The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 49

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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 49

 

The last place Namgung Seol and Yingying were spotted was near the ferry terminal of the Han River.

 

It seemed they had tried to catch the river breeze in the sweltering weather.

 

Though Namgung Seol wore a cotton veil and Yingying had pulled up her hood, their exposed faces were striking enough that several people remembered them.

 

After much inquiry, they arrived at a secluded field beyond the ferry terminal.

 

Various flowers bloomed brilliantly there, but patches were broken off here and there.

 

“This is where they first encountered each other. After clashing a few times, they moved over there.”

 

Broken grass in one direction, chaotically trampled footprints covered by scattered petals.

 

Namgung Bin spoke in a cold voice.

 

Examining the ground, wind, and surrounding conditions, he walked slowly while observing the traces.

 

“…Ooh. As expected.”

 

“So the Namgung Family teaches tracking skills to their legitimate heirs too.”

 

“Well, would a great family’s education methods be ordinary?”

 

Seo Yun and Jang-hwi whispered among themselves. Xie Baowei silently followed behind.

 

At some point, Namgung Bin stopped and stared intently.

 

“…Aset suffered a great defeat here.”

 

Three or four deep footprints with prominent heel marks. Above them, faint bloodstains had dripped down.

 

Following the direction the grass had been flattened, Namgung Bin walked alongside it.

 

“Yingying, who was fleeing, was caught first. Aset’s movements became disorganized, and eventually that child was captured as well.”

 

At the end of the trail, Namgung Bin surveyed the surroundings.

 

Even with the addition of one child and one adult woman, a set of still-light footprints disappeared into the forest.

 

“Let’s go.”

 

Namgung Bin launched his body forward.

 

Xie Baowei let out a sigh. His body felt like it would break apart.

 

“Right. Let’s go.”

 

***

 

Looking at the backs of the people ahead, Xie Baowei sighed.

 

Yingying’s gentle eyes wavered before his vision.

 

He limped over the rocks.

 

The trail was lost at some point.

 

The sun had already set completely, and Hanzhong was a city beneath thick mountain ranges.

 

Even in midsummer, the deep night had grown cool.

 

However, they couldn’t light a bonfire or torches.

 

Light would be far too bright in the darkness.

 

“It should be somewhere nearby.”

 

Crack.

 

Impatience could be read in Namgung Bin’s muttering.

 

Yet when he turned around, his face showed no wavering. In some sense, he was a frightening fellow.

 

-Would it be alright to serve you as my elder brother?

 

He must have heard wrong after all.

 

Though stray thoughts briefly intruded, he quickly shook them off.

 

His fatigue had reached its peak, causing his concentration to scatter.

 

At the place where the trail was lost, Namgung Bin paced for a long while.

 

They tried expanding the range from that point, but it wouldn’t be easy to find anything.

 

Though Shihuo was famous for operating openly, their feeding scenes had never been witnessed.

 

It was known that they engaged in long conversations with their victims, but at the end there was always cannibalism.

 

How did they know if no one had seen it? …Sometimes, traces alone are enough to tell you everything.

 

“Wait.”

 

That’s why it was understandable that Namgung Bin showed such a disturbed appearance. Xie Baowei was equally anxious, but.

 

At night, there were ways to search suited to the night.

 

He wasn’t particularly skilled at tracking. It had been the same in the military. He was a fighter, and there were others who were skilled at tracking.

 

However, he was skilled at the opposite.

 

After stealing, one absolutely had to flee.

 

And before stealing, listening was essential.

 

Just as light feels brighter when the night is darker.

 

The quieter it is, the more you can hear.

 

Xie Baowei closed his eyes.

 

“What are you doing now?”

 

“Shh.”

 

He raised his hand to stop Seo Yun, who was frowning and about to step forward.

 

His attitude was different from when dealing with Nam Gilin, but well, it was understandable. He must be tired from the nighttime mountain trek.

 

Sounds of insects, owls and night birds crying, the flapping of bat wings…

 

Faint screams like “kak, kkeek” were from weasels or foxes.

 

Only then did such sounds reach the others’ ears as well.

 

Then suddenly Xie Baowei opened his eyes.

 

Everyone’s eyes gathered on him.

 

“Did you find something?”

 

“…Hmph. As if he found anything.”

 

Xie Baowei shook his head.

 

“No. This isn’t the place. There are too many sounds.”

 

“Ha. I thought so.”

 

Namgung Bin looked at Xie Baowei. The man he’d observed until now seemed excessively indifferent and calm, but he wasn’t someone who moved without reason.

 

So even now, there must be something.

 

“Let’s go up.”

 

Xie Baowei took the first step.

 

Namgung Bin silently followed behind. Seo Yun and Jang-hwi also followed, grumbling.

 

After repeating this several more times – stopping, then moving.

 

“This way.”

 

Xie Baowei set the direction.

 

“What did you hear?”

 

Jang-hwi asked. Xie Baowei answered.

 

“No.”

 

“This man!”

 

Seo Yun flared up.

 

Xie Baowei continued speaking.

 

“I hear nothing at all.”

 

Sometimes, silence also speaks.

 

***

 

Finding someone who was deliberately hiding in the vast mountains, especially on a deep night, was truly not easy.

 

Even though they had set the right initial direction thanks to Namgung Bin, and Xie Baowei had pinpointed one particular silence among the forest’s many silences.

 

Therefore, that these people found Namgung Seol and Yingying crouched in the crevice darkness beneath a large rock after several false leads was truly fortunate, and could even be called a miracle.

 

“Shh.”

 

Though Xie Baowei had set the direction, it was Namgung Bin who found them.

 

Even Xie Baowei didn’t know how he had managed to find them in the cloud-filled mountain darkness.

 

In fact, even after Namgung Bin pointed, the remaining three couldn’t tell what was there despite looking for a long time.

 

He must have trained in special vision techniques.

 

“What about that monster? Do you perhaps see the great monk as well?”

 

Jang-hwi frowned as he asked, looking toward where Namgung Bin was staring.

 

Even so, he couldn’t see through the dense darkness under the rock between the overgrown bushes, thick trees, and countless things blocking his view.

 

Namgung Bin quietly closed his eyes and shook his head.

 

There was no way he couldn’t understand what that meant. Jang-hwi and Seo Yun’s faces hardened.

 

“Eek!”

 

“Wait.”

 

Xie Baowei caught him as he tried to rush out. Seo Yun tried to shake off that hand, but his expression was not good.

 

“He’s inside.”

 

“…How vicious.”

 

Though his eyes couldn’t see, his qi sense was still alive.

 

No. It wasn’t that Xie Baowei’s qi sense was special.

 

Perhaps having no intention to hide, how could one not feel that enormous energy stretching out strand by strand from outside the cave?

 

“The stench reaches even here.”

 

Just a fortnight.

 

His presence had grown enormous to the level of a completely changed person.

 

Whether he had no need to hide, or whether he could no longer hide.

 

It was tremendous, excessive for something human.

 

Like facing a house-sized bear, the feeling of seeing a tiger in its prime.

 

At least for Xie Baowei, who had seen an old tiger just half a day ago, it was natural to feel that way.

 

At least if one was human, one would have instinctive fear toward a predator that viewed humans as prey.

 

Suddenly, Namgung Bin, who had been crouched low hiding in the bushes, stood up.

 

“He probably already knows.”

 

It wasn’t that they had put their heart and soul into finding his energy.

 

They had merely noticed what he was radiating strand by strand from over there.

 

In other words, it meant they had been caught by his qi sense.

 

Rustle, rustle.

 

The sound of brushing against grass leaves echoed in the night.

 

Just as Xie Baowei had found them, the sound of insects chirping had disappeared at some point.

 

“Seol-ah. Your brother has come.”

 

At the boundary between the not-so-wide clearing and forest, typical of areas near large rocks, Namgung Bin spoke calmly.

 

Namgung Seol’s already large eyes grew even larger. Tears welled up, then quickly disappeared as he swallowed several times.

 

It was unclear whether Yingying had fallen asleep or fainted.

 

“Did you wait long?”

 

“I thought my neck would fall off.”

 

When Namgung Bin spoke calmly, Namgung Seol pretended to complain.

 

Soon they looked into each other’s eyes and smiled warmly.

 

How touching.

 

Xie Baowei shook his head and stepped forward.

 

“Come out.”

 

He couldn’t approach carelessly. It was an energy completely different from before.

 

Then, with a rustling sound, a shadow that had been embedded like a carving in the rock face stirred and rose.

 

Shihui had already been a giant before.

 

But now it was like looking at a true giant.

 

“…Your height has grown. Is your growth period not over yet?”

 

“Heh… The flesh is… but bubbles, so height is also just a shadow. It’s merely a matter of mindset, isn’t it.”

 

“What nonsense.”

 

Xie Baowei shook his head and looked at Namgung Bin.

 

The phrase “worthy of renewed respect” was far too precious for such a bastard.

 

A chicken becoming a hawk… hmm, no.

 

“It’s like a domestic pig becoming a wild boar… shall we do this together?”

 

Was there any need to invite danger? He too must have come to this deep ravine to reduce numbers.

 

If he had selected people, he couldn’t have found them this quickly.

 

If it had been tomorrow, who knows who would have been devoured first.

 

Though worrying about companions when ten people had already been harmed was selfish…

 

They were unavoidable strangers.

 

“It’s fine.”

 

However, Namgung Bin’s thoughts seemed different. Truly the son of a prestigious family.

 

He slowly shook his head as he examined the wounds on Namgung Seol’s face and body.

 

A heavy energy began flowing from Namgung Bin’s body as he drew and raised his solid long sword.

 

“I’ll teach you once again how high the sky is.”

 

“Heh… If I devour you, I’ll finally embrace the sky. Boy. Become part of Buddha.”

 

And Shihui charged.

 

Thump.

 

The mountain shook at the sound.

 

Bang!

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Xie Baowei crossed his arms and watched the two men’s fight.

 

Beside him, Jang-hwi and Seo Yun groaned with sweaty palms.

 

“Shouldn’t we help?”

 

“…Stop it. Don’t you know you’ll be swept away if you carelessly step into rapids?”

 

“Such a coward.”

 

“Foolish bastard.”

 

The two bickered.

 

Listening to their commentary was quite entertaining, but that didn’t mean he had leisure.

 

In reality, the mad Shihui’s power was formidable, so even that Namgung Bin could only deflect it.

 

It was only possible because it was Namgung Bin.

 

Though Xie Baowei had withstood Tougui’s rough blade strikes, Shihui’s current power would crush a person even with its deflected.

 

Wasn’t he unable to approach Namgung Seol and Yingying all this time for fear of being swept up in those aftereffects?

 

Hmm.

 

“It seems like he’ll win though.”

 

Certainly.

 

It was Namgung Bin who was being pushed back.

 

Though Shihui raged like a beast, Namgung Bin remained unshaken even while being pushed back.

 

Moreover, having seen Namgung Bin control flames the previous day, it was hard for Xie Baowei to imagine Namgung Bin losing.

 

So he moved.

 

“Hey.”

 

“It’s dangerous!”

 

Xie Baowei strode into the distance between the two men and headed toward Namgung Seol and Yingying.

 

Namgung Bin’s eyes turned toward Xie Baowei.

 

It was Shihui who welcomed this.

 

“Worldly desires!”

 

Like the previous day, aiming for the moment when the three karmas (body, speech, mind) were entangled, Shihui’s body swelled greatly.

 

Bang!

 

Once again, Shihui’s palm strike came down.

 

Namgung Bin’s sword shook as if it would break.

 

In an instant, his sword mysteriously received and turned it, and in a flash it became a situation where Namgung Bin seemed to be striking down at Shihui.

 

It was the first form of the Changukmueom Sword that had defeated Shihui the previous day, Iljojiyang (Sun Shining Steam).

 

Shihui’s eyes gleamed.

 

“The three poisons (greed, anger, ignorance)!”

 

For a monk, worldly desires and the three poisons were ultimately things that must be severed.

 

However, Shihui swallowed it.

 

Namgung Bin’s sword slashed long from Shihui’s shoulder down to his chest.

 

Unlike the previous day, the wound was shallow. Shihui’s body pushed back as if rejecting the blade.

 

Instead, Shihui’s ship captain shattered Namgung Bin’s collarbone.

 

Had Namgung Bin’s response been even slightly delayed, it would have been a blow that crushed his head.

 

“Kugh.”

 

A rough groan escaped.

 

Even so, once again,

 

it was Shihui.

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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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