The Granddaughter of Manhyang Escort Bureau Hides Her Magic - Chapter 127

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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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Chapter 127

 

Above the dense trees, a black shadow swayed gently with the wind.

 

The owner of the shadow was Shin Ah.

 

The reason she was moving at a time when she should have been in deep sleep was solely because of Mugyeol.

 

‘I’ll go take care of some business for a moment.’

 

After Shin Ah and Cheondo had fallen asleep, Mugyeol spoke to Dolsoe. That small sound woke Shin Ah.

 

‘Where is he going?’

 

Shin Ah instinctively knew that the ‘business’ Mugyeol mentioned wasn’t about relieving himself, so she opened her eyes.

 

She quietly got up, stuffed her bundle into the blanket to disguise it as if she were sleeping, and followed behind Mugyeol.

 

‘He’s going to Taehang Stronghold?’

 

Shin Ah quickly realized Mugyeol’s destination and hesitated.

 

‘Why is he going there? It’s dangerous!’

 

Though she knew Mugyeol was a genius born with the Heavenly Bone Constitution, and that he had learned many martial arts while wandering the Central Plains with Chifung, Shin Ah also remembered Mugyeol’s frail childhood and immediately felt worried.

 

So she perched on a branch of a tall tree that overlooked the mountain stronghold and watched over Mugyeol.

 

She considered using Connect Magic to send an owl, but stopped because someone might notice.

 

Instead, she channeled Internal Energy into her eyes and ears. Immediately, her sight and hearing became remarkably sharp.

 

She could hear sounds from far away clearly enough to distinguish their content, and though blurry, she could see what Mugyeol was doing.

 

That night, Mugyeol surprised Shin Ah several times.

 

His ghostly Footwork Technique, his skill in defeating the stronghold leader, and.

 

‘Our Mugyeol is scary.’

 

She had thought he was just a gentle lamb, but he also got angry and made threats.

 

‘At least he won’t get swindled anywhere.’

 

He was also very clever.

 

Though a porter leaving his post without telling the escort mission leader was something to be scolded for, Shin Ah decided to bury today’s incident.

 

‘Because I learned something thanks to Mugyeol.’

 

Shin Ah returned to the campsite before Mugyeol could catch her, recalling the conversation between Mugyeol and the bandit leader.

 

‘Tell me. The reason you blocked the escort mission’s path.’

 

‘Green King, if you learn that reason, you’ll have to share life and death with us.’

 

What could be a secret worth risking one’s life for?

 

At that moment, Shin Ah had to tightly hug the tree trunk she was sitting on to keep from jumping out.

 

‘So be it.’

 

Mugyeol answered nonchalantly, and the bandit leader revealed a shocking fact.

 

It was a fact related to Hyeong Daegwang and her package.

 

‘Hyeong Daegwang, that bastard.’

 

Shin Ah gritted her teeth as she thought that far.

 

Hyeong Daegwang had brought something far more dangerous than expected.

 

Namely.

 

‘It’s the Demon Cult. They call him the Poison Blood Demon, one of the six elders of the Demon Cult. That man threatened to wipe out Taehang Stronghold if we didn’t keep the thief named Hyeong Daegwang tied down, and we had no other choice.’

 

Poison Blood Demon, it was a name she had heard before.

 

‘Oh Bangja mentioned it before he died. But he’s a protector of the Demon Cult?’

 

The Demon Cult had six elders under Cheonma, and the Poison Blood Demon was one of them.

 

That meant…

 

‘We’re in danger.’

 

She had suspected that Demon Cult spies were spread throughout the Central Plains, but to think they could make moves in advance by tracking escort routes.

 

The fact that the Demon Cult members watching Hyeong Daegwang were a step behind was purely luck created by chance.

 

‘Because we hurried our preparations and departed a day earlier than originally scheduled.’

 

Moreover, since Shin Ah’s group were all on horseback, they moved much faster than other escort groups.

 

The Poison Blood Demon probably ordered the mountain strongholds on Shin Ah’s group’s expected route to capture Hyeong Daegwang if he came, and planned to move as soon as he received reports from nearby spies.

 

The ‘one day’ that Taehang Stronghold Leader Tae Hono mentioned was time for that purpose.

 

‘Since they can’t catch up, they stop the target.’

 

It was a good strategy.

 

‘That is, before I found out about it. Anyway, if Demon Cult members are chasing us, we need to move quickly. We should assume they’ve gotten to all the mountain strongholds in this region besides Taehang Stronghold… I need to think about how to get to the Murim Alliance. Should we change our route?’

 

For now, creating distance was urgent.

 

If a master at the level of a Demon Cult elder ran at full speed using lightness skills, they could catch up while this side wasn’t moving.

 

Shin Ah quickly returned to the campsite.

 

And shortly after, as soon as the rustling sound of Mugyeol returning was heard, she jumped up as if just awakened and shouted.

 

It seemed like Mugyeol was trying to approach her with something to say, but she could more than guess what he would say, and they couldn’t delay any longer.

 

“Let’s depart now! Everyone wake up!”

 

Shin Ah shook the others’ shoulders to wake them.

 

Mugyeol also tactfully pretended to wake up from sleep and naturally joined in.

 

“Wake up. We’re departing now. Pack up quickly.”

 

The courier workers and Cheondo moved as trained even while half-asleep.

 

Shin Ah looked down at Hyeong Daegwang, who was still lost in dreamland.

 

She felt like beating him to a pulp and throwing him before the Demon Cult bastards, but he was a package.

 

‘Now I understand why he asked to be made into a package.’

 

Because escort warriors must risk their lives to protect packages until they’re delivered to their destination.

 

Even though she had known all along that he had other motives, she couldn’t shake the feeling of being deceived.

 

‘Just wait and see. I’ll fleece you completely.’

 

Shin Ah pondered how much to charge for the escort fee while firmly grabbing and twisting Hyeong Daegwang’s nose.

 

“Aaaaah, agh, sn-snake, a snake bit me. A snake bit my nose!”

 

Ignoring Hyeong Daegwang, who woke up in terror spouting nonsense about whatever dream he’d had, Shin Ah clapped her hands sharply.

 

“The situation has changed. We’re going to ride without rest until we reach a village. We’ll have to make do with rations on horseback for meals, so everyone steel yourselves.”

 

Given the situation, Shin Ah had decided to actively use magic during their upcoming travels, even at the risk of others finding it strange.

 

‘If I cast fatigue recovery magic on the horses, they’ll be able to run longer, and then we can travel farther.’

 

If the Poison Blood Demon was willing to risk drawing the Murim Alliance’s attention by gathering Demon Cult members to form an encirclement, there would truly be no answer.

 

Shin Ah inwardly doubted he would go that far, but since it could vary depending on why Hyeong Daegwang was being pursued, she couldn’t let her guard down.

 

“Huh?”

 

Hyeong Daegwang, the culprit behind all this trouble, still seemed to not fully grasp the situation as he blinked slowly.

 

“What are you doing? Aren’t you getting up?”

 

Shin Ah glared at him. Her gaze was sharp enough to snap Hyeong Daegwang to attention.

 

‘What did I do wrong?’

 

Hyeong Daegwang scratched the back of his head vigorously.

 

‘No matter how much I think about it, I don’t understand…’

 

When was it that she said they’d leave tomorrow, and now she’s waking someone from sleep to ride horses? Moreover, why had her eyes, which were normal until before sleep, suddenly turned tiger-like?

 

Hyeong Daegwang grumbled inwardly that adolescent girls’ hearts were like reeds as he hurriedly gathered his belongings.

 

* * *

 

‘Hyeong Daegwang is being pursued by the Demon Cult.’

 

Shin Ah thought continuously even while riding her horse.

 

How could she safely complete this escort mission?

 

With their current numbers, they couldn’t win against the Poison Blood Demon, so what method could they use to avoid him?

 

As she became absorbed in thought, her horse-riding speed gradually increased.

 

“Gasp, aren’t we really going to rest, Squad Leader! Squad Leaderrrrr!”

 

After riding non-stop for half a day, complaints burst from Malseok’s mouth.

 

Shin Ah glanced back. Everyone was riding without complaint, but their exhaustion was evident.

 

‘I can’t continue because of the horses.’

 

Steam was rising from the thigh of the horse she was riding due to the horse’s body heat.

 

‘The fatigue recovery buff time has ended.’

 

Now they had to rest.

 

There were limits to recovering exhausted horses with magic.

 

‘If the horse’s leg muscles rupture, we’d have no choice but to put it down.’

 

While fatigue recovery or treating minor injuries was possible with magic, completely restoring ruptured muscles to their original state was impossible.

 

‘A High Priest might be able to do it, but this world has no divine power.’

 

Magic was not an omnipotent force.

 

Knowing this fact well, Shin Ah slowed down slightly and asked So Cheondo.

 

“Is there a place nearby where we can water the horses?”

 

So Cheondo pulled out a palm-sized booklet while on his running horse and opened the chapter corresponding to their current location.

 

It was a map of the Central Plains made by the Escort Warriors of Manhyang Express themselves.

 

It marked the locations of various mountain strongholds, valleys, and suitable camping sites.

 

The map created by hundreds of Escort Warriors through thousands of escort missions had no concept of completion.

 

New paths would be added when they appeared, and inefficient routes or those dominated by the Dark Path would become dead roads.

 

The life and death of the road were completely melted into the map.

 

“There is. If we go just a little further, we’ll reach the valley.”

 

“Good, let’s rest there for a while before continuing.”

 

At Shin Ah’s decision, the faces of Dolsoe, Malseok, and Hyeong Daegwang brightened.

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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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