The Granddaughter of Manhyang Escort Bureau Hides Her Magic - Chapter 139

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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 139

 

The Poison Blood Demon bowed his head once again and answered Cheonma.

 

“Yes, it is exactly the place you are thinking of. The place touched by the Sacheon Tang Family’s hand.”

 

“Man… hyang Express, wasn’t it.”

 

The reason Cheonma remembered the name of the escort agency was simple. It was because of his bitter relationship with the agency head So Hyeokho.

 

Quite a long time ago, that bastard had captured and killed several of his useful subordinates.

 

It wasn’t that those bastards’ lives were precious.

 

‘How dare he interfere with my work. I was planning to sweep him away when I eventually went to the Central Plains.’

 

But that was all. Reaching out to that place through the Tang Family was not Cheonma’s intention. It was the will of several elders, including the Poison Blood Demon.

 

“Come to think of it, it’s already been several years since you bastards made a fuss about devouring a single escort agency.”

 

Cheonma clicked his tongue.

 

“But you still haven’t gotten your hands on even that one thing. The hunting dogs can’t hunt and only bark with empty mouths. How did the so-called elders become so useless?”

 

Once again, Cheonma emanated killing intent.

 

The startled Poison Blood Demon slammed his forehead against the floor with loud bangs. Blood dripped from his broken forehead, soaking the floor thoroughly.

 

“Just once more, please give me just one more chance!”

 

“What should I do.”

 

Cheonma put his pipe back in his mouth and tilted his head sideways while letting out a long, contemplative breath.

 

“Fine, I’ll give you one more chance. So prove it. Your usefulness as a hunting dog.”

 

“Yes, I will immediately bring you the head of the one who stole the Demon Cult’s… no, who stole my belongings!”

 

“Not that bastard.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Bring me someone who can shake up Manhyang Express.”

 

Cheonma’s strange curiosity turned toward Manhyang Express.

 

There wasn’t really a reason.

 

It was just that today, the words “Manhyang Express” particularly grated on him.

 

* * *

 

Shin Ah postponed the joy and celebration of her first successful escort mission. She hadn’t yet confirmed whether So Cheondo’s group was safe.

 

As the leader of this escort mission, Shin Ah felt a heavy responsibility for everyone’s safety and well-being.

 

‘I hope nothing happened to big brother.’

 

For now, she would rest today and send a message to the escort agency first thing when she woke up tomorrow.

 

Having pushed her stamina to its limits and with the tension finally released, her body felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

 

“Ugh.”

 

Shin Ah groaned as she crawled under the blanket. And shortly after, she fell completely asleep.

 

Having skipped even dinner and slept deeply, Shin Ah didn’t sluggishly emerge from under the blanket until the sun was high in the sky the next day.

 

Thanks to her sweet sleep, the fatigue that had accumulated melted away like snow.

 

Shin Ah headed to the dining hall with movements as light as a feather.

 

The Murim Alliance’s dining hall always had simple side dishes and rice prepared so that anyone could eat their fill whenever they came.

 

It was a bit disappointing that the food had gone cold, but he was grateful to eat something other than dried food and filled his stomach.

 

After that, he went out to find Hyeong Daegwang.

 

Hyeong Daegwang was sitting on the wooden floor of Shin Ah’s private quarters.

 

“I’ve been looking for you for a while. Where did you sleep yesterday?”

 

“I slept with Mugyeol, didn’t I?”

 

Shin Ah grumbled that she had searched for nothing and sat down next to Hyeong Daegwang.

 

“Did your conversation with the Alliance Leader go well?”

 

“I delivered the paper slip. But he absolutely wouldn’t tell me what it was about.”

 

“You asked him about that?”

 

How tactless.

 

When Shin Ah glared at him, Hyeong Daegwang pouted.

 

“I risked my life to bring it, so I can be curious!”

 

“So what are you going to do from now on?”

 

“I’ve decided to stay at the Murim Alliance for a while.”

 

“That’s good. Then let’s settle the escort mission payment now.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“We agreed you’d pay the remaining balance if the escort mission succeeded. Hand it over.”

 

Hyeong Daegwang made an incredulous expression and let out a “Huh.”

 

“What about all those things you took from our master’s hideout?”

 

“That’s separate from settling the escort mission payment. I told you then. The items we brought from there are the additional payment we originally agreed on. It’s in place of hazard pay, remember?”

 

“Ha! This daylight robber…”

 

“Being called a daylight robber by a thief…”

 

“What? Does it offend you?”

 

“No. I’m actually really happy. It feels like I’m getting praised by a professional. So hurry up and give it to me. Quickly.”

 

“H-how much should I give you!”

 

“Even excluding the hazard pay, considering the labor costs to get here, the cost of changing horses, the fights in between and the incident at Taehang Village, the expenses from rushing here, and the fact that safe delivery would have been impossible without me…”

 

Shin Ah counted the cost justifications one by one on her fingers, then smiled brightly and announced.

 

“I’ll give you a bit of a discount. Half of half of the gold we brought from the hideout, how about it?”

 

“Hey!”

 

Hyeong Daegwang couldn’t hold back and shouted angrily.

 

Shin Ah smiled cheerfully and held out her palm wide open.

 

“Fine, I’ll give it, I’ll give it!”

 

After fuming for a while, Hyeong Daegwang went into the room and came out with gold. Through his experiences, he knew that Shin Ah wasn’t someone who would back down even if he held out longer.

 

Shin Ah immediately took and pocketed the gold he offered.

 

‘With this, I need to generously reward my brother and the courier workers who suffered this time. Ah! I should buy gifts too.’

 

Shin Ah cheerfully went outside and used the silver coins she had to buy gifts for Mugyeol, So Cheondo, and the courier workers who had helped her.

 

‘How happy will they be when they receive these?’

 

Shin Ah’s face was colored with happiness as she imagined the moment when everyone would return safely and be delighted to receive gifts.

 

But not everyone would be able to receive Shin Ah’s gifts.

 

At that very moment when Shin Ah was joyfully buying things in her happiness, Dolsoe closed his eyes.

 

* * *

 

So Cheondo’s face twisted with misery.

 

He placed another stone on top of the rounded pile of rocks. His movements were slow and solemn.

 

“Escort Warrior, shouldn’t we finish quickly and head back?”

 

Chilseon, who had been repeating the same actions across from So Cheondo, spoke up.

 

Chilseon’s voice trembled faintly as he spoke with his swollen face.

 

“We should pile them a bit bigger and higher. So that people passing by can see and recognize it even from a distance.”

 

So Cheondo picked up a stone that felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

 

Blood seeped from his hands, scraped and torn by the sharp edges, but the pain tearing at his chest was so severe that this was nothing.

 

‘I, I can live, right? P… please save me, Escort Warrior.’

 

Dolseok’s desperate voice echoing in his ears gouged at So Cheondo’s heart.

 

So Cheondo’s chest grew heavy as he stopped his hands and closed his eyes.

 

Naturally, he recalled the time when Dolseok was dying.

 

After using Shin Ah’s talisman to shake off the Demon Cult members, he carried Dolseok on his back and ran to a village, where the doctor he met refused to treat him.

 

‘The poison has already spread throughout his body. Using medicine would be a waste.’

 

So Cheondo gave all the wealth he had and begged for treatment. Then the doctor made a displeased expression and provided one bed.

 

The doctor who initially tried to turn away So Cheondo’s group, saying he couldn’t save the patient, changed once he actually began treatment.

 

He had So Cheondo ride for half a day to get medicine from a large village, made Chilseon boil medicine all day long, and the doctor himself stayed by Dolseok’s side day and night.

 

However, Dolseok’s condition, with the terrible poison already spread throughout his body, gradually worsened.

 

‘Doctor, why is it always night? It’s strange that I only wake up at night.’

 

Dolseok lost his sight.

 

‘Escort Warrior, what did you say? I can’t hear well. Could you speak a little louder?’

 

Dolseok lost his hearing as well.

 

And in the end, he forgot how to breathe.

 

As Dolseok gasped and cried out to open the window, that he felt suffocated, to save him, all So Cheondo could do was hold his hand.

 

And now he couldn’t even do that anymore.

 

So Cheondo’s grip tightened on the stone. The sharp edges tore his palm, but he couldn’t let go.

 

The cold stone felt like Dolseok’s cooling hand…

 

It was the first time he had faced the death of someone close since his mother’s death. Moreover, he bore responsibility for this death.

 

‘As an Escort Warrior, I should have properly protected the courier workers.’

 

Shin Ah had warned him again and again to prioritize survival above all else.

 

Yet he had failed to protect Dolseok and let him go. That guilt pierced him deeply.

 

“Escort Warrior, this is more than enough. Dolseok has gained in death the land he never had in life—he’ll be looking down from heaven with satisfaction.”

 

Chilseon patted So Cheondo’s shoulder gently, offering comfort.

 

“Now you really must leave.”

 

There was no more time to delay. They had to hurry back to Manhyang Express to inform Dolseok’s family of his death.

 

Swallowing the tears that rose to his throat, So Cheondo placed the final stone on Dolseok’s grave.

 

“I will definitely keep your dying wish.”

 

He had asked him to take care of his mother, saying she loved peaches and to bring them to her often.

 

‘Don’t worry, Dolseok. Manhyang Express will take care of your mother. And.’

 

So Cheondo looked up at the sky. His eyes, filled with grief, suddenly turned cold.

 

‘I’ll make them pay for your life with their blood.’

 

So Cheondo gritted his teeth as he made this vow.

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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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