The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 90

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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 90

When Sa Yun-geol glanced at Zhang Jing, he also nodded his head.

Without realizing it, he swallowed his saliva.

Cheongwolpo, though on the outskirts of Qiulong Town, was a deep-water harbor directly connected to the main stream of the Yangtze River, making it ideal for large ships to come and go.

Moreover, though he had glossed over it roughly, he got the impression that they wouldn’t make major changes to the warehouse size either.

Frankly speaking, it seemed like they wouldn’t say much even if he brought in a large thirty-room warehouse.

Could the Southern Dragon Alliance’s dream of advancing inland be resolved so simply?

​

“In exchange, Hwahung Trading Company will distribute major specialties including Bichae mushrooms from the South Seas, as well as deep-sea pearls and fragrant scales, to the Central Plains inland only through Taihui Hall. The core of this agreement is granting Heavenly Sword Hall the exclusive brokerage rights for this trade. Is that correct?”

​

Deep-sea pearls were pearls harvested from the deep waters of the South Seas.

They were famous for their color being so deep it appeared murky, and when ground and consumed, they were said to be excellent for stabilizing the heart meridian and calming internal heat.

Fragrant scales was a euphemism for agarwood sea salt.

Literally salt infused with agarwood. It was salt secretly smuggled out and then roasted with wood fragrance, making it very precious and difficult to obtain. Processing salt itself was originally a dangerous business.

More important than that was the Bichae mushroom. The thing Namgung Hong had insisted must be included.

Xie Baowei glanced at Dangyeonhwa’s expression.

There was a medicinal herb called mountain kindness bulb.

It was the root of a wildflower called magpie’s leek, but when it grew while absorbing the harsh sea winds and salt of the South Seas, its medicinal effects were said to become much stronger, so it was given the separate name Bichae mushroom.

Its effects included dispersing stagnation – that is, being skilled at dissolving stagnant qi or blood stasis,

And one more thing.

Detoxification.

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“That’s correct.”

​

Xie Baowei nodded and carefully examined the document Sa Yun-geol had prepared.

No, he pretended to examine it and then passed it to Dangyeonhwa and Akmungi.

The document went around to Namgung Hee and then returned to him.

Zhang Jing signed first on the two identical documents, and Xie Baowei wrote his name below that.

After writing the character for “union” in the middle and completing the split seal by dividing and keeping it, he held a piece of paper in his hand.

It was paper worth countless gold.

He roughly grasped his trembling hands and carefully folded it before placing it in his bosom.

Zhang Jing was the same.

He barely suppressed his rising smile and opened his mouth.

​

“It was a good conversation.”

“…My forehead still stings.”

“Haha. Really now. I’m the one who got hit, you know?”

“But you’re the one who struck first, aren’t you?”

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Hahaha.

Hahaha.

Dry laughter was exchanged.

Zhang Jing deliberately laughed even louder with his hahaha, then suddenly stopped.

His eyes, which had been standing at the bow piercing through the headwind, fixed on Xie Baowei.

Soon he suddenly stood up and bowed deeply.

It was truly a deep bow.

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“I will not forget the efforts of the Martial Alliance, no. Hero Xie.”

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Xie Baowei gazed quietly at the back of his head and shook his head.

Though he hadn’t seen him many times, he was truly an upright man.

The Southern Dragon Alliance wasn’t a place made up entirely of chivalrous people.

Where people live, how could there be only good?

It was a place that sometimes became pirates, and sometimes became thieves more fearsome than officials.

However, no filth had ever been attached to the name of Biewo Camp.

Even Zhang Jing, who was often called the Southern Dragon Alliance’s dog, was like that.

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-What does it matter if one is just a private person? If you save the people, that makes you a hero. In their words, I believe they call it a knight-errant.

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Knight-errant.

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“No. I merely did what I had to do.”

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It was too heavy a word for Xie Baowei to bear.

He had only done it because it was his duty.

The word knight-errant suited people like these.

Those who did things not because they were given to them, but because they had to be done.

Xie Baowei carefully stood up and bowed his head in return.

It was truly a deep bow.

​

.

.

.

After Xie Baowei and his party left, only the people of the three Biewo Camp units remained at Hwahung Trading Company’s manor.

Since it would take two or three days to turn around the ships of those already sent to the South Seas, they would have to stay among themselves for a while.

There wasn’t much to worry about. These were guys who lived cramped together for months even on the vast ocean.

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“Are you thinking of him?”

“That man? Me?”

“You’re not exactly someone who thinks about women you fancy, are you?”

​

Rather, you’re much more likely to think about men you like. Sa Yun-geol snorted.

Zhang Jing pouted sullenly as if asking what kind of talk that was.

It wasn’t worth responding to.

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“He seemed useful.”

“Oh my.”

​

Useless talk.

Zhang Jing grumbled while looking disdainfully at the crew members shouting noisily as they drank.

The liquor here is strong but too clean, so there’s no fun in getting drunk.

Zhang Jing rubbed his forehead. The protruding bump stung, making him laugh for no reason.

Taking advantage of Sa Yun-geol being distracted, Zhang Jing suppressed his smile and shook his head.

​

“Anyway, he’s someone we’ll never see again.”

​

In the vast Central Plains, it was truly not easy for people from different regions to encounter each other multiple times.

Even Zhang Jing, who readily accepted the Southern Dragon Alliance’s requests, didn’t stay inland for more than a few months per year.

As before, he would just hear news carried on the wind.

Therefore, Zhang Jing simply brushed it off.

As usual.

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“If we meet again, it would be nice to have a drink.”

“Yes. What did you say?”

“Bring another bottle of liquor. You fool.”

​

The night in Qiulong Town came to an end.

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***

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“Hmph. You should have brought her along? Her eyes were practically dripping with honey.”

“Nonsense.”

​

The Samjeoljo trio stayed for one more day.

The Namgung Family, including Namgung So, remained quiet, and Heavenly Sword Hall also fell silent as if nothing had happened.

While the servants inside busily came and went, Xie Baowei’s group received the same generous hospitality as the day they arrived.

If he had wanted to, he could have lounged around for days.

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“Are three wives and four concubines a flaw for a hero?”

“Don’t start.”

“Or is my daughter the flaw?”

“I told you not to start.”

“Hmph, whatever.”

​

If she weren’t a child, he would have hit her. Really.

After only sending a message to the Wulin Alliance headquarters, Samjeoljo moved east again.

Moving east from Qichun along the Yangtze River leads directly to Anhui Province, and the place where it borders Hubei is Angyeong-bu.

Going just a little further southeast from there, you’ll find the famous Cheonjusan, and the place that made Cheonjusan even more famous in Gangho.

That would be the Namgung Family.

Samjeoljo stayed briefly in Angyeong-bu before boarding a boat again to travel up the river.

If they had been heading to the Namgung Family, they would have gotten off the boat and gone south, but they didn’t do that.

Because the place they wanted to go was further up, to the empire’s secondary capital, Nanjing.

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“Hmph. You should have accepted? The Hwangbo wouldn’t have said anything either!”

“My heart is one, so how could I divide it in two?”

“Hmph! Then are all the people in the world heretics? Our mother was also a second wife but received lots of love!”

“…That’s not what I meant. If your feelings were hurt, I apologize.”

​

Even though Heavenly Sword Hall belonged to the Namgung Family, it wasn’t in a completely subordinate position.

The influence over Qiulong Town was held by Namgung Hong rather than the Namgung Family.

That’s why the Namgung Family’s actions to push out Namgung Hong had to be seen as something difficult to understand.

Now that the matter was resolved, according to his permission, he had gained enough power that anyone from the Southern Dragon Alliance could enter, or no one could.

In the end, according to Dangyeonhwa’s explanation, this incident not only made the Namgung Family retreat, but also brought considerable benefits to Heavenly Sword Hall.

​

“By the way, the Heavenly Sword Hall Master is amazing too. He clearly made Heavenly Sword Hall the contracting party. In such a situation, could they carelessly replace people?”

​

Not only the minor items, but things like agarwood sea salt and deep-sea pearls brought great profits.

Especially salt wasn’t something that someone ignorant could carelessly handle.

Unless it was someone like Namgung Hong who controlled Qiulong Town’s logistics situation and connections, it wouldn’t be easy to handle.

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“What could such a man lack that he cowered like an old man in the back room?”

“That’s how all parents are. He probably didn’t want to hurt his child.”

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Sometimes they don’t realize that the child gets hurt because of it.

Akmungi said bitterly.

Although he was a father and Household Head whom he respected endlessly, sometimes he felt that heart went too far. For example, rejecting Ak Munheon…

At Akmungi’s words, Dangyeonhwa also fell silent as if she felt something.

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“They say even someone who moves the world with a gesture is just a father when he turns around. Love must have blinded his eyes.”

​

Spouting words picked up from somewhere felt empty.

Xie Baowei raised his head to look at the sky.

He missed Hee-mae and Yingying painfully.

If he had a horse, he would have spurred it and run away, but the Yangtze River waters only flowed steadily.

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“When we get to Nanjing, Senior Ha will be there, so our leader will be excited again.”

​

Dangyeonhwa, reading his mood, spoke playfully.

He should clear the worries from his own face and smile.

Since the young child was putting on an adult face, he couldn’t just laugh it off.

Xie Baowei stroked Dangyeonhwa’s hair.

Dangyeonhwa said “Ugh” but didn’t seem to dislike the touch, staying still.

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“Let’s take it easy. Since the schedule is endlessly relaxed, it’s almost like half a vacation, isn’t it?”

​

Xie Baowei said leisurely.

The boat flowed gently along the Yangtze River.

​

As Xie Baowei said, the three people moved leisurely.

They rested at every port and ate delicious food.

Dangyeonhwa was delighted like a child, and Akmungi tormented Xie Baowei.

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“…Let’s rest.”

“Please spar with me just a little more.”

​

If Xie Baowei’s spear was a battlefield spear, then the Ak Family’s spear was a martial family’s spear.

Not only were the spears short and long, but their usage was so different they felt like completely different weapons.

In that sense, Xie Baowei was a good opponent.

He used sword, saber, and spear well, because he had mastered the Hwangbo Family’s martial theory Mount Tai Eighteen Virtues, which required training applicable to all eighteen weapons.

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“Enough. Resting is also training.”

​

Damn it.

When he tried to slack off because Hee-mae wasn’t there, this guy wouldn’t let him be.

Xie Baowei clicked his tongue and strongly struck away the pursuing spear blade.

Akmungi didn’t stop and took one more step forward. Using the deflected force in reverse, his short spear spun gracefully around his body.

Carrying the rotational force and thrusting with the opposite hand in a continuous attack, his vision was momentarily covered with spear points.

Truly a good continuous attack.

This time Xie Baowei didn’t dare underestimate it and stepped back.

​

“Let’s just do one round.”

​

He muttered bluntly and then exhaled a rough breath.

What he held in his hand was a long spear. It was a practice wooden spear with a blunt tip, but it had enough flexibility.

The distance was already set, putting him at a severe disadvantage.

However, if he had intended to just take a beating, he wouldn’t have made it back from the battlefield.

​

Swoosh.

​

With a short inhale, breath filled down to his lower abdomen.

Just because small branches are blown by the wind doesn’t mean the roots will shake.

​

Whoosh!

​

Gripping the middle of the spear firmly with both hands, he struck down in one motion.

This was the Hwangbo Family’s Five Great Swords First Form, Severing Command.

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Clatter clatter clang!

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Despite the rushing series of attacks, Xie Baowei’s spear pushed through stubbornly and tapped Akmungi’s shoulder.

Akmungi looked at the wooden spear on his shoulder and spoke as if feeling wronged.

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“I surrender.”

“If you feel wronged, sharpen your blade and fight me. This is really the end.”

​

Ugh.

Xie Baowei rubbed his shoulder and chest, which had taken three or four hits in an instant, as he replied.

Phew.

Sweat dripped steadily, flowing over his clothes to the floor.

Akmungi stepped back half a pace and covered where the spear had touched.

It didn’t hurt, but it stung.

For a moment, he thought he was going to be devoured. Even facing a bear or tiger wouldn’t have given him this feeling.

If he had responded calmly, it would have been an attack he could have easily blocked.

​

“Does everyone become like that after going to the battlefield?”

“Why. Are you going too?”

“…If necessary.”

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Heh.

Xie Baowei let out a laugh without realizing it.

​

“Why. Don’t do this kind of thing. Are you going to say the same thing?”

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Akmungi spoke in a sullen voice.

He was always polite, but lately he seemed impatient.

There had been signs before, but it had gotten worse after witnessing the brief conflict between Zhang Jing and Xie Baowei.

Should it be called the impatience typical of young men? It seemed like resting felt like falling behind to him.

The one he was chasing was Ak Munheon, wasn’t it? That quiet friend didn’t seem so rushed.

It’s always like that.

Those who are ahead are relaxed, and those who chase are in a hurry.

But if you look closely, being ahead means being chased.

Who knows, Ak Munheon might also have someone chasing him.

Xie Baowei shrugged his shoulders.

​

“Go ahead and try.”

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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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