. Truly, that’s all we have…….”
“Want me to make you swallow a poisoned pill and cough it up, or will you hand it over voluntarily?”
“……I’ll give it to you.”
At my threat, Go Bul’s face twisted in misery and he flicked his eyes toward one of his underlings.
The smallest of the bandits scurried off and returned moments later with a small ceramic jar.
The jar was brimming with silver coins.
As my lips curved upward, Yeon Ryang shook his head as if he couldn’t help himself.
“I never knew you had a talent for extortion. Is this a family trait?”
“That’s a bit much, brother. Please don’t lump me in with those poison-crazed lunatics.”
I straightened my expression and shoved the silver coins deep into my pocket.
Those people were truly insane. Not a single normal one among them.
In any case, thanks to the Nok Rim Brotherhood, it seemed I could travel for several months without worrying about funds.
Once I’d secured the now-weighty pocket against my chest, Yeon Ryang waved his hand at the kneeling bandits.
“Get up once we’re gone. And thanks for the spending money. We’ll make good use of it.”
“S-sob……. Fare well, sir…….”
“Fare well……!”
A few of the bandits who’d been struck by Yeon Ryang’s sword sheath seemed to whimper softly, but I felt not the slightest pang of sympathy.
If you’re willing to brandish a blade and threaten others, you should be prepared to face the same in return.
I snorted and moved on.
Yeon Ryang, apparently delighted by the thrill of robbing the bandits, grinned foolishly the whole way.
“Phew. My sister’s got nerve. How did you even think to rob a bandit den? You really surprised me.”
“Rob? They offered it willingly.”
“How is that willingly? You threatened them with a poisoned pill.”
“That wasn’t a poisoned pill. It was just some bitter weeds bundled together.”
“……Sister. Are you really from Jung Pa? Or are you a con artist’s daughter?”
Yeon Ryang clicked his tongue and studied me. I shrugged.
“Try saying that in front of the Dang Family gates and see how long it takes before a blade finds its way into your skull, brother.”
“Scary. Very scary. They weren’t exaggerating when they said never to make enemies of those who wear the green robe, even in death.”
Yeon Ryang, despite his fearless expression, feigned a shudder and grinned wickedly at me. He walked backward, keeping his eyes on mine, and asked a question.
“Sister, I’m curious about something.”
“What is it?”
“What’s your name?”
“Huh?”
Now that I think about it, we never properly introduced ourselves.
There seemed little point in revealing my real name when I was in flight.
After a moment’s hesitation, I borrowed Gyeong A’s name instead.
“…Gyeong A.”
“Gyeong A, then. I see. Gyeong A.”
Yeon Ryang repeated the name I’d given him a few times, then began calling me by it with casual ease.
“Gyeong A. Your brother’s stomach is growling.”
“Yes, of course.”
“We’ve just crossed over Sando—why don’t we stop there for a bowl of sharp, tangy noodle soup?”
“That’s enough.”
At my curt reply, Yeon Ryang, cradling Ju Ryeong in his arms, made a show of wiping his eyes with the animal’s fluffy tail.
“You furry lump, look at your master. Your brother’s so worthless he won’t even feed you—is he really worth calling master at all?”
What nonsense. He’d eaten less than an hour ago.
He’d gorged himself on snacks before crossing the mountain, then had a proper meal at the inn just moments ago, yet here he was, performing a pathetic act of deprivation because he couldn’t even get rice porridge—it was absurd.
I narrowed my eyes at Yeon Ryang, who’d planted himself in front of the noodle shop, and let out a snort.
At that, Yeon Ryang blinked his eyes playfully and pointed toward the noodles.
…It was as if I’d joked once too often about some unemployed uncle, and now he’d started acting exactly like one—begging his niece to buy him rice cakes.
Swallowing back a stifled laugh, I waved my hand to show I’d given in.
The man was so glib that even when he was being annoying, there was something about him that wasn’t quite hateful.
“Fine, then. Just one bowl, and we go.”
“Good! Won’t you have some, Gyeong A?”
“No thank you.”
“Understood. Proprietor! One bowl of noodle soup, please.”
Yeon Ryang called out cheerfully, and the moment the food arrived, he hoisted the entire bowl and emptied it in one go. A vacuum cleaner couldn’t have done better.
I shook my head and paid for the noodles.
Anyone watching would think he had parasites in his stomach.
…Ah. He does.
The moment I remembered that Yeon Ryang carried Blood Worm Poison in his body, I clamped my mouth shut.
Now that I thought about it, there was poison—but I’d never seen him take the Antidote Medicine. Was that all right? Where was he supposed to get the antidote?
The antidote to Blood Worm Poison had to be taken every three months, according to what I’d heard.
If he missed the timing, even once…
“Why are you so lost in thought?”
Yeon Ryang had drawn close without my noticing, bending low and bringing his face near to mine with a questioning look.
His complexion was healthy, unmarred by any trace of suffering. Reassured, I managed an awkward smile.
“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”
Yeon Ryang isn’t foolish—he’ll make sure to get his antidote on time. No need to worry.

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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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