The Granddaughter of Manhyang Escort Bureau Hides Her Magic - Chapter 128

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

Chapter 128

 

Shin Ah’s group soon arrived at the valley that Cheondo had mentioned.

 

Shin Ah dismounted from her horse and handed the reins to Chilseon.

 

“Please take care of my horse.”

 

“You don’t need to ask separately, Branch Office Leader. Taking care of horses is the porter’s job.”

 

Shin Ah nodded and turned around.

 

Mugyeol stared at Shin Ah with an expression full of things to say. As Shin Ah was about to pass by Mugyeol, she let out a long sigh and spoke.

 

“Mugyeol, I’ll listen to what you have to say later.”

 

Mugyeol’s eyes widened.

 

“How did you know I had something to say?”

 

“It’s written all over your face.”

 

Glancing at Mugyeol who was touching his face, Shin Ah set out to find Hyeong Daegwang.

 

Hyeong Daegwang was sticking his face into the valley and drinking water. Then, sensing someone approaching, he lifted his head.

 

“Puha, I feel alive!”

 

Shin Ah looked at him with disapproving eyes as he splashed water in all directions and sat down on the dirt ground to catch his breath.

 

“Hey.”

 

Hyeong Daegwang turned to look at Shin Ah. Seeing his face grinning foolishly as if the long-awaited rest was like honey made Shin Ah’s stomach turn.

 

‘Others are about to have their heads explode because of him, and he’s laughing? Grinning like an idiot?’

 

The corners of Shin Ah’s eyes shot upward.

 

Seeing that expression, the corners of Hyeong Daegwang’s mouth slowly dropped.

 

It had been several days since they’d been living together on the road. Hyeong Daegwang had some sense, so he knew when to smile and when not to smile.

 

When Shin Ah’s eyes shot upward like now, it was time not to smile.

 

As Hyeong Daegwang straightened his expression and read the mood, Shin Ah pointed to the bushes behind them.

 

“Follow me.”

 

Sensing the ominous atmosphere, Hyeong Daegwang obediently got up and headed toward the forest.

 

When they had walked for about half a quarter-hour.

 

“Stop.”

 

Shin Ah called out to stop Hyeong Daegwang who was walking ahead.

 

This position where the sound of the valley water couldn’t be heard was perfect for having a conversation. It would be troublesome to get too far away from the group as well.

 

‘At this distance, even Mugyeol and Brother Cheondo with their sensitive ears won’t be able to hear our conversation.’

 

Shin Ah hadn’t yet decided whether or not to inform the other group members about the facts related to Hyeong Daegwang.

 

First, it was priority for her, as the overall person in charge of this escort mission, to accurately grasp the situation.

 

Shin Ah got straight to the point.

 

“Why are you being chased by the Demon Cult? Did you steal something from the Demon Cult?”

 

“No way!”

 

Hyeong Daegwang raised his voice in protest, then quickly lowered his head and spoke in a quieter tone.

 

“No. Please believe me. Really, no.”

 

His eyes were earnest as he spoke in a submissive manner.

 

Shin Ah silently looked into his eyes. Seeing her suspicious gaze, he added.

 

“I may be a thief with a nickname, but I’m not crazy enough to steal from the Demon Cult. I’m someone who knows the value of my one and only precious life.”

 

“Then why is the Demon Cult chasing you? And not just some small fry, but the Poison Blood Demon himself?”

 

Upon hearing that name, Poison Blood Demon, Hyeong Daegwang collapsed with a thud. The color drained from his face.

 

“The, the, the Poison Blood Demon is chasing me? I’m dead. Dead. I’m going to die.”

 

Just hearing that one name was enough to plunge Hyeong Daegwang into the depths of despair as he clutched his head in agony.

 

Shin Ah, who had no interest in the Demon Cult, didn’t know how formidable this Poison Blood Demon that the Green Forest Bandit mentioned was. She only knew that the position of elder in the Demon Cult wasn’t something just anyone could hold.

 

‘And it’s also the name that was mentioned along with Nameless Blood Powder when Oh Bangja died.’

 

That person was chasing Hyeong Daegwang.

 

The question ‘Why?’ immediately followed.

 

“What exactly did you do?”

 

When Shin Ah’s gaze turned ice-cold and sharp, Hyeong Daegwang’s pupils trembled violently.

 

‘Should I claim I don’t know anything about it?’

 

The temptation arose for a moment, but he immediately dismissed it.

 

The gaze of fifteen-year-old Shin Ah was just as fierce as when the Thousand-Faced Divine Thief would beat him until his nose was crooked.

 

If he made a wrong move, he’d be dealt with by Shin Ah before being caught by the Demon Cult members. Moreover, they still had a long way to go before reaching the Murim Alliance. There was nothing advantageous about unnecessarily crossing swords with Shin Ah.

 

After much deliberation, Hyeong Daegwang squeezed his eyes shut and let out a sigh.

 

“If you hear my story, you’ll be in danger too…”

 

“I’m already in danger. So tell me everything. If what you say from now on turns out to be lies, I’ll hand you over to the Demon Cult with my own hands.”

 

Hyeong Daegwang’s eyes widened like saucers.

 

“I, I, I’m the package! And you’re an Escort Warrior! Escort Warriors prioritize packages over their own lives, aaah!”

 

When Hyeong Daegwang jumped up and started making a fuss, Shin Ah grabbed him by the collar.

 

When killing intent was added to Shin Ah’s already fierce gaze, Hyeong Daegwang’s spine tingled with dread. Hyeong Daegwang gulped and shut his mouth.

 

“I’m different. Nothing is more precious than my people’s lives.”

 

Shin Ah spoke firmly.

 

The best outcome would be to safely deliver the package while also protecting the escort group, but if a moment came where she had to choose between the two, Shin Ah was prepared to abandon Hyeong Daegwang.

 

So Cheondo, Mugyeol, Chilseon, Dolsoe, Malseok.

 

She couldn’t sacrifice any one of them in place of Hyeong Daegwang.

 

“So speak properly. Did you steal something from the Demon Cult?”

 

Hyeong Daegwang repeatedly pressed his lips together and released them. Reading his conflict, Shin Ah tightened her grip on his collar.

 

When Shin Ah’s patience was gradually reaching its limit, Hyeong Daegwang finally opened his mouth.

 

“Well… I didn’t steal anything, but no, should this be considered stealing?”

 

When Shin Ah raised one eyebrow, Hyeong Daegwang smiled awkwardly.

 

“But I didn’t touch any Demon Cult members.”

 

Hyeong Daegwang confessed everything that had happened before he made his request to Manhyang Express.

 

* * *

 

A few months ago, Hyeong Daegwang went to the Black Market carrying stolen goods.

 

The buyers at the Black Market didn’t question the origin of goods. That’s why whenever Hyeong Daegwang got his hands on something worth selling, he always headed to the Black Market.

 

Besides being good for selling stolen goods, there was another reason why Hyeong Daegwang liked the Black Market.

 

‘There are plenty of people with heavy purses.’

 

Hyeong Daegwang’s master, Thousand-Face Divine Thief, had said it was better to do proper thievery rather than pickpocketing, but his thoughts were different.

 

For quickly obtaining a reasonable amount of money, nothing beat pickpocketing at the Black Market.

 

Most of all, he liked that those who got pickpocketed at the Black Market wouldn’t report it to the Government Office.

 

‘The guys who come to the Black Market all have at least one shady corner. That’s why they can’t report it.’

 

Instead, Hyeong Daegwang absolutely never touched the pockets of those who looked like martial artists.

 

Since there were many martial artists who hid their skills while traveling, if he picked the wrong target and got caught, he could end up dead.

 

Anyway, he only picked the pockets of those with bulging bellies who reeked of grease and money.

 

That day too, Hyeong Daegwang was on his way out after selling stolen goods as usual when he pickpocketed someone wearing Silk Clothes.

 

But the moment he grabbed and pulled out the Money Pouch, a chilling sensation ran down his spine.

 

Based on long experience, this was the kind of thing he shouldn’t have stolen.

 

‘I have a feeling this is going to get damn complicated…!’

 

So Hyeong Daegwang tried to put the Money Pouch back into the man’s pocket. But just then, people came rushing in droves.

 

The distance between the man and Hyeong Daegwang grew farther and farther. He had no choice but to take the Money Pouch and flee, then examine its contents in a dark corner.

 

“Huh?”

 

He frowned as he opened the Money Pouch.

 

Inside there was no money, only some Paper Slip.

 

Something about how many coins worth of Thatched Cottage, how many drops of beast blood…

 

“It’s a Medicine formula?”

 

To Hyeong Daegwang, it looked like a formula for some tonic of questionable effectiveness, similar to what wandering doctors sold.

 

“Tch, what bad luck.”

 

Hyeong Daegwang put the Money Pouch in his chest for now.

 

‘It would be trouble if I carelessly threw away something I stole and got caught. I should go far away and burn it properly.’

 

As he was leisurely walking to leave the Black Market, suddenly fierce-looking martial artists came rushing in.

 

They surrounded a man familiar to Hyeong Daegwang’s eyes.

 

‘Huh? That person?’

 

Hyeong Daegwang looked back and forth between his chest and the man.

 

The man who was grabbed by the hair and forced to his knees by martial artists who clearly looked like Evil Sect members was the owner of the Money Pouch he had stolen.

 

The moment he intuited that things had gone wrong, Hyeong Daegwang hid his body in the shadows and watched the situation.

 

He needed to know why they were doing this and who they were before he could decide his next move.

 

Whether to run or hide.

 

Fortunately, he didn’t need to wait long before their identity was revealed.

 

One of the fierce-looking men raised his Sword high and shouted.

 

“Where did you hide it? Which bastard did you hand it over to?”

 

“How dare someone of my station steal the Demon Cult’s property! That’s preposterous! I definitely put it here, right here.”

 

The owner of the Money Pouch desperately searched through the sleeve that Hyeong Daegwang had picked.

 

Then the Demon Cult member mercilessly swung his Sword. At the end of the blade’s trajectory was the man’s arm, which was severed clean off.

 

“Aaaahhh!”

 

Blood splattered everywhere and screams filled the air.

 

Hyeong Daegwang’s eyes widened as if they would pop out.

 

‘D-Demon Cult? The money pouch I stole belongs to the Demon Cult?’

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