The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 39

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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 39

 

The path leading into Sichuan is called the Shu Road, notorious for its treacherous terrain.

 

There are about a dozen places that could be called roads, but most are hardly worthy of the name.

 

The route the group had chosen was the Ziwo Road, said to be the most perilous of them all.

 

“Is this really the right way?”

 

“This is just the beginning, I tell you.”

 

Wei Zibai grumbled from the middle of the Qinling Mountains.

 

Huashen spoke with a laugh.

 

He too was drenched in sweat.

 

“Watch your step.”

 

“You too, brother.”

 

The path from Xi’an to Hanzhong required crossing the Qinling Mountains.

 

Though the distance from Luoyang to Xi’an and from Xi’an to Hanzhong were both less than a thousand li, the time required was about double.

 

This was because of the famous plank roads scattered throughout the area.

 

“I’m asking if this is really the right path.”

 

Thud thud thud.

 

One wrong step seemed like it would send them tumbling down a thousand-foot cliff.

 

Even martial artists who could move their bodies at will couldn’t help but feel tense.

 

Though they had run across treacherous mountain paths like flat ground, on this road no one could stop the sweat flowing down their backs.

 

“Well, that’s…”

 

Huashen’s eyes turned toward the rear.

 

Namgung Seol answered while looking ahead.

 

“Considering where they were last spotted, this way is most likely. They might have changed course midway, but still. This road is the fastest either way.”

 

That last sighting had been near Xi’an, which was quite some time ago.

 

“Damn it. Of all things, there are merchants ahead of us.”

 

“It’s a path that desperate people would choose. Let’s not complain about small merchant groups traveling together.”

 

The impatience was unavoidable.

 

Since few people traveled this way, they had made inquiries, but found no suitable leads.

 

Moreover, a group of merchants had swept through ahead, making it even harder to find traces.

 

It wasn’t particularly strange.

 

It was natural to help each other along dangerous and treacherous roads.

 

However, if this was the right path.

 

If they were somewhere along this road.

 

By estimation, three or four days’ distance.

 

Even if the path was wrong, if it was the Ziwo Road, the shortest of the Shu Roads, they could catch up over that distance.

 

The best case would be catching them midway,

 

The second best would be catching them before entering Chengdu,

 

The third best would be catching them after leaving Chengdu,

 

The worst case would be missing them entirely.

 

“Keep your mouth shut and follow.”

 

Huashen, a native of Chongqing in Sichuan Province who had also taken on the role of guide, stepped forward energetically.

 

Then he stumbled and pressed his body against the wall.

 

His chest rose and fell rapidly.

 

“Everyone be careful, I said.”

 

Given these circumstances, their movement wasn’t fast.

 

Still, not every road was like this.

 

There were ordinary paths too, and people lived there.

 

There were post stations and villages centered around them, and places where official roads were maintained.

 

On such roads, they would rest well before riding their horses.

 

“Their speed probably isn’t very fast either.”

 

After traveling like this for about ten days, on a certain mountain path, Wei Zibai suddenly spoke up.

 

“They said Gwanghwa was severely injured in the leg… By now, shouldn’t we be able to catch up?”

 

It was his usual grumbling.

 

It was a rare stretch where the road was comfortable enough to ride horses.

 

He had been enthusiastic when walking, but now that they were riding horses and still walking, his body must have grown restless.

 

His eyes unconsciously turned toward Yingying, who sat on Chun-gil’s back as if nestled in Xie Baowei’s embrace.

 

Xie Baowei drew his arms closer as if to block that gaze, and Yingying lowered her head deeply.

 

Wei Zibai cleared his throat and turned his head forward.

 

Namgung Seol answered for him.

 

“At the very least, if we catch up to the group ahead of us, we should be able to hear some news. With those bodies, they couldn’t possibly take paths that aren’t roads…”

 

“What if they don’t know either?”

 

“Then we could wait in front of Chengdu. Still, we mustn’t let our guard down. They wouldn’t have sent just two injured people.”

 

“Even so, wouldn’t they just be lackeys? Qitian wouldn’t travel alone…”

 

Qitian was a swindler.

 

But an incredibly insane one.

 

Selling fake medicine or weapons happened everywhere, but one day they caught someone who had sold a fake Moye sword to the Moyong Family.

 

At the same time, they caught a madman who had swindled the Emperor’s Daughter under the pretense of marriage, and when it became known that the same person was behind both incidents, he became known as Qitian (Deceiver of Heaven).

 

Well, there were also rumors that he was behind the incident where someone impersonated a Southern Dragon Alliance envoy to feast grandly at the Wulin Alliance before fleeing, and the affair where forged documents were used to swindle Jiangnan Yilian.

 

He was no ordinary person, and it was a very famous anecdote that he had met and persuaded each of the Yukgwi one by one.

 

Some say he’s not just one person, but anyway.

 

Even when the Yukgwi were each at their most active, it was accepted wisdom that exactly one would always remain quiet and not travel alone.

 

“Or not? If it’s Gwanghwa and Tougui… I don’t know about the newly recruited Sword Soul, but they probably sent someone like Yueyan?”

 

Huashen tilted his head and speculated.

 

Namgung Seol shook his head.

 

“Yueyan is a greedy person. There’s no way he’d travel this treacherous road with two men. Especially since he doesn’t get along with Tougui.”

 

“…That’s probably right? Really. Looking at that, Qitian is quite remarkable. How does he control those madmen?”

 

Huashen clicked his tongue.

 

Yueyan was said to go mad if he didn’t embrace a woman for even a day.

 

And Tougui was famous for despising such lechers.

 

More than a few lechers had died by his hand.

 

That’s why, though officially wanted, Tougui was classified as a figure of the righteous side.

 

“I heard Yueyan doesn’t distinguish between women and men? He’s so handsome and smooth-talking that even men will drop their pants if he seduces them.”

 

“Hey. That’s inappropriate talk in front of a child.”

 

Wei Zibai spat out his crude joke, then shut his mouth tight when Huashen glared at him.

 

Xie Baowei belatedly covered the boy’s ears, but the child giggled as if it was nothing.

 

“Pretend you didn’t hear such things.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

Such a quiet child indeed.

 

Xie Baowei smiled bitterly.

 

Though it was convenient to travel together, for him to be so unlike a child.

 

Clop clop clop.

 

The sound of hoofbeats was cheerful.

 

In the warming weather, on forest paths without a breath of wind, their bodies became damp with sweat.

 

The group’s conversation gradually dwindled.

 

After walking all day, after all sorts of talk, silence eventually comes – there was no awkwardness about such things anymore.

 

“We’ll have to walk from here.”

 

Huashen, who had been leading, was the first to jump down from his horse.

 

Though a horse’s gait was faster and more comfortable than walking, after riding for a long time, the stiffness made his expression rather refreshed.

 

Xie Baowei also carefully lifted the boy down.

 

Though the child’s thighs, buttocks, and back must have ached, he made no complaints.

 

Certainly, bringing the boy to the elder was clearly too much.

 

But leaving him behind felt strangely unsettling and kept weighing on his mind…

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“You bastards!”

 

“Uhaha!”

 

Swoosh!

 

Clang! Clang!

 

Neigh!

 

Several arrows flew and stuck into the ground. Three or four were blocked with weapons or dodged.

 

Even though they aimed for arms and legs, the attackers were surprised that everyone easily avoided them.

 

One of the men who jumped out from both sides of the forest stammered.

 

“…Hand. Hand over everything you have?”

 

Xie Baowei and his companions looked at each other.

 

Wei Zibai grumbled.

 

“Perfect timing.”

 

Each step they took forward showed no hesitation.

 

Soon, screams echoed through the forest.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

In this era, there wasn’t a single deep mountain forest without bandits.

 

Not only those who fled from tyrannical government, but also deserters, Waegu, and Northern Barbarians infiltrated the mountains to plunder people.

 

The southwestern regions like Sichuan and Guizhou, with their treacherous mountains, were especially bad, and it was similar both before and after the Yedang rebels caused uprisings.

 

“Let me ask you something.”

 

“Yes! Ask me anything!”

 

Cheoldoo, who claimed to be the leader of Guangtou Stronghold, was a quick-witted man.

 

When his subordinates fell in an instant, he threw down his sword and prostrated himself.

 

Wei Zibai snorted at the sight and spoke.

 

“Is this road your main business territory?”

 

“Yes! That’s right!”

 

“Then you’d watch everyone who passes through this road?”

 

“Yes! That’s right!”

 

“Without missing anyone?”

 

“Yes!”

 

His answers were refreshingly clear.

 

Cheoldoo’s body was bulky but his height was short.

 

He didn’t look particularly strong, but his rough beard, small eyes, and thin lips made him look fierce and cruel.

 

Perhaps there had been a recent battle, as his subordinates’ faces and bodies bore many fresh wounds.

 

Cheoldoo kept scanning the group with his unscathed face.

 

Xie Baowei blocked Yingying’s face from his gaze.

 

“I don’t know who you’re looking for, but no one passing through this road can escape our eyes! Ahem.”

 

The bastard spoke as if proud.

 

Leaving that pathetic display behind, Wei Zibai’s eyes gleamed.

 

This was a question he always asked when meeting bandits.

 

“Within the past few days, have a man with an injured leg and a man with an injured arm passed through this road?”

 

“Huh?”

 

Cheoldoo’s eyes widened.

 

The group’s eyes lit up.

 

Tears began to well up in Cheoldoo’s small eyes.

 

Suddenly he came crawling forward, sobbing.

 

“Please spare us! Sir!”

 

“What. What’s this!”

 

Wei Zibai stepped back to avoid his grasp.

 

But Cheoldoo crawled on the ground and managed to grab his trouser leg.

 

With a face messy from tears and snot, he looked up.

 

“Please save me from those monsters.”

 

“What?”

 

“They’re at our Mountain Retreat right now.”

 

***

 

The path to Guangtou Stronghold’s Mountain Retreat wasn’t too treacherous.

 

At first glance it looked like just forest, but pushing through a few patches of grass revealed a path.

 

It was very cleverly done.

 

“They’re really bad guys. Those bastards!”

 

He said he encountered them two days ago.

 

One cripple with a bad leg and one cripple with a bad arm.

 

And several men carrying the leg cripple on their backs.

 

Since Sichuan had many famous physicians and medicine shops, it wasn’t strange for patients to cross the Shu Road.

 

“Parasites who make a living by stealing the hope of the sick.”

 

Namgung Seol growled in a low voice.

 

People who don’t know might wonder what there is to rob from them, but those guys are treasures since they bring all their wealth thinking it’s for medicine, making it quite profitable!

 

Cheoldoo, who had been boasting, shrank his neck.

 

Wei Zibai tapped his back with his sword hilt as if telling him to hurry.

 

“Ahem. Anyway, that arm cripple was so vicious. Whew… Half of my subordinates were taken down in one strike. They just settled in and started stealing our liquor and food…”

 

He said that when they ran out of money, they came out to work like this.

 

While saying this, he kept bowing his head, promising to give all their accumulated wealth if they just dealt with those villains.

 

“Shut your mouth.”

 

Namgung Seol growled again.

 

Only then did Cheoldoo clamp his mouth shut.

 

From then on, the group moved quickly. Cheoldoo led the way and the group followed.

 

The subordinates who came with them were tightly bound, and Huashen agreed to guard them along with the horses and Yingying.

 

“Just a little further.”

 

The Mountain Retreat wasn’t very far. Since it was a frequently traveled path, this was natural.

 

“Just around that rock.”

 

Xie Baowei smoothly drew his sword.

 

It was a sword issued by the Wulin Alliance to replace the broken Qinghan Sword.

 

The sword’s name was Heiyan (Black Swallow), and true to its name, the blade was sleekly crafted.

 

-I’m giving this to you specially, so use it well and return it.

 

In reality, it was no different from something given by Guanzhong Yilin, or rather the Jie Gal Family.

 

Really now.

 

Xie Baowei looked at the sharp blade tip, inwardly sighed, and spoke.

 

The blade pointed toward Cheoldoo’s neck.

 

“Stop right there.”

 

“Oh my! Why are you doing this?”

 

Cheoldoo was startled and stepped back.

 

Xie Baowei shook his head.

 

“Don’t move any further.”

 

“Why on earth…”

 

Cheoldoo made a tearful face and whimpered.

 

Clearly tears didn’t suit his face, yet they fit amazingly well.

 

“Stop the acting.”

 

“What?”

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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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