The Granddaughter of the Manhyang Escort Agency Hides Her Magic - Chapter 14
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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 14
Before Shin Ah was born, So Cheondo was only four years old, but he wanted to become a splendid escort like Cheonrim.
His father Cheonrim was active as an escort leader who received So Hyeokho’s full expectations, and people around him constantly told him so.
‘Master Biwongak will inherit Manhyang Express. So you must work hard too, young master.’
‘There’s no escort leader as capable as Master Biwongak at Manhyang Express. You must watch and learn well, young master.’
But after Shin Ah was born, everything changed.
As Cheonrim neglected escort missions to care for Shin Ah, the expectations poured on him cooled. Then people changed.
The change started not from the top, but from the very bottom.
The servants who used to look up to Cheonrim now had subtly disdainful looks, and the footsteps of those coming and going from Biwongak grew louder.
Mando was among them too.
‘Hey, what’s the point of you learning martial arts? You’ll probably end up wiping my ass.’
Mando was ignorant and rude. He lacked the sense of responsibility and righteousness as an escort that grandfather emphasized.
As time passed, rumors spread that Baekrim and Mando would inherit the Escort Agency.
Grandfather remained indifferent, and the escort leaders, escorts, and porters were swept along.
That’s when Cheondo gave up on Manhyang Express. He became half-hearted even in his diligent training.
So while he should have learned the next level martial art, Heaven and Earth Sword Technique, by now and reached second-rate intermediate level, he was still only learning Tiger Walk Sword Technique.
He was only slightly ahead of Mando, who was already rumored to be learning the final chapter of Tiger Walk Sword Technique.
Cheondo only thought of becoming a scholar and taking Shin Ah far away.
So he devoted himself to studying, but Shin Ah wanted to remain at the Escort Agency.
The child who used to lie in bed looking only at the sky now wanted to put down firm roots and live on the ground.
Unlike him, the child had decided to fight against injustice instead of running away from it.
Cheondo felt ashamed and at the same time respected his younger sister.
Instead of planning to run away, he resolved to protect Shin Ah.
He would train martial arts diligently and show Mando what he was made of.
‘From now on, neither I nor Shin Ah will be touched carelessly.’
“I want to become an escort who leads Manhyang Express.”
Cheondo raised his head and spoke.
‘Ah, brother…’
Shin Ah’s eyelids trembled as she pretended to sleep while quietly listening.
Cheondo’s feelings for his family were much deeper and more sincere than Shin Ah had expected.
“Father, my dream has always been to become a renowned escort. A dignified and splendid escort like you. So please don’t stop me. I’ll become stronger and protect Shin Ah.”
Cheondo’s eyes blazed. He was filled with an unbelievable amount of spirit for someone called a boy.
Cheonrim’s heart trembled.
When had his son, whom he thought was still young, grown up so much?
‘I was so busy caring for Shin Ah that I couldn’t even pay proper attention to him…’
He had no justification to break Cheondo’s will. So Cheonrim decided to give the child a strong push forward.
As Cheonrim pondered how best to help, he came up with a good idea.
“Alright. If that’s how you feel, I’ll find you a good teacher.”
“A teacher? There are already many excellent people within the Escort Agency.”
“They’re not enough. Haven’t they put down their swords for quite some time? You can’t catch up by taking the same path. You need to take a shortcut. The person I have in mind probably won’t accept you as a disciple, so it would be better to learn as teacher and student for now.”
Even during escort missions, when late, they take shortcuts. Even while enduring hardship and suffering.
“Yes, I understand. But father, I have a question.”
“Tell me.”
“Why won’t you teach me directly?”
Cheonrim’s eyes widened slightly.
“Do you want to learn from me?”
Cheondo’s cheeks reddened slightly. Cheonrim was still a good father and an idol as an escort to Cheondo.
Cheonrim’s lips curved into a pleasant arc for the first time in a while.
“I’ll slowly teach you our So Family’s martial arts. Besides, to take shortcuts, it would help to experience various martial studies beyond family martial arts. Right now, getting to the destination quickly is urgent.”
“Then what kind of person is this teacher?”
“You’ll need to prepare yourself. It’s Ok Chifung of Mount Hua.”
Ok Chifung was a close friend Cheonrim had formed a connection with when he stayed at Mount Hua as a lay disciple.
Later, when Cheonrim took on escort missions commissioned by Mount Hua, Chifung accompanied him.
At that time, Cheonrim saved his life, and he also saved Cheonrim’s life, so they could be said to have shared their lives with each other.
‘Given his position, he probably won’t want to take Cheondo as a disciple, but…’
Even if he couldn’t ask for the bond between master and disciple that was said to be deeper than parent-child relationships in Murim, he could at least ask for enough education so Cheondo could help Shin Ah, just until the porter examination—that much seemed reasonable to request.
He was skilled and, despite grumbling outwardly, liked children, making him perfect as a temporary teacher.
Of course, his somewhat eccentric personality was concerning. But that might actually be beneficial.
There was also hope that Ok Chifung might be able to help with Shin Ah’s deformed dantian.
As someone who wandered the Central Plains experiencing and hearing about various things, there was a possibility he knew of cases similar to Shin Ah’s.
Chifung wasn’t someone who could be bought with money. He was a typical person who only moved when his heart was stirred.
Even so, he would grant one request. He owed me a debt.
‘How many people has he abandoned at the Escort Agency for me to take in?’
“Father?”
Cheonrim snapped out of his thoughts at Cheondo’s call.
“Yes. Anyway, he’ll be extremely strict. You might have to climb cliffs every day. Will you still do it?”
“Yes.”
Cheondo’s face brightened.
Shin Ah, who had been holding her breath until now, quietly opened her eyes.
‘My brother, who was only weak, has resolved to become strong!’
The feeling when watching a bird break out of its egg must be similar to this.
Her chest swelled with emotion, and her nose tingled.
Unable to hold back any longer, Shin Ah kicked off her blanket and sat up, saying:
“Father, me too!”
“Huh?”
“I want to learn too!”
“Shin Ah, just how long have you been listening?”
Cheondo rushed over and sat on the edge of Shin Ah’s bed.
Shin Ah grinned broadly.
This, this—she heard everything.
Embarrassed, Cheondo pressed his forehead.
Shin Ah tightly grasped Cheondo’s hand while looking at Cheonrim.
“Let me learn together, father. Please?”
Magic could be learned alone to any extent, but martial arts couldn’t.
Retracing a known path and pioneering an unknown one were completely different matters.
‘If I learn martial arts diligently, it will help with using magic too.’
She felt a connection between the internal energy of her dantian and mana. She’d need to observe her body more, but she thought that training martial arts would help her use magic better.
‘And Mugyeol needs a master too. I don’t know how amazing Mugyeol’s talent is, but.’
Whether he borrowed the Demon Cult’s power in his previous life or not, seeing that he became So Cheonma meant he had talent.
If such a Mugyeol headed down the ‘shortcut’ father mentioned?
Shin Ah’s face brightened even more.
‘Moreover, if it’s Ok Chifung, I can trust him.’
A prodigy of Mount Hua who left that place due to his terrible personality and now wandered throughout Murim.
Mount Hua’s Hero, Chifung.
‘He was the only one who shed tears at Father and Brother’s funeral.’
He was still unknown, but he was a supreme master.
‘He’ll become even more amazing in the future. And there’s something else important.’
Ok Chifung was a walking encyclopedia of martial arts.
In Shin Ah’s previous life, despite being from Mount Hua, he was famous for wandering the Central Plains and learning various martial arts extensively.
In Shin Ah’s opinion, his scholarly knowledge was even better than the Murim Alliance Leader’s. So he would be able to find and teach martial arts perfectly suited for Mugyeol.
‘Father said he’s a teacher, not a master, but still, unlike Brother who’s already learning family martial arts, if it’s Mugyeol who’s just starting to learn, he might accept him as a disciple.’
However, since he’s so smart and talented that he can’t understand ordinary people, Mugyeol will suffer while learning… but I’ll take better care of him!
Shin Ah scurried over to Cheonrim.
“Father, I want to learn.”
Shin Ah grabbed Cheonrim’s collar tightly. Cheonrim’s eyes wavered.
“You need to take care of your health first…”
“I’ll get healthy.”
“That’s not something willpower can solve…”
“Please help me.”
Cheonrim’s mouth, which had been opposing all along, shut tight at those words.
Had Shin Ah ever made a request of him before?
He thought back several times with his good mind, but nothing came to mind easily.
Children need a strict father and a caring mother, but since there was no wife, he kept becoming soft with the children.
Cheonrim let out a deep sigh.
“Alright, let’s do that. But if it gets even a little difficult, you have to quit. Understand? Promise me. And take your medicine well too. Let’s see, you both need to take tonic medicine to build up your stamina… I need to get good medicinal herbs.”
Cheonrim, who had handed Shin Ah over to So Cheondo, prepared to go out.
He needed to move diligently to at least stop by the pharmacy and ask them to procure good medicinal herbs in advance.
That’s when it happened.
“Master, are you here?”
Chief Go’s voice was heard.
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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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